JOHOR BAHRU, Jan 10 – A literature and language program titled “Heroes and Legends Across Cultures: Puppet Show Presentation” was organized by first- and second-year students of the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program from the Faculty of Educational Sciences and Technology (FEST). This initiative was in collaboration with Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sri Pulai Perdana and the U.S. Department of State English Language Programs. The project was part of Dr Faraha Hamidi’s Introduction to Literature assignment, aiming to nurture creativity, bridge cultural gaps, and inspire a love for reading among primary school students.

The event received support from the Language Academy’s Technology and Language Education Research Group at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), as well as from project advisors Carol Petersen, Dr. Ungku Khairunnisa Ungku Mohd Nordin, and Dr. Aida A. Rahman from the Language Academy, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH) at UTM. The program was sponsored by FSSH, FEST, and the U.S. Department of State English Language Programs.

The event commenced with an opening speech by Emir Nashriq Kassim, the Senior Assistant at SK Sri Pulai Perdana, who expressed gratitude to the organizers and participants for making the event a success. During her welcoming speech, Dr. Faraha Hamidi praised the UTM TESL students for their dedication and hard work. The program featured a puppet show performed by the UTM TESL students, which brought to life the legends of Badang (Malaysia) and Paul Bunyan (United States). This captivating performance enchanted the primary school students, immersing them in cultural stories worldwide.

After the puppet show, students participated in three interactive activities: scriptwriting, puppet-making, and storytelling. They were tasked with creating their own stories, designing puppets, and performing puppet shows using the puppets they had made. A panel of esteemed judges, including Dr. Ungku Khairunnisa and Carol Petersen, evaluated the students’ performances based on creativity and storytelling skills. The results revealed that Group 2 won first place, Group 5 in second place and Group 1 in third place. The event concluded with a closing speech by Carol Petersen, who emphasized the power of literature to teach values and ignite the imaginations of young minds.

The “Heroes and Legends Across Culture: Puppet Show Presentation” program successfully met its goals of fostering a love for literature, encouraging creativity, and promoting cultural understanding among students. The interactive activities not only enhanced the students’ storytelling and creative skills but also boosted their confidence in public speaking. It is hoped that similar programs will continue to be organized in the future to further emphasize the importance of literature in instilling values and nurturing creativity in younger generations.

Prepared by: Faraha Hamidi, Lavannia Uthaya Sooriyan, Lim Chia Yun

Source: UTM NewsHub