Writing generator: a study on the use of Transitional Markers in Academic Writing / Alice Shanthi... [et al.]

Coherence and cohesion are often considered an abstract and difficult area in the teaching of writing. The present study attempts to identify the categories of transitional markers (TM) used by students who have been taught using the Cycle 1 Writing Generator Beta 1.0 developed by the researchers in a writing class, and whether students are able to retain the skills of using TMs effectively in later writing. The Writing Generator is a Microsoft word tool that prompt student to choose from a list the formulaic phrases and expressions when they write expository essays. Using descriptive statistics, it was revealed that transitional markers were used by these students in their pre-test, post-test and also delayed post-test. The findings show a significant difference in the frequency of TMs used in the pre- test and post-test (p=.000). Though students failed to retain aspects of TMs in delayed post-test without the use of Writing Generator, the t-test found no significant difference between the post-test and delayed post-test (p=.302). The result indicates that the Writing Generator is able to condition students to choose TMs that bring about unity in their writing even they do not use the tool. The study indicates that the Cycle 1 Writing Generator Beta 1.0 could be developed further with extra features for Cycle 2 Beta 2.0 that could facilitate students’ uptake of academic writing skills more effectively among students

Language function and knowledge construction in online discussion board forums

One form of online communication categorised as asynchronous is online discussion board forums. This paper presents the findings of a study on the interactive language functions and the phases of knowledge construction in asynchronous computer-mediated discourse (CMD) in an online discussion board forum in Malaysia. Data for the study was collected using purposive non-random data samples motivated by theme. It was found that the members of the online discussion forum used more assertive speech acts such as explaining, giving suggestions, agreeing, supporting, and answering to queries while interacting online. The second part of the study revealed that the most common phase of knowledge constructing was the act of sharing and comparing of opinion, as well as the discovery and exploration of dissonance or inconsistency among ideas, concepts or statements

Impoliteness strategies in the social media comments on the Low Yat plaza incident / Jane Xavierine M Xavier Thayalan

The study investigates impoliteness strategies and the realization of language used by YouTube interlocutors when discussing the Low Yat Plaza incident. On the wake of the brawl at Low Yat Plaza, which shook the nation on 12th July 2015, many Malaysians took to social media such as YouTube to express their thoughts on the issue. A small theft incident at the plaza had become a racial frenzy over social media and therefore, it is puzzling how the incident can occur when politeness and respect are the central belief of the Malaysian society. Besides, the study aims to analyse impoliteness strategies used by Malaysians in social media comments that causes social face damage and analyse impoliteness in the language used by Malaysians. The data were drawn from two videos posted in YouTube.com which depicts impolite interactions between interlocutors. Both videos were chosen because it had the most number of impolite comments by YouTube users. Culpeper’s (2011) Impoliteness Framework was used to qualitatively analyse 123 comments gathered. Findings of the study show that Malaysians used the strategy of ‘insult’ most frequently as a form of impolite talk in their respective comments and profanities were the most used linguistic device to cause social face damage to interlocutors. Apart from those strategies propagated by Culpeper (2011), other new categories of insult emerge which illustrates that Culpeper (2011) Impoliteness framework cannot be replicated completely in an Asian setting. The new categories of insult include accusation and baseless claims, show of superiority as well as mock and ridicule

Reading behaviour and the influence of reading on the English Language proficiency at UiTM Sabah / Jocelyn Lee Yee Vun, Dorothy Chin and Xavier Thayalan

In general, UiTM students are often said to be weak in the English Language. In this study, the students home and their former school experience, their motivations and attitudes towards their English Language proficiency were investigated Pre-diploma students answered the questionnaires and the data were analysed by looking into the frequency count, mean, standard deviation and correlations between the variables. The results ofthe analysis displayed that homes and schools ofthe respondents were the contributing factors to their English Language competency. The implications of these results are discusse

Speech acts and phrases of knowledge construction in asynchoronous discourse / Alice Shanthi... [et al.]

This paper presents the findings of a study conducted in Malaysia pertaining to the speech acts commonly used for information sharing in web-forums. Data was purposively selected from online forums to answer the research questions. The messages in the data were categorised based on Searle’s (1976) Speech Acts taxonomy to explore the interactive language function of the messages. The study found that online forum members used more speech acts that were categorised as assertive in their web-forum interaction. The study also revealed different phases of knowledge construction were also present in the messages posted in web-forums. The findings of this study hopes to aid educators and academicians in the pedagogical aspect in using online discussion forums in the teaching and learning process

Direct and Bystander Effect on Cervix Cancer Cells (SiHa) Exposed to High Dose-Rate Gamma Radiation Sourced from Ir 192 Used in Brachytherapy

Introduction: Brachytherapy is a preferred choice of radiotherapy in the treatment of sensitive tissues&nbsp; cancer&nbsp; like&nbsp; intestine&nbsp; and&nbsp; gonad.&nbsp; The&nbsp; treatment&nbsp; is&nbsp; expensive&nbsp; because&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; frequent replacement of radionuclide sources. A better understanding of cell killing and the cellular responses at&nbsp; different&nbsp; dose&nbsp; rates,&nbsp; might&nbsp; aid&nbsp; in tumor&nbsp; cell&nbsp; killing&nbsp; with&nbsp; fewer&nbsp; doses&nbsp; thereby&nbsp; enhancing&nbsp; a&nbsp; better prognosis. Methods: The cervix cancer cell line was irradiated with doses ranging from 2Gy-10 Gy at three different dose-rates as used in brachytherapy along with unexposed sample as control. The biological effects&nbsp; of&nbsp; different&nbsp; doses&nbsp; and&nbsp; dose&nbsp; rate&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; cells&nbsp; was&nbsp; assessed&nbsp; by&nbsp; measuring&nbsp; its&nbsp; cytotoxicity,genotoxicity&nbsp; and&nbsp; clonogenic&nbsp; ability&nbsp; of&nbsp; exposed&nbsp; cells.&nbsp; The&nbsp; bystander&nbsp; effect&nbsp; was&nbsp; examined&nbsp; by&nbsp; co-culturing the exposed tumor cells with the unexposed normal blood lymphocyte and vice-versa.&nbsp;Results: A significant and dose dependent changes in cell viability (trypan blue exclusion), genotoxicity (Micronucleus assay) and colony forming ability (Clonogenic assay) was observed in the cells exposed to different doses of radiation (p&lt;0.0001); however, the changes were dose-rate independent.urthermore,&nbsp; the&nbsp; bystander&nbsp; study&nbsp; results&nbsp; show&nbsp; an&nbsp; enhanced&nbsp; cell&nbsp; killing&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; tumor cells which suggest a beneficial bystander effects.Conclusion: The observed elevated bystander response in the tumour cells compared to that of normal blood lymphocytes suggest that if it happens under in-vivo situation, could results in has a therapeutic gain.</p