Language Learning Strategies, Compensation Strategies Used by Learners, and How It Matters

 

There is an old Chinese proverb- “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish and he eats for a lifetime”. This proverb interprets a meaning to the language learning and teaching arena. If students do not solve their problems and they are provided with the answers, the immediate problem might be solved. But if they are taught the strategies to solve their problems for themselves that can facilitate them more and they will be empowered to manage their own learning.   

There are many factors which influence our language acquisition and skill development. The elements which affect our language learning abilities are motivation, intelligence, methods, techniques, and appropriate language strategies. Language learning strategies are the main factors that indicate how and how well- the students learn a second or foreign language independently or autonomously.

One of the earliest researchers, Rubin (1975, p.43) provided a definition of learning strategies as, “the techniques or devices which a learner may use to acquire knowledge”.

Rigney (1978, p.23) defined it as, “operations or steps used by a learner that will facilitate the acquisition, storage, retrieval or use of information”.

Learning strategies are defined as “specific actions, behaviors, steps, or techniques – such as seeking out conversation partners, or giving oneself encouragement to tackle a difficult language task – used by students to enhance their own learning” (Scarcella & Oxford, 1922, p.63).

Language learning strategies are “specific actions taken by the learners to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-direct, more effective and more transferable to new situations” (Oxford, 1990, p.8).

The study habits and learning expectations may become obstacles to learning a language. In fact, it is important to know that how the students apply different language strategies in solving linguistic problems. A strategic learner gradually becomes more confident. Brown (1994:96) considers “strategies investment, the learner’s own personal commitment of time, effort, and attention” which related to student achievement and proficiency. Though good language learners consistently use certain types of learning strategies, but skilled teachers should help their students develop an awareness of learning strategies and provide some instructions to students learn how to use more relevant and powerful learning strategies. 

Now the questions can be asked like what makes a strategy positive and helpful for a learner, and how they (teachers and students both) can identify which one is good and which one is bad for a learner? A strategy is useful when some facts are present- if the strategy relates well to the L2 task, if the strategy fits the particular student’s learning style preferences, if the students can employ the strategy effectively, and as well as, link it with other relevant strategies. Learning strategies can also enable students to become more independent, autonomous, and lifelong learners (Allwright, 1990; Little, 1991). 

There are two major classes of strategies- direct strategies and indirect strategies, which are subdivided into three groups. On the authority of Oxford (1990; p.17), strategies system includes: 

 

Direct Strategies -  

                                I.            Cognitive Strategies - practicing, receiving and sending messages, analyzing and reasoning, creating the structure for input and output.         

                             II.            Memory Strategies – creating mental linkage, applying images and sounds, reviewing well, employing action.

                          III.            Compensation Strategies – guessing intelligently, overcoming limitations in speaking and writing.

 

         Indirect Strategies:

                                      I.            Metacognitive Strategies – centering your learning, arranging and planning your learning, evaluating your learning.

                                   II.            Affective Strategies – lowering your anxiety, encouraging yourself, taking your emotional temperature.

                                III.            Social Strategies – empathizing with others.     

 

Compensation strategies refer to strategies that learners use to solve a linguistic problem using their available linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge. Oxford (1990; p.47) defines compensation strategies as, “Enable learners to use the new language for either comprehension or production despite limitations in Knowledge. Compensation strategies are intended to make up for an inadequate repertoire of grammar and, especially, of vocabulary”.

It is really difficult to compensate when the learner does not know the exact word or the meaning of it. Oxford (1990) deals with the difficulty of whether a compensation strategy like looking for synonyms when the exact word is unknown is a learning strategy or a communication strategy. The compensation strategies are used to overcome knowledge gaps and to continue production in an L2.

Moreover, Oxford (1990: p.49) offers 10 compensation strategies for us – guessing by linguistic clues, guessing by other clues, switching to the mother language, getting help, using mime or gesture, avoiding communication partially or totally, selecting the topic, adjusting or approximating the message, coining words, and using circumlocution or synonymy. It helps all levels of learners who do not know the exact expression, who fail to hear something clearly and who are faced with the situation where they are not clear about the meaning of the vocabulary. Generally, guessing is useful for listening and reading. It also helps the students to think about their knowledge and to overcome the limitation of the four language skills.

The students often avoid communication and give up or turn out two ‘strategies’ or ‘reactions’ that are not very effective for learning or maintaining communication. Teaching students positive strategies to communication on idea with limited vocabulary and grammar will improve test scores, increase conversation practice, and help students become more confident and competent in terms of communication.

However, Gardner (1985: p.18) suggests that maintaining or increasing the student motivation is one of the challenges that teachers face in improving language learning. Abdesslem (1996: p91) argues that highly motivated students become more wary of classroom that tend to focus on form instead of enabling them to interact in the target language, which means accuracy over fluency. On the other hand, students without high motivation can experience successful interaction in the target language. Thus, teaching students compensation strategies can increase motivation, improve students’ potential for success in learning, and effectively engage in meaningful communication. 

Ultimately, Oxford (1990; p.80) developed her view of compensation strategies within the framework of language learning strategies that aim to teach skills to help students become autonomous learners. As can be seen, compensation strategies are beneficial for communicative competence, the students should be made aware that the use of more than one strategy is preferable.

 

References:

1.      Oxford, R. L. (1990). Language learning strategies that every teacher should know. Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.

2.      Rubin, J. (1987). Learner strategies: Theoretical assumptions, research history and typology. In A. L. Wenden & J. Rubin (Eds.) Learner strategies in language learning (pp. 15-30). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

3.      Windle, S. (2000). From Confusing to Confucian: Towards an Understanding. The English Connection, 4(6), 1, 6-8.

4.      Taghinezhad, A., Azizi, M., Shahmohammadi, S., Kashanifar, F. S., & Azadikhah, M. (2016). Comparing the Effects of Direct and Indirect Learning Strategies on Iranian EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Learning. Comparing the Effects of Direct and Indirect Learning Strategies, 3(1), 133-144.

5.      Abdesslem, H. (1996). Communication Strategies or Discourse Strategies in Foreign Language Performance. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, Sheffield UK. 34(1), 49-62.

6.      Brown, H. (1994). Principles of language learning and teaching (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

7.      Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: the role of attitudes and motivation. London: Edward Arnold.

8.      Rigney, JW (1978). Learning strategies: A theoretical perspective. In H F O’Neil (Jr) (ed) 165-205.

9.      Allwright, D., 1990: AutonomyinLanguagePedagogy. CRILEWorkingPaper6. Centrefor ResearchinEducation,UniversityofLancaster,U.K.

10.  Abdul, S. M., Sahib. (Mar, 2016). Compensation Strategies Used by EFL Learners in Speaking and Listening Skills. Journal of University of Thi-Qar, 11(1).

11.  LearningStyles&Strategies/Oxford, GALA2003.

12.  K. C. (2015). Direct Language Learning Strategies in the theory by Rebecca Oxford in English vocabulary acquisition at the age group of 11-12 year olds. World Scientific News, 7, 179-206.

 

 

A Guide to the Anatomy of the Brain

 

The human brain is not only one of the most important organs in the human body; it is also the most complex. In the following tour, you will learn about the basic structures that make up the brain as well as how the brain works. This is not an in-depth look at all of the research on the brain. Instead, the goal of this brain tour is to familiarize you with major brain structures and their functions.

The Cerebral Cortex

The cerebral cortex is the part of the brain that functions to make human beings unique. Distinctly human traits including higher thought, language and human consciousness as well as the ability to think, reason and imagine all originate in the cerebral cortex.

The cerebral cortex is what we see when we look at the brain. It is the outermost portion that can be divided into the four lobes of the brain. Each bump on the surface of the brain is known as a gyrus, while each groove is known as a sulcus.

The Four Lobes

The cerebral cortex can be divided into four sections, which are known as lobes (see image). The frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, and temporal lobe have been associated with different functions ranging from reasoning to auditory perception.

• The frontal lobe is located at the front of the brain and is associated with reasoning, motor skills, higher level cognition, and expressive language. At the back of the frontal lobe, near the central sulcus, lies the motor cortex. This area of the brain receives information from various lobes of the brain and utilizes this information to carry out body movements. Damage to the frontal lobe can lead to changes in sexual habits, socialization, and attention as well as increased risk-taking.

• The parietal lobe is located in the middle section of the brain and is associated with processing tactile sensory information such as pressure, touch, and pain. A portion of the brain known as the somatosensory cortex is located in this lobe and is essential to the processing of the body's senses. 

• The temporal lobe is located on the bottom section of the brain. This lobe is also the location of the primary auditory cortex, which is important for interpreting sounds and the language we hear. The hippocampus is also located in the temporal lobe, which is why this portion of the brain is also heavily associated with the formation of memories. Damage to the temporal lobe can lead to problems with memory, speech perception, and language skills.

• The occipital lobe is located at the back portion of the brain and is associated with interpreting visual stimuli and information. The primary visual cortex, which receives and interprets information from the retinas of the eyes, is located in the occipital lobe. Damage to this lobe can cause visual problems such as difficulty recognizing objects, an inability to identify colors, and trouble recognizing words.

A Brief History of Teaching Reading

 

The Alphabet and the Alphabet Method:

Alphabetic writing first emerged in Middle East more than 5,000 years ago.

v  Roman Alphabet -

 

Ø  Descends from the symbols used by the Phoenicians.

Ø  Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet roughly 3,000 years ago.

 

v  The spelling method or the alphabet (ABC) method employed into the 19^th century in Europe and America.

v  The Greek philosopher Socrates discovered that the alphabet method is harmful.

v  Saint Augustine’s doctrine of reading silently came in the year 384.

v  This method fell from use in America in the late 1800s.

 

Early Innovations in Europe 

v  The alphabet method came about 1500s in Europe.

v  In 1527, the German teacher Valentin Ickelsamer prepared a reading book called The Shortest Way to Reading about a new method.

v  Synthetic Phonics Method

v  John Hart introduced a similar method in a 1570 publication with the title- A Methode or Comfortable Beginning for All Unlearned, Whereby They May Bee Taught to Read English, in a Very Short Time, with Pleasure.

Ø  Phonic Approach

v  In 1658, the Moravian educator Johan Amos Comenius published- The Orbis Sesnusalium Pictus.

Ø  The beginning of the word method

Ø  A picture alphabet that taught phonic associations

Ø  Analytic phonics

Ø  The Orbis method was popular in Europe more than 100 years.

 

The Scene in Early America

v  The alphabet method was used in colonial America for teaching reading.

v  Primers and Bible (morality & morality)

v  The spelling method was employed in the colonial primers.

v  The popular primer ‘New England Primer’ was published in Boston in 1690.

v  Spelling books replaced primers in the 1700s.

v  Noah Webster published the spelling book ‘American Spelling Book’ in 1783.

v  The “old blue-back speller” employed the alphabet method.

 

 

Changes and Reforms in the 1800s

v  Horace Mann observed the alphabet method as harmful into European school in 1843.

v  The word method and the phonic method got popularity in the United States during the 1800s.

v  A Midwestern professor William H. McGuffey produced a graded series for the reader.

v  The McGuffey readers provided with the format of the phonic method, the word method, or both in 1879.

v  The sentence method emerged in the late 1800s.

v  George L. Farhnham published his pamphlet- The Sentence Method in 1881.

v  Phonic methods were developed in that time also.

v  Rebecca Pollard described the synthetic method in 1889.

v  Reading scholar Edmund Burke Huey referred the method as a crime….be suffered.

v  Huey praised another method- the language experience approach.

v  Francis Parker and John Dewey called it as the activity approach.

v  Parker attributed this approach to The Orbis.

v  In 1890, Charles W. Eliot, the president of Harvard University, emphasized on the story method in teaching reading.

 

The Early 20^th Century

v  Phonic methods found new popularity

v  The new development prompted in 1915.

v  A new pedagogy- silent reading was superior to oral reading.

v  The activity approach grew popularity in the early 20^th century.

v  William S. Gray at the University of Chicago accomplished the classify and sequence reading skills.

v  Gray developed a comprehensive skills model of reading with four levels, from 1930s to 1960s.

 

The “Conventional Wisdom” of the Mid 20^th Century

v  A historic example by Gray in the 1940s and 1950s was ‘The New Basic Readers’ basal reader series.

v  The ‘look-say’ approach – called oral recitation and Comprehension were included.

v  Oral reading and interpretation were included.

v  Chall referred the basal reader series as the ‘conventional wisdom’ from the 1930s through the 1950s.

 

Alternatives to the Conventional Wisdom

v  In 1955, a professor of rhetoric, Rudolf Flesch published- Why Johnny Can’t Read and What You Can Do about It. It condemned the look-say approach and advocated a return to phonics.

v  Rebecca Pollard promoted ‘guesswork’ with dissatisfaction in 1889.

v  Other challenges to the conventional wisdom emerged in the 1960s.

v  Chall introduced “the great debate” over how best to teach beginning reading.

v  Chall referred two opposing approaches- Code Emphasis and Meaning Emphasis.

 

The Later 20^th Century

v  More fundamental changes were brewing.

v  Kenneth Goodman, Frank Smith, and others brought a change known as- Whole Language in the 1970s.

v  Holistic approach of Parker, Dewey and others.

v  In 1990s, Marilyn Jager Adams published- Beginning to Read.

v  The 1990s was concerned on developing phonemic awareness.

v  A balanced approach was found growing in the close of the 20^th century.

 

 

                                          

                                        

 

Writing is Effective When All Steps are Used by The Writers

 

Writing is effective when all steps are used by the writers while they compose an essay and a great piece of writing moves towards communication. Here the answers of question 1, 2, 3 are given below:

1.      One definition of writing is “the process whereby a person selects, develops, arranges, and expresses ideas in units of discourse.” Do you agree with this definition? Does it imply a particular orientation to teaching L2 writing? How would you define writing?

 

Yes, I strongly agree with this definition because the process approach to writing teaching emphasizes the writer as an independent producer of texts. Actually it implies a particular orientation to teaching L2 writing. The model of writing processes are mostly accepted by L2 writing teachers, which is known as the original planning-writing-reviewing framework. This was established by Flower and Hayes (Flower, 1989; Flower and Hayes, 1981). According to them, “Writing is a non-linear, exploratory, and generative process whereby writers discover and reformulate their ideas as they attempt to approximate meaning.” (Zamel, 1983:165)

A process model of writing instruction to develop the abilities to carry out a writing task, and the stages of writing process are crucial. In fact, a significant number of writing teachers adopt the process orientation as the main focus of their courses and the approach has had a major impact on writing research and teaching, especially in North America.

 

In the first place, selection of topic is the most important part in this writing process. Generally topic is selected by the teacher and/or students.

Second, prewriting stage of writing process involves gathering ideas or brainstorming and collecting data. Teachers can help students in several ways like creating lists, note taking, outlining, and researching.

Third, composing stage which involves getting ideas down on paper, reading to discover more about the author and author’s style, and reminders from other texts.

Fourth, the response to draft is an important stage. In this stage, teacher/peers respond to ideas, organization, and style. Especially students begin writing, connecting, and developing different ideas.

Fifth, revising is the stage of writing that involves rewriting, reorganizing the style, adjusting to readers, and refining ideas. It emphasizes on examining sentence structure or grammar, word choice, voice, and everything.

Sixth, response to revisions is related with teacher/peers respond to ideas, organization, and style.

Seven, proofreading and editing stage involves in checking and correcting form, layout, evidence, etc. For example: spelling, grammar, usage of vocabulary, and punctuation.

Then, the evaluation stage of process approach of writing, whether teacher evaluates progress over the process, and the overall effectiveness of the writing.

After that, publishing is the going public stage, whether writing got published through class circulation or presentation, noticeboards, websites, etc.

Lastly, follow-up tasks to address the weaknesses. 

Finally, we can define writing as a way to express ourselves, to inform a reader, to persuade a reader, or to create a literary piece.

 

 

2.      Look again at the sections on the Process and Genre approaches. How do you think each might answer these fundamental questions about teaching writing?

 

·         What is involved in the process of becoming a writer?

·         What are our criteria for good writing and how do we communicate these to learners?

·         How should teachers intervene in students’ writing?

 

The development of writing skill is complex. It begins from product-oriented approach to a process-oriented approach and also to genre approach. 

Moreover, there are six traits of writing which involve in the process of becoming a writer. These are ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, word choice, and conventions. The idea is related with the topic of story or the main message. Organization is the way how the story is written and organized. Particularly voice refers to what makes the story unique to the author. Have to make sure the sentences flow because the sentence fluency is important. Writers need to focus on conventions like spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Have to beware of using simple, complex, and compound sentences properly. As well as, avoiding common phrases is necessary; need to focus on vocabulary and it makes writing realistic for the genre.

 

However, the criteria of good writing are subject content, composing processes, textual forms, and the communication with readers. We write something to achieve some purpose, and the relation between writer and readers actually matters. Especially topic should be decided from the personal emotions and experiences, and must be relatable. We can communicate these to learners by introducing with some factual genres. In recount genre, we can reconstruct past experiences by retelling events in original sequence. In procedure genre, we should simply show how to processes or events are accomplished, and this is called ‘metacognitive awareness’. With description genre, we may give an account of imagined or factual events, and enough descriptive feedback. In report genre, we can try to present factual information about a class of things by classifying them and describing their characteristic. It can be interactive feedback. Sometimes it can be peer feedback which is more facilitated. Finally through the explanation genre, we can give reasons or logical statements to affairs and judgement also.

 

Actually a good teacher needs to be understanding to all learners equally. S/he must be fair, reasonable, and sensible at his/her pace. Teachers can help students to introduce with different genres and distinguish between them. Teachers can make them to write more effectively using proper structures. Mainly teachers should intervene in students’ writing by developing control of the genre. The teachers here can adopt an interventionist role, ensuring that students are able to understand and easily reproduce the rhetorical patterns, expressing the meanings.

 

3.      The process and genre approaches are often presented as polar extremes. Can you think of ways that they might be seen as complementary rather than as incompatible?

Many researchers have mentioned that the teachers should not only adopt just an approach all the time in the classroom. Combining these two approaches or sometimes more than two can be considered as a new way to teaching writing. This combination allows students to understand the relationship between purpose and form for a particular genre. As well as, it develops the processes of prewriting, drafting, revision, and editing.

However, both approaches complement each other, and additionally ensures that grammatical and vocabulary items are not taught in isolation. It is rather than taught in meaningful and interactive situations, derived from the particular genre.

Therefore, here practicing process approach and rewriting on different genre is so important.  

The Main Six Strategies to Improve Reading Skill in Academic Context

Strategies to Improve Reading Skill in Academic Context According to Oscar Wilde, "If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all." Reading is an essential part of language at every level of learning because it supports in multiple ways. Often students rely on their linguistic knowledge, a bottom up strategy. Bottom-up processing starts with the words in the text and builds up meaning from this linguistic input (Gough 1972, in Bruce 2011:142). 

However, students should focus on top-down strategy to adjust their reading behavior to deal with different situations, types of input, and reading purposes. As a matter of fact, we need complete and explicit reading in any context and principally in an academic context at any rate. Reading to learn the language: Students need a variety of materials to read. Teachers should provide proper vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, discourse structure within authentic context. Students gain the capability of how to convey meaning. Reading for content information: Students' purpose of reading is generally gathered the information about the subject, language, and learning classroom as well. Reading for cultural knowledge and awareness: Students can insight into the different lifestyles and worldviews by reading materials. Nowadays, students have to access the newspaper, magazines, and websites which expose the culture. Critical reading or academic reading should involve presenting a reasoned argument that analyses and evaluates what you have already read. Being critical in an academic sense - means advancing the understanding, not dismissing or closing off learning. EAP students are at the center of this reading, learning process and EAP teachers must have to construct the student-centered approaches and materials. 

There are lots of strategies that can help students read more quickly and effectively. The six key strategies help students to develop their reading skill in academic context prominently. 

First of all, vocabulary and language development. Teachers can introduce new concepts or ideas by discussing new key vocabulary words through this strategy. It helps to build the students' background knowledge. 

Secondly, guided interaction. Teachers should structure the lessons in a way, so that students work together to understand what they read - by listening, speaking, reading, and writing collaboratively about the academic context. 

Thirdly, metacognition and authentic assessment. Generally, students memorize information. Teachers have to teach thinking skills or help to create the metacognitive ability. 

Fourthly, explicit instruction. It upholds the direct teaching of concepts, academic language, and reading comprehension as strategies which needed to complete classroom tasks. 

The fifth strategy is the use of meaning-based context and universal themes. It refers to something meaningful from every day's life and applying it in academic concepts. Students are highly motivated, when they can connect their lives or cultural background to something interesting. In that case, their learning progress is satisfactory.

Finally, the use of modeling, graphic organizers, and visuals. The use of a variety of visual aids, including pictures, diagrams, and charts is benevolent for students, especially ELL (English Language Learner) students. The language and the content, both become accessible to students through visuals. 

Context clues can significantly increase reading comprehension and consistently read academic context. Even, students should reconsider the different types of contextual clues, such as synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples, and experiences whilst reading thoroughly the text. Students need re-read for better understanding or better learning. 

A clear sense of right and wrong and the strength to command the good and forbid the evil...

 THERE IS A story that Allah ﷻ mentions in surah al Araf that is worth revisiting again and again. He ﷻ describes a village by the sea at the time of Bani Isra'il. Like most villages by the sea, the people's livelihood was dependent upon the bounties from the sea. Allah ﷻ wanted to test the people so He sent the fish in abundance on the day of the Sabbath when the people could not work. And He held back the fish the other days. Some people amongst the village thought of clever ways to bypass what was happening by setting up their nets and other traps the night before the Sabbath. Technically they could say that they were not working but the truth was otherwise. They were the wrongdoers. Another group amongst the village saw what they were doing and proceeded to warn them against their actions. There was a third group that emerged from amongst the villagers. They did not involve themselves in the deceit, but they also did not speak against it. Allah ﷻ captures the conversation between these two groups of believers, those who spoke out and those who remained silent. لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا ٱللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا ‘Why do you call to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?’ (al Araf 164) قَالُوا۟ مَعْذِرَةً إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ ‘They replied: ‘In order to be free from guilt before your Lord, and perhaps they may fear Allah.' (al Araf 164) Those who remained silent saw no benefit in advising or warning and had lost hope in the wrongdoers. The wrongdoers after all had chosen to do wrong and so Allah would deal with them severely. This group felt safe in their own righteousness. The warners however give us an insight into what it means to be truly righteous. First and foremost, they saw a personal benefit from speaking up against sin. They advised and warned and preached so that they themselves would not be accounted by Allah on the Day of Reckoning and so that they could say to Allah that they had tried their best to help those amongst them who had strayed. Secondly, they felt a genuine sense of responsibility and care for those around them. Even though the chance of change was small, they did not give up hope in those who had gone astray for they knew that guidance is ultimately with Allah ﷻ and their role was just to convey the message and remind in the best way. Allah ﷻ mentions the fate of only two groups. فَلَمَّا نَسُوا۟ مَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنجَيْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلسُّوٓءِ وَأَخَذْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ بِعَذَابٍۭ بَـِٔيسٍۭ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ ‘When they ignored the warning they were given, We rescued those who used to warn against evil and overtook the wrongdoers with a dreadful punishment for their rebelliousness.’ (al Araf 165) Those who did evil were punished and those who warned were saved. And those who remained silent? Allah ﷻ knows best of their situation. What we do know is that the Prophet ﷺ told us: ‘When the people see the wrongdoer, and they do not stop him from doing wrong, then it is soon that Allah shall envelop them in a punishment from Him.’ (Tirmidhi) And he ﷺ established a general rule: “Whoever among you sees evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is unable to do so, then with his tongue. If he is unable to do so, then with his heart, and that is the weakest level of iman.” (Muslim) It is easy to become complacent in the face of evil, to become desensitized to it, and to feel that we cannot do anything. In fact, we are often taught to accept much evil under the guise of tolerance and not being ‘judgemental’ whilst the boundaries of evil and good are becoming increasingly blurred under societal ideas of ‘moral relativism. This is a worrying trend that our children's generation is facing and is one that we have to understand and resist. After all, good needs to triumph over evil, and good men cannot afford to be silent or do nothing. Our deen teaches us a clear and constant difference between right and wrong and gives us the courage to stand up for what is good and true. That is what makes the Believers unique: كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ‘You are now the best people brought forth for (the guidance and reform of) mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.’ (ale Imran 110) May Allah ﷻ grant us the ability to develop in our children a clear sense of right and wrong and the strength to command the good and forbid the evil. Ameen

 https://muslimparentsintraining.com/2021/11/10/the-good-the-bad-and-those-who-remain-silent/

Intensity

Every single time you helped someone, every single time you did something good, something kind, something thoughtful, promise yourself to never change even if people do, never regret it, never feel sorry for yourself, never tell yourself that you were a fool for helping too much, for being too good, too kind, too human, because this will all be beautifully returned back to you in so many unexpected ways. Just know that God is always just.            

~May Abd El Aziz