Translation Department Organizes English Communication Competitions at Balla Private School

Third-year students from the Department of Translation at Cihan University–Erbil participated in a series of English communication competitions with 11th-grade students from Balla Private School on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The event was organized by their Communication Skills course instructor, Assistant Lecturer Zeena Mahmood Ameen.

Upon arrival, they were warmly received by Ms. Sazan Abdulqadir Darwesh, the school principal. The competitions consisted of three rounds covering topics related to translation and future careers, health, travelling, and student life. Before the competitions began, the course lecturer explained the dos and don’ts of effective participation, including the criteria for determining the winners in each round.

The first round involved individual competitions, with one school student competing against one Translation Department student. Both participants discussed the same topic before other students from both sides took part in subsequent competitions. The second round featured pair competitions, in which two Translation Department students competed against two school students through conversations on assigned topics. The third round involved group competitions, bringing together university and school students to discuss assigned topics collaboratively.

Through these engaging competitions, participants were encouraged to express their ideas within the allocated time, listen to others, and communicate more confidently in real-life situations. Overall, the event fostered a spirit of friendly competition and provided students with an opportunity to practice English beyond the classroom while interacting with speakers of different ages, perspectives, and levels of English proficiency. The event concluded with a group photo. Assistant Lecturer Zeena and the participating students expressed their gratitude to Ms. Sazan for providing them with this valuable opportunity.