Dr.Lubna Almenoar

Comment on Paper 6: Illustrating and Designing Quranic Imagery: A Case Study

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:36:00 GMT

Selected verses from Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s English language translation of the Quran were used as a literary text to teach both descriptive and figurative imagery. Several steps were taken for the preparation of this case study.

1. The selected verses can be obtained through websites under the list of topics of the Quranic verses. A teacher can choose from a wide range of suitable topics for students. For this case study, the selected verses were Surah (37) As-Saffat (Those Ranged in Ranks), verses 62-68, 74. Verses 62-68 are verses about Hell and verse 74 is a verse about Heaven.

2. The source of these verses was The Holy Quran, the English Language Translation of the Quran by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. The exemplary verses were found to be suitable in content for the teaching of both descriptive and figurative imagery. The presence of literary devices such as similes, metaphors and symbols was clearly visible in the verses.

3. The technique for teaching imagery was chosen from a wide range of techniques. The technique-Illustrating and Designing was thought to be suitable for the particular group of participants with the English language proficiency level at the PreIntermediate level. The classroom activity for this technique was task-based, locating and identifying the images in the verses and stating which senses are affected through these images. Then, in this particular technique, Illustrating and Designing, the students are allowed to express themselves imaginatively not in verbal or written work or by reading but by listening and then drawing, sketching and colouring their interpretation of what is read to them.

4. The source of the technique was Pictures for Language Learning by Andrew Wright (Wright,1989).

5. The basis for gauging students’ understanding through assessment and evaluation can be obtained from their participation and contributions in the classroom activities and also from a written assignment. The written assignment was devised having the level of proficiency in the language and age group of the participants in mind. The assignment given in this case study was for the students to express themselves in the form of drawing or sketches.

The written assignment was:

74.Except the sincere (and devoted)

Servants of God

These 2 lines tell that only the sincere and devoted servants of Allah do not have to go through what the sinners have to go through in Hell (as described in verses 62-68).

Draw and sketch a picture of Heaven, of what you feel to be the opposite of your previous drawing or sketch of images Hell.

6. The above assignment invited many visionary ideas of Heaven. The students were not required to write sentences for the assignment. This technique is suitable for students with less proficiency in the target language. This writer had felt that the students would be relieved at the thought of not having to write a paragraph or an essay. However, this writer discovered that the students felt a need to write to clarify their ideas in their drawings. Although this writer did not permit them to do so, this writer was pleasantly relieved that the students had the urge for needing to put across their ideas more clearly through writing in the target language. The negative urge of escaping from writing or avoiding to write in the target language was diminished.

7. A Marking Scheme was devised for the evaluation of the students’ understanding through their drawings or sketches of images. An analysis of the data derived from the marks obtained by the students from the drawings or sketches of images showed a high level of understanding of the lesson taught using Quranic imagery as the literary text.

8. A thorough familiarization of the selected verses before using the verses in the classroom is necessary as with any other text. A preparation of first providing a brief explanation and discussion of each verse for the basic meaning of the verse. Then, any teacher as a facilitator of any classroom activity must practice eliciting answers from students and not have students’ roles be only as recipients. Students must also be productive contributors in classroom activities. This is the communicative approach.

Through experience, a researcher who has made the above preparations would likely be able to conduct the case study smoothly. It is also necessary for the researcher to do an observatory comments write up immediately after the teaching session so as to have the information still fresh in mind. The write up should be as thorough as possible, anything that was noticed during the teaching session. The write up will be summarized later for the official report.

Preferably, assessments should reflect both social and academic performance. But for the purpose of this study, students’ demonstration on understanding the lesson through the use of Quranic imagery is my main focus. Although some of the points below were looked into for the evaluation of students’ understanding for this study, an overall evaluation of assessment should involve all of the following:

1. Completion of task

2. Ability to understanding through listening to teacher and peers

3. Ability to participate in brainstorming

4. Ability to explain or make connections or predict in material and content

5. Ability to demonstrate their new knowledge

6. Ability to express prior knowledge

7. Ability to demonstrate individuality and creativity

8. Availability and ability to make choices in tasks which consider flexibility for different strengths and needs.

A revisit of the list of objectives any teacher wishes to achieve for a lesson on imagery using any other text must be matched with the list of objectives the researcher has achieved at the end of a lesson on imagery using Quranic images as the text. It can be clearly examined, concluded and proven that the same objectives have been achieved.

9.Some changes in the above procedure could have made the research steps more effective:

During the teachers’ explanations when locating and identifying the images, the teacher can take this opportunity to teach vocabulary, synonyms and antonyms. This teacher called for volunteers who felt they could further insert the vocabulary word in a sentence of their own. This was all done spontaneously. For example, when explaining,

Verse 64 line 1-3: For it is a tree

That springs out

Of the bottom of Hell-fire

What type of imagery? Descriptive imagery.

This image gives a vivid description of the location of the tree of Zaqqum and compares its growth process to that of weeds.

Senses: visual.

One can also imagine seeing this horrid tree in Hell.

This teacher took the time to teach this group the concept of positive and negative connotation using the word “springs”. This teacher modeled several sentences:

Water springs out from the ground after digging into the soil about 2 feet deep.

These special flowers will spring up in full bloom after the summer.

In these two model sentences, the word “spring” carries a positive connotation.

The one in the verse carries a negative connotation and this teacher compared it to weeds as opposed to water and flowers.

More vocabulary words were generated. For every image located and identified, this teacher took the opportunity to stray for vocabulary teaching.

The practice of the four language skills were reported as follows:

5) Use the four skills:

i)Speaking : Not Done

ii)Listening : Done in listening to the verses read by the teacher.

iii)Writing : Not done

iv)Reading : Not done.

This teacher reported as such because this teacher wanted to remain on the strict observational reporting of only Quranic Imagery teaching. However, in this teacher’s observatory notes, it was documented that those skills were exercised in students’ participation when the teacher strayed from Quranic Imagery teaching as such.

To report in a loose manner, all four language skills were touched upon during the session.

i)Speaking : Done during vocabulary teaching

ii)Listening : Done in listening to the verses read by the teacher. Done during teacher’s explanation of images in the verses

iii)Writing : Done when students took down notes of meaning of vocabulary

iv)Reading : Done when students were attempting to draw images

As for the selection of suitable verses, this teacher found that it really depends on the class of students. This teacher has tried this methodology of research mostly on non native speakers of English who were mostly Muslims. This teacher has also tried the same set of verses on a group of native speakers of English. The only difference in participation was the solemn attitude from Muslim students and then for native speakers, some found the descriptions in this particular set of verses humorous. This teacher had perhaps not made such a wise selection for different target groups of students. Thus, this teacher must also consider the students’ background when making her selection of verses and not just the level of proficiency and age group. This was an experience that this teacher had to learn from.

Read the Paper here:

Comment on 5th Paper: Quranic Imagery in English and The Senses: A Case Study

Tue, 04 May 2010 10:36:00 GMT

1. The selected verses can be obtained through websites under the list of topics of the Quranic verses. A teacher can choose from a wide range of suitable topics for students. For this case study, the selected verses were verses 49-51 and verses 55-57 from Surah Sad. Verses 49-51 are verses about Heaven and verses 55-57 are verses about Hell.

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Comment on 4th Paper: A Foundation on Teaching Imagery

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:12:00 GMT

Imagery is an important literary technique taught in the Literature classroom. Examples of other literary techniques are: personification, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, irony, etc. A definition of Literary techniques taken from the website www.mrbrainman.com states:

Literary techniques refers to any specific, deliberate constructions or choices of language which an author uses to convey meaning in a particular way. An author’s use of a literary technique usually occurs with a single word or phrase, or a particular group of words or phrases, at one single point in a text. Unlike literary elements, literary techniques are not necessarily present in every text; they represent deliberate, conscious choices by individual authors

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Comment on 3rd Paper: Groundwork and Preparation for Using Quranic Imagery

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:02:00 GMT

Groundwork and Preparation involve the preliminary activities that would collectively function as a basis or foundation before launching a desired target goal. This goal will usually yield the start or possibility of changes for the better. The responsibility for the preparation falls on a focused person who usually at this point reaches out for few but trusted people to share the load.

As a researcher, I believe this step is one of the most important steps in the whole process. It is indeed one step which could cause the ultimate success or the unexpected failure of projects. Having this in mind, it is no wonder that this step can take a reasonably long time to reach its final stages.

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Comment on 2nd Paper: Beauty in the Wealth of Literary Quranic Eloquence

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:08:00 GMT

As I read a poem and at the end of it, give a sigh of relief and satisfaction and say,”What a beautiful poem!” Where does the beauty come from? I believe it is beautiful because of the meaning I have managed to extract from its words. I have achieved an optimal level of understanding of its words and thus a deep appreciation is felt by the reader (me).

Similarly, if an optimal level of understanding is achieved of the verses from the Quran, whether it be in Arabic or any other language, the deep appreciation will be felt by the reader. Muslims are encouraged to strive, to seek knowledge on understanding the verses and content of the Quran.

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Comment on 1st Paper: Quranic Verses in English for Academic Purpose

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:47:00 GMT

The use of a Quran-based literary text is my innovative research aim or objective. It is not only having a whole class dedicated to Quranic Studies/Memorization but a whole new way of incorporating the Quran “naturally” through the literary text or material chosen into the main subject classroom. The Quranic literary text is asked to be looked at from a different angle, at its literary value. I have done some research work incorporating Quranic texts into the Literature classroom at the University level with success. The same objectives of the intended lesson were achieved at the end of the lesson as with any other text, with the added advantage of sparking up topics of discussion of Islam. With this success, I advocate the incorporation be done subtlely in each subject by each educator, especially starting with Islamic Institutions or institutions with Muslim majority of student population. As we are globally inclined in the our choices of material brought into the classrooms, being in touch with Islam in the English Language in the context of learning Linguistics, Stylistics, Literature, Culture, even Science, would undoubtedly, liven up the classroom with interest and curiosity. If one subject educator has the responsibility of incorporating one Quran based material per semester, this would be such an accomplishment indeed. There should be a center or a committee in each institution ready to assist each educator in each subject for the Quran based materials.

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