NEWSPAPERS AS A LEARNING TOOL
Participants learn how to find info, improve command of English
READING the newspaper will not only improve one’s mastery of the language, but also help with the search for information, said Muhammad Wazif Muhammad Sallehudin.
“It is important for us to know where to find the information we need.
“I think newspapers are a good source of information,” said Wazif, 22, a participant of the NST-NIE workshop at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
He said the workshop was a good platform for participants to learn how to maximise the use of information that could be found in a newspaper.
“Reading newspapers is not only about improving one’s proficiency in English, it is also about finding and using information from newspapers,” said Wazif, who is also president of UTM’s Tunku Chancellor English Language Club, which is under the patronage of Permaisuri of Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah, the Chancellor of UTM.
About 70 UTM students from various faculties participated in the half-day workshop, which was conducted by NIE specialist Vincent D’Silva.
Another participant, Teh Xin Ru, 21, said she learned a lot from the workshop as it showed her that a newspaper could help with her grasp of the English language.
“By reading newspapers, not only can I know what is happening in the country and around the world, I can also improve my grammar and vocabulary,” said the student of Chemical and Energy Engineering Faculty.
D’Silva said newspapers’ potential as a storage of information must be fully tapped.
“Besides bridging the gap between the classroom and outside world, it can also spur the creativity of students,” said D’Silva, who is also chairman of the Johor English Language Teaching Association (Jelta).
He said the Letters and Op/Ed columns, for example, were useful as they showed students how people voiced their opinions, how formal language was used and how written complaints were made.
The sponsors of the workshop included M Suites Hotel, Grand Bluewave Hotel, Oxford Fajar and Ponderosa Golf and Country Resort.