Forum for Linguistic Studies

Enhancing Chinese University Students' Reading Comprehension and Self-Directed Learning Abilities through Collaborative Strategic Reading Instruction

2025-09-08T17:23:11+08:00

Collaborative Strategic Reading Instruction (CSRI) refers to the practice of enhancing students' reading comprehension ability and Self-directed Learning (SDL) ability through cooperative learning strategies and structured reading activities. The purposes of the study were to 1) design CSRI to enhance Chinese university students' reading comprehension and SDL abilities, 2) examine the effect of CSRI on enhancing Chinese university students' reading comprehension abilities, and 3) investigate SDL abilities when they have learned through CSRI. The research was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the researcher developed and validated CSRI lesson plans, a reading comprehension test, and an SDL questionnaire, and surveyed 254 English major students to assess their current abilities. In the second phase, five CSRI lesson plans were implemented with 30 students over five weeks, and changes in reading comprehension, and SDL abilities. The results revealed that the experimental group receiving CSRI scored significantly higher (M = 25.80) than the control group (M = 20.08) in the post-test, with a large effect size (t = 8.43, p < 0.01). This indicates that CSRI is an effective instructional approach for improving English reading comprehension among university students. The experimental group who received CSRI showed significantly higher SDL scores (M = 59.43) than the control group (M = 45.30), with a large effect size (t = 9.081, p < 0.01). This demonstrates that CSRI effectively enhances students' SDL abilities compared to traditional instructional methods.

Evolution and Trends in EFL/ESL Vocabulary Development in Higher Education: Bibliometric and Content Analysis (1984–2024)

2025-06-25T13:48:31+08:00

The current study presents a systematic bibliometric review on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) vocabulary research in higher education from 1984 to 2024. Using 601 Scopus-indexed articles as a dataset, the research analyses trends in publications, research collaboration networks, leading authors, prominent journals, main thematic directions and emerging research gaps. By employing descriptive statistics, co-word analysis, and bibliographic coupling, the study systematically maps the intellectual and structural landscape of the field. The findings indicate a gradual increase in publication trends over the last two decades, with Iran, China, and the United States being the most productive and significant contributors to co-authorship. Key research topics include receptive versus productive vocabulary knowledge, incidental vocabulary learning, mobile-assisted language learning, and data-driven learning. Although there is an increasing interest in technology-assisted vocabulary learning, the study indicates a lack of research into the sustainability, scalability, and contextual adaptability of such innovations. The findings underscore the importance of interdisciplinary work, culturally responsive pedagogy, and longitudinal empirical research to inform future studies. Combining a historical overview, discussion of key authors, and directions in the field, it provides rich material to advance knowledge on and teaching of vocabulary development from an EFL/ESL perspective at the university level.

Educators' Perspectives on Media Literacy in Language Education for Inclusive Knowledge Societies in Kazakhstan and the United States

2025-09-04T11:52:43+08:00

This study examines the integration of media literacy into university language education in Kazakhstan and the United States. It emphasizes its potential to foster inclusive knowledge societies. The research aims to investigate educators' views on media literacy, the degree to which it is incorporated into language curricula, and the challenges and opportunities present in these two diverse educational settings. The study examines how language teachers in two countries perceive the relevance of integrating media literacy into language education, identifies prevailing strategies and challenges associated with integrating media literacy into language teaching at the university level, and considers how insights from these contexts can contribute to the development of inclusive knowledge societies. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines survey data from 121 language educators, including participants from various universities in Kazakhstan and the University of California, San Diego, with follow-up interviews conducted with a select group of participants. Research indicates that US educators have access to well-established institutional frameworks and resources, whereas their Kazakh colleagues encounter constrained resources, inadequate training, and digital disparities. Despite these challenges, educators in both nations view media literacy as a vital means of promoting critical thinking, digital skills, and active citizenship. The results of this research have significant implications for policymakers, educators, and researchers seeking to foster sustainable and inclusive knowledge societies.

Metaphors in the Poetry of Mashkhur Zhusip Kopeuly

2025-07-25T14:04:07+08:00

This article presents a comprehensive cognitive-linguistic, cultural-linguistic, and conceptual analysis of metaphorical structures in the poetry of Mashkhur Zhusip Kopeuly. The main objective is to characterize metaphors not merely as poetic devices but as symbolic codes that reflect national consciousness and a spiritual worldview. Through metaphor, the poet conveys complex relationships between man and God, spirit and ego, people and rulers, knowledge and ignorance–using deep symbolic imagery rooted in Kazakh cultural and religious tradition. The article examines conceptual metaphors such as "spring's source," "boat," "river," "stallion," and "the boat of trust" from both poetic and epistemological perspectives. Mystical and religious metaphors are analyzed to reveal the presence of Sufi poetics and an Islamic worldview in Mashkhur Zhusip Kopeuly's writings. Folklore-based metaphors like "ram and herd" are interpreted in the context of social hierarchy and leadership within Kazakh society. The study concludes that metaphors in Mashkhur Zhusip Kopeuly's poetry function not only as aesthetic elements but also as representations of national spirituality, historical memory, moral values, and philosophical thought. This research contributes to contemporary discourse in Kazakh linguistic anthropology and cultural linguistics. By offering an innovative methodological lens for interpreting metaphor, the article demonstrates how national worldview is encoded in poetic language.

Fostering Student Autonomy and Self-Regulation: Insights from Cognitivist and Constructivist Perspectives

2025-04-25T14:35:32+08:00

The educational landscape is continuously evolving, prompting ongoing discussions among educators and psychologists about effective knowledge acquisition methods. Cognitivism and Constructivism are two educational theories that play a significant role in understanding learning dimensions. Although these theories have been widely studied, their practical use in classroom settings to support student autonomy and self-regulation has been explored less thoroughly. This study explores the application of cognitivist and constructivist approaches in the teaching-learning process and their implications for independent learning. The study identifies crucial elements of self-regulation, such as goal-setting, self-monitoring, and reflection. It further explores their implications for instructional methods by examining empirical research and theoretical frameworks. Using a qualitative research method, this study utilized purposive sampling to collect data from a total of 20 participants from Pakistan, Oman, and China, selected from among university students, ensuring diversity in background, gender, education level, and majors. The thematic analysis produced key themes including individual differences in memorization and goal-setting, study habits, support mechanisms, and effectiveness of teaching methods. The discussion highlights the significance of cognitivist and constructivist approaches in developing and promoting student autonomy and self-regulation in the learning process, offering valuable knowledge to the broader study of enhancing student engagement and performance, ultimately contributing to the UN’s SDG4, that is, to improve quality education for all.

Study on the Communication of The Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung in India in the New Century

2025-09-03T16:22:46+08:00

The English-language Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung occupies an important place in the People's Republic of China's state-sponsored translation programme and has circulated worldwide for more than half a century. This paper focuses on India—a major post-colonial, English-speaking neighbour whose revolutionary and academic circles have long engaged with Maoist ideas, offering a first systematic study of the work's twenty-first-century communication and reception there. Drawing on data from Indian e-commerce sites, union-catalogue records, university libraries, postgraduate syllabi, doctoral theses, and in-depth faculty interview, the research combines macro-mapping with micro-level discourse analysis. Findings show that: (1) distribution now relies chiefly on non-official "Maoist" reprints and freely shared digital files, while the original Foreign Languages Press edition remains the main scholarly source; (2) the text enters Indian knowledge systems through graduate and undergraduate courses in political science, history, and strategic studies, where guerrilla-warfare and anti-colonial chapters are privileged over other theoretical essays; (3) reception is filtered by ideological repositioning, geopolitical sensitivities, and dependence on western secondary literature interpretation, resulting in both admiration for China's revolutionary model and misconceptions about Mao Zedong Thought's contemporary relevance. To enhance the cultural universality of Chinese discourse, the article proposes three strategies: embedding Chinese scholarship in Indo-Chinese academic partnerships, delivering context-rich digital content on mainstream Indian platforms, and holding joint forums around shared anti-imperialist legacies. These recommendations aim to inform future national translation initiatives and China's effective global cultural communication.

Ethnographic Study Preservation Sasak Polite Languages among Nobility Padamara Village Form as Defending Local Wisdom

2025-09-03T15:29:12+08:00

The Sasak Polite Language is part of the cultural heritage of the Lombok community, reflecting its social structure and values of local wisdom. However, its existence is facing challenges due to the influence of globalization and social shifts. This study aims to examine the form of maintenance of Sasak Polite Language by noble families in Padamara Village, Sukamulia District, East Lombok Regency. The focus of the research includes preservation efforts, obstacles faced, and the variety of languages maintained in social interactions. The method used is descriptive qualitative with data collection through observation and interviews. The results of the study show that noble families maintain the Sasak Polite Language in three main domains: family, neighbors, and public space. In the family realm, the language is used in daily communication between family members; in the neighboring realm, its use depends on the social background of the interlocutor; while in the general realm, Polite Language is used consistently. The main challenges in preserving this language include the flow of globalization, the dominance of other languages, and inter-ethnic marriages that have an impact on language transmission. The form of Sasak Polite Language that is maintained includes a variety of speech between fellow nobles and between nobles and non-nobles. These findings show that the preservation of Sasak Polite Language is still ongoing in a limited environment, but faces pressure from evolving socio-cultural changes.

Negation in Crow

2025-07-08T14:02:31+08:00

The current study analyzes the syntactic structure of negation in Crow, a Siouan language spoken in southeastern Montana. Although a substantial amount of research is conducted on Crow, there has been little attention to the topic of negation. In contrast to other Siouan languages (such as Dakota, Ho-Chunk) that utilize clause-final particles or bipartite negation, this study shows that Crow has two different morphemes -ssaa and -leeta to denote negation within clause-internal structures. The realization of negative patterns in Crow is consistently systematic and highly structured which reflects both language-specific characteristics and broader typological relevance. The analysis reveals that the negative morphemes in Crow are bound within the verb complex, typically attached to the right of the verb stem and before any aspectual markers. Furthermore, the data shows that the morpheme -ssaa is the most common device used to denote negation, while -leeta is less used and primarily expresses the meaning of "not exist". This cross-linguistic analysis of negation with other Siouan languages demonstrates that the position of negative markers in Crow is maintained through different clause types including imperative, interrogative, and relativized clauses, among others. This negation system displays a unique strategy involving verbal-bound structure and provides typological insights by showing how negation in polysynthetic languages emerges from clause-internal structures.

Semantic Errors in Machine Translation: A Study of Colloquial Arabic-English Captions on TikTok

2025-07-04T11:29:51+08:00

This study investigates the semantic accuracy of TikTok's machine translation (MT) system, focusing on auto-generated English captions translated from colloquial Arabic content posted by the verified MBC1 and Shahid TikTok accounts. The primary objective is to identify and categorize semantic errors using Sayogie's (2014) framework, which classifies meaning into three interrelated dimensions: grammatical, contextual, and referential. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, the research analyses a sample of colloquial Arabic captions to evaluate the extent to which TikTok's translation system preserves the intended meaning. Findings reveal a consistent presence of all three error types, underscoring the system's limitations in processing idiomatic, context-dependent expressions typical of collo-quial Arabic. These inaccuracies primarily result from the system's reliance on literal translation strategies, which fail to account for figurative language, cultural references, and emotional nuance. While TikTok's MT feature enhances accessibility for multilingual users, it remains inadequate in preserving semantic integrity, particularly in informal, culturally embedded content. To address these challenges, the study recommends developing more context-aware, dialect-sensitive models capable of handling the pragmatic and cultural complexity of colloquial speech. The findings contribute to current debates in MT evaluation by highlighting the need to prioritize semantic adequacy, especially for low-resource and dialect-rich languages such as Arabic.

The Nature of Intertextuality in the Religious Poetry of Mashkhur Zhusip Kopeuly

2025-07-17T15:15:45+08:00

This article explores the nature of intertextuality in the religious poetry of Mashkhur Zhusip Kopeuly (1858–1931), a prominent Kazakh poet and Islamic scholar. Drawing on Qur' anic references, hadiths, and Sufi motifs, his poetic discourse fuses Islamic sacred traditions with native Kazakh linguistic and cultural forms. The study aims to investigate how intertextual structures function in his works both aesthetically and theologically. It begins by outlining a typology of intertextuality in religious texts, followed by an in-depth analysis of poetic excerpts containing Qur' anic allusions and prophetic sayings. The methodology combines close textual analysis with cultural hermeneutics, paying particular attention to religious formulae, metaphoric expressions, and poetic rhythm that reflect Islamic ethical teachings. Special emphasis is placed on the integration of shahada formulas, du' aic structures, and Qur' anic verses into Kazakh poetic syntax. The findings reveal that Kopeuly's poems function not only as aesthetic compositions but also as vehicles for spiritual instruction and cultural transmission. Intertextual references are shown to reinforce communal values, provide moral guidance, and elevate the performative aspect of religious poetry. The paper argues that Mashkhur Zhusip's works form a localized model of Islamic poetics that aligns with Central Asian traditions while contributing uniquely to Islamic literary heritage. The study contributes to current debates on Islamic intertextuality, religious poetics, and the role of vernacular literary forms in theological expression.

Translating Racial Discourse in To Kill a Mockingbird: A Comparative Analysis of Arabic Translation

2025-08-14T10:33:19+08:00

This study examines how racially charged language in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) has been translated into Arabic, focusing on the ethical, cultural, and pedagogical implications of translation strategies. Using Skopos Theory, Venuti's domestication/foreignization model, and Spivak's postcolonial ethics, the research analyses the rendering of terms such as the racial slur (“Nword”), "boy," "white trash," and African American Vernacular English (AAVE) across multiple Arabic translations. A comparative study, integrating Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) with crosslinguistic comparison against the French, Spanish, and German translations, detects a consistent pattern of defensive domestication among Arabic translations, including euphemization, omission, and lexical substitution. Though culturesensitive, the strategies tend to downplay the novel's critique of institutional racism and can efface its historical context. Western translations, however, typically retain racially marked words with Para textual glossing for critical reception. The study highlights the translator as a cultural mediator whose decisions are dictated by sociopolitical norms, institutionally imposed, and audience requirements. It recommends adopting ethical domestication or critical foreignization, facilitated by annotated bilingual editions, pedagogy underpinned by culture, and open translator commentary. These approaches strive to uphold historical faithfulness, foster intercultural understanding, and develop critical literacy. In this way, the research contributes to debates in translation ethics, postcolonial studies of translation, and language pedagogy, and argues for translation as a linguistic and ethical practice.

Artificial Intelligence in Language Learning: A Systematic Review of Personalization and Learner Engagement

2025-09-05T17:09:58+08:00

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming language learning by offering personalized, adaptive, and emotionally responsive educational experiences. This review synthesizes findings from 26 recent empirical and theoretical studies to evaluate the effectiveness of AI tools such as chatbots, pedagogical agents, and generative AI in enhancing learner engagement, reducing foreign language anxiety, and improving vocabulary acquisition. The results indicate that AI-driven systems contribute to better vocabulary retention, emotional regulation, and learner motivation, particularly when informed by educational theories like self-determination and design thinking. Despite these benefits, the review identifies significant challenges, including digital inequality, insufficient teacher training, algorithmic bias, and a limited linguistic range. While AI can promote learner autonomy and provide low anxiety learning environments, it may also lead to technostress and dependency if not properly integrated with pedagogical support. The study highlights the importance of educator preparedness and ethical AI implementation. Using qualitative-comparative and bibliometric analysis, the review proposes a multidimensional model that emphasizes adaptive feedback, emotional scaffolding, and theoretical alignment. It calls for inclusive AI design, equitable access to technology, and continuous professional development for educators. Future research should adopt longitudinal, interdisciplinary, and culturally adaptive frameworks to examine AI's long-term and sustainable impact on language acquisition in varied educational settings.

Social Communication and Language Use in Digital Era: A Critical Multiliteracies View

2025-06-19T14:13:58+08:00

This study explores how social communication and language use among university students are shaped by digital media, using a critical multiliteracies perspective. In an era where online interaction dominates daily communication, especially among youth, understanding the evolving nature of language practices becomes crucial. The study involved 40 EFL undergraduate students from Universitas Muhammadiyah Tangerang who participated in project-based tasks in-volving digital literacy, reflective writing, and multiliteracy activities. Data were collected through student-created digital artifacts, observations, and reflective interviews. The analysis revealed that students used a blend of formal and informal language, frequently engaging in code-switching, digital slang, and multimodal expressions to construct meaning and identity. While digital tools facilitated creativity and expressive freedom, challenges emerged in maintaining academic tone and critical awareness. The findings highlight the importance of integrating multiliteracies pedagogy into language education, enabling students to critically navigate digital discourse while developing communicative competence. This study contributes to the growing body of research on digital literacies by offering insights into how multilingual learners make sense of social interaction in technologically mediated environments. It also offers pedagogical implications for language teachers seeking to bridge traditional literacies with the evolving demands of the digital age.

Redundancy and Contradiction in Arabic: Non Intended, Non Functional, and Potentially Humorous

2025-09-04T11:22:49+08:00

This study is a qualitative investigation of special cases of redundant and contradictory expressions in Jordanian Arabic (JA) where the speakers are unaware of the redundancy or contradiction they are using. It is this lack of awareness, we assume, that deprives the expressions of any semantic or pragmatic contribution to the communication event. The data used in this study includes observation of the speech of individuals in various naturalistic settings. In addition, a wide range of social media posts and comments, advertisements and television content are gathered, categorized, and analysis. We analyse the data with reference to the semantic notions of componential analysis and entailment and then categorized. On the one hand, results reveal that unintended redundancies involved either message repetition or entailment. On the other hand, some redundancies are found to lend themselves to negation while others do not. Contradictions are analyzed with reference to the notion of logical incompatibility. Some contradictions are found to be subject to negation while others are not. Results also highlight that such redundancies and contradictions may result in humor unintended by the speaker and only captured by a language critic. This contrasts with other genre-specific humor where humor is intended by the speaker and understood by those who share that genre.

Analyzing Translation Strategies and Procedures for Culture-Specific Items in Morning and Evening Talk by Naguib Mahfouz

2025-07-04T15:44:15+08:00

This study explores the translation of Culture-Specific Items (CSIs) in the English version of Naguib Mahfouz's novel, Morning and Evening Talk. The study follows Newmark's (1988) classification of cultural categories and translation procedures, Venuti's (1995) concepts of domestication and foreignization, and Toury's (2012) norms of adequacy versus acceptability. A total of 340 CSIs were identified and categorized. A quantitative analysis was conducted to highlight the distribution and frequency of the translation procedures and strategies. For the qualitative analysis, a purposive sample of 50 CSIs was selected to represent the religious, social, material, historical, and idiomatic aspects. These cultural items were analyzed considering the translator's strategic approach and the procedures used. The findings reveal that there is a consistent preference for foreignization and adequacy—particularly in the rendering of religious and material elements—highlighting the translator's orientation toward preserving cultural authenticity. Unlike the dominant trend of domestication in Arabic–English literary translation, this study provides functional insights into the translation of cultural aspects in literature and examines the translator's role in shaping the representation of culture-specific items through specific strategies and procedures. The results show that direct translation, foreignization, and adequacy prevail over indirect translation, domestication and acceptability. The study not only contributes to the expanding field of CSI translation research but also offers a micro-level account of translation strategies in one of Mahfouz's most ideological novels.

Challenges and Strategies in Simultaneous Interpreting: A Case Study of Jadara University Students

2025-07-29T11:57:20+08:00

This study aims to ascertain the perceptions of Jadara University students about simultaneous interpreting and to discuss how faculty members might assist students in improving their performance in this challenging task. A survey was conducted involving 360 students. The study revealed that students' performance and skill acquisition are influenced by factors such as their time management capabilities, language processing speed, familiarity with industry-specific terminology, and self-confidence. The research proposed certain measures to address these issues, including enhancing vocabulary acquisition in other languages, engaging in foreign language practice, participating in role-playing, and collaborating with professional translation services. The results demonstrated the significance of integrating structured organizational sessions and practical training with personalized academic tutoring. This approach not only links academic concepts with practical application but also prepares students for real-world interpretation scenarios, therefore advancing the field of interpretation education. This research demonstrates the significance of experience as a crucial element in assisting students in addressing academic challenges. Students with more knowledge are more predisposed to embrace novel learning methods. These programs may facilitate the training of a new generation of interpreters adept at addressing market challenges. The research indicates that trainer feedback is a crucial instrument for enhancing performance, since it enables students to evaluate their work and identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Creation of a Small Poetic Corpus Based on Abai's Poetry

2025-05-07T16:25:54+08:00

This research article discusses the development of a poetic corpus based on the poems of Abai. The research methodology combines corpus linguistics and computational modeling to ensure objective text analysis. The construction of the poetic corpus is conducted within the framework of corpus linguistics, while the annotation of poetic markers is performed using computational modeling. Models related to the annotations are developed based on linguistic and software algorithms. The findings demonstrate that Abai's language and stylistic shifts can be systematically analyzed, offering new insights into his poetic expression. This study makes a significant contribution to linguistics by expanding the scope of analysis and interpretation of poetic texts. Its practical relevance of the work lies in the development of programs and tools for teaching and studying the Kazakh language through the lens of literary analysis.

AI Applications for EFL Learners: Enhancing Speaking Performance and Reducing Anxiety with Gender-Based Analysis

2025-06-12T13:43:26+08:00

This study explores the effectiveness of AI-based applications in enhancing speaking performance and reducing speaking anxiety among EFL learners, with a focus on gender differences. It examined three main areas: the impact of AI tools on students' speaking anxiety, their effect on speaking performance, and how these outcomes vary by gender. A quantitative approach was used through a quasi-experimental design involving pre- and post-tests and questionnaires. The intervention lasted six weeks and included two intact second-year English major classes at an Indonesian university, with 46 participants—22 males and 24 females. Findings showed a statistically significant reduction in students' speaking anxiety and a notable improvement in speaking performance after using AI-based speaking platforms. These results suggest that AI tools are effective in supporting English-speaking practice for EFL learners. Regarding gender, female students exhibited slightly higher anxiety levels, though not significantly different from males. However, females performed significantly better in speaking tasks than their male peers. This indicates that gender may play a role in how learners engage with AI-assisted language learning tools. The findings have important implications for integrating AI in language education, particularly in fostering more equitable and effective speaking instruction. Nonetheless, due to the relatively small sample size and the use of a quasi-experimental design with only two intact classes, the generalizability of these results is limited. Future studies with larger and more diverse populations are recommended to validate and expand on these findings.

The Linguistic and Poetic Function of Landscape Imagery in Kazakh Novels: An Analysis Based on Kazakh Novels Written After Kazakhstan's Independence

2025-09-09T11:06:52+08:00

This study explores the linguistic and poetic functions of landscape descriptions in Kazakh literary prose, focusing on the works of Mukhtar Auezov and Abdizhamil Nurpeisov. Drawing on selected passages from The Path of Abai and Blood and Sweat, the research analyzes how landscape imagery is not merely decorative, but serves as a powerful artistic device that reflects psychological states, shapes narrative structure, and conveys ideological and aesthetic meaning. The analysis demonstrates that in Auezov's prose, landscape often mirrors the protagonist's emotional transformations, functioning as a psychological parallel and a medium of lyrical expression. In contrast, Nurpeisov's landscape depictions, shaped by the harsh environment of the Aral Sea, align closely with the principles of social realism, expressing collective trauma, resistance, and existential despair. The study further highlights the stylistic differences between the authors, including the use of metaphor, symbolism, and emotional tone. Methodologically, it employs qualitative content analysis, interpretive literary stylistics, and cross-cultural literary comparison. The novelty of the study lies in its detailed comparative approach and its contextualization of Kazakh landscape imagery within broader theoretical frameworks, including psychological parallelism and narrative aesthetics. The findings reveal that landscape in Kazakh prose functions as a multidimensional tool operating at emotional, symbolic, and ideological levels. By integrating literary theory with close textual analysis, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how landscape serves both an expressive and structural purposes in fiction. It also suggests new directions for future interdisciplinary research in literary and cognitive stylistics.

Terminology Consistency in English-Arabic Women's Garment Translations on SHEIN and Amazon in KSA: A Comparative Analysis

2025-06-25T13:43:06+08:00

The e-commerce industry in Saudi Arabia is growing rapidly, making this research essential. Inconsistent translations may lead to consumer misunderstanding, lost sales, and a reduction in platform trust, highlighting a significant flaw in localization methods. This study evaluates the consistency of English-to-Arabic translations of women's garment terminology on the e-commerce platforms SHEIN and Amazon KSA. The research employs qualitative, product-focused comparative content analysis. Sixty product descriptions (tops, dresses, and bottoms) were chosen at random from SHEIN and Amazon KSA. Every description was analyzed and categorized according to 12 predefined categories, including style coherence, borrowing methods, and language diversity. Original product descriptions were saved as screenshots, and manual coding was verified for consistency to ensure the accuracy of the data. The findings revealed that SHEIN exhibits a higher frequency of translation inconsistencies compared to Amazon, directly addressing the first research question by identifying discrepancies such as inconsistent terminology (e.g., "pants" translated as ([بنطلون/بنطال/سروال] {dir=”rtl”}) and conceptual mismatches. These results addressed the second research question by demonstrating how limited databases of Arabic fashion terminology and structural differences between English and Arabic pose challenges for machine translation models, especially when considering dialectal and grammatical nuances. This study contributes to the fields of e-commerce translation and localization research by (1) empirically analyzing the limitations of machine translation in Arabic fashion terminology, (2) proposing practical improvements such as standardized glossaries and streamlined post-editing processes, and (3) highlighting the need for Scopus-based practices to ensure that translations meet user needs.

Dictionary Usage Preferences of Chinese Students Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language: The Case of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

2025-07-14T16:01:21+08:00

Dictionaries play a crucial role in developing vocabulary knowledge and language skills in foreign language education. With evolving user expectations and technological advances, dictionary design has shifted from traditional to corpus-based approaches. This study aims to reveal the dictionary usage preferences of native Chinese learners of Turkish as a foreign language and the content adequacy of the existing dictionaries in this field for language teaching. The research questions of the study are as follows: 'What are the dictionary usage preferences of native Chinese learners of Turkish as a foreign language?' and 'How adequate is the content of the dictionaries commonly used by native Chinese learners during the process of learning Turkish for language teaching purposes?' The study group consists of 48 undergraduate students from the Turkish Language Department of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. A structured questionnaire captured their usage frequency, preferred dictionary types, and language combinations. Results show that students frequently use dictionaries, favoring printed and online Turkish-Chinese dictionaries, particularly Zhou Zheng Qing's version. To evaluate content adequacy, the study compares the widely used traditional Turkish-Chinese dictionary with a corpus-based learner's dictionary. Using a checklist derived from lexicographic theory, key differences in structural and functional features are analyzed. Findings suggest that traditional dictionaries lack contextual support, authentic examples, and production-oriented design. In contrast, the corpus-based dictionary offers rich, pedagogically valuable content aligned with modern language learning needs. The study recommends incorporating corpus-based resources into Turkish language instruction and promoting dictionary awareness among learners.

EFL Pronunciation and Spelling Competence at the Crossroads in the AI-Era Education

2025-07-22T17:08:35+08:00

Pronunciation and spelling are undervalued and dissociated skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. While the discrepancy between English spelling and pronunciation hinders the improvement of EFL learners'speaking proficiency, limited attention has been granted to the cognitive connection between these two skills in EFL pedagogy and academic research. Misrepresenting spelling and pronunciation among EFL learners indicates a deep learning difficulty that requires serious attention and innovative pedagogic interventions. The present study explores Arabic-speaking EFL learners' perceptions about the dichotomy between pronunciation and spelling in EFL education and their awareness about the impact of this morpho-phonemic association on improving their pronunciation skills for more accuracy, intelligibility, and fluency. The study investigates EFL learners’ perceived experiences in spelling and pronunciation, and the role teachers and technological resources can play in improving their pronunciation and spelling concurrently. The study adopts a qualitative method approach for data collection using a cross-sectional survey. The subjects comprise 147 EFL students from an Omani university. The data were analysed quantitatively with descriptive statistics. The study’s outcomes focused on an exploration of learners' awareness, perceptions, and learning patterns and an investigative analysis of relevant instructors' approaches and practices while providing a normative description of effective pedagogic strategies.

Dance as a Multimodal Semiotic System: A Linguistic Perspective on Bodily Expression

2025-09-04T11:39:48+08:00

This research studies dance as a multimodal semiotic system through the theories of Ferdinand de Saussure and Roland Barthes. Using Saussure's theory of semiosis, dance is viewed as a system of signs shaped by cultural context. In this system, physical movements, gestures, and facial expressions act as "signifiers" that communicate meaning within the codes of different dance styles. When choreographers select and arrange movements, the meaning of each gesture becomes clear in the context of the whole performance. Barthes' idea of "culturalization" explains how dance reflects the spontaneity of bodily expression while also transforming into repeatable and structured systems. This study also draws on Edmund Husserl's view that dance exists in a "pre-reflexive" realm of symbolic expression, where body movements convey meaning through cultural codes in choreography and performance. By applying linguistic and semiotic theories, the paper presents dance as a language that produces meaning through interconnected systems of signs in cultural settings. Dance is also seen as a universal language that crosses cultural boundaries and can be understood by different societies. To explore this, a global questionnaire was conducted with dancers from around the world. The results show that dance functions as an international language of self-expression and intercultural connection. It allows people to communicate through a shared non-verbal medium. The study concludes that dance can be seen as a symbolic language for humanity, forming a unique multimodal communication system across continents and cultures.

Language Contestation and the Geosemiotic of Landscape Linguistic in the Religious Tourism Area, Kampung Ampel Surabaya, East Java

2025-06-19T10:53:40+08:00

Kampung Ampel is regarded as one of the first locations for the introduction of Islam in East Java. This neighborhood is home to a diverse range of community groups, including indigenous Javanese, Madurese, Arabs, and Chinese. Kampung Ampel's diverse population of many cultural and ethnic backgrounds creates a cosmopolitan language landscape. The research aims to identify language contestation and assess the degree of multilingualism within the linguistic landscape of the area. This research uses qualitative methods by combining sociolinguistics and applied linguistics. Meanwhile, other linguists contend that the study of linguistic landscapes is as old as writing itself. The location and position of a language have a significant impact on its development in society. This study will use Scollon's geosemiotic theory to investigate the construction of the linguistic landscape in Kampung Ampel, Surabaya, East Java, in order to detect language contestation and the level of multilingualism in language use. The map depicting Kampung Ampel's linguistic environment, in which the majority speaks Indonesian monolingually, complies with Indonesia's national language policy. Aside from that, in a broader sense, the creation of Indonesian national identity is based on the use of Indonesian as a communication medium connecting various ethnic and linguistic groups throughout the archipelago.

Adjectival Marking of Stance in Twitter: A Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis of Saudi Women's Tweets on Social Reforms

2025-09-01T16:33:29+08:00

Writers and speakers use various linguistic techniques to convey their stances. Researchers have shown significant interest in studying these methods over the years. With the rise of social media, it is anticipated that examining how writers express their stances on Twitter and other social media platforms can provide valuable insights, particularly on contentious issues, such as social reforms and women's empowerment. Accordingly, the present study employed a corpus-assisted discourse studies approach to analyse a 5,265-tweet corpus to understand how Saudi women perceive the recent social reforms in their country and how they use adjectives to convey their stances on these reforms. The study's key findings indicated that Saudi women generally view the reforms positively and tend to use evaluative specifically laudatory adjectives more frequently than attitudinal ones to express their support for these changes. The results reveal that laudatory adjectives function as prominent stance markers in social media discourse, supporting their inclusion as a distinct subcategory of evaluative stance markers within this register. These findings have implications for future research, suggesting that analysing linguistic structures in social media can offer valuable insights into the stances of social media users and can be informative for policymakers involved in social reforms.

Embracing Reflective Pedagogical Action Research in Translator Education: The Case of a Hybrid Graduate Course

2025-09-04T11:00:26+08:00

The proposed study employs a qualitative approach to explore the complex learning experiences of two university instructors teaching the same course at a post-graduate level. It assesses the impacts of teacher development and curriculum development, focusing on recording successful teaching practices through the lens of reflective pedagogical action research. A collective data-gathering procedure is performed with data analyzed methodically using ATLAS.ti. The dataset that comprises teachers' perspectives on their experiences is examined through thematic analysis and cloud methodology. Three key elements emerge from the dataset: student engagement, curricular consistency, instructor self-assessment, self-reflection, and self-regulation. The work contributes to knowledge regarding integrating reflective pedagogical action research within translator education and its effects on pedagogical growth. The work also illustrates how reflective pedagogical action research can contribute to meaningful specialist teaching practices as well as the development of education procedures. In this research work, text-to-video learning development and its artificial intelligence effects could have added value to be explored. These developments in research are indicative of the importance of the reflective method toward preparing educators for practicing in technology-led and responsive classrooms. These AI-based aspects, while not forming a focus part of analysis for this current work, do form a future research guide regarding exploring connections between intelligent education tools and reflective pedagogy.

Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Vocabulary Learning by Saudi EFL Students: Perspectives, Practices, and Challenges

2025-07-17T15:12:36+08:00

This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and practices of EFL students regarding utilizing AI tools to learn English vocabulary. It also aimed to explore the possible challenges that EFL students face when they use AI for this purpose. The study used a mixed-methods research design: the quantitative data consisted of responses to a questionnaire with closed-ended questions, while the qualitative data comprised responses to open-ended questions. The data were collected from 176 EFL students at a public university in Saudi Arabia. The quantitative data indicated that the EFL learners generally held positive perceptions of AI-assisted vocabulary learning. The participants considered AI an effective and beneficial tool for enhancing their vocabulary compared to traditional methods of vocabulary learning. The study results revealed that translating words and phrases and learning synonyms and antonyms of words are the instances when Saudi learners most often used AI tools. However, the EFL students reported concerns related to technical issues, the lack of cultural and language context and human interaction intrinsic to AI, and ethical considerations concerning the privacy of their personal data, as well as accuracy issues and bias. The study findings displayed that there was a positive correlation between the EFL students' perceptions and practices regarding utilizing AI tools to learn English vocabulary. This study concludes by providing some recommendations on the use of AI tools to support vocabulary learning and suggestions for future studies.

Syntactic Optimality vs. Communicative Optimality: The Syntax of Present-Tense Constructions in Classical Arabic

2025-07-28T11:34:39+08:00

This study investigates present-tense verbal constructions in Classical Arabic with special focus on the discrepancy between syntactic optimality and communicative optimality. Specifically, this study challenges the traditional view that Arabic is completely rule-governed, drawing on the observation that many documented linguistic usages deviate from prescriptive syntactic constraints. Ibn Hisham al-Anṣari's Mughni al-Labibformed the primary corpus for this study. The focus was on Qur' anic recitations and Prophetic ḥadith; poetic data was excluded to avoid rhythmic and metrical justifications. Adopting Optimality Theory (OT), four types of syntactic deviations were highlighted: substitution of final long inflectional vowels with short vowels in non-jussive contexts, retention of long inflectional vowels in jussive constructions, deletion of indicative/subjunctive inflectional suffixes, and non-canonical subjunctive marking in jussive contexts. Although early Arab syntacticians consider such deviations anomalous, dialectal, or metrical-poetic exceptions, and often reinterpret them to fit established rules, this study argues that these deviant forms, despite violating rigid syntactic rules, still achieve communicative optimality and reflect dialectal or historical variations. Such non-prescriptive usages represent authentic linguistic remainders that can enrich the Arabic syntactic system. It was concluded that Arabic syntactic rules are not inviolable and Arabic syntax is flexible enough to accommodate such usages.

Reading The Half Mother as Political Narrative: Repression, Subjectivity, and State Power through the Eyes of the EFL Learner

2025-06-03T16:33:26+08:00

This research engages with the theoretical frameworks of Louis Althusser's concepts of Ideological and Repressive State Apparatuses, applying them to Shehnaz Bashir's poignant debut novel, The Half Mother (2014). The study explores how the state manipulates institutions such as religion, politics, education, and media to perpetuate its dominant ideology and internalize official narratives within the collective consciousness of its citizens. In parallel, it examines the role of repressive state mechanisms—including the army, police, and judiciary—in enforcing conformity, suppressing dissent, and executing state-sponsored violence. The novel, set in the politically volatile region of Kashmir, offers a compelling literary lens through which the intersections of ideology, repression, and resistance are vividly portrayed. The research closely analyzes the psychological and emotional responses of various characters, revealing the covert mechanisms by which control and obedience are sustained. Additionally, this study integrates the pedagogical perspective by incorporating the responses of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners. It highlights how exposure to politically and socially charged literary texts, such as The Half Mother, cultivates critical thinking, socio-political consciousness, and interpretive competence. By engaging with the text's complex themes, learners not only enhance their linguistic proficiency but also develop a deeper understanding of power dynamics. Thus, the research contributes to both political-literary scholarship and innovative approaches in literature-based language education.

Reimagining African Languages in Teacher Education: A South African Perspective

2025-06-01T03:48:07+08:00

Language is one of the key factors in teaching and learning across the globe. Language of instructions, as established by various scholars influence learning experiences. Hence, language policies are drafted by various countries, for teaching and learning in higher education in different worldwide. This conceptual and policy review-type paper situates the marginalisation of African languages in South African teacher education within the dualistic frameworks of linguistic imperialism and coloniality. With critical linguistics and decolonial theory as its main intellectual vehicles, the study reflects on how historically committed ideological legacies of English hegemony continue to influence knowledge paradigms, pedagogical methods, and actual language policy implementations in post-apartheid educational institutions. Notwithstanding progressive multilingual policies, African languages continue to be marginal to the programme of teacher education, thus limiting epistemological access and enforcing Eurocentric curricula. By combining scholarly literature with policy documents, the paper advances a discourse for the re-centering of African languages in teacher education for cognitive justice, the affirmation of identity, and curriculum transformation. It points, among other things, to promising initiatives, such as Centres for African Language Teaching (CALTs) and the Community of Practice for the Teaching and Learning of African Languages (CoPAL), with a call for coordinated, well-resourced attacks on decolonising language education. In doing so, the study adds to the struggle for epistemic justice by putting forth strategies to bring African languages in teacher education in a meaningful and sustainable way.

Morphological Markedness in the Holy Quran

2025-05-22T11:53:50+08:00

This paper aims to examine the Quranic morphological markedness in 112 selected expressions as an important linguistic phenomenon. Adopting a descriptive-analytical method to investigate the corpus of the study, we collected 112 Quranic expressions. We analyzed them by classifying these expressions into morphologically unmarked and marked forms and examining their translations. The study revealed that Quranic morphological markedness enhances the expression of the verses' inimitability and eloquence. It emphasizes the role of marked forms—such as affixes—in imparting additional layers of meaning and highlighting Quranic depth and clarity of the Quranic messages. These morphological affixes allow for a specific interpretation of verses by permeating them with nuanced meaning. The paper also underlines the challenges faced by translators, who often render both unmarked and marked forms, similarly, potentially resulting in a loss of meaning or misinterpretation.