UMP language teachers won three gold medals and a silver medal at INNOPLEN 2019

The hard work put into developing innovative teaching techniques paid off for four language teachers with Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP)’s Centre for Modern Languages & Human Sciences (CMLHS) as they won three gold medals and one silver medal in the Innovation, Product Launching and Entrepreneurship (INNOPLEN) 2019 Competition.

The competition was held at Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Polytechnic (POLISAS) in Kuantan on March 28, 2019.

The gold medal winners were Rosjuliana Hidayu Rosli, Juwairiah Osman and Siti Ainun Jariyah Hassan while the silver medal was contributed by Azlina Mohd Ariffin.

Prizes were presented by Ministry of Education’s Polytechnic and Community College Division Director General, Professor Dato’ Ts. Dr. Mohd Ismail Abd Aziz.

A total of 125 research teams comprising 445 participants took part in the competition that was divided into two categories - technical and non-technical. The participants were from public and private institutes of higher education, polytechnics, community colleges, government agencies and industries.

Rosjuliana Hidayu’s project titled, ‘Transformation in the Learning Technique of Arabic Language through EL RESALA. ARABIC Interactive e-Learning’ won first place for the non-technical category. It was also presented with the ‘Certificate Honour as Presenter.’

The technique helps students in improving their skills to memorise Arabic vocabulary faster. It also helps engineers set to work in the Middle East to learn the language during preparatory classes.

As for Juwairiah, she created a flow chart ‘It’s Fun to Speak Malay Language using Kolb Model (CAS-BM: International Malay Language) that won second place for the non-technical category. She was also presented with the ‘Certificate Honour as Presenter.’

She said the innovation and research works carried out were to further improve the teaching and learning method of the Malay language for foreign students in UMP.

“The innovative method is implemented in e-learning activity - be it in the classroom or outside of the classroom and in programmes carried out in the university or outside of the university, conducted at the state-level or international level.

“As for non-native speakers comprising the foreign students, they have to be motivated, taught using interactive learning method and dealt with easy, casual approach by the language teachers themselves so they are driven to learn a different language,” she said.

Others in the group were teachers in the Foreign Language Department - Mardhiyyah Zamani, Rosjuliana Hidayu Rosli, Jamilah Bebe Mohamad, Mohammad Baihaqi Hasni and Farah Hanan Aminallah.

They had the full support from the Head of Department, Dr. Jamal Rizal Razali.

The third gold was contributed by Siti Ainun Jariyah for the English Language learning technique using the Drama-tive approach. She also received the ‘Certificate Honour as Presenter’.

In this approach, students are tasked to come up with a drama based on a given situation. The technique encourages students to think creatively and critically and that it can help to build up their self-confidence in mastering the language.

Azlina won the silver medal for her research, ‘Techniques to learn Spanish through websites and Estudiar Español Conmigo courseware’. It is used to teach students who take up Spanish language in the university.

The efforts taken to come up with the innovative means are preparations taken to meet challenges of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and that the teaching and learning methods need to stay relevant and effective with the current trends, in line with the changes that are fast taking place in the world of technology.