Foreign and Local Language
Courses
Course Synopsis
ARABIC LANGUAGE
UA00102
ARABIC LANGUAGE LEVEL I
This course is offered to students in order for them to learn basic Arabic language. At the beginning, students will be exposed to Arabic letters and Arabic transliteration system so that they are able to articulate, read and write any Arabic words or text. Besides that, they will learn more on basic Arabic writing skill (writing Arabic letter) and listening-speaking skill, Arabic numbers and basic Arabic grammar. Many activities are designed to enrich students with useful words and phrases that are frequently used in daily life. At the completion of this course, students are able to demonstrate good written and verbal communication using simple Arabic language.
UA00202
ARABIC LANGUAGE LEVEL II
This course is offered to students after completing Arabic language Level I. In this level, students will be exposed with lessons and activities that are aimed to strengthen their communication skills, including reading, writing, listening and speaking. At the beginning of the lessons, students will hone their listening and speaking skills by learning how to construct Arabic sentences that are grammatically correct. Apart from that, important Arabic dictionary will be introduced to students as well as the right way to effectively use it during self-study anywhere and anytime. Furthermore, this level is also focused on vocabulary enrichment, reading and writing exercises, and providing additional references. At the completion of this course, students are able to demonstrate good written and verbal communication skills using simple Arabic language.
UA00302
ARABIC LANGUAGE LEVEL III
This course is offered to students after completing Arabic language Level II. In this level, students will be exposed with lessons and activities that are aimed to generally strengthen their four basic communication skills, but specifically developing their listening and speaking skills. In addition, students will be given grammatical exercises and tasks to enhance their prior knowledge. Apart from that, they are also trained to write a short essay and short dialog as part of the vocabulary enrichment activities. Teaching and learning activities are conducted in an interactive way in order to encourage students to communicate actively in Arabic. At the completion of this course, students are able to demonstrate good written and verbal communication using simple Arabic language.
KADAZANDUSUN LANGUAGE
UD00102
KADAZANDUSUN LEVEL I
This course is intended for non-Kadazandusun etnic learners with no prior knowledge of the Kadazandusun language. In this level, learners will acquire some basic vocabulary of Kadazandusun. They will learn to communicate in Kadazandusun based on some communicative topics introduced in the weekly scheme of work. The four language skills namely reading, writing, speaking and listening are incorporated in the course. Salient aspects of the Kadazandusun grammar, in particular voice system and focus marking will also be introduced. Various activities are provided to introduce new vocabulary and phrases used in daily encounters. Apart from that, cultural aspects of Kadazandusun will be included in the teaching and learning materials in order to raise the learners’ awareness on the language and culture of the Kadazandusun people.
UD00202
KADAZANDUSUN LEVEL II
This course is intended for non-Kadazandusun etnic learners with some knowledge of the Kadazandusun language, namely having had passed Kadazandusun Level I (UD00102). In this level, the learners’ language skills will be enhanced through the four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Aspects of Kadadazandusun grammar that have been introduced in the previous level will be reinforced, and sentence types such as imperatives and requests will be introduced at this level. Learners will continue to develop their linguistic skills and cultural awareness further through various activities and cultural aspects of Kadazandusun, which will be included in the teaching and learning materials.
UD00302
KADAZANDUSUN LEVEL III
This course is intended for non-Kadazandusun etnic learners with some prior knowledge of the Kadazandusun language, namely those who have obtained a pass grade in both Kadazandusun Level I, UD00102 and Kadazandusun Level II, UD00202. The development of proficiency in the four basic language skills, namely reading, writing, speaking and listening will be further enhanced in this level, but the main skill that would be focused on is communication. Various activities will be provided to introduce new vocabulary and phrases used in daily encounters. A higher level of grammar, namely voice system in the Ability/Accidental mode will be introduced at this level. At the same time, cultural aspects of the Kadazandusun will continue to be integrated in the course.
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
UJ00102
JAPANESE LANGUAGE LEVEL I
This course consists of a 3-hour lesson per week, totalling 14 weeks and 42 hours. The course is designed for students who take Japanese language as a foreign language. This course emphasises on the importance of communication skills, namely speaking and listening. At this level, students can understand and utilise daily expressions and simple phrases correctly. Students can interact with Japanese people who speak in a simple way, slowly and clearly. Topics include the Japanese writing system (Hiragana, katakana), basic grammar, daily conversation, and introduction to Japanese culture.
UJ00202
JAPANESE LANGUAGE LEVEL II
This course consists of a 3-hour lesson per week, totalling 14 weeks and 42 hours. This course is designed for students who take Japanese language as a foreign language. The course emphasises on the importance of communication skills, namely speaking and listening. At this level, students can understand and utilise daily expressions and simple phrases correctly. Students will be trained on communicative skills in a simple way. Topics include the Japanese writing system (Hiragana, katakana), basic grammar, daily conversation, and introduction to Japanese culture.
UJ00302
JAPANESE LANGUAGE LEVEL III
This course is the last level for students who take Japanese as a foreign language. This course emphasises on the importance of communication skills, namely speaking and listening. Students will be trained on communicative competence and proficiency in spoken and written Japanese language. Japanese culture, social ethos and etiquette will be introduced in this course. At the completion of this course, students will be able to communicate in various situations and cultural landscapes using simple Japanese.
MANDARIN LANGUAGE
UN00102
MANDARIN LANGUAGE LEVEL I
This course is designed for students who fulfill the specific requirements of this course (please see prerequisites), with the focus on listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. The course begins with the introduction of Chinese language pronunciation system and writing rules. Basic vocabulary, daily conversational expressions and Chinese sentence structures will be introduced gradually and progressively. This course also exposes students to some aspects of Chinese culture. The textbook for this course is “New Practical Chinese Reader (2nd Edition)”. Topics included in Level 1 are “How do you do?”, “Are you busy?”, “Which country does she come from?”, “Nice to meet you!” and “Where is the dining hall?”. At the end of the course, students will be able to conduct simple daily conversations and self-introduction in Mandarin. Regular attendance in classes (3 hours lesson per week for 14 weeks), submission of coursework, and being present for all assessments are compulsory for the successful completion of this course.
UN00202
MANDARIN LANGUAGE LEVEL II
This course is designed for students who have satisfactorily completed Mandarin language Level 1. This level continues to enhance students’ skill in reading and writing, with the emphasis on listening and speaking. New vocabulary will also be introduced. After mastering sentence structures, students will be trained to produce a semester report and a short video based on a given topic in Mandarin. The topics included in this level are “(Review) Let’s go swimming, shall we?”, “Do you know him?” and “How many people are there in your family?”. At the end of the course, students will be able to understand and use simple Mandarin phrases and meet the basic needs for communication in Mandarin. Regular attendance in classes (3 hours lesson per week for 14 weeks), submission of coursework, and being present for all assessments are compulsory for the successful completion of this course.
UN00302
MANDARIN LANGUAGE LEVEL III
This course is the final level for students who enrol in Mandarin as a foreign language. This course continues to develop students’ listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Students need to produce a semester report and a short video based on a given topic in Mandarin. The topics included in this level are “He is 20 years old this year”, “I am here to buy a CD” and “I can speak a little Chinese”. At the end of the course, students will be able to communicate in Mandarin on simple and routine tasks that require simple and direct exchange of information. Regular attendance in classes (3 hours lesson per week for 14 weeks), submission of coursework, and being present for all assessments are compulsory for the successful completion of this course.
FRENCH LANGUAGE
UP00102
FRENCH LANGUAGE LEVEL I
This is a basic French language course. At this level, students will be exposed to verbs, adjectives, nouns, sentence connectors, numbers, pronunciation and intonation. Students will also be exposed to French culture with the use of videos. Assessment is done continuously by taking into account of student’s participation in the classroom, coursework, oral test, and assessment for written communication I and II.
UP00202
FRENCH LANGUAGE LEVEL II
This course is an extension of French language Level I. At this level, students will not only be exposed to vocabulary and phonetic, but also language functions such as introducing oneself, introducing somebody, and constructing simple sentences using the correct verb forms. Assessment is done continuously by taking into account of students’ participation in the classroom, oral test, coursework, and assessment for written communication I and II.
UP00302
FRENCH LANGUAGE LEVEL III
This course is an extension of French language Level II. At this level, students will not only be exposed to vocabulary and phonetic, but also language functions. They will be exposed how to write essays and letters, and construction of simple sentences using the correct verb forms in the past and future tense. Assessment is done continuously by taking into account of students’ participation in the classroom, oral test, coursework, and assessment for written communication I and II.
SPANISH LANGUAGE
US00102
SPANISH LANGUAGE LEVEL I
This course is developed to introduce basic Spanish to students with no previous knowledge of the target language. The course will focus on developing student’s ability to understand basic oral and written information and to actively use the acquired skills in order to communicate both in written and oral forms. They will be introduced to the pronunciation and spelling of vowels and consonants. Basic oral and written Spanish grammar will be introduced. Assessment is based on quiz, two compositions, written communication I and II, and oral test.
US00202
SPANISH LANGUAGE LEVEL II
In this level, students will reinforce the language skill learned in Level I. The present tense and the present continuous tense are emphasised in this level in order to recall the importance of irregular verbs. Besides that, students will also be introduced to more vocabulary related to the real-life situation such as discussing daily activities, talking about one’s family, amongst others. This course will continue to emphasise on reading and listening skills, focusing on authentic language spoken in everyday life. Familiar situations in sentences and reading selections reinforce the ability to speak, read and write in the language. Assessment is done continuously by taking into account of student’s participation in the classroom, oral exercises, role-play, coursework, and also an assessment for written communication I and II.
US00302
SPANISH LANGUAGE LEVEL III
This course is an extension of Spanish language Level I and II. At this level, students are exposed to communication in normal situations by using the correct grammar. Emphasis is given in listening, writing simple sentences and reading elementary materials. The tenses and the specific vocabulary must be practiced. Regular and irregular past tense of the indicative is introduced. Assessment is done continuously by taking into account of students’ participation in the classroom, oral exercises, role-play, coursework, and also assessment for written communication I and II.
TAMIL LANGUAGE
UT00102
TAMIL LANGUAGE LEVEL I
This course is developed to introduce basic Tamil to students with no previous knowledge of the target language. The course will focus on developing the student’s ability to understand basic oral and written information and to actively use the acquired skills in order to communicate both in written and oral forms. They will introduce to the pronounciation and spelling of uyir (vowel), mei (consonant) and uyirmei (consonant vowel). The basic Tamil grammar related to the oral and written will be introduced. This course also exposes students to some aspects of Tamil culture. Topics included in level 1 are greeting words, polite words, asking about senses and feelings, asking about plans and hobbies, and requests. Regular attendance in classes (3 hours a week), quiz or submission of course work, being present for oral tests, mid-term examination, and final examination are compulsory for the successful completion of this course.
UT00202
TAMIL LANGUAGE LEVEL II
This course is developed to reinforce the structure learnt in previous level and broaden students’ knowledge of Tamil grammar, vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. The course will further develops students’ ability to understand basic oral and written information and actively use the acquired skills in order to communicate both in written and oral forms. They will be exposing to basic Tamil grammar related to the target language in order to improve their knowledge. Background information to basic aspects of Tamil culture and society will be given to the students’ in conjunction with the respective topics. Assessment is based on quiz, group presentation, a mid-semester test, oral and a final examination.
UT00302
TAMIL LANGUAGE LEVEL III
This is the final level and the course will focus on further developing students’ proficiency in understanding, speaking, writing and reading the target language. In this level reading skill will be emphasize. Students’ are encouraged to speak in selected topic to improve their self-confidence. Relevant grammar structures will be introduced. They will guide to express points of view and write simple essay. Assessment is based on quiz, group presentation, a mid-semester test, oral and a final examination.