Graduate Student Seminar Summer 2024
On June 10, 2024, the Department of English and Humanities at ULAB organized the Summer 2024 Graduate Student Seminar. The program, arranged every semester, offers graduate students the opportunity to showcase their research work on various topics covered as part of their designated course activities in the previous semester. Students are nominated by their course teachers.
The program was hosted by Ms. Nadia Rahman, Assistant Professor and MA Coordinator, who provided insights regarding the session as well as related guidelines.
Quazi Farhina Hasan (Batch 241) was the first presenter of the event. Her topic “Jhumpa Lahiri’s Adventures in Translingualism” explored the dynamics of translingualism and Jhumpa Lahiri’s struggles in applying language in different contexts. Furthermore, she focused on how Jhumpa Lahiri was introduced to the Italian language.
Farzana Mir (Batch 232) presented the topic “Bangladeshi English in the Continuum of Dynamic Model.” She explained the difference of English language usage in Bangladesh in comparison to native English while also considering the historical context that influenced language in the Indian subcontinent. Farzana explored how English transformed over time and how it currently holds a place in the modern curriculum.
The presentation “Of Love and Loss” by Kashfia Nahreen (Batch 233) navigated the emotional factors that are often portrayed in poems. She read out some of her own selected poems and examined how the emotions have been woven into the lines of her poetry.
Mahia Najish Bristy (Batch 241) addressed how new methods of teaching can be implemented that differ from the traditional approaches in her presentation, “Post-Method Condition: Strategic Framework for English Language Teaching.” She explored how certain strategies can enhance students’ learning capacity and overcome the learning barriers.
“‘English and Oman’ as a Refraction of Amy Tan’s ‘Mother Tongue’” was presented by Sumaiya Swati Udita (Batch 233). She explained the dynamics of creative non-fiction ranging from truth, personal touch, emotions, vulnerability to the segmented, braided, circular and framed structure.
The topic of “Meme-o-graphy of Shakespeare: How Shakespeare is Seen through the Lens of Memes” was presented by Fouzia Jahan (Batch 231). She explained how the usage of memes have the ability to convey messages in different cultural contexts and how certain plays of Shakespeare can be observed through the lens of memes in a humorous way.
“Criticism of Grice’s Cooperative Principle” was presented by Abida Alam (Batch 232). She explained the dynamics of verbal communication and its impact in reference to the different levels of cooperation.
Farhin Younus (Batch 232) explored the concepts of resistance and cultural identity present in Kanthapura in her paper, “Resistance and Cultural Identity in Kanthapura”. She highlighted how cultural identity can be preserved through resistance and discussed the role of language as a site of resistance and cultural identity.
“Child Language Acquisition: Experience of My Fieldwork” by Shamima Sultana (Batch 241) called attention to the imitations, reinforcements, and innate abilities of children while acquiring language according to the observations and findings of her intensive field study.
In her presentation titled, “Reimagining Disability: An Exploration of Professor Charles Xavier through Lennard J. Davis’ ‘Visualising the Disabled Body’,” Fatima Tuj Zohra (Batch 241) brought forth a nuanced portrayal of the fictional character, Charles Xavier, informed by “Visualising the Disabled Body” by Lennard J. Davis. Her analysis also examined the prejudice and discrimination disabled people face.
Mehzaben Mehnaz (Batch 233) presented her paper titled, “Implementing Translanguaging Methods in Teacher Training Programs in Bangladesh” where she emphasized the importance of translanguaging in a multilingual context. She highlighted the relevance it held for teacher training programs, especially in the context of Bangladesh, and suggested actionable solutions that could be implemented.
Syeda Kamrunnahar Eti’s (Batch 233) presentation, “The Role of Formative Assessment in Enhancing Writing Skills at the Tertiary Level” focused on a comparative analysis of the differences between formative and summative assessments in writing in classroom settings. It also put forth several recommendations that could be carried out to improve the existing conditions of students.
Kaniz Fatema (Batch 233) related her topic, “The Power of Words: Personal Insights on the Impacts of Language Imperialism and Weaponisation,” to personal experiences and delved into the issues of linguistic imperialism and language weaponisation. She showed how they could stand to be interconnected and related them to social and national contexts.
For the concluding presentation, Kazi Maliha Islam (Batch 241) identified the effective pedagogical strategies and addressed the challenges of online learning in her paper, “Critical Approaches for Designing a Syllabus for Online English Language Learning in the Digital Age”. Furthermore, she proposed different methods in which syllabuses could be adapted for digital platforms.
After the presentations, Professor Kaiser Haq, Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, DEH, commended the students for their insightful papers during his concluding remarks and expressed his delight at the variety he had been presented with.
Head of the Department, Ms. Arifa Ghani Rahman, and Dean Professor Kaiser Haq handed over the certificates to the participants.
Report written by Fatima Tuj Zohra (241055030)
and Nafiur Rahman (203013012)
