#GROUP DISCUSSION 2

    1)      How has CMC transform the dynamics of interaction?

- Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) makes a big change to the pattern of communication among people. As suggested by its name, CMC makes people interact via technology rather than just communicating face to face as done by people from previous decades when computers are still not vastly used. People in this modern era interact by various different means of communication using computers. For example, they use instant messaging, emails, bulletin boards, video conference and social networking sites. In fact, those means of communication are more widely used if compared to face to face interaction because people are getting comfortable using those methods of conversing.

    2)      How has this transformation shape society?

- There are pros and cons in everything we do. Therefore, there will also be the positive and negative effects of using the CMC, especially towards the society.

Ø  We tend to know everyone, virtually.

In the virtual world as in the sites on the internet, we did not really see the person. Therefore, we tend to be friends with everyone especially in the social networking sites even though we did not know them. This might be because it is so easy to be bonded with people on the internet. For example, in Facebook, what we have to do to enter someone’s life is to just simply click the ‘add’ button and once he/she approve the request, we are said to be his/her friend, as simple as that. However, if we stumbled upon them in real life, we did not really talk to them.

Ø  People are becoming socially awkward

When most interaction is done via the internet, the soft skills of the users of the computers are getting tarnished. As a result, we don’t know how to mingle with people anymore, we don’t know how to develop better social relationships with others, we don’t have the skills in using languages and we don’t even know how to be flexible and how to adapt when dealing with various kinds of people. Therefore, people are becoming socially awkward and that reduces our quality as a human being.

    3)      Is this mode of communication in sync with Islam?

- Yes.  Through CMC we can strengthen the relationship among Muslims and Islam encourages us to be close to each other.

Plus, the fact that we can actually have virtual friends from different religion also is an advantage for us as we can use the medium to spread da’wah. We should bear in mind that thehukm for spreading da’wah for us as a Muslim is FardAin, which means each and every one of us should preach others, depending on our capabilities.

#GROUP DISCUSSION 1

1. Did the course incorporate the use of computer in the teaching and learning?

- Yes, Error and Contrastive Analysis did incorporate the use of computer in teaching and learning by detecting the grammatical mistakes done through the use of software such as Microsoft Office Word when students doing their work. Although the use of software in the computer can detect student’s grammatical mistakes, we can’t totally be depended on the computer alone. In other words, students also need to work together with the computer in learning and correcting each other’s mistakes. In this course, we learnt that each culture have different word choice and with the use of computer we can do research on different word choice of different culture. In conclusion, the use of computer in this course is very wide and it can be incorporated in such many ways.

2. Are the computer-based activities related to any of the THREE stages of CALL?

- Yes, especially in the stages of Communicative and Integrative CALL. In Communicative CALL grammar was taught implicitly and students work together with computer in learning by correcting each other’s grammatical mistakes. While in Integrative CALL, the computer is being used just as a tool in learning where it is a mechanism used in supplying information for the teacher and students.  The computer also is being used as the medium of interaction between the teacher and the learners and also between the learner and the other learner from across the whole world.

3. What are the important concepts in the THREE stages related to the activities?

-  COMMUNICATIVE CALL

Ø  Communicative CALL = Cognitive Approach

Ø  Computer = Pupil

Ø  Grammars was taught implicitly

Ø  Learner centered approach = Learners were left to discover the knowledge by themselves

 - INTEGRATIVE CALL

Ø  Integrative approach = the computer is integrated into the process of learning.

Ø  Authentic use of language

Ø  Task-based, Content-based and Project-based

Ø  Computer is being used as the tool for learning