Atlas Global Center for studies & research (AGC)

History

Atlas Global Center for studies & research was founded in 1997, in Amman, as a center specialized in languages and teaching methods. Its studies and translated works in different fields and subjects add to the Arab educational movement. It is recognized for being the first studies center in the Arab World to study the role and the impact of the electronic talking dictionaries (handhelds) on the Arab learners in learning a foreign language, and in utilizing the best technical devices in teaching and learning a foreign language.

To acquire the best results, the center unites together specialists from different fields; translators and linguists of Arabic, English and French, computer engineers and programmers, manufacturing and production engineers as well as consultants from different major universities.

Studies & Research

Atlas Global Center is considered the first and may be the only research center in the Middle East conducting studies about the electronic handheld dictionaries as major teaching and learning tools of languages. The center is also looked upon as the initiator of launching this idea comprehensively in the Arab market, surpassing by that the traditional idea of a dictionary and exploring the new inspiring technology of an electronic handheld.

It might be a fact that throughout the past five years the center had established the idea of handhelds into the Arab World. But it is aiming at making the whole learning-teaching process a very high technical system and an enjoyable experience, since an electronic dictionary is not a word-meaning context anymore. A dictionary had transformed into an electronic encyclopedia with a screen and a keyboard, it holds most of the related information that a word might have, cutting by that time and effort used to search for information to be better utilized in studying.

Activities and Conferences

The Center started in 2001 holding conferences on modern language learning techniques and studies, to ensure conveying its studies to others and to people of specialty, and to ensure hearing about new approaches and studies that might help in the progress of this field.
The first conference took place in 2001 in Amman – Jordan under the title “Methods and Contents of a Modern Arabic Dictionary” while the second conference of 2002 discussed “The Role of Technology in Language Teaching and Learning”. The third conference was held in Beirut at the School of Translation – University of Saint Joseph in 2003 under the title "Translation: The Formation, the Specialization and the Profession". The fourth conference took place at the University of Sharjah in the year 2004. It was entitled "Lexicography: Reality and Prospects". The fifth conference was held in Jordan in 2005 at Zarka Private University under the title " Current Issues in Translation and Arabization".

Publications of the center

Atlas Encyclopedic English/Arabic Dictionary
Atlas English/Arabic Dictionary
Atlas English/Arabic Student Dictionary
Atlas English/Arabic Pocket Dictionary
Atlas French/ Arabic Dictionary
DK Atlas 5 Language Visual Dictionary
DK Atlas My First Book of French Words

In addition to all what has been mentioned, the Center has issued its refereed biannual international periodical " Atlas for Studies and Research ". The first number has been issued in January 2006.

Internal and External Ties

The Center has exerted efforts to strengthen professional ties with the well-known institutions in Jordan and abroad. Among these institutions are: The Center for Consultations, Technical Services and Studies in the University of Jordan; The School of Translation Beirut – University of Saint Joseph; The Jordanian Arabic Language Academy; Jordanian Translators' Association; Talal Abu Ghazaleh Group; and CIUTI.