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AL NEWSLETTER By The Department of Applied Linguistics

EDITOR IN-CHIEF Ms. Saira Abbas EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD (STUDENT CONTRIBUTION) All Faculty Members of the Department
Q U A R T E R L Y I S S U E S E P - D E C , 2 0 1 1

EDITORS NOTE
Welcome to this quarterly issue of the AL Newsletter. Inside this issue , you will find messages from the Managing Director, the Deputy Managing Director ( Academic Affairs) , Head of the Applied Linguistics Department, and Deputy Head of the Department .

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Message from the MD, DMD, HOD, DHOD Department of AL

The newsletter is divided into different sections including teachers articles,

2-5

departmental committees reports, quotation corners, recommendation of useful websites and a kindle e-book reader, introduction of a scholar, introduction 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 Committee, the Students Development Committee, and the e-learning Committee are included. The same sections with new information will also constitute the components of the next issue of the newsletter, where faculty members and students will be welcomed to share their creative works. Research -based articles 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

E-Learning

7 8

Plagiarism

Committees Reports

912

Useful websites for skills 13 improvement Kindle e-Book Reader

14

Scholar

16

Innovative Students of YUC

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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 improve 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, nobody can deny its importance. Faculty members and students of the department need to continuously work towards improvement. Second, to be punctual and regular in YUC is highly important. There is no comparison between a student 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

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR OF YUC

Dr. Essam says that AL newsletter is an example of collective spirit.

"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 administrative 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 activities." Dr. Esam H. Abdul-Hafidh

Deputy Managing Director

MESSAGE BY THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS DR. MAJZOUB R. OMAR
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 reports by the AL committees such as the Research Committee, the Staff Development Committee, the eLearning Committee and the Exams Committee. Students activities and their contribution 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 congratulations 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

A FEW WORDS BY
THE DEPUTY HEAD OF THE AL DEPARTMENT

Dr. Mona Aljehani

This is our first newsletter for this semester ,representing our humble beginning . 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 intellectual contributions. Lets 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 knowledge/experiences. Lets remember Albert Einsteins 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.

SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESSES: Saira.Abbas@yuc. edu.sa misssairaabbas27@hotmail.com Mona.Aljehani @yuc.edu.sa

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QUA RTERLY ISSUE

DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS By Dr. Majzoub R. Omar

The Department of Applied Linguistics at YUC was founded in 2005, together with the departments of Computer Science and Management Information System. YUC is the only high education institution in the whole of the Middle East which has an academic department with such a name. At YUC, the department is sometimes referred to as the Department of English. But in the West and most other parts of the world, Applied Linguistics and English Departments are not exactly the same thing. Traditionally, the function of an English Department is the teaching of English literature such as poetry, drama, and fiction. In some English Departments in developing countries, some aspects 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 departments of Linguistics. Applied Linguistics combines both theory and application 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 problems such as how to teach a foreign language (English) and how to translate from one language to another. This is why all Mission of the Applied Linguistics program of study To offer high-quality education which aims at producing English languageproficient young male and female Saudi graduates to fulfill the countrys needs in areas relating to language study such as teaching English, translation, journalism, tourism, security, public and private sector human resources needs, and future experts in the theory and practice of teaching English at all educational levels.

The program aims to equip its graduates with multiple skills and practices which are very much needed in todays global environment.

the following can be designated as major domains of Applied Linguistics: 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-

guage works, and applying all this knowledge to solving reallife problems in Saudi Arabias community, the most important of which are teaching English as a foreign language and translation. 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 Linguistics) is a perfect match of the departments name. To fulfill the programs mission, the Applied Linguistics Department teaches five categories of courses, all of which aim at fulfilling its stated mission:

English Language Skills courses : To enable students to master the four English language skills English linguistics courses: To enable students to understand how the English language works in terms of its sound, word, and sentence structure General linguistics courses: To enable students to understand how human language works with illustrations and examples-

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-

ing/interpreting from English to Arabic and vice versa.

A Brief Introduction to E-Learning By Ms. Ayesha Kanwal

E-Learning comprises planned and thematically self-controlled learning material, which can be distributed to the learner through the Internet. Typically eLearning accommodates self learning material, but unlike a book or a guide it provides 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 seconds. It also provides a straightforward way to upload and share materials, hold online discussions and chats, give quizzes and surveys, gather and review assignments, 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 education. 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 scenario. F. 24/7 accessibility which makes scheduling easy and allows a greater number 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.

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QUA RTERLY ISSUE

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 distinguished from the original. Plagiarism can be defined as copying someones ideas or language or expressions without acknowledging the original source. In an instructional setting, this phenomenon is of a great concern for students, teachers and administration. The academic and reThe fear of failure on the search institutions worldwide part of students is a big cause of have set proper norms to elimitheir diverting to plagiarism. The nate this menace. The students

MORE TIPS
Attending confer-

ences, group discussions and

and writers are expected to follow peer review may also prove ethical values in acknowledging the original source appropriately. effective in this situation. Teachers guidance on the issue of source citation and acknowledgements can solve the problems students face during documenting and analyzing research works. Admini strat or s should also provide such an

Why do students plagiarize?

lack of time management and avoidance of taking risks in research projects lead some to plagiarism. The teachers in-time guidance on the consequences of plagiarism in their projects and future prospects can help reduce

this academic dishonesty in colleges and universities. The

unconscious plagiarism by some on-campus students.

climate

which

introduces strict but wise poli-

faulty supposition on the part of teachers that the students are

How

to
Being

avoid
teachers,

it?

cies to culminate the chances

the of students involvement in

already aware of this issue is also a cause of conscious or

shared responsibility demands to plagiarism. They should also inculcate in students mind the publicize copyright policies. significance of originality in A quick response to students queries about publications and

thinking and creativity. Their minds should be set to acknowledge others work because in the wake of current flood of knowledge on the internet ,where millions of pages are added daily, it is quite impossible to turn face from it and give new creations without benefiting from the already available stuff.

The students should take their projects as opportunities 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 syllabus designers should also look

into the problems students have to face in their projects, and include those topics which demand empirical research and avoid those topics which need only formula assignments with enough chances of plagiarized work.

an in-time internal or external evaluation of expected publications should be ensured.

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QUA RTERLY ISSUE

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 Classroom. 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 Development 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 thoroughly covered the definition, theories on motivation, and motivational strategies. Ms. Lubna talked about AFTER COMPLETING STUDIES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS GRADUATES HAVE DIFFERENT CAREER OPTIONS: Teaching Assistants Saudi Universities at

FIRST PRESENTATION

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 Sector Jobs that require good mastery of English Security Personnel

COMMITTEE WORKS IN DEPARTMENT

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

ing a good relationship with learners, increasing the learners linguistic self-confidence, making the language classes interesting, 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 session ended on a thanks and ap preciation note by Dr. Majzoub Omar , the head of the department. Faculty members were provided feedback forms concerning what further themes they wish to be covered in fu

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

FORTHCOMING PRESENTATION THEMES OF

SDC IS TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE & INFORMATION

THE STAFF DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

TO ENHANCE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

Learner-Centered Approach Self-Assessment for Learners Study Skills ational levels.

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QUA RTERLY ISSUE

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 committees 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 introduced the presenter. The Committee had decided to have a chain of presentations on the different aspects of writing a research paper. It was decided that the chair of the committee will give the first presentation on the structure of the research paper abstract. Faculty members from male and female campuses attended the presentation. Dr. Omnia started by talking about the typical structure of a research paper. Then, she explained the importance of writing an abstract . She pointed out four Cs ( completeness, conciseness, clarity, cohesiveness) that make a good abstract. Different types of abstracts were also explained . These include modular, purpose oriented, statistical, descriptive and informative abstracts. 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 important information, etc. Dr. Omnia concluded by highlighting the steps of writing effective abstracts.

REPORT BY THE EXAM COMMITTEE

By Ms. Hania Hanif
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 MidTerm Examination Schedule. The Exam Committee with the help of AL Program Manager devised the schedule and made sure that the Midterm Examination progressed smoothly. The third task was to photocopy Major Exam II papers. The Exam Committee successfully 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 supplying the printing papers to the faculty members to collecting the exam papers from the DHoD for photocopying and distribution purposes.

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.

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QUA RTERLY ISSUE

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 Department Committee, along with respected DHoD, Dr.Mona Al Jehani, guests and all faculty members 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 presentations, followed by a warm welcome 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 levels. The AL Students excellent performances in terms of maturity and intellectual curiosity clearly spoke about how they were guided, mentored and motivated 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 satisfaction and fulfillment to see that the AL Students Development committee has reached another milestone in the journey of their accomplished commitment, the mission to train, nurture, guide, mentor, and shape the minds of our students. At

the same time, the students are directed towards research, innovation and for being active learners. As a whole, all these qualities strengthen the Department and YUC in particular and the community in general. The presentations included: Communication Skills,

Body Language, Motivation, First Language Acquisition, Semantic Fields, How to Improve Your Language, Space World, Hilarious Educational Cartoons, Overcoming Obstacles in Life, Why Applied Linguistics, Listen to Speak, Easy English, Management and Pho-

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

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E-LEARNING COMMITTEES UPDATE By Dr. Hala Fawzi ( Chairperson E-Learning Committee)

In spite of the technical glitches encountered, the elearning committee has successfully managed to conduct the first webcasted presentation in YUC with Dr. Nellie Deutsch, a professional 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 students, Ms Maryma Bantan. The presentation, entitled " Knowing Twitter in Person", covered the use Twitter as a social networking 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 approved by the Al HoD and DHoD.

RESEARCH COMMITTEE FEELS PROUD OF A STUDENTS PRESENTATION

The Joint Research Committee came up with a new presentation this time on Dec 28, 2011. The topic of the presentation was Gods 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 illustrations. It was an interesting performance by a highly competent future scholar in Saudi Arabia.

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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 website 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 worlds 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, affordable, and engaging way to learn a language. Live mocha allows people around the world to help each other with language learning, and provides our community with opportunities to learn and practice new languages together.

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Gadget and Technology Reviews

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.

KINDLE eBook READER

By Dr. Mona Aljehani

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 ereader ) 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 information? Lets 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.

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DR. Mona Aljehani

MS Aidah Nasser Aljuran

Ms. Aidah Nasser joined Yanbu University ColDr. Mona Aljehani joined the department as Deputy 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' awareness of themselves as learners to develop an autonomous attitude towards learning and the role of the teacher in supporting 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 journey Your business tag line here. North Cape in Norway and received the to visit the

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.

certificate of Arctic Circle.

NEW FACULTY MEMBERS JOINED THE DEPARTMENT

Mr. Lawan Dalha

Mr. Lawan Dalha joined YUC as a lecturer in 2011. He is from Nigeria. He has done an MA in Computer Assisted Language Learning. Mr. Lawan is the male campus department secretary , examination officer, and co-chair of the ELearning 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.

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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.)

SCHOLARS

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 dissatisfaction 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 describes 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 office 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 foundations 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).

John Dewey:

QUOTATIONS ON TEACHING SHARED BY DR. MONA ALJEHANI

If we teach todays students as we taught yesterdays, 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.

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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

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.
ID: 09120703

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PA S S T H E PA S S I O N
By Dalal Baragabah & Haneen Al-Marzouki

"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

Its our most unforgettable experience ever!

"Ideal teachers are those who use themBeing patient, ready for any sudNot only do teachers do selves as bridges over which they invite den situation and setting targets for each motivate their students, but the retheir students to cross, then having facili- and every step were some of the greatest verse can also be true. And that tated their crossing, joyfully collapse, en- lessons that helped us to develop ourown." Nikos Kazantzakis During our studies at Yanbu University College as Linguistics learners, we have learnt many things related to teaching. We read a lot since we had the passion to share our knowledge with others. Nevertheless, we had never imagined ourselves in this position till we started our practicum. Actually, during the practicum we as persons learnt as well as taught. was exactly what happened to us.:

couraging them to create bridges of their selves. In fact, the foundation of our task Our students DID motivate us to 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 teachers 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 chalFinally, If we are given

perception of education, students learn- lenges. ing styles, fostering students natural curiosity ,taking care and nourishing oneself , and motivating students to learn were all parts of our teaching process.

the chance to be in charge of educating these little angels again, we are absolutely ready !

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Photography by Dr.Mona Aljehani

BUSY BEE