Language Research Center

Dr. Eyhab Bader Eddin delivered a presentation titled 'Multiplicity of Different English Functional Semantic Realizations of the Translation of the Arabic Preposition ب' at a seminar organized by the Language Research Center of King Khalid University held on October 10, 2018. His presentation was about his research on a particular Arabic preposition, namely ب and its diversity of meaning when translated into English. The seminar, originally a published paper in a refereed specialized journal, throws a spotlight at an uncharted territory in the field of translation and grammatical analysis, taking the fact that the semantic functions of the preposition ب in Arabic have been the cynosure of all linguists’ and translators’ eyes for decades as the point of departure. The different realizations in English of the same preposition in Arabic are meant to enrich translators’ and linguists’ appreciation and critical understanding of the different semantic functions of the preposition ب. Failure to correctly understand the semantic functions inherent in the preposition ب in different contexts definitely washes away meaning, and causes translators to bog down in unanswered questions pertaining to the exact meaning intended. Dr. Bader Eddin first compared Arabic parts of speech with English ones. The English word class of ‘nouns’ covers in Arabic the word classes of nouns, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs, he exemplified. Particles in Arabic, referred to as حروف, can be further divided into two types of particles, namely حروف مبنى (alphabetical letters) and حروف معنى (prepositions), he added. He went further to say that the tri-classification of Arabic parts of speech does not mean that English has more parts of speech than Arabic does. It is noticed that the semantic behavior, expressed by بـ in Arabic is richer than that in English, and thus cannot always be transferred through a one-to-one correspondence into English. The seemingly same ب in Arabic can be said to be an overloaded preposition in Arabic that no one particular preposition can be predicted in English. This linguistic phenomenon is context-bound in that the same preposition ب behaves semantically different, and thus cannot be dealt with according to watertight criteria predictably. In Arabic, particles are divided into ‘effective or operative’ and ‘passive’ عامل وعاطل. By the former, we mean that their occurrence before the noun it accompanies brings about what is grammatically known as ‘declension’ الإعراب. This means the last morpheme or inflection of the word carries a marker (diacritic mark) showing its grammatical case and category. Such particles, depending on what particles are used, may make the word they precede in the nominative, accusative, dative or apocope case, that is حالة الرفع أو النصب أو الجر أو الجزم respectively. Prepositions are considered one type of ‘effective or operative particles’ as they transform the noun following them into the dative case. Dr. Bader Eddin also explained in detail the various types of Arabic preposition ب their semantic functions and possible English realization. He particularly adduced evidence from the Holy Qur'an for this research out of the firm belief that the Holy Qur'an is the model of linguistic excellence whose style is described as ‘sui generis’. He highlighted the fact that one preposition in Arabic can be realized differently in English. His research, he believed, would enrich translators’ and linguists’ critical understanding of different semantic functions of the preposition. Some of the semantic functions carried by the preposition ب are ‘physical contact, instrument, transitivity, causal, substitution, oath administering, etc. A volley of questions were posed at the end, and answers were provided. You may have a look at the PowerPoint presentation by clicking here. It is worth mentioning that the King Abdullah Road campus attended the seminar online. The seminar was very informative and overall successful. Date: 10/10/2018 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique Multimedia Source: Mohammed Jabir

Hanan Al-Subaiai, an MA student, delivered a presentation titled Linguistic Hegemony of the English Language in the Medical Context of Bisha King Abdullah Hospital at a seminar organized by the Language Research Center of King Khalid University held on September 12, 2018. The seminar was held at the King Abdullah Road Campus. In her presentation, she focused on the impact of English on patients and staff members working at King Abdullah Hospital in Bisha. Hanan began her speech with the factors that motivated her to conduct the research. She stated that even though English had become a common language in the Kindom's hospitals, Saudis are more comfortable with Arabic. Her research questions centered on the impact of English on service delivery to patients, challenges medical practitioners encounter, the attitude of patients towards English, whether English should be abolished in hospitals, how patients’ education level affects their attitude towards English and so on. While talking about her research, Hanan mentioned four variables she used – understanding, satisfaction level, policy and rights, and language and communication. According to her data analysis, a high percentage of the medical staff believed that the use of English in the medical context is not effective in service delivery. Hanan concluded, “Policymakers and the management of King Abdullah Hospital in Bisha can use the empirical evidence in this study to make informed decisions.” She emphasized further research in this field so that the major problem associated with the use of English can be successfully identified. The seminar was very interactive, engaging and overall successful. It is worth noting that Graiger Campus also participated in the seminar through video conferencing. Date: 9/12/2018 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique

Hanan Al-Subaiai, an MA student, delivered a presentation titled Linguistic Hegemony of the English Language in the Medical Context of Bisha King Abdullah Hospital at a seminar organized by the Language Research Center of King Khalid University held on September 12, 2018. The seminar was held at the King Abdullah Road Campus. In her presentation, she focused on the impact of English on patients and staff members working at King Abdullah Hospital in Bisha. Hanan began her speech with the factors that motivated her to conduct the research. She stated that even though English had become a common language in the Kindom's hospitals, Saudis are more comfortable with Arabic. Her research questions centered on the impact of English on service delivery to patients, challenges medical practitioners encounter, the attitude of patients towards English, whether English should be abolished in hospitals, how patients’ education level affects their attitude towards English and so on. While talking about her research, Hanan mentioned four variables she used – understanding, satisfaction level, policy and rights, and language and communication. According to her data analysis, a high percentage of the medical staff believed that the use of English in the medical context is not effective in service delivery. Hanan concluded, “Policymakers and the management of King Abdullah Hospital in Bisha can use the empirical evidence in this study to make informed decisions.” She emphasized further research in this field so that the major problem associated with the use of English can be successfully identified. The seminar was very interactive, engaging and overall successful. It is worth noting that Graiger Campus also participated in the seminar through video conferencing. Date: 9/12/2018 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique

The 13th Annual Research Day was held on April 04, 2018 under the supervision of the Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, and the Director of the Language Research Center, Dr. Ismail Al-Refaai. This event successfully achieved 3rd place according to the evaluation made by the Deanship of Scientific Research, King Khalid University. This success was the result of dedicated efforts made by the members of the organizing committee led by Dr. Abdullah M. Al Melhi and Dr. Ismail Al-Refaai. The committee members included Erich Beer, Javed Ahmed, Mohammad Adil Siddique, Mohammad Sherajul Islam, Sayed Karim, Salahud Din Abdul Rab, and Shahrear Talukder from the male campus. From the female campus, Amal Abdelsattar Metwally and Ivy Sultana exceptionally organized and coordinated the event. In total, there were 17 oral presentations and 10 poster displays. Date: 4/27/18 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique & Salahud Din Abdul Rab

The 13th Annual Research Day was held on April 04, 2018 under the supervision of the Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, and the Director of the Language Research Center, Dr. Ismail Al-Refaai. This event successfully achieved 3rd place according to the evaluation made by the Deanship of Scientific Research, King Khalid University. This success was the result of dedicated efforts made by the members of the organizing committee led by Dr. Abdullah M. Al Melhi and Dr. Ismail Al-Refaai. The committee members included Erich Beer, Javed Ahmed, Mohammad Adil Siddique, Mohammad Sherajul Islam, Sayed Karim, Salahud Din Abdul Rab, and Shahrear Talukder from the male campus. From the female campus, Amal Abdelsattar Metwally and Ivy Sultana exceptionally organized and coordinated the event. In total, there were 17 oral presentations and 10 poster displays. Date: 4/27/18 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique & Salahud Din Abdul Rab

On April 25, 2018, the Language Research Center of King Khalid University organized a seminar that included a presentation by Dr. Mohammad Osman titled Humor is Mark Twain’s Fiction. Dr. Osman’s presentation highlighted the way humor was expressed in Mark Twain’s fiction. His presentation commenced with a brief introduction to the author with a Hemingway (1935) quote – “All modern American Literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.” He stated the fact that Twain’s style had a profound impact on American literature. Dr. Osman also explained the difference between humor and satire. Humor, he said, provokes laughter and provides amusement. Satire, he added, ridicules vices, abuses, and highlights shortcomings through sarcasm. Twain’s humor was expressed through his hilarious characters, dialogs, events, and words he chose, said Dr. Osman. He concluded that Twain is usually remembered as perhaps the most celebrated writer in all of American Literature. That's how he was mainly valued in his day, and that's how he tends to be valued today as well. After the seminar, there was a Certificate Award Ceremony in which all the seminar presenters of the academic year 1438-39 were honored with certificates. Date: 4/26/2018 Source: Mr. Mohammad Adil Siddique

On April 25, 2018, the Language Research Center of King Khalid University organized a seminar that included a presentation by Dr. Mohammad Osman titled Humor is Mark Twain’s Fiction. Dr. Osman’s presentation highlighted the way humor was expressed in Mark Twain’s fiction. His presentation commenced with a brief introduction to the author with a Hemingway (1935) quote – “All modern American Literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.” He stated the fact that Twain’s style had a profound impact on American literature. Dr. Osman also explained the difference between humor and satire. Humor, he said, provokes laughter and provides amusement. Satire, he added, ridicules vices, abuses, and highlights shortcomings through sarcasm. Twain’s humor was expressed through his hilarious characters, dialogs, events, and words he chose, said Dr. Osman. He concluded that Twain is usually remembered as perhaps the most celebrated writer in all of American Literature. That's how he was mainly valued in his day, and that's how he tends to be valued today as well. After the seminar, there was a Certificate Award Ceremony in which all the seminar presenters of the academic year 1438-39 were honored with certificates. Date: 4/26/2018 Source: Mr. Mohammad Adil Siddique

On April 18, 2018, the Language Research Center of King Khalid University organized a seminar that included two presentations – The Concept of Poetry: T. S. Eliot versus I. A. Richards by Dr. Manoj Kumar and Re-appropriating Magical Realism in Arabic Narratives by Dr. Mahmoud Radwan. Dr. Manoj’s presentation was based on his study that aimed at highlighting the contradictory opinions on the concept of poetry and how both are suitable and witty to two different readers. In the beginning, he talked about the etymology of the word ‘poetry.’ He stated that this word was derived from the Greek word ‘poiesis’ that means ‘making.’ He discussed in detail the overall concept of poetry. He focused on forms, genres, compositions, etc. Dr. Manoj explained Eliot’s classism and theories of impersonality, and later I.A. Richard’s theory of literary criticism and T.S Eliot. He also compared Eliot’s and Richard’s language of poetry. Dr. Manoj concluded that T.S. Eliot and I. A. Richards belong to the galaxy of critics who are also well known as poets. Dr. Mahmoud Radwan started his presentation by defining Magical Realism. The term, he said, had been coined by Franz Roh in 1925. It denotes, he added, crossing, overlapping and effacing borders between paradoxical codes and elements of realism and fantasy. Dr. Radwan explained the reason why writers embrace Magical Realism. He stated that marginalized native writers utilize Magical Realism as a mold through which they enter the literary mainstream to deconstruct dichotomous paradigms and projected images created by the advocates of the dominant culture, represent their repressed narratives, and recuperate lost and minor voices. Finally, he mentioned Arab writers who were inspired by Magical realism – Naguib Mahfouz, Ghairi Shalabi, Edwar Al-Kharrat, Emile Habibi, Ibrahim Al Kuni and Ghadah Al Samman and so on. Dr. Radwan concluded that re-appropriation of Magical Realism in Arab narratives emerges as an example of how in adopting such a mode, the act of writing becomes an act of survival, rescuing fragments of the Arab culture from oblivion, shedding light on history, tradition, and reality. The seminar was overall a great success. Date: 4/20/2018 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique Multimedia Source: Dr. Iustin Sfariac and Dr. Mihaita​ Horezeanu

On April 18, 2018, the Language Research Center of King Khalid University organized a seminar that included two presentations – The Concept of Poetry: T. S. Eliot versus I. A. Richards by Dr. Manoj Kumar and Re-appropriating Magical Realism in Arabic Narratives by Dr. Mahmoud Radwan. Dr. Manoj’s presentation was based on his study that aimed at highlighting the contradictory opinions on the concept of poetry and how both are suitable and witty to two different readers. In the beginning, he talked about the etymology of the word ‘poetry.’ He stated that this word was derived from the Greek word ‘poiesis’ that means ‘making.’ He discussed in detail the overall concept of poetry. He focused on forms, genres, compositions, etc. Dr. Manoj explained Eliot’s classism and theories of impersonality, and later I.A. Richard’s theory of literary criticism and T.S Eliot. He also compared Eliot’s and Richard’s language of poetry. Dr. Manoj concluded that T.S. Eliot and I. A. Richards belong to the galaxy of critics who are also well known as poets. Dr. Mahmoud Radwan started his presentation by defining Magical Realism. The term, he said, had been coined by Franz Roh in 1925. It denotes, he added, crossing, overlapping and effacing borders between paradoxical codes and elements of realism and fantasy. Dr. Radwan explained the reason why writers embrace Magical Realism. He stated that marginalized native writers utilize Magical Realism as a mold through which they enter the literary mainstream to deconstruct dichotomous paradigms and projected images created by the advocates of the dominant culture, represent their repressed narratives, and recuperate lost and minor voices. Finally, he mentioned Arab writers who were inspired by Magical realism – Naguib Mahfouz, Ghairi Shalabi, Edwar Al-Kharrat, Emile Habibi, Ibrahim Al Kuni and Ghadah Al Samman and so on. Dr. Radwan concluded that re-appropriation of Magical Realism in Arab narratives emerges as an example of how in adopting such a mode, the act of writing becomes an act of survival, rescuing fragments of the Arab culture from oblivion, shedding light on history, tradition, and reality. The seminar was overall a great success. Date: 4/20/2018 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique Multimedia Source: Dr. Iustin Sfariac and Dr. Mihaita​ Horezeanu

The 13th Annual Research Day, under the supervision of Dr. Ismail Al-Refaai, Director of the Language Research Center, was held on April 04, 2018 at King Khalid University. The program commenced with a recitation of the Qur'an and a welcome speech by Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, Dean for the Faculty of Languages and Translation. In his opening remarks, he encouraged the faculty members to take part in academic events and at the same time emphasized its importance. He highly appreciated the faculty members who contributed their research work for the event and recognized their hard work. He also conveyed his heartfelt thanks to the organizing committee who had worked behind the scene. The theme of the first and second session was English Language Teaching and Learning. The first speaker of the first session was Dr. Munassir Alhamami whose presentation was titled Beliefs Enable Learners to Succeed in Language Learning Environments. His research substantiated that language educators should investigate language learning from students’ perspectives in order to understand learners’ beliefs. This was followed by Dr. Dawood Mahdi’s presentation titled Improving Speaking Skills through Interactive Multimedia Environments which was based on the impact of multimedia technology on learning instruction development. He concluded that a lack of speaking skills among students correlates with a poor speaking learning process. Dr. Ismail Al-Refaai, who appeared third, spoke on the topic of Exploring the Relationship between General Self-confidence and Test-taking Strategies among EFL Graduate Students which emphasized that test-taking strategies are teachable and this can enhance learners’ self-confidence. Dr. Najmus Sarifa’s topic was Techniques for Teaching Professional Vocabulary, with Special Reference to Vocabulary Used in the Media. Her comparative research project concluded that vocabulary teaching and learning could be labeled as ephemeral and therefore for proper learning, vocabulary must be contextualized. The last speakers Ms. Sanjida and Tanzina Halim’s presentation was tilted Application of Elicitation in the Language Classroom which emphasized that elicitation is the primary technique that should be used regularly in class to enhance learner-involvement. The second session started with Dr. Abdul Wahid Al Zumor’s presentation titled The Implications of the Test Results for Action Research: A Case Study from the English Program at KKU which emphasized the importance of immediate investigation into the statistical differences in test results for the male and female campuses for accreditation. Dr. Sara Huseynova appeared second with her presentation titled On the Application of High-impact Communicative North American ELL Teaching Methodologies. She, while highlighting various approaches associated with the Communicative Language Teaching, emphasized the effectiveness of Communicative Language Teaching. Dr. Ali Mohammad Al-Asmari and Mr. Shamsur Rabb Khan’s paper was titled Connecting Saudi English Language Learners to the Outside World. Mr. Khan highlighted the significance of enhancing Saudi Learner exposure to outside world for better learning. Ms. Sufia Sultana, on the other hand, spoke on the topic of Humor: A tool to Enhance EFL Learning which concluded that humor in the language classroom increases the strength of human connections that helps with successful learning. The fifth presenter, Ms. Tanzin Ara Ashraf’s presentation, was titled Strategies to Overcome Speaking Anxiety among Saudi EFL Learners which explored the leading causes of speaking anxiety among the target group and concluded that some remedial measures must be taken. The last speaker Mr. Mazharul Islam, in his presentation titled Interlanguage: A Case Study of a Korean Learner, shared his research outcomes that focused on the appearance of Interlanguage during second language acquisition. The theme of the third session was Translation and Literature. The first presentation was by Ms. Amal M. Metwally, which was titled An Investigation of the Success of Machine-Aided Translation. Her study explored the history of Machine Translation (MT) and the breakthroughs achieved in the field of translation and concluded that MT is a sophisticated technology the success of which can only be achieved by the harmonious involvement of both man and machine. Dr. Eyhab Bader Eddin, who appeared second, spoke on the topic of Different Linguistic Functional Behaviors of the Conjunction هل Bring about Translation Deviations. His study pinpointed an area which had been neglected by most translators of the Qur'an and concluded that they had an inadequate understanding of the function of the conjunction his research was based on. Dr. Hasan Jaashan’s presentation was titled Stylistic Study of Onomatopoeia in Arabic Poetry. His study aimed at making a stylistic study of onomatopoeia to ascertain how sound and meaning are interconnected in Arabic Poetry and concluded that the combination of high-ranking phonemes is an effective way to consider the leading role of sounds in understanding the meaning of a poem. The fourth speaker, Ms. Irin Sultana, in her presentation titled Treatment of Marxism and the American Depression in Clifford Odets’ Waiting for Lefty, highlighted the fact that the working classes of the world would feel an urge to rise up in order to systematically fight for a better living, and she concluded that Waiting for Lefty showed the ways common people can fight against repression. The next presenter Dr. Sayed Bilal Kadiri highlighted the way Islam is represented in a TV show in his presentation titled The Representation of Islam and Muslims in a British Television Program. He concluded that Citizen Khan reinforced negative stereotyping of Muslims. Ms. Qudsia Zaini, the last presenter, spoke on the topic of Shakespeare and the Art of Living in the Modern Times, where she emphasized that studying Shakespeare could help in building the imagination and developing cultural awareness among learners and concluded that understanding and appreciating Shakespeare is essential for contemporary students. Besides oral presentations, there were posters as well. Mr. Ali Albashir Alhaj, Ms. Alvina Yousaf, Mr. Salahud Din Abdul Rab, Ms. Batoul Abdullah Ismail, Dr. Haseeb Ahmed, Dr. Rizwana Wahid, Dr. Oveesa and Farooq, Ms. Rukhshinda Jabeen, Dr. Wafa Saud, Ms. Samar Y. Alnmer and Mr. Mohammad Siraj made posters titled Cultural and Lexical Problems Encountered in Translating some Selected Qur'anic Euphemisms into English: A Comparative Conceptual and Stylistic Study, Enhancing Critical Reading of EFL Learners by Using the SRL (Self-Regulated Learning) Approach, Investigating the Role Played by Reading Speed in Increasing the Reading Comprehension of English Major Students of King Khalid University, Arabic and Western Lexicography - a Comparative Historical Study, Juxtaposing Philosophies: W.B. Yeats and Islam, The Influence of Derivational and Inflectional Morphology on the Writing of EFL Undergraduate Students, Literature in EFL Classroom: An Analytical Study, Collocation Error Analysis of EFL Learners, Perspectives on the Impact of Arabicisation on Identity Preservation: Views of Arab Students at the Postgraduate Level and Efl Learners’ Engagement in an Online Environment Enhances the Learning Outcomes in King Khalid University Respectively. The 13th Annual Research Day was a great success, and it gave the participants an opportunity to discuss and share their thoughts. Date: 4/7/2018 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique  Multimedia Source: Sayed Karim