Current Research in Education and Social Studies Vol. 3

The Wonders of Malaysian ESL Teachers

Janemary Thirusanku — 2020-01-20

Language purists have viewed Malaysian English as divergence from native speakers’ conventions due to lack of estimation of the language. Much need to be done before Malaysian English can be accurately described and codified. Hence, this qualitative study intends to show the range of usage of Standard Malaysian English lexis, that is the acrolectal variety, in the written and spoken discourse of 203 English as Second Language (ESL) teachers in 38 National Secondary Schools in the Klang district in Selangor. The main aims are to detect and categorise the types of lexical borrowings from three main languages in Malaysia namely Malay, Chinese and Indian languages used by the ESL teachers, to what extent these lexical borrowings are used and for what reasons. This study has identified and collected 483 lexical items over a period of one year that is, from December 2011 to November 2012, whereby qualitative data is interpreted quantitatively. The findings of this study show that the ESL teachers mainly use the lexical items from the Malay language more frequently as it is the official language and has a prestigious placing. Borrowings from the local languages show that the English language is still in contact with other languages to express new ideas and concepts and mostly to retain the culture and tradition of Malaysians regardless of ethnicity. It is prone to change according to the users’ needs and to express themselves with respect to their needs to enhance and enrich the language and culture.

Using Original Methods in Teaching English Language to Foreign Students (Chinese) in Indian Classroom

K. Devimeenakshi — 2020-01-20

This chapter portrays information on English language teaching schemes in Indian classrooms for foreign students. The teacher monitors as facilitator and instructor, the trainees were trained in the four macro skills, LSRW. Some topics are taught in three skills, namely, writing, listening and reading (just three, not speaking skills) to Chinese students in VIT University, but the other skill speaking was trained by the other faculty. The Students were educated to listen to English words and passages, to read the comprehension passages and answer the questions, and to coach basic grammar and revising it. Moreover, beginners were also guided to learn technical words related to their respective disciplines (major subjects) other than English words. For example, Chinese students posed a query to the faculty to explain on technical words and terms of their main subjects in English, for instance, B.Sc Computer Science (under graduate programme) students wished to learn about the word data. Since, the English Oxford Dictionary meaning is ‘facts or statistics used for reference or analysis’, but in the field of Computer Science, the word means “information processed by a computer”. So, there arouse a need to help them in distinguishing the different meanings of the word. In addition to, many students were not familiar with English. Thus through the above said way of facilitating, they acquired a good knowledge by varied types of expressions to master their particular subjects. It is a time to share the purpose of Chinese visiting India to obtain the nuances of English language. They become gradually proficient at specific courses in English medium of instruction, perhaps to get degree. A few lesson plans of teachers (how the practices are conducted in listening, reading and writing skills) as well as some parts in allotted syllabus (listening to songs, passages, writing a paragraph and essay, picture-story writing and write about yourself, reading the passage and writing) were discussed in the current section. The roles of teacher and student were explained in detail. Therefore, can discern how the beginners were trained, taught, convinced, persuaded and managed by a tutor to reach the goal of English language teaching to Chinese students.

Further Education for Unsuccessful Grades 9 to 12 School Leavers in South Africa

A. J. Klinck — 2020-01-20

Statistics released by the Education Management Information Systems (EMIS), (2002 to 2009) reveal that 60% of learners entering Grade 9 leave school without attaining Grade 12 certificates. These learners do not qualify for employment because employers prefer well-trained experienced employees. A limited number (12 500 annually) of learner ship and apprenticeship opportunities are also out of reach because they have to compete with better-qualified candidates. High unemployment rates (25.3%) and very high youth unemployment (48%) signifies their bleak prospects. The poor success rate of these learners, attempting further education at FET colleges, implies inappropriateness of the existing curricula at these colleges to address their educational needs. Their educational foundation, primarily based on language, mathematics and science proficiency, is insufficient for progress in mainstream further education at schools or Further Education and Training colleges. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the educational situation and propose a curriculum for a specific field, which can serve as an example for further research and establishment of appropriate curricula over the spectrum of learner aptitudes and interests. For this purpose, the field of engineering was selected to reduce the research to manageable size, uniform characteristics and a specific curriculum focus. Addressing their quest for skills and qualifications can be met with transdisciplinary practicum-based education obviating the linguistic-logic-mathematical predilection of mainstream education.

Graduates’ Employability Skills Based on Current Job Demand through Electronic Advertisement

Nik Hairi Omar — 2020-01-20

In Malaysia, there is a profusion of evidence of high graduate unemployment since many graduates are found lacking of what are needed to acquire and to maintain their jobs. In this paper, graduate employability skills were analyzed based on four major criteria: Qualification, academic score, experience and specific soft skills. The data and information used were extracted from 300 online job advertisements accessed via electronic databases at http://www.JobStreet.com.my from January to March 2011. A simple checklist form was developed to quantify the information from ads into quantitative data that was later keyed in the Statistical Package for Social Science for descriptive analyses. Based on the data, it was concluded that graduates with bachelor degrees were more likely to be employable due to high demand. It was also found that academic excellence based on CGPA was not the utmost factor for graduate employability. However, since less than one-third ads were free from work experiences requirement, fresh graduates only secured a little chance to be recruited. Another factor that limited graduates employability was high demand of specific soft skills requested by employers, among which were graduates with high quality of communication/interpersonal skills, foreign language proficiency, ICT/technical skills, high spirit of teamwork and specific personal attributes. Results concluded that graduate unemployment rate will continue to increase unless the Higher Education Institution (HEI) and the graduates are prepared to sharpen their soft skills according to market niche. It is suggested that the HEI work more closely with industries, professional bodies and society through the establishment of university-industry link cooperation that will become a catalyst for soft skills enhancement.

Measures for Rehabilitating Drug Abusers and Alcoholics: A Study Conducted in Haldwani, Uttarakhand

Garima Pal — 2020-01-20

In the fast changing scenario of the world, youths especially students of the youthful age are considered to be future assets of the family and the nation at large. These youngsters can contribute a lot for the welfare and the advancement of the family or nation in a truly global sense only if their energies and potentialities are channelized in the most appropriate and desired manner. On the contrary, if they indulge in undesirable activities like drug abuse and alcoholism, which have become the most prevalent social evil in the present times, they can never utilize their potential and energies for self growth, family welfare as well as welfare and development of the nation. The prevalence of an alarming growth rate of drug abuse and alcoholism warrants us to take preventive steps for proper utilization of human resources. Alcoholism has a higher prevalence among men, though in recent decades, the proportion of female alcoholics has increased. Current evidence indicates that in both men and women, alcoholism is 50–60 percent genetically determined, leaving 40–50 percent for environmental influences. Most alcoholics develop alcoholism during adolescence or young adulthood. The various health problems associated with long-term alcohol consumption are generally perceived as detrimental to society, for example, money due to lost labour-hours, medical costs, and secondary treatment costs. Alcohol use is a major contributing factor for head injuries, motor vehicle accidents, violence, and assaults. Beyond money, there are also significant social costs to both the alcoholic and their family and friends. For instance, alcohol consumption by a pregnant woman can lead to foetal alcohol syndrome, incurable and damaging condition.

Students' Evaluation on the Effects of Electronic Peer Responses in Writing

Pham Vu Phi Ho — 2020-01-20

The paper, part of a bigger project, is to investigate how the students, in a student-centered pedagogical focus, perceive their own learning progress in e-peer feedback activities, including the effectiveness of the use of blogs for e-peer responses in an L2 writing class. Thirty-two 2^nd year Vietnamese students at a university in Ho Chi Minh City participated in a 15-week writing course. Data collection was from in-depth interviews, semi-structured interviews and end-of-course questionnaires. Results of the study revealed that when students themselves assessed their own writing its quality improved in both global and local areas; moreover, their writing was lengthier after revisions. In addition, the students highly evaluated the use of blogs for e-peer responses because of its usefulness and effectiveness for their writing improvement. The study will be helpful for instructors who would like to apply a popular online medium for their writing courses.

Deconstructing Post-industrial American Ethos: Decline of Civility and Agony of Artists in Bellow’s Later Novels

Ramzi B. Mohamed Marrouchi — 2020-01-20

This paper sheds light on the way Saul Bellow’s (1915–2005) intellectual protagonists deconstruct post-industrial American ethos which are dominated by the hegemony of capitalism and the values of democracy. These heroes are deeply immersed in European liberal education, the ‘Western Canon’ to recall Harold Bloom; however, they are marginalized, alienated, degraded and eventually rejected by the masses, junk culture, the dictatorship of the commonplace, and the unqualified individual. Bellow’s heroes predict that American culture will be overwhelmed by mass culture after the 1950s characterized by liberal democracy, [ultra capitalism], scientific experimentation, and industrialization, in spite of the high rate of higher education. Deploring a Derridean method of deconstructionism and a Foucauldian epistemic design, they archeologically question the roots of American cultural backdrop, that is, the massive industrialization in the late age of capitalism. They centralize art, humanities, classical books, morality and religion; and marginalize science, commodity, consumerism, technology, and psychiatry. They deconstruct all makers of culture industry based on analysis, systemization, standardization, and not imagination and creativity. To achieve human and noble norms, they admit a noble life away from the vulgarity and barbarism of the age to cite Zygmunt Bauman. Special focus is on Herzog (1964), Mr. Sammler’s Planet (1970), Humboldt’s Gift (1975) and The Dean’s December (1982) for their common concern with this issue.

Financial Well-being among Public Employees in Malaysia: A Preliminary Study

N. Mokhtar — 2020-01-20

Public employee’s innovativeness, responsiveness, efficiency and friendliness in services are the core prescriptions to enhance the competitiveness of one’s country. Financial well-being and employees are two aspects that consequently related with each other that have received substantial deliberation from researchers, employers and financial advisor. Financial well-being can affect both direct and indirectly towards an individual, team and also organization. Changes in employee’s financial well-being level whether it becomes high or low will affect their job performance. The purpose of this study is to discuss the level of public employee’s financial well-being in Malaysia as well as to examine the determinants of financial well-being. A total of 73 questionnaires have been distributed through e-survey (email based) using convenient sampling technique in order to conduct this pilot test (pre-test). Only 30 public employees have participated in this study. The results identified that majority of public employees is at the moderate level of financial well-being. Even so, appropriate action should be taken through financial education in order to prevent worst case scenario in the future.

Palliative Care: The Social Pain

Andrea Frossard — 2020-01-20

This article intends to carry out an analysis on Palliative Care and its relationship with human rights, considering the multidimensional conceptions inherent to pain as advocated by Cicely Saunders. The author delves into the concept of total pain by understanding it as a set of symptoms that can contribute to a pain picture that encompasses the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions that affect a patient's life. In this way, the field in question is presented from the concept of total pain, revealing its dimensions of social pain. Thus, it is based on bibliographical research, using the method of narrative revision. Emphasis is placed on the study of Michel Foucault, in his last phase, in the reflexive process on pain and finitude as practices of freedom. The purpose of palliative care is to give meaning to pain in order to re-signify life in a limiting condition imposed by the non-prospect of healing. It also provides a vital redirection of care for the maximization of the quality of life. It is concluded that social pain is exacerbated by a tense and contradictory daily life, which often imposes a harsh reality that threatens the right of universal access to health (without discrimination and social security) and makes it become distant, almost utopian. This is certainly a dilemma of the all Brazilian health professionals.

Circummandibular Wiring of Symphysis Fracture in a Five-Year-Old Child

Krishna Priya Vellore — 2020-01-20

The treatment of pediatric maxillofacial fractures is unique due to the psychological, physiological, developmental and anatomical characteristics of children.

Method: This case report describes the management of symphysis fracture of mandible in a 5-year-old boy. The fracture was treated by acrylic splint with circummandibular wiring.

Results: The splint was removed after 3 weeks. The patient had no complaints and radiograph revealed a healed fracture.

Conclusion: The clinical outcome in the present case indicates the management of mandibular fractures in pediatric patients using acrylic splint with circummandibular wiring.

A Cross Cultural Patronage Study among the Students in Chennai

Yaaseen Masvood — 2020-01-20

Islamic Banking is any banking activity performed on the basis of Islamic laws of jurisprudence. The two fundamental sources of Islamic law are the Quran, (which is the Holy Book of Muslims) and the Sunnah, (which is the Traditions of the final Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him)). Islamic methods of finance revolve around a few basic concepts, the most important of which is the prohibition of ‘Riba’ or interest. Although this concept is relatively new in the Indian context, the Islamic financial world is now a global force to reckon with and India might miss out if the opportunity is not capitalized. It is worth mentioning that the total value of Islamic business stands at $6.7 trillion and is growing at a rate of 16-20% a year. Also, the fact that many non-Muslim countries like UK have opened full-fledged Islamic banks point to the fact that Islamic finance or Islamic banking is not limited to Muslims alone. Therefore, India’s ambitions of becoming an Asian financial hub cannot be met without capitalizing into the pool of Islamic Finance. The purpose of this paper is to study the level of awareness of students of private universities in Chennai and to study the cross cultural patronage factors towards Islamic Banking. The findings reveal that the respondents have a positive and favorable patronage towards Islamic Banking due to their perception about its success in other parts of the world.