Al Newsletter

1

Welcome to this quarterly issue of the AL Newsletter. Inside this is-

sue , you will find messages from the Managing Director, the Deputy Man-

aging Director ( Academic Affairs) , Head of the Applied Linguistics Depart-

ment, and Deputy Head of the Department .

The newsletter is divided into different sections including teachers’ articles,

departmental committees’ reports, quotation corners, recommendation of

useful websites and a kindle e-book reader, introduction of a scholar, intro-

duction of new faculty members, students’ work and photograph sharing.

This semester (September-December) many departmental activities

were carried out by the committees. For instance, reports on activities by the

Staff Development Committee, the Research Committee, the Exam Com-

mittee, the Students Development Committee, and the e-learning Commit-

tee are included.

The same sections with new information will also constitute the com-

ponents of the next issue of the newsletter, where faculty members and stu-

dents will be welcomed to share their creative works. Research -based arti-

cles will also be included in the next issue. The last page of the newsletter is

kept for a nice photograph, cartoon, sketch or caricature.

Ms. Saira Abbas

Editor-in-Chief

EDITOR’S NOTE

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Message from the MD, DMD, HOD, DHOD

2-5

Department of AL 6

E-Learning 7

Plagiarism 8

Committees’ Reports 9-12

Useful websites for skills improvement

13

Kindle e-Book Reader 14

Scholar 16

Innovative Students of YUC

17-19

AL NEWSLETTER

By The Department of Applied Linguistics S E P - D E C , 2 0 1 1 Q U A R T E R L Y I S S U E

EDITOR –IN-CHIEF

Ms. Saira Abbas

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD

(STUDENT CONTRIBUTION)

All Faculty Members of the Department

2

A MESSAGE BY DR. ABDUL KAREEM ALWANI MANAGING DIRECTOR OF YUC

I would like to congratulate the editor -in- chief and the team who have worked hard to publish the

newsletter. It shows their dedication and commitment towards their profession. There are few important points

I would like to bring to the limelight.

First, the BS in Applied Linguistics Program explores the role of language in human affairs ,using a

variety of approaches. This program offers an opportunity for investigating language and communication from

an interdisciplinary angle. The students who are doing the BS in Applied Linguistics are expected to learn and

practice more than a language. But to get the full benefit of the program ,students need to know the English

Language well. The best way to improve the four skills of English is to practice more. If students want to im-

prove speaking skills, they should speak more. For writing skills’ improvement they should write more. The

same is the case for the other two skills.

Everybody knows that English is an international language. It is used in all subjects and fields of life. It

is a language used globally for practically every major aspect of our lives. As English is a Lingua Franca, no-

body can deny its importance. Faculty members and students of the department need to continuously work to-

wards improvement.

Second, to be punctual and regular in YUC is highly important. There is no comparison between a stu-

dent and a faculty member who come on time and those who do not. Naturally ,those who are punctual are

more disciplined and alert. Students who are keen on attending their classes regularly undoubtedly learn more

than those who are frequently absent from classes. Similarly, punctual teachers give more to their students than

those who are not as punctual.

For YUC, the faculty members as well as the students are very important. They are expected to groom

their personalities , professionally as well as personally. I am sure YUC will be continuously improving and

raising standards in the days to come with the help of its eminent faculty members and hardworking students..

Dr. Abdul Kareem Alwani

Managing Director

3

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR OF YUC

"We, at YUC ,are all witnessing the development and growth of the college in comparison to the days

when it was first established in 2005. More specialized programs of study at different levels have now been

introduced in the college. More academic departments and specialized centers have also been established,

such as the Research, Quality Assurance and the Academic Services Centers. There are clear indications that

YUC has succeeded in carrying out its mission and goals. The spirit of collective work and cooperation has

now replaced individual efforts which used to play a major role in the running of the academic and administra-

tive affairs of the college. The AL Newsletter is an example of such collective spirit , where the editorial

board of the Newsletter have collaborated to produce such a wonderful publication. I wish to congratulate

them for their efforts and good work, hoping that they will continue to publish this newsletter in future. I also

wish to thank the HoD and DHoD of the AL Department for their encouragement and support of such activi-

ties."

Dr. Esam H. Abdul-Hafidh

Deputy Managing Director

Dr. Essam says that AL

newsletter is an example of

collective spirit.

4

MESSAGE BY THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS

DR

. MA

JZOU

B R

. OM

AR

Welcome to this issue of the AL Newsletter, the window to AL activities and interests, whether

that be at the level of faculty members or the students. Here you will find articles written by

faculty members on a range of topics, including E-Learning and plagiarism, in addition to re-

ports by the AL committees such as the Research Committee, the Staff Development Commit-

tee, the eLearning Committee and the Exams Committee. Students’ activities and their contri-

bution to the department figure prominently in this issue of the AL Newsletter. All this would

not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of the editorial body of the AL

Newsletter to whom I, on behalf of all AL faculty members, extend my warmest congratula-

tions and thanks for producing this wonderful newsletter despite their hectic schedule carrying

out their academic responsibilities. God bless them all for a job well-done.

Dr. Majzoub R. Omar

Head of the Department of Applied Linguistics

5

A FEW WORDS BY

THE DEPUTY HEAD OF THE AL DEPARTMENT

This is our first newsletter for this semester ,representing our humble begin-

ning . We hope to develop our newsletter to new levels with every new issue. We are

also hoping through this newsletter to share our news and experiences as well as in-

tellectual contributions. Let’s imagine that our newsletter is an oasis and from time

to time we can come here and get some rest and also gain and share some knowl-

edge/experiences. Let’s remember Albert Einstein’s words when he said " Logic will

get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere".

In this issue we are happy to hear good and positive news from our students

who completed their practicum. We are delighted that they have decided to share

their learning experiences here (p.19). A big thank you to the editor who worked

hard and a big thank you for everyone who contributed to this newsletter.

Dr. M

on

a A

ljeha

ni

SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESSES:

Saira.Abbas@yuc. edu.sa

[email protected]

Mona.Aljehani @yuc.edu.sa

6

DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS

By Dr. Majzoub R. Omar

Q U A R T E R L Y I S S U E

The Department of Ap-plied Linguistics at YUC was founded in 2005, together with the departments of Computer Science and Management Information Sys-tem. YUC is the only high educa-tion institution in the whole of the Middle East which has an aca-demic department with such a name. At YUC, the department is sometimes referred to as the De-partment of English. But in the West and most other parts of the world, Applied Linguistics and

English Departments are not exactly the same thing. Tradi-tionally, the function of an Eng-lish Department is the teaching of English literature such as poetry, drama, and fiction. In some English Departments in developing countries, some as-pects of the English language are also studied, but the main focus is still on the study of English literature. The exclusive study of the English language is

done under the umbrella of de-partments of Linguistics.

Applied Linguistics combines both theory and appli-cation in one domain. It studies how we make use of our study of human language in general and the English language in particular to solve real-life prob-lems such as how to teach a foreign language (English) and how to translate from one lan-guage to another. This is why all

from English English language teaching

courses: • To equip students with

the knowledge relating to the theories and practices of teaching English as a foreign language

Translation/ interpretation courses:

• To equip the students with the knowledge relating to the theory and practice of translat-

English Language Skills courses :

• To enable students to master the four English language skills

English linguistics courses: • To enable students to

understand how the Eng-lish language works in terms of its sound, word, and sentence structure

General linguistics courses: • To enable students to

understand how human language works with il-lustrations and examples-

ing/interpreting from English to Arabic and vice versa.

guage works, and applying all this knowledge to solving real-life problems in Saudi Arabia’s community, the most important of which are teaching English as a foreign language and transla-tion. It is because of this that the department at YUC is referred to as the Applied Linguistics

Department. The study program it offers (BS in Applied Lin-guistics) is a perfect match of the department’s name.

To fulfill the program’s mission, the Applied Linguistics Department teaches five catego-ries of courses, all of which aim at fulfilling its stated mission:

the following can be designated as major domains of Applied Lin-guistics: Knowing the English language (mastering listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills), knowing about the English language ( studying its sound, word, and sentence structure), knowing about how human lan-

The program aims to equip its graduates with multiple

skills and practices which are very much needed in today’s

global environment.

Mission of the

Applied Linguistics program of study

To offer high-quality edu-cation which aims at pro-ducing English language-proficient young male and female Saudi graduates to fulfill the country’s needs in areas relating to lan-guage study such as teach-ing English, translation, journalism, tourism, secu-rity, public and private sector human resources needs, and future experts in the theory and practice of teaching English at all educational levels.

7

A Brief Introduction to E-Learning

By Ms. Ayesha Kanwal

E-Learning comprises planned and thematically self-controlled learning ma-terial, which can be distributed to the learner through the Internet. Typically e-Learning accommodates self learning material, but unlike a book or a guide it pro-vides the following: A. Powerful multimedia content − graphics, animation and other rich-media material (audio and video in different formats, Flash-movie, Java applications and others). B. Interaction – presentation of the learning material may depend on the actions taken by the user.

C. Different options for evaluating gathered knowledge (tests, exercises).

E-learning globalizes and presents a wide variety of tools that can make your course more effectual, . It spreads the updated information everywhere within sec-onds. It also provides a straightforward way to upload and share materials, hold online discussions and chats, give quizzes and surveys, gather and review assign-ments, and record grades as enlisted below:

"Good teaching is good teaching, no matter how it's done."

The old maxim still rings true, and e-Learning brings with it new dimensions in edu-cation. Some of the unique attributes of e-Learning are listed below:

A. Learning is self-paced and gives students a chance to speed up or slow

down as required.

B. Learning is self-instructed, allowing students to choose content and tools

apt to their differing interests, needs, and skill levels.

C. Multiple learning styles and the use of a variety of methods.

D. Learner-centered approach.

E. Geographical obstructions are abolished, opening up broader education sce-

nario.

F. 24/7 accessibility which makes scheduling easy and allows a greater num-

ber of people to attend the study material.

G. On-demand access which means learning can happen precisely when

needed.

H. Greater student interaction and collaboration.

I. Greater student/instructor contact.

J. Enhancement of computer and internet skills.

8

PLAGIARISM: AN EMERGING CURSE

By Ms. Hania Hanif


Originality is the beauty

of creation; the forged, reproduced

or derived writings mar the face of

academia and are easily distin-

guished from the original. Plagia-

rism can be defined as copying

someone’s’ ideas or language or

expressions without acknowledg-

ing the original source. In an

instructional setting, this phe-

nomenon is of a great concern

for students, teachers and ad-

ministration.

The academic and re-

search institutions worldwide

have set proper norms to elimi-

nate this menace. The students

and writers are expected to follow

ethical values in acknowledging

the original source appropriately.

The fear of failure on the

part of students is a big cause of

their diverting to plagiarism. The

The students should

take their projects as opportuni-

ties for vigorous learning. They

should be encouraged to consult

their teachers and supervisors in

case of any suspicions about the

originality of their ideas and

expressions.

The planners and sylla-

bus designers should also look

thinking and creativity. Their

minds should be set to acknowl-

edge others’ work because in the

wake of current flood of knowl-

edge on the internet ,where mil-

lions of pages are added daily, it is

quite impossible to turn face from

it and give new creations without

benefiting from the already avail-

able stuff.

into the problems students have to

face in their projects, and include

those topics which demand em-

pirical research and avoid those

topics which need only formula

assignments with enough chances

of plagiarized work.

this academic dishonesty in col-

leges and universities. The

faulty supposition on the part of

teachers that the students are

already aware of this issue is

also a cause of conscious or

unconscious plagiarism by some

students.

How to avoid it?

Being teachers, the

shared responsibility demands to

inculcate in students’ mind the

significance of originality in

lack of time management and

avoidance of taking risks in re-

search projects lead some to pla-

giarism. The teachers’ in-time

guidance on the consequences of

plagiarism in their projects and

future prospects can help reduce

MORE TIPS

Attending confer-

ences, group discussions and

peer review may also prove

effective in this situation.

Teachers’ guidance on the

issue of source citation and

acknowledgements can solve

the problems students face

during documenting and ana-

lyzing research works.

A d m i n i s t r a t o r s

should also provide such an

on-campus climate which

introduces strict but wise poli-

cies to culminate the chances

of students’ involvement in

plagiarism. They should also

publicize copyright policies.

A quick response to students’

queries about publications and

an in-time internal or external

evaluation of expected publi-

cations should be ensured.

Why do students plagiarize?

9

STAFF DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE ARRANGED A SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION By Ms. Saira Abbas ( Chairperson SDC)


The Staff Development Committee arranged a successful presentation on Dec 6,2011 . The topic was” Motivational Factors and Strategies in the Language Class-room”.

The program began with a welcome address by Dr. Mona , Deputy Head of the Department of Applied Linguistics, and a short introduction of the committee by the chairperson of the Staff Develop-ment Committee.

The presenter, Ms. Lubna Shaiq, was introduced by Ms. Nadia Maroof. The objectives of the presentation were to share ideas on how to motivate students to learn actively , efficiently and effectively. The presenter thor-oughly covered the definition, theories on motivation, and mo-tivational strategies. Ms. Lubna talked about

ture presentations. The presentation was attended by the Deputy Academic Coordinator of the Women Campus, Ms. Carmen Aguilera-Goerner . The session was well- appreciated by her. She expressed her hope for more intellectual and research -based presentations in future .

ing a good relationship with learners, increasing the learners’ linguistic self-confidence, mak-ing the language classes inter-esting, promoting learners’ autonomy, personalizing the learning process, increasing the learners’ goal-orientedness ,and familiarizing learners with the target language culture. A question -answer

session. immediately followed the presentation. Then, male and female faculty members had further discussion on the topic . The presentation ses-sion ended on a thanks and ap-preciation note by Dr. Majzoub Omar , the head of the depart-ment. Faculty members were provided feedback forms con-cerning what further themes they wish to be covered in fu-

Integrative and instrumental moti-vation. In addition, she covered the process -oriented approach. The presenter discussed the motivational strategies teach-ers could use to motivate students. She suggested setting a personal example with your own behavior, creating a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere in the classroom, pre-senting the task properly, develop-

COMMITTEE WORKS IN DEPARTMENT

ational levels.

AFTER COMPLETING STUDIES AT THE DE-

PARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS GRADU-

ATES HAVE DIFFERENT CAREER OPTIONS:

• Teaching Assistants at Saudi Universities

• Teachers of English as a Foreign / Second Language

• Translators & Interpreters

• Saudi Foreign Ministry Staff in Kingdom or abroad

• TV & Newspaper

Journalists

• Tourists Guides

• Post-graduate students in Applied Linguistics and TEFL in the Kingdom or abroad

• Any Public or Private Sec-tor Jobs that require good mastery of English

• Security Personnel

FIRST PRESENTATION

SDC IS TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE & INFORMATION

TO ENHANCE PROFESSIONAL

GROWTH

FORTHCOMING

PRESENTATION THEMES OF

THE STAFF

DEVELOPMENT

COMMITTEE

• Learner-Centered

Approach

• Self-Assessment for

Learners

• Study Skills

10

RESEARCH COMMITTEE FOCUSED ON WRITING AN ABSTRACT FOR A RESEARCH PAPER

By Ms.Saira Abbas


Dr. Omnia Nabih , being chairperson of the Research Committee, took the initiative of coming up with her committee’s first presentation by herself. Therefore, on Dec14,2011 the session was arranged for one hour. Ms. Yasmin Khan started the session by explaining the goals of the committee. She also intro-duced the presenter. The Committee had de-cided to have a chain of presenta-tions on the different aspects of writing a research paper. It was decided that the chair of the com-

mittee will give the first presen-tation on the structure of the research paper abstract. Faculty members from male and female campuses at-tended the presentation. Dr. Omnia started by talking about the typical struc-ture of a research paper. Then, she explained the importance of writing an abstract . She pointed out four Cs ( completeness, con-ciseness, clarity, cohesiveness) that make a good abstract. Different types of abstracts were also explained .

These include modular, pur-pose oriented, statistical, de-scriptive and informative ab-stracts. Guidelines on abstract writing were provided. Then common problems of writing an abstract were explained.. These include writing too long , too detailed, too short abstract or one missing impor-tant information, etc. Dr. Omnia concluded by highlighting the steps of writing effective abstracts.

The first task of the committee was to photocopy the Major Exam 1 papers for ESP courses and distribute them to the concerned faculty. Its next task was to work on the Mid-Term Examination Schedule. The Exam Committee with the help of AL Program Manager devised the schedule and made

sure that the Midterm Examina-tion progressed smoothly.

The third task was to photocopy Major Exam II pa-pers. The Exam Committee suc-cessfully finished the task.

The committee is now ready for the Final Examination that is approaching fast.

The Exam Committee remained fully functional in this semester. It tried to accomplish all the tasks assigned to it from sup-plying the printing papers to the faculty members to collecting the exam papers from the DHoD for photocopying and distribution pur-poses.

REPORT BY THE EXAM COMMITTEE

By Ms. Hania Hanif

QUOTABLE QUOTES ON TEACHING Shared by Dr. Mona Aljehani

Jubran Khalil Gibran

No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of our knowledge.

The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith

and his lovingness.

If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.

The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give you his understanding.

And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell of the regions of weight and measure, but he cannot conduct you

thither. For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man.

11

SHOWCASE BY AL STUDENTS’ DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

By Ms. Yasmin Khan ( Chairperson SSDC)


The theme of the day (AL Students Development Day ) was one of those exceptional moments which anyone in higher education would like to witness. The AL De-partment Committee, along with respected DHoD, Dr.Mona Al Jehani, guests and all faculty mem-bers gathered in the Gym at around 12:30 P.M. By the grace of Allah ,the program was inaugurated by a freshman level student named Najla, who outlined the presenta-tions, followed by a warm wel-

come and a note of thanks by the Chair of the Committee. The presentations were a clear show of the hard effort of the students at different lev-els. The AL Students’ excellent performances in terms of matur-ity and intellectual curiosity clearly spoke about how they were guided, mentored and mo-tivated by each AL faculty member and the committee. Each one was unique, special and innovative in her own way.

This event provided a great opportunity to those who are shy and introvert by working on posters, or in a group. Their presence and great efforts were acknowledged and appreciated. It provides great satis-faction and fulfillment to see that the AL Students Develop-ment committee has reached another milestone in the journey of their accomplished commit-ment, the mission to train, nur-ture, guide, mentor, and shape the minds of our students. At

Body Language, Motivation, First Language Acquisition, Semantic Fields, How to Im-prove Your Language, Space World, Hilarious Educational Cartoons, Overcoming Obsta-cles in Life, Why Applied Lin-guistics, Listen to Speak, Easy English, Management and Pho-

tography and Tips to Get Good Grades. Students of the depart-ment at all levels participated in this enjoyable and fruitful event.

the same time, the students are directed towards research, innova-tion and for being active learners. As a whole, all these qualities strengthen the Department and YUC in particular and the com-munity in general. The presentations in-cluded: Communication Skills,

12

E-LEARNING COMMITTEE’S UPDATE By Dr. Hala Fawzi ( Chairperson E-Learning Committee)

In spite of the technical glitches encountered, the e-

learning committee has successfully managed to conduct the first

webcasted presentation in YUC with Dr. Nellie Deutsch, a pro-

fessional ICT consultant based in Toronto, Canada. The senior

students, AL department, were excited to know about the use of

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in teaching and learning

English language. Additionally, the committee will be having two

sessions; the first of which will be on the use of technology in

teaching for professional development. As part of the e-learning

mission and vision of keeping students involved and engaged in

activities related to the use of e-learning, the second session was

held on Wednesday December 21, 2011, by one of the senior stu-

dents, Ms Maryma Bantan. The presentation, entitled " Know-

ing Twitter in Person", covered the use Twitter as a social net-

working tool, as well as how it can be used in English language

learning. The committee decision of conducting a compulsory

Moodle training for students, by students, next term has been ap-

proved by the Al HoD and DHoD.

The Joint Research Committee came up with a new presentation this time on Dec

28, 2011. The topic of the presentation was “God’s gift: Language” . A senior student,

Muhammed Aljuhani, from the male campus, provided thoughtful insights on aspects of

first language acquisition. He explained the Chomskyan concept of “Language Faculty”

in details and related it to the real world with the help of fascinating examples and il-

lustrations. It was an interesting performance by a highly competent future scholar in

Saudi Arabia.

RESEARCH COMMITTEE FEELS PROUD OF A STUDENT’S PRESENTATION

13

USEFUL WEBSITES FOR SKILLS IMPROVEMENT By Ms. Shamia Abdullah

I would like to suggest two websites to our students in the

AL Department which will help them to improve their speaking

skills and develop their background in the English Language.

1. The Splendid Speaking online self-study course and web-

site is published by Splendid Learning, a division of Flo-Joe, the

award-winning UK publishing company. For more information

please visit the website http://www.splendid-speaking.com . You

can also ask for further information by contacting info (at)

splendid-speaking.com

2. Live mocha is the world’s largest online language

learning community, offering free and paid online language

courses in 35 languages to more than 11 million members from

196 countries around the world.

Live mocha mission is to provide a more accessible, afford-

able, and engaging way to learn a language. Live mocha allows

people around the world to help each other with language learn-

ing, and provides our community with opportunities to learn and

practice new languages together.

14

This corner will be devoted to review gadget and technology which may support learning and studetns’

academic life. Any small gadget or technology which you may think is useful ,do not hesitate to send us

your review. This invitation is open to everyone.

It is undeniable that recently books have come to the digital party and change is now happening at

such a furious pace. So ,have you ever considered buying an eBook reader? This review will introduce

Kindle e-reader from Amazon. Although there are many other e-readers ,Amazon (and its Kindle e-

reader ) has become prominent in this field especially now that it holds 76% share of all digital books

sold. There is a common agreement that this is the age of open learning and fast gathering of data .For

instance , the British Library offers 65,000 eBooks for free. As a learner and a person how do you think

you should prepare yourself for such an advanced age in terms of availability of material and informa-

tion? Let’s leave this question open for you to think about and we should be very happy to hear from

you. We intend to publish the best three answers to this question in the next issue of the newsletter.

KINDLE eBook READER

By Dr. Mona Aljehani

Gadget and Technology Reviews

15

Mr. Lawan Dalha joined YUC as a lecturer in 2011. He is from Nigeria. He has done an MA in Com-puter Assisted Language Learning.

Mr. Lawan is the male campus department sec-retary , examination officer, and co-chair of the E-Learning committee.

He is enjoying his job at YUC. In the few months he has been here ,Mr. Lawan proved to be a good asset to the department.

Mr. Lawan Dalha

Your business tag line here.

Ms. Aidah Nasser joined Yanbu University Col-

lege as a student in the year 2005 and completed her

studies in 2011. She joined the team as a faculty member

in October 2011.

Ms. Aidah is eager to go for further studies

abroad. She is glad to have cooperative and supportive

colleagues. She feels proud of the fact that she has got an

opportunity to work with her teachers who taught her.

She added that her colleagues are really hard-working

and are very professional.

Ms. Aidah hopes to get many opportunities to

develop her professional academic career.

Dr. Mona Aljehani joined the department as Dep-

uty Head this semester in 2011. She completed her Masters

and PhD in the UK. In her PhD thesis she investigated the

role of metacognitive knowledge in raising learners' aware-

ness of themselves as learners to develop an autonomous

attitude towards learning and the role of the teacher in sup-

porting this. During her PhD she also studied part -time for

a postgraduate certificate in higher education.

Dr .Mona is also interested in other adventures as

she got the opportunity to take Hurtigruten on a sea jour-

ney to visit the North Cape in Norway and received the

certificate of Arctic Circle.

MS Aidah Nasser Aljuran

DR. Mona Aljehani

NEW FACULTY MEMBERS JOINED THE DEPARTMENT

16

Part one

Giambattista Vico (23 June 1668 – 23 January 1744)

Born to a bookseller in Naples, Italy, Vico attended a series of grammar schools, but ill-health and dis-

satisfaction with Jesuit scholasticism led to home schooling.

The most prominent position Vico held was the head of the faculty at the University of Naples for over

thirty-three years. In his own time ,Vico's work was largely neglected and generally misunderstood. He de-

scribes himself living as a “stranger "and “quite unknown” in his native city. (S E P).

One of his famous works is his The Oration, entitled "On the Heroic Mind," which was addressed directly to

the entire student body in attendance at the prestigious Royal Academy of Naples. In his address Vico urges

the students to pursue higher meaning of learning and of themselves as students he wrote:

"...Noble students, you are to bend your best efforts toward your studies, not surely with such an end in view

as the gaining of riches, in which the low money-grubbing crowd would easily beat you out; nor for high of-

fice and influence, in which you would be far outdone by the military and by courtiers; and still less for that

which leads philosophers on, namely the love of learning itself, enthralled by which almost all of them pass

their whole lives withdrawn from the public light in order to get the full enjoyment from the tranquil working

of their minds and nothing else. Something far more exalted than this is expected of you.... it is expected of

you that you exert yourselves in your studies in order to manifest the heroic mind you possess and to lay foun-

dations of learning and wisdom for the blessedness of the human race; by this course of action, not only will

riches and wealth, even while you disdain them, accrue to you, but also honour and power will come looking

for you, though you care for none of these things..." (1732).

SCHOLARS Shared by Dr. Mona Aljehani

(In Scholars we will present a scholar .Also, we welcome any suggestions to introduce certain scholars. Our first scholar is Giambattista Vico.)

QUOTATIONS ON TEACHING SHARED BY DR. MONA ALJEHANI John Dewey:

• If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow. • Any genuine teaching will result, if successful, in someone's knowing how to bring about a better condition of things than existed earlier.

17

INNOVATIVE STUDENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED

LINGUISTICS

A Place of My Dreams By Rawabi Mohammed Al-Nufaie

Freshmen Level II

One day I was roaming in a place that seemed out of this world. That was extremely

beautiful. How lucky I was to reach there!

This place was an island in the middle of the sea. This place could move in the water

like a boat. That island was more beautiful than other islands. When I moved in the island, I

felt as if I were in paradise. All things were green. I heard the lovely birds’ voices when I sat

under the tree. Coconut trees that had beautiful shapes and sizes were spread all over the

place . I could drink and enjoy the coconut juice. It removed the hot feeling in the summer

season. Also, when I walked in the island, I found a lot of boxes that were full of jewels.

There was a big house for me in the island. The house was made from golden materials. When

I saw the house from outside, I could not imagine that it would be more beautiful from inside.

Wow! All the things inside were glittering. I felt lost in the beauty that was heart -touching.

Finally, I opened my eyes and found myself in the classroom. The place was present in

my dream only. I wish I could find a place of my dream in reality.

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My Presentation Experience on Communication Skills

Written by: Sarah Ahmed Almohammedi

Sophomore Level I

ID: 09120703

We communicate with each other every day for several reasons such as learning, making

relationships, and improving ourselves. By improving our communication skills ,we can have the benefits

of communication. I decided to present this topic for the students of YUC, because it is important for each

person to improve his/her communication skills.

This presentation was first presented by me on 29thMay ,2011 for my final speaking exam of "ENGL122".

Then I presented it again without changing the materials on 10th December ,2011 at the "Presentations Day"

for Students’ Development Committee of the Applied Linguistics Department. The event started at

12:30p.m. and ended at 2:30p.m. I was so excited and motivated by the continuous presentation of the topic

for nearly two hours without being tired. I distributed the presentation in CDs, offering some chocolates and

roses along side.

My reference for this presentation was adapted from a YouTube video that focuses on communication skills.

The title was "Communication Skills Easy Steps" which has eight parts. I watched it, analyzed it, and

rewrote it as a power point presentation. I used Windows Movie Maker in order to edit some parts and use it

in my presentation. I also used Photoshop program to edit the pictures.

I am delighted and content because of the positive feedback I got from my instructors and my peers. In the

end ,I want to thank my instructors and my friends for supporting me and encouraging me. I also want to

thank all of the English Club members for their efforts and support, as well as guidance in this great event.

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PA S S T H E PA S S I O N B y

D a l a l B a r a g a b a h & H a n e e n A l - M a r z o u k i

"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank...but the world may be a better place because I made a difference

It’s our most unforgettable experience ever!

"Ideal teachers are those who use them-

selves as bridges over which they invite

their students to cross, then having facili-

tated their crossing, joyfully collapse, en-

couraging them to create bridges of their

own." Nikos Kazantzakis

During our studies at Yanbu Uni-

versity College as Linguistics learners, we

have learnt many things related to teach-

ing. We read a lot since we had the pas-

sion to share our knowledge with others.

Nevertheless, we had never imagined our-

selves in this position till we started our

practicum. Actually, during the practicum

we as persons learnt as well as taught.

Being patient, ready for any sud-

den situation and setting targets for each

and every step were some of the greatest

lessons that helped us to develop our-

selves. In fact, the foundation of our task

was how to leave a deep warm touch in

the learners’ souls and their minds. We

wished to develop in them optimistic

thoughts so that they can pass them as

they grow up. Moreover, the teacher’s

perception of education, students learn-

ing styles, fostering students’ natural

curiosity ,taking care and nourishing

oneself , and motivating students to

learn were all parts of our teaching

process.

Not only do teachers do

motivate their students, but the re-

verse can also be true. And that

was exactly what happened to us.:

Our students DID motivate us to

teach, just as we motivated them to

learn. Last but not least, as any

field in this life, we faced a lot of

obstacles, but we overcame them

since we had taken them as chal-

lenges. Finally, If we are given

the chance to be in charge of edu-

cating these little angels again, we

are absolutely ready !

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BUSY BEE Photography by Dr.Mona Aljehani

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