Student Affairs.

Cultural and sports Activity

Progressio is an annual newsletter published by the English and Translation Society (English Group). Deanship of
Department. Sultan Qaboos University, 2008

Omani Folktales
Traditional Omani Stories..
A fruitful journey to

ZANZIBAR

Academic

at SQU...
... Factors and Solutions
 Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: "…the game is to say something
new with old words". This saying inspired us when working on this is-
sue. From the beginning we were aware that this issue is not the first
of its kind nor the last. However, it is done our own way; the English
Progressio is an Annual Newsletter pub-
lished by the English and Translation So- Group’s way. Our small baby got the tenderest touches of care. It was
ciety (English Group) at Sultan Qaboos
University. Deanship of Student Affairs,
fed with love and dedication, and raised with high compassion and
Cultural and sport Activity Department. patience. What was once a helpless creature is put today on its best
2008
shape between your hands dear readers. Today, our baby is taking the
first step into adult's world. Therefore, despite how harsh your judg-
ment may be, we request that you treat it the same way we did and
not abandon it. For no matter how old it gets, it will always be our little
peddler who required hard work from us to come into the real world in
its current shape.
Editing Team This issue aims to reveal SQU students' creativity, working on it
Mathla ALWehaibi took two full semesters of hard work, collecting works written by stu-
Hammal ALBulushi
Zahra A'Shukaili
dents, selecting the best of them, checking every single word, design-
ing the pages attractively, and the list goes on and on. Producing an
Revision issue of 34 pages, requires an unimaginable amount of strain and
Dr. Adrian Rosco
Dr. Janet Holst
persistence. However, seeing the final version of the issue filled us with
Mr. Badr ALJahwari pride. It is worth every minute we spent working on it. And we assure
you that it is worth reading from cover to cover.
Design and layout At the end, we would like to express our gratitude for those who had
designer in chief
Mahmoud ALHosni dedicated their precious time and spent their strenuous efforts to sup-
designers
Azza ALKindi
port this work and help promoting it.
Naqiya ALYahiai Progressio Team
Taha ALFarsi

• If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to send them to:
english_squ@hotmail.com

• English Group web-site: www.englishsqu.net

.. Enjoy reading the magazine!

PROBATION at SQU
The Deanship of Admission and Registration shows that more than 250 students
from various colleges at SQU were placed on Academic Probation in Fall 2006..

21

From a student to a NOVELIST

He found success when he followed the light of hope shining from the second
floor of the College of Arts and Social Sciences, room 2422, the English
Group’s office..
10

Syrian Cultural Night

This event has noticeably bespoken the creativity and the abilities of the
group’s members. Specifically, it was a great chance for the fresh blood of the
group to unleash their hidden talents..
31

FOLKTALES
Traditional Omani Stories collected & Translated by: Hatim AL Taie..

25

3
The Inside Him By: Azza ALKindi

H e stops at a big glass window of a small store. His

right hand rubs over the shoddy beard which covers
almost all his face. His wide open eyes are star-
ing at a big teddy bear exhibited for sale behind the window.
The dreams and wishes of his life time have suddenly become
"It's your fate and I can't change it."

"I'll be lost again."

"Go and look for another mother"

alive and superior. An innocent smile reveals his upper tooth,
expressing the joy of the indescribable art of the world and the "Why not you?"
intelligence of human beings in being capable of discovering
the deep needs of the heart. He stretches out his hand, touches "I don't respect the man who sees half of me, the half which
the window with his finger and follows the details of the teddy any woman in the world can give. I refuse to be a guinea pig to
bear, as a mother who has first touched her new born baby. your daft philosophies. My mind and dignity are more precious
The train leaves at 9:30 and he has got one hour left to to me than to be a mother in a play with you as hero."
catch it.
"Excuse me sir.” he turns to a man standing next to him. "What about my love?"
"Did she pass from here? I can smell the scent of her per-
fume: vanilla and narcissus. The swing was moving when I "It wasn't love. It was passion. Believe me, you will forget me
woke up, but she wasn't there. Her red satin gown wasn’t in the and come to know others."
closet either. Everything was organized. Everything was quiet
except my heart. Its loud beating disturbed my busy mind. Even "So, you won't return?"
Suzi the bird was silent. Not as usual. Oh, I'm sorry sir. It seems
you don't know her." "Kill the kid inside you and I'll not return"
Just a few steps away, a candy shop attracts his atten-
tion. He will never miss the chance to buy a lollipop again. The Her face shines with whiteness and beauty that he has never
desires which flamed within him have been severely repressed. seen before. It is triumph.
He has to make it up this time He walks sand-blind and strays in the mazes of the uncon-
With eyes full of joy and a tongue enveloped by voracity, he scious mind looking for truth but never finds it.
enters the shop. He reaches the train station. It is empty. His eyes capture
Forty minutes are left and the train will leave. no figures, no people but black smoke locking the vision of his
He proceeds. His day dreams have penetrated reality destiny.
and resided on heaven. The lollipop has loaded them with all
the merits of innocence and all the virtues of purity.
He stops by an old woman and says, "Did you see her?
She took my heart with her. I want it back. I confess I didn't
understand her sometimes. She was talking in a mysterious
way like telling puzzles or jokes. She was a good story teller
though. She was happy the night before she left. I have been
looking for her for a week now, but no trace- no sign- nothing
tells her place. She must have passed from here. No? I'm sorry
but I'm not crazy. Thank you for listening anyway."
He continues to walk and falls into a reverie. Hanging in
the horizon at the door way of fantasy, he saw her face hiding
behind the clouds. Its details and embodiments are not clear
except the imperiousness which is glowing like fire.
He shouts "Why did you leave?"

"I'm still alive enjoying my freedom."

"But I can't continue without you"

5
The Conscience By: Zahra A'Shukaili

“ Is it mind over matter, or matter over mind?” the

little boy kept asking himself. He found himself in
another world where he had to live on his own. Jim
was a lovely child, yet he did not receive that kind of love
from his parents. His father foresook them leaving his wife
Jim used to sleep beside Noble so that he could feel
safe. Once, Jim had a strange dream which reminded him
of his childhood, his master and his gang. In this dream,
Jim saw himself in a fierce war where all people were
against him, even his friends. He was trying to protect
and his little child alone. His mother could do nothing. With Noble from them. He imagined his foster father taking
tears filling her eyes, she left her child on the porch of a big Noble away from him. What could he do? He did not have
house, thinking that he would have a better life. any single weapon. At last, he decided to fight with his
He was a charming child; white illumination shining bare hands. He held his foster father from his neck, press-
from his face as the sun rises in the East. A small mole ap- ing and using all his strength. Jim felt the soul of his foster
peared near his left eye giving him extra beauty. father leaving his body. His master fell on the ground dead:
In contrary to what his mother had expected, the owner “What a horrible dream it was!” Jim woke up to escape
of the big house was a mean man who used to kidnap from his past. He looked at Noble. There was something
children and force them to work for him. Just like the other strange about the child. Noble was not moving. He was out
kids in the house, Jim was forced to lie, steal and even of breath...
kill. His foster father noticed his ability to learn quickly,
so he trained him to become his right arm. Now, he is a
young man of 23 with a small mostache and sharp eyes.
Jim established his own gang. His motto was “Hunt or be
hunted” He became more of his master than a human be-
ing. Despite all these behaviors, something strange in his
heart was annoying him. He could not understand it and it
deprived him of the joy he found in murder and theft. Was it
the awakening of his dead conscience?
Once, Jim and his gang attacked a caravan. After
killing all the occupants, Jim found a child covered with
a white scarf. The smile of the child touched Jim’s heart.
It was the same feeling that he could not understand
before. Standing and observing the child, Jim did not know
what to do. Should he take the child to lead a bestial life
like his or should he leave him to his fate so that a bet-
ter person could bring him up? His friends advised him to
leave the child, but a strong relationship had been built
between them. Was it because Jim went through the same
experience of being alone? Did God give him the chance
to awaken his conscience and make up for his sins? He
decided to take the child with him, but he asked himself
whether the child’s life would be a repetition of his, just
killing and stealing. He did not know anything about the
bright side of life, the side of love. To discover this side, he
had to forget his past and start a new life with the child. He
chose “Noble” as the child’s name.

6
The Last Morning
I n a rainy morning of July, 2004, I woke up to my
mother's sweet and harmonious voice which always
gave me an extraordinary spirit. I looked through the
window at the raindrops which were like shining pearls. I felt
like a princess in a fairytale. I could sense the rays of happiness
flying all over the house. That day seemed too perfect to be real.
I went to the institute where I taught during the summer
vacation. I began teaching my students new techniques and
I was very happy of the progress that I have made. After the
first class, I heard my phone ringing. It was home. I took it with
a great enthusiasm. To my surprise, I heard voices crying and
weeping. I answered furiously; ‘what happened? Tell me,” The
reply was: “your mother is dead”.
The phone fell down and broke into pieces. All my
senses stopped. I was under a shock, whether to believe it or
not. Can my mind accept it? The answer was no, no, no! I was
shivering like a goat kept in rain. I started collecting my phone's
parts clumsily and tried to call my sister but to make it worse; I
was the first person to tell her. That news was like a knife that
went through my heart. I sat down on the floor, putting my hand
around my legs and started a journey of thinking. I tried hardly
to stop thinking, but how could I do so among these conflicting
thoughts and feelings?.
Then with a faithful heart, I walked to the main door of
the institute waiting for somebody to take me home. Unmerci-
ful drops fell down on my body like thorns but I did not move
or take a step forward. I was overwhelmed by something more
powerful. "Is this happening to me?" "Is it possible?" These
were the questions that I asked myself a million times but there
was no single answer. I was leaning on the wall of the institute
like a bird without wings.
My uncle showed up but not with the usual smile on
his face. When I took a glance at him, tears did not stop neither
from me nor from him. He came to me with open arms that
reminded me of my mother's warm lap. He helped me to get into
the car and all the way home we did not talk. We didn’t make
eye contact until we reached home.
I saw people weeping and moaning. I was passing
them unconsciously to reach my mother's body. I was walking
calmly without an expression on my face. I stepped forward
and bowed toward her body. I kissed her strongly and then I felt
hands taking me away from her, for good. All that time, I was
hearing my weeping soul but never heard a voice from others
around me. I was directed to join my brothers and sisters who
were sitting like a hunch of meat, sticking to each other, beg-
ging her to come back, so that we can have a descent farewell.
By: Muna ALBattashi
We were like robots that people directed to set, to
stand up, to sleep, and to do what they wanted us to do. People
were moving, coming and going all the day.That helped in dis-
turbing our feelings that day. However, at night there were none
of them.
Every corner and every movement reminded us of her.
She printed her soul in the house without limitation. She planted
her smiles and talks without a sense of leaving it so early. Our
souls were tearing apart when we saw our little sister who was
only six years old, crying. She could not grasp the meaning of
such unusual departure.
The eyes, the looks, and the bodies were suffering over
this unexpected crisis. My father who never showed his tears,
I saw him crying and weeping alone in the room that we were
used to call it their room but now it's only his without a partner
to share with, to talk to, and to show love to. Together they
played the most harmonious symphony for more than twenty
five years. But suddenly she left him alone.
As the sun sat into darkness, the grieving family would
set together and recall the memories of the mother we had lost,
feel the spirit of her presence and share all the details. Unfor-
tunately, these meetings would always end with the painful
memories of her death. When that moment came, everyone was
forced to silence and leave to his or her room where the real
pain would likely to appear.
Day after day, week after week, and year after year,
the pain was being alleviated but the mother is still here in our
hearts surrounded by an iron frame. Everyday we polish this
frame with love and sincerity and by putting our faith on Allah,
we realize that life has something happy to show us one day.
7
8
9
Saif ALKindi:
FROM A UNIVERSITY
STUDENT TO A
N OV E L I S T
T he English and Translation Society (ETS) is a special
group which attracts talented and gifted students. It has
always pushed students to be creative in many different
ways. Its activities, which are run by students, have inspired a
considerable number of previous university students. Saif al-
He became more sociable and gregarious. After proving his
abilities and skills, he himself became responsible for the Cre-
ative Writing Workshop. This kind of responsibility inspired him
to write many fantastic pieces such as poems and short stories
which he is now thinking about publishing in book form. When
Kindi was one such creative student inspired by ETS’ Creative we asked Saif al-Kindi about his greatest achievements in the
Writing Workshop. That was the starting point of our hero. society, he said that he was still proud to be one of the members
who organized the highly successful play “Pygmalion”.
As a freshman, Saif Al-Kindi was unable to find his way in
the university and this problem lasted for two years. He vainly Saif, our hero, reached a peak of creativity when he became
struggled to integrate SQU’s first student novel-
himself into the university ist. He started writing
community. However, the English novel, “The
when he became a third Last Messenger”, when
year student, he found he was a fourth year
success when he fol- student. When he told
lowed the light of hope Faisel al-Balushi, the
shining from the second previous head of the
floor of the College of society about this, Faisel
Arts and Social Sciences, encouraged him to finish
room 2422, the English it before the Open Day.
Society’s office. Accordingly, he devoted
his time and effort to fin-
“Rasha Al-Maamari,” ishing it and thus served
said Saif, “was the us a perfect example of
classmate who gave me the saying “ Where there
a push towards my first is a will, there is a way.”
success in life. As she was in my writing classes, she noticed Saif succeeded in finishing his first novel three days before the
that I was creative and infomed group’s members about this. At Open Day with giving credits to Dr. Roscoe for helping him to
the same time, she encouraged me to present one of my pieces edit it.
to be discussed in the Creative Writing Workshop. I was sur-
prised to hear that they immediately agreed to discuss it.”

At the beginning, he found it difficult to interact with the mem-

bers since he was very shy and solitary. However, time can
change many things. By attending every workshop and helping
his colleagues organize the society’s activities, his per-

10
sonality changed completely.
Saif’s boat of success is still sailing in the sea of creativity. He started with a novel and then when he graduated, he began writing
another novel. The boat’s voyage has not ended yet. Its skipper is still navigating it in spite of the strong waves and bad weather.
He is becoming more sophisticated in writing. When the boat has finally anchored at an island he decided to write another novel, but
this time about himself in an indirect way. So, we are going to read about the life of this sailor in a few months, god willing.

Saif’s parting message to us was memorable, he said, “Enjoy your time at the university as much as you can because your life here
is short and brief. Go ahead and do not worry about grades because there are things which when lost will never come back again,
time and happiness. Join any society at the university.” Saif ended our conversation by saying, “Life is difficult and beautiful at the
same time, but we have to understand it.”

11
 Why Suicide By: Ahmed ALRasbi
Strange … Life is strange
The people and their acts
They manipulate the facts
Strange how life is arranged
The world is in a flux
Foxes are eating an ox
It is strange …humans in rage
They persist in fighting
They persist in hurting
Strange that they are not learning with age
I am just exposing reality
Simply, there is no morality
The gray world is turning to brown after beige
There are no colors
There are no flowers
Because ‘am not a mage*
I must close this page
_____________________________
Mages: are types of fighters
The Truth By: Azhar A'Zadjali
I can’t live forever wearing this mask
I have to take it off to show you my past
I have to remember every word I’ve spoken
I have to show you how my heart was broken
I have to trust you to tell you what is in my heart
But there is a lot of pain and it really hurts
I lived in dreams and made them my master
I never thought that there would be a disaster
I loved him and gave him the best of me
But he came back to betray me
I was ready to make him the happiest person on
the earth
But when I knew it just took my breath
I couldn’t believe it; I said it’s a lie
But I was wrong, it's just that my hopes were high
Now you know everything about me
I am not going to hide anything about me
This is the truth you have to choose
You want me or you want me to move
13
Tell me… Written by Sara
Have you ever seen a flower with
dew drops on its leaves and stem while
the sun is spreading its rays of light
over the whole world? Have you ever
concentrated on that scene? And if you
have, could you see the reflected rays
of serenity glittering inside and outside
these drops?
You would not have seen the serenity
if you had expelled from your heart
love, faith and hope. In other words, you
would not have been captivated by that
scene if you had not got rid of all sorts
of mendacity such as untruth, hypocrisy
and deception.
Learn how to be faithful, satisfied,
ambitious and honest, then sit near
the waterfall to hear the calm sound of
its murmur. Look up at the sky. What
a wonderful baby blue horizon. Let
it be your window to knowledge and
inspiration. Breathe the fresh air and
whisper the word "Peace".
Now that you have got rid of dishonest
feelings CHERISH SOLITUDE and allow
old memories to invade your thoughts.
I can see you from above and
I can recognise those tears that
are rolling down your cheeks at
the moment. I feel what you feel.
Your heart is homesick without
me and my absence makes you
feel completely lost. I remember
how I used to hate everything that
reminded me of you, especially the
moon light because it used to be
so beautiful. It hurts me so much
because you were not with me
back then and you could not see
what I saw.
My precious. Tears will never
bring me back to life. I remember
how I wished to die and how I was
counting the days! I suffered a
lot…
Being in PARADISE is something
incredible. No one is here to stab
me in the back. No one is here to
play with my feelings. But seeing
you defeated without me right now
will always make me wish to be
alive once more only to console
14
 C
C R
R O
O SS SS W
W O
O R
R D
D S
S

Across
1. Largest
7. What you're called
8. Unit of area
10. Heat, water and electricity
12. Mesh
13. The daughter of
14. Separate from the rest
15. Product of human creativity
17. People of southeast Nigeria
20. Carved
23. 10 10 10...
24. Downwind
25. Orders of business Down
1. Restrain or lessen
2. Copying someone
3. A hair mousse
4. Consume food
5. Iota
6. Oak or birch
7. Religious sister
9. East southeast
11. Silly
15. Portray a role
16. Mother of Zeus (Greek mythology)
18. Stinging insects
19. Lyrical poem
21. South-southeast
22. Young man

15
 S O D U K U

Difficulty level: medium.

18
Cursing the day I saw you
By: Hammal ALBulushi
Don't die By: Aisha ALKaabi

Looking at you from a distance

I miss you.. Don't die
I wish you've never came to existence
My sun has gone and I
Have no gleam or light
Trying to stop my anger
To live a hateful night
Wishing to drown you with an anchor

You swore to stay with me

I cursed the day I saw you
As my paradise key
And was impressed by the look of you
And give me a magical horse
To fly me over the gorse
Very slim as a bamboo cane
Thus, I was bound to your love's chain
And live in an amazing world
Where no one utters a word
Now, I consider my biggest fault
Just with your eyes and mine
Which gave me a very important thought
We talk, confide and shine

I won't trust anyone like you

I wanted you so much
Or anyone who is even close to you
It caused jealousy to gush
But when I found your way,
Go without making a din
You had been taken away
Or I will deposit you in the rubbish bin

19
Factors contributing to Academic
Introduction:
He started narrating his story in a
broken voice; “I was overwhelmed with
happiness when my father told me that
my grade in third secondary school
qualifies me to be admitted to SQU.
Waves of rejoicing swept the place.”
Ahmed paused for a minute. Then,
his eyes filled with tears, “I chose the
College of Science without thinking.
I lived in a mysterious dream in that
college. I faced some psychologi-
cal problems that prevented me from
attending my classes. Step by step,
I deleted the word ‘studying’ from my
life. I was placed on academic proba-
tion for three semesters. I was about to
be suspended from SQU.” Ahmed took
a deep breath and continued his story
with a bright smile , "Then, I decided
to transfer to another college, and
indeed I moved to the College of Arts
and Social Sciences. In this college, I
found my real personality that is full of
creativity. My GPA started to increase
dramatically.” His last words came
to emphasize that his wrong choice
of college led him to be on the list of
probation students at SQU.
Ahmed‘s case is one of the cases
found in all of the universities and col-
leges in the world. Academic proba-
tion is a serious problem not only for
the students but also for the whole
academic institution. Some statistics
show that the number of probation
students varies from one aca-
demic institution
at SQU
to another. The report “Students on
Academic Probation at City College
of San Francisco” (2002) asserts that
about 9% - 10% of the students at the
College are placed on academic pro-
bation each semester. It shows that the
number of students had increased from
spring 1998 (more than 2,600 of 30,000
students were placed on Academic
Probation) to spring 2003 (about 3,500
of 34,500 students were placed on
academic probation). It also indicates
that about 22% of the students at the
City College of San Francisco become
on academic probation after their first
semester, 37% after their second term
and 16% after their third term. Another
(2005) shows that at the University of
Illinois at Urbana, about 134 of the stu-
dents were placed on academic proba-
tion (AP) in Fall 2003, but this number
had increased to 244 in Spring 2004.
The report of Academic Probation
Committee in the College of Education
at SQU (2006) notes that the number
of probation students in the College
of Education was 245 in Spring 2005,
with a majority on the male side. The
statistics of the Deanship Admission
and Registration show that more than
2050 students from various colleges at
SQU were placed on AP in Fall 2006.
This research is conducted to find
the factors contributing to
AP at SQU.
By: Taymoura Al-Abri
The main method used in this research
is a questionnaire given to 181 stu-
dents (84 males and 97 females) from
various colleges at SQU.
Findings:
** From the demographic details given
by the participants, we have come
to realize that most of the probation
students at SQU are:
- Males
- Students from college of Science
and college of Agriculture.
- Third or fourth year students.
- Those whose percentage at third
secondary school was more than 90%.
- Those whose family consists of
more than 6 people.
- Those whose family monthly income
is more than 551.
** From the data and its analysis, the
following findings appear:
1- The most effective personal factors
contributing to AP at SQU are:
- The wrong choice of the major.
- Lack of time management skills.
- Negligence of students towards
their studying.
- Dependence on others in finishing
academic assignments.
- Lack of clear goals
in life.
21
2- The most effective psychological
factors contributing to AP at SQU are:
- Lack of self- motivation to studying.
- Lack of positive attitudes towards
studying.
- Low self-esteem.
- Difficulty in coping with academic life.
- Exam anxiety.
- Depression due to low grades.
3- The most effective factors contribut-
ing to AP at SQU are the bad effects of
peer and the interference of the family
in choosing the student's major.
4- The academic factors contributing to
AP at SQU are:
- Advisors not adhering to their aca-
demic advising hours.
- Advisors not having background in
using the electronic student information
system ( SIS) in advising.
- The ( SIS) not encouraging students to
meet their advisors.
- The low numeric value given to the
grades 'D' and 'F' do not help the stu-
dents to move from AP.
- Courses being taught in English.
- Some teachers not stimulating stu- sor.
dents to their subject. 5- There should be co-ordination be-
- The time between the final exams tween the university services (coun-
usually does not enable students to do selling and advising) and the family of
well in their exams. the student to help the counsellor and
advisors know the students' problems
Recommendations: in order to get rid of them.
In this research paper, the following 6- There should be a committee that
points are recommended: evaluates teachers' proficiency in
1- There should be on academic guid- teaching yearly.
ance program for first year students in
order to teach them how they can cope
with SQU life.
2- Counselling and advising services at
SQU should play more effective roles in
terms of helping students to get rid of
their problems through setting appoint-
ments with them.
3- Teachers should use different teach-
ing methods and pay more attention to
low achievers.
4- There should be an Academic
Probation Committee in each college
to observe the progress of probation
students. This committee should have a
counsellor, a sociologist and an advi-
22

IELTS or TOEFL for
English Graduates
The ministry of Education now obliges all English graduates to take
international English tests before being English teachers.
Some students: Doesn’t the ministry trust us as English teachers after five years of education?
Others: These tests are useful tools to evaluate students’ level in English.
The ministry: This decision is for the trainees good and for the good of the educational system in Oman.
I ELTS or TEOFL! This is a frequent
question by all students who are the
prospective teachers of English. That
is because the Ministry of Education has
issued a new edict that obliges English
graduates to pass an IELTS test with at
least band 6 or to pass a TEOFL test with
scores of:
• 547 (Paper based test)
• 210 (Computer based test)
• 78 (Internet based test)
For this purpose, we carried out an
investigation to get a closer view of this
new policy. The first step was to know the
students’ opinions. We met some students
from colleges of Education majoring in
English. First, M. Al-Farsi, a fourth- year
student from Rustaq College, said: “I think
this exam is a useful tool to test students’
English level because there are a lot of
English students graduating from different
universities and colleges.” Another Educa-
tion student from SQU, AB, a graduate,
agreed with her point and added: “The
test makes equal opportunities for all
students to get jobs because university
course grades are not the precise stan-
dard to evaluate students’ performance.”
Then we met students who were against
this decision. Y. Al-Bulushi, a fifth- year
student from Rustaq College, argues: “It
is not fair to evaluate students’ teachers
by giving them IELTS or
TEOFL
exams. That is to say, they are already
teachers and they have to get jobs imme-
diately after graduation.” Another student,
AM, shared her opinion and says: “Not all
students are able to pay for these expen-
sive tests and I along with my colleagues
are worried that there might be exploitation
from the institutions that offer these tests.
Besides, the Ministry of Education should
have its own test to evaluate the students’
level.”
Another graduate from SQU added that
both the IELTS and TOEFL tests need to be
practised here in the university.” S.H agreed
with the idea of having either the TOEFL or
IELTS test to evaluate students but he said:
“Band 6 in IELTS test is too high. Besides
we students have the ability to answer the
questions given in these tests but the prob-
lem arises with the strict time limit.”
All students, especially graduates, felt that
they were victimized by the issuing of this
new regulation and asserted that the min-
istry should have issued it at least one year
before applying it or to consider starting
it from next year so the students get the
chance to practise these tests.
Teachers’ Opinions
How do university staff members see
this new regulation? And
what is their
Investigated by: Fatma Al-Aamri
Zahra Al-Shukaili
advice to students? We interviewed the
English Department’s Dr Adrian Roscoe,
who said: “The government has a right to
expect value of the huge amount of money
it has invested in its schools, colleges and
universities. It wants to see high standards
across the education system as a whole,
partly because in this way the interests
of Omani children and their parents can
be protected and partly because a future
economy based on knowledge is the best
kind of economy a modern nation can
have. This means, then, among other con-
siderations, that the government expects
a high standard of English teaching in its
secondary schools.’’
As to his findings at SQU, Dr.Roscoe
added, “I am no expert on high school
teaching, but my experience over the past
five years leads me to believe that some-
thing has been going wrong in the school
system. In particular, I notice that many
students arrive at university with astro-
nomically high marks (far higher than I ever
achieved as a British high school pupil) and
then find it very hard to write quite simple
English. The inflation this represents seems
to have affected the university too.
Though I’ve not seen the
relevant
23
documentation, the Ministry seems to be
saying that we are giving high marks to
our teacher trainees who then go out into
the schools and fail to teach effectively.
This may well be broadly true, though I
have to say an English lesson I wit-
nessed at a school in Suwaiq last year
was far and away the best I have seen
anywhere in the world.”
Dr.Roscoe then added: “I can under-
stand the Ministry’s position- if there is a
problem it must be solved- but I feel sad
if it means that the university’s teaching
and testing can not be relied on, and that
foreign bodies and organizations must
be employed to assess our students
accurately. And of course it is an extra
burden for students to, because, while
striving to satisfy their university English
instructors, they must now also concen-
trate on trying to satisfy an unseen panel
of assessors from overseas.”
On how students should prepare for
these new examinations, Dr.Roscoe
said:” The old and simple advice does
not change. Students keen to achieve
high standard in English, should, on
a daily basis, read, write, speak and
hear as much English as they can. It
might also be useful to secure lots of
past test papers and comb through
them to see what is expected.”
The English department in SQU has
done practice sessions for IELTS and
TOEFL during this semester. We met Mr.
Badr Al- Jahwari, a demonstrator in the
English Department who is giving IELTS
sessions. He said:” The department is
doing these sessions from its good will
to help students, although the department
is not obliged to train students for IELTS
or TOEFL exams.” Mr. Badr added:” We
are teaching the students the different
sections, the types of questions and how
to speed up while answering. There are
four sessions a week, two for TOEFL and
two for IELTS. The priority is for gradu-
ates and we notice that most students
are registering for IELTS, thinking that
it is much easier because it is a written
exam. We want students to
know that the
only difference between the two exams
is the type of questions, but the difficulty
level is the same.”
The English Department at SQU
To make this decision clear to all stu-
dents, Dr. Nafla Al-Kharusi, the Head of
the English Department, had sent e-mails
and held meetings to answer students’
questions with regard to this policy. We
met Dr.Nafla to know her opinion, and
she said: “It’s a good decision because
it motivates students to make learning
language their responsibility, because
learning a language or learning any-
thing depends on the individual. When
the Ministry of Education decided on a
minimum of Band Six, the students know
that getting a job is no longer as easy as
it was before. The students have to prove
that they are qualified to be teachers of
English.’’
Dr. Nafla stressed the fact that the
graduates of the new basic education
have better English than the graduates
of the older system, because they start
studying English from the first grade. We
have to have teachers who are steps
ahead to their students. “
When asked about the reasons,
Dr.Nafla said: “I think, it’s to ensure the
quality of teaching. Every institution,
every country, every society has the op-
portunity to improve. Over the years, the
Ministry of Education has been trying to
improve the quality of teaching and this
decision is for the good of the country.”
Dr.Nafla added about choosing band
6 in Ielts: “Band 6 is good. Certainly,
if you go overseas to study Masters,
universities require 6.5 for it. If you
are going to be a teacher of English,
I think band 6 is a reasonable level.”
The last words, Dr.Nafla would like to
say to all students who want to be teach-
ers of English are: “It’s never too late.
Every single minute is an opportunity for
you to improve. Reading is the
best means by
which you can improve your language,
any language. Students should make
sure they take advantage of the class-
room time and the office hours of the
teacher. Use free time as an opportunity
to improve. After all, it’s a very short
period of time you are in the university,
so make the best of it. Then, you have the
rest of your life to enjoy yourself.
The Ministry’s reply
The Ministry of Education has its own
point of view with regard to this deci-
sion. For this purpose, we interviewed Dr.
Sana Al-Balushi, the Director of Techni-
cal Office for Studies and Development
who clarified the purpose by saying:
“Students should know that this deci-
sion is for their own good and for the
educational system in Oman. Moreover,
English as a language is very important
in teaching and we have found that some
graduates are not up to the level. These
tests are a way to maintain the quality
of education.” When asked about the
late time of issuing this decision she
answered: “It was not a sudden deci-
sion. We have been working on it for
three years. All concerned ministries and
organizations knew about it from last
year.”
Dr. Sana confirmed that the students
themselves will pay for the exam and
added: “It is good to pay for your future.
We tried with the institutions that offer
these tests to discount the price, but it
was difficult because the price is fixed.
I assure the students that there will not
be any exploitation from the institutions
because these exams are international
exams and they have the same price all
over the world.”
So there you have it! We hope that
our investigation has answered some of
your questions that centered around “this
new edict” and the coming days will
reveal more.
24
 Intelligence Wins Collected & Translated by: Hatim AL Taie

Demostrator, Language Center

This story was narrated by Saif AL Sulaimi, in the Garden of his brother Mubarak. It shows how the
human brain can beat any physical power. It also represents that the shortest way to an Englishman's heart is

O
through his stomach. "Once upon a time…"

nce upon a time, it was related that a rich, young, but ill-fated lady was imprisoned by a huge
horned giant in her house. Nobody in that village dared to come near the woman's house in
order to rescue her from the tyrant giant. Years passed and the giant was with his female
inmate. He used to come every other day to see what she needed and brought her all she
wanted. He was so nice to her and treated her like his wife.
A young man who lived nearby once came to visit the caged lady when the giant was gone. He knocked
on the door once, but no one answered the door. He knocked the second time, and again no one responded; then
he knocked the third time, then, the lady answered behind the door: "Who is it?" "I am your neighbor, may I talk to
you for a minute?" the man asked. The lady was scared to death and told the man to leave at once reminding him
that if the giant was to come at any moment, he would kill them both. The man deliberated for a second and said
firmly: "If you don't allow me to come in right now, I will break into your house by force."
The door was opened; a young, gorgeous, pale woman was standing next to the wall. She was wearing a
beautiful dress on which red flowers appeared; her eyes were filled with misery, and her visage was fading away.
She wasn't really a woman, but rather a shade of a woman. A minute passed and the neighbor didn't utter a word.
She then spoke in a trembling voice, "Tell me what you want quickly and please piss off."

The man looked around and said in a low sluggish tone: "I am sure that you want to get rid of this ugly
monster, as I do. So, I have set a plan to set him up and kill him. Tell me what he likes for dinner?" The woman
was overjoyed to know that there was still hope that she would live her life normally. She told the neighbor: "He
mainly likes fruits like orange, banana, pineapple, fig, pomegranate, apricot, and the like." The man then told her
that he would bring all the sorts of fruits she had just mentioned tomorrow evening before the giant returned; then
he sneaked his way out of the house.
The giant came home at night to find a lovely dinner waiting for him of all his favorite types of fruits. He
was glad inside but instead he flew into a rage, "Where did you get all of this? Did you go shopping?" the giant
questioned. "No, never, my neighbor is so kind and brought us this for dinner." "Go and tell him to come right now,
I need to talk to him." So, the neighbor was called and he came.
As soon as he saw the giant squatting on the floor, he bowed as a sign of extreme surrender and
courtesy. The giant asked: "Did you bring all these fruits?" The man's answer was positive. "Then, you shall be my
cook? Do you understand that or you want to let me down?" The neighbor showed that he was so excited to hear
that lovely offer.
After a couple of months, the giant and the young chap were such best friends that the
giant wouldn't go out without his friend. One day, another giant came to visit
the giant; he told him they had a mission to kill a sheik from the
next village. Then, the giant left home going to

26
his important mission. Before
he left, he
apologized to his friend, the cook, that he couldn't permit him to accompany him in this mission because it was too risky
to take a weak human being. Yet, the young man insisted that he would go with him or they were no longer friends. So,
the giant consented.
On their way to the intended village, the giant told his human friend that they could encounter some ugly and
dangerous creatures. They could never be killed except if you recited some verses of the holy Qura'an three times each.
The chap didn't mind to recite the verses when asked but he questioned: "What would happen if I exceeded the three
times?" the giant answered: "I would melt like a piece of ice in water."
The three walked and walked till they reached the Wadi of the creatures. The giant asked his friend to start
reciting some verses of the holy Qura'an three times each. After that, he exceeded the three times. His friend the giant,
asked him to stop, but the chap said: "Don't worry; nothing would harm you because there is another creature coming
from that hill." The young man continued to recite the verses till the two giants turned into ash.
The chap returned to the young woman with a box in which he had put the ashes. He conveyed the good news
to her. She was so happy that she told the whole town that night about what happened. Then, the young sweet lady got
married with her neighbor, the young chap, and they lived happily ever after.

Race to Evilness
This ancient and enjoyable folktale was related by Saif AL Sulaimi. The story is about an old woman and Satan "Iblees".

O
They challenged each other on a race to evilness. "Once upon a time…"

nce upon a time, there was an old woman living in the desert by herself. She once met Satan who
was in a form of an old man. They chatted for a while and then Satan started to show off saying that
he was Satan, the only one who was able to lead all people astray. Surprisingly, while Satan was
boasting, the old woman made fun of him; she told him:
"You are nothing compared to my potential. Tell me, what is it that you are able to do, baby Satan?"
Satan began to boil inside as he heard the woman singing her own praises and calling him baby Satan. He told
the woman:
"Listen to me you old miserable woman. I am Satan; you are putting yourself in a situation that will embarrass you till
your last breath. If you want to challenge me, then, I don't mind. I am able to deceive these two tribes in one month (he
referred to two tribes in the area). I will make them fight each other until they are all killed."
The woman kept silent for a minute and then replied: "Never mind, I can do that within three days." Satan was
shocked, but he didn't show that to the woman; he said: "If you could do that, then I confess that I am the baby Satan, and
you are the big one." Shortly thereafter, they both left.
The old woman went to visit the wife of the sheik of tribe A who was the daughter of the sheik of tribe B. After
having coffee with her, she asked her whether she was happy with her husband or not. The woman replied that she was
more or less satisfied but the expression on her face revealed the opposite. The old woman offered her that she
would give her a piece of paper on which some words were written to make him charmed by her
beauty. This could happen on one condition; she had to take the sheik's Khanjar
and cut four pieces of hair from his beard. By doing so, he
would become like a ring on her finger
that she could wear

27
anytime she liked.
Straight after proposing her offer, the old woman went to the "Sablah", the place where the sheik used to sit in
order to solve peoples' daily hassles. When she got near the Sablah, she laid her back on the sandy ground and started
to throw dust on her head covering her clothes with sands. The guards asked her what was wrong with her and she
demanded to meet with the sheik. The Sablah was evacuated of the people sitting there. In no time, the old woman was
standing before the sheik, "What is wrong with you mother?" the sheik asked courteously.
The old woman said: "I want to tell you for sure that a disaster is about to shudder your bed. I have been told
that your own wife is going to kill you tonight." These words made the sheik collapse in his place. He replied furiously:
"How dare you talk about my faithful wife this way? Who told you about this?" the old woman simply said:
"I have my own sources. I tell you in front of Allah that I hold no grudge against you or your wife but I had to tell you this
for the sake of the whole village. We don't want any rebellions." Then, the old woman left the Sablah leaving the sheik
with no peace of mind.
Darkness descended over the village; the wife of the sheik got ready to go to bed. She hid the khanjar in an
invisible position waiting for the sheik to fall asleep so she could cut the four pieces of hair from his beard. On the other
hand, the sheik in his mind was secretly chewing one sole question: "what if the old woman was right?" So, he opened
his old chest where he left his Khanjar, but there was no Khanjar. He, then, was sure that the woman’s prophecy was
true. He took his spare Khanjar, coated it with some toxic poison, and concealed it under his pillow. He laid back down
and pretended that he was snoring so that his wife would believer that he was fast asleep.
The wife approached the sheik to make sure he was asleep. She took the Khanjar and moved towards the sheik.
Suddenly, the sheik jumped off his bed calling out Allah Akbar (God is one): the truth had been uncovered. He snatched
the poisoned Kanjar which was resting under his pillow and attacked her by stabbing her in the chest. Soon after, she
fell dead.
The old woman heard about the murder in the sheik's house. She hurried to the desert going to tribe B which
usually took one day to reach by foot. By dawn, the old woman was throwing dust on her face again, but this time in
front of the tribe B sheik.
The sheik woke up irritated by the noise made outside. When he got out, the old woman bowed to him kissing
his feet; she said, "O my Lord, you are sitting here with no idea of what is going on behind your back. There has been
a disaster." The sheik was scared to death thinking that an army was coming to take over his tribe. When he asked the
woman about the disaster she meant, she replied, "Your daughter's blood was shed last night by her own husband, your
son-in-law."
Upon hearing her words, the sheik became apoplectic with rage. He immediately ordered his son to equip a
thousand soldiers with all kinds of available weapons and they headed towards tribe A. At this time, the old woman was
already preceding the army and rushing to the house of the sheik. When she met with him, she shouted, "You are sitting
here in comfort and your son-in-law is coming with a thousand soldiers in revenge for his daughter's death." In an
instant, the sheik ordered his son as well to get ready for the fatal fight.
The two tribes clung to each other in a place called "Massacre". They fought so hard till they were all killed.
After the deadly battle, Massacre was a pool of blood and history repeated itself. Satan came wading from a distance
towards the other side of the valley; he saw the old woman squatting on a huge rock. He asked her: "What on earth have
you done?"
She answered:
"Nice to see you again, baby Satan. As you can perceive, I have accomplished my mission in one day and a half. I was
expected to finish it in three whole days though."
Satan couldn't utter a word. At that moment, he had a mixture of shame and horror all at once. He was
ashamed of himself that he, Satan, was beaten by an old worn-out woman, and was horrified of this human-like monster
whose potential was over his. He said in a slow sad tone:
"Go to hell miserable woman. I have no doubt
that you are the Big Satan and I am just your
baby, mother."

28
 The Case
of the Two Falajes
This story was narrated by father Mubarak bin Saif. It reveals the human nature of greediness. Also it shows how people
of the same community would envy each other for the simplest things. And lastly, it shows how the truth can be hidden,
even from the wisest when evil spirits interfere.

O nce upon a time, there were two villages seated by the foot of a mountain named, The Crazy Mountain. The
mountain derived its named from an anecdote related by elders of the village that in ancient times there
was a crazy man named Hamed who used to climb that mountain every morning after Al Fajr prayer. So
the mountain was named after crazy Hamed.
Each of the two villages had a falaj that watered the palm tree gardens. A falaj is an engineering system
consisting of a stream and a source. The stream is fed water by the source in the underground layers. The water comes
out naturally from the underground layers to the stream in order to be distributed later to the different regions of the
village. One of the falajes were called AL Hatmi and the other one called AL Safi. Because the two villages were pretty
close to each other, the falajes were also next to each other. Even though the falajes were next to each other, AL Hatmi
was in a land that is higher than the land of AL Safi.
Water started to drop off in the stream of AL Safi falaj as time was passing by. As a matter of this fact, the
people of AL Hatmi claimed that water was leaking from underground to AL Safi because it was lower than their falaj.
Therefore, a representative of AL Hatmi went to see the Imam of the country; he told him: "We want to sue. AL Safi is
stealing water from AL Hatmi which has resulted in a decline in the level of water in our falaj, AL Hatmi. So, we ask your
honor to bury the source of AL Safi before our falaj dies and also our palm trees."
This case triggered chaos in the two villages. The Imam came to visit the area so he could give his statement
about the falajes. He was escorted by a number of guards. When he reached the spot where the two falajes were
passing, he stood thinking what to say for a long time. Then, he said to one of his guards: "Bring a bottle of paraffin
tomorrow morning, and pour it in the source of AL Hatmi after AL Fjer prayer." The Imam explained to the people: "If
water really is leaking from AL Hatmi, we will smell the paraffin in AL Safi and we will see a thick layer in the water. If
not, then go home because the water decline is natural."
After that, the Imam left for his residence. A man named, Gareeb, was summoned by the people of AL Hatmi.
There was a conspiracy to hire Gareeb to pour three bottles of paraffin in the source of AL Safi after AL Fajer prayer. By
doing so, they would deceive the Imam whose judgment's would be for their advantage. After handing the three bottles
to Gareeb, everyone went home because they had a big day awaiting them.
The Fajer prayer was over so the Imam called for the gathering near AL Safi stream. They stood there wating
for the guard, who was requested to pour the bottle in AL Hatmi source, to come back. He came back so the Imam
asked the people to step aside so he could concentrate. At this time, Gareeb joined the crowd after finishing his dirty
task. Three to five minutes passed, and then a thick layer appeared on the surface of AL Safi with a strong smell
of paraffin. The Imam immediately shouted to the people: "No doubt, AL Safi shall be buried from this very minute
because water is leakinginto it. Case is closed."
The people of AL Hatmi were in extremely high spirits, so the process of filling the source of AL Safi
with dirt began at once. They used all available materials to bury the source; dirt, clothes,
papers. Unfortunately, Gareeb’s conscience started to awaken. He went to the
Imam who was getting ready to leave for another town and told
him about his horrible crime. A heavy dark cloud

29
of anger dominated the Imam's
head. He went to
the people of AL Hatmi who were still burrying the source of AL Safi and yelled at them:
"You who do not fear the punishment of Allah had plotted against me and mislead me to judge for you and I ask Allah
to forgive me for this. But that is not enough. I judge now that you dig the source of AL Safi again till it is like before and
better."
The Imam added: "As for your falaj, AL Hatmi, I supplicate to Allah and pray to him to deprive you from this
blessing that you had denied."

My Wrath By: Salim ALKindi

Darkness tickles our hearts once in a while. We may consent to its malicious desires when being fragile and
pathetic. By losing control, it gradually devours our core and throws our cadaver away. It’s not fair, but who said
life is fair anyway! We’re not saints, but we still care about those who drift away. That’s what we call humanity.”

Dear soul,

You’ve done it all. You’ve struggled enough to change it. I admit your earnest efforts. It's never been easy, though.
Shall I take vengeance for it? It'll be for your sake. Thou shall be avenged, dear one. Thou shall rest in peace, dear
one. Thou shall see them begging for mercy, dear one.
It all started when you tried to hold me back. That was hard for both of us. I thought I would take it back. I thought
I would return victorious. I thought I wouldn't let you down. You thought victory was when you feel so inside. But
alas, I turned a blind eye on your fervent words. I went for it like a savage beast going after its prey. Look now
where I end up; dehumanizing my entities amongst those worthless mortals like a villainous rascal. Why didn't
I listen when listening was all I could do? Why didn't I follow when following was the way? Why didn't I abide by
the laws of fate? Am I a sinner now? Is this my punishment? Do I deserve this kind of penalty? How on earth can I
muddle through for the remaining days of my hollow earthly existence?
Dear soul, it is a burden I will bear. It's something I could never wipe out without the return of you. I thought of it
over and over before coming forward to declare this. I was wrong when I said I was up to the fire. I was wrong
when I left you for the fire. I was wrong when I defied it all alone with the help of no one. Now, I shall grieve over it
till vengeance takes its proper place. What I am going to do is no longer anyone's business. I shall hone my spirit's
dagger, sheath my reasoning, ride the blustery thoughts, and go for everlasting glory. Immortality is ours, dear soul.
Dear soul, my wounds don't bleed anymore. I have overdosed and I don't feel pain any longer. My heart lusts for
blood, not the common type though. Now, I hold the perfect body for a battle unto death. No more serenity, dear
soul. No more second chances, dear soul.
Dear soul, tears of blood flow out of my remorseful thoughts as I write; I'm hurt, filled with woe, and looking forward
to meeting you down there in the endless place. Dear soul, they ought to be on guard, for you shall be avenged
soon. I shall take back every single entity I've lost.

Yours loyally
The corpse

30
The Syrian
Cultural Night
E nglish Group of the English and
Translation Society held a Syrian
Cultural Night to portray the different
aspects of the Syrian culture through a live
show of one of the most unique suqs in Syria,
Suq Alhamedis. The suq was modeled in
miniature on stage with its different shops
including a coffee shop, a tailor, and a
calligrapher. To enliven the atmosphere of
the suq, the roles of the vendors were acted
by some group members; the characters
were Abu Anther, Abu Radwan, Abu Abdo,
and Abu Hatem (names of famous actors in
Syria) who visibly represented Syrian citizens'
lives. Above and beyond, a flash show was
shown to evince the geography of Syria
highlighting some big cities like Damascus
and Allepo along with several Syrian dishes.
An emphasis was put on the relationship
between the Sultanate and Syria as two Omani
tourists visited the suq to know more about
the essence of the Syrian culture. Likewise,
the Omani tourists have exhibited the Oman
culture to the Syrian vendors.
The members acting on stage were dressed
in Syrian costumes and they spoke the Syrian
colloquial accent to better represent the
Syrian culture to the Omani audience. Osama
Alfarsi, a member who acted Abu Antar, said
that “I was thrilled to act the role
of Abu Anther and I
mostly
By: Anood A'Shibli
liked his strength and leadership. I did my
utmost to impersonate him and thus properly
deliver the role of this character to the
audience.” Haithem Almusalmi, who acted the
role of Abu Abdo the tailor, commented that
Syrian traditional costumes and textiles,
restaurateurs and vendors selling different
kinds of Syrian food, and other staff of Syrian
origin and essence. Manal Alnemani , the
person in charge of the Syrian clothes part
acting such a role was of great inspiration to said that “the exhibition amazingly attracted
him since it was his pioneering experience of crowds of students who came to know and
acting for a long time on stage. buy the Syrian clothing. Special offers were
given to students in an attempt to make our
The guest of honor, Dr.Hamood Alharthi, exhibited commodity within affordable prices
Deputy Dean of Deanship of Student Affairs, to the students."
said that “The event was extremely great. The
members did well in making the night a hit and The Syrian Cultural Night will be a
thus they portrayed the Syrian culture in such memorable event and an everlasting mark
an effective way which attracted considerable of pride to all members of the English and
audience of both students and SQU faculty Translation Society. In fact, it was the
members to grace the event." Society's road to Damascus to know more
about cultures in the Arab World in particular
This event has noticeably bespoken the and the globe in general.
creativity and the abilities
of the group’s members.
Specifically, it was a great
chance for the fresh blood
of the group to unleash
their hidden talents. Ahmed
Alshukili, a freshman in the
Department of English and
one of the actors said that
“although I had a walk-on
part in the play, I am really
proud that I had the chance
to participate in the making
of this remarkable event.”
Coinciding with the
activities of the night,
there was a small exhibition of the Syrian
products held in the Exhibition
Hall. It showed
31
ENGLISH GROUP is part of the ENGLISH AND TRANSLATION SOCIETY at SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY.
Deanship of Students Affairs. Cultural and Sport Activity Department. Sultanate of Oman. 2008-2009