ICH 2018
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Item Cultural aspects expressed in Cilappatikaram(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Nagarathnam, S.Literature as the mirror of time can fall through human life. It reflects civilization, culture, policy, doctrine and customs. These reflected aspects are flexible and they change according to time. Culture is the most important expression of these aspects. It was defined earlier as the symbols, language, beliefs, values, and artifacts that are part of any society. Moreover these cultural aspects are considered the important determinants of a human‘s social status. In this way, literature can be considered the expression of culture and culture can be considered the determinant of social status of human beings. Nevertheless, many Western scholars have mentioned poets as liars and literature as a fictional fantasy about human life. Thus, it is necessary to examine the true nature of literature. Cilappatikaram is the first epic among the five in Tamil literature with a story set in Tamilnadu. Tamil ethnicity has a unique culture compared to other communities. So it is important to find out whether Cilappatikaram reflects actual culture or not. What are the cultural aspects it contains and how does the influence of cultural aspects determine social status of both man and women? The objective of this study is to critically examine the reflecting cultural aspects and influence of those cultural aspects on determining the social status of both man and women by using the epic Cilappatikaram as a primary source. The cultural aspects expressed in Cilappatikaram are analyzed and a sociocultural approach is used to critically examine the influence of cultural aspects on determining social status of both man and women. ‗Katpu’ (Chastity or Conjugal fidelity) is a manifestation of the Tamil culture of being one for one, hospitality, admiration, during the marriage reveals culture such as providing dowry, allows the couple to live as single family and waiting for the husband are some rituals can be finding in Cilappatikaram. These are only for women. The traditional performing art and theatre of art belonging to Tamil People is expressed through the character Madhavi. She was an accomplished dancer. She represents the lives of kanihaiyar and their lifestyle. The woman who is not associated with marriage will not be respected by others, marriage had impact to consider kannagi as chaste god. She got the right to fight for Kovalan but not to Madhavi. However, when Kannagi was alone, Kovalan and Kannagi's family supported her but Madhavi was alone. The essentiality of the Tali is exposed by Kannaki and the significance of cilambu is exposed by both Kannaki and Paandimadevi. These jewels can only be worn by a married woman. Likewise, the cultural epic Cilappatikaram reflects the cultural aspects with the message that both nonmaterial culture and material cultural aspects have an impact on determining women‘s social status more than men‘s social status.Item Puswedilla‟s Arsetolk: A study of the extra-linguistic values of the Hierarchized Sri Lankan English(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Prasadika, K.A.T.A close textual reading of Feroze Kamardeen‘s political comedy, which rapturously catered/caters to an audience of bourgeois taste, sheds light on a pertinent issue related to Sri Lankan English; namely, the disenfranchisement of the English spoken by a socio-economically and politically disadvantaged group of people as ―not pot‖ or ―non-standard‖. In these plays, the President of Arsikland, Chaminda Puswedilla claims that the government has invented a language called Arsetolk—a ―new, hybrid language created using the local native language and the English alphabet […] which the government realized it was a people‘s language‖ for the purpose of communication. Arsetolk deliberately employs mispronunciation, misspelling and ungrammatical structures in speech and sometimes in writing, which resonate the structural ―deviations‖ of ―non-standard‖ Sri Lankan English, in order to evoke humor in the plays. It is my conviction that through the use of Arsetolk, Chaminda Puswedilla attempts to establish it as the language of the ―common‖—the disenfranchised majority, thereby disempowering the so-called non-standard variety from that of the anglicized, urban upper class. This paper emphasizes that the use of arsetolk reflects the ―extra linguistic values conferred on hierarchies of English‖ (24, Parakrama), especially in the context of post-colonial Sri Lanka. Using Prof. Arjuna Parakrama‘s article ―Extra-Linguistic Value (of English in Sri Lanka) = Z u g z w a n g (for Non-Elite Users)‖ as the theoretical basis, this paper attempts to study the socio-political, economic and cultural implications of ―standard‖ and ―non-standard‖ forms of Sri Lankan English, through a qualitative textual analysis of Feroze Kamardeen‘s plays available on Youtube and Facebook.Item Bollywood culture: Decoding narrative in social context(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Singh, D.P.The reach and appeal of Bollywood cinema have been phenomenal. In the last three decades, it has crossed the boundaries of language and Nations. India‘s Film Industry is the world‘s largest film industry in terms of quantity of movies produced as Bollywood produces over 1500 movies. However, according to Box Office business, Bollywood comes in as the third largest film industry in the world after English and Chinese. Bollywood is the only Film industry in the world that has global presence apart from English Hollywood movies. One can mention Africa, Latin America, Far East, and Central Asia. This whole spread is not only driven by business or technology but also driven by the audience. Bollywood has its significant presence and appreciation in the countries where English cinema has very little presence. The very obvious question that arises is the reason for this unusual admiration. This question becomes more relevant when we consider the fact that Hindi has little presence beyond the boundaries of India. The answer lies in a critical aspect of the narrative culture of India. India has a great tradition of storytelling since the ancient period. Folklore was an actually popular commentary of Indian culture, philosophy, and belief in a very interesting way. This paper tries to understand the distinctive feature of the Bollywood narrative. There has been a whole lot of issues depicted in their very own way but the most frequent has been the narrative of love. This may seem very common but the treatment of narrative is very unique. It reflects a whole lot of culture of India. A unique aspect of Bollywood love narrative is longing for love in the missing situation. The decades of the fifties to eighties have been a great period of Bollywood song. It is one of the greatest imaginations of love, probably a masterpiece in literature. This Bollywood narrative can be seen in the context of Bhakti Movement* of Hindi poetry. The Bollywood narrative can be seen as a Philosophical treatment of love in the age of rationality which connects more emotion than a rational treatment of love. The Indian classics from the beginning has been having an optimistic end with the hope of life while the Greek Classics have been tragedies by tradition. It has been said that ‗There is a larger dark space of human life and mind than known spaces.‘ In other words, ‗Humans are very logical irrationals.‘ Bollywood is popular in a lasting way because of its greater understanding of culture and mind.Item An analytical study on the value of humanity of Maggie Tulliver in the face of repression(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Amarasooriya, D.N.P.George Eliot, a journalist and a leading writer in Victorian era through her narrative ‗The Mill on the Floss‘ created the character of Maggie Tulliver bringing forth a destiny of a female being whose existence and the individuality are defined and molded through the impact of the conventional social taboos and the authoritative cultural constraints which overshadow the individual expectations. Thus, the study has focused on analyzing the female literary portrayal of Maggie Tulliver with the objective of bringing to the surface the socially determined fatal end and the symbolic disappearance of the feminine figure. In analyzing the perspectives which are discussed within the research paper the theoretical perspectives of Simon de Beauvoir (‘The second sex’), Sigmund Freud, (‗Civilization and its Discontents’,) and Slavoj Zizek, (‗Looking Awry‘) are referred with a thorough consideration. During the journey towards the destination of her self-emancipation, Maggie Tulliver follows a traumatic path and encounters an unsettling emotional conflict through which her self-love is replaced by the compassion towards the social other whose emotional satisfaction and the survival become a source of spiritual victory in her life. Being confined to a narrowed space where several religious and communal taboos surround her existence, Maggie‘s character has become the focal point upon which the repression cultivates its domination thus obstructing her inner strength and self-determination that she possesses in advancing towards her liberation of identity. Though social discriminations which are created by the cultural concepts on gender induce her to abandon the pursuit of fulfillment of the innate desires and the independent motives Maggie Tulliver strives to stand as a determined female whose self-strength and spiritual victory recognize her as an independent woman since her sacrificing and the negation of her expectations induce her to turn away from the materialistic and physical pleasures and embrace humanity and spiritual enhancement of the self. In that sense it can be identified that her self-sacrifice leaves behind something to admire implying a more psychological vitality without being just a physical deteriorationItem Using Mainstream Video Games to Promote Learner Motivation towards English as a Second Language in Tertiary Level Education(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Ekanayake, E. M. P. E.Prominent thinkers and researchers in the field of ELT/L (English Language Teaching/ Learning) such as R.C. Gardner and Stephen Krashen stress on the importance of student motivation, attitudes and on the importance of interesting/ compelling learning material to trigger the two former factors {ex: Krashen‘s Compelling (not just interesting) Input Hypothesis}. As such, this study was designed to investigate whether MVGs (Mainstream Video Games)1 can be successfully incorporated into formal ELT/L environments at tertiary level of education to promote student motivation towards learning ESL (English as a Second Language). For the purpose of this research, 75 First year undergraduates of Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya, belonging to the Intermediate level of English Language proficiency were exposed to ESL lessons based on MVGs on a particular day of the week (Friday) when their attendance is lowest, for 12 weeks. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used to triangulate the data. The analysis of quantitative data (attendance records of students) revealed that the use of MVGs in ELT/L can lead to dramatic improvement in student attendance (94.9% attendance as an average). Content/ discourse analysis and thematic analysis methods were deployed to analyze the qualitative data i.e., 70 questionnaires given to students and interviews with students (10) and instructors (2). Through the analysis of qualitative data, certain dominant aspects of ESL lessons based on MVGs were identified which were responsible for effecting major attitudinal change in students towards the teacher, the ESL programme and towards learning ESL. For instance, it was found that the MVG based lessons were catalytic in triggering active learning as opposed to passive learning, student-centered learning, providing a sense of achievement and boosting the self-confidence of students. These attitudinal changes were identified to have enhanced and intensified the motivational levels of students towards learning ESL. Since the introduction of MVGs made an overwhelmingly positive change to the ESL learning atmosphere, it is suggested that MVGs should be utilized as a learning aid or a method in ELT/L contextsItem A study on the curriculum of Chinese culture in the field of Humanities, Sri Lanka(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Kandambi, S.U.Gradually, a vast number of Sri Lankan students are becoming motivated to learn the Chinese language because of its necessity in contemporary Sri Lankan society. Foreign language education is basically not derived from humanities education as it focuses on cultural norms, values and aspects related to a foreign nation. This research study aims to study and make cultural teaching and learning quality in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCFL) in the university education system as it is a platform of transmitting values of the Chinese language including Chinese arts, philosophy, literature and civilization for better understanding of China and Chinese people. Therefore, this study focuses on the current situation of the curriculum of Chinese culture in the field of humanities including learning and teaching methods practiced and the Chinese culture text materials usage in TCFL classroom. This paper is designed to be a quantitative research study and the research sample consists of 100 students who belonged to the 2015/2016 academic year and 7 Chinese language teachers including Chinese, local and volunteer teachers. The research methods used were the questionnaire method, the interview method and the experiment method through which mainly the research study focused on the significant characteristics of the curriculum, teaching methods and strategies used by Chinese teachers. The findings demonstrated that the teaching methods and strategies used in the Chinese culture curriculum are not flexible to attain the culture teaching enrichment goals in the field of humanities. Some of the issues faced are, lack of sufficient time for the teaching process, teaching materials not being sufficient for effective teaching, the culture classroom arrangement lacking communication between local Chinese teachers and volunteer Chinese teachers, the Chinese culture teaching material not being suitable to enhance the humanities education in the University. Thus, in conclusion teachers should regulate new teaching methods engaged with the new developments of foreign language education including the communicative method, the multimedia teaching method and the activity based method. Further, culture teaching should be student centered in order to allow students to easily acquire cultural values in contemporary Chinese society and scholars must also compile the Sri Lankan culture materials with the objective of exposing the system of Chinese cultural values in order to standardize and revalue the humanities education in the University system of Sri LankaItem The depiction of gods in Greek and Tamil epics: A comparative study on Homer‟s „The Iliad‟ and Kampar‟s „Kambarāmāyanam‟.”.(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Randiwela, R.M.D.The depiction of Gods in ‗The Iliad‘ is representative of the heroic and materialistic background that the Greeks emerged in. The Gods were venerated for their power and immortality more than their virtue. They were a class to be won over by prayer and sacrifice. In ‗Kambarāmāyanam‘ the Gods are immortal and powerful. Yet they were moral and presented with the intention of cultivating piety and morality in the reader. The research question of this study is to find in what aspect does the depiction of Gods in Greek epics differ from that of the Tamil epics and interpret the possible reasons for the existence of both similarities and differences among the two. This study is done by gathering relevant information from both Greek and Tamil literary sources. Further reading is done on writings done on the social, cultural and regional backgrounds of the two writers while being conscious of the time gap. Gathered information is analyzed in order to examine the divinity presented in the works themselves- in Homer‘s ‗The Iliad‘ and Kampar‘s ‗Kambarāmāyanam‘ There have been discussions among scholars on the depiction of Greek Gods with that of Rakshasa in ‗Kambarāmāyanam‘ interpreting the Greek gods as mere beings of power and evil. However in this research it is argued that the depiction of gods in relevant epics is a clear reproduction of time and culture that each poet lived in. Moreover the intention of this study is to understand how the two respective cultures presented a common theme through the medium of epicItem Present tense in spoken Tamil and Sinhala: A comparative analysis(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Anusha, S.Syntax differs from one language to another. The second language learners find it hard to understand the syntax of the language they learn when it differs from the syntax found in their mother tongue. Thus, the similarities and differences of the Tamil and Sinhala languages in the present tense are analyzed in this study. The similarity found out through this comparative study is that both Tamil and Sinhala languages have a similar subdivision in Present tense, they are the Simple Present, Present Perfect and Present Continuous. On the other hand, in Tamil, infixes are used to differentiate the present tense, whereas verb suffixes and affixes are used in Sinhala Present tense. In Tamil, the present tense verbs will take various forms based on Case, Gender, Number and person, but in Sinhala a common verb form is used irrespective of these case, gender and number. For example, the Tamil expressions naan poran, naangal poram, nee porai, neengal porengal, avar porar appear in Sinhala as mama yanawa, api yanawa, api yanawa, oya yanawa, eya yanawa respectively. The knowledge in the present function of these languages will give a clear idea to the learners and teachers of these languages and this research study will facilitate the teaching and learning process of these languages. The research area is limited to the tenses being used in the spoken context of Sri Lankan Tamil and Sinhala. The data for this study were obtained from books, articles, websites, and discussionsItem A comparison of emerging concepts of male and female productivity: Modern scientific advancements and ritual based enactments(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Jayasekara, K.D.It is apparent that the modern technology is capable of addressing the issue of infertility among young males and females through its scientific and technological advancements for a period of time. Variety of devices have been introduced to measure and monitor effects and results. While some are of the opinion that the deficiency in male and female productivity is a matter of irregular food pattern and the stress, some argue that it is genetic. Despite the fact that modern scientific reviews have observed the particular problem has much broader perspectives. The established concepts of the contemporary Sri Lankan society was unfavorable for female and it is believed that women is heretically barren. Contrary to this ideological behavior, so-called contemporary Sri Lankan society has applied a number of treatments to overcome infertility of males by enacting certain ritual practices and prescribing some herbal treatments to males in particular. Kapuyakkariya, a ritual enactment performed in the Ratayakuma or Riddi Yagaya by the village priest, clearly demonstrates the values and effective steps that has been undertaken to enhance the productivity of males. The significance of the act is that it is performed precisely after the Nanumuraya or the Dolaha Pelapaliya, a ritual enactment that takes place as means of alleviating the barrenness of female. The village priest, by his ritual chants, sanctifies the sickened person (aturaya) through Kapuyakkariya, and provides grounds to strengthen the ability of productivity. The two enactments together proves that the contemporary Sri Lankan society has addressed the issue of productivity of males and females that which has been attended by the modern scientists with a variety of scientific tools. Therefore, the present study examines and compares the effectiveness of the two treatment patterns to achieve the same expectation. The study will follow a literary survey of historical facts in respect of the cult of fertility and the rituals connected with it along with some case studies done on scientific measures to eliminate the infertility in males and femalesItem Significance of mindfulness and clear comprehension (sati-sampajañña) for material and spiritual development(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Ven. JatilaMindfulness and clear comprehension (sati-sampajañña) play significant role in implementing both material and spiritual development among human being. Working without sati-sampajañña generates problems and failures, whereas working with sati-sampajañña leads to successful material and spiritual enrichment. This research is a textual and critical approach which gathered data from the discourses. This observation involves applying sati-sampajañña with right thought, right speech and right action for material development and utilizing sati-sampajañña in satipaṭṭhāna practice for liberation. Thought with sati-sampajañña generates right thought which brings good benefits. Thought without sati-sampajañña causes wrong ideas which results in problems and sufferings. Speaking without mindfulness is dishonest. Hence, one should be mindful and have a clear comprehension in whatever talked or discussed. One should speak at the proper time, what is true, gently and beneficial with loving kindness described in Vācā Sutta. Performing work without sati-sampajañña cannot implement tasks. To develop wealth, enhance the standards of living and increase the values of man, one should perform careers and responsibilities by sati-sampajañña with right action. Thus, sati-sampajañña is important to apply in humanity for material development. Further, for spiritual improvement, sati-sampajañña is a part of the contemplation of the body in satipaṭṭhāna practice. In the Satipaṭṭhāna sutta, this practice is required to establish four mental qualities: diligence, clear comprehension, mindfulness and freedom from covetousness and dejection. A meditator acts with a clear comprehension when going forward and returning, looking ahead and looking away, etc. While standing, walking, sitting, lying and eating, he is mindful and have a clear comprehension to prevent obstacles and increases spiritual development. The Papañcasūdanī signifies that clear comprehension has fourfold: purposefulness, suitability, resort and non-delusion. Sati-sampajañña also deals with dwelling in equanimity towards mindfulness and clear comprehension. This highlights that one should cultivate sati-sampajañña for spiritual liberation. Mindfulness and clear comprehension (sati-sampajañña) are vital importance for individual who seeks material development and spiritual liberation. Utilizing sati-sampajañña with right thought, right speech and right action generate wealth. Through contemplating sati-sampajañña in satipaṭṭhāna meditation, one can be removed from covetousness and dejections, not clinging to world and obtaining purification of beings from all defilements.Item Does soldiering fall under wrong livelihood in Theravada Buddhism? A critical analysis(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Pasquel, D.E.D.It has been a hackneyed question behind the majority of the studies on Buddhism and war that ‗how does Buddhism justify the warfare? Seemingly, scholars have reiterated this issue in pursuit of solving the burning conflict between the values that are expected to uphold via following the first precept of Buddhism and the active engagement of Buddhists in warfare. This study examines another dimension of the same problem pertaining to soldiering as a livelihood, in the light of Theravada Buddhism. Soldiers confront with grave ethical dilemmas in the battlefield as they are entrusted to take certain measures and decisions in order to accomplish their mission. Kent quotes one such dilemma of the Sri Lankan soldier thus; ‗Will I receive negative Karma if I kill the enemy on the battle field?‘ Apparently the modern day scholarship perceives such dilemmas as mere ethical challenges that soldiers are expected to overcome with the help of an accurate ethical reasoning process. Nowhere in the Pāli Canon has Buddhism identified the soldiering as an unethical livelihood or Micchā Ājīva. Furthermore, except the ‗five banned trades‘ mentioned in the Vanijjā Sutta, Buddhism does not present a clear-cut definition for the wrong livelihood of the laity. However, Lord Buddha does not deny the negative consequences a soldier has to endure in his livelihood. At this juncture, it seems that the approaches like ‗prima facie just-war theory‘ tend to surface for the rescue of the soldier. Prima facie obligations refer to ethical obligations that can be overridden when they come to conflict with each other. The present study reveals that the apparent ethical predicaments that servicemen are duty-bound to face, are indeed ethically insoluble dilemmas that provides no single panacea via an ethical reasoning process. However, I argue that it is impossible to deny the necessity of soldiering for a healthy governance of a state as expounded by the Buddha. I also challenge the notion that ‗soldiering is a wrong livelihood according to Buddhism‘, but it is nevertheless a profession that entails a fair amount of negative consequences in this world, as well as in the world to come.Item Sri Lankan Buddhist chants (Paritta) and indigenous music(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Kumara, C.R.The focus of this research is to identify the history and evolution of Sri Lankan Buddhist chants and its musical elements that forecasted the indigenous musical tradition in the country. Apparently, the Buddhist relgious chantings broadly consistent with the canonical texts in Theravada Buddhism called sutra. Pirit (derived from paritta="protection' in Pali) is a style of intoned recitation based on phonological properties of the Pali language as well as restricted melodic intonations of three tone scale. Such was performed necessarily reveals the nature of music in the country in its prolonged history for which we can find some live evidence from the paritta chantngs practiced in Sri Lankan Buddhist temples as well as in domestic practices in various occasions ie; house warming.wedding ceremonies etc., The Buddhist recitals of blessings (Jayamangala Gathā) is a remarkable sign of Budhdist religious musical practices in Sri Lankan, espcially performed at wedding ceremonies, also an evolved secular practice from the religious chantings pirith. It is evident that the chanting of verses or stanzas is performed with the metrical pattern. The stanzas of chant has been written in ―gi‖ metre which was generally used to write poetical verses in ancient literature. The Jayamangala Gathā is composed in vasantatilakā metre. The Ōse in sinhalese paddy songs is also recognisable with its melodic pattern that has followed the same metrical stye of Pirith chantings. This linear engagement of the applicatin of same metrical recitation technique from religious chantings (pirith) to the folk lore and various cultural events prove that the Sri Lankan Theravada chant tradition might have well afforded to the rich insights of indigenous Sri Lankan music principles and traditional music styles. The study will use the digital tuner system and audio records. A field survey, a survey of literature and scholarly studies will also involve in the methodologyItem Portrayal of Cleopatra in Roman literature: A seductress or a political strategist?(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Perera, C.T.S.S.Cleopatra VII of Egypt is identified as one of the most popular queens and women from antiquity. Nevertheless, it is questionable how history has portrayed this dignified woman from 1st century BCE. Only surviving literary evidence on Cleopatra is from the Roman Literature. When reading Roman descriptions on Cleopatra, it is notable that the authors have depicted her character based on their personal perspectives. This has directly affected interpretation on Cleopatra in later society. Several scholars have discussed the political role of Cleopatra but not necessarily evaluated the political necessities of her partners in order to defend her from the accusation as ‗a seductress‘. The research reads surviving Roman literary evidence on Cleopatra and her contacts with the Roman leaders; Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony, and Augustus Caesar. The relationships of Cleopatra will be evaluated to examine the necessities of each party. Further, other surviving archaeological evidence found both in Rome and Egypt will be incorporated. As evident in history, during her reign, Cleopatra was in a critical situation. Thus, as any authority, Cleopatra tried to retain her position and the stability of Egypt with aid of Julius Caesar and Anthony. In consequence, the Roman authors who were mostly biased, portrayed Cleopatra in a negative perspective. This caused for the assumption that she is 'a seductress' than a political strategist of the time. The aim of the research is to re-evaluate the political character of Cleopatra in a fresh dimension while examining the effect created by Roman literature on the character portrayal. The intention is to break down the traditional idea on Cleopatra and bring into light the notion that Cleopatra was not a mere seductress but a political strategist who used her female charms to achieve her target. The study will provide the reader a reliable understanding on how ancient Roman authors have depicted Cleopatra. The discussion would be conducted based on selected sections from Roman literature and relevant readings from history and it would be substantiated by archaeological evidence of the eraItem Middle class in Malgudi: An evocative portrayal(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Mukherjee, A.This paper attempts to gain a sociological insight of the depiction of ‗middle class‘ by the celebrated Indian writer R.K. Narayan. Malgudi, a fictional South Indian town, is a prototypical representation of typical Indian society and the literary works of Narayan vividly mirrors the everyday happenings. While the existing research has focused on Narayan‘s depiction of ‗cosmopolitanism‘ (Kumar, 2011), ‗child life‘ (Rashmi, 2018), ‗myth‘ (Ghosh, 2017), and ‗power‘ (Zolfagharkhani and Akhgarandouz, 2012), this study reveals the author‘s depiction of the middle class and his derision of certain lifestyle practices of the class in question. Set in the backdrop of 1930s, the paper attempts to identify how the stories of Malgudi showcase the peculiarities of lifestyle practices of middle class in South Asia and study the applicability of Narayan‘s portrayal of middle class to the present day. For instance, educational achievement is considered to be of utmost importance for the preservation of one‘s own status and for the achievement of social mobility by the middle class in South Asia. However, in this quest for educational achievement, Narayan laments the fate of those who are so-called ―misfit‖ and are oriented differently. Ironically, educational success is often unsuccessful in buying freedom from alienating and oppressive livelihood practices engaging the middle class. Furthermore, in their longing for conspicuous consumption and use of consumer goods for enhancing status, the middle class is submerged in a daze of ―false consciousness‖. There is also accompanying erosion of ‗social capital‘ and the expanding ―radius of distrust‖ (Fukuyama, 2001). This secondary research relied on content analysis of selected short stories of Narayan, namely, ‗Forty Five a Month‘, ―Iswaran‖, ―Sweets for Angels‖, and ―Swami and Friends‖ to arrive at the findings and used the theories of Karl Marx, Max Weber, Erik Ohlin Wright, Pierre Bourdieu, and Veblen to develop sociological understandingItem Influence of trees for Human beings according to the Vāstushāstra(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Ven.Panawala DhammadhajaTrees are very useful for human beings and other animals to live healthily. The majority of animals including humans inhale because of oxygen produce by trees. Water is protected where the trees are. According to vāstushāstra, when the house is established, considerable attention should be paid to trees. Many primary resources on vāstushāstra such as Mayamata, Mānasāra and Viswakarmaprakāsha allocate a paragraph to describe trees which are planted in the land according to directions. Today many people do not use these methods or systems to create their houses and they have to face a lot of troubles after settling down in the house such as diseases, physical abjectness, mental abjectness, poverty and childlessness etc. The main purpose of this research study is to investigate suitable trees and unsuitable trees to plant in house land according to västuçästra and the scientific theories about them. In this research study, collecting data from primary resources such as Mayamatha, Mānasāra, Viswakarmaprakāsha etc. and online sources are used as the research methodology. Gargasamhitā is one of the primary resources on vāstushāstra and it is said that Aswatta tree is not planted in the east, Pāṭalī tree is not grew in the south, Nuga is not cultivated in the west and Udumbara is not planted in the north of the house. It mentions the good and positive way to plant trees in land. For example, Pāṭalī tree is good in north. In some sources like Mayamatha, Mānasāra, Viswakarmaprakāsha etc., there is a classification done according to the appearance of trees.Item Incorporating Plain Legal Language in mortgage bonds(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Kothelawala, I.Plain Legal Language (PLL) has been emerged as opposed to Traditional Legal Language (TLL) as the later has been criticized for being archaic, incomprehensible and wanting of effective communication. Many developed countries have accepted that the language used by lawyers should agree with the common speech, unless there are reasons for a difference and have introduced PLL into their legal systems. Yet, Sri Lankan lawyers still follow the age-old forms out of habit even in the absence of a prescribed form. This paper, analyses a traditionally worded insurance clause in Sinhala mortgage bond form used in banks (Original Clause) in comparison to its revised version in PLL (Revised Clause) and the effect of using the Revised Clause instead of using the Original Clause for which a Notary Public‘s assistance is sought. The researcher has used a clause in Sinhala as there is ample research conducted in PLL analyzing and revising English mortgage bonds. The researcher has restricted the research to mortgage bonds as they are widely criticized for the highly stylized TLL which locks up unfavorable terms from the customers. Also, mortgage bonds create very special legal rights to mortgagee and serious obligations on the part of the mortgagor making mortgage bonds a boon to the banks and a doom to the customers. This paper is the only paper in which a Sinhala clause in a legal document is revised in PLL as PLL is still so alien to Sri Lanka. To revise the Original Clause to improve its readability and effective communication, the writer has created a four-step process namely, segmenting the sentence structure, removing legal jargon and technical terms, eliminating wordiness and improving tone and layout. Thereafter, the Revised Clause is compared with the Original Clause by circulating a questionnaire among a randomly selected group of 50 individuals to formulate an opinion on their degree of comprehension and their views. The findings reveal that the Original Clause is complicated, and complete gobbledygook to 95% of the sample and the Revised Clause is understandable at first reading to 100% of the sample as the meaning is clear and succinct. This paper concludes by citing case law to answer the question of precedent and justifying the moral obligation of a legal draftsman to draft in PLL as people who need the law are the least capable of understanding the lawItem Can social media influence Buddhist monks to disrobe? A Theravāda perspective based on the Ūmibhayasutta of Aṅguttara Nikāya(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Ven. Ashin Nanda CariyaIt is clear that social media are so useful that many people and even Buddhist monks cannot live without social media in the modern world. In regard to the Buddhist monks being associated with social media, some may argue that Buddhist monks should not surf the Internet probably because social media would cause them to disrobe. Actually, it is so hard to say that Buddhist monks will give up the training and revert to the lay life because of surfing the Internet or being associated with social media by any kind of modern gadgets. However, it can also be said that some monks will try to give up the training and revert to the lay life because they can get improper experiences by surfing the Internet. In order to clarify this situation, it is important to observe the Ūmibhayasutta of Aṅguttara Nikāya in which the Buddha pointed out four perils that can cause monks to give up the training and revert to the lay life. Among the four perils mentioned in this sutta, the latter two perils; the peril of whirlpools, and of fierce fish, are related to how social media can cause Buddhist monks to disrobe. According to the peril of whirlpools, āvaṭṭabhaya, a certain monk can admire people enjoying, or endowing with the five objects of sensual pleasure. At that time, a monk may think of enjoying the wealth and do meritorious deeds in lay life, and try to give up the training and finally revert to the lay life. Then, according to the peril of fierce fish, susukābhaya, a certain monk can see women dressed in disarray, or badly attired while going for alms. At that time, lust may invade his mind and a monk would try to give up the training and later revert to the lay life. Ancient monks could get these experiences through being associated with people when going for their alms. Nowadays, Buddhist monks can get such similar experiences by being associated with social media without going for alms into a village or a town. By the help of social media, such as Phone, Facebook, Viber, Youtube etc., they can easily see people enjoying the sensual pleasures and connect with a woman they like. This is an obvious changing of the life style between monks in the past and present. Although ancient monks could be invaded by lust while going for alms, modern monks can be invaded by lust while sitting in their room. However, it is still hard to say that every monk who associates with social media will try to give up the training and revert to the lay life. According to the Ūmibhayasutta, if a monk went for alms mindfully, lust would not invade his mind and he would not try to give up the training. Similarly, if a modern monk could associate with social media mindfully, social media would not cause him to disrobe. Nevertheless, modern monks should be fully aware of the negative impacts of social media as it can also cause a monk to disrobe if the monk associates with social media mindlesslyItem Cultural competency in foreign language teaching for successful interpersonal skills in culturally diverse working environments(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Cooray, B.M.S.Cultural competency refers to a set of attitudes, behaviors and skills that enable a person to work successfully in a cross-cultural setting. Cultural competency is more than just being aware of difference; it refers to demonstrating attitudes and an approach that allows you to work effectively cross-culturally. One of the most comprehensive studies based on cultural diversity at workplace was conducted by Professor Geert Hofstede. He analyzed a large database of employee value scores collected within IBM between 1967 and 1973 covering more than 70 countries, based on which he has presented six cultural dimension theories. A closer look to the literature reveals, that the research pertaining to cultural competence is limited only to workforce diversity and no references on this topic seem to exist on cultural competence in Foreign Language Teaching. Therefore this research seeks to identify the importance of integrating cultural competency into foreign language curriculum as a new language competency. The aim of this research is to examine how pertinent it is to integrate cultural competency oriented teaching activities into Foreign Language curriculum to intensify the cultural awareness of Foreign Language learners. The research sample consisted of 25 Graduates, who have graduated during last three academic years from the Department of Modern Languages, University of Kelaniya. These Graduates have followed German as Foreign Language during their general and special degree program and now working as employees at both local and overseas agencies. Two data collecting techniques were used for the research. A questionnaire was distributed during the first data collection session and a narrative interview was conducted during the second session limiting the sample to five participants. When comparing the data collected from both the questionnaires and from the narrative interview, it was evident, that many had difficulties in working in culturally diverse working environments, although they have been exposed to adequate cultural knowledge during teaching sessions. According to the findings of the research, it was evident, that language and literature competencies are not adequate for foreign language learners to become professionals in diverse cultural environments and focus should be given to teaching materials to train students to deal with conflicts, misunderstandings, and cultural intolerance in professional working environments.Item The applicability of the imitation method in teaching Chinese pronunciation to Sri Lankan students(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Fernando, K.D.K.D Thilina.The Chinese language has become a popular foreign language in the recent times in Sri Lanka. This is evident from the annually rising number of students learning the language at both public and private institutes of the country. Of these students, the ones who learn the Chinese language for professional purposes often complain about the difficulties they encounter in learning the pronunciation of the language. One cause behind these pronunciation difficulties is the lack of familiarity with the tone system. Sometimes, in Chinese language, the tone is the feature that semantically distinguishes one word from another. There are words pronounced alike unless for the difference in the tones, such as the words mā (mother), má (hemp), mǎ (horse), mà (scold). The other cause behind these pronunciation difficulties is the availability of similar clusters such as zhi, chi, shi, zi, ci, si which are confusing to Sri Lankan learners. This research was conducted with the experiment on a suitable method for Sri Lankan students to learn and master the pronunciation of the Chinese language. The method experimented in this research, which can be named as the ‗Imitation Method‘, is considerably different from the traditional methods being used for teaching pronunciation. A group of twenty five students were selected for the experiment from the batch of first year students specialising in the Chinese language at the University of Kelaniya. Chinese pronunciation was introduced to them using audio-visual materials containing the speech of native Chinese speakers. The students were encouraged to observe and imitate the speech of the native speakers. At the end of the teaching process, the speech of the students were recorded and compared with the speech of the native Chinese speakers. It was observed that the speech of the students had a great degree of similarity to the speech of the native speakers. The twenty five students who made progress were chosen for the experiment. There was a clear evident that when their pronunciation was compared with that of the students who were not chosen for the experiment, and taught with the traditional methods. Thus, teaching Chinese pronunciation is an area that could be improved with strenuous researchItem The opinions on the use of Sinhala language in adult ELT classroom: A survey conducted at the Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Ratnayake, A.R.M.J.C.The study set out to investigate the opinions of the use of Sinhala language in adult English Language Teaching (ELT) classrooms. First it is important to state that research in regard to the opinions of the use of Sinhala in Adult ELT classrooms is limited in the Sri Lankan context. The survey was conducted at the Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya. For the purpose of this study 20 first year undergraduates belonging to the basic level group were randomly chosen. The study involved both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The main research questions of this research study were whether first language (L1) favoured ELT classrooms or not and whether students and teachers favoured the use of L1 in ELT classroom for teaching and learning processes and also whether L1 use in the classroom motivated and influenced students in an attitude change. The findings were used to determine whether they agreed or disagreed with the use of first language in the second language (L2) classrooms. At the same time, two ESL classrooms were monitored and observed for a semester in which one class used only the target language (TL) and on the other L1 was used for classroom activities and instruction. In order to gauge whether L1 use improves students motivation and attitudinal changes through student attendance, student attendance records were summarized and the number of students in each group who participated in ESL classes during the semester were listed down. Finally, the records of the percentage of the students‘ attendance was calculated to gauge whether L1 use in ESL classrooms led to student motivation and a change in student attitudes. The data collected from the students and instructors‘ responses in the interviews were also analyzed. The study revealed that students‘ L1 is used for pedagogical, administrative and international purposes in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom and that instructors teaching in these basic level classes used the L1 as a strategy to accommodate students‘ low language proficiency and also as a strategy to create more student friendly classrooms. Based on the findings it is posited that the students‘ L1 might be a useful strategy that enhance target language acquisition. With respect to the opinions with regard to L1 use in adult ELT classrooms, both the students and instructors stated that it facilitates the teaching and learning of English as a Foreign Language (FL).