Publication: Berita Harian, p 3 Date: 3 July 2008 deadline: Successful SMU Student Masters Seven Languages

BERITA HARIAN Top SMU student fluent in sex l ~ ~ g ' m

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Pelajar cemerlang SMU kuasai tujuh bahasa

CINTA BAHASA: Cik Syuhada yang bakal mengikuti kunus peringkat Sarjana mendapati proses sedikit sebanyak membantunya mencapai kecemerlangan dalam pelajarannya.

I FOTO: NADZRl EUNOS

mempelajari bahasa meluaskan mindanya dan

Syuhada juga muncul sebagai pelajar terbaik Sains Politik

Oleh NADZRI EUNOS nnd.zri@sph.com.sg

CINTA Cik Siti Syuha- da Faizal kepada bahasa bukan sahaja mendorong- nya menguasai tyjuh ba- hasa, malah beliau percaya ia sedikit sebanyak mem- bantunya cemerlang dalam pelajaran.

Siswazah Universiti Pe- ngurusan Singapura (SMU) itu muncul sebagai antara siswazah terbaik ta- hun ini dengan meraih ke- pujian tertinggi SMU - Summa Cum Laude bagi Ijazah Sains Kemasya- rakatan dengan dua mata pelajaran utama iaitu Sains Politik dan Psikologi.

Cik Syuhada, 23 tahun, yang boleh berbahasa Me- l ap , hggeris, Perancis, Ita- ly, Sepanyol, Arab dan Man- darin juga muncul sebagai pelajar terbaik Sains Poli- tik.

Anak seorang penyelia dan suri rumah itu bakal menerima ijazahnya bulan ini.

"Sejak dulu lagi saya mi- nat berkenalan dengan se- siapa sahaja. Mempelajari sesuatu bahasa memboleh- kan saya berkomunikasi dan menyelami budaya se- sebuah masyarakat. Ia ju- ga membuka minda dan fi- kiran," jelas Cik Syuhada yang bakal mengikuti kur- sus Sarjana Psikologi di Universiti Nasional Sin- gapura (NUS) tidak lama lagi.

Malah, beliau telah pun membuat permohonan un- tuk melanjutkan pengajian- nya ke peringkat Doktor Falsafah (PhD).

Sambil tertawa, Cik Syu- hada meneka bahawa ketu- runannya yang bercampur India, Cina dan Jawa itu mungkin menyumbang ke- pada kecekapannya me- nguasai bahasa.

Apa yang pasti, cinta anak ketiga dalam keluar- ga empat beradik itu kepa- da bahasa berputik sejak kecil.

Selepas peperiksaan Si-

jil Am Pelajaran (GCE) pe- ringkat 'O', bekas pelajar Sekolah Perempuan Raf- fles itu memenangi bia- siswa di bawah program ba- hasa elektif (Bahasa Peran- cis), Kementerian Pendidi- kan, di Maktab Rendah Vic- toria.

Penguasaan bahasa Cik Syuhada turut membantu- nya giat dalam kegiatan lu- ar daqjah di SMU.

Antaranya menjadi Du- ta SMU bagi majlis-majlis yang dihadiri delegasi luar negara dan relawan di me- syuarat Dana Kewangan Antarabangsa (IMF) dan Bank Dunia pada 2006.

Cik Syuhada, yang berci- ta-cita menjadi ahli aka- demik, juga cemerlang se- masa menjalani program pertukaran ke Perancis tahun lalu

"Bahasa penting bagi saya kerana bahasa menun- jukkan bangsa. Namun da- lam mempelajari bahasa baru, kita tidak harus lupa akan bahasa ibunda yang menjadi unsur jati diri ki- ta," ujar beliau yang amat meminati bahasa Perancis kerana lenggoknya yang lu- nak.

Source: Berita Harian O Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

Publication: Berita Harian, p 3 Date: 3 July 2008 Headline: Successful SMU Student Masters Seven Languages

Source: Berita Harian © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

Successful SMU Student Masters Seven Languages Syuhada also emerges as the top Political Science student Ms. Siti Syuhada Binte Faizal’s love for languages not only encourages her to master seven languages, but she also believes that it has more or less helped her succeed academically. The Singapore Management University (SMU) graduate emerges amongst the top graduates this year by achieving SMU’s highest honours – Summa Cum Laude for Bachelor of Social Sciences with a double major in Political Science and Psychology. Ms. Syuhada, 23, who is able to speak Malay, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin, also emerges as the top Political Science student. The daughter of a supervisor and a housewife will receive her degree scroll this month. “I have always been interested in meeting people. Learning a language allows me to communicate and gain a deeper understanding of the culture of a community. It also opens up your mind as well as widens your horizons,” explained Ms. Syuhada who will soon be pursuing a Masters in Psychology at National University of Singapore (NUS). She has also applied to further her studies until PhD. With a laugh, Ms. Syuhada guessed that her mixed heritage exposed her to Indian, Chinese and Javanese, and this could have contributed to her proficiency in languages. What is for sure is that a love for languages by the third child in a family of four siblings blossomed since young. After GCE O-levels, the former Raffles Girls’ School Student won a scholarship under the MOE French Elective Programme at Victoria Junior College. Ms. Syuhada’s proficiency in languages also helped her in her co-curricular activities in SMU. Amongst them is being an SMU Ambassador for events that were attended by foreign delegations as well as volunteering at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank meeting in 2006. Ms. Syuhada, who wishes to be an academic, also successfully completed an exchange programme in France last year. “Language is important to me as it reflects your heritage. Nevertheless, while learning new languages, we should not forget our mother tongue, it forms the basis of our identity,” said Ms Syuhada.