Papers by Khairiah Othman
Some words have different semantic values from one community to the other. The fact that the Engl... more Some words have different semantic values from one community to the other. The fact that the English language is one of the main languages widely used by Muslims, it needs to be able to adequately express the Islamic worldview. The study aimed to examine some words in an English dictionary which meanings contradict the Islamic worldview. The English dictionary, namely the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2008), was examined qualitatively using a document analysis. Analyses were based on the Quranic verses, hadiths or traditions of the Prophet (may peace be upon him) with special focus on the hadiths of al-Bukhari and Muslim which are deemed as among those ranked the highest. Viewpoints from the consensus of the ulamas or learned scholars were also sought. The findings revealed that thirty-three words were defined contradictory to the Islamic principles. The study has pedagogical implications on teaching English to Muslim learners.
The concept of tragedy is a prevalent theme in Shakespearean works. Al-Attas (1993), one of the r... more The concept of tragedy is a prevalent theme in Shakespearean works. Al-Attas (1993), one of the renowned Muslim scholars, however, emphasizes that this concept is foreign to Muslims and needs to be eliminated from western texts. Employing al-Attas’s methodology of Islamization of knowledge, Macbeth, the shortest but the most intense Shakespearean tragedy, will be evaluated and Islamized. This paper offers some suggestions on how to utilize this text to Muslim learners.
MATEC Web of Conferences, 2018
The international nature of the English language has affected many communities across the globe a... more The international nature of the English language has affected many communities across the globe and this has led to the emergence of varieties of English, specifically to meet the needs of non-native speakers of English. For Muslim speakers, Islamic English has been proposed which aims to maintain Arabic terms in the English language when there is an absence of equivalent English words. An attempt to translate would lead to distortion in meanings. This paper aims to highlight the presence of Islamic English employed by a prominent international Islamic speaker. Content analysis method is employed. The findings indicate the functions of Islamic English in the speaker’s talks are to provide the accurate meaning of the terms, correct misconceptions and lack of equivalent word in the English language, hence the need for Islamic English for Muslim speakers of English.
This paper aims to highlight how meanings in English dictionaries differ from the meanings held b... more This paper aims to highlight how meanings in English dictionaries differ from the meanings held by Muslims, hence, a need for teachers of English to highlight the differences when they teach English to Muslim learners. The presence of many English words and concepts, as conveyed through the English language, have meanings different from that which Muslims have ascribed to them has been highlighted by many Muslim scholars (al- Attas, 2001; al-Faruqi, 1986; Sa’Adeddin, 1996; Ratnawati, 1997; Abdussalam, 1999). Al- Faruqi (1986) for instance, advocates the use of Islamic English due to the fact that many English words do not convey, and unable to convey, the meanings that Muslims intend to convey. This is because many Arabic words are not translatable into English. Many of the meanings of Arabic words and phrases are of divine provenance and may not be separated from their Arabic forms. A study was conducted by 21 M.A students to find out how words in an English dictionary differ from the meanings held by Muslims. This paper has pedagogical implications for ESL teachers who teach English to Muslim learners.
The presence of words and concepts in the English language that do not correspond with the meanin... more The presence of words and concepts in the English language that do not correspond with the meaning held by Muslims has been highlighted by a number of Muslim scholars. It is argued that there are English words that fail to reflect the meanings that Muslims intend to convey due to the fact that many Arabic words are not accurately translatable into English. Furthermore, Muslims believe that many of the meanings of Arabic words and phrases are of divine provenance and may not be separated from their Arabic forms. Based on al-Faruqi's framework on Islamic English that proposes the use of Islamic vocabulary be retained in their Arabic form in an effort to maintain the original meanings, this study investigated postgraduate Muslim students' perspective on whether there is a need for Islamic Arabic vocabulary to be incorporated in the teaching of English to Muslim learners. A survey consisting of open-ended questions was administered and the findings indicate that the respondents strongly favoured the incorporation of Islamic terms in English language teaching. This paper has pedagogical implications on ESL teachers who teach English to Muslim learners.
2 Abstract: Dictionaries are designed to meet the needs of their users. The presence of dictionar... more 2 Abstract: Dictionaries are designed to meet the needs of their users. The presence of dictionaries that address the varieties of English reflects the diversity in language use. The purpose of this study is to investigate Muslim students' perspectives of the definitions of selected words in an English language dictionary. The study employs a qualitative method using document analysis and group discussions. The subjects are 21 Muslim postgraduate students pursuing Master degree in English language studies in an Islamic institution. The findings indicated that the students were aware that certain words have a different meaning in the Islamic context.
Advanced Science Letters, May 1, 2017
Dictionaries are designed to meet the needs of their users. The presence of dictionaries that add... more Dictionaries are designed to meet the needs of their users. The presence of dictionaries that address the varieties of English reflects the diversity in language use. The purpose of this study is to investigate Muslim students’ perspectives of the definitions of selected words in an English language dictionary. The study employs a qualitative method using document analysis and group discussions. The subjects are 21 Muslim postgraduate students pursuing Master degree in English language studies in an Islamic institution. The findings indicated that the students were aware that certain words have a different meaning in the Islamic context.
Uploads
Papers by Khairiah Othman