English Language Improvement Center

1. Introduction 

The current Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX) was one of the five departments which made Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute which later transformed itself into a Technology and Textile Institute, was established in 1963 in technical cooperation between the USSR and the Imperial Government of Ethiopia. The institute was premier in the country in producing technicians for textile, fashion sector. The institute started its first training program in Textile Technology in collaboration with the Russian Government at the advanced diploma level under Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute, which eventually unified into Bahir Dar University in 2000. Having produced trained manpower at the level of Advance Diploma in Textile Technology for 33 years, the institute upgraded its programs to B.Sc level in 1997. 

For industrialization of Ethiopia was given high prominence by the government and because of the importance of the textile, garment, and fashion sectors to the economic growth of Ethiopia the department of Textile Engineering was upgraded to the Institute level by the name "Institute of Textile and Clothing Technology in July 2009. Because of the fact that the Engineering Capacity Building Program (ECBP) started operating in Ethiopia in collaboration with the German government and the institute was renamed "The Institute of Technology for Textile, Garment, and Fashion Design (IoTEX)" and Started functioning as autonomous Institute under Bahir Dar University in 2010. Later in March 2014, the institution got its current name "Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX). 

1.1. EiTEX ELIC 

EiTEX ELIC was established in 2009 E.C. with the aim of enhancing English language proficiency of students, academic staffs in the institution. It has been offering training for students and teachers and admins on language skills classroom English and workplace communication respectively. In mid-January 2024, the ELIC organized IELTS training for academic staffs during which EiTEX ELIC used Smart board that made the training process more authentic and interesting than ever before. 

2. Vision Mission and Values

2.1. Vision 

English Language Improvement Center (ELIC )  aspires to be not only  a place for students and educators  to learn and use English in a casual/informal setting outside regular class but also be a hub for taking IELTS tests.  The center takes care of the students’ different developmental needs such as their skills and other language items. The centers’ vision is to make Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology Institute a realm excellence in terms of English language proficiency.  By 2025, students, instructors and admin will have improved their communication skills. 

2.2. Mission 

The mission of the English Language Improvement Center (ELIC) is to foster the learning of the English language through its semester-wise scheduled English language learning activities at the center. 

w Train students and teacher to communicate effectively in different communicative contexts 

w Improve the service provided by administrative staff by offering need-based training

w Enhance proficiency of students of Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology academic and administrative staff and students in using English for their purposes;  

w Identify English language training needs and put them into practice in the institution, 

w Encourage instructors to implement classroom English  

w Create professional links among different instructors and help them to share language usage experiences; 

w Develop the use of English for Academic and Specific purposes: 

w Facilitate induction training for recruiting GA instructor with capacity building and transformation office  

w Edit and translate manuals, policies, and guidelines 

w Organize and run clubs/ special interest groups/ (group debating, discussion, movie club, free talk club and conversation club, etc.)   

2.3. Values 

Values define those qualities that are modeled by the educational practices within a center and established in the practices of its students. Beyond academic proficiencies, core values are what we hope students take with them into their futures. The core values that a language center and its community chose to identify are the following: 

l   Collaboration 

l   Honesty & social responsibility 

l   Perseverance 

l   Respect 

l   Personal integrity 

l   Equity   

l   Intellectual curiosity  

l   Appreciation of diversity & Internationalization 

l   Quality  

3. Training Strategic Issues 

The ability to teach in English languages effectively has become an increasingly important skill to develop and improve the language proficiency of students.  The ELIC offers English language major skills, presentation skills, communication skills training for students, academic staffs, admin and academic writing, critical reading and proposal development for prospective graduate students. Moreover, students having language problems will be helped out by ELIC trainers. Hence the ELIC will strive to improve the English language competence of students and teachers in the institution. This will achieve through continuous training on the following English language strategic training. 

l   English language major and minor Skills 

l   Grammar in use and vocabulary 

l   Presentation skills 

l   Basic Communication Skills 

l   Academic Communication 

l  IELTS 

l  TOEFL 

l   Classroom English 

l   English for graduating students 

Contact Information 

Mr. Habtamu Tebeje (MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language) 

EiTEX ELIC Coordinator 

Mobile: +251911570269 

Email: tebejehabtamu@gmai.com 

Inst. Gmail: Habtamu.Tebeje@bdu.edu.et