JABATAN PENGAJIAN AM: VocabUplift Challenge 2023

VocabUplift Challenge 2023

DATE: 14.12.2023

TIME: 8.00 am – 1.00 pm

VENUE: TECC 2, CDEC PIS

VocabUplift Challenge 2023 was held on 14 December 2023 with the primary goals to: (i) foster student learning through creativity, (ii) enhance students’ communication skills and (iii) boost their confidence and motivation in language learning.

This programme provides an excellent platform for students to showcase and share their creative design ideas. Additionally, it serves as a valuable forum where students can obtain constructive feedback on their work in English for Design course. Students presented their product designs effectively by explaining and justifying the design features using appropriate language and promotional materials.

Gold Award was secured by Farah Nabilah Binti Mohd Isa and Nur Amanina Binti Mohd Kamal Mahdi, with their Englizen Mobile App design while Muhammad Syahmie Bin Shahruddin and Muhammad Ammar Danish Bin Aminorashid earned the Silver Award for their Talk Mentor product design. The Bronze Award was clinched by Nur Nadzmeen Atilia Binti Zairuddin and Nur Syafiqah Binti Mohd Shazali with their Bee Smart App Design.

The esteemed panel of judges for the said competition comprised of the Master Trainer of Design Thinking and CDIO, Dr. Prasanna Kesavan and an English language lecturer from Sunway College Johor Bahru, Ms. Chong Chai Hong.

As highlighted by Ms. Chong, who served as one of the judges for the competition: “All the posters showcase good effort. The use of promotional language is evident which include the use of imperative sentences, address the audience in the second person, the inclusion of infectious taglines which effectively engages the audience. The choice of font type is appropriate, contributing to the overall aesthetic appeal and readability of the content. It is important to note that visuals act as part of the persuasive elements which symbolize the featured products. All in all, the posters demonstrate a thoughtful combination of language use, design elements, and visuals, making them a strong promotional tool. The effort invested in creating an appealing and persuasive poster is evident, contributing to its effectiveness in capturing and maintaining the audience's attention.”

Concerning the impact of the programme, participants reported that it has encouraged them to: (i) think creatively when developing their projects, (ii) present complex design concepts clearly and concisely, (iii) communicate about their product designs confidently and (iv) improve their communication skills, especially in making presentations related to product design.

In conclusion, the positive feedback received from both students and the judging panel serves as compelling evidence that the programme is effective in fostering a conducive learning environment for students to express their ideas using the English language effectively. It is therefore recommended to sustain and expand such initiatives to ensure an ongoing and comprehensive improvement of students' English communication skills so as to better equip them for the demands of a globalized world, where adept communication in English stands as an invaluable asset.

Prepared by, Checked by,

Catherine Nguoi Chui Lam Pn. Siti Noraini binti Hamzah

Project Supervisor, VocabUplift Challenge 2023 Head of English Language Unit, JPA

WhatsApp Image 2024-01-02 at 9.47.10 AM