Incorporating inter-cultural awareness in the teaching of business communication: The IIUM experience

Students of The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) come from many Islamic countries around the world. They are enrolled in different faculties including the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences. One of the compulsory courses for these students is The English for Occupational Purposes (EOP). It is meant for final year students (3 credit bearing) to equip them with the necessary skills before joining the workforce. Over the years, various approaches have been introduced and applied in ensuring that the best method is applied so that this course will be more meaningful and effective to the students. However, the course content only focuses on the communication skills in Business English without taking into account the different cultures of students who may have different business cultures back home. This study hence will look into the possibility of incorporating cultural awareness across context in the teaching and learning of English for Occupational Purposes and answering research questions related to culture, communication, teaching and learning. The qualitative methodology employing the interpretive analytical framework and case study are used in the 2-semester observations and interviews of the EOP students and lecturers. Findings are discussed with regard to the developmental theories of intercultural communication and the business communication aspects

Globalization, Re-Discovery of the Malay ‘Local,' and Popular TV Fiction through Audience Narratives

The proliferation of TV fiction can be partly explained by TV producers attuning their products to draw audience’s attention. Narratives of love dominate the plots and almost always the good is pitted against the evil, rich against the poor - ultimately the good always wins. The formula may be clichéd, but in places where news of war, terrorism, diseases, violence, and conflicts usually prevail, respite from tumultuous realities of the world can often be found in popular TV fiction. Here, we study three popular Malay TV fiction, Julia, On Dhia, and Adam & Hawa to examine how TV fiction viewers relate to them through personal narratives and focus group interviews. Through their voices, we reveal that despite TV fiction viewers’ constant preoccupation with Western-imposed globalization, the TV fiction set against the backdrop of globalization can encourage the viewers to re-route their ways to re-discover their imaginary ‘good old days’ that are often dismissed, neglected or forgotten

Upaya peningkatan kemampuan berbicara pada pembelajaran bahasa Inggris melalui penggunaan multimedia berbasis komputer program Microsoft Power Point siswa kelas 8 A SMP negeri 10 Samarinda tahun pembelajaran 2012/2013

Latar belakang penelitian tindakan kelas ini adalah rendahnya kemampuan berbicara siswa pada pembelajaran bahasa Inggris. Hal ini terjadi karena kurangnya menariknya kegiatan pembelajaran yang diberikan oleh guru bahasa Inggris sehingga minat dan motivasi siswa dalam mengikuti pembelajaran sangat rendah dan berimbas pada rendahnya pretasi belajar siswa. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan berbicara siswa dengan menggunakan multimedia berbasis komputer program Microsoft Office Power Point. Subjek pada penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas 8 A SMP Negeri 10 Samarinda pada tahun pembelajaran 2012/2013. Sebelum siklus pertama dilaksanakan terlebih dulu diberikan pre test untuk mengetahui data awal dan pada setiap akhir siklus diberikan post test untuk mengetahui perkembangan prestasi kemampuan berbicara siswa. Hasil pre test menunjukkan bahwa rata-rata kemampuan berbicara siswa adalah 5.8. Post test pada siklus pertama menunjukkan nilai rata-rata kemampuan berbicara siswa adalah 6,1. Post test pada siklus kedua menunjukkan nilai rata-rata kemampuan berbicara siswa adalah 6,5. Post test pada siklus ketiga menunjukkan nilai rata-rata kemampuan berbicara siswa adalah 6,9. Berdasarkan data tersebut dapat disimpulkan penggunaan multimedia berbasis komputer program Microsoft Office Power Point dapat meningkatkan kemampuan berbicara siswa kelas 8 A SMP Negeri 10 Samarinda tahun pembelajaran 2012/2013

Affordable and quality housing through the low cost housing provision in Malaysia

Housing is a major concern for all people in every corner of the world as the wellbeing of a country is reflected in its people enjoying a certain standard of living. Residential and neighbourhood satisfaction is an important indicator of housing quality and condition, which affects individuals quality of life. The factors, which determine their satisfaction, are essential inputs in monitoring the success of housing policies. Housing provision for all in any country is very crucial in order to ensure socialeconomic stability and to promote national development. Therefore the Malaysian government under its 5 year National Plan has introduced the low, medium and high cost housing categories. The housing policy in Malaysia is to provide Malaysians of all income levels, particularly the low-income groups, accessibility to adequate, affordable and quality shelter. It provides direction to housing development in the country which should emphasis human settlement of better quality of life, national integration and unity. This paper will discuss the general scenario of housing in Malaysia particularly the low cost housing

History of communication in Malaysia (1940-2008)

The Second World War was, in some ways, one of the lowest points in Malaysia's history. Japanese forces landed on the northeast border of Malaya on 8 December 194 1 and, in one month, succeeded in establishing their control of both Peninsula Malaya and Sabah and Sarawak. On 15 March 1942, Singapore surrendered. Singapore was renamed Shonan and became the centre of a regional administrative headquarters that incorporated the Straits Settlements, and the Federated Malay States and Sumatra. Much like the British who had installed residents in the Malay ruling houses fifty years earlier, the Japanese appointed local governors to each state. The only difference was that this time, it was the Sultans who were placed in the positions of advisors. The Unfederated Malay States, Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu found themselves back under the sovereignty of Thailand in 1942, when Thailand declared war on Britain and the USA. Most large scale economic activities grounded to a halt during the period of the War. The production of tin which was already falling before the War stopped almost completely. People turned their occupation away from the cultivation of commercial crops, concentrating instead on planting rice and vegetables to ensure they did not go hungry. [1

3G telecommunication technology in Malaysia

3G is the third generation of mobile phone standards and technology, after 2G. It is based on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) family of standards under the International Mobile Telecommunications programme, "IMT- 2000". 3G technologies enable network operators to offer users a wider range of more advanced services while achieving greater network capacity through improved spectral efficiency. Services include wide-area wireless voice telephony and broadband wireless data, all in a mobile environment. Typically, they provide service at 5-10 Mb per second

ANALISIS KESALAHAN BERBAHASA DALAM INTERAKSI PEMBELAJARAN BAHASA INDONESIA SISWA KELAS VII MADRASAH TSANAWIYAH ALKHAIRAAT PINOTU

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan 1.Kesalahan lafal pada pembelajaran Bahasa Indonesia siswa Kelas VII MTs Alkhairaat Pinotu, 2. Kesalahan diksi ( pemilihan kata ) pada pembelajaran Bahasa Indonesia siswa Kelas VII MTs Alkhairaat Pinotu. 3. Kesalahan struktur kalimat pada pembelajaran Bahasa Indonesia siswa kelas VII MTs Alkhairaat Pinotu. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan deskriptif kualitatif, yaitu mengumpulkan menganalisis dan mengajukan data secara objektif mengenai objek penelitian yaitu analisis kesalahan berbahasa dalam kelas VII MTs Alkhairaat Pinotu. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ditemukan 36 kalimat yang mengandung kesalahan,  yaitu, 1. Kesalahan lafal berjumlah 12 kesalahan disebabkan adanya Perubahan fonem,  dan Penghilangan fonem. 2. Kesalahan diksi berjumlah ( Pilihan Kata ) 8 kesalahan disebabkan Pemilihan kata kurang tepat Adanya BI Yang digunakan dilingkungan sekolah dan sekitarnya dan 3. Kesalahan struktur kalimat berjumlah 16 kesalahan yang disebabkan adanya keterbatasan kosakatadalam penyampaian kalimat yang baik dan bena

Returns to Education between the Self-employed and Employed Sectors: Evidence from Malaysia

Investment in human capital in terms of returns to education is considered a crucial factor that contributes to the remarkable economic growth especially in the rapidly developing countries. Since poverty and education are closely related, this paper attempts to examine whether returns to education differ between the self-employed and employed sectors in the rural Malay area in Rantau, Malaysia. Using the adjusted Mincerian Earnings function and the dummy variables approach, the empirical finding shows that returns to education do not differ between the self-employed and employed sectors in the rural Malay society. Thus, it can be deduced that there is no significant difference between the self-employed and employed sectors in those two sectors. Interestingly, it also reveals that private rates of return (ROR) increase by the level of schooling and they are the highest at the Secondary level. Finally, appropriate strategies are further suggested to alleviate poverty in the case study area.

IZIN POLIGAMI DAN PERLINDUNGAN TERHADAP PASANGAN DI PA. SITUBONDO

Marriage is one of the most important aspects of life in a perfect society and association. Marriage is not only a noble way to organize domestic life and get offspring, but also an introduction between one family and another.Islam provides a way for men who want polygamy (marrying more than one person), which has been explained in the Al-Quran surah An-Nisa', with conditions that have been determined, one of which can be fair. The purpose of fair is fair treatment in serving the wife, both in terms of clothing, place, turn and others.the implementation of polygamy in Indonesia, must go through the Religious Court, the decision in the polygamy case, the judge only provides material protection, however, from the psychological aspect the judge does not provide protection, because the defendant has stated his ability to be polygamous, because the defendant cannot provide offspring, and he answered verbally before the Panel of Judges

Pembelajaran Berbasis Kognitif Multimedia pada Kalbu Perspektif al-Qur’an

This study explores the application of multimedia cognitive theory in learning to understand its effect on learners' emotions and mental feelings. The focus of this study is on classroom conditioning and the use of multimedia elements such as images, sounds, music, animation, and text on the screen, along with the instructor's expressions. The purpose of the study is to increase the effectiveness and motivation of learners and make learning more interesting and meaningful. This research uses a qualitative approach with literature research methods. Primary data sources come from Qur'anic exegesis, while secondary data sources involve books, journals, and related research. Data analysis is carried out through content analysis methods, focusing on identifying key patterns and concepts. By combining both data sources, this study forms a strong basis for understanding the impact of multimedia cognitive theory on learners' emotions and motivation in the context of learning. Research findings indicate that the use of images and sounds as stimuli through two sensory channels, eyes and ears, can evoke emotions in the hearts of learners. The study also draws on concepts in the Qur'an, reinforcing the idea that eyes and ears have an important role in influencing human understanding and feeling. The conclusion of this study confirms that the application of multimedia cognitive theory in learning can increase the effectiveness and motivation of learners. By referring to these findings and ethnographic analysis approaches, this study provides new insights into the potential of multimedia in creating more engaging and meaningful learning experiences