English Drama Performance – KEMAS May 2009 Intake
I was in my KEMAS (May 2009 Intake) English Language Proficiency (ELP) class this morning trying to evaluate their much anticipated drama presentation. I was really amazed at the preparation they did in just over 3 hours and coming up with an astounding result! The activity started off with a 10-hour lecture on the English Part of Speech, a 4-hour discussion on Reading and a further 2 hours on Writing.
Group one performing – excellent props!
The class’ proficiency level was a diverse one – the majority being in the low proficiency, a handful in the average group and nil in the advance group. It was a huge undertaking trying to teach them all that were stipulated in the course pro-forma within a 16-hour time frame.
Group two trying to adhere to the “Spirit of the Coin” scripts
I did the best that I could, concentrating not on the complexity of the language itself but on the much easier tasks that can be exerted from the complicated bunch of listed grammatical items. I started out with a simple explanation on the English Language Part of Speech, citing examples which were related to their world schemata.
Group three “in the airport setting”
Translation was unavoidable – it is the only way to explain certain terms quickly and effectively, but I tried not to turn my lecture into a translation lesson. I employed simple authentic texts on the reading activity itself and encouraged them to write short paragraphs using simple language without even bothering to check on grammatical accuracy. My objective is clear and simple – to promote the flow of ideas without fear of making “syntax errors”.
A happy couple
Students’ response on my teaching was encouraging. Everybody seems very eager to participate in virtually all activities. This is perhaps due to class competitiveness because earlier in the session I had told them that all activities will be assessed. Though with low proficiency in the language, they tried to speak and present their group tasks as clear as possible.
kindergarten pupils on a rare dinner
In my part, I was really impressed with their achievement – something that I did not expect from this group of students. Well done KEMAS (May 2009 Intake)!
Calm down my friend, there is still an abundance of food!
Dusun Literary Devices
(elements of humour were included)
Does the Dusun language has the equivalent Literary Devices such as – Onomatopoeia, Hyberbole, Metaphor, Alliteration, Consonance or even Assonance? I suppose there is and this could be true in all other languages.
A Surprise Party – Performance from Group Six
- Alliteration is simply the repetition of consonant sounds in two or more neighbouring words or syllables. A frequently used poetic device, it is often discussed with assonance (the repetition of stressed vowel sounds within two or more words with different end consonants) and consonance (the repetition of end or medial consonants).
A “Happy Birthday” Song
- Example: “You will never put a better bit of butter on your knife.”
- Dusun Example: “turongu tinahak di soruoi Tuyak”
- (fish given my Mr Tuyak)
2. Consonance – broadly the repetition of consonant sounds; more specifically,the repetition of the the final consonant sounds of accented syllables.
- “First and last“, “odds and ends“, “a stroke of luck“
- Dusun equivalent: “sandad mantad isio posungambir“, “Gobuk nawuk“, “mosis-posis po ih posis giniwis“
- (born with a distorted mouth), (a drunken ape), (a weasel grunting in vain to escape the hanging)
3.Assonance: Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
- Example: “The spider skins lie on their sides…”
- Dusun equivalent: “Mihad-ihad po ih Kudingking tinitiu maso tumaih”
- (Kudingking cried when a torch was pointed at him while shitting)
4.Onomatopoeia – the formation or use of words (such as hiss or murmur) that imitatethe sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.
- Example: “Meow”, “knock-knock”, “Ding Dong!”
- Dusun equivalent: “morit-korit po nipon di Korodit sinuhu minoi sagou hilo Maras Karas“
- (Korodit was furious of being asked to fetch water in Maras-Karas)
5.Hyperbole – A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect; anextravagant statement.
- Example: “she looked like my grandmother”, “Miss Kitut was the most beautiful girl ever walked the earth”
- Dusun equivalent: “imbulai isio nga andasan ku om tombiruo, mato nga pouladtut po”
- (When he eventually emerged, I thought I saw a ghost, his eyes were bulging out)
6.Metaphor – A figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlikethings that actually have something in common.
- Example: “But my heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill”
- Dusun equivalent: “pourodus po ti tundu-undu ku kumaus do nowian do takano”
- (My heart is crying with anger as you have left me with no rice)
[End of Part VIII]
English Drama Performance – KEMAS May 2009 Intake
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