CipGrads is an annual academic event organized by the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning (Pusat Penataran Ilmu dan Bahasa). This event aims to bring together postgraduate students from UMS, other local and international universities, to share and discuss findings and experiences related to their postgraduate research studies. It is hoped that through CipGrads, postgraduate students would be able to upskill their research communication skills, as well as to network with others from the larger community of practice.
This presentation will discuss methodologies needed for effective multimodal discourse analysis on Chinese public legal education. As legal education shifts from traditional mono-modal formats to digital media platforms—such as short videos and animations—it brings both opportunities for richer engagement and challenges for researchers analyzing complex multimodal data. Among some useful analytical approaches are Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and Visual Grammar (VG); however, at present, there are at least three methodological challenges worth considering: integrating theoretical frameworks for multimodal analysis, ensuring applicability to the Chinese sociocultural context, and maintaining consistency in data annotation.
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This study investigates the effectiveness of digital storytelling in improving speaking skills among primary ESL learners, with a particular focus on key methodological challenges: participant variability, instrument validity and reliability, and implementation consistency. Employing a quasi-experimental design with purposive sampling, the research carefully addresses differences in language proficiency, age, and cognitive development to ensure robust data analysis. Given the complexity of assessing speaking skills, an expert-validated rubric was developed to comprehensively evaluate various aspects of speaking: pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension. Measurement accuracy was further reinforced through a pilot test. To ensure consistent implementation, teachers were thoroughly briefed and provided with standardized lesson plans, integrated into the Canva Digital Storytelling module. These methodological strategies collectively mitigate common research pitfalls, enhancing the reliability and applicability of the findings. By establishing a well-structured methodological framework, this study not only sheds light on the potential of digital storytelling to support speaking skill development in primary ESL classrooms but also offers valuable implications for future pedagogical innovations.
Media ecological discourse represents the social ecosystem shaped mostly by editors and social ideology. Media ecological discourse analysis probes into the impact of media discourse on the social ecosystem; it also explores the impact of discourse on the life-sustaining relationships among humans and the environment of social consciousness. Current ecological discourse research mainly focuses on the natural ecology, with few people paying attention to social ecology. The latter is worth studying, in light of recent general movements in gender equality; nevertheless, this may still not be apparent in discourse, particularly in the news media. To offer a better understanding of this caveat, this presentation seeks to propose a critical systemic functional framework in the study of media ecological discourse analysis through the combination of the theory of Critical Discourse Analysis, the theoretical ideas of the transitivity from Systemic Function Linguistics, social semiotics and media ecosophy comprising of “objectivity, impartiality, fairness and respect for others”, which draws insights from international journalism ethics and standards. To this end, this presentation will use the issues of “Foxconn employment” as a case study to examine unecological ideologies. This presentation hopes offer a novel methodological approach in studying discourses that shape ecosophy.
Many EFL educators have claimed difficulties of keeping learners engaged and focused on their learning in task-based interaction. Specifically, the interlocutor has been reported as being a pivotal factor affecting learner engagement. This study aims to investigate Chinese EFL learners’ perceptions about the impact of interlocutor familiarity on their engagement in L2 task-based interaction. Self-report and semi-structured interviews were used to reveal the influence of interlocutor familiarity. While these data collection tools were useful in uncovering challenges experienced by the students, there were also issues that require careful consideration by the researcher.
This study aims to explore the role of social media in enhancing academic writing skills of TESL students at a private institution in Sabah, Malaysia. Through thematic analysis of interviews with 15 undergraduate students and 2 TESL lecturers, the study reveals that social media platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok and Reddit indeed play a significant role in collaborative writing, resource sharing and writing skills enhancement. Findings show that students utilize social media mainly for idea exchange, instant feedback, and knowledge sharing, in which enhance their language learning including grammar, vocabulary, and writing fluency. However, maintaining academic formality remains a challenge among students as informal language influences found on these platforms sometimes affect students’ academic writing style. Methodologically, this study illustrates best practices in using qualitative analysis to understand the influence of social media in academic contexts. These insights guide the development of a writing framework that harness social media’s collaborative benefits while addressing its limitations. The research suggests that social media can complement traditional learning by fostering interactive and supportive environment for academic improvement. By integrating social media into traditional learning frameworks, this research offers a dynamic approach to support academic improvements.
Keywords— Academic writing, social media, undergraduate student
Artikel ini membincangkan konsep pengurusan kewangan NGO Islam dan kesan bantuannya terhadap golongan B40 di Sabah. Pengurusan kewangan NGO Islam tidak hanya bertujuan bagi memastikan sumber organisasi mencukupi bagi melaksanakan aktiviti tetapi ianya turut bertanggungjawab melaksanakan akauntibiliti dan ketelusan dalam gerak kerja organisasi untuk mengekalkan kepercayaan awan terhadap NGO Islam sebagai suara rakyat. Sehubungan dengan itu, kajian ini membuat penyelidikan terhadap pengurusan kewangan yang dilaksanakan oleh NGO Islam untuk mengetahui sejauhmana organisasi islam di Sabah mengamalkan pengurusan kewangan yang standard. Amalan pengurusan kewangan berkenaan termasuklah belanjawan, penerimaan pendapatan, penggunaan dana dan pelaporan. Pengumpulan data menggunakan metode kualitatif melalui kaedah temubual mendalam bersama dua NGO Islam terpilih, iaitu Pertubuhan Islam Seluruh Sabah (USIA) dan Hidayah Centre Foudation (HCF) Sabah. Temubual akan melibatkan wakil tertinggi iaitu Pengerusi/Pengurus, Timbalan Pengerusi/Timbalan Pengurus, Setiausaha dan Bendahari serta beberapa pihak berkepentingan yang terlibat dalam pengurusan kewangan organisasi NGO bagi mendapatkan maklumat dan data yang berkaitan dengan kajian. Selain itu, kajian ini turut menemubual wakil daripada golongan B40 iaitu Ketua Kampung, JPKK, pemimpin masyarakat dan wakil isi rumah yang menerima bantuan daripada NGO Islam dan menerima impak hasil daripada bantuan tersebut.
Sharing session by Assistant Professor Dr. Jeffrey Dawala Wilang, Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand