Reflection week 1 & 2

{ January 22, 2009 @ 2:53 am } · { Uncategorized }

REFLECTION ELE3103

Week 1:

 

            This semester we are learning English for Language Teachers course for semester 5 program. In week 1 (5^th Jan 2009), we learn the first topic for this course, that is Language and communication. In this topic we have learnt and discussed about the definition of language, and language and culture. Our lectures for this week were discussed on how culture affects English language in all aspects which include economic status, educational policies, political and historical influence, urban and rural setting, and multicultural society. Based on the aspects, we have to present points from each group.

            For the first presentation, each group has pointed out their points very well. In my opinion, our group also has presented our best. Some of the group has presented very well, where they used some facts and historical proof to support their points. I quite impressed with their presentation. In my opinion, that is the standard, way and style of university students in doing their presentation.

            From this presentation, I have learnt that how culture can affects English language in Malaysia. For example, I want to comment on the urban and rural settings aspect. From this aspect, societies that live in urban area have the best educational and economical background. So students from the enable family have the opportunity to get the best educational facilities such as English tuition centre and good exposed to advanced mass media. Contrary from the societies who live in the rural area, they don’t have such a good educational facilities as in the urban area. So, the students have less opportunity in learning English. Their parents also don’t have a high education background; this factor also causes parents less opportunity or seldom speaks English with their children. In my opinion, some of the points are not quite true. Some of the societies from rural area are the best in the education aspects. This is because they appreciate the opportunity in education that they get in school. They valued the effort of the government and teachers in giving them the opportunity to go to school and get the best attention and education. So, it is not impossible for students from rural area get best examination result from the urban students.

            For the second presentation which is role play, we have to prepare a dialogue with at least five language functions. Example of language functions are to greet, to persuade, to ask, to agree, to thank, to suggest and so on. Our group has prepared a dialogue about mixed- marriage. Before the presentation, we did a little practice. In my opinion, our group has presented our dialogue in a very relaxing and spontaneous way. Even though on the beginning of the role play I’ve made some mistake on seats position, but we still continued our dialogue in spontaneous way. I found it is so funny.

 

 

Week 2:

 

            For this week, our lectures were regarding on the functions of language and input on non-verbal communication.         Communication is referring to ways to express idea and to convey message to other people. This includes process of sender and a receiver. So, language is one of the medium for communication. People or human use language to communicate to each other. Language usually has meaning. Through a meaningful language, people can get the idea or message effectively.

            For non-verbal communication, it refers to a non-speech communication. The language and communication can be expressed through physiological reflexes, emotional markers and paralinguistic effects (body movement, facial expression). We also did some mime (non-verbal communication) for our tutorial. Our group has presented a mime on a restaurant situation. We used body movement, gesture and facial expression to convey our message and to tell each of our character in this mime. I found it was an interesting mime because we can act it out without dialogue. I found it is easier for acting using mime because there is no dialogue needed.