On March 28, the 2022 Online Overseas Class of the School of Foreign Languages was kicked off. Chaojun Yang,Dean of the School, delivered a welcome speech. Peter Szaffkó, a famous professor from Hungary, was invited to give a series of lectures entitled “An Introduction to English Language and Culture; Communication and Translation”.

Peter Szaffkó is a retired professor from the Debrecen University, Hungary. His current research interests include Hungarian-British relations, theatrical theory, and Canadian theatrical history. He has also worked with major universities in Europe, America and Asia.

At the beginning of the course, Dean Yang, on behalf of the School, welcomed and thanked Prof. Szaffkó for accepting the invitation and briefly introduced his research fields and academic achievements.

The first lecture focused on the history of the English language and the pronunciation change over the years. Vivid pictures help students better understand the historical background, phonetic features, and spelling differences of the three stages: Old English, Middle English and Modern English. In addition,Prof. Szaffkó introduced classic literary works of different stages, such as the heroic epic Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, and Shakespeare’s plays and so on.

Online Overseas Class is a new teaching mode with the pandemic background. The School of Foreign Languages has introduced 2 overseas courses every year since 2020. Students can have“face to face” communication with renowned scholars thousands of miles away. On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of Henan University,the School will hold a series of overseas lectures, international academic forums and summer camps, and other academic activities.

(From: School of Foreign Languages)