History of Department

Department of English was established together with University of Medicine, Magway in 2001. Daw Yin Le Le Thwin B.A(Hons.), M.A(English) was the first Head of the Department serving from 2001 to 2012. Newly appointed tutors Daw Aye Aye Khaine, Daw Kaw Kaw Myint and U Kyaw Htay joined the English Faculty as pioneers. Although it was very challenging to handle a large class of approximately 250 students without any experienced assistant lecturer and tutors, the 1st M.B,B.S English Course has enabled to focus on all four skills; reading, writing, listening and speaking. Reading and writing skills were communicatively promoted in the classroom while listening and speaking were thoroughly practised in the language lab with the help of the former Rector, Prof. Dr.Than Myint. Even mini-talks were held to motivate the students’ skills of speaking in public. Tutorials and tests were successfully conducted to access their reading and writing skills. Even listening and speaking skills could be assessed despite the lack of experienced faculty members. Since 2002, assistant lecturers from Universities of Medicine, Yangon are assigned to University of Medicine, Magway according to one-year rotation system. Starting from that time the Lecturer and Head, together with two assistant lecturers and tutors in full strength formed a more dynamic group to run a more effective English course of all four skills as well as academic skills for premedical students.

From 2002 the department’s own textbooks of reading, writing could be produced in order to enhance more communicative skills and academic skills. Reading textbook and cloze passages are prepared for communicative reading, speed reading, rational thinking with different text types like reading comprehension passages, advertisements, notices, signs, instructions, maps, pictures and diagrams and International English Language Tests. Course book for writing skills provides different activities like memos, messages, postcards, notices, signs, personal letters, job application letters, referrals, case histories, diaries, diagrams, reports, summaries, compositions, note-taking and note-making.

Speaking lesson video and course book “Useful Language Functions in the Classroom” were produced by the Head with the support of assistant lecturers and tutors in 2006. The video helping the students as visual and audio aids, listening and speaking are integratedly practised with a focus on everyday conversation, doctor-patient relationship, lectures, interviews, discussions and presentations. The Reading and Audio Room was set up as a resource center for the students providing a variety of fictions, reader digests, periodicals and reference books. The department also takes other commitments of PPD in addition to implementation of the course. The first Head, Daw Yin Le Le Thwin, was transferred to the University of Medicine I Yangon as the Head on 27th January, 2012 and the second Head, Daw Soe Moe Thu, took the position at the University of Medicine, Magway from 27th January, 2012 to 31st March, 2014. The third and current Head, Daw May Kyu Myint, has started her role at UMMG since 1st April, 2014 up to now.