ICH 2016

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An analysis of selected songs of popular music based on the concepts of existentialism
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Amarasooriya, D.N.P.
The existence of man with the individual identities amid the miscellaneous social realities has been defined and observed through the disparate social and religious ideologies thus elucidating it depending on their beliefs, prejudices and judgments. Thus the existential identities of the social being tend to waver between distinct realities questioning the true essence of their existence. Viewing this perplexing social milieu the philosophical ideology ‘Existentialism’ with a broad perspective addresses the dichotomy between the negation and acceptance that the individual identities confront in front of the meaninglessness and absurd nature of the social sphere. Popular music which has evolved through diverse genres extends its scope towards the prevalent societal and individual issues which relate with the oppression and liberation of the social being thus developing a critical discourse on the identity, survival and empowering one’s own self. Elaborating on these argumentative perspectives this research has focused on identifying the linkage between existentialist ideas and the themes of the popular music and on examining how and to which extent the concepts and thematic notions of popular music address existential viewpoints. Within the analyzing process the songs of Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody), Metallica (Master of puppets, Nothing Else Matters, The Day That Never Comes), Simon and Garfunkel (The sound of silence), Pink Floyd and Grateful Dead have been examined based on the prominent notions of existentialism and the theoretical perspectives of Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir have been given a thorough concentration. Due to the socio-cultural, sociopolitical and psycho-social conditions, the individual, his actual identity and the true essence of the ‘self’ have been moulded into an incomprehensible shape with zero identification and validity, thus thrusting their identities and lives to revolve in a futile cycle and negating and disrupting the individual who breaks away from the meaningless, absurd social pattern.
Ancient oriental methods of caring for trees: A study on the methods of Vṛkṣāyurveda described in Agnipurāṇa
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Indrajothi Thero, Baladora
Though human survival depends on various environmental factors, man, being insensitive, abuses environment in various enterprises such as food production by means of deploying environmentally harmful methods focusing on the multitude of harvest. In contrast, vṛkṣāyurveda (ancient medical science for trees) teaches us to achieve the same target in harmony with the environment, which the present paper addresses. This science is, of course, a branch of Indian Āyurveda (the science of life) and has useful references in Agnipurāṇa – one of eighteen Purāṇa texts – where we come across a good account on eco-friendly methods of cultivating. This paper is mainly based on the relevant portion of Agnipuṛāṇa regarding one of the chaotic issues in the modern era, that is, the scarcity of food with no artificial fertilizers and chemicals as they would cause numerous health problems like cancer, blood sugar, and low expectancy of lifespan. This issue is to be resolved by substituting eco-friendly methods in food production and this makes vṛkṣāyurveda to be indispensable in this respect. In the Agnipurāṇa there is a mythical aspect of expounding auspicious and inauspicious results of trees. It further comprises treatments and methods of maintaining tress as they can produce many fruits, many sprouts, and to be grown a healthy plant and so on. By explaining them all this paper provides a detailed analysis of ancient knowledge on trees as to be applicable in modern circumstances leading to a healthy society.
Approaches to the study of environmental security
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kothari, R.K.
Since the emergence of the nation state system, international security has been understood and practiced with reference to the needs and interests of states. The concept of security however took a different shape during the twentieth century when critical voices were raised for the protection of human beings and the global environment. Thus an alternative approach to security emerged that gave priority to individual and societal dimensions. In the process, the scope of security was broadened and a multi-sectoral approach was suggested to study the same. Environmental sector was one of the primary areas of multi-sectoral approaches. As a result, environmental security became high on the agenda at the national and global levels. By the twentieth century, environmental issues had been on the international agenda for a whole generation of political leaders, governmental officials, scientists and concerned citizens. The major theoretical perspectives for understanding global politics have shed light on international environmental cooperation, even though it is fairly a new area in world politics. In looking at the prospects for environmental cooperation, realism expects cooperation among sovereign states would be very difficult because international agreements reflect interests of the most powerful states strongly. Liberals, in contrast, remain inclined to believe the reality of ecological interdependence. According to them, environmental problems could only be resolved through new and far reaching mechanism of cooperation. The Marxists on the other hand blamed Capitalism as the main factor for environmental degradation. The feminist thinkers drew parallels between male control over nature and men’s control over women as connected. This apart, Green Political Thinkers provide a useful base for Green ideas about international relations. In this backdrop, this paper attempts to study the concept of environmental security through the prisms of various approaches cited above.
Aspects of eco-feminism in Amrita Pritam's novel 'Pinjar'
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Perera, U.P.
Eco- feminism is a philosophical and political movement that combines the ecological concerns with feminists, highlighting the idea that a male-dominant society can be harmful to the entire ecological system including women and children. Eco-feminists suggest that women should be centrally concerned about ending the exploitation of the eco-system which is interconnected with the exploitation of women. Through this concern, objective of eco-feminists is to consolidate the right of the liberal existence of all living beings. To accomplish this objective, it is also important to refer the literature composed through a female perspective. Though Amrita Pritam is a prominent feminist writer of Hindi literature, her feminism is not western oriented, it is born out of a typically Indian context. Her fictions are women centered and the feminine consciousness of her protagonists has generally followed the course and concern of her own life experiences about young women in India. 'Pinjar' is the most celebrated novel of Pritam which is set on the period of the partition of India. It depicts a Hindu girl who was kidnapped by a Muslim boy and then rejected by her own people as a result of conventional, male-dominant attitudes. She becomes an activist who help other women victims to overcome their agonies. The objective of this study is to recognize the eco-feministic aspects of female protagonists of Amrita Pritam's novel 'Pinjar'. This study was done through literary reviews based on eco-feminism and this is important to evoke the society against the exploitation of women and the environment by awakening the sensitivity and humanity among them.
Attitudes and motivation of undergraduates towards learning English as a Second Language
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Pushpananda, W.M.
Motivation, the driving force of many human actions, plays a crucial role in the language learning process of a person. Motivation is one factor which steers an individual towards fluency in a language. There can be different motivational types which influence a person to learn and use a language which is other than his or her mother tongue. The attitudes of a person direct him or her to have a certain behavior. As in any other aspect of human life, language learning is also greatly affected by a person’s attitudes towards the language and the community which uses that particular language. Therefore both the attitudes and the motivation of a person play an important role in the language learning process of a person, especially in the case of learning a foreign or a second language. Considering the specific context in which language learning is taking place a particular type of environment (i.e. the language learning environment) is created which greatly influence the attitudes and motivation of language learners. This study focuses on attitudes and motivation towards learning the English language among undergraduates of a Sri Lankan university. The aim of the study was to find out the level of motivation of these undergraduates towards learning the English language, the type of motivation which prevails among them and their attitudes towards learning English in general and within the university in particular. These undergraduates are from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Ruhuna. A randomly selected sample of 110 students participated in this study which used a mixed methods approach to gather data. A questionnaire and an interview were administered in order to gather data from the participants. Both quantitative and qualitative data were used in this study. The results revealed that the undergraduates who participated in the study were motivated to learn the English language to a substantial level. Determining the motivation type of these students was a complex procedure as they display different interests and necessities. It was evident that the students are both integratively and instrumentally motivated to learn the English language. The undergraduate participants of the study had positive attitudes towards learning English in general. However, they held negative attitudes towards learning English within the university.
Beauty cultural evidence found in Sandesha Kavya: Special reference to the Kotte Period
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Wimalasara Thero, Pitathalawe; Sirisudhamma Thero, Aparekke
Beauty is defined as a combination of shape, color or form that pleases the aesthetic senses. Beauty or good look is divided into two parts as internal beauty and external beauty. Healthy body parts and decorating those by using various things belong to external beauty. Maintaining good health is defined as internal beauty. This research is to find out how people kept beauty in Kotte era. The research is mainly based on literary sources. So, using Paravi Sandesaya, Hansa Sandesaya, Gira Sandesaya, Salalihini Sandesaya and Kokila Sandesaya as primary sources data is collected. And also secondary sources such as scholars’ views and judgments are followed where necessary. Finally, data is analyzed with the help of qualitative methods. Sinhala literature was limited to Buddhist themes up to the Gampola Period. But this trend changed with the Sandesa kavya. Kotte is the golden era of Sandesa history. Five Sandesa have been written in this era. Having examined these books much beauty-cultural evidence can be found. Those can be categorized as follows: Clothes Jewelry Perfume Unguents Benares Silk (Kasīsaḷu) Meuldama Lathudiya Kokkuma Silk cloth (Patasaḷu) Jewelry used in foot (Pādābharana) Perfume made from Sandal Sandal Fine cloth Wrist-band Frill (Neriya) Pearl String Flower decorations People have worn various clothes as mentioned above to make their appearance good. But most of those clothes have been worn by rich people. Women used to wear jewelry made by gold, gem, and pearl, in their lap, anklet, jingling, hands, neck. And also they have used a different kind of flower decoration, perfume and unguents in their body. Finally, in conclusion, it can be mentioned that people of Kotte era have kept their beauty in a standard way and have used different kinds of clothes, jewelry, perfume and unguents made by solid material such gem, pearl, diamond, gold, and silver as well as natural material to maintain their beauty.
Bilingualism and language pollution: A study on the impact of practicing mixed English in communication
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Ihalagama, H.A.S.
The majority of Sinhalese people use their mother tongue as the main vehicle of communication, but there is a growing trend of mixing English terms with Sinhala terms in communication activities. It is due to English becoming a major linguistic force in Sri Lanka for various reasons such as its colonial heritage, impact of globalization, new technologies of communication, growing up in international schools, increasing number of Sri Lankans working overseas and predilection for using English by many urban occupants. As a result of this, Sinhala speaking society has become a Sinhala-English bilingual society. When people use English to the detriment of their first language, then the situation appears to be discomfited and linguistically unproductive. The present study is to examine the patterns of mixed English use in day to day communication and how it affects the contamination of Sinhala language. Data and information for this study are collected from a sample of 30 bilingual and employed individuals in public and private sectors and some advertisements in printed and electronic media and name boards of commercial places. Based on the findings it can be concluded that, practicing mixed English in communication activities, influence Sinhala speakers to imitate such bilingual variations and it will lead to pollution and unsustainability of Sinhala language which is a precious cultural asset of Sinhala community.
Buddhist attitudes towards animal sacrifice
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Pathirana, R.M.
Animals are a part of the natural environment. However humans’ cruelty to animals has become a serious concern in the contemporary world. On the other hand, animal sacrifices are well- known in the world. All major religions of the world praise creation and acknowledge that humankind depends on nature for its own survival. They also teach compassion and love of all living creatures. Nearly all religions recognize the inherent value of animal life and the need to avoid animal suffering. However, many religions have traditionally involved animal sacrifices, and some still do this. Buddhism is based upon a universal idea of compassion for all life. The Buddhist faith also teaches that sentient beings are subject to rebirth as other sentient beings, and that consciousness cannot be killed. Thus, there is a disconnectedness of all living beings. The first of the Five Precepts, which are the foundation of Buddhist ethical conduct, is not to harm sentient beings. Thus it is vital that we should take steps to eliminate animal cruelty in the light of Buddhism which promotes love, compassion and non-violence (ahimsa). According to the statistics released by the United Nations, in every week more than one billion animals are being killed around the world for human consumption and this excludes animals that are being killed for sacrifices and those who are being hunted down. ‘Tripitaka’ contains a plethora of teachings which promote non-violence and compassion towards animals as the very basis of Buddhism is about spreading love and compassion. Thus the objective of this endeavor is to unearth the Buddhist teachings of non-violence and establish how effective and contribute they are in terms formulating policies in view of protecting animal rights.
Buddhist insights for pragmatic environmental conservation as shown in Vanaropa-sutta
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Basnayake, D.S.
The lack of environment-related knowledge has led mankind to the misleading idea of considering nature as the total contradiction of development. This has unexceptionally affected environmentalists’ ideas. The hostile approach of environmental activists towards development projects might be beneficial, but not always. It is as harmful as capitalistic values which encourage creating more desires at the cost of nature. When environmentalist organizations work hard for an environment unaffected by development (which is, in fact unrealistic), many others attempt to make their lives more luxurious at the expense of nature. Both people equally hinder the betterment of mankind. Indeed the conflict between nature and culture is not new. The protection of environment should collaborate with a pragmatic and rational basis. How our ancestors worshipped nature out of fear is not the exact model which deserves for the twenty-first century equipped with better scientific and technological advancements. Development and environment should not sacrifice themselves for one another. Instead, both phenomena should be in a delicate balance. The present study shows how this attitude is shown in the Vanaropa-sutta in Saṃyutta-nikāya, an Early Buddhist discourse. In this discourse, the Buddha shows those who plant groves and build things for facilitating others grow their merits. This discourse discloses a kind of environmental activism which is not obstructive to the development for human well-being. It shows nature and man-made creatures can equally be beneficial some times. As a system of thought which encourages a “middle-way” philosophy, it is no wonder that Buddhism advocates a rational, experiential and pragmatic basis of environmental conservation.
A Buddhist perspective on the influence of the human mind on climatic changes
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Dhammadassana Thero, Kosgama
Buddhism discusses the influence of the human mind and feelings on the climatic changes, especially in two discourses in the sutta pitaka. Aggañña Sutta and Saptasüryodgamana Sutta thus enunciate how the pollution of the environment affects the human mind in similar negative aspects. If someone studies and follows the discourses which reveal those facts, he/she can have a precise idea regarding how the transformation of feelings of the people affects the environment and he/she is made aware as to how the human mind directly influences the environmental pollution. Thus the present research aims to study the climatic changes mainly in terms of those discourses in Tipitaka in order to show how the mentality of the people changes directly with regard to the climatic changes. In terms of the methodology, certain relevant discourses and commentaries are studied and the facts are being investigated. A comparative idea can be deemed following those discourses and relevant commentaries. As the research is based on a library study it is directed as a qualitative study.
Buddhist solutions for modern environmental issues
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kalurachchi, A.
Most of the people in the present world have faced many environmental problems due to modernization and face problems due to natural disasters. Although, they have lost a proper place to dwell, human beings are not able to leave the world. Many environmental problems, such as earthquakes, floods, drought, tsunami, and wild-fire, have risen due to the unlimited usage of environment. These issues should be solved as soon as possible and in fact, findings solutions for such problems is a public responsibility. All the disasters have sprung up due to the influence of human activities. In investigating solutions for the above mentioned crises, some specified teachings of the Buddha can be suggested as solutions. According to Buddhist teachings, many positive attitudes and principles on the environment can be pointed out, such as use of natural recourses with responsibility and practice of loving kindness. When we go through the above points, it is possible to change the attitudes of the people to generate more awareness towards environment. Though Buddhism is not going to recommend environmental solutions, it is clear that the basic teachings in Buddhism indirectly stress the way to protect the environment. The intention of this paper is to reveal that predominant elements in Buddhism can be applied to solve the modern environmental issues.
Buddhist theory of unravelling hindrances
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Ariyawansa Thero, Yodhakandiye
Buddhism has its own identity to describe the ultimate reality. Buddha has expounded the causal law (Pali: Paṭiccasamupāda) by using two methods. Those two methods can be identified as the theory of knowledge in Buddhism. Knowledge means understanding of or information about a subject which a person gets by experience or study, and which is either in a person’s mind or known by people generally. In the Early Buddhist literature mentions that two methods of knowledge of Buddhism such as; 1) Synthesis (saṃgahānaya) and 2) Analysis (bhedhanaya). According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the term ‘synthesis’ means the act of combining separate ideas, beliefs, and styles. On the other hand, the inter-relatedness between the cause and effect is explicated according to this procedure. ‘Analysis’ means the detailed study or examination in order to understand more about somethings. In other words, it is the classification. These two methods are helped to the great realization of this ‘central philosophy of Buddhism’ which causes to impede or stop the endless saṃsāra; it is the final purification of the individual which is known as the nibbāna. The theory of cause and effect explains the nature of the beings and world (psyche and physio world). It makes response for the whole philosophical concepts such as beings, consciousness, world and elements etc. In this sense, root cause of modern society as well as conceptual issues of individuals easily can be recognized through these two theories of knowledge. Therefore, objectives of this inquiry are to illuminate the Buddhist theory of knowledge and how it is applicable to unravelling hindrances of individuals and society.
The characterization of “Have” in the English writing of second language learners in an Interlanguage framework
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Godage, J.L.W.
The grammatical structures and meanings in English writing of second language learners (ESL) are often viewed as “errors” in a negative light when they do not comply with the rules of the target language (TL). However, the learners’ use of language; often a hybrid of linguistic features of English and their first language (L1), and thus referred to as “interlanguage”, indicates significantly about the students’ developmental stage in the learning process. Hence, the focus of this study is to critically analyze the use of the verb “have” in the writing of undergraduates whose L1 is Sinhalese, with a view to facilitating student centered learning. Ninety writing samples, written in a time span of eight weeks, by thirty undergraduates who have an intermediate level of competency in English were descriptively analyzed. In the analysis, rules of L1 and target language in relation to form, for example, inflections (number, tense), negative formation and, meaning were used to interpret the learners’ use of “have” both as an auxiliary and a main verb. In identifying patterns in the use of language, those that consistently appear in all writing samples were taken into account excluding patterns that are not regular which can be performance errors. Concerning meaning, use of “have” to simulate the governing meaning; /tɪyenəvʌ/ in Sinhalese not only for possessions but also for concepts and ideas; e. g - “I have self-control”, were prominent. In terms of the use of “have” as an auxiliary verb, the common difficulty students have encountered in inflecting the verb according to the number of the subject, seemed to have roots in the influence of Sinhalese which is devoid of clearly identifiable auxiliaries compared to English.
Chinese Zen Buddhism and Philosophy
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Sarananda Thero, Dunukeulle
Buddhist meditation usually consists of "Shamatha" and "Vipasana" principles. The former is often related to concentration; focuses on certain objects, and / or settling of mental wondering. The latter is related to inner reflection to produce insight and wisdom. The Chinese 'Zen' is another meditation method. It is a very popular practice of 'Mind and Life Conferences'. In Chinese Buddhist history, it had been told that the origin of Zen Buddhism is brought by Bodhidharma (Bodaidarma, Pu – ti – ta – mo, Dharmo Daishi) around 520 A.D. As Gautama Buddha is the founder of Buddhism, Zen Buddhism's model can be said as, the time when prince Siddhartha started his meditation process in Buddha – Gaya. The author assumes that the origin of Zen Buddhism is when Bodhidarma tried to experience the process of mediation. Until that time, it was told as the way Prince Siddhartha reached his enlightenment. If Zen Buddhism is seen from the point of view of Buddhism, all Mahayana Buddhist sutras can be regarded as Zen Sutras. Lotus sutra is often quoted in the Shobo – genzo, which was written by Dogen, the founder of sote- sect within the Saddharmapundaika and the Lotus Sutra.
A comparative study of the Sāṃkhya-Yogic Caturvyūha and the heart of Buddhist philosophy
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Rewatha Thero, Udawela; Ven. Da Xing
In the Sāṃkhya-Yogic and Buddhist traditions, both fundamental methodologies adopt logic matrix and process to the discovery of a problem and solve its problem in their respective fields successfully. In fact, this research aims to make a comparative study between the Sāṃkhya-Yogic Caturvyūha and the Buddhist Four Noble Truths (Pāli. Cattāriariyasacca or Skt.catvāriāryasatya) to help practitioners to understand both traditions in the core of philosophy and practice. The Sāṃkhya-Yogic philosophies are based on the discoveries made by the sages from generation to generation and refer to the teachings of Veda-s, Brāhmaṇa-s andĀraṇyaka-s. In Brāhmanic tradition, especially Sāṃkhya-Yoga is built on the system of causation which is known as the Causality of the Four Realities (Skt. caturvyūha) to remove duḥkha and saṃsāra and achieves mokṣa. In the Sāṃkhya-Yogic tradition, the Caturvyūha is the logical approach, as avoidance(Skt.heya), origin (Skt. hetu), cessation (Skt. hāna) and means (Skt. upāya) are considered as a whole to ascertaining the misery and its ending. In fact, these fundamental conceptual theories and terminologies are formulated into a logical philosophical structure and designed in order to enable yogis to understand and perform the spiritual realities in human life. According to Buddhist tradition, the Four Noble Truths (Pāli. cattāri–ariyasacca or Skt.catvāri–āryasatya)such as suffering(Pāli. dukkha or Skt. duḥkha) and its cause (Pāli. samudayaorSkt.samudaya), the cessation (Pāli. nirodhaor Skt.nirodha)with its path (Pāli.magga,orSkt. mārga)as logic matrix which known as the perfect structural formula in human’s purpose to eradicate the impediments and be free from dukkha (Skt.duḥkha) and saṃsāra. We should note that both four-factor formula that has different methods leading to the same result which can also be improved by causality in the Sāṃkhya-Yogic and Buddhist traditions. In fact, there exists reduplicative of causality condition in both traditions. In accordance with the doctrine of the Cattāri–ariyasacca(Skt.catvāri–āryasatya) and the Caturvyūha, the first three as philosophy and the last one as practice. In other words, the first two can be set to be the existence and cause of problems while the last two constitute as the cessation of problems. The objective of this research is to make a comparative study between the Sāṃkhya-Yogic Caturvyūha and the Buddhist Catvāriāryasatyain similarities and dissimilarities for the welfare of the world to guide sentient beings to eliminate their suffering (Pāli. dukkha or Skt.duḥkha) in the life of saṃsāra and attain the liberation (Pāli. mokkhaorSkt.mokṣa) of execution and consummation respectively.
A comparative study on the concept of hell between Buddhist literature and Japanese literature
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Illukpitiya, M.D.A.C.
As Buddhists, we are all aware of the concept of hell. According to the ancient Buddhist texts, we believe the existence of hell despite the fact that we have never seen it in reality. We might have heard several stories regarding hell, the people who have experienced death or who have heard the suffering voices from hell. There are many situations like these and our interest in such cases is ever growing. Somehow, due to these facts, people do believe in both heaven and hell. However, this research will mainly focus on the concept of hell. It is quite easy to see that the concept of hell has not been limited to just Buddhist texts or Buddhism. It has been introduced in literature as well and has shaped human society while enhancing the beliefs of people. The definition of literature is the body of artistic writings of a country or period that are characterized by the beauty of expression and form by the universality of intellectual and emotional appeal. This paper intends to examine the hell which was artistically created in Japanese literature. It further intends to compare the structures of the hell between Buddhism and Japanese literary works due to encountering some interesting differences between them. Therefore, the comparative study will be based on a Japanese book called “The Spider’s Thread” written by the great Japanese novelist Akutagawa Ryonusuke, and a Sinhala book called “Ooga Tharana Maga”, which is a genuine Buddhist book in Sinhala.
The De-Facto status of the implementation of the official languages policy in police stations of Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Wickramasinghe, D.D.
The police in any given country are the guardian of the law and trust who is vested with the responsibility of maintaining public peace. Thus, they are expected to deal with the public more often than any another government official in their day today duties. The communication between the concerned parties and the police personnel is of pivotal importance in this regard – as such meditations are always interrelated with the factors pertaining to offences, law, and justice. Thus the need to be accountable, transparency is essentially woven in the language that is being used to converse with the concerned parties. Sri Lanka as a multi-lingual state declared its bilingual official languages status in its 13 th amendment to the constitution granting the equal parity for both Sinhala and Tamil languages after many contentious struggles over the years. Today, the state intuitions thus abide to offer their service to the public in the respective official languages – especially in the bilingual zones designated by the government taking into account the demographic census. It is in this light the current study concentrates on the implementation of the official languages policy in the Sri Lankan Police stations which play a crucial role in the process of the reconciliation in the post-war Sri Lanka. The study takes into account the linguistic landscape of Sri Lanka where the police stations are randomly selected out of the cluster sample of 72 bilingual divisional secretariats of the country (41 Gazetted & 31 recommended to be gazetted based upon the 20% of minority or more living in the respective divisional secretariats). The data for the study was obtained through the primary unprocessed data accumulated by the Official Languages Commission of Sri Lanka through official language physical audits that include onsite observations. The findings reveal that the implementation of the official languages policy in Sri Lankan Police Stations in the designated linguistic landscape (bilingual divisional secretariats) is ineffective in terms of the visibility and ambience and service delivery to the public due to the reasons stemming out from the lack of awareness/disregard of the official language policy and the related circulars, dearth of the police officers competent in the other official language, lack of in-station facilities to comply with the policy and the absence of a proper institutional mechanism to implement the official language policy.
The depiction of the Indian diaspora in Hindi immigrant literature
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Hirimuthugoda, H.D.
Enhancement of technology and globalization during last few decades have vastly resulted in migration and immigration to become a universal experience when compared to previous centuries. Indian diaspora; generally the Indians who are living away from their homeland face many struggles of ambivalence and adjustment. Indian immigrant being a human who is in search of identity in another human environment, Hindi immigrant literature has become a medium of portraying their experiences and mentalities. Objectives of this study are to identify the social and cultural experiences of Indian diaspora as depicted in Hindi immigrant literature and to motivate people towards contemporary literary studies and humanities. This research was done through secondary data of Indian immigrants and literature reviews. It was discovered that the Indian diaspora consists of two types of Indians: who emigrated due to the disappointment caused by the pushing factors and who immigrated because of the motivating aspects of the pulling factors. Thus the life of Indian diaspora is depicted in Hindi immigrant literature focusing on cultural shock and reverse cultural shock, economic, social and cultural struggles, discrimination, identity crisis, alienation and displacement, nostalgia, depression, cultural dichotomies, hybridity and generational gap. The depiction of the contemporary Indian diaspora and immigrant experience in Hindi immigrant literature is significant in addressing the Hindi speakers internationally and intra-nationally and then to proceed the social, cultural and literary discussions about humanities.
Difficulties encountered by students in reading German literature
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Cooray, B.M.S.
This paper focuses on the difficulties encountered by the second year students of German studies at the University of Kelaniya in learning German literature. Literary study which involves reading, understanding and analyzing the work of authors such as poems, dramas, novels, short stories and essays is a core curriculum in any foreign language where the student is expected to examine the lifestyle, norms and traditions, feelings and emotions and the life experiences of people living in the target language country. The students of German of the Department of Modern Languages of the University of Kelaniya, are introduced to German literature in their second year consisting of three poems and two dramas written by famous German authors and poets. The students who have studied grammatical, syntactical and phonetic structures of the language in their first year find it challenging to learn German literature from second year onwards. The objective of this research is to examine the difficulties encountered by the students, what steps could be taken to overcome these difficulties and what suggestions could be given to teaching literature with a more friendly and student oriented approach. This research is based upon the data collected by the distribution of a questionnaire followed by a semi-structured interview with the students, classroom observations, year-end examination evaluation results and interviews with the lecturers teaching German literature to identify the common errors made by students in learning German literature and their experiences about students’ difficulties in learning literature. According to the findings of the research, it was evident that students have difficulties in language proficiency, identifying different themes, genres, characteristics and literary techniques. Therefore, it was suggested to familiarize students with the background of the texts and their historical significance using visual materials such as films, paintings and videos which also assist them in improving their imagination and creativity and also to train them to express their viewpoint about certain social issues and to relate them to their day today lives.
The difficulties faced by students who learn Tamil as a Second Language when they are taught by Sri Lankan Tamil (Jaffna Tamil) and Muslim Tamil teachers
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Jayasinghe, D.G.T.A.
The focus of this research is to study the difficulties faced by the students who learn Tamil as a Second Language, when they are taught by both Sri Lankan Tamil (Jaffna Tamil) and Muslim Tamil teachers. The data was gathered by conducting interviews with 2 subject experts and 30 students who learn Tamil as a Second Language, in the University of Kelaniya. Data was subjected to a comparative study with a quantitative analysis. Accordingly it is found that the students face difficulties as there are Phonological, Morphological, Syntactic and Semantic differences in the same utterance, when it is expressed using both dialects. At the same time problems in question forms, word endings, reduplicated progressive in Muslim Tamil, and use of Arabic and Sinhalese words instead of the real Tamil word, by Muslim teachers could be cited. On these occasions the students tend to think that Muslim Tamil is easier than Jaffna Tamil. The reason is that, in Jaffna Tamil there are specific grammar rules even in the spoken variety but not in Muslim Tamil. Even the students are misled thinking that Arabic and Sinhalese words are original Tamil words. However, in finding solutions, it is found that learning Sri Lankan Tamil (JT) makes it easy for the students to grasp the written variety, because Sri Lankan Tamil is close to the written variety. That is hard to be done when they are taught Muslim Tamil. Sri Lankan Tamil is recommended to be taught to Second Language students, as it does not cause difficulties, by the subject experts too as it is close to the written variety.