The Opening

Assalamualaikum wbt. and Salam 1Malaysia,

First and foremost, we welcome you to our blog: ISLAMIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE OF SEMANTICS. We are a group of aspiring students of English language: Linguistics and Literature, taking a course in Computer Applications in Language Learning (ENGL4840) from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Through this blog, we would like to attempt to provide Islamic perspectives on the course that we have chosen throughout the study period in IIUM, Semantics. Semantics is the study of meaning and words hence, we, through this blog, humbly attempt to provide Semantics a view from Islamic perspective. InsyaAllah, we hope that our through our limited excess of knowledge and research, we could provide the necessary exposure towards the betterment of the Ummah.

To conclude, we welcome you to our humble blog, may our efforts and determination be of good use to the betterment of the mankind. InsyaAllah.

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. MEMBER'S PROFILE

2. DEFINITIONS & HISTORY OF C.A.L.L

3. SEMANTICS & THE THREE STAGES OF C.A.L.L

4. VIDEO DOSE: C.A.L.L

5. REFLECTIONS ON ISLAMIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE
6. REFLECTIONS ON C.A.L.L IN LANGUAGE SKILLS
7. ASSIGNMENT 1: LESSON PLAN
8. REFLECTIONS ON COMPUTER MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
9. REFLECTIONS ON DESIGNING AN EFFECTIVE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
10. ARTICLE SUMMARY ON E-LEARNING IN LIFELONG EDUCATION
11. INTRODUCTION TO SEMANTIC WEB
12. ASSIGNMENT 2: CMC
13. CONCORDANCER
14. STYLISTICS
15. ISLAMIZATION OD KNOWLEDGE (Syed Naquib al-Attas)
16. REFLECTIONS ON CONCORDANCER

Blogger Profiles

Assalamualaikum,

Welcome to our blog; ISLAMIZATION OF SEMANTICS

In this blog, we will provide the other side for the subject Semantics; a 'loop hole' if you may say, this is an attempt on how and why Semantics is viewed as it is and how we try to ISLAMIZE it. Before we get further into this subject matter, it would be only logical to introduce the 'mastermind' behind the creation of this blog:

1) Shazwan Bin Abdul Mutalib 

2)Ahmad Zaki Bin Zaini

3)Nadhirah Binti Mohd. Nasir

4)Nurainol Wahidah Binti Ahmad Najih 

We are all students of English Language; Linguistics and Literature from International Islamic University Malaysia, Gombak, Selangor. Hoping to graduate next semester InsyaAllah. :-))

Definition and History of CALL

         The origin of CALL(Computer-Assisted Language Learning) can be traced back to the year of 1960 as the first tool prior to an enhancement in computer usage in classrooms. Up until the late 1970s CALL projects were implemented mainly to universities, where computer programs were developed on large mainframe computers. The PLATO project, initiated at the University of Illinois in 1960, is an important landmark in the early development of CALL (Marty, 1981). In the late 1970s, the arrival of the personal computer (PC) brought computing within the range of a wider audience, resulting in a boom in the development of CALL programs and a flurry of publications. 

          Early CALL favoured an approach that drew heavily on practices associated with programmed instruction. This was reflected in the term Computer Assisted Language Instruction (CALI), which originated in the USA and was in common use until the early 1980s when CALL became the dominant term. There was initially a lack of imagination and skill on the part of programmers, a situation that was rectified to a considerable extent by the publication of an influential seminal work by Higgins & Johns (1984), which contained numerous examples of alternative approaches to CALL. Throughout the 1980s CALL widened its scope, embracing the communicative approach and a range of new technologies. CALL has now established itself as an important area of research in higher education as an integration of knowledge.

Semantics and the Three Stages of CALL

           This post concerns about the development of our blog's theme in an Islamization of Semantics. As one of the core courses in English Linguistics and Literature component, our particular field of linguistics in Semantics correlates directly to the THREE STAGES of CALL. We attained several relations of experiences in CALL collectively. Thus, as this being the first post, we describe how CALL implementation existed through our academic Semantics experiences with the usage of a computer in the class. 


1. Did the course incorporate the use of computer in the teaching and learning?

Yes, in semantics, computer has been chosen as a tool in finding limitless number of data from myriad articles available on the internet. By using computer as assistance, it somehow increases the student’s motivation and interest in acquiring knowledge as it is accessible at any time as long as there is an internet connection.  It somehow develops the student’s process of thinking critically and creates opportunity for students to be active in class and not stay passive. Opportunities are given by teachers for students to conduct their assignment by using Microsoft Word to construct tables so they can work collaboratively with electronic knowledge that they have and at the same time enhancing their learning method. Though it may have some negative effects such as the computer application might not work properly or they might result to incorrect data but they will eventually absorb the information rapidly and improve to a better state as long as they have the will to learn.


2. Are the computer- based activities related to any of the 3 stages of call?

Semantics uses task-based teaching where it concerns with all three essential elements which are language data, information and opportunities for practice. As far as each of us can remember, computer-based activities were confined and implied among the students through everyday classes. The usage of the computer was mainly served as a tool where the lecturer copied the slides and word documents to the computer in facilitating the overall computer-based task throughout the class. Activities relating to a computer usage were also carried out communicatively between the lecturer and the students. As for my understanding, the lecturer handled his talk with the slides or documents shown on the monitor screen(projected to a canvas) at first hand. He then asked feedbacks and questions from the students to further elaborate the words which were not shown in the slides or documents. As the documents were served only to provide us informations, we provide ourselves informations and thorough understandings of various syllabus discussions. The computer was regarded as an important assistant nevertheless. Knowledge of Semantics was also presented in frames of concept representations. The third stage of CALL was also presented throughout the class as the lecturer incorporated the use of feedbacks and questions through e-mail. All in all, our Semantics class was focused in organizing actions upon informations as a mediary sources through structure, context, and value.


3. What are the important concepts in the 3 stages related to the activities?

In order to achieve an outcome, a target language is used by the learner for a communicative purpose (goal). The role of the student is to either work individually or with a group and they must gather and organize information gained into a report and present results to instructor as he or she analyzes the students’ performance.

Video Dose: C.A.L.L Computer Assisted Language Learning

Language learning through the help of computer. This is a fun way to learn language not to mention educating. Now, language can not only learned through books, but through other interesting medium as well!

Islamization of Knowledge

Islamization of Knowledge. 

Assalamualaikum. Yesterday's class was very interesting indeed. I recalled once of having to learn mainly about the topic of this reflection would be, in a course of Islamic Ethics. It's safe to state at this moment that the knowledge of how to practically 'develop human knowledge' in accordance with Islamic principles and perspectives' can actually be very thoughtful when we normally can associate 'what' knowledge can or to be Islamized? Even to an extend of 'how' to Islamize our knowledge. Islam comprises all religion and 

Truth be told, Western ideologies, theories and concepts are knowledges which grew abound as a global wave in embracing modernity and science. It is perhaps one of the most important topic of study towards "developing human knowledge in accordance with Islamic principles/perspectives". Students of later generation for example, should be counted on desecularizing Western knowledge, thoughts, and ideologies into Islamic values. 

Islam, as a religion with perfect ethics and spiritual values, must be uphold in individuals and students' processes of study and education. To Islamize one's knowledge means to interpret its notions from an Islamic point of view and interpretations. Allah S.W.T has made men to be vicegerents on the earth. We are equipped with intellectual gifts from Allah S.W.T to ponder and scheme through knowledge and utilize reason with correct injunctions and views from the Islamic perspective. 

The class session also provided truthful facts of having to be able to Islamize the existence of any acquired knowledge. We discussed the question of "how does Islam and universal knowledge reintegrates?" along understanding two pronged strategies of reintegration of Islamic values and Islamization of knowledge. 

The first is to reform the curriculum of the university to apply a system of Islamizing knowledge in all courses. This can be regarded as to reform the whole system of education while in a sense to elevate the rank of international education system; which would take tremendous amount of time and effort in order to accomplish. Universities nowadays have established themselves each department of research and analyzing to propound along with Islamic thoughts and interpretations. The responsibility of interpreting knowledge of what we acquire in Islamic thoughts and values hangs on the shoulders of all Muslim leaders, believers, and Islamic societies to contribute for all nations only for the sake of Allah S.W.T.