Forum for Linguistic Studies

A Comparative Study on the Positive Politeness Strategies Employed by Jordanian and Omani Students in Their Requests

Aya Walid Akkawi — 2025-11-04

This study explores the use of positive politeness strategies in requests made by Jordanian and Omani students within an academic context. By examining the positive politeness strategies employed in their interactions, the research aims to identify the preferred strategies utilized by these students when communicating with their classmates. Data is collected through memos and semi-structured interviews from a sample of Jordanian and Omani students. The study anticipates uncovering both differences and similarities in the positive politeness strategies employed by the two groups, while also investigating the influence of culture on their request patterns. To analyze the data, the positive politeness strategies will be identified and then classified. The theorists of the politesse model claimed that the politeness strategies are universal and are employed by people in different forms based on various social variables. The study reveals that Jordanian students prefer to utilize the four positive politeness strategies of giving reasons, concern for the hearer's wants, promises, and in-group identity. On the other hand, Omani students prioritize the four positive strategies of giving reasons, assuming reciprocity and giving sympathy, hedging, and seeking agreement. Both Jordanian and Omani participants use the giving reasons strategy; otherwise, they use different strategies altogether. Future research could compare the persuasion strategies that could be employed by Jordanian and Omani students in their communication.

Asynchronous Digital Approach for Advancing Learners' Foreign Language Proficiency

Suzan Shehada — 2025-11-05

In today's technology-driven era, language education has increasingly integrated online learning as an essential component, utilizing either synchronous or asynchronous modalities. This study examined the effectiveness of asynchronous digital instruction in enhancing students' language proficiency (listening and speaking) proficiency, in addition to exploring their perceptions of this instructional approach. Through employing a mixed-methods design, the research combined quantitative and qualitative methods to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of asynchronous language learning activities compared with traditional face-to-face instruction. A quasi-experimental design was implemented with 120 A2-level English students at Birzeit University during the second semester of the 2024/2025 academic year. Participants were divided into two groups: an experimental group using interactive digital modules on Moodle, and a control group receiving conventional in-class instruction. Pre- and post-tests were implemented to measure students' language proficiency in listening and speaking, using a standardized Cambridge Press listening test and a CEFR-aligned speaking task assessed through structured rubrics. Additionally, an open-ended survey was administered to elicit qualitative insights from the experimental group about their asynchronous learning experience. Findings revealed that asynchronous instruction significantly improved students' listening skills, particularly inference-making, identifying details, understanding main ideas, and reasoning. In speaking, statistically significant gains were also observed in content relevance, vocabulary, spoken grammar and fluency. Besides, it was indicated from the qualitative results that asynchronous modules and activities offered students greater flexibility, autonomy, and accessibility. Students appreciated the reduced anxiety and personalized feedback that supported confident participation. However, students also highlighted challenges such as technological limitations, lack of real-time interaction, and the need for increased self-motivation.

Current Trends and Opportunities on the Use of Drama-Based Pedagogy in English Language Teaching

Ni Wayan Surya Mahayanti — 2025-11-04

The implementation of drama-based pedagogy has emerged as a transformative approach in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT), effectively enhancing students' engagement and proficiency in several language skills, including speaking, listening, and communication. This study employs a bibliometric analysis of 118 open access articles published between 2014 and 2024, derived from the Dimension database. The data were processed using Microsoft Excel and visualized with VOS Viewer, which revealed a significant increase in scholarly output, particularly between 2021 and 2023. Most studies (61.3%) concentrate on practical applications within the field of Curriculum and Pedagogy. In contrast, areas such as Language, Communication, and Culture, and Specialist Studies in Education remain relatively under-explored. The keyword co-occurrence analysis reveals the prevalence of structured methodologies and emerging participatory practices. Yet it also underscores ongoing deficiencies in global cooperation. The results highlight the potential of drama-led pedagogy for developing critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative capacity in students. However, implementation is hampered by a lack of training and resources. These gaps should be addressed in future research by establishing longitudinal studies as well as partnerships between disciplines and schools in professional education. Drama-based pedagogy can further change the face of ELT internationally by diversifying its research focus and seeking international collaboration.

Orthoepic-prosodic Foundations of the Kazakh Speech Synthesis

Zhumabayeva Zhanar — 2025-11-03

This article examines the issues related to prosodic and orthoepic norms in Kazakh speech synthesis. To ensure that the synthesizer delivers speech that is both realistic and intelligible, the text must be systematized according to orthoepic standards, with changes in phonemes, vowel reductions, and various sound phenomena described on the basis of linguistic data. The article also outlines the relevance of speech synthesis and the methods employed, while identifying their distinctive features. Furthermore, contemporary speech synthesis programs are discussed, along with their advantages and drawbacks. The article particularly focuses on enhancing speech synthesis by ensuring that narrators read texts in accordance with orthoepic norms and accurately convey prosodic features. The study uses the 11th-grade Kazakh Literature textbook, comprising 62 pages, as its source material. The text was internally segmented into syntagms, and the analysis addressed aspects such as vowel harmony, consonant compatibility, changes between roots and affixes, shifts across rhythmic groups, assimilation, dissimilation, reductions, variations and variants, elision, and other relevant features — all presented in accordance with orthoepic norms. The article analyzes articulatory, formant-based, parametric, and neural models used in the implementation of word synthesis. In order to improve the quality of speech synthesis in the Kazakh language, the study highlights the necessity of expanding abbreviations and numerals, adhering to orthoepic norms, and accurately modeling intonation and rhythmic patterrns. The research findings provide a scientific foundation for developing high-quality speech synthesis based on the phonetic and phonological regularities of the Kazakh language.

Process Types Identification Challenges and Pedagogical Implications for EFL Learners

Shaimaa Mohamed Helal — 2025-11-05

Understanding the meaning of the processes is essential for comprehending clause meaning from experiential perspective, however, the studies examining the identification of transitivity processes in the performance of EFL learners are scarce. This study examines the performance of 28 Arab Open University (AOU) English as a Foreign Language Learners (EFL) enrolled in the course E304A: Exploring English Grammar I in Jeddah branch. Drawing on Halliday's Transitivity Theory (1985), the study identifies the challenges faced by the students in identifying process types and proposes pedagogical implications for improvement. The students were provided with materials and activities related to processes, followed by a performance assessment test. The analysis reveals difficulties in correctly identifying process types, including 'escaped', 'coming', 'fainted', 'shares' and 'jolted'. To enhance comprehension and reduce errors, the study recommends enhancing the teaching of process types via various ways. Thus, it is recommended for EFL learners to (1) understand the relationship between lexical item and process types, (2) use tests in form of questions to differentiate between several types of processes, and (3) understand the differences between behavioural and material processes (as explained in the study). The findings contribute to the advancement of process type instruction and deepen students' understanding of clause meaning in the EFL context.

Breaking the Syntax Barrier: Syntactic Simplification as Avoidance Strategy in L3 Indonesian

Bambang Yulianto — 2025-11-03

Syntactic avoidance is a recurring yet underexplored phenomenon in third language (L3) acquisition. This study investigates how learners of Indonesian as an additional language simplify or circumvent complex structures in order to sustain communication. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, oral tasks, and written samples from eight multilingual participants representing six different first language (L1) backgrounds. Thematic analysis identified consistent avoidance patterns, including the omission of subordinate clauses, avoidance of passive voice marked with the di- prefix, simplification of conjunctions, and substitution of relative clauses and modifiers with simpler alternatives. These strategies were found to be shaped by cognitive processing limitations, structural divergence between Indonesian and learners' prior languages, and sociocultural concerns such as politeness and risk of negative evaluation. The study also revealed modality differences, with avoidance more frequent in oral than in written production, suggesting that planning opportunities reduce syntactic simplification. These findings confirm that avoidance is not merely a sign of deficiency but an adaptive interlanguage strategy consistent with cognitive and sociocultural models of multilingual development. Pedagogically, the results highlight the importance of scaffolding complex syntax through sequenced tasks, cross-linguistic awareness, and supportive classroom practices that encourage experimentation. Beyond the classroom, the study underscores the value of understanding avoidance as a dynamic adaptation that reflects multilingual learners' agency in managing communication. The study concludes by recommending future longitudinal and cross-linguistic research to further explore the interplay of cognitive, pragmatic, and sociocultural factors in L3 Indonesian acquisition.

Semantic Transfer and Lexical Errors in English Writing among Undergraduates' Saudi Male Students

Dheifallah Hussein Falah Altamimi — 2025-11-05

Arab students who learn English as a foreign language, especially Saudi students, face several challenges during the process of mastering writing skills. This research addresses the problem of persistent lexical errors in students' academic writing, which stem from semantic transfer between Arabic and English. The main purpose of this study is to identify and categorize the most common lexical errors caused by semantic transfer from Arabic to English in the academic writing of Saudi undergraduates' students and to examine the perceived causes of lexical errors caused by semantic transfer from Arabic to English. The main research question is: What are the most common lexical errors caused by semantic transfer from Arabic to English in the academic writing among Saudi male undergraduates' students? The research participants were 20 male students from the Languages and Translation Department at the University College of Haql, University of Tabuk. Using a mixed-methods approach to examine lexical errors caused by semantic transfer from Arabic to English. Quantitative data from 100 student essays were analyzed descriptively to identify common errors, while qualitative insights were gathered through a semi-structured group interview and analyzed thematically to explore students' perceptions of the causes. The findings reveal that the most common lexical errors through the semantic transfer are direct translations, word choice errors, false cognates, and incorrect collocations. The semi-structured interview revealed four main causes of these errors: negative transfer from Arabic, overgeneralization of English rules, limited exposure to authentic English, and insufficient awareness of collocations.

Digital Literacy Meets English Pedagogy: An Ethnographic Inquiry into Engagement Practices among Indonesian High School EFL Students

Adi F. Mahmud — 2025-11-03

This study examines the engagement practices of Indonesian high school students in digitally mediated EFL classrooms. Drawing on an ethnographic research design, the study examines how digital literacy-based instruction influences student engagement across behavioural, emotional, and cognitive domains. Conducted over one semester at a high school in Ternate, Indonesia, the research involved ten students and five EFL teachers, who were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via participant observation, interviews, document analysis, and field notes, and analysed using Spradley's ethnographic framework. Findings reveal that students exhibited high levels of behavioural engagement through adherence to classroom norms, timely participation, and collaborative digital tasks. Emotional engagement was fostered through culturally relevant digital content, including music, YouTube, and gamified platforms. In contrast, cognitive engagement emerged through the use of autonomous learning strategies, including the application of AI tools and flexible problem-solving approaches. Three cultural themes—digital discipline, emotional connectedness, and learner agency—underscore how digital literacy is socially and contextually constructed. The study concludes that student engagement in digital EFL classrooms is not solely dependent on access to technology, but is shaped by cultural practices, emotional relevance, and adaptive learning behaviours. These findings offer critical implications for digital pedagogy, teacher development, and equitable educational policy.

English as a Lingua Franca and Its Impact on Social Integration in Conditions of Global Migration

Haitham M Altaany — 2025-11-03

Multicultural and migrant-receiving societies rely on the English language to integrate their populations. As the world's dominant language, English is essential for gaining access to employment, public services, and supporting community life—all crucial for successful integration. This review analyzed 32 published studies and policy reports from 2003 to 2025 to assess how English proficiency affects social inclusion for immigrants, refugees, and minority groups. Using systematic literature review methods, the authors employed thematic content analysis to identify recurring themes in employment, education, peer involvement, and identity development. The findings indicate that strong English skills help individuals engage more actively in their communities, improve employment prospects, participate in politics, and foster social cohesion. However, numerous challenges hinder language acquisition, including the high cost of schooling, cultural and mindset barriers, and social hostility. The study emphasizes the importance of a whole-school approach to language learning, incorporating culturally sensitive teaching, diverse learning experiences, and necessary policy reforms. Ultimately, the authors provide recommendations for educators, policymakers, and community organizations to enhance the role of English in promoting equal and inclusive societies. Despite widespread recognition of English's global role, its urgent relevance lies in the increasing migration flows and the need for effective integration strategies. The novelty of this study is its focus on the social impact of English proficiency for migrants, particularly in terms of inclusion and empowerment. The core problem addressed is the lack of equitable access to language education and its consequences for immigrant, refugee, and minority populations.

Effectiveness of Accurate ChatGPT Commands in Enhancing A2 Level Academic Writing Feedback

Jhomayra Isabel Hoyos Valdiviezo — 2025-11-03

Academic writing presents significant challenges for beginner learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), where learners tend to make mistakes in grammar, coherence, and structure. Feedback is essential for the development of writing, yet in traditional instructional models it is not always provided with the quality or frequency required. This study explores the effectiveness of ChatGPT-generated feedback in enhancing academic writing skills among A2-level English as a Foreign Language learners. Involving a pre-post experimental design, 45 students participated over a fourteen-week intervention period within two groups: one receiving traditional instruction and the other using ChatGPT guided by a tailored prompt created by the principal researcher: "Evaluate this paragraph based on Cambridge A2-level standards (CEFR) for Content, Organization, and Language (vocabulary and grammar). Provide specific feedback". The results showed statistically significant gains in writing performance for the experimental group, especially in language accuracy and structural organization, with no regression in any skill area, confirming that AI feedback has the potential to facilitate language acquisition among participants at a beginner level, without compromising learner autonomy, when conducted through a structured approach. The research indicates that ChatGPT can be utilized as a pedagogical tool in addition to regular education, serving as a scalable resource with the aid of clear evaluative criteria. Future research is encouraged to expand this approach to other CEFR proficiency levels and explore learners' qualitative experiences with AI feedback.

Highlights

The first quasi-experimental study used structured ChatGPT prompts to improve A2-level academic writing in EFL settings.

Inter-rater reliability validates the statistically significant increases in grammar, vocabulary, and organization demonstrated.

Provide a feasible 12-week intervention framework that teachers can incorporate into their weekly lesson plans.

Emphasize the balance between AI feedback and human mediation, supporting the pedagogical foundation.

Provides implications for extending AI-assisted feedback across multiple CEFR competency levels and investigating cognitive processes involved in L2 writing

On Humor as a Rhetorical Strategy in English Literary Discourse

Nalya Ovshieva — 2025-11-04

Indirectness is a valuable communication skill commonly employed to accomplish specific objectives. Motivations for indirect use of language can be politeness, self-defense, or criticism of the other in conversation. Humor has been a subject of extensive study across various disciplines, including linguistics, literature, and philosophy. This interdisciplinary interest stems from both a desire to understand human behavior and an effort to explore how humorous techniques are employed within fictional works to achieve the author's intended effect. The article explores the rhetorical purpose of humorous devices in English literary discourse. In fiction, writers resort to humor as a means of ridiculing a certain trait of a character. The forms of humor include irony, understatement, sarcasm, self-deprecation, wit, satire, etc. The analysis has shown that writers most often use the strategies of initial, final, or double focus, placing humorous devices at the beginning, at the end, or at the centre and the end of a work of fiction simultaneously. The starting or finishing point for deductive, inductive and double-focus persuasive strategies is the author/character's perspective, which focuses on how they perceive what is happening within the story. Situational and narrative ironies enhance the impact of humorous means, thus creating a persuasive discourse. The linguistic material is analyzed through a discourse approach, pragmalinguistic and linguistic-stylistic methods of research.

Emotional Intelligence and Beliefs about English Language Learning: A Case Study with Pre-service Teachers

Jardel Coutinho dos Santos — 2025-11-03

This case study examines the connection between emotional intelligence (EI) and pre-service teachers' beliefs about English language learning within an Ecuadorian context. 317 participants enrolled in an undergraduate English teacher training program completed two validated instruments: The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire—Short Form (TEIQue-SF) and the Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analyses were performed to explore potential relationships. Results showed no statistically significant correlation between emotional intelligence and beliefs about English learning (r = 0.020, p = 0.730), and regression analysis confirmed that EI did not predict BALLI scores. Subscale-level analysis revealed no significant associations, although minor trends were observed between emotionality and motivational beliefs. These findings contrast with previous studies indicating positive links between EI and learner beliefs, suggesting that contextual, curricular, and institutional factors may have a greater influence on shaping pre-service teachers' cognition. The study contributes to the current debate about teacher training emphasizing the limited impact of EI on belief systems and advocating for more comprehensive training integrating cognitive, emotional, and reflective components. Limitations include the sample s demographic homogeneity and the lack of qualitative data. Future research should include diverse contexts and mixed methods to further investigate these relationships.

Corpus-based Uncertainty Analysis of Multilingual Media under Language Policy

Suleiman Ibrahim Mohammad — 2025-11-04

This paper presents a mathematical framework for quantifying graded language mixing in media texts surrounding a policy reform. We model each document as generated by probabilistic n-gram models for two languages, interpret the resulting posterior probabilities as soft-membership degrees, and apply Shannon entropy to measure per-document mixing. A fuzzification exponent controls assignment sharpness, and aggregate entropy across documents yields a corpus-level metric tracked over pre- and post-reform intervals. In a case study of 20 headlines, mean entropy rose from 0.52 to 0.68 nats (∆ = 0.16), indicating increased code-mixing after the policy change. Statistical validation via a paired t-test (t = 3.27, p < 0.01) and a permutation test (p = 0.005) confirms the significance of this shift. Analysis of soft-membership distributions reveals a drop in average English membership from 0.77 to 0.52, further illustrating editorial adaptation. The modular implementation enables scalable analysis of large corpora, and an open-source toolkit is provided to promote reproducibility and extension to other bilingual or multilingual settings. We discuss limitations related to parameter sensitivity, model assumptions, and sample size, and outline future extensions involving imprecise-probability bounds, contextual embeddings, dynamic time-series modeling, and topic-augmented uncertainty. Our results demonstrate the power of information-theoretic tools for detecting subtle shifts in media discourse in response to regulatory changes.

The Evolution of the Gothic Novel in English Literature

Ghada Fayez Refaat Abu Enein — 2025-11-03

This study explores the development of the Gothic novel in English literature from a stylistic and cognitive-linguistic perspective. It examines the structure of Gothic narrative discourse and its expressive strategies, highlighting the pivotal role of cognitive metaphor in shaping themes of horror, mystery, and existential anxiety. Drawing on the philosophy of language, the study reveals how Gothic language encodes and reproduces cultural and psychological constructs that reflect the self's confrontation with the irrational and the unknown. Through critical readings of seminal Gothic texts, the study traces the dynamic interplay between language and aesthetic experience, demonstrating how Gothic fiction reflects evolving artistic, social, and intellectual paradigms. It discusses how early Gothic narratives, characterized by medieval settings and dark, enclosed spaces, responded to their social and political environments, particularly the tensions of modernity and class transformation. In later developments, the Gothic style deepened its philosophical and psychological concerns, engaging with notions of creation, morality, madness, and the limits of humanity. The study concludes that the Gothic novel constantly reinvents itself, maintaining its literary vitality and cultural significance through continuous adaptation to new contexts. This capacity for transformation has allowed the Gothic style to remain a resonant form of artistic expression, transcending the boundaries between reason and chaos, reality and imagination, thus ensuring its enduring presence and importance in contemporary literary discourse.

Digital Scaffolding: Online Learning Software and Knowledge Construction in English Language Learning Classrooms

Luming He — 2025-11-05

With the rapid development of science and technology, online learning software has become an important tool for English learning as it provides a large number of learning resources together with interactive functions. But how to help students effectively build a systematic English knowledge framework is still a key issue to be solved. Another major obstacle is making sure that students can translate this disjointed knowledge into effective communication skills. This study aims to explore how online learning software can help students integrate various knowledge points in English learning and improve learning efficiency through knowledge construction. Based on the theories of constructivism, cognitive load and self-regulated learning, this study explores how online learning software can achieve knowledge construction and improve learning efficiency by stimulating students' intrinsic motivation, reducing cognitive load, and promoting self-regulation. By doing this, it aims to offer both theoretical understanding and useful tactics for enhancing online English learning environments. The study's goal is to aid in the creation of learner-centered and more efficient online platforms. The key findings from the study illustrate that online learning tools improve English language proficiency by including fundamental skills, providing individualized learning plans, and giving immediate feedback. Also, these platforms enhance efficiency, develop communicative competence, and build systematic knowledge based on the constructivist, cognitive load, and self-regulated learning theories and ultimately contribute to quality education as per United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4.

Legitimation and Solidarity Strategies in Saad Jaber’s COVID-19 Press Conference Briefings: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Aysha Abughazzi — 2025-11-04

This study examines the press conference briefings delivered by Jordan's former Minister of Health, Saad Jaber, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Unlike much existing scholarship that frames pandemic communication primarily through the lens of crisis or fear discourse, this article situates Jaber's briefings within a hybrid continuum between urgency and solidarity. The aim is to explore how his discourse fostered credibility, encouraged compliance with defense laws, and reinforced collective identity during a period of acute medical and social uncertainty. The study draws on a corpus of thirty-two briefings delivered between March and October 2020. Jaber's oral statements were transcribed and analyzed using van Leeuwen's socio-semiotic model of legitimation and Wodak's model of national identity construction. The qualitative analysis considered both linguistic strategies and semiotic resources, including voice quality, tone, and audience reception on social media. Findings reveal that Jaber legitimized government measures through appeals to expertise, rationalization, and moral evaluation, while simultaneously humanizing his role through empathy and involvement. His calm, steady prosody and measured delivery afforded reassurance, softening the authority of his institutional position. These features enabled a relational mode of governance that this article conceptualizes as sentient authority – a mitigated form of power exercised through affective alignment, calibrated social distance, and solidarity appeals. The study concludes that Jaber's discourse represents a counter-crisis communication model, balancing directive authority with inclusive solidarity, and underscores the value of CDA in unpacking how language and semiotic resources shape public trust in times of crisis.

Cues to Subject-Object Grammatical Function Assignment in Arabic as a Second Language

Abdullah Ibrahim Alsubhi — 2025-11-04

This study presents cross-sectional data on the cues learners use to identify subject/object grammatical functions in Arabic as a second language. The roles of agreement, case, and plausibility were investigated, with predictions drawn from three theoretical models: the first noun principle, the unmarked alignment hypothesis, and the shallow structure hypothesis. Twenty-two learners from diverse first-language backgrounds participated in a sentence-picture matching task. Participants were recruited via email and provided with study vocabulary sentences for clarification. The primary task involved viewing 200 sentences, presented aurally and in writing alongside two images. Participants selected the image that correctly depicted the sentence's action, with each noun phrase serving as a human referent. Sentences were modified to target specific cues and presented randomly with correct responses to prevent order effects. Results revealed that beginning learners tended to interpret noun-verb-noun sequences as SVO, even in the presence of disambiguating cues. As learners advanced in proficiency, they became more sensitive to morphosyntactic information, correctly interpreting SVO and OVS structures. The findings supported the predictions of processability theory—particularly the unmarked alignment hypothesis—and the first noun principle, while contradicting the shallow structure hypothesis, as plausibility had no observable effect on performance. These results offer insight into the developmental sequence of cue integration in Arabic as a second language and contribute to ongoing debates in second language processing and syntactic development. Future research must expand to diverse structures and L1 backgrounds and use online methods to investigate real-time processing.

Actual Problems of Determining the Phenomenon of Cognitive Synonymy in Linguistics

Sayan Zhirenov — 2025-11-03

The article identifies changes in the development of the synonym system, the criteria that make up the synonym series. Since synonyms are the main factor in the development of vocabulary and the richness of language, they should be studied in close connection with human thinking, association and stereotyping. Therefore, methods of cognitive research of synonyms have been proposed. Absolute synonyms are conditional, because meaning is constantly replenished and changes with the development of society. Hence, this article aims to prove conclusion that words whose meaning are fundamentally similar cannot be eternal. While antonyms are clearly binary oppositions, synonyms do not have such strict binary relations. The article was written to clarify the statement that creating synonymic series requires at least two-digit words. Currently, synonyms are also formed in the language system through authentic use of equivalent borrowings from other languages. Synonyms-epithets and synonyms-metaphors are also formed in cognitive-pragmatic interest. By studying synonyms in modern language within the «nucleus-periphery» framework, it becomes possible to determine relations between genotype-phenotype, hyponym - hypernym. Moreover, according to the «associative chain», the order of words in a synonymic series is defined by their semantic proximity to the preceding reference word. The methods of distinguishing synonymic series by semantic, stylistic and usage shades were proposed. The difference between associated and non-associated synonyms-epithets was demonstrated. Problems in translating synonyms into another language, along with their possible solutions, were discussed.

Employing Digital Educational Games in Teaching English Vocabulary: An Applied Study in First-Cycle Students in North Al Batinah

Nahed Moahamed AlBadi — 2025-11-04

This study examines how interactive digital educational games influence English vocabulary acquisition among primary school learners. With technology becoming central to modern classrooms, it is important to evaluate whether gamified tools genuinely enhance engagement, motivation, and retention, especially in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings. To address this, a quasi-experimental design was applied with two Grade 4 classes of similar academic ability at Al Musbah First Cycle School in North Al Batinah Governorate, Oman. The study aimed to assess whether digital games could provide a more effective approach to vocabulary learning than traditional instruction. Over one semester, the experimental group was taught vocabulary using carefully selected digital educational games that integrated animated visuals, real-time auditory feedback, and adaptive challenges. These features were aligned with curriculum standards and intended to promote active learner participation. The control group, by contrast, learned through conventional methods such as textbook exercises and teacher-led repetition. Pre- and post-tests were administered to both groups to evaluate vocabulary development. Results showed significant vocabulary gains in the experimental group, highlighting the effectiveness of digital games in EFL instruction. Beyond improved performance, students displayed greater motivation and willingness to participate, suggesting reduced anxiety and stronger engagement. This research contributes empirical evidence to ongoing discussions on educational technology by demonstrating the pedagogical value of gamified learning. It further offers practical recommendations for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers on integrating digital games into EFL classrooms to foster inclusive, multimodal learning environments that sustain vocabulary growth.

The Semantics of Modern Greek Preposition Apo

Zaina Tsouhlaris — 2025-11-05

This research examines the quantificational distributional behavior of the Greek preposition apo " from". We aim to examine the function of apo in specific sentence constructions in which it occurs as the object, combined with a numeral and a noun in the accusative case. These structures contain a noun phrase as their subject or the quantifier followed by a noun. Our hypothesis is that apo resembles Serbian po, as it also places itself in the same structures as already described, while the subject position features the quantifier svaki (“every”). To support our hypothesis, we conduct a review of both prepositions. The analysis indicates that Greek apo conveys a broader range of meanings beyond the simple notion of distributive share described by Knezevic and Demirdache (2018) regarding Serbian po. Specifically, the former exhibits distributive qualities similar to the universal quantifier kathe(nas) (“every”) in specific syntactic constructions, as evidenced by our questionnaire results. This research proves the universality of this concept of distributivity and helps us to apprehend how it is processed mentally. It also highlights how distributive constructions are cognitively processed, reinforcing their universality across languages like Greek and Serbian, which are not closely related. We consider this work to be unique, as there has been no experimental examining the distributive properties of apo in Greek. Given the shared universal principles across languages, our findings could be extended to other natural languages that exhibit similar quantificational structures to those of the prepositions we have examined.