Ching Hei Kuang | University of Malaya, Malaysia (original) (raw)

Papers by Ching Hei Kuang

Given the easy availability of information due to social media, it is generally recognized that l... more Given the easy availability of information due to social media, it is generally recognized that language teachers need to transform themselves from being mere disseminators of information to that of innovators. Literature suggests that to do so, language teachers should make action research an indispensable part of their language teaching armory. This paper aims to encourage language teachers to take charge of their own profession by conducting action research in their respective classrooms. The paper illustrates two case studies which stress on the process which can be duplicated by teachers as well as the outcome which can be used for improvement and for sharing with peers through publication. By engaging in action research, language teachers can move beyond their conventional teaching roles to become researchers cum practitioners who are able to rise to the occasion by overcoming current language issues first hand instead of taking advice from educational researchers.

Abstrak Kertas ini menumpu pada cara pensyarah baru memandang penyeliaaan pasca siswa. Sekumpulan... more Abstrak Kertas ini menumpu pada cara pensyarah baru memandang penyeliaaan pasca siswa. Sekumpulan pensyarah baru seramai 45 orang dari pelbagai fakulti disebuah universiti awam tempatan telah turut serta dalam kajian ini. Borang kaji-selidik yang di gunapakai mengandungi 17 fungsi penyeliaan yang dibahagikan kepada fasa " pra-kajian " , " masa-kajian " dan " pasca-kajian ". Balasan kaji-selidik ini berasas skala 5 point Likert yang dikira secara manual sebelum ia dicatatkan sebagai bar graph. Analisis menunjukkan bahawa 94% dari peserta telah bersetuju bahawa kesemua 17 fungsi penyeliaan pasca siswa adalah mustahak tetapi mereka tidak sedar tentang kepentingan fasa-fasa kajian. Implikasi pedagogi dalam kajian ini adalah untuk memberi latihan tentang tanggung jawab penyeliaan pasca siswa kepada pensyarah baru supaya mereka akan lebih mahir dalam proses penyeliaan pelajar mereka kelak. Kata kunci: penyeliaan ijazah tinggi, penyelidikan, kepentingan, pensyarah baru, latihan This paper focused on how new lecturers view postgraduate supervision. A group of 45 new academicians from various faculties of a public university in the Klang valley voluntarily participated in the survey. The questionnaire form comprised 17 functions of postgraduate supervision which were then categorized as pre-research, during-research and post-research. Responses were based on a 5-point Likert scale which were then manually counted before being presented as bar graphs. Results showed that 94% of the respondents considered all the functions as important but they were unaware of the different levels of research and their importance. The pedagogical implication of this finding suggests that new lecturers need training in postgraduate supervision responsibilities so as to develop better supervisory skills which can assist them in student supervision.

Facebook is one of the social platforms used by many people to interact and writing is one channe... more Facebook is one of the social platforms used by many people to interact and writing is one channel used. There are various categories of written text in Facebook, one of which is condolences. This paper aims to identify the language features used in composing the condolence messages in order to assess its suitability as a writing model. A total of 75 condolence messages published on a public website of Facebook was downloaded. Using linguistic analysis, the postings were tagged and then individually examined and compared. Findings suggest that Facebook condolence messages are typically short and the level of language is casual and loose. It was noted that the condolence messages were composed in ungrammatical structures, containing bad spelling and punctuations followed by some peculiar expressions. This sloppiness, it is argued, points to the lack of observation of audience awareness and editing practices. Consequently, it compromises the writer's social status and credibility. In that regard, Facebook may not serve as a good writing model for language learners but it is a good research site to study language use.

Sitcoms provide entertainment, one of which is through humour. Using Grice's (1975) non-observanc... more Sitcoms provide entertainment, one of which is through humour. Using Grice's (1975) non-observance of Cooperative Principles – flouting, violating, infringing, opting out, and suspending as framework for analysis, this study aims to investigate whether the non-observance of Grice's (1975) maxims can contribute to the humorous effects seen in the Chinese sitcom " Home with Kids (Season 4) ". Specifically, this study aims to detect which of the maxims play an important role in creating humour. Data were compiled from 96 episodes of the show. A comparison of the non-observance was made before findings were qualitatively presented. The findings revealed that flouting and violating were used most frequently to create humour. The outcome of this study will have beneficial effects for L2 learners of Mandarin by enabling them to comprehend Chinese humour. The implications derived from this study suggest that humour may be created differently due to cultural differences.

During happy occasions, most of us know what to say but during sad occasions, many among us are l... more During happy occasions, most of us know what to say but during sad occasions, many among us are loss for words, for example in moments when someone has lost a beloved. Research on condolences, in particular, has relied on simulation exercises to gather data. Little focus has been given to using authentic data and this is probably because of its vulnerable nature. This paper focusses on 36 pieces of authentic condolence messages written by Malaysians via SMS. It aims to identify the expressive functions contained in the condolences and to detect the ethnic variations in the expressions. The writers are predominantly 47% Chinese, 33% Malays and 20% Indians. Data were written in English and subsequently categorised according to the expressive functions identified. Analysis suggests that Malaysian condolences can be categorised into 11 functions with majority of Chinese writers expressing sympathy more, Malay writers engaging apologies more whilst Indian writers using God-related statements more. These findings suggest that Malaysians can compose appropriate condolence messages but different ethnic groups have different emphasis when expressing themselves. In this regard, it might serve local institutions well to provide a cross-cultural communication course for local students who can be taught how to behave and express themselves in particular speech events such as during a bereavement. The knowledge gained can put local students at a higher level of human interactions and behaviour.

The ability to write well is an admired skill but it is one that needs to be honed over a longer ... more The ability to write well is an admired skill but it is one that needs to be honed over a longer period of time. Writing involves many overlapping stages encompassing thinking, brainstorming, composing, writing, reading, editing, and designing. Many teachers who expect their students to write well may not be aware of the negative effects of academic writing. Using the chronicled events provided by one experienced writer in creating and developing two academic papers, this paper reports the outcome of that journey which shows writing as a process filled with loneliness, temper outbursts, relationship issues, stress as well as health hazards.

Disagreements are a fact of life but different people react to disagreements in different ways du... more Disagreements are a fact of life but different people react to disagreements in different ways due to personal differences. With that in mind, our paper aims to distinguish the coping strategies used by single and married Malaysians in disagreement situations. A survey questionnaire containing predominant coping strategies was administered on 722 youths aged between 19 and 25 years old who were of Malay, Chinese and Indian descent. About 90% of the respondents claim to experience disagreements on a weekly basis with parents, siblings, friends, bosses, colleagues, and others like strangers. Findings indicate that married youths coped with disagreeing situations through self-reflection whilst also seeking to interact and share their views with a third party. Single youths, on the other hand, were more explicit, often subjecting themselves to personal needs and interests. This distinction between married and single people in coping with disagreements may shed light on the reaction and tolerance which most of us apply towards ‘others’ (those whom we disagree with). Additionally, knowledge of these existing coping mechanisms of ‘others’ can instill us with more control while in a disagreement situation and this can deflect conflicts, confrontations as well as aggressive behaviors.
Keywords: coping mechanism, disagreement, Malaysians, marital status, youth

Treatments at private hospitals costs money hence there are expectations that staffs serving the ... more Treatments at private hospitals costs money hence there are expectations that staffs serving the respective clients/patients would offer good services including being polite, which, in this paper, implies demonstrating good manners such as greeting and thanking clients/patients during and after counter transactions. This paper explores whether front counter staff of nine Malaysian private hospitals are polite or impolite. A total of 158 transactions which comprise openings and closings were extracted based on close observations of the staff during public transactions. Data were then orthographically transcribed. Brown and Levinson's notion of face threatening acts (FTA) and the local concept of good manners such as greeting and thanking were applied as a framework to determine politeness. Data were grouped as verbal and non-verbal before being classified as polite, semi-polite or impolite. Findings indicate that front counter staff in private hospitals used more closings than openings. Analysis also indicates that impolite openings override polite and semi-polite ones whereas polite and semi-polite closings overshadowed impolite closings. Although small in comparison, the findings of this study will benefit researchers of communication, curriculum designers and practitioners as it serves as a recommendation for communication skills to be taught and implemented in service industries.

This paper is descriptive in nature. It looks at the utterances of one Malaysian-Chinese bilingua... more This paper is descriptive in nature. It looks at the utterances of one Malaysian-Chinese bilingual child who was specifically spoken to in Mandarin and English from birth. The aim of this paper is to highlight the different speech components present in the two languages. There is some evidence to show that the child's preferred language is not necessarily the dominant language. The child was observed closely by the researcher cum mother over a period of seven months. Initial utterances were tape recorded but later discarded due to impracticality. Subsequent utterances were then spontaneously recorded into journals as and when they occurred within the child’s home with details such as time, date, place and participants indicated. Transcribed orthographically, data were then categorized according to the languages heard and then the speech components (see Hoff, 2009; Foster-Cohen, 1999; Crystal, 1997) respectively. A frequency count of all these utterances suggests that 59% of the child’s utterances were in English while 19% were in Mandarin (dominant language) with smaller percentages subscribing to the various environmental languages. Data also indicate that more nouns were used in English and but slightly more verbs and noun phrases were used in Mandarin. This phenomenon was also used as a determinant to gauge the rate of acquisition of the two languages. A very small percentage of the child’s data were also articulated as complete sentences but this was done in mixed languages, which could be a typical phenomenon of bilingual language acquisition at the early stage.
Keywords: bilingual child, Mandarin, English, Malaysia

Although Malaysia is a multiethnic society, not many studies have been conducted to examine the c... more Although Malaysia is a multiethnic society, not many studies have been conducted to examine the cultural differences of its three dominant ethnic groups. This study examines how Malay, Chinese and Indian Malaysians respond to disagreements. Three domains in which disagreements take place were identified: family (parents, siblings, spouses/partners), friendship (friends), and workplace (bosses). A questionnaire was used to obtain data from 655 Malaysian respondents from the three main ethnic communities. SPSS was used to obtain quantitative results. The findings indicate that although Malaysians express themselves verbally in these three domains there are variations among the three ethnic groups. The findings will benefit researchers working on cross-cultural norms.

This paper focuses on two aspects of social interactions: openings and closings. It examines the ... more This paper focuses on two aspects of social interactions: openings and closings. It examines the public transactions occurring between front counter Malay staff and clients/patients seeking services in Malaysian government hospitals. Openings and closings are important features of face-to-face interactions because both elements suggest that acknowledgement and recognition of another party have been fulfilled. They also indicate that respect and courteousness are present. Greetings are signs of a social encounter taking place. However, they will only occur under particular 'socio-historical' conditions. In this study, the use of openings and closings by front counter staff of various departments in six public (government) Malaysian hospitals were studied. From a total of 146 instances of transactions, only 68 of them contained openings made by staff while 46 contained closings contributed by staff. Analysis of data suggests that front counter staff of Malaysian hospitals used less openings and closings in their public transactions with patients/clients and due to that missing element, they could be described as being less polite than expected.

This paper focuses on the writing product of one 7-year-old Malaysian bilingual who speaks and wr... more This paper focuses on the writing product of one 7-year-old Malaysian bilingual who speaks and writes in Mandarin and English. The aim of this paper is to understand the writing development of a bilingual child. Data were sourced from the child's free writing compositions which had been documented into a note book. A linguistic framework was then used to analyse data by giving focus to the writing format, spelling and strategies used to accomplish the writing. Analysis shows that writing development moves from being novice-like to being more refined/matured. The ability to spell words in English was clearly inadequate but the child was able to overcome this through creative means. Evidence is traced to the narrations seen in the writing and how activities were described. The findings of this study suggest that the bilingual child has his own strategies in writing and that his cultural background can influence the way he writes.

Speaking English is a common phenomenon in the Malaysian linguistic landscape but due to the vari... more Speaking English is a common phenomenon in the Malaysian linguistic landscape but due to the various levels of oral proficiencies (see that exist in the society, Malaysian speakers revert to a number of strategies in their desire to use English in oral interactions. This study used secondary and primary data of spoken English used by local Malaysians in oral communication. Data were recorded and transcribed using the normal Roman alphabets with minor details like laughter, pauses and repetitions being indicated within the utterances. Translations were provided where code switching is involved and bold fonts were used to show the occurrence. A framework which focuses on language use and communication strategies was applied by looking at the contents of the utterances. Analysis of data suggests that ethnic Malaysian speakers rely on specific strategies in speaking English. This research may have focused on a small group of Malaysian speakers but the significance of this study revealed that cultural influence and possibly upbringing has an impact on how speakers use English in Malaysia. In that regard, the findings of this study may serve as a good lead to the introduction of appropriate teaching and learning materials for adult learners of a language.

The March 8, 2008 election was one of the major events to have occurred and changed the way polit... more The March 8, 2008 election was one of the major events to have occurred and changed the way politics had been viewed in Malaysia. The change may have been caused by the Malaysian people's frustrations in how the country had been progressing (or deteriorating). In 2009, the 1Malaysia tagline was created by the Prime Minister, Datuk Najib Abdul Razak, to gain back the people's trust. Two factors are of essence here: mutual respect and trust among the different races in Malaysia. Both were seen as encompassing tolerance, unity and diversity. Of the population, Malaysian Chinese make up 25% of the 27 million people in Malaysia. Like all citizens of a country, they too have grievances and dissatisfactions. However, with the current government announcing racial harmony and unity more explicitly and sincerely, it is hypothesized that their views about their Malay counterparts may have changed to become more accepting. This exploratory study gauges the viewpoints of 24 Malaysian Chinese about their Malay counterparts. The ethnographic approach (Hymes, 1963; uses structured interview questions to elicit oral responses of 20 to 60 year old respondents. Verbal data was then transcribed and discourse analysis was used to analyse the linguistic data. Analysis suggests that the Malaysian Chinese respondents perceive their Malay counterparts both positively and negatively.

Child language acquisition is a field of research that generates intense interest and yet can be ... more Child language acquisition is a field of research that generates intense interest and yet can be so debatable, particularly, in specific areas of acquisition. Debates abound suggesting that biological endowment is the reason that enabled language acquisition while others believe that it is the environmental support which the child gets, besides his cognitive development. Where sounds precede words in acquisition, it has also been argued that children acquire vowels prior to consonants whilst naming words are more frequently articulated than action words. Nonetheless, from close observations of one Malaysian child, this study provides the vocalisations made by a child who had been brought up in a multilingual setting. This paper will show evidence of the acquisition of consonant sounds which are illustrated in the vocalisations he had made from the time he was born until age 12 months. Analysis of data will indicate that vowel sounds were acquired first but they were limited to only a few which were hypothesised to be easy to produce. In discussing the issue on the acquisition of consonants, this study also argues that only consonant sounds which are easier to develop are produced first. The findings of this study further suggest that the maturation of the vocal tract and the changes it incurs may have an impact on the child's ability to produce certain consonant sounds, some of which require more effort to produce as they are comparatively difficult. By difficult it is meant experiencing certain obstructions involving the lips and muscles. Some aspects of the data analysis seem to support the findings of previous studies while some displayed dissimilarities which will be discussed in the paper.

Objective This booklet was compiled for the purpose of guiding students at all levels of higher e... more Objective This booklet was compiled for the purpose of guiding students at all levels of higher education to:  Become accustomed to reading academic articles  Be interactive as they read  Be more critical as they interact with the article

Among other societies, the Chinese seem to put more emphasis on using appropriate forms of addres... more Among other societies, the Chinese seem to put more emphasis on using appropriate forms of address when interacting with relatives as well as others. Besides the influence of the family hierarchy (Lu Chang 2003, Huang and Jia, 2000), the emphasis is also the result of the Confucius teachings of politeness. It has been said that one good indicator of social changes is the use of the forms of address in a particular society. Hence, it may be possible that the traditional forms of address observed by immigrant Chinese in their heydays may have changed due to the influence of the local environment and the change in lifestyles. This study aims at identifying the various forms of address used by Malaysian Chinese in their social interactions with others in various contexts. Via participant-observation, spoken data that employ the various forms of address are then manually recorded into a journal. Factors like age, gender, profession are seen as possible determining factors. The articulated forms of address are then analysed in terms of the traditional types which have been listed by literature (see Huang and Jia, 2000 and Wikipedia). Data is also divided into the various domains of home, the workplace and education. The findings suggest that some of the traditional forms of address are still in use but other forms of address have also emerged as a result of the influence of the local environment, education (Yang, 2007) and other factors.

Many lecturers as academicians are trained in their respective disciplines to teach and do resear... more Many lecturers as academicians are trained in their respective disciplines to teach and do research of their own. However, few are given specific trainings to supervise research students. Consequently, misunderstandings occur and research outcomes are affected. This paper aims to detect how new lecturers view the importance of postgraduate supervision and specifically, their awareness of the levels of research supervision. A group of 45 new academicians of a public university voluntarily participated in an open survey form which comprises 17 questions listed with 5 Likertpoint items. Analysis was done manually and results show that more than 94% of them considered all the functions important. This indicates that new lecturers are aware of the roles a supervisor plays. However, their indication of importance varies and they do not concur on the levels of supervision. In other words, they were not aware that supervising research students can occur on three levels: pre-research, during research and post-research. The pedagogical implication of this survey indicates that new lecturers need to go through training for supervisory skills before they are given postgraduate supervisees.