MUET Speaking Assessment - Task 1 Part 3

Individual Presentation

MUET Speaking Assessment - Task 1 Part 2

Individual Presentation

MUET Speaking Assessment - Task 1 Part 1

Individual Presentation

Islam is the way of life....Nuzul Quran

“Bulan Ramadhan, bulan yang di dalamnya diturunkan (permulaan) Al-Quran sebagai petunjuk bagi manusia dan penjelasan mengenai petunjuk itu serta pembeza (antara yang haq dan yang bathil)” [ al-Baqarah(2):185]

Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam mengingatkan kita,

“Aku telah meninggalkan pada kalian dua perkara;

jika kalian berpegang teguh pada keduanya maka

k a l i a n t i d a k a k a n t e r s e s a t s e l ama - l ama n y a , i a i t u

Kitabullah dan Sunnah NabiNya” [HR Muslim]

Our last Iftar with Tuan Pengetua: Puan Hjh Noraini bt Yeub Sidi, AMN

16th August 2011 Wednesday at the Al-Hidayah Surau of SMK Khir Johari, Tanjong Malim, Perak, we held an Iftar, the last Iftar with the Pengetua. She is retiring at 58 next year since she joined us in 2006.
          We started of with the Bacaan Yasin, Tahlil, Iftar with tamar and some Malaysian delicacies led by Ustaz Anuar. Solat Maghrib followed and then, we gathered at the school canteen for the food. Nasi minyak, ayam masak merah, dalca, acar timun and kurma kambing were the spread.
          We resumed @ the surau for our solat terawih.

Thank you Bonda

Never turn time back...

I hope our status has not changed...even with this confession....
I really love where we are now.....
Appreciating each other's perfections
and accepting each other's flaws
What is in the past is where it should lie...

I think what we have now is much better...
With who we have become...
and who we are now...
making this friendship better, stronger....

I would not have changed anything
...caused what has happened in the past has led us to each other now......

The Declining English Proficiency

Borrowing a respond from a friend, a confidante, a big brother, in regards to the declining English proficiency...
  
          Yes its true dear, these melancholic attitudes does exist but not only recently! It was in the air, almost immediately when our 'bahasa perantaraan' was changed to BM ie circa 1980...
When I first encountered (what u are now) i was really apprehensive & offensive of 'these people'...!
Why?
          Because, from affects to the earlier exposure of English, till now, IN WHATEVER MATTER/s, I am not ashame to admit that I think in English first, then only translate to Bahasa Melayu. That explains my BM's C6 in MCE...
          But,
           ....later in life...as the exposure to the use of BM gets thug-in ie teaching at IPTA & in BM, I came to realise why 'these people' act as such...namely, scorning those who could speak well & profound good, Queen's English.
          Firstly,
          ....til now(I think those who could speak English are normally 1 up over their peers, in terms of self asteem, appearance in dressing & ideas in thinking. So much so that, it really beats the hatred out of 'them', when people around them speak English! Made worst, when 'they' do not understand what the English speaking person is talking about...
         Secondly,
          Constantly correcting others English (in public) sometmes done without even realising it...thus giving raise to the accusation of show boarding...thats individualism for U ie not all are like that


          Conclusion,
          ....we have to be tactful in these matters eg despite wanting to do good, approach matters positively, we tend to miss the apprehension of others about the same matter & action. As, without actually realising that a certain negative vibe is protrayed while our intentions are GOOD


          However, having said all that & on a lighter note :-))),


          The best memory I had while being a Lecturer was when my students had a Farewell Makan before I left the teaching profession...the MC said that she might not be able to forget me as, I am the only lecturer who speaks English when angry...thus making them smile as they do not understand (at least 75%) of what is being said.


Thank you Ramush

My attempts - a sigh...is just a sigh

I try to accept people at 'face-value' and try not question them....I like thinking that people are who they are because of their background. Past experiences mold them and who are we to second guess them.

Nevertheless, people are not who they seemed to be and I had been bitten in my butt...more than once....but I always try to stay an open mind...

Nevertheless, the bites are just means to alert us that our progressive wants and desires in this earth are not always met. He determines.....

These bites act as reminders not take our love ones for granted...to cherish them and to rejoice with them for their lasting support and unprejudiced, unconditioned, eternal love.

Ergo....thank Allah for the bites and pray that they are not with fangs....(attempting to be funny...)

Thank you Yamin Salim

Never inquire even if it bore holes in ur mind...

          The government has recently announced to award a half-pay bonus to all its federal employees. We were over the moon when the news was released to the press and reached our ears. We have not received any bonuses since the new government reigned except for occasional 'wang ehsan' thrown our way to chew.
          My bud, Yong rang me up one afternoon, sounding upset. 'Nani, you ade dengar cite ke pasal bonus kali ini?'
          'Cite ape? Takde la pulak,' I answered.
          'Kerani sekolah I bagi tahu bonus nak dibayar 2 kali. Sekali tengah bulan ni, setengah lagi bulan Disember,' Yong continued.
          'La.....napelah diaorang buat camtu?. Janji dalam berita lain tapi bila laksanakan lain,' I responded.
           That late afternoon I rang the finance clerk in school.
           'Assalamualaikum, Sara,' I greeted her. 'Ni madam', I introduced myself.
          'Ye madam,' she answered.
          'Madam nak tanya sikit boleh?' I asked.
          'Boleh.' she replied.
          'Betul ke bonus masuk 2 kali? Bukan sekali? Sara ada dengar ape-ape cerita?' I continued with my quieries.
          'Eh! Betulke madam?' she questioned. And I heard her mumbled the information to the other clerks in the office. 'Kami kat pejabat tak dengar cite ape-ape pun?' was her reply.
          'Madam dengar kerani di sekolah lain ade maklumkan. Nak confirm dulu dengan Sara,' I continued.
          'Entah la madam. Kami tak dapat ape-ape Perkeliling lagi. Lagi pun AG (Accountant General, I presumed) buat terus. Kami tak buat ape-ape pun,' she answered.
          'Oh! Macam tu ye?' I acknowledged. 'Kalau ade dengar ape-ape nanti maklumkan kat madam ye?' I asked.
          'Ok madam. Kalau ade ape-ape Sara bagi tau,' she responded before the conversation ended.


And the day at the office ended with the kerfuffle that I had instigated rumours that did not set well with those whose bonuses would be minute if two payments are met.


So, the moral of the story was to never ask. You don't know how people will misconstrued your sincere intentions

ELEMENTS IN REPORT WRITING

A. ELEMENTS IN A REPORT WRITING THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

NO	ELEMENT	NO	ELEMENT
1.0	Key features	6.0	Overview / Overall Trend
2.0	Trends	7.0	Assumption
3.0	Data	8.0	Irrelevant information
4.0	Analysis	9.0	Inaccuracy
5.0	Synthesis

B.       IDENTIFICATION OF THE ELEMENTS

1.0	Key features
	1.1	Topic of the visual aids provided
	1.2	Phrase / phrases in the rubrics
	1.3	x-axis
	1.4	y-axis
2.0	Trends
	2.1	Increase
	2.2	Decrease
	2.3	Stable
	2.4	Fluctuate
3.0	Data
	3.1	Raw data
	3.2	Calculated data
4.0	Analysis
		The examination of something in detail in order to understand it better or draw conclusions from it….it is derived from better understanding and drawing conclusion/s from the movement of the same line (if it is a line graph) or vertically correlated information from a table. The variables involved are of the same.
5.0	Synthesis
		A new unified whole resulting from the combination of different ideas, influences, or objects…it is derived from better understanding and drawing conclusion/s from the movements of more than one line (if it is in a line graph) or horizontally correlated information from a table. The variables involved are of the same, too.
6.0	6.1	Overall trend
		When the movements made is derived as one movement – the most obvious one
	6.2	Overview
		When an overall trend is absent - a general or comprehensive outline of something / a brief summary of something
7.0	Assumptions
		Providing reason/s behind the movements / trends when the reason/s is not provided in the given visual aids. Hence, bringing outside general knowledge to support the movements.
8.0	Irrelevant Information
		Information that is not applicable to support the movements and the correlation made
9.0	Inaccuracy information
		Inaccurate data given or using incorrect key features, trends and so forth..error is detected in the Analysis / Synthesis made
In conclusion, only 6 top elements can appear in your writing. If the other 3 elements, at the bottom of the list, appear, the mark awarded will be lower in accordance to their frequency in their appearance.

Moronic Sample Report Writing

The table below shows the results of a survey to find out what members of a city sports club think about the club's activities, facilities and opening hours. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make any comparisons where relevant.

 

Range of activities	Very satisfied (%)	Satisfied (%)	Not satisfied (%)
Female members	35	35	30
Male members	55	40	5
Club facilities	Very satisfied (%)	Satisfied (%)	Not satisfied (%)
Female members	64	22	14
Male members	63	27	10
Opening hours	Very satisfied (%)	Satisfied (%)	Not satisfied (%)
Female members	72	25	3
Male members	44	19	37

The table compares the opinions of male and female club members about the activities, facilities and opening hours provided by a city sports club.

     We can see from the responses that the male members are generally happy with the range of activities at the club, with a whopping 95% satisfaction.  In contrast, however, only about two-thirds of female members were positive about the activity range and almost a third were dissatisfied.

     The genders were more in agreement about the club facilities. Only 14% of women and 10% of men were unhappy with these, and the majority: 64 and 63%, respective,y were very positive.

     Finally, the female respondents were much happier with the club opening hours than their male counterparts.  Almost three-quarters of them were very satisfied with these and only 30% were unhappy, whereas nearly 40% of the men expressed their dissatisfaction.

     Overall, the table indicates that female members are most unhappy with the range of activities, while male members feel that opening hours are the least satisfactory aspect of the club.

I've done my part by answering to his I-don't-know-the-answer statement

Muhyiddin: Saya sendiri tak mampu jawab sebab pelajar gagal kuasai BI

August 06, 2011

SEGAMAT, 6 Ogos – Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mahukan pembelajaran Bahasa Inggeris di sekolah dikaji semula bagi memastikan pelajar benar-benar dapat menguasai bahasa penting itu sebagai bahasa kedua.
Muhyiddin yang juga Menteri Pelajaran berkata, beliau telah mengarahkan Ketua Pengarah Pelajaran melaksanakan kajian itu.
Menyatakan pandangan beratnya terhadap soal menguasai bahasa tersebut oleh pelajar, Timbalan Perdana Menteri berkata, penguasaan Bahasa Inggeris adalah penting kerana ia bahasa utama dalam komunikasi antarabangsa dan ekonomi.
“Bagaimana sistem pendidikan negara selama 13 tahun, dengan lima tahun di sekolah menengah, masih tidak mampu membuatkan murid-murid kita menguasai Bahasa Inggeris dengan baik.
“Saya sendiri tidak mampu menjawapnya,” katanya ketika berucap sempena lawatannnya ke Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Felda Maokil, Labis di sini.
Dipetik Bernama Online, Muhyiddin yang juga Ketua Umno Bahagian Pagoh berkata, kajian itu yang akan dikendali Bahagian Kurikulum Bahasa Inggeris akan melihat sama ada kelemahan itu berpunca dari kekurangan guru Bahasa Inggeris, peralatan atau punca-punca lain.
Katanya, murid-murid mungkin beranggapan bahawa kemampuan menguasai Bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa kedua itu tidak penting untuk mereka, sehingga mengakibatkan mereka berhadapan dengan masalah ketika di peringkat universiti.
Beliau menolak tanggapan pelaksanaan dasar “Memartabat Bahasa Melayu, Memperkukuh Bahasa Inggeris” (MBMMBI), telah mengakibatkan Kementerian Pelajaran mengabaikan penguasaan Bahasa Inggeris.
“Itu tanggapan yang salah, saya dan Kementerian Pelajaran sentiasa menekankan penguasaan Bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa kedua,” katanya.
Muhyiddin juga berkata, kementeriannya telah melakukan audit menyeluruh tentang kedudukan infrastruktur pendidikan negara, dalam usahanya untuk menyediakan keperluan infrastruktur yang diperlukan oleh sekolah-sekolah.
Walaupun kementeriannya menerima peruntukan pembangunan di antara RM5 bilion hingga RM6 bilion setiap tahun, tetapi katanya, ini tidak mencukupi kerana bilangan sekolah di negara ini adalah besar serta pertumbuhan penduduk yang pesat memerlukan pembinaan sekolah-sekolah baru.

* This is no excuse to the vast damages that the Y generation has to shoulder....*

Declining English Proficiency among the Malay English Lecturers / Teachers

I was approached by an acquaintance of mine on this Friday, 5th Ramadhan on this issue. His FB pm was as such:
......but my concern is the fluency of this TESL malay lecturer..even among them pun ckp melayu..compared to non malay TESL lecturers, they chat, they speak in full english..baru ada kelas mcm TESL's lecturers

Most Malay teachers are not supportive of the Malay English teachers. The Malay culture is strongly embedded in them that we are perceived as traitors if we uphold the importance of English proficiency. Bahasa mencerminkan bangsa. If we embraced the language, we are susceptible to embracing the foreign culture, so they say.  However, being lecturers with a degree, at the least, we should be matured enough and intelligent enough to make a sound decision to segregate ourselves from engaging into their culture (foreign).  We should know how to compartmentalize the issue and not fusion it to be one. Some sweeping remarks made hurt.


I have come across lecturers / teachers who refused to engage 100% of English in their daily communication. The issue that I have brought forward above is one of the old issues still hovering over our community. When we make it a point to speak purely in English, they labeled us as cocky and a show-off when all we wanted to do is to ensure that our own proficiency is not lagging behind our students’ and to show these students that we ourselves use the language in the necessity to upgrade our skills. The need to be accepted and acknowledged as part and parcel of the community is also the common issue of peer pressure.  Some Malay English teachers do not have the energy to fight and become outcasts, so if you can’t beat them, join them.

I have made my stand and try to improve my proficiency which began to deteriorate when I first joined the education system. I was swept by the cold wave that English teachers who spoke purely in English are not warmly welcomed.  I have been very lucky to find friends who share the same notion and if you browse through my FB friends, most of them are my alumni from my Alma Mater and English is the common banter.

I have made it a point, also to ensure that my Bahasa is impeccable by making the Kamus Dewan my best friend. So, no more finger pointing to label me as the traitor to our Bahasa Melayu, which sentiment I hope to share with other Malay English teachers / lecturers.


Thank you Badrol Hisham