Forum for Linguistic Studies

Teachers' and Students' Perceptions on the Implementation of Bilingual and Biliteracy Practices at MAN Program Keagamaan (PK) MAN 4 Islamic Boarding School

2025-07-21T15:05:32+08:00

This research aimed to explore teachers' and students' perceptions toward the use of Bilingual and Biliteracy Practices among EFL Learners at MAN PK MAN 4 Islamic Boarding School, Denanyar, Jombang, East Java, Indonesia as well as the challenges that students have when implementing the regulation in MAN PK MAN 4 Islamic Boarding School. This research employed a qualitative descriptive method. The data analysis was used to examine the information gathered from observations and interviews. Three language teachers and six tenth–grade students participated in the research interview. The finding revealed a positive perception of the teachers and applying Bilingual and biliteracy helped students understand the material during the teaching–learning process and receive an education abroad. The study's findings indicated that Mufrodat (a vocabulary program) helped students increase their vocabulary to read and write in Arabic and English more quickly, while Muhadatsah (a conversation program) helped them improve their speaking abilities. Among the application's shortcomings were the students' inability to expand their vocabulary, the language section's failure to supervise their usage of the proper dhomir (pronoun) in Arabic, and the repetitive themes they offered in Muhadatsah (the conversation program). They also said the punishment had a humiliating effect on students. Furthermore, the specific difficulties students encountered in English were a lack of vocabulary, understanding of grammar, writing and pronunciation. Meanwhile, in Arabic, the difficulty faced by students was to use Arabic structures (Nahwu and Shorof). The Researcher also concluded that some students prefer to learn Arabic rather than English.

Structural Conceptual Metaphors of Emotion Expressions Used by Mandailingnese Speakers

2025-09-01T15:41:25+08:00

This study investigates the structural conceptual metaphors employed by Mandailingnese speakers to express emotions, aiming to elucidate how abstract emotional experiences are mapped onto more concrete concepts through metaphor. The research adopted a qualitative, descriptive design grounded in Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), as developed by Lakoff and Johnson. Data were drawn from spoken language, including words, phrases, and clauses, collected through recordings of native Mandailingnese speakers' utterances. An interactive model was applied to analyze the data. The findings indicate that Mandailingnese speakers frequently utilize structural conceptual metaphors such as Time Is Money, Life Is a Journey, and Causation As Forced Movement to articulate emotions. In particular, many emotions were conceptualized in temporal terms, mapping feelings onto the domain of time. This mapping illustrates how speakers draw upon familiar, concrete domains to understand and communicate abstract emotional states. These results suggest that structural conceptual metaphors are central to Mandailingnese emotional expression and may contribute to enhancing emotional intelligence. By framing emotions within metaphorical constructs, speakers are better able to comprehend, communicate, and regulate their emotional experiences. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the interplay between language, culture, and cognition, demonstrating how metaphor shapes the expression and perception of emotions within the Mandailingnese community.

Highlights:

This study investigates the structural conceptual metaphors employed by Mandailingnese speakers to express emotions, aiming to elucidate how abstract emotional experiences are mapped onto more concrete concepts through metaphor.

The research adopted a qualitative, descriptive design grounded in Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), as developed by Lakoff and Mark.

Data were drawn from spoken language, including words, phrases, and clauses, collected through recordings of native Mandailingnese speakers' utterances.

Exploring the Application of Virtual Reality in Facilitating EFL Vocabulary Acquisition: An Analysis Using Bloom's Taxonomy

2025-07-25T10:27:57+08:00

To prepare their citizens for global social, economic, and political contexts, people, including Chinese, are pursuing English as a specialised foreign course. They believe that mastering this language will offer them an advantage in business as well as international relations. Vocabulary plays a central role in language learning, influencing not only communication skills but also reading comprehension, writing ability, and overall academic performance. When learning a new language, speakers of foreign languages frequently battle with a limited vocabulary in general. Thus, this research intends to explore the impact of VR on EFL vocabulary acquisition among Chinese university students concerning different levels of Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive learning. For this purpose, a qualitative research approach using a case study research design has been employed. Semi-structured interviews with Chinese EFL students were carried out who had different proficiency levels and experiences with VR-based learning. The findings of the study confirmed the impact of VR in improving the vocabulary acquisition of Chinese EFL learners, aiding cognitive processing from low-order to high-order via multimodal input, adaptive application, and immersive conceptualisation. Students reported benefits such as increased motivation, engagement, and confidence, though some indicated challenges linked to technological familiarity and learning preferences. This will help EFL teachers integrate VR or similar technologies into their teaching to maximise Chinese students' vocabulary acquisition and retention, while addressing variations in tool design and learner readiness.

Translating Idiomatic Expressions: A Systematic Review

2025-07-31T13:59:55+08:00

Idiomatic expressions represent a profound challenge in translation due to their non-literal meanings, cultural embeddedness, and fixed linguistic forms. Drawing on information from significant theoretical frameworks and empirical research, this study systematically reviewed the most commonly used models and the primary translation strategies employed to translate idioms across various language pairs. The study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in this complex field. The review highlighted the complex nature of idioms and the primary difficulties they present, including semantic opacity and cultural specificity. The review revealed that while perfect equivalence is rare, paraphrasing (28.26%) is the core strategy used across different language pairs, followed by omission (19.56%) and translating an idiom of similar meaning but different form (17.39%). In addition, Mona Baker’s (1992) framework is the most commonly used model for analyzing idiom translation. The review also discussed factors that affect strategy selection across various language pairs, including linguistic and cultural distance, context, text type, target audience, and translation purpose. It also proposed avenues for future research, particularly concerning less-resourced languages and the impact of evolving translation technologies. Finally, it highlighted areas that require further investigation, including the need for studies in languages with limited resources and the evaluation of Neural Machine Translation's (NMT) idiomatic performance.

Language as Revolt: A Discursive Inquiry into Gendered Deliberation in the Confessional Writings of Plath and Das

2025-07-22T15:05:35+08:00

The confessional poetry of Sylvia Plath and Kamala Das is compared discursively in this research, with an emphasis on how their language use subverts patriarchal narratives and reclaims agency. Both poets write in intimate, self-revealing ways that defy gendered, psychological, and social norms. While Das bravely defies patriarchal standards through her voyaging of desire, passion, and female liberation, Plath's confessional style dives into her battles with mental illness, relationships, and societal expectations of women. This study examines how the poets employ confessional dialogue to regain control over their identities and narratives as women through a comparative analysis of their works. From a linguistic perspective, both poets use unique stylistic markers that express psychological disintegration and socio-political opposition, such as abrupt enjambments, metaphorical density, and shifting pronouns. From a practical standpoint and a pragmatic perspective, their poems function as performative speech acts that involve, confrontation, and confession, where language serves as a weapon also a shield. Through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and profound textual analysis of both poets' select poems, the paper thoroughly examines the confessional narrative structure and the employment of language as a counter-narrative against oppression. This study reveals the linguistic techniques that influence the confessional voice of a few chosen poems by analyzing their structure, tone, and rhetorical choices. The study concludes by arguing that Das and Plath's confession is not only expressive but also an act of linguistic revolt that is both stylistically stimulating and pragmatically powerful, establishing them as radical voices in gendered poetic discourse.

Linguistic Analysis of Proverbs Containing Phytonyms

2025-08-01T10:36:41+08:00

Proverbs represent a universal linguistic and cultural phenomenon through which societies encapsulate and transmit moral values, collective experiences, and philosophical reflections in a concise, memorable form. This study focuses on Azerbaijani proverbs that include phytonyms (names of plants) as essential symbolic and semantic components. These proverbs reflect the historical worldview, ecological awareness, and cultural imagination of the Azerbaijani people, illustrating how plant imagery is embedded in folk wisdom and traditional modes of expression. The primary aim of this research is to examine the linguistic structures, semantic functions, and cultural significance of Azerbaijani proverbs containing phytonyms. Special attention is given to the metaphorical depth of these expressions and their role in shaping human perceptions of the natural world. Phytonymic proverbs are shown to function not only as linguistic units but also as cognitive and didactic tools that encapsulate traditional ecological knowledge and ethical values passed down through generations. Firmly rooted in the oral traditions of Azerbaijani culture, these proverbs demonstrate a refined linguistic artistry and a high degree of national self-awareness. The use of plant symbolism serves to convey moral principles, social attitudes, and aesthetic sensibilities. Furthermore, many of these proverbs reflect agricultural practices and nature-based worldviews, offering insight into the ecological and economic conditions of traditional life. This article undertakes a structural, semantic, and stylistic analysis of selected phytonymic proverbs, offering comparative perspectives and emphasizing their role in cultural continuity, identity preservation, and the intergenerational transmission of moral and ecological knowledge.

A Systematic Review of Experimental Methods in EFL Pronunciation Enhancement: Trends, Technologies, and Gaps

2025-07-21T15:27:21+08:00

As education evolves in tandem with societal and technological advancements, research methodologies must adapt to meet emerging needs. This systematic review explores recent experimental approaches to enhancing the pronunciation of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Ten peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2024 were analyzed using PRISMA guidelines. All studies employed the quasi-experimental design and were conducted in Asia and Europe, reflecting a regional concentration of research efforts. The interventions varied widely, incorporating innovative tools such as speech visualization technologies, robot tutors, AI-powered applications, and personalized feedback systems. These methods enhanced learners' pronunciation accuracy, fluency, and overall speaking proficiency. The review highlights a prevailing reliance on quasi-experiments due to practical constraints in educational settings, such as challenges with random assignment. While the studies showcased promising short-term outcomes, a notable gap was identified in using longitudinal research models, limiting insights into sustained effects. Additionally, some studies lacked robust statistical analysis or had small sample sizes, which may affect the generalizability of findings. The findings underscore the importance of integrating modern technologies and interactive strategies into pronunciation instruction. They also emphasize the need for more geographically diverse and methodologically rigorous research. Unlike previous reviews, this study focuses on technological interventions and affective outcomes, identifying a lack of longitudinal research in EFL pronunciation experiments. Future studies should prioritize long-term evaluations and broader samples to strengthen the evidence base for effective EFL pronunciation interventions.

The Study of Eco-lexicons in The Identification of Marine Ornamental Fish in Indonesia

2025-07-29T15:45:58+08:00

The purpose of this study is to examine the ecolexicons of marine ornamental fish among fishermen in the Banyak Islands, Indonesia, focusing on naming conventions and their cultural significance. Using qualitative methods and ecolinguistic theory supported by semantic analysis, the research identifies 58 ecolexicons, categorized into groups such as anemonefish, surgeonfish, and butterflyfish. Data were collected through purposive and snowball sampling, with local fishermen as key informants. Findings reveal five naming criteria: resemblance (62%), distinctive features (31%), inventor/maker (9%), place of origin (9%), abbreviation (2%), and newly coined terms (7%). Notably, novel criteria emerged, including fish life stage, size, pidginization, and hybrid naming systems, prompting a reevaluation of Chaer's Inquisitive Semantics theory. The predominance of resemblance and distinctive traits in naming reflects the community's observational precision and ecological familiarity. The lexical choices are deeply rooted in cultural philosophy, expressed through ideological (conservatism), sociological (community norms), and biological dimensions. These interconnected influences shape how fishermen name and perceive marine life, reinforcing their bond with the local ecosystem. This study contributes to ecolinguistics by documenting unique naming practices and their sociocultural underpinnings, offering insights into how language encodes environmental knowledge. The findings underscore the importance of preserving indigenous lexicons as part of ecological and cultural heritage.

Linguistic Analyses of Rhymed Proverbs, Idioms and Fixed Expressions in Jordanian Arabic

2025-07-24T14:10:04+08:00

This study explores the syntactic and prosodic structures of rhymed proverbs, idioms, and fixed expressions in Jordanian Arabic (JA). The study highlights how these expressions give precedence to phonological considerations over strict syntactic or semantic norms. While traditional and previous research has often focused on meaning or cultural context, this work shifts attention to form, as it examines how Arabic idioms and proverbs value rhyme, parallelism, and style. Data were collected from classical sources like madʒmaʕ al-ʔamθaːl and contemporary social media, with a focus on rhymed expressions still used in JA. The analysis is based on both classical Arabic grammar and modern linguistic frameworks. The results of the study show that these expressions not only carry rich semantic and cultural dimension, but they also exemplify a blend of syntax, sound, and morphology. A lot of Jordanian proverbs, idioms and fixed expressions give priority to prosody rather than to meaning or syntactic structure as many of these expressions have parallel bi-clausal structures with matching rhythm. In some cases, suffixes, ellipsis, topicalization, inversion and exaggeration are skillfully used for prosodic purposes. Conditional structures and headless relative clauses are manipulated to maintain phonological symmetry at semantic and syntactic cost. In conclusion, phonological harmony frequently shapes or overrides conventional grammatical structures.

Highlights:

The paper presents a linguistic analysis of rhymed proverbs, idioms and fixed expressions in Jordanian Arabic.
This study shows how prosodic, semantic, and pragmatic aspects interact in the creation of rhymed proverbs, idioms and fixed expressions
The paper indicates that in many Jordanian proverbs, idioms and fixed expressions, rhyme is the driving force rather than the meaning or syntactic structure.

Incorporating ChatGPT in EFL Classrooms: An Examination of the Impact on Learners' Motivation and Engagement

2025-09-09T09:35:11+08:00

The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in educational settings, especially in EFL/ESL classrooms, offers new prospects for enhancing students' learning experiences. Using self-determination theory and social constructivist learning frameworks, the study examines the impact of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence language model, on Saudi EFL learners' motivation and engagement. A quasi-experimental method was employed to collect quantitative and qualitative data from 60 intermediate diploma EFL students enrolled in a language learning program at the Applied College, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. The experimental group (n = 30), comprising 60 intermediate diploma students, participated in activities utilizing ChatGPT, while the control group (n = 30) employed a conventional method without AI assistance. It was found that the students in the experimental group demonstrated a higher level of motivation and engagement compared to those who relied on conventional methods of instruction. The thematic analysis of the interview responses also corroborated the findings of the quantitative data. The study suggests that ChatGPT could serve as a great resource for EFL instruction when conventional methods don't resonate with tech-savvy modern learners. The findings add to the expanding literature on artificial intelligence (AI) in language classrooms while offering practical guidance to instructors who wish to utilize AI to motivate learners to study language. These findings imply that AI technologies may be beneficial supplements to language training when used in conjunction with specific educational objectives.

Effects of EFL Students' Interaction on Their Subjective Learning Performance in UNIPUS-LMS Facilitated College English Learning

2025-07-22T18:18:57+08:00

This study explores the impact of four types of student interaction—learner-content, learner-learner, learner-instructor, and learner-technology—on EFL learners' subjective learning performance in a blended College English course supported by the UNIPUS LMS. Grounded in the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework and social constructivist theory, the research adopts a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative data from 504 EFL student questionnaires with qualitative data from classroom observations. Multiple regression analysis revealed that all four interaction types significantly predicted students' perceived learning outcomes, accounting for 46% of the variance. Learner-content interaction (β = 0.317) was the strongest predictor, followed by learner-learner (β = 0.213), learner-instructor (β = 0.194), and learner-technology (β = 0.115) interactions. Thematic analysis of classroom observations further illustrated how content engagement promoted language mastery, peer collaboration enhanced motivation and understanding, and instructor support boosted learner confidence and accountability. Technology, while a less influential predictor, enabled meaningful interaction when supported by instructional guidance and digital readiness. These findings underscore the critical role of cognitive, social, and teaching presence in blended EFL contexts and highlight the need for intentional instructional design. The study concludes that interaction is central to learning in technology-enhanced environments and that pedagogical strategies should balance content delivery, peer collaboration, and responsive teaching support.

Examining the Quality of Machine Translation Subtitling for Saudi Series: Tash Ma Tash a Model

2025-06-24T14:42:08+08:00

This study examines the quality of machine-translated subtitles for the Saudi comedy series Tash Ma Tash using YouTube-generated subtitles. The research focuses on assessing how well machine translation (MT) tools convey the meaning of the source text, with a particular emphasis on the challenges posed by idiomatic expressions, dialectal vocabulary, and humor in Arabic to English translation. A thematic analysis was conducted to examine the application of Pedersen's FAR model, focusing on its three main dimensions: Functional Equivalence (do the subtitles convey speaker meaning?); Acceptability (do the subtitles sound correct and natural in the target language?); and Readability (can the subtitles be read in a fluent and non-intrusive way?). Particular attention was paid to how machine translation (MT) systems handle culturally and linguistically complex content. The findings indicated that although machine translation is effective in translating straightforward terms, it frequently struggles to convey more profound cultural meanings and subtleties, resulting in considerable mistranslations. This research emphasizes the vital need to comprehend the cultural context during translation processes, as numerous idiomatic expressions and culturally specific references are often either lost or inaccurately represented in machine-generated subtitles. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of human involvement in the subtitling process to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of translations. The implications of this research go beyond the particular instance of Tash Ma Tash, suggesting that similar issues may occur in the translation of other culturally nuanced audiovisual materials and so this study contributes to the effectiveness of the machine translation.

How AI Benefits Student Translators: An Exploratory Study on the Impact of ChatGPT Feedback on Translation Proficiency

2025-07-21T17:36:50+08:00

With the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in translation training, ChatGPT has become a widely used tool among student translators to enhance their translation proficiency. However, while ChatGPT offers instant feedback and suggestions, its effectiveness in improving translation skills and its limitations remain unclear. Existing research has primarily focused on AI's role in professional translation, with limited studies examining its impact on student translators. This study aims to explore how student translators leverage ChatGPT feedback to enhance their translation proficiency. Underpinned by Social Constructivism theory, the study was conducted through an electronic survey administered via Wenjuanxing to translation students (n = 45). Using thematic analysis, the study revealed five key themes: (1) Frequency of Use, (2) Prompts for Use, (3) Perceived Usefulness, (4) Challenges and Limitations, and (5) Impact on Attitudes, Skills, and Thinking. The study shows that while students found ChatGPT useful for refining translations and improving proficiency, concerns about accuracy, over-reliance, and translation ethics also persisted. These findings contribute to a better understanding of AI-assisted translation learning and highlight the need for a balanced approach that combines AI support with human critical thinking. They provides insights for educators to optimize AI integration in translation training, ensuring students develop both technological proficiency and essential translation skills.

Linguistic Prosody and Melodic Characteristics of Korean Emotion Vocabulary: A Musical-Linguistic Analysis

2025-07-23T15:22:55+08:00

This study explores the intersection between linguistic prosody and melodic characteristics in Korean emotion vocabulary, aiming to quantify emotional articulation in spoken language and inform melodic construction in songwriting and lyrical composition. Thirty Korean female participants (ages 19–23) were asked to speak emotion-related words representing three target emotions: happiness, anger, and sadness. Acoustic analyses were conducted to examine prosodic features, including fundamental frequency (Hz) and articulation time (ms), which were then translated into musical parameters such as pitch register, pitch range, melodic contour, and tempo. Statistical analyses identified significant differences in prosodic and melodic characteristics across emotional categories. Results showed that the mean pitch corresponded to B3 (253.7 Hz) for happy words, A3 (213.1 Hz) for angry words, and G3 (211.6 Hz) for sad words. Happy words featured high pitch registers, wide ranges, and descending contours; angry words had mid-range registers with rising-falling or descending contours; and sad words exhibited low registers, narrow ranges, and either descending or unisonous contours. In terms of tempo, angry words were articulated most quickly (172 ms), followed by happy (191 ms) and sad (210 ms). Significant differences were found in frequency between happy and angry words (18.5 Hz), and in articulation time between happy and sad (0.02 ms), and angry and sad (0.03 ms). These findings suggest that the prosodic expression of emotion can be meaningfully translated into melodic representation, with potential applications in music composition, song therapy, and affective computing. This framework establishes a foundation for future interdisciplinary exploration linking language, music, and emotion.

Dialogic Studies in Digital Communication: Pragmatic Analysis of Online Discourse

2025-08-01T09:31:59+08:00

Digital communication platforms have reshaped how people engage in dialogue across linguistic and cultural boundaries. This study examines online discourse through a pragmatic lens to understand how dialogic communication unfolds in multilingual, computer-mediated contexts. Dialogic communication—defined as the negotiated exchange of ideas—encourages openness, ethics, and mutual understanding, yet how these ideals are realized among second-language users online remains unclear. This research identifies pragmatic features of online dialogic discourse, explores how second-language speakers co-construct meaning, and evaluates the benefits and challenges of dialogic interaction. A mixed-methods discourse analysis was conducted on a corpus of public online discussions (≈100 participants; ≈50,000 words) involving diverse non-native English speakers, combining quantitative corpus techniques with qualitative pragmatic analysis. Findings reveal that participants exchanged multiple perspectives, signaled openness to difference, and employed pragmatic strategies to negotiate meaning. Online discourse enhanced transparency, social presence, and knowledge co-construction, though challenges such as multitasking, divided attention, and absent presence were evident. Nevertheless, digital platforms can support authentic dialogic exchanges when communicators adopt dialogic attitudes and when platform design facilitates sustained interaction. Grounded in pragmatics and dialogic theory, this study demonstrates that online discourse—even among non-native speakers—can embody genuine dialogue, with implications for education, identity-building, and intercultural collaboration. By aligning with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnerships), the findings underscore how dialogic digital spaces can advance lifelong learning and cross-cultural engagement.

Analysis of Semiotic Meaning of Sirih and Rokok in Minangkabau Wedding Invitation Spoken Text

2025-08-07T14:07:20+08:00

This study explores the semiotic meanings of sirih (betel leaf) and rokok (cigarette) in the spoken texts of Minangkabau wedding invitations. These two items, often overlooked in formal linguistic research, serve as important cultural symbols representing respect, hospitality, and the intention of invitation within the Minangkabau community. Using a descriptive qualitative method, this study relies exclusively on interviews for data collection. The participants consist of members of Sei Jariang Village, particularly Ninik Mamak (clan uncles) from the Koto and Tanjung tribes, as well as individuals from different generations, to capture a variety of perspectives on the meanings and functions of sirih and rokok in traditional ceremonies. The spoken texts gathered through interviews were analyzed using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and a multimodal semiotic framework. The SFL analysis revealed that relational and mental processes were dominant in the interview texts, indicating a focus on relationships, perception, and cultural values. Logically, the use of hypotactic enhancement (α × β) was found to be the most frequent, reflecting the complexity and layered nature of the spoken wedding invitation discourse. From a multimodal semiotic perspective, sirih and rokok function as communicative signs that go beyond their literal meanings, serving as culturally coded tools of social interaction and ceremonial engagement. This study fills a gap in the existing literature by providing an in-depth analysis of these traditional elements, highlighting how language and cultural objects intertwine to convey meaning in Minangkabau wedding practices.

Contrastive Analysis of Potential Sentences in Japanese and Indonesian

2025-07-28T14:33:12+08:00

This study aims to describe the similarities and differences between potential sentences (kanou hyougen) in Japanese (JL) and Indonesian (IL), focusing on their original forms, construction, meaning, and main characteristics. The analysis reveals that potential sentences in both languages share several key similarities. First, they can be derived from either transitive or intransitive base sentences, as long as the predicates express volitional actions or processes. Second, they display comparable syntactic functions, word categories, and semantic roles. Third, both languages convey similar meanings through potential constructions, namely: (a) natural ability, (b) ability acquired through learning or training, (c) ability based on situational conditions, (d) ability resulting from natural phenomena, and (e) functionality or operability of an object or system. A significant similarity can also be seen in the construction patterns of potential expressions: Japanese uses "N-ga DEKIRU," while Indonesian uses "BISA—N." These constructions share structural features: (a) the subject is typically an animate noun, (b) the noun (N) commonly refers to languages, sports, musical instruments, or songs, and (c) when Japanese uses a verbal noun (NV) after "dekiru," the equivalent in Indonesian becomes "Bisa-V." However, one area that still requires further research is the use of intransitive verbs in potential constructions, especially in Japanese, where the rules for forming potential expressions from intransitive verbs are more complex and less straightforward compared to transitive ones. This gap presents an opportunity for deeper comparative linguistic analysis in future studies.

The Impact of Genre-Based Instruction on the Academic Writing of EFL Students

2025-07-11T17:53:30+08:00

This study examines the effectiveness of genre-based instruction (GBI) in improving the academic writing skills of university students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in a low-input environment such as Saudi Arabia. Using a quasi-experimental design, fifty second-year students at Qassim University were assigned to either a control group receiving traditional grammar-based instruction or an experimental group receiving eight weeks of intensive genre-based instruction focusing on four academic genres. The intervention included explicit genre-based pedagogy, including modeling, guided writing, peer feedback, and iterative writing, with the aim of improving students' understanding of genre structures, rhetorical moves, and language usage. Two independent raters assessed writing samples pre- and post-test using a 15-item rubric covering both higher-order writing skills (e.g., coherence and argumentative development) and lower-order writing skills (e.g., grammar and punctuation). The experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in post-test scores (t(48) = 2.75, p = 0.012), particularly in rhetorical flexibility, coherence, and academic relevance. Qualitative data from student interviews and classroom observations supported these findings, highlighting reduced writing anxiety, increased cognitive awareness, and improved student autonomy. Students reported increased confidence in identifying genre conventions, using prewriting strategies, and meeting academic expectations. The results support the benefits of GBI over traditional methods in promoting academic literacy in EFL settings. The study recommends integrating GBI into EFL curricula and enhancing teacher training to support its implementation. Future research should examine its impact across different language proficiency levels and disciplines, along with its potential integration with digital and AI-based writing tools.

The Preferences of Students and Lecturers toward Dominant English and or World Englishes (WE)

2025-07-22T16:52:41+08:00

This article aimed to discuss lecturers' and students' preferences on Standard English and/or World Englishes (WE), including their resonance with Linguicism and native speakerism. The research used purposive sampling after a short survey and employed thematic analysis. The data from lecturers and students were generated through semi-structured interviews. The findings showed that, although mostly the lecturers and students operated themselves with dominant standard English (British and American English), a lecturer with a gender studies and world cinema background performed a critical perspective, and also by students. The disciplinary course, mainstream or critical perspectives of study during post-graduate studies, domestic or study abroad experience, shaped lecturers' positioning toward Standard English for lecturers. Interestingly, for students, even though they perpetuated native speakerism and linguicism, two students mixing languages in the classroom emerged during the learning process. The student's mixing of languages could be explored further, whether it was a sign of limited English proficiency or an unavoidable translingual practice. However, it was beyond the scope of this paper. Thus, we recommend that this be researched in the future. The research suggests that teachers could introduce English or Englishes for students majoring in English literature and/or the English education department, and open the possibilities for students to translanguage in the classroom within a reasonable proportion.

A Phase-Theoretic Approach to Serial Verb Constructions in Semitic

2025-07-24T18:22:44+08:00

In this paper, we examine Serial Verb Constructions (SVCs) in Semitic from a phase-theoretic perspective. SVCs are constructions where two verbs appear in series and form a single predicate. In Semitic, SVCs are asymmetrical (i.e., one verb is lighter than the other), contiguous (i.e., nothing can come between the two verbs), and exhibit concordant marking (i.e., both verbs share the same inflection). The question we set out to address is what principles predict the emergence of contiguity, cohesion, and concordant marking? To account for these properties from a phase-theoretic perspective, we then examine two derivations. In the first, SVCs have two CPs, one for each serial verb, and a single pro to be shared between them. We demonstrate that this is likely a pre-canonical derivation in that it is still bi-clausal and has a residual position for a coordinator. In the second derivation, there is only one CP. This solution provides an account for asymmetry (i.e., clausal division of labor) and by upholding the monoclausal criterion is canonical. To support our analysis, we draw on illustrative examples from Arabic, Hebrew, and Aramaic, each fully glossed and structurally analyzed. Finally, we argue that each derivation reflects a stage in the development of SVCs; two CPs for pre-canonical SVCs, one CP for canonical ones. We then show that this clause fusion is the reanalysis of dual-CP into single-CP, which by reducing the number of phases per derivation, is a consequence of the principle of economy.

Cross-Linguistic Perspectives on the Definite Article: Cognitive, Semantic, and Pragmatic Functions in English, French, and Arabic

2025-07-21T16:22:48+08:00

This paper investigates the linguistic, cognitive, and sociocultural implications of the definite article—focusing on "the" in English, le/la/les in French, and al- in Arabic. Moving beyond a syntactic characterization, the study frames the definite article as a core conceptual mechanism in reference management, discourse coherence, and shared knowledge representation. Drawing from formal semantics, cognitive linguistics, sociopragmatics, and natural language processing, it argues that definite articles guide noun phrase interpretation, activate stored referents in memory, and encode speaker assumptions about interlocutor familiarity. By conducting a cross-linguistic analysis of English, French, and Arabic, the paper highlights typological contrasts in article usage: from generic and specific readings in French, to referential multifunctionality in Arabic, to default familiarity presuppositions in English. It also explores how each language encodes definiteness through different grammatical, prosodic, and discourse cues, revealing underlying cognitive universals and culturally embedded variation. Anchored in theoretical synthesis and corpus-informed examples, the study shows how definite articles mediate referent accessibility, contribute to discourse planning, and reduce cognitive load during comprehension. The analysis further demonstrates that articles function not just as markers of identifiability but as discourse-structuring tools that index power, identity, and shared context. Practical implications are discussed for second language acquisition, especially for learners from article-less language backgrounds, and for AI-based language generation systems where referential precision is critical. By foregrounding the interplay between form, cognition, and culture, the paper calls for further interdisciplinary research on how linguistic determiners interact with cognitive architectures in multilingual and technologically mediated environments.

Sound and Its Role in Serving Meaning: The Poetry of Ibrāhīm Al-Khatīb as a Model

2025-08-01T15:22:22+08:00

This research aims to highlight the importance of sound and its role in serving meaning, with a practical application to the poetry of the Jordanian poet Ibrāhīm Al-Khatīb. The value of this research lies in its examination of poetry that has not previously received much attention from a phonological perspective, by shedding light on a phonetic aspect that appears in the poetry of Ibrāhīm Al-Khatīb. Sound in Arabic poetry plays a significant role in conveying implicit meanings that the poet seeks to express by utilizing the power of sound. This sonic power arises from the qualities and characteristics of the sound itself, as well as its placement within the poetic line—whether through repetition or by employing the sound as a rhyme at the end of the verse. This research is based on the descriptive method, through an analytical reading of the poetry of Ibrāhīm Al-Khatīb, and identifying instances of phonetic repetition—whether at the level of sound repetition within the poetic line or through its use as a rhyme. The research concluded that the poet Ibrāhīm Al-Khatīb is fully aware of the semantic significance conveyed by Arabic sounds. He seeks to make use of these phonetic potentials, which are an inherent feature of the Arabic language and its letters, to express hidden meanings. The poet succeeds in crafting phonetic expressions with semantic implications through the use of various techniques.

Concept Maps as a Conceptual Modelling Device in L2 Abstract Vocabulary Acquisition

2025-07-08T14:08:43+08:00

The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the role of conceptual metaphor and concept maps in SLL by exploring the employment of conceptual metaphor theory in the design of concept maps as an instrument enhancing the effectiveness of abstract vocabulary acquisition in L2. It claims that the ubiquity of audio—and visual stimuli in contemporary society, which often renders students 'insensitive' to linguistically coded information, requires more stimulating tools for teaching vocabulary. Concept maps—a blend of visual and textual information that introduces concepts and their connections—can serve as a suitable tool for the introduction, revision, and systematic presentation of abstract vocabulary. What brings this opportunity to the fore in the second language classroom is the fact that abstract concepts and abstract vocabulary are commonly rooted in concrete conceptual domains through metaphor—a pattern of thought and a mechanism of experiential grounding of abstractions. Therefore, the methodology of the present research is the intersection between cognitive semantics, metaphor theory, and the constructivist approach to learning. To prove the effectiveness of concept maps transposing conceptual into conventional metaphors in vocabulary acquisition, an inquiry is made into their symbolic isomorphism with conceptual mapping viewed as the process aspect of metaphorical conceptualization. Using the method of structural and functional modelling, an invariant model is created for the design of such concept maps and their transformation into a didactic tool for abstract vocabulary acquisition. The educational adequacy of the resulting didactic Cmaps is yet to be validated experimentally.

Assessing the Practice of Developing Students' Soft Skills in Essay Writing during Language Courses

2025-07-24T14:36:59+08:00

This study investigates the effectiveness of implementing a communicative-activity-based methodology for developing students' soft skills through essay writing in school language courses. The focus is on assessing improvements in communication, critical thinking, creativity, and self-expression within the framework of essay composition. The research was conducted in secondary schools in Turkistan, Kazakhstan, with 204 students from grades 10–11. The methodology included an experimental design comparing control and experimental groups, supported by surveys, interviews, practical writing tasks, and qualitative/quantitative analysis. The experimental group was exposed to a specially designed essay-writing model rooted in communicative-activity theory. The Kramer-Welch test was applied for statistical validation of the hypothesis. The results demonstrate a significant increase in the experimental group’s soft skills development. 81% of students in the experimental group could define the essay genre after training (compared to 19% before), and 70% reported increased confidence in written self-expression. Additionally, students' ability to reason, structure ideas, and apply creative strategies showed measurable improvement. The final essays exhibited stronger organization, originality, and linguistic expressiveness. This study offers a validated model for integrating soft skills training into language education via structured essay writing. It contributes to both pedagogical theory and classroom practice by linking genre-based writing tasks with the holistic development of learners' communicative competencies.

Revolutionizing Harmonized System (HS) Code Search with Semantic Search and Word Embeddings: Empowering Trade Classifications

2025-07-08T15:39:21+08:00

The Harmonized System (HS) code is a crucial component of global trade. It helps classify goods correctly so that taxes and duties can be applied fairly and consistently across countries. However, many current HS code search tools rely on exact keyword matches. This often causes problems like wrong results, confusion, delays, and frustration, especially for users who don't know the exact terms to search for. These mistakes can also lead to incorrect tax charges and trade issues. This study introduces a new and innovative approach to searching for HS codes. It uses semantic search and word embedding models, advanced tools from natural language processing (NLP), to understand the meaning behind what users are asking, even if they don't use the exact right words. This approach makes the search more accurate, faster, and much easier for people to use. The study includes real examples, testing, and comparisons with traditional methods to show how this new system works better. The results clearly show that it improves both speed and accuracy, helping customs officers, brokers, traders, and regulators do their jobs more efficiently and correctly. By reducing errors and making the process smoother, this new system offers a big step forward in trade technology. It shows how artificial intelligence can help make international trade more reliable, user-friendly, and ready for the future.

Advertising Cleanliness: A Cross-Cultural Linguistic Analysis of Persuasive Strategies in Detergent Advertisement

2025-08-19T10:00:51+08:00

Advertisements play a crucial role in enhancing sales and marketing for a wide range of products and ideas. Defined as commercial messages designed to promote and sell goods, advertisers often craft meticulous and strategic language in their advertisements to convert viewers into consumers. This study undertakes a contrastive linguistic analysis of persuasive appeals in TV advertisements from Algeria, France, and Saudi Arabia, focusing specifically on detergent products. The research is grounded in Aristotle's rhetorical framework and Grice's cooperative principles to analyze and compare the language used across these three countries. A purposive sample of fifteen detergent TV commercials (five per country) was selected for analysis. The findings reveal that while all three countries employ a variety of persuasive strategies, there are significant linguistic differences that contribute to both shared and distinct advertising practices. Results indicate that Algerian detergent TV advertisements rely mainly on pathos. French commercials focus on both pathos and logos. Saudi Arabia uses a combination of all three appeals (logos, pathos, and ethos). This study provides insights for advertisers regarding the importance of adhering to strategic appeals. This work explains how following these communicative principles can encourage advertisement designers to enhance the persuasive power of their messages. Hence, advertisers ensure greater effectiveness of their promotional efforts by optimizing the linguistic and pragmatic elements of their advertisements.

Highlights

This study undertakes a contrastive linguistic analysis of persuasive appeals in TV advertisements from Algeria, France, and Saudi Arabia, focusing specifically on detergent products.
The research is grounded in Aristotle's rhetorical framework and Grice's cooperative principles.
There are significant linguistic differences that contribute to both shared and distinct advertising practices.

The Architecture of Parallelism and the Construction of Meaning in Al-Mu'tamid ibn Abbad's Elegy to Himself

2025-07-28T11:00:33+08:00

This research involves deconstructing the poetic text from within and understanding its structure based on a central question: How was Al-Mu'tamid Ibn Abbad's poem, in which he eulogizes himself before his death, composed in terms of the parallelism structure? The poem in which Al-Mu'tamid Ibn Abbad elegized himself is considered a poem with a certain artistic structure, semantic depth, and suggestive intent built upon a sorrowful idea—namely, a person mourning himself. From this standpoint, the study sets out to uncover the poetic craftsmanship, the architecture of parallelism and structure, the hierarchy of meaning, and the poet's method of presenting all of this in his poetic text at the level of vocabulary, syntactic structure, meter, rhythm, prosody, and rhyme, across two chapters: the theoretical chapter, which includes two sections: the first section—operational and methodological framework (abstract, methodology, research questions, and study boundaries), and the second section—the conceptual framework (definition of structure and parallelism, and introduction to the poet). The second chapter is the applied chapter, in which the researcher studies the architecture of parallelism and the construction of meaning in the self-elegy composed by Al-Mu'tamid ibn Abbad before his death. Ultimately, this study seeks to deepen our understanding of Arabic poetic form and the aesthetic mechanisms of self-representation and lamentation.

Integrating VR/AR Technologies into Literary Text Instruction: A Multimodal Linguistic Approach to Teaching Kazakh Literature

2025-09-03T15:46:02+08:00

This study explores the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies into the instruction of literary texts, with a specific focus on Kazakh literature. As contemporary education increasingly adopts digital tools, the potential of immersive technologies in enhancing literary comprehension remains underexplored, particularly in minority and non-Western language contexts. By adopting a multimodal linguistic approach, this research investigates how virtual and augmented environments can facilitate a deeper understanding of stylistic features, narrative structures, character development, and cultural-linguistic nuances embedded in literary discourse. The theoretical framework draws upon systemic functional linguistics and multimodality theory, highlighting how meaning is constructed through verbal, visual, and spatial modes in digitally mediated literary experiences. The study involved an experimental classroom-based implementation where undergraduate students interacted with selected excerpts from modern Kazakh prose and poetry via VR/AR applications. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention surveys, focus group discussions, and linguistic performance tasks to evaluate changes in students' interpretive abilities, emotional engagement, and semantic awareness. Findings reveal that VR/AR integration fosters enhanced cognitive involvement and emotional resonance, supporting more embodied and context-rich engagement with literary texts. The immersive experience allowed students to visualize abstract literary concepts, engage with multimodal stimuli, and develop a more nuanced appreciation of linguistic expression. Overall, the study provides pedagogical insights into how immersive technology can transform literary education. It contributes to the fields of digital humanities, applied linguistics, and literature pedagogy by offering a theoretically grounded and practically implementable model for teaching literature in digitally enhanced learning environments.

Typology of Children's Images in Modern Kazakh and English Children's Literature

2025-07-22T22:32:05+08:00

This study examines the typology of child characters in modern Kazakh and English literature, focusing on urban children and psychological portrayals of childhood. We employ a comparative literary analysis alongside the psychoanalytic theory to uncover how cultural context and unconscious archetypes shape children’s literary images. Archetypal child character types are identified across both literatures – orphans, child caregivers, misunderstood youths, brave child heroes, and mischievous tricksters – with universal features and culture-specific inflections. Kazakh narratives tend to situate children within communal, intergenerational frameworks reflecting national values, whereas English narratives often emphasize individualism and imaginative escape. Drawing on concepts from C.G. Jung, Melanie Klein, Wilfred Bion, Jacques Lacan, and Emmanuel Levinas, we deepen the analysis of these typologies, revealing underlying psychological tensions (e.g., abandonment anxieties, precocious maturity, the child as moral Other), and the ethical implications of representing children in literature. The results include a proposed classification of urban child character types, illustrated with examples from contemporary texts and a discussion of how these typologies reflect differing cultural ideals of childhood. We conclude that modern Kazakh and English literary depictions of children, while sharing archetypal patterns, diverge in ways that illuminate each culture's ethos – whether communal or individual – and that a psychoanalytic lens can enrich our understanding of the child's symbolic role in fiction.

Uncovering Latent Influences on Student Enrollment in the Human Services Program Using a Hybrid NLP–Fuzzy DEMATEL Approach

2025-08-26T15:04:38+08:00

Understanding the motivations behind senior high school students’ decisions to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Human Services is essential for improving recruitment strategies and educational policy. This study presents a hybrid methodology integrating Natural Language Processing (NLP), lexicon-based semantic mapping, and an enhanced Fuzzy DEMATEL framework with automated scoring. From 1,054 open-ended survey responses, a bilingual lexicon (English–Cebuano–Tagalog) and Word2Vec embeddings trained on a multilingual, code-switched student corpus were used to compute semantic similarity scores with seed concepts, enabling direct-relation matrix generation without subjective expert input. This automation improves scoring consistency, reduces bias, and strengthens causal interpretation. Benchmarking against human annotations yielded 78% agreement (Cohen’s κ = 0.76), and comparisons with FastText and multilingual BERT confirmed Word2Vec’s effectiveness. Results identified Parental Influence and Scholarship Importance as dominant decision drivers, with Career Opportunities and Personal Interest acting as both influencing and influenced factors, reflecting the interplay between intrinsic motivation and external support. Validation via analogy tests achieved 74% accuracy, semantic coherence ranged from 0.71–0.83, and cross-domain tests reached 65–72% accuracy, indicating reasonable generalizability. By contextualizing decision factors in a culturally and linguistically relevant manner, the study offers actionable insights for targeted scholarships, recruitment, and policy-making grounded in data-driven understanding of student needs.

Decoding Urban Identity through Multimodal Linguistic Landscapes: A Dual-Layer Semiotic Analysis of Kagoshima's Tourism-Oriented Language Practices

2025-07-28T11:54:12+08:00

This study aims to explore how multimodal language landscapes construct the image of a city, taking the tourism core area of Kagoshima City, Japan as an example. Innovatively proposed the analytical framework of "code function layer - symbol and representation layer". Through stratified systematic sampling, 120 language signs were collected. Combined with quantitative and qualitative methods for analysis, it was found that: (1) The functional layer of the code shows a gradient configuration. The higher the information necessity and risk cost, the stronger the multilingual coverage rate. (2) The symbolic layer is a strategic expression of cultural identity. The deeper the public nature and cultural attributes of the sign, the more prominent the symbolic meaning. Kagoshima has established a functional and symbolic synergy system through multilingual standardization and symbolic innovation (the in-depth dissemination of culture is still restricted by the choice of codes), and strategically transformed dialect signs and local symbols into "cultural decorations" to enhance tourists' perception of regional characteristics ("Kagoshima") and shape the city's image. This study provides a new perspective for understanding language landscapes as the product of the interaction between instrumental rationality and identity politics, and offers practical inspirations for optimizing language services in small and medium-sized tourist cities and promoting the construction of urban images in the integration of culture and tourism. The limitation lies in the fact that the case is a single Japanese city, and the universality of the conclusion needs further verification.

Chiasmus in Context: A Cross-Linguistic Study of a Rhetorical Figure in Russian and French Literature

2025-07-28T11:36:05+08:00

This study explores the stylistic figure of chiasmus from a systemic perspective, viewing it as part of a microsystem of rhetorical figures based on syntactic parallelism and inversion. While traditional approaches have largely examined such figures in isolation and focused on their structural or grammatical features, this research emphasizes their stylistic and functional coherence within literary discourse. The study adopts a qualitative and comparative linguistic method, analyzing examples from Russian and French literary texts. These languages were chosen for their shared inflectional morphology but differing grammatical structures – Russian being primarily synthetic with flexible word order, and French analytical with fixed syntax. This contrast enables a typological comparison of chiasmatic constructions. The analysis involved three stages: structural classification of chiasms, examination of their rhetorical and pragmatic functions, and cross-linguistic comparison. Results reveal both universal tendencies and language-specific patterns in the structure and use of chiasmus. Russian chiasmi often appear more condensed and stylistically dense, frequently occurring at the phrase or word level. In contrast, French, with its fixed word order and more rigid syntactic rules, tends to favor chiasmus formations that are more regular, balanced, and extended across clause-level structures. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of chiasmus not only as a stylistic device but as a functional element within a broader rhetorical system, shaped by typological and cultural features of each language.

Examining the Influence of Diglossia on Arabic-Speaking Students' Progress in Modern Standard Arabic

2025-07-28T16:51:41+08:00

The diglossia term makes reference to a linguistic phenomenon whereby in the same language, two varieties are found to coexist and are used simultaneously by the speakers of that language. This is exhibited in the use of Modern Standard Arabic in formal settings and the regional dialect in daily communication, with such duality set to influence Arabic language learners and presenting an urgent need to highlight the influences of this phenomenon. The aim of this study is to address an identified gap in the literature by examining the influence of diglossia on the progress of Arabic-speaking students in Modern Standard Arabic. Fifty-six teachers and parents participated in the study, whereby they completed a ten-item quantitative questionnaire and semi-structured qualitative interviews. The participants' responses were collected, analysed, and organised into themes that were aligned with the study focus. The primary study findings present novel perspectives by highlighting how the phenomenon of diglossia directly influences the progress of Arabic-speaking students in Modern Standard Arabic, a field that remains overlooked. Moreover, the study advocates for teachers to develop curricular activities that advance students' exposure to Modern Standard Arabic and encourage parents to expose their children to more opportunities for Modern Standard Arabic usage. These findings lead to an improved understanding of the influences of diglossia on Arabic-speaking students' progress in Modern Standard Arabic and provide strategies that might be used in mitigating its influences.

Reframing Interpreter's Identity in an English as a Lingua Franca World: An Autoethnographic Exploration

2025-07-28T16:20:50+08:00

In the context of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), interpreters increasingly work with clients with higher levels of English proficiency. Interpreters often find themselves remaining silent during conversations, sometimes dealing with non-interpreting tasks. This oxymoron of 'silent interpreter' creates a self-perceived identity crisis for interpreters. Little attention has been given to how interpreters navigate this challenge. This autoethnographic study examines the first author's experience as both an interpreter and researcher during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games through a narrative inquiry approach. The findings reveal that ELF is perceived as an imminent threat to professional identity. Assuming non-interpreting roles generates frustration and a sense of misalignment with the roles prescribed by conventional code of ethics. However, this identity crisis is reconciled by recognizing the value embedded in these expanded responsibilities, which draw on the linguistic and executive abilities developed through professional interpreting training. Reframing interpreter's identity requires embracing a broader spectrum of tasks beyond the conventional role of linguistic transfer, including cultural mediation, communication facilitation, and language consultation. This reframing of professional identity not only helps the reconciliation with the self-perceived identity crisis, but could also empower interpreters at large to adapt to new realities brought by ELF. The research contributes to the discussion of role, identity and ethics in interpreting theory, practice and education.

Translation of Culture-Specific Items in Hawking's A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes

2025-07-01T16:41:03+08:00

Cultures influence people’s way of life, for instance, living style, thinking method, or perception of the world and values. Each culture has its special items in transmitting its insights and values. Similarly, different cultures have their own features in communication and expression. Newmark (2010) noted that culture is one of the greatest obstacles to translation; thus, the translation of cultural issues is one of the most important concerns among translators, with the major task for translators being to employ an appropriate strategy in translating culture-specific items(CSIs). To a translator, the important thing is not only the translation skills, but also the cultural connotation. This study determines culture-specific items (CSIs) from English A Brief History of Time (1988) by Stephen Hawking to the Chinese version Shíjiān Jiǎnshǐ (时间简史) translated by Wu Zhongchao and Xu Mingxian (2010). On the grounds of Newmark’s (2010) model, this research categorizes culture-specific items (CSIs) and examines cultural translation procedures. The findings present that a number of culture-specific items (CSIs) are found, and Newmark’s (2010) model is suitable for the translation of culture-specific items (CSIs) in Hawking’s translated popular science work. This study highlights that translation is not an isolated activity; it interacts and binds to culture. This research provides new and valuable insights into a better understanding of the translation of culture-specific items (CSIs) in popular science work and expands the field of translation studies.

Between Beeps and Blasts Jordanian Driving Culture's Nonverbal Pragmatics

2025-07-28T11:33:13+08:00

The pragmatic functions of car horn use in Jordanian urban traffic are examined in this study, with particular attention paid to the interpretations and communicative intentions connected to different horn patterns. The study examines how drivers use horn sounds as non-verbal speech acts, with a focus on their locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary dimensions. It is based on speech act theory and socio-pragmatic analysis. Two tools were used to gather data: semi-structured interviews with a targeted group of ten participants and some observations, as well as an adapted Discourse Completion Task (DCT) that was completed by thirty licensed drivers. A complex system of horn signaling was revealed by the DCT responses, which included repeated beeps for celebratory or expressive purposes, long honks for commands or warnings, and short beeps for alerts or greetings. The interviews supplemented these findings by demonstrating the impact of context, emotion, and social relationships on the interpretation of horn signals in real-life interactions. Results indicate that the use of horns in Jordan serves as a practical, culturally based form of nonverbal communication. While some horn patterns are widely recognized, others can cause confusion or misinterpretation because they rely heavily on situational factors. The study contributes to pragmatics by showing how everyday sound-based activities, like blowing a horn, serve as communication acts that have real social significance, expressing both personal purpose and collective social meaning.

Grammaticalization of the Particle Qad in Arabic

2025-08-07T10:57:48+08:00

In this paper, we explore the grammaticalization of the modal-aspectual particle qad in Classical Arabic and qid in Saudi Najdi Arabic. This particle has two functions: before a perfect verb, it serves as emphasis (i.e., surely, indeed, verily), and before an imperfect verb, it indicates possibility (i.e., may, might, could). We first classify the environments in which this particle is found — i.e., before perfect or imperfect verbs, before or after the auxiliary kāna, before negatives, etc. — and demonstrate that qad is not an affix, whereas qid is. We then consult other Semitic languages for plausible analogies to the origins and development of qad. After that, we synthesize the data and analysis into an account of the grammaticalization of the particle qad, namely from plausible origins as an adjunct, then the specifier with interpretable features, then first verb in a Serial Verb Construction (SVC), to a head with uninterpretable features, to an affix with fewer uninterpretable features. Finally, we explore the plausible early stages of qad: as specifier with interpretable features (Biblical Aramaic example), then as a SVC (Syriac example), and then demonstrate that qad cannot precede tensed negatives because qad is base-generated as the head of AspP, thereby blocking the negative from acquiring tense from T.

Development and Empirical Investigation of a Program Management Model for Computer-Assisted English Teaching

2025-07-30T14:32:09+08:00

This study aims to develop and empirically validate a program management model for Computer-Assisted English Teaching (CAET) among English education major students at Hubei Engineering University, China. A total of 306 participants were involved, including 245 students, 54 teachers, and 7 administrators. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Priority Needs Index Modified (PNImod). The average current values for all dimensions were above 3.24, ensuring the validity of PNI results. Among the management dimensions, leadership showed the highest priority need (PNI = 0.29). Expert interviews revealed that leadership should include specific practices such as regular training in teaching technology, incentive mechanisms for digital innovation, and open planning forums. Among the application dimensions, online resources and tools showed the highest gap (PNI = 0.30), indicating the urgent need to build a centralized digital resource library and adopt AI-based learning platforms. The proposed model links management dimensions (e.g., leadership) to application effectiveness (e.g., resource use), highlighting its structured and actionable nature. Teacher responses also revealed issues such as limited collaboration and lack of training, offering comparative insights with student perceptions. This study contributes a tailored management framework for CAET and expands project management theory by incorporating context-specific dimensions, such as Teacher Support, into educational technology models.

Translating Ethnocultural Markers in Oralkhan Bokeev's Prose: Interplay of Translation Strategies, Cultural Context, and Literary Significance

2025-06-18T11:10:31+08:00

This paper explores the challenges and strategies involved in translating ethnocultural markers in the prose of Oralkhan Bokeev, a prominent Kazakh writer. Positioned at the intersection of translation theory, cultural studies, and literary analysis, the study investigates how translators balance the preservation of culturally specific elements with the need for clarity and coherence in the target language. Drawing on theoretical frameworks such as equivalence, domestication versus foreignization, as well as functionalist and postcolonial approaches, the analysis reveals the complexities inherent in rendering culture-bound terms, images, and concepts. Through a qualitative-quantitative examination of Bokeev's translated works, the paper identifies key ethnocultural terms and assesses their translations across various versions. It classifies the strategies employed – ranging from direct transfer to adaptation – and evaluates their effectiveness in terms of cultural fidelity and reader accessibility. The findings demonstrate that the translation of ethnocultural markers is not a mere linguistic process but a nuanced act of cultural mediation, which plays a crucial role in shaping the literary integrity and reception of the work in the target context. Ultimately, the study argues for a balanced translation approach that maintains the identity of the source culture while effectively engaging the target audience. This research contributes to broader discussions on translating culturally rich literature and underscores the translator's role as both linguistic and cultural negotiator.

Terminology as a Translation Problem and the General Conditions for an Adequate Translation of Terms

2025-07-16T17:26:25+08:00

The rapid advancement of science and technology influences every aspect of human activity, making the sharing of knowledge and innovative ideas among experts worldwide essential to modern scientific endeavors. As a result, scientific and technical translation has taken on a crucial role across various fields, requiring translators to have a deep level of expertise. Terminology represents a specialized collection of terms associated with specific areas of knowledge, serving as a cornerstone in the systematic study of terminological sciences. In the realms of science and technology, terminology plays a central role in compiling, documenting, and organizing terms into structured frameworks known as terminological systems. These systems create coherent, organized networks of terms that are interconnected through predefined relationships reflecting the underlying conceptual links. A significant challenge in technical translation lies in the precise interpretation of specialized terminology. Technical documents are often saturated with terms that serve as key carriers of information. Errors in translating these terms can result in misunderstandings among professionals, even within the same field. Clearly, inaccuracies in terminology translation can trigger serious repercussions, such as impeding technological workflows, derailing project implementation, or stalling the development of companies within specific industries. Through this research, terminology has been identified as a distinct lexical category whose central unit—the term—is widely recognized across academic literature as a linguistic marker used to signify specialized concepts and phenomena. Key properties intrinsic to terms have been delineated, including consistency, unambiguity, independence from contextual nuances, absence of emotional connotation, and high informational density.

Kazakhstan Ideological Discourse and the Concept of "Spiritual Revival"

2025-08-05T10:42:32+08:00

The article describes the ideological discourse in Kazakhstan and the resulting concept of “Spiritual Revival” in the language consciousness of the people of Kazakhstan. The authors demonstrate that ideology is realized through discourse, and its impact on the language consciousness of the language users is reflected in language symbols by analyzing the results of their three-year (2019, 2020, 2021) study. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative discourse analysis with quantitative survey data, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the implementation of ideological discourse in Kazakhstan. The article analyzes the implementation of ideological discourse in Kazakhstan as a state program "Focus on the Future: Spiritual Revival" and describes the cognitive models based on this ideology, proving that the concept of “Spiritual Revival” is established in the linguistic consciousness of Kazakhstanis. Furthermore, the article situates the findings within both national and international research contexts, highlighting similarities and distinctions. It also examines the units that reflect the concept of “spiritual revival” in both positive and negative senses, based on survey results. The authors define the concepts related to the circulation of ideological discourse, the boundaries of its integration, and the channels and forms through which ideological discourse spreads. The article also reviews findings from both foreign and Kazakh studies on this topic.

Refusal Strategies and Face Concerns: A Cross-Cultural Study of Chinese and Malaysian Undergraduates

2025-08-01T09:51:33+08:00

Refusal speech acts are among the most face-threatening interactions, especially in multicultural academic and business settings. This small-scale exploratory study investigates how Chinese Business English Major students (BEMS) and Malaysian Bachelor of Applied Linguistics and Business Administration students (BALBAS) perform refusal speech acts in English and perceive their face-threatening effects. Guided by Speech Act Theory and Politeness Theory, this mixed-methods research utilized Discourse Completion Tasks (DCTs), Scaled Response Questionnaires (SRQs), Retrospective Verbal Reports (RVRs), and semi-structured interviews. Sixteen participants from a Chinese public university and a Malaysian public university participated in the study. They provided data on three key aspects: refusal strategies, semantic formulas, and sociopragmatic perceptions. These were examined across both formal and informal scenarios, which varied systematically in terms of social status and social distance. The results indicate that both groups favored indirect refusal strategies. However, Chinese students employed longer, more complex refusal formulas with a focus on postponement and alternatives, reflecting a cultural emphasis on harmony and indirectness. Malaysian students demonstrated a pragmatic balance between politeness and controlled directness, especially among peers, consistent with multicultural norms. Malaysian participants also reported higher face-threat perceptions across contexts, highlighting greater sensitivity to relational dynamics. Social status and distance significantly influenced pragmatic choices for both groups. These findings offer insights into intercultural communication and underscore the importance of explicit pragmatic instruction in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) education.

Disability Representation in Contemporary Chinese Cinema: A Qualitative Narrative Study of Six Impactful Realist Films Made between 2015 and 2024

2025-07-28T16:33:44+08:00

This study examines the representation of disability in six influential domestic social realist films released in China between 2015 and 2024. These films, all within the social realist genre, achieved notable box office success, high audience ratings, and/or nominations for prestigious national awards. Through narrative analysis of the films’ stories and plots, complemented by a discourse-focused examination, the study identifies three models of disability narratives: the individual model, the social model, and a hybrid model that integrates multiple perspectives on disability. Each film constructs its narrative around one of these models, shaping the portrayal of disability. The films also differ in their use of cinematic language and camera techniques, yet all effectively enhance the impact of their respective disability narratives. The findings suggest that contemporary domestic cinema encourages audiences to perceive disability as a complex, evolving, and multifaceted phenomenon, rather than merely as individual limitations—a perspective that continues to dominate state discourse on disability in China. Moreover, the selected films depict individuals with diverse impairments, including hearing, intellectual, physical, and mental disabilities, exploring their unique disabling experiences across various social contexts, such as care institutions, employment, and family life. Consequently, the study concludes that film functions as a positive sociocultural force in promoting equality and inclusion in China. Contemporary Chinese cinema contributes to a deeper public understanding of both the nature of disability and the complex barriers that individuals with different types of disabilities encounter in the process of social participation in China.

Character Education through the Lens of Streaming Media: Exploring the Pragmatic Complexity of Politeness in Series Dialogue

2025-06-25T14:21:23+08:00

This study investigates the complexity of language politeness in the Digital Era 4.0, where streaming platforms— unlike traditional television—offer uncensored content that exposes audiences to a wide range of language use, potentially impacting social norms. The research analyzes the pragmatic elements of politeness in two popular Indonesian streaming series, “Layangan Putus” and Wedding Agreement. Using a qualitative descriptive method, the study identifies types of utterances (constative, performative, illocutionary, perlocutionary), adherence to and violations of Leech’s politeness maxims, and the use of conversational implicature. The novelty of the study lies in its comparative approach to analyzing pragmatic politeness in widely viewed digital narratives. Results show a rich variety of utterance types and reveal both conformity to politeness principles—such as generosity and tact—and frequent violations, including blunt criticism and baseless accusations. Conversational implicature is also commonly used, illustrating a nuanced linguistic environment. These findings highlight the dual role of streaming media in shaping linguistic behavior, particularly for younger viewers. The study recommends that parents and educators play an active role in helping youth critically engage with media content. This includes guiding them to distinguish polite and impolite language, understand respectful social interaction, choose context-appropriate diction, and develop a positive communication character suitable for the digital age.

Hybridity, Code-Switching, and Identity in Modern and Contemporary British Fiction: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Maugham and Hornby

2025-07-29T13:34:07+08:00

This study endeavours to examine the role of hybridity, code-switching and identity in the works of W. Somerset Maugham and Nick Hornby in terms of how the authors depict characters in postcolonial and contemporary British society. The paper focuses on the role of language as a medium of bargaining cultural borders and identity production in multicultural societies. Based on postcolonial theories by Homi Bhabha, and sociolinguistic approaches, this paper looks into how the above authors borrow the concept of hybridity and code-switching in an attempt to solve the problems of cultural assimilation, belonging and how viable or complicated the process of identity formation can be. Comparative research on Of Human Bondage and The Razor's Edge and Hornby's High Fidelity and About a Boy allows us to show how the characters presented by Maugham, before and after the Second World War, sought their way in a world of cross-cultural conflicts and identity crises. It can be concluded that hybridity and code-switching are important narrative devices in describing the struggles of identity in the colonial and postcolonial contexts, as they provide knowledge of the lack of fixedness of identity in modern-day multicultural Britain. The implications of language in the construction of identity are also used in the paper, especially in globalization, migration, and the exchange of cultures.

Effect of Technology while Teaching National Geographic Learning (NGL) Life Series Books: Perceptions of Teachers and Students

2025-07-04T16:11:03+08:00

This mixed–methods study explores the perceived effectiveness of National Geographic Learning (NGL) Life Series digital tools in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction drawing on both student and teacher perspectives. Data were collected over a four–month period (January–April 2025) using structured questionnaires from 100 students and semi–structured interviews with six EFL instructors. Quantitative findings reveal that 88% of students reported enhanced classroom engagement, while 83% of teachers observed improved participation, both attributing these outcomes to the tools' interactive and gamified features. However, internet connectivity issues reported by 42% of respondents and by 29% as insufficient device access hindered seamless integration. In addition, 50% of teachers identified concerns regarding the cultural alignment with pedagogical relevance. The findings underscore the necessity of developing robust digital infrastructure and providing sustained professional development for educators to optimize the pedagogical utility of such tools for both engagement and effectiveness.

Grammatical and Semantic Patterns of Communicative Verbs in Saudi and Native English Argumentative Writing

2025-08-04T11:30:00+08:00

The present study examined the use of communicative verbs (CVs) in argumentative essays composed by Saudi EFL learners together with native English-speaking university students. The study investigated four main questions: (1) What communicative verbs do Saudi EFL learners use in their argumentative essays? (2) To what extent are these verbs covered in the argumentative essays of Saudi EFL learners when compared to those of English native speakers' university students? (3) Do Saudi EFL learners show a tendency to use communicative verb patterns as native speakers do? If so, what are some similarities and differences? (4) Do the semantic frames of these pattern structures primed by native and non-native speakers have common or distinctive features? This study is urgent in light of persistent challenges faced by EFL learners in developing native-like academic discourse when expressing stance and argument structure. The research utilized two corpora which consisted of 491 Saudi argumentative essays totaling 166,000 words and 175 LOCNESS essays with 151,000 words. The communicative verbs were extracted through AntConc before applying Wmatrix for tagging purposes. Pattern Grammar was used to analyze grammatical patterns, while FrameNet was employed for semantic frame classification. The data was validated through manual annotation procedures that achieved 90% inter-rater agreement. The findings showed that Saudi learners preferred to use a small number of CVs (e.g., argue, say) while demonstrating less grammatical and semantic variety than native speakers. The research provides practical applications to teaching English as a foreign language by showing how specific instruction about grammatical patterns and semantic frames enhances students' academic writing abilities.

Developing Grammar Rules for Code-Switched Philippine Language Texts: A Linguistic Framework for Understanding Multilingual Discourse Patterns

2025-08-27T11:51:25+08:00

This study develops a systematic grammar rule framework for understanding code-switched texts containing Filipino, Cebuano, and Surigaonon languages through comprehensive corpus-based examination of 1,847 multilingual sentences collected from diverse digital sources including social media platforms, online forums, and digital communications. The research identifies 24 core grammar principles that systematically generate 247 distinct multilingual patterns observed in the corpus, demonstrating the underlying regularity of apparently complex multilingual discourse. These patterns are organized into three primary categories: morphosyntactic constraints (12 core rules generating 89 surface patterns), morphological integration patterns (6 core rules generating 67 distinct realizations), and semantic disambiguation principles (6 core rules generating 58 contextual variations). The core rules demonstrate remarkable generative power, with each fundamental constraint producing multiple surface realizations across different contextual environments, discourse registers, and language combination strategies. Quantitative corpus validation reveals that systematic constraints on functional head positions achieve 94.3% adherence rates, generating consistent grammatical patterns across 15 different functional categories including determiners, auxiliaries, and complementizers. Similarly, voice system integrity maintains 92.1% consistency, producing systematic argument structure preservation across 23 distinct voice-marking contexts spanning actor-focus, patient-focus, and locative-focus constructions. This systematic approach demonstrates that Philippine multilingual competence operates through coherent generative principles that produce extensive surface variation while maintaining underlying structural consistency, providing both significant theoretical insights into Austronesian code-switching grammar and practical computational frameworks for advanced language documentation, and natural language processing applications in multilingual Philippine contexts.

Highlights:

Development of the first systematic grammar rule framework for Filipino-Cebuano-Surigaonon code-switching based on corpus analysis of 1,847 multilingual sentences.

Identification of 24 core grammar principles that generate 247 distinct multilingual patterns, demonstrating underlying regularity in Philippine multilingual discourse.

Quantitative validation showing 94.3% adherence to functional head position constraints and 92.1% voice system integrity maintenance across diverse contexts.

Cross-validation confirmation that core principles successfully predict grammatical patterns in novel multilingual constructions not observed during rule development.

Provision of practical computational frameworks applicable to language documentation, educational applications, and natural language processing for Philippine languages.

The Contribution of Writing Portfolios in Developing EFL Students' Writing Accuracy and Fluency: An Exploratory Study

2025-07-09T14:39:33+08:00

This research explores the impact of writing portfolios on the fluency and accuracy of writing among novice English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writers at the intermediate level. Writing portfolios, as a process-oriented assessment mode, offer space for reflection, revision, and incremental building—attributes absent in most traditional assessment models. A mixed-methods approach was utilized with sixty male students from a public Saudi university divided into two groups, of which the experimental group used writing portfolios and the control group used discrete writing tasks without the benefit of revision. The intervention spanned ten weeks, and data were collected at three points in time—pre-test, mid-test, and post-test—and analyzed using a specially developed rubric that quantified fluency and accuracy. The primary instruments are students' writing samples and reflections from the portfolios. The data were processed using SPSS. Results indicate that the portfolio group showed significant improvements in both fluency and accuracy due to repeated revision and self-assessment exercises based on both writing output and reflections. Furthermore, the study highlights the role of cognitive awareness in the writing process, focusing on how reflective practices enhance students' understanding of their writing strategies. The study offers rich information on writing instruction through portfolios and demonstrates its worth in the development of self-directed, proficient EFL writers. The findings underscore the importance of process-oriented assessment in language teaching and call for the integration of writing portfolios into EFL programs to improve students' writing skills and cognitive awareness.

Learner Agency in L2 Assessment: A Sociolinguistic Investigation of EFL Oral Presentation Perceptions

2025-07-31T11:28:12+08:00

Existing L2 assessment frameworks inadequately represent cultural specificity, affective-technological interactions, and integrated theoretical approaches. This quantitative investigation examines learner agency in EFL oral presentation assessment through an integrated framework combining van Lier's ecological approach, Norton's investment theory, and Kasper and Rose's interlanguage pragmatics. Undergraduate EFL learners at a Saudi university completed a validated questionnaire examining affective variables, interlanguage processing, technological preferences, and assessment literacy. Statistical analysis revealed three patterns challenging Western-centric autonomy models. First, anxious investment patterns showed learners experiencing pre-presentation anxiety while maintaining assessment engagement, with anxiety positively correlating with strategic preparation behaviours, extending Norton's investment theory to cultural contexts where identity aspirations override emotional comfort. Second, overwhelming preference for computer-mediated assessment correlated with environmental control desires, self-assessment capabilities, and anxiety management, demonstrating that technological affordances enhance rather than compromise authentic learner agency. Third, sophisticated assessment literacy combined with collaborative learning preferences revealed collective autonomy—culturally specific expressions integrating individual metacognitive competence with traditional values emphasising social learning. Cross-construct analysis revealed systematic relationships supporting integrated theoretical explanations, with cultural factors mediating relationships between individual capabilities and environmental preferences. Findings challenge deficit models, instead supporting culturally responsive frameworks that recognize cultural specificity as a scholarly strength. The research contributes theoretical understanding while informing evidence-based practices for inclusive L2 assessment design through hybrid approaches integrating technological affordances, collaborative scaffolding, and identity construction within culturally appropriate frameworks.

Discourse-based Analysis of Narrative Monologue as a Medium of Historical Allegory in Nadine Gordimer's Burger's Daughter

2025-07-28T11:19:18+08:00

This paper explores narrative monologue as a medium for depicting history in Nadine Gordimer's Burger's Daughter by applying discourse-based analysis. The study's objective is to examine the novel's events that are told from an interior narrative perspective and how they depict historical phases in the course of the novel's plot. On the one hand, it examines the characters' internal monologue and how it functions as an expression of the characters' communicative relationships. On the other hand, it demonstrates how narrative monologue serves as a means of allegorical depiction of the historical layers related to the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa. Therefore, the study's methodology depends on a close reading of the characters' internal monologue. Furthermore, it conducts a textual analysis of the historical narrative implications regarding the anti-Apartheid struggle portrayed in the fictional events of the plot. In this way, the study makes a narrative and historical interpretation of literary allegory employed by Gordimer to paint a vivid picture of contemporary anti-Apartheid activism. Therefore, the study will examine the thematic characteristics of apartheid and how it influences the characters' narrative discourse. The interpretation of the narrative discourse will rely on Gordimer's perception of real people who live in apartheid conditions and how they cope with it.

Robust Knowledge of the World rather than Syntax: Using Literature in Second Language Learning and Teaching

2025-06-18T11:37:21+08:00

Using literature to help acquire a second language has often proven highly valuable, though its effectiveness not always universally agreed upon. The major aim of this paper is to critically review in a qualitative study the practical and theoretical tenets that foreground such use and encourage educators to recognize literature's role in enhancing the competence and performance of students of English as a second or a foreign language. The objective is not simply to recommend inclusion a few literary texts in the curriculum. Rather, there is a pressing need for a more comprehensive approach. It is a need for adoption of an "approach" not mere methods or isolated techniques. Such an approach should foreground the use of literary sources through dynamic interaction to gain the benefits of this reference-point approach. Other approaches often emphasise teaching "about" the target language, rather than facilitating its internalization in a manner that similar to first language acquisition. The proposed literature-based approach approach benefits from insights of neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics and even research in computer science and artificial intelligence. The use of the literature approach also benefits from world knowledge to support natural internalisation of language competence and performance enriched by the complexity of various texts, the diversity of themes, and cultural context. Narratives (short stories, novellas, novels, and storytelling) as well as drama and poetry help learners acquire the natural flow of the target language with its syntax, rich vocabulary, and idioms, while simultaneously contributing general cognitive development.

AI in Post Editing of News: A Study with Arabic News Articles

2025-07-22T18:10:52+08:00

The accelerated evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has greatly influenced the practice of translation, specifically challenging their capacity to localize material in a manner that complies with the cultural and contextual demands of the target audiences. The study examines the localization capacity and precision of two of the most widespread AI models—Google Translate and ChatGPT—in translating Arabic news stories into English. The study collected 15 news stories from major Saudi newspapers to act as the baseline dataset. AIgenerated translations are compared with professionally created human translations to determine the level of localization achieved. All translations were evaluated by a panel of professional language experts according to predefined localization measures. Their evaluation is quantitatively analyzed via SPSS to determine statistical differences in localization quality. The research seeks to uncover how far AIbased tools can localize culturally unique content, identify challenges for such models, and provide genrebased differences in performance. The results provide insights into the limitations of AI in localizing news content today and the potential for future expansion. Furthermore, the results revealed stark differences in the quality of localization between AI and human translations, identifying key challenges and noting differences in the effectiveness of localization across various news types. ChatGPT emerged as the most accurate AI model for localizing the news data. This study adds to the body of literature on emphasizing the importance of postediting and AIaided translation in the case of ArabicEnglish language pairs.

Integrating AI into Critical Literacy Practices for Academic Publishing in Language Education: Insights from Kazakhstan

2025-07-29T15:41:27+08:00

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping educational practices worldwide, including the domain of academic publishing in language education. This review explores how AI can be integrated into critical literacy practices—skills of critical reading, writing, and thinking about texts-among language educators and researchers in Kazakhstan, with comparative insights from international contexts. It synthesizes findings from scholarly literature and policy documents to examine both opportunities and challenges presented by AI tools such as intelligent writing assistants, translation systems, and content analysis algorithms. A qualitative integrative review of 26 sources (2019–2025) was conducted to ensure comprehensive and up-to-date coverage. The literature suggests that AI has the potential to support academic writing (e.g., by providing feedback and translation) and to enhance critical analysis of texts. However, concerns persist regarding over-reliance on AI, ethical use, and the need to maintain human critical thinking skills. This review identifies key themes: the imperative of English-language publishing for Kazakhstani scholars, the role of AI in bridging language gaps, and the importance of developing critical literacy to navigate AI-generated content. The review concludes that AI should be leveraged to support (not replace) human critical engagement in academic publishing. It also provides practical recommendations and highlights implications for policy and future research, particularly the need for training in AI literacy and robust guidelines in both Kazakhstan and globally.

English Modern Curriculum Development

2025-07-28T14:33:29+08:00

With rapidly advancing technology, culture, and work, reconsidering traditional educational approaches is highly demanded. Specifically, the English curriculum has shifted from rote grammar rules to student engagement and language proficiency. This study explores emerging methods influencing English curriculum development, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, where learners communicate across linguistic and cultural boundaries using English. Using a narrative approach, this paper synthesizes recent research on how English curriculum development integrates technology, personalized and competency-based learning, integrated curriculum, multimodal literacy, and culturally responsive pedagogy. It also examines how findings from applied, psycholinguistic, and sociolinguistic research impact curriculum reform and assessment. The results document growing support for student-centered, culturally-responsive teaching, although challenges remain, including teachers’ underpreparedness, outdated assessments, and institutional resistance. In today’s world, students are expected to acquire critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaborative skills. Using AI and adaptive technologies improves students’ performance by reducing lecture times and improving learning environments. Additionally, incorporating applied and psycholinguistics in modern curriculum is essential, whereas sociolinguistics is important to examine how social factors influence language variation and use, ensuring curriculum prepares students for various communication contexts. Integrating these perspectives into curriculum can improve students' interest and learning outcomes. By addressing these concerns, educators can design English curricula that equip students to thrive in the global economy. Overall, English curriculum should embrace interdisciplinary, evaluation-informed designs that emphasize real-world communication competencies, cultural sensitivity, and learner agency. This approach guarantees that English education is both relevant and effective in increasingly connected learning contexts worldwide.

A Systematic Review of Washback Research in China (2005–2025)

2025-08-13T11:50:34+08:00

Washback refers to the impact of language tests on language teaching and learning. Though numerous empirical studies have been done on this topic, there is a lack of systematic reviews of these studies. In light of this, this study presents a review of washback research in the Chinese mainland over the past two decades. Specifically, 66 studies were included and analyzed in terms of the following aspects: test type, participant, research methodology, and research foci. The results showed that while the majority of the reviewed studies examined the washback of English tests, especially large-scale high-stakes ones, including the College English Test (CET), the National Matriculation English Test (NMET), and the Test for English Majors (TEM). Meanwhile, a few studies investigated the washback of non-English language tests, such as the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK). The reviewed studies primarily recruited university students and teachers as participants, while only a few studies included other stakeholders, like school leaders and test constructors. Quantitative and mixed-methods approaches, along with cross-sectional designs, were predominantly adopted, while qualitative research methods and longitudinal research designs were comparatively less used. Moreover, three major research themes were identified: washback effects on language learning, washback effects on language teaching, and the factors influencing these effects. This review maps the current state of washback research in the Chinese mainland and offers directions for future research.

Dual Second Language Learning for the Inclusion of Migrant Children in Rural Schools: The Case of Calanda (Teruel)

2025-04-02T11:04:04+08:00

Rural areas in Spain receive constant flows of migrants due to the need for labor in the primary sector, especially from North Africa. Local schools have very specific educational needs since migrant children normally experience difficulties in the acquisition of the Spanish language which affects and conditions their social inclusion and continuity in the educational system. RaCoDIL project (Shared roots in linguistic diversity and inclusion) derives from the AGORA matrix project which aims to bring technological and methodological innovation for language teaching in rural areas. RaCoDIL proposed an intervention in the primary school of Calanda (Teruel, Spain) for the improvement of Spanish and French languages in migrant and local students based on linguistic and cultural interchange and collaboration. To this end, an interactive glossary based on the local natural environment was created in Spanish, French, and Arabic, which served as a base for the creation of collaborative linguistic activities fostering cultural interchange. The aims were the improvement of students' linguistic competence in their respective target languages, and the development of the Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC). Students' progress was quantitatively analyzed by the distribution of pre- and post- tests on linguistic and ICC development, and results were compared in search for significant improvements on both competences considering demographic profiles from students. The proposal has been demonstrated to influence the development of children's positive attitudes towards learning, to dinamise the second language acquisition process, and to develop awareness, knowledge, and respect towards the foreign culture.

Cultural Influence on ChatGPT Effectiveness in Higher Education: A Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Comparison

2025-07-18T11:35:01+08:00

Cultural considerations affect ChatGPT's efficacy in higher education, as shown in a study of Pakistani (N = 152) and Saudi (N = 138) students. The research examines how national context influences students' motivation, engagement, satisfaction, and attitudes toward AI tools, using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Hofstede's cultural dimensions as frameworks. A validated 22-item questionnaire measured the perceived educational value of ChatGPT, revealing significantly higher usage and effectiveness ratings among Pakistani students compared to Saudi students (M = 3.92 vs. 3.48, p < 0.01). Moderated regression analysis indicated that national context accounted for 44% of the variance in motivation (η² = 0.44), highlighting ChatGPT's role in compensating for resource shortages in some settings while enhancing resources in others. Crucially, the study demonstrates ChatGPT's significant impact on language learning outcomes, particularly in enhancing writing proficiency, text summarization skills, and idea generation capabilities (p < 0.01). Pakistani students reported significantly greater engagement with ChatGPT for these language learning tasks, suggesting its potential as a powerful language learning tool in resource-limited settings. This study contributes to the growing body of research on AI in language instruction and underscores the importance of integrating culturally relevant methodologies into the use of AI in education. It offers recommendations for educators and policymakers, advocating adapted strategies that address specific educational and linguistic requirements. Overall, this research combines AI, education, and linguistics, emphasizing the cultural importance of AI tools and laying the groundwork for future studies in AI-assisted language learning worldwide.

Integrating Authentic Text into CEFR-Aligned English Reading Comprehension Module for Malaysian Upper Primary Schoolers

2025-07-30T14:42:04+08:00

Reading comprehension is a crucial aspect of English language education, particularly in multilingual contexts like Malaysia. Despite ongoing reforms, many Malaysian schoolers continue to struggle with this skill. This study developed an English Reading Comprehension Module that incorporates localized, authentic texts to improve reading proficiency among upper primary schoolers. The module was developed using the Design and Development Research (DDR) approach. Its theoretical framework integrates four theories: Schema Theory, Barrett’s Taxonomy, Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory, and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory. These theories guided the selection of texts, the scaffolding of comprehension tasks, and the alignment of cognitive demand with students’ developmental stages. The module comprises 60 authentic reading passages suitable for A1 High, A2 Low, and A2 Mid readers, aligned with the Revised Malaysian English Language Curriculum and CEFR descriptors. Barrett’s Reading Comprehension Taxonomy informed the design of literal, reorganization, and inferential comprehension questions. Expert validation confirmed 99% content accuracy, while KR-20 reliability scores ranged from 0.820 to 0.918, indicating strong internal consistency. The module was trialed with 260 Year 5 students across three schools from both urban and rural contexts. Results showed a significant improvement in participants’ pre-test and post-test scores, indicating the effectiveness of the reading module in improving comprehension skills. Pedagogically, the study affirms the value of authentic, contextually relevant materials in fostering engagement and comprehension and supporting the CEFR-aligned direction of Malaysia’s English Language Education roadmap. Both print and online versions of the RCM are available to support self-paced learning and blended classroom instruction.