String Your Notes

JABATAN: JABATAN PENGAJIAN AM

Name of the programme	String Your Notes - Retell your Notes with a Song
Date	7 September 2017 (Final round)
Time	8.00 am – 12.00 noon
Venue	Dewan Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil, PIS
Prepared by	Catherine Nguoi Chui Lam (The Programme Manager)

STRING YOUR NOTES English programme, which aims to develop the ability of our students to use the language as an important tool to deliver their intended message, was organized by English Language Unit, General Studies Department on 5 and 7 September 2017.

Songs can be used as an amazingly powerful language learning tool. In fact, a growing body of second language research has been conducted on the innovative aspects and insights of using songs, song parody and lyrics to strengthen language learning, particularly in the context of musical patterns, melodies, rhymes and creative vocabularies. In this programme, students were required to translate what they have learnt from an English lesson into a song! Translating, revising, vocalizing and practicing were basically the main strategies needed. To prepare the lyrics, students will need to first translate the information/ ideas into their own words. They will then need to rephrase and rewrite the lyrics so that the words can fit nicely into their intended song structure. When it comes to performing the song, students will need to practise as how to vocalize with proper enunciation, pitch, tone and volume. Furthermore, as the chosen music genre is of particular interest to our young language learners, a stimulating language learning environment which allows students to explore the language in the most creative way was thus created through the said programme.

  The programme details are as follows:

The competition has gathered more than thirty participants from all four (4) departments of PIS, namely, JRKV (DRI3A, DFP3), JKM (DTP1B, DTP3, DKM1C, DKM1D and DKM1E), JKE (DEE1B and DJK1B) and JPH (DEV4 and DEV3B). Pn. Nurul Hana Bt Abd Nasir (PoliMetroJB) and Ms. Tarishini Visvalingam were the judges for the pre-liminary round. Meanwhile, the judges for the final round of the competition were Pn. Farahdiba Md Said (Head of International Relation Unit), En. Sarawanan A/L Letchumanan (Head of E-learning Unit) and En. Rowland Arah (Head of Library Unit).

The competition results are as follows. First place was won by DEV 4 Blue Fairies, with the song entitled Dear Future Workers (led by En. Muhammad Alhafiz B Amat Esa). DKM1C Night Symphony, with the song entitled The Day to Shine (led by Pn. Catherine Nguoi Chui Lam) has won the second place while DKM1D TaufiqIsAHansomeGuy, with the song entitled Wish You Were Here (led by Pn. Siti Faezah Sazali) has secured the third place. Meanwhile, SPECIAL JURY’S AWARD was won by DEV 4, THE BEST PERFORMANCE AWARD was secured by DKM1 while DFP 3 had successfully won the BEST LYRIC AWARD.

The prize-giving ceremony, which was officiated by the Deputy Director (Academic) of PIS, En. Norizam Bin Sekak marked the end of the said programme. Among the highlights of the closing ceremony were the two rounds of Kahoot contest and a special performance given by Muhammad Syaqhir Aniq B Nazman and Nadhillah Bt Rosfauridulazmar (DKM1E). Besides, the crowd was also enlightened by the comments and supportive remarks given the chief judge, Pn. Farahdiba during the closing ceremony.

As a whole, this programme has helped our students to develop their language skills, particularly in presenting their ideas effectively in front of a large audience. Apart from its vital role to reduce affective filters that interfere with language learning, songs are also important tools to strengthen and reinforce vocabularies, sentence structures and some grammatical variations with auditory skills and rhythmic patterns which will ultimately stimulate brain activity and encourage imagination. Thus, this programme is not only an essential platform towards developing students’ sensitivity to effective use of language, but also a promising avenue for our students to exercise and showcase their creativity. Thus, it is hoped that such programme will be carried out more often in the future so as to elicit positive outcomes in line with our concerted effort to facilitate students’ language learning.

 Some of the pictures taken during the event: