Papers by Paramaswari Jaganathan
ABSTRACT The language of advertising has a powerful impact on the branding of automobiles and sus... more ABSTRACT The language of advertising has a powerful impact on the branding of automobiles and sustaining its customer‟s loyalty. This study aims to identify the arguments used in advertisements; particularly on its claims, warrants and data to influence the automobile buyers in a diverse international market. It analyses the rhetorical devices and language equivalence used in the English and German print advertisements. A contrastive analysis of three cars‟ print advertisements, namely Mercedes Benz, BMW and Volkswagen from the German and Malaysian English dailies was carried out using Toulmin‟s model to identify the arguments and the rhetorical devices used in the advertisements. The study reveals two main similarities, particularly in the arguments put forth as well as the stylistic approach of the advertisements. The BMW and Mercedes Benz focused on their technological superiority and advancements, while the Volkswagen focused on its affordability. The German adverts were more pe...
Abstract The 21st century graduate education stresses on the importance of transversal competence... more Abstract The 21st century graduate education stresses on the importance of transversal competence that enables graduates to be better prepared and engaging in the interconnected workforce. Digital competence; social and civic competence as well as cultural sensitivity and expressions are the core skills seen as flexible traits of competent graduates. This paper gives an insight into how English language courses have unfolded new pathways into bridging multi-professional skills for the graduates’ preparedness for the workforce in a transdisciplinary education approach. Based on the four pillars of learning, the English Language Courses have the potential to be harnessed as a niche discipline that provides potential pathways for graduates to acquire transversal knowledge and skills needed for various professionals for the global workforce. Keywords: higher education, language course, workforce skills, transdisciplinary, transversal competence
IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science, 2013
A descriptive qualitative study on the empowerment of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Malaysia rev... more A descriptive qualitative study on the empowerment of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Malaysia revealed that the People Living with HIV (PLHIVs) experience internalised fear that often impacts and protracts the intervention effort carried out by the community-based organisations. The stigmatisation of HIV/AIDS contributed to development of internalised fear amongst PLHIVs. Using the empowerment model of instilling positive living among PLHIVs, we interviewed a total of 25 PLHIVS with a ratio of 60% male and 40% female respondents selected from a random sampling. The results showed that the PLHIVs' internalised fear is related to six main factors; painful and discredited death, rejection, disclosure, uncertain future, financial impediments and fear of affecting their loved ones. This paper discusses the fear shared by the PLHIVs through interviews and participation observation sessions. It identifies some of the strategies employed by the community-based organisations in assisting the PLHIV community to manage and overcome their internalised fear to live a positive life. It also highlights some of the lessons learnt in realizing the organisations' effort to empower the PLHIV community in Malaysia.
Asian Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 2014
Many EFL students rely on Google Translator (GT) to perform tasks for their EFL class activities.... more Many EFL students rely on Google Translator (GT) to perform tasks for their EFL class activities. However, limited vocabulary and little knowledge on language structure is a challenge for the EFL learners in identifying the accurate and appropriate contextual semanticity. This paper focuses on the perception of GT usage among EFL learners in decoding semanticity using GT in their learning environment. It aims at identifying the strategies taken by the EFL student in selecting entries from Google Translator to arrive at a specific meaning. This qualitative study is administered with the use of questionnaire and interview. The respondents in the study generally knew of GT use on their own or via peer and perceived GT as an important tool to assist in decoding semanticity in their language tasks. In using GT for class activities, speculation plays a bigger role compared to identifying the parts of speech and linking accurate meanings to situational context. Cultural context words provided strong clue in word selection and EFL students wgi understands the background of the language structure and situational context find it easier to select the accurate meaning from GT. In teaching semanticity of a language via GT, the EFL teacher should sensitize the students with the necessary structural and contextual aspect of L2 for effective use of Google Translate in EFL learning context.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN EDUCATION METHODOLOGY, 2014
This paper discusses the results of a study on formula instruction conducted among mixed-ability ... more This paper discusses the results of a study on formula instruction conducted among mixed-ability diploma level university
students. The main objective of the study was to investigate whether incorporating direct instruction of academic formulas
(DIAF) into an academic writing class would encourage the use of the target academic formulas (TAF) in the post
academic essay writing (AEW) test, and improve the subjects‟ academic writing performance. Two intact groups of
diploma level university students enrolled in an academic writing course employing a process-oriented writing approach
participated in the study. Both groups consisted of forty students and were assigned as the experimental and control
groups. DIAF was incorporated into the existing academic writing course‟s syllabus and was conducted two hours per
week over six out of the fourteen-week semester. Pre and post AEW tests were used to assess the subjects‟ academic
writing performance before and after the treatment. The results of the study are discussed by addressing three research
questions: 1) What are the effects of DIAF on the TAF use in the post AEW test? 2) What is the effect of TAF use on the
post AEW test scores? 3) What are the effects of DIAF on the subjects‟ academic writing performance? It was concluded
that DIAF encourages the use of more TAF and a more varied selection of TAF in the post AEW test. There is a significant
but weak positive linear relationship between the number of TAF used in the post AEW test and the post AEW test scores
(r=0.473), and the number of TAF used is a significant predictor in estimating the scores for all the three AEW test
components. DIAF is also beneficial at enhancing the subjects‟ academic writing performance with a large effect size of
0.98 for „language‟ component, 0.86 for „organization‟ component and a small effect size of 0.45 for „content‟ component.
Journal of English Language and Literature, Aug 1, 2014
The purpose of this study is to explore the benefit of direct instruction of academic formulas (D... more The purpose of this study is to explore the benefit of direct instruction of academic formulas (DIAF) on the
subjects’ academic writing performance. Two intact groups of Diploma in Computer Science students assigned as the
experimental and control groups participated in the study. Each group consists of forty mixed ability ESL learners who were
enrolled in an academic writing course. DIAF was incorporated into the academic writing course employing a processoriented
writing approach and was conducted over six weeks out of the fourteen-week semester. Pre and post academic essay
writing (AEW) tests were utilized for quantitative data collection while focus group interview was utilized for collecting the
qualitative data. This paper discusses the results of the study by focusing on the effects of DIAF on learners from different
proficiency level.
General Terms- Academic Language, Academic Writing
Keywords- Teaching Academic Formulas; Academic Language; Academic Writing Performance
Journal of Studies in Social Sciences, 2014
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of academic formula instruction using tar... more The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of academic formula instruction using target formulas chosen from pedagogic corpus, on the use of the target formulas in an academic essay writing test, and the academic essay writing test scores. Two intact groups of Diploma in Computer Science students assigned as the experimental and control groups participated in the study. Each group consists of forty mixed ability ESL learners who were enrolled in an academic writing course. The study addressed two research questions. (1) What are the effects of formula instruction on the students‟ use of the target formulas? (2) What are the effects of formula instruction on the students‟ academic writing performance?
Keywords: Academic formulas, Formula instruction, Pedagogic corpus, Writing Performance
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Papers by Paramaswari Jaganathan
students. The main objective of the study was to investigate whether incorporating direct instruction of academic formulas
(DIAF) into an academic writing class would encourage the use of the target academic formulas (TAF) in the post
academic essay writing (AEW) test, and improve the subjects‟ academic writing performance. Two intact groups of
diploma level university students enrolled in an academic writing course employing a process-oriented writing approach
participated in the study. Both groups consisted of forty students and were assigned as the experimental and control
groups. DIAF was incorporated into the existing academic writing course‟s syllabus and was conducted two hours per
week over six out of the fourteen-week semester. Pre and post AEW tests were used to assess the subjects‟ academic
writing performance before and after the treatment. The results of the study are discussed by addressing three research
questions: 1) What are the effects of DIAF on the TAF use in the post AEW test? 2) What is the effect of TAF use on the
post AEW test scores? 3) What are the effects of DIAF on the subjects‟ academic writing performance? It was concluded
that DIAF encourages the use of more TAF and a more varied selection of TAF in the post AEW test. There is a significant
but weak positive linear relationship between the number of TAF used in the post AEW test and the post AEW test scores
(r=0.473), and the number of TAF used is a significant predictor in estimating the scores for all the three AEW test
components. DIAF is also beneficial at enhancing the subjects‟ academic writing performance with a large effect size of
0.98 for „language‟ component, 0.86 for „organization‟ component and a small effect size of 0.45 for „content‟ component.
subjects’ academic writing performance. Two intact groups of Diploma in Computer Science students assigned as the
experimental and control groups participated in the study. Each group consists of forty mixed ability ESL learners who were
enrolled in an academic writing course. DIAF was incorporated into the academic writing course employing a processoriented
writing approach and was conducted over six weeks out of the fourteen-week semester. Pre and post academic essay
writing (AEW) tests were utilized for quantitative data collection while focus group interview was utilized for collecting the
qualitative data. This paper discusses the results of the study by focusing on the effects of DIAF on learners from different
proficiency level.
General Terms- Academic Language, Academic Writing
Keywords- Teaching Academic Formulas; Academic Language; Academic Writing Performance
Keywords: Academic formulas, Formula instruction, Pedagogic corpus, Writing Performance
students. The main objective of the study was to investigate whether incorporating direct instruction of academic formulas
(DIAF) into an academic writing class would encourage the use of the target academic formulas (TAF) in the post
academic essay writing (AEW) test, and improve the subjects‟ academic writing performance. Two intact groups of
diploma level university students enrolled in an academic writing course employing a process-oriented writing approach
participated in the study. Both groups consisted of forty students and were assigned as the experimental and control
groups. DIAF was incorporated into the existing academic writing course‟s syllabus and was conducted two hours per
week over six out of the fourteen-week semester. Pre and post AEW tests were used to assess the subjects‟ academic
writing performance before and after the treatment. The results of the study are discussed by addressing three research
questions: 1) What are the effects of DIAF on the TAF use in the post AEW test? 2) What is the effect of TAF use on the
post AEW test scores? 3) What are the effects of DIAF on the subjects‟ academic writing performance? It was concluded
that DIAF encourages the use of more TAF and a more varied selection of TAF in the post AEW test. There is a significant
but weak positive linear relationship between the number of TAF used in the post AEW test and the post AEW test scores
(r=0.473), and the number of TAF used is a significant predictor in estimating the scores for all the three AEW test
components. DIAF is also beneficial at enhancing the subjects‟ academic writing performance with a large effect size of
0.98 for „language‟ component, 0.86 for „organization‟ component and a small effect size of 0.45 for „content‟ component.
subjects’ academic writing performance. Two intact groups of Diploma in Computer Science students assigned as the
experimental and control groups participated in the study. Each group consists of forty mixed ability ESL learners who were
enrolled in an academic writing course. DIAF was incorporated into the academic writing course employing a processoriented
writing approach and was conducted over six weeks out of the fourteen-week semester. Pre and post academic essay
writing (AEW) tests were utilized for quantitative data collection while focus group interview was utilized for collecting the
qualitative data. This paper discusses the results of the study by focusing on the effects of DIAF on learners from different
proficiency level.
General Terms- Academic Language, Academic Writing
Keywords- Teaching Academic Formulas; Academic Language; Academic Writing Performance
Keywords: Academic formulas, Formula instruction, Pedagogic corpus, Writing Performance