Using Communicative Approach in Arabic Language Classroom to Develop Arabic Speaking Ability

Studies have shown that most Malay learners of Arabic language exhibit weak performance in speaking Arabic despite spending years of learning the language. Among the causes of the problem are traditional methods like reading, translation, and memorization that are popularly used in the teaching and learning of Arabic language. Since Arabic language is not widely used in Malaysian society, the only chance the students have to speak Arabic is in the classroom. Therefore the researcher designed a series of classroom activities using communicative approach for a period of 14 weeks on 45 students of Islamic Education minoring in the Teaching of Arabic as Second Language at the Institute of Education at the International Islamic University Malaysia. Surveys were administered to the students before and after the communicative activities took place. In addition the researcher also performed classroom observation and collected self reports from the students after each activity. The results from paired sample t-test showed that students’ perception on Arabic speaking and ability to speak Arabic improved after 14 weeks. In addition level of difficulty faced to speak Arabic decreased gradually. Results from the Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient suggested that the improved perceptions of speaking Arabic lessened the difficulties faced by students in speaking Arabic. The results also suggested that the improved perceptions towards speaking Arabic increased students’ ability to speak Arabic

Plurilingual Classroom Practices and Participation

Plurilingual Classroom Practices and Participation contributes to a better understanding of plurilingual education in Catalonia by providing a description of the interactional resources mobilised by learners as social actors. This volume is a collection of studies that show interactions containing plurilingual and multimodal sequences that illustrate moments of potential acquisition of aspects of language use. Analysing data collected through ethnographic fieldwork, the studies explore interactions in primary, secondary, and tertiary milieus as well as non-formal settings and examine how participants organise their interaction, their ways of participating, and the resources they mobilise for them. The linguistic policies of the educational settings studied establish the use of a given language but contain samples of plurilingual practices in which languages like Arabic, Catalan, English, French, Greek, Mandarin, Punjabi, Riffian Berber, Spanish and Urdu come into play. The chapters explore the links between these practices and the construction of participation in the ongoing interaction. Although focused on language education in Catalonia, results can be transferred to classrooms worldwide which host plurilingual learners. Thus, the volume is an excellent resource for teachers and researchers interested in plurilingual education and can be used as a reference book in doctoral studies and teacher training programmes in this research field

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 39 Number 1, Spring 1997

6 - BLUE SKY INVASION Searching for the American Dream, aerospace workers transform the Santa Clara Valley. By David Beers \u2779, Illustrations by Dug Waggoner 15 - SEEING IS BELIEVING Professor Sally Wood develops software to help students visualize basic engineering concepts. By Laura Trujillo \u2792 18 - CONFRONTING THE SCARS OF CENTURIES A legal challenge to California\u27s Proposition 209 is the latest round in a long- running debate over affirmative action. By Margaret M. Russell 26 - SHADOWY ALLIANCE A recent expose alleging CIA links to the crack cocaine epidemic in California\u27s inner cities raises questions about responsibility and truth in journalism. By Peter Kornbluhhttps://scholarcommons.scu.edu/sc_mag/1063/thumbnail.jp

The effects of culture on children's pain

This study was conducted in cooperation with Tampere University of Applied Sciences. The purpose of the Bachelor's thesis was to study relevant issues concerning cultural effects on children’s pain expressions and experiences. The objective was to provide knowledge for nurses and other health care professionals to think and act in reference to a global perspective when taking care of children and families. The aim of this study is to make pain assessment available for all children irrespective of their backgrounds. A literature review method was applied to discover the most relevant and extensive scientific knowledge relating to the topic. Additionally, different key words were used to find the most relevant studies of the topic. The final analysis includes twelve articles that are connected to the theme of the research. The results were divided into four categories: verbal expression, behavioral expression, pain experience and family and culture. The results emphasize findings concerning cultural diversity amongst children’s pain expression and pain experience. The findings indicate that children in pain perceive, behave and manage pain differently worldwide. Cultural beliefs and values help nurses to understand pain and its diversity. To improve the quality in care, nurses need to engage more fully with the values and beliefs of the family and children in pain. Children's pain assessment and their families need to be carried out with cultural sensitiveness.Opinnäytetyö toteutettiin työelämälähtöisesti yhteistyössä Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulun kanssa. Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli tutkia kulttuurin vaikutusta lapsen kivun ilmaisuun ja kivun kokemiseen. Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli kerätä tietoa sairaanhoitajille sekä muille terveysalan ammattilaisille, jotta he saavat tiedollisia ja taidollisia välineitä hoitaa eri kulttuuritaustasta tulevia lapsia ja heidän perheitään. Tulokset voivat mahdollistaa hyvän kivun hoidon eri kulttuuritaustan omaaville lapsille. Kirjallisuuskatsauksen menetelmää soveltaen ja eri hakusanoja käyttäen löydettiin oleellisimmat ja laajimmat tieteelliset artikkelit. Lopullinen analyysi sisälsi 12 artikkelia, jotka sopivat tämän opinnäytetyön aiheeseen. Tulokset jaettiin neljään kategoriaan, joita olivat sanallinen ilmaisu, käytöksellinen ilmaisu, kivun kokeminen sekä perhe ja kulttuuri. Tulokset korostivat kulttuurien monimuotoisuutta lasten kivun kokemisessa ja ilmaisussa. Opinnäytetyön tulokset osoittivat, että eri kulttuuritaustasta tulevat lapset ymmärtävät ja hallitsevat kipua eri tavoin ja käyttäytyvät eri lailla kivun aikana. Tietämys eri kulttuurien uskomuksista ja arvoista auttavat sairaanhoitajia ymmärtämään kipua ja sen monimuotoisuutta. Parantaakseen hoidon laatua sairaanhoitajien tulisi herkemmin huomioida lapsen tausta ja perehtyä kivuliaan lapsen perheen arvoihin ja uskomuksiin. Lapsen kivun arviointi ja heidän perheet tulisi huomioida kulttuurisella herkkyydellä

Community perspectives on settlement issues affecting new and emerging communities in rural and regional Australia

This case study aims to make a contribution to the discussion on rural and regional settlement by providing community perspectives on how access to government services and community attitudes impact new and emerging communities’ economic participation, social integration, sense of belonging and settlement outcomes. The study draws on feedback gathered during FECCA’s Access and Equity consultation in Shepparton, held in March 2015. The focus of the consultation was to assess the effectiveness and availability of government services accessed by members of new and emerging communities, as well as to explore the impact of services on their economic participation and social cohesion in a rural and regional context. Several sessions were hosted in Shepparton across two different days. On the first day FECCA met with local service providers and stakeholders including representatives of the Shepparton Police, Red Cross, Department of Human Services, Kildonan Uniting Care, GOTAFE, Primary Care Connect and many others to explore their perspectives on the barriers that local new and emerging communities were facing in accessing their services. The second day was dedicated to four separate consultation sessions with members of the most preeminent ethnic communities in Shepparton: the Iraqi, Sudanese, Congolese and Afghan communities. Both days of consultations generated substantive discussions on a broad range of issues, including employment, education and training, Centrelink, housing and translating and interpreting services. The case study that follows summarises some of the key feedback received from the local new and emerging communities on these issues. • The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) is the peak, national body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. We work to promote fairness and responsiveness to our constituency in the delivery and design of government policies and programs. At the heart of FECCA’s work is promoting multiculturalism, embodied in equitable policies and non-discriminatory practices for all Australians, regardless of their cultural, linguistic, ethnic, racial or religious backgrounds. Towards this end, FECCA strives to ensure that the needs and aspirations of various cohorts of Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse population are heard by policy and decisions makers, as well as the broader public. The rural and regional settlement of refugees and other humanitarian entrants has been discussed by a series of reports and papers analysing the social or economic benefits of such programs, as well as the challenges and opportunities that they present for the local communities and the families settled in those areas. One of the most recent analyses of rural and regional settlement was produced by Deloitte Access Economics and AMES, in March 2015. Small towns. Big returns—Economic and social impact of the Karen resettlement in Nhill 1 provides a fresh insight into the economic and social value of refugee settlement in regional or rural Australia by looking at the success story of the Karen community settled in Nhill, Victoria. Previous FECCA reports, submissions and issues papers have discussed the opportunities and barriers to sustainable rural and regional settlement faced by migrants, refugees and the wider community. Migrants and refugees settled in rural and regional areas can address sparse population issues, maintain economies, foster innovation and contribute with a wide range of skills to the growth of a region or industry. Attracting and retaining migrant and refugee communities in rural and regional Australia requires adequate policy frameworks, appropriate support systems and the coordinated action and commitment of local communities, local government and businesses. The settlement of new arrivals in rural or regional location can raise certain challenges. FECCA has recognised that some of these challenges, including limited availability or lower quality of services, poorer infrastructure, limited employment opportunities, and social and cultural isolation, are faced by all people living in rural and regional locations in Australia, but for new and emerging communities, these issues can be exacerbated due to specific circumstances. Some of these factors include low English proficiency, limited access to cultural and religious institutions, experience of torture or trauma, racism, labelling and stereotyping. All of these factors have a great impact of effective settlement and social cohesion. As FECCA has previously noted on several occasions, adverse reactions towards immigrants or humanitarian entrants settling in rural and regional areas can create tensions amongst community members and destabilise community harmony. The negative effects can be seen not only on the levels of social cohesion in a location, but they can also adversely impact productivity and economic development 2. FECCA believes that these barriers can be mitigated through adequate settlement services, access to culturally appropriate support mechanisms and improved infrastructure. Coordinated and effective service delivery is also key to ensuring that community needs and expectations can be catered for, in conjunction with strategies to promote community harmony and improve social cohesion, particularly in regions where local attitudes towards new immigrants and cultural diversity tend to be predominantly negative. FECCA thanks the Ethnic Communities Councils of Shepparton and District and FECCA Rural and Regional Advisory Committee for the generous assistance provided in hosting FECCA’s Shepparton consultation. We also thank the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) for assisting with the translation of flyers for promotion of these consultations. [1] AMES and Deloitte Access Economics(2015), Small towns. Big returns – Economic and social impact of the Karen resettlement in Nhill, March 2015 [2] FECCA Submission on the Green Paper on Developing Northern Australia, August 2014 [links below in Related content

Transitional Portraits: Syrian Immigrants Of The North American Mahjar In \u27Abd Al-Masih Haddad\u27s Prose

This article argues that the 1921 collection of diasporic short stories Hikayat al-mahjar, written by ‘Abd al-Masih Haddad, makes a unique and notable contribution to mahjar literature by mobilizing formal literary techniques and innovative thematic content to capture a Syrian immigrant community engaged in a transitional moment in America. This paper situates Haddad (best known as the founder of the biweekly Arabic newspaper al-Saʼih, and a founding member of the literary society al-Rābiṭa al-qalamiyya) among his literary peers and provides an analysis of Hikayat al-mahjar that demonstrates the work’s points of convergence and divergence from the literary norms of the Arab diaspora in North America. Haddad, in highlighting the ambivalence and tension that overwhelmed Syrian immigrant characters navigating the boundaries of new social and cultural realities, broke ranks with his contemporaries in the Arab diaspora, whose output in Arabic was primarily fixated on nostalgic and romantic depictions of the homeland