Mohammed Nasser | Wasit University (original) (raw)

Papers by Mohammed Nasser

Journal of Education College Wasit University, 2018

Official Translation refers to the translation of official signboards which are found on gove... more Official Translation refers to the translation of official signboards which are found on government offices. In Iraq, signboards tagged on most government offices show considerable variation regarding translation; two or more offices tackling the same business show two different translations, as in College of Administration vs. College of Management, taking into account that these two institutions do the same business. The same applies to words such as Union, Federation and Association. Variant appear these words to be, yet they are used interchangeably to refer almost to the same sort of business. This phenomenon is noticeable on the signboards of most offices across Iraq. The present paper elaborates on the state of current translations, suggests alternative translations, reaches certain conclusions and finally proposes some recommendations that may help solve this problem

Wasit Journal for Humanities & Social Sciences, 2022

This paper pragmatically examines sympathy in two refugee-focused speeches, one by Jordan’s King ... more This paper pragmatically examines sympathy in two refugee-focused speeches, one by Jordan’s King Abdulla II and another by Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel. This is achieved by unfolding the illocutionary activities and presuppositions underlying compassion and sympathy and then contrasting these subthemes across the two speeches. To do so, a qualitative methodology combining Searle’s (1969) model and Levinson’s (1983) model has been followed in the analysis. The paper, principally, elaborates on sympathy as a crucial aspect in the pragmatic interpretation of the two selected speeches. This involves a rigorous study of the words, phrases, and sentences relevant to sympathy, supported by frequencies. The two speeches, then, are compared to compassion, speech actions, and presupposition. Firstly, the paper introduces the topic, and this covers key definitions, theoretical assumptions, and a few similar studies, as well. Then, two speeches are selected, examined, and probed for sympathy. The paper, finally, concludes with findings, results, and some suggestions for further research. The paper finds that the two speeches have been very supportive of migrants. There is, also, a remarkable difference between the Arab discourse and the European discourse concerning the refugees and migrants’ crises.

Journal of Studies in Social Sciences , 2023

Mediated by technology, delivered by professionals, and facilitated by moderators, webinars are a... more Mediated by technology, delivered by professionals, and facilitated by moderators, webinars are any online sessions, workshops, and seminars streamed live, recorded, or pre-scheduled times and dates, to discuss a certain educational, business, scientific, or any topic. Webinars often receive a huge attendance or audience from many peers, laymen, or professionals. This paper investigates the use of speech acts in two educational webinars drawing on a pre-observation that presenters and moderators in webinars use pragmatic devices. The paper introduces and defines the research key terms; speech acts, webinars, and online discourse. Then, previous studies, research questions, data, methodology, and limits are presented. The analysis is limited to two American educational webinars. Following data selection, the analysis is conducted according to Searle's (1975) theory of speech acts. The research finds that presenters and moderators in webinars used certain speech acts to express meanings, issue directions, direct sessions, react to the audience, share background demos, and switch topics. Moreover, the presenters and moderators in webinars use speech acts more than other linguistic devices because these forms can easily and clearly communicate meanings and feelings.

Neophilology, 2022

We consider the politeness maxims implied in the discussion on refugees between Lebanese Prime Mi... more We consider the politeness maxims implied in the discussion on refugees between Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri and French President Francois Hollande. Based on the approach of the six-maxims of politeness by G. Leach (1983), the study is aimed at recognizing these maxims, describing their forms and revealing the intended goals. Mutual understanding is considered as a key element of the pragmatic analysis of the selected two speeches. A thorough study of words, phrases and sentences was carried out in order to sort and highlight all forms of mutual understanding. We make a brief comparison of the two speeches in terms of mutual understanding and politeness. Firstly, the study presents the preliminary stages of studying the definition of key terms, examines politeness in detail, builds on Leach's theory of politeness, and reviews several related studies. Secondly, a sample of two speeches is selected, analyzed and examined for politeness. It is concluded that the two speeches studied are very sympathetic towards refugees and that the corresponding references contain several forms of courtesy rules. We note the difference between the Arab and European discourse about refugees and their suffering.

PIONEER: Journal of Language and Literature, 2021

This research explores how language mediates Corona or Covid-19. To find out this phenomenon, a f... more This research explores how language mediates Corona or Covid-19. To find out this phenomenon, a few Corona-related words, phrases, and structures are put into discussion. The paper, also, draws on the languaging of Corona, as a global disaster, with a highlight of the practices, attitudes, and discourses expressed over this disaster. First, the paper introduces a generic exposition on the various aspects of global disasters in terms of linguistic structures, which are all supported by some previous researches. Then, a broader interpretation of how language mediates Corona is elaborated. Finally, the paper states a few findings, conclusions, and further areas of research. Language plays a significant role in shaping disasters, and in this concern, the paper revealed that Corona pandemic is highly mediated at the lexical, meta-linguistic, and conceptual levels. Additionally, relating Corona to meta-linguistic aspects can underline a media-catastrophe link, one that may be worth a broa...

Journal of Education College Wasit University, 2018

Performative verbs are the verbs that are used along with the act identified in the sentence. In ... more Performative verbs are the verbs that are used along with the act identified in the sentence. In Arabic, performative verbs are often stated explicitly, namely in context-based sentences. In a few cases, the verb as well as the utterance has a locutionary force, i.e. , both contribute to the meaning of the sentence. The use of the performative verbs is significant in reported sentences , as certain sentences can have a different meaning if these sentences are uttered in direct speech.

Professional Discourse & Communication, 2021

Professional Discourse and Communication, 2021

This paper explores how academic webinars are translanguaged by drawing on the sort of linguistic... more This paper explores how academic webinars are translanguaged by drawing on the sort of linguistic strategies and techniques implicated in these webinars. The research, therefore, poses two key questions relevant to how knowledge is communicated and what strategies are used in this communication. The main hypothesis of the research maintains that academic webinars communicate knowledge from a single professional presenter to many knowledge-receiving attendees, based on a presupposed view that presenters and moderators in webinars adhere to certain linguistic and conversational moves. To explore how academic webinars proceed and what they imply, a single academic webinar is randomly sampled for analysis. First, academic webinars are analyzed, key terms defined, and some previous literature on the topic overviewed. Then, the sampled webinar is administered for analysis (gathering, transcription, analysis), and a discourse-conversational model of analysis is applied. The author concludes that webinars are knowledge-specific and highly professional in their character, and they manifest certain linguistic and discourse strategies. The research also reveals that webinars feature such strategies as reformulation, mono-versation, on-screen sharing, speaker invisibility, indirect engagement, inactive moderation, and graphic interaction. Further recommendations suggest a more linguistic investigation into online learning, whether in webinars, online workshops, massive open online courses, or in any virtual learning practices.

It is said that a book can be judged by its cover! Well, that does not work with all books, as ju... more It is said that a book can be judged by its cover! Well, that does not work with all books, as judging a book cannot be done right from its cover, though. Reading a book does matter, too, if it is not worthy. Investigating how wishes are expressed, constructed, and verbalized may worth attempting after all, as it is not only a matter of sentences, phrases, or a handful of grammatical constructions. It also goes well beyond grammar and sentences in order to unveil the meaning, purpose, and aims underlying such wishes. Have a wonderful reading, and and may all your wishes come true!

This paper analyzes the tweets of the US president Donald Trump through a linguistic approach. It... more This paper analyzes the tweets of the US president Donald Trump through a linguistic approach. It sheds light on the content, structure and style of his tweets as well as the discourse aspects of these tweets, such as the rhetorical devices, hedging, and the like. At the beginning, a brief definition is introduced concerning Twitter, social media and politics, previous studies. Then, a broader discussion is given to the main content of this paper as represented by Trump’s tweets. Finally, a few conclusions and results are laid down. The paper has found that Trump’s tweets are significant in that they not only reflected on the political discourse of the US president, but they also shed light on the linguistic importance of the political tweets. In addition, this paper is a simple step towards understanding the political aspect of twitter, an area that needs a further investigation in the future.

Mustansiriya Journal of Arts, 2018

Morphophonemic changes are the morphological and phonological changes that take place in a single... more Morphophonemic changes are the morphological and phonological changes that take place in a single word due to plural, case, tense, or gender. The current paper elaborates on this interconnection from an Arabic perspective, by considering the issue of morphophonemic changes in Standard Arab as a process that involves significant changes in the various irregular patterns of plural. It draws on the structure of Arabic mainly phonology and morphology, and therefore it focuses on irregular plural which has many forms. First, the paper introduces plural in Arabic, by elaborating on its various forms. Then, the paper classifies irregular plural. Finally, the paper suggests a few conclusions and recommendation

Phonaesthemes are a set of sound-inspired meanings in a language.They represent a set of words, n... more Phonaesthemes are a set of sound-inspired meanings in a language.They represent a set of words, nouns, adjectives, or verbs whose general meaning is related. The present paper sheds light on this area by investigating phonaesthemes in Standard Arabic through a broader consideration of all the possible syllables and sound sequences which are expressive of phonaesthemes. There exist certain sound syllables, mainly initial ones, in Standard Arabic that manifest a noticeable similarity in meaning and this paper attempts at investigating this area. First, phonaesthemes are introduced as to definition, history, and cross-linguistic familiarity. Then, phonaesthemes in Standard Arabic are listed along with a broader discussion. Finally, a few conclusions, results, and implications are proposed at the end of the research.

During the first decade of the 21 st century, politicians and academics have been intensively deb... more During the first decade of the 21 st century, politicians and academics have
been intensively debating the reasons underlying such tensions and what
should be done to enhance societal cohesion in European societies. The
question that is being posed, some times in more and others in less po-
litically correct terms, is what kind of ethnic, cultural or religious diver-
sity can be accommodated within liberal and secular democracies and in
what ways (see also Vertovec and Wesserdorf eds. 2010; Triandafyllidou,
Modood and Meer, eds. 2011; Zapata-Barrero and Ewijk, eds. 2011). A
number of thinkers and politicians have advanced the claim that it is al-
most impossible to accommodate certain minority groups, notably Mus-
lims, in European countries because their cultural traditions and religious
faith are incompatible with secular democratic governance. Others have
argued that Muslims can be accommodated in the socio-political order
of European societies provided they adhere to a set of civic values that lie
at the heart of European democratic traditions and that reflect the secu-
lar nature of society and politics in Europe. Others still have questioned
the kind of secularism that underpins state institutions in Europe. Some
writers have also argued that citizen attitudes towards religion in Europe
are not secular but rather tend towards individualised forms of religiosity.
Hence the tension with Muslims lies at the level of public or private expres-
sion of religious feelings rather than on religiosity as such

This paper discusses word formation in both English and Arabic. Processes of word formation are t... more This paper discusses word formation in both English and Arabic. Processes of word formation are the bases upon which words are formed in a language. Firstly, the paper introduces word formation as to definition and processes, along with a few previous studies. Secondly, processes of word formation are discussed in English, and then in Arabic. Then, these processes are compared. Finally, certain conclusions, as well as some further areas of research, are proposed. There are different types of these processes. In English, there are eleven processes of word formation; they are acronymy,

There is a general perception that synchronous, online chat about politics is fragmented, incoher... more There is a general perception that synchronous, online
chat about politics is fragmented, incoherent, and rife with ad hominem
attacks because of its channel characteristics. This study aims to better
understand the relative impact of channel of communication versus topic
of communication by comparing chat about four different topics. Discourse
analysis and coding for topic drift were applied to two hours of chat devoted
to the topics of politics, auto racing, entertainment, and cancer support.
Findings demonstrate that topic may have an effect on the coherence of chat,
with discussion in the politics chat room surprisingly being more coherent
than in the other rooms. This research suggests that users can sustain
relatively coherent interaction on political talk, suggesting chat technology
may not be an inherently problematic medium for political discours

Journal of Education College Wasit University, 2018

Wasit Journal for Humanities & Social Sciences, 2022

Journal of Studies in Social Sciences , 2023

Neophilology, 2022

PIONEER: Journal of Language and Literature, 2021

Journal of Education College Wasit University, 2018

Professional Discourse & Communication, 2021

Professional Discourse and Communication, 2021

Mustansiriya Journal of Arts, 2018

This study investigates, from a critical discourse analysis perspective, the newspaper coverage o... more This study investigates, from a critical discourse analysis perspective, the
newspaper coverage of Johnny Depp’s defamation trial, the American Hollywood celebrity, against his ex-wife Amber Heard in selected international English-speaking newspapers. As the language used in newspapers differs from the language used in ordinary life and incorporates a variety of linguistic tricks and hidden ideologies, newspapers generally may show power and influence via the language they employ. As a result, this research tries to identify the discourse structures that echo the editors’ involvement in handling this topic. In addition, it reveals the hidden ideologies representing the trial and the personalities of Depp and Heard in selected newspapers. The study draws on qualitative analysis by applying an eclectic model which mixes van Dijk’s Socio-cognitive Approach (2014) and Fairclough’s Three-dimensional Approach (2015). Eight articles from four international newspapers; Two British newspapers “The Guardian” and “The
Daily Telegraph”, and two American newspapers “New York Times” and
"Washington Post" have been chosen. The study finds that these newspapers had different representations. While the British newspapers focused more on the reporting of this trial, the American newspapers focused on the agents involved in this trial. The study, also, bridges the link between linguistic features and ideological interpretations in the production of media discourse. In print, online, or visual media, celebrities might be scandalized or de-scandalized following certain events, acts, troubles, or stances. In this respect, newspaper editors and columnists act like discourse producers who report these celebrity-related events to readers, a reporting that is often encompassed with hidden viewpoints and attitudes.

As the only remaining superpower in the world, the United States of America holds great power pol... more As the only remaining superpower in the world, the United States of America
holds great power politically on the global scene. For that reason it is of great
importance not just to the Americans, but to the world as a whole, who occupies
the Oval Office in the White House. This is also why it is relevant to investigate
how the present holder of the American presidency came to be nominated for the
2008 elections.
What has caught our interest and spawned the subject of this MA Thesis is not the
fact that the American people elected a Democratic president to take the seat after
George W. Bush because it seems clear to us that the American people felt a need
for fundamental change in the government. We believe it is a widely held view
that the preceding years during the Bush administration have been turbulent for
the American people to say the least. The 2001 attack on the World Trade Center
along with the ensuing war on terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq have inflicted
heavy casualties among American citizens. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina wreaked
havoc in the Southern part of the country, killing hundreds and leaving thousands
without a home (nytimes.com 1). Two years later, in 2007, the Americans saw the
onset of what has now developed into a worldwide financial crisis causing unemployment to rise (politikken.dk 1) and major financial and insurance corporations to throw in the towel in the fight to surviv

ouTube: Broadcast Yourself TM (“YouTube”) is a public video sharing Web site which was founded i... more ouTube: Broadcast Yourself TM (“YouTube”) is a public video sharing Web site which was
founded in February and officially launched in November 2005. The site consists of user-
generated content and ranks among the most successful Web 2.0 projects. Registered users
can upload their videos to the server, share them with the world, watch all other videos
uploaded to the site, 1 and interact with the community. Unregistered users, too, can watch all
videos, but they are not permitted to upload and share their own content and to interact with
the community (Wikipedia 2009d).
This thesis deals with YouTube video comments. It analyzes their language with
regard to its specific contexts of a type of CMC and focuses primarily on those of its formal
features which are characteristic of Internet language in general. The selected features include
acronyms, emoticons, laughter variants and spelling variants of personal pronouns

Wish expression is the way by which wishes are expressed. These wishes are either fulfilled or un... more Wish expression is the way by which wishes are expressed. These wishes
are either fulfilled or unfulfilled. There are certain devices that are used in
English and Arabic and these devices are used to express wishes. Fulfilled
wishes are expressed by most devices of wish expression in both English
and Arabic. In turn, unfulfilled wishes are expressed by two devices in
English and several particles in Arabic.
The problem of the research is centered around three major aspects.
The first aspect is the wish (non)fulfillment. The second aspect is the
existence of the devices used to express wishes. The third aspect is the use of
the time tenses in the devices mentioned above. The three aspects stated are
of a common correlation on the ground that these aspects exist in English
and in Arabic. Therefore, the devices used to express wishes in the two
languages are correlated and there are similarities and differences which can
be revealed in a contrastive analysis.

The problem of utterance understanding is not dissimilar to this little visual miracle. An uttera... more The problem of utterance understanding is not dissimilar to this little visual miracle. An utterance is not, as it were, a veridical model or "snapshot" of the scene it describes, although much talk of truth conditions might lead one to suppose the contrary (the work of the early Wittgenstein explored this initially attractive idea, which has never been quite washed out of our thinking since). Rather, an utterance is just as sketchy as the Rembrandt drawing. Given the way we are built and the cultural conventions that specify a particular language and its appropriate deployment, we are inexorably led, at least in most cases, to a common understanding (and, as in the Rembrandt sketch, we even have a clear sense of where we may diverge).

in ways we are only beginning to understand, are lived with and through electronic media: We get... more in ways we are only beginning to understand, are lived with and
through electronic media: We get news on the internet, read books on Kindle, find old friends on Facebook and new loves on OKCupid and Match.com. We network on LinkedIn, and create, enhance, and share images with Instagram; we “tweet,” “friend,” and “follow”; “post,” “pin” and “like”; and sometimes “#fail.” As we seek to understand these new ways of using language in our lives, the new worlds of words they entail in turn provide new means of understanding who we are and how
we connect through language

The aim of this work is to examine how language is used in Egyptian public discourse to illuminat... more The aim of this work is to examine how language is used in Egyptian
public discourse to illuminate the collective identity of Egyptians, and
how this identity is then made manifest in language form and content.
The data used to identify the collective identity of Egyptians in public
discourse includes newspaper articles, caricatures, blogs, patriotic songs, films, school textbooks, television talk shows, poetry, and, finally,
Egyptian novels that deal with the theme of identity

This study deals with an elusive property of discourse, namely grounding or what is more popularl... more This study deals with an elusive property of discourse, namely grounding or what is more popularly known as the foreground (FG)-background (BG) structure. I will account for grounding as one of the semantic properties of discourse, and examine manifestations of the FG-BG distinction in terms of schematic features (viz. the global organizers of the propositional content) and specific syntactic structures, namely markers that occur in sentence-initial position. This theoretical study of grounding will then be applied in an analysis of English and Arabic short news texts

I this analytical work, the author pragmatically tackles the communicative interactional process ... more I this analytical work, the author pragmatically tackles the communicative interactional process of cogent argumentation in British prime ministerial and American presidential political debates. The book considers and evaluates prime ministerial and presidential
political debates with regard to pragma (logical, dialectical, and rhetorical) means that constitute the components of cogent arguments within the process of cogent argumentation. These means are achieved through pragma logical (data, wart, claim, backing, rebuttal, and qualifier), pragma dialectical (speeh acts), praga rhetorical (argumentative appeals, politeness, and figures of speech) strategies. Cogent argumentation is a process that involves two candidates exchanging cogent arguments where it ends with one candidate's arguments more cogent than the other one

Critical discourse analysis is still occupying a considerable broad area of attention among schol... more Critical discourse analysis is still occupying a considerable broad area of attention among scholars and researchers. This book guides interested readers into the steps necessary to understand how the public audience perceives the attitudes of politicians

Arab political discourse has vastly changed since the nineteenth century and with the turn of the... more Arab political discourse has vastly changed since the nineteenth century and with the turn of the century and the rise of political nationalism. Much change has Arabic witnessed during these two centuries as manifested in the sort of language used in everyday or average Arab territory.

This sociolinguistic study of Arabic political discourse attempts to explore the relationship of ... more This sociolinguistic study of Arabic political discourse attempts to explore the relationship of language forms to language functions, through the speeches of some Arab leaders. Each chapter concerned with the study is dedicated to a linguistic analysis of language variation and to observations of how language variation is used for communicational purposes by the politician

Words have the critical power of shaping realities. They are not simply neutral tools of depictin... more Words have the critical power of shaping realities. They are not simply neutral tools of depicting the world, but embodiment of perspectives. Putting lexical items in order, orators, consciously or not, inﬂuence their audience’s perception of their message. To become eﬀective tools of persuasion, words need to ft the purpose of the speaker and correspond to the listener’s value-system and perception of reality; after all, rhetoric always functions within a culture . However, the inﬂuence of words does not solely depend on what is said. It is also important who says it and who listens. In the United States, the modern presidency is a place for rhetorical leadership. Since the twentieth century, presidents have increasingly used the prestige of the office and especially the bully pulpit to rhetorically persuade the public. Trough their speeches, they can exercise significant inﬂuence, which goes beyond their constitutional competenci

The analysis of political discourse as featured in the media

Television, as the dominant mass medium of the second half of the twentieth century and into the ... more Television, as the dominant mass medium of the second half of the twentieth century and into the first decade of the twenty-first century, is responsible for bringing extensive amounts of drama into everyday life, from adaptations of classic novels and multiple episode serials to true story enactments and the scenarios played out in TV commercials. In doing so, it repeatedly displays people talking, showing audiences how characters behave in the varying circumstances of their narratives. These stories, and the talk they give rise to, mediate between the familiar and the extraordinary, and engage the imaginative powers of their
receivers as well as their creators. This book offers a primarily sociolinguistic approach toward a better understanding of what the talking in these dramatic productions contributes to contemporary culture

It is designed to create curiosity about the world we live in. If used in the classroom, each stu... more It is designed to create curiosity about the world we live in. If used in the
classroom, each student will choose a country of interest, research pertinent information, share it in class and fnally present their fndings in front of the class alongside a Power Point presentation. If they want to take the next step and actually travel to the country of their choice, they will already have a good idea of what to expect, where to go, and how to behave as they enjoy a new country and culture. A special shout out goes to: Thomas and Danielle Napoli, my photogenic friends and co-workers who agreed to be my models and voices for the dialogue sections in this book. James Cunningham, my Irish brother from another mother. P. Jolly, thanks for your friendship, suggestions and food for thought. Raw Bigfoot, one of my frst pals in Korea, who has given me great advice throughout the years. Muchos gracias to bruddah Bradley Diermeier for your voice recordings of the Beaten Path and business advice. Thank you Sam Letitan, for helping with gestures in Unit 6. Much appreciated! Finally, special thanks goes to Mohammed Nasser (Department of English, Wasit University, Iraq), for your guidance on Iraqi culture and the
vocabulary translations found throughout the book.

Jon Katz’s (1996) polemical rhetoric encapsulates a sense of momentous and far reaching social ch... more Jon Katz’s (1996) polemical rhetoric encapsulates a sense of momentous and far reaching social change, locating the young at the heart of an on-going revolution. However, his article about the ‘rights of kids’ in what he calls the digital age, actually rests on far more mainstream assumptions about the young, best summed up in the banal lyrics of a song, recently popularized by Whitney Houston, ‘The children are our future’. Children both represent and quite literally embody our, or at least our societies’, future. Of course the platitudinous truthfulness of this statement, that children will grow up and become adults in the future, tends to obscure its ideological construction

Ever since O’Reilly used the expression web 2.0 in a 2005 conference, amplified attention has bee... more Ever since O’Reilly used the expression web 2.0 in a 2005 conference, amplified attention has been paid to it in many aspects of society, organizations, and individuals. First conceptions on Web social media followed the cyber optimism that characterized the studies about the Internet in the 1990s. Studies emphasized the power of the technology and its capacity to overcome physical, economic, political, social, and individual obstacles. Web social media have become an integral part of contemporary society and discourse. Arguments stated that they support the human need for social interaction, using Web-based technologies to transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to many).

This epigraph from an interview with independent documentary maker Olivia Lichtenstein in this vo... more This epigraph from an interview with independent documentary maker Olivia Lichtenstein in this volume helps contextualise, we believe, the thrust of our book and the intention behind it. As a professional who
makes television programmes in what is widely acknowledged as a pressured, fast-paced environment, Olivia Lichtenstein is focused on production and such issues as the coherence of her films and responsibility to her audience (both in terms of professional commitment to the viewers and consideration of their evolving tastes). She can rarely
take the time to reflect on how the potentialities of her texts and images will be interpreted outside of these more immediate broadcast imperatives or how her productions are understood and analysed by other professionals, for instance academics, at a different pace and away from the process itself. Such television analysts study the final product and attribute intention with often limited direct knowledge and appreciation
of the production processes, its practicalities and imperatives. Values and Choices in Television Discourse: A View from Both Sides of the Screen offers the possibility of a reflection on television for and from both parties, as well as an insight into the final product and the choices made during its preparation.

In 2016, Donald Trump surprised many people—including me—by emerging as a powerful political forc... more In 2016, Donald Trump surprised many people—including me—by
emerging as a powerful political force and prevailing in the presidential
election. Trump’s success confounded many analytical frameworks that
had worked well in the past, and the three-axes model is not particularly
helpful, either.
Progressives certainly viewed Trump through the oppressor-oppressed
axis, seeing his pronouncements and his supporters as tinged with racism
and threats toward other victim classes. Libertarians viewed Trump
through the liberty-coercion axis, seeing him as authoritarian and a danger
to liberty.

The above epigraphs were both written in the closing years of Algeria’s 10-year long civil war ca... more The above epigraphs were both written in the closing years of Algeria’s
10-year long civil war called the Black Decade – in 1998 for Maalouf’s and in
1999 for Thomas’. The 1990s violence began when the Algerian government
cancelled the December 1991 parliamentary elections won by the religious
fundamentalists of the Islamic Salvation Front (F.I.S. in French). The F.I.S.’s
response was an armed struggle against the secular state apparatus. From the
outset, the religious–secular dichotomy seems to apply to the strife of the
1990s. In reality, the conflict is cultural with language playing not a negligible
role. And colonial history is largely responsible for this murderous war.

A great paradox of contemporary democracy in the English-speaking world is this: the very languag... more A great paradox of contemporary democracy in the English-speaking world
is this: the very language of ‘democracy’, as employed by some in positions
of influence, insulates governments from the effects of democracy. Statesmen
and stateswomen of our time brandish the words of democracy with
alacrity; yet their actions steadily close-off issues of collective concern from
public policy, close-off public policy from political responsibility, and closeoff
both, therefore, from democratic influence.

This epigraph from an interview with independent documentary maker Olivia Lichtenstein in this vo... more This epigraph from an interview with independent documentary maker
Olivia Lichtenstein in this volume helps contextualise, we believe, the
thrust of our book and the intention behind it. As a professional who
makes television programmes in what is widely acknowledged as a
pressured, fast-paced environment, Olivia Lichtenstein is focused on
production and such issues as the coherence of her films and responsibility
to her audience (both in terms of professional commitment to
the viewers and consideration of their evolving tastes). She can rarely
take the time to reflect on how the potentialities of her texts and images
will be interpreted outside of these more immediate broadcast imperatives
or how her productions are understood and analysed by other
professionals, for instance academics, at a different pace and away from
the process itself. Such television analysts study the final product and
attribute intention with often limited direct knowledge and appreciation
of the production processes, its practicalities and imperatives.
Values and Choices in Television Discourse: A View from Both Sides of the
Screen offers the possibility of a reflection on television for and from
both parties, as well as an insight into the final product and the choices
made during its preparation.

The ability to access Media Arabic – the language of printed or broadcast news items – has become... more The ability to access Media Arabic – the language of printed
or broadcast news items – has become increasingly important
in the light of recent developments in the Middle East. Consequently, the need for a ‘quick-fix’ vocabulary of Media Arabic is greater than ever. Arabic dictionaries are not equipped to deal with Media Arabic, which involves many new coinages to express contemporary concepts (for example, drone, a no-fly zone, financial bailout, multi-culturalism). While English-speaking students can deduce some terms from Arabic to English by
thinking laterally (for example, ministerial straightening equals
cabinet reshuffle, the falsification of elections equals election-
rigging), this is a much more hit and miss process when at-
tempted from English to Arabic. Until now, getting to know
the Arabic for common contemporary media terminology has
necessitated a long period of familiarisation with the Arabic
media. This book is designed to help undergraduates, postgraduates, governmental, military, diplomatic and business personnel bypass this lengthy process

The 3rd International Conference on Language and Education at Cihan University, Erbil, Iraq, March 1-2, 2023. , 2023

This paper investigates the performance of Wasit University Master of Science researchers engaged... more This paper investigates the performance of Wasit University Master of Science researchers engaged in thesis writing in English. The paper introduces thesis writing in general, and then in English, and a few related studies concerned with academic writing and thesis writing. The analysis tool is a pre-designed questionnaire. Following the selection of data, the setting of the analysis tool, and the administration of the questionnaire, the results of the questionnaire have been reached. The analysis results indicated a variety of respondents' replies. It has been found that the MSc researchers' experiences in thesis writing are variant and they are not only English-specific. The paper, finally, suggests several recommendations, studies, and tips to help facilitate thesis writing for those researchers.

Expressing gratitude is a purely human trait. This paper sheds light on gratitude but in a differ... more Expressing gratitude is a purely human trait. This paper sheds light on gratitude but in a different sense. The paper explores acknowledgements in academia, mainly in selected Master theses authored by Iraqi as well as British students. The present paper analyzes acknowledgement sections in master theses being a linguistic area that features a significant phenomenon loaded with pragmatic implications. can be investigated in both English and Arabic. The research considers sampled theses taken from two universities from two different countries; Britain and Iraq. Acknowledgement is a sort of interpersonal thanking or gratitude expressed by one person to another due to a relevant achievement. The paper attempts at analyzing selected acknowledgements cited in master theses examined in British and Iraqi universities. Firstly, acknowledgement is defined, introduced, and elaborated on. Then, a few scholarly studies are presented. Later on, a full analysis is given on how acknowledgements are suggested in the sampled theses. Finally, findings, results, and topics for further research are stated.

Morphophonemic changes are the morphological and phonological changes, alterations, amd variation... more Morphophonemic changes are the morphological and phonological changes, alterations, amd variations that take place in a single word due to such processes as plural, case, tense, and gender. These changes feature an interconnection between phonology and morphology. The current paper seeks to elaborate on this interconnection from an Arabic perspective, by considering the issue of morphophonemic changes in Standard Arab as a process that involves significant changes, particularly in the various irregular patterns of plural. The paper draws on the structure of Arabic mainly phonology and morphology, and therefore it focuses on irregular plural which has many forms. First, the paper introduces plural in Arabic, by elaborating on its various forms. Then, the paper classifies irregular plural. Finally, the paper suggests a few conclusions and recommendations.

1 ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 27-28 MARCH, 2018 NAWROZ UNIVERSITY, DUH... more 1 ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 27-28 MARCH,
2018 NAWROZ UNIVERSITY, DUHOK, THE KURDISTAN REGION, IRAQ/ College of
Languages, Nawroz University Campus, Duhok 27-28 March, 2018
1. Themes; Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
1. Language and Literature: Language acquisition and/ learning/ Language Education/ Language
Teaching / Methodology/ Language Curriculum Development/ Language Testing and Assessment/
Translation and Interpreting/ Poetry and Prose/ Contemporary Literature/ Comparative Literature/ Classic,
Medieval and Renaissance Literature/ 2. Linguistics: Applied Linguistics/ Theoretical Linguistics/
Sociolinguistics/ Contrastive Linguistics/ Corpus Linguistics/ Lexicology/ Morphology/ Psycholinguistics/
Phonetics & Phonology/ Text Linguistics/ Pragmatics/ Stylistics/ Semantics
2. Dates: Deadline for Abstract Submissions: 15/9/2017 / Deadline for Full Paper Submissions: 1/1/2018
3. Conference Contact: Email Address: izzuddin.mohammed@nawroz.edu.krd
Nawroz University Contact: Tenahi, Duhok, Kurdistan, Iraq, P.O. Box 77, info@nawroz.edu.krd/
009647505674949
4. Venue: College of Languages, Nawroz University Campus, Duhok
5. Accommodation: Conference organizers will provide accommodation

This paper interprets the claiming and counterclaiming arising in the Depp vs. Heard case drawing... more This paper interprets the claiming and counterclaiming arising in the Depp vs. Heard case drawing on the pragma-dialectic scope. The Depp vs. Heard case saw many instances of claiming by both parties, and this claiming has, many times, been resolved by argumentation. Argumentation, therefore, is the key issue of conflict in this trial because it stands for both resolution and de-conflict. Both parties in the Depp vs Heard trial used claims and counterclaims in their representations. Drawing on Eemeren & Grootendorst's (2003) pragma-dialectic approach and Braybrooke's (2003) argument stage theory, data analysis is achieved. The previous literature already emphasized the importance of argument in conflict resolution,

This research explores how academic webinars are translanguaged by drawing on the sort of linguis... more This research explores how academic webinars are translanguaged by drawing on the sort of linguistic strategies and techniques implicated in these webinars. The research, therefore, poses two key questions relevant to how knowledge is communicated and what strategies are used in this communication. The research hypothesizes that academic webinars communicate knowledge from a single professional presenter to many knowledge-receiving attendees, based on a presupposed view that presenters and moderators in webinars adhere to certain linguistic and conversational moves. To explore how academic webinars proceed and what they imply, a single academic webinar was randomly sampled for analysis. First, academic webinars were introduced, key terms were defined, and some previous literature was highlighted. Then, the sampled webinar was administered for analysis (gathering, transcription, analysis), a discourse-conversational model of analysis was applied, and a complete analysis was conducted. Finally, the research concluded findings, laid down conclusions, and suggested future areas of research. The research found that webinars are knowledge-specific, highly professional, and they manifest certain linguistic and discourse strategies. The research, also, concluded that webinars feature strategies such as reformulation, mono-versation, on-screen sharing, speaker invisibility, indirect engagement, inactive moderation, and graphic interaction. The research, further, recommends a more linguistic investigation into online learning, whether in webinars, online workshops, massive open online courses, or in any virtual learning practices.

Narratology is the contextualized retelling of events whereby the speaker addresses current situa... more Narratology is the contextualized retelling of events whereby the speaker addresses current situations by relating other or past or events, and religious discourse is one of the areas of narratology. This is what concerns this research by highlighting narratology in the speech given by the Pope Francis upon his recent visit to Iraq. Drawing on two models, Barker's (2001) and Chruszczewski's (2003), the researcher applies an overall examination of narratology in the Pope's speech. The research finds that the Pope's speech is full of various narratological elements, including modality, transitivity, indirect speech acts, and several other discourse markers. The Pope was a very good narrator in his speech by mixing current and past events of all life walks into a single text of language and not only a mere religious oration.

This research explores how language mediates Corona or Covid-19. To find out this, a few Corona-r... more This research explores how language mediates Corona or Covid-19. To find out this, a few Corona-related words, phrases, and structures are put into discussion. The paper, also, draws on the languaging of Corona, as a global disaster, with a highlight of the practices, attitudes, and discourses expressed over this disaster. First, the paper introduces a generic exposition on the various aspects of global disasters in terms of linguistic structures, all of which are supported by some previous literature. Then, a broader interpretation of how language mediates Corona is elaborated on. Finally, the paper states a few findings, conclusions, and further areas of research. Language plays a significant role in shaping disasters, and in this concern, the paper revealed Corona pandemic is highly mediated at the lexical, meta-linguistic, and conceptual levels. Additionally, relating Corona to meta-linguistic aspects can underline a media-catastrophe link, one that may be worth a broader and further investigation.

This research explores how language adapts to global catastrophes, with an emphasis on the curren... more This research explores how language adapts to global catastrophes, with an emphasis on the current pandemic Corona or Covid-19. To find out this, a list of the Corona-related words, phrases, and structures, has been put into discussion, including a recurrence of the use of the said utterances, their contextualization, and their meta-linguistic effect. The paper, also, draws on multi-faceted interpretation of Corona as a global disaster with a highlight of the practices, attitudes, and discourses expressed by individuals and governments over this disaster. In short, the paper tries to find how Corona is mediated by language. Firstly, the paper introduces a generic exposition by linking socio-historical, psychological, and political aspects of global disasters with linguistic structures, all of which supported by some previous literature. Then, a broader interpretation on how language is used to mediate Corona is elaborated on. Finally, the paper suggests a few implications, findings, post-discussion thoughts, and a few future areas of research. The research finds that language plays a significant role in shaping disasters, and in this concern, the paper revealed Corona pandemic is highly mediated at the lexical, meta-linguistic, and mediatized analysis. Additionally, relating Corona to meta-linguistic aspects underlined a media-catastrophe link, that worth a broader and further investigation.

The book is divided into seven parts, each treats a different subcategory of themes. Part one int... more The book is divided into seven parts, each treats a different subcategory of themes. Part one introduces feelings and emotions as concepts, how they are defined, what implications they carry, and in what way they are expressed. It also accounts for the cultural lexicalization of emotions as words with semantic connotations and embodiments by relying heavily on the prototypes and stereotypical forms of words denoting emotions. Part two relates the connection between people as speakers and the emotions they express through a cognitive conceptualization of thoughts and words. Part three is dedicated to the cultural connotations of emotions with a particular reference to German. The part details a broad discussion of topics related to the variation of emotions (that express negative and positive attitudes) through semantic correlation. Part four details the reading of emotions as human concepts, drawing on emotions as communicated messages between people of different cultures and languages. Part five is an analysis of emotions in Russian based on bodily and linguistic expressions. Part six compares emotional norms in Polish with those in Anglo-American (American and British). Finally, Part seven proposes a universal framework of emotions whether there are emotional universals, how realizable they are, and whether all languages have words for emotions, and the like.

This is a terminology-based paper of the key aspects, principles, and themes discussed in critica... more This is a terminology-based paper of the key aspects, principles, and themes discussed in critical discourse analysis, or CDA. Alphabetically arranged, they serve as a brief and guided account for any CDA researcher. The paper, too, lists a full bibliography; the bibliography listed feature the works cited as well as the works necessary for any further reading.

Undoubtedly, English language has gained an unprecedented world-wide familiarity among many non-n... more Undoubtedly, English language has gained an unprecedented world-wide familiarity among many non-native speakers, not to mention its broader and remarkable status in English-speaking countries. In order to probe how English is used by native as well as non-native speakers, it is highly important to consider the scope of this use. Of the most noticeable areas where English is widely familiar are research and publication. By research, we mean the scholarly, scientific, and academic production of academicians, scholars, and researchers. Publication is any published, readable, re-destributable, or receivable work, whether in print or online, regardless of genre.
This paper surveys the status of English in research and in publication, both locally and globally, so as to understand how this language matters in the general and the academic production of both native and non-native speakers. To this end, this paper attempts a two-level consideration of investigation. The first one is a local, practical opinionnaire-based survey, whereas the second one is a global, theoretical account with an emphasis on the role English.

Social Media Networks are virtual platforms of communication and they represent the emerging tren... more Social Media Networks are virtual platforms of communication and they represent the emerging trend in the new media. This paper attempts a comprehensive analysis of the sort of language used on these platforms, and what structures be linguistic or non-linguistic are used. These questions, in addition to several others, are all considered in this paper. In this regard, social media networks are seen as a discourse that carries all the elements of any text. There are several aspects relevant to these networks, such as interaction and multi-party interchange, all worth a lot of discussion and analysis. Initially, social media networks are elaborated on as to emergence, significance, and scholarly work. Then, some samples are discussed regarding form, function, and meaning. Later, samples are discussed and then conclusions and results are detailed at the end of the research. Moreover, the research suggests a model for the analysis of these networks and the examples sampled are analysed accordingly. This model lays down a few theoretical and practical guidelines and procedures that help understand how language is used on social networking sites. It attempts a scientific and academic groundbreaking study in understanding how language is used and processed on social networking sites. As for results, the paper finds that social media networks constitute a new and broad area of research, and it is therefore requires further investigation and analysis.

My Career Profile is a brief profile that features my academic, career, and personal profile con... more My Career Profile is a brief profile that features my academic, career, and personal profile concerning my contact, e-mail, and my account on academic platforms such as Academia, Researchgate, Google Scholar, etc. It also highlights my major area of specialization, minor area of specialization, as well as my other areas of interest in research, business, and study.

Most fourth-year university students of English in Iraqi academia encounter difficulties in writi... more Most fourth-year university students of English in Iraqi academia encounter difficulties in writing research papers, for they are not well-guided as far as research writing is concerned. They are required to write papers without studying or identifying the procedures of writing papers and thus research writing is an entirely practical, rather than theoretical, subject in the fourth-level. This creates a problem for those students as they are unable to write good papers and the result is poor papers. The present paper sheds light on this problem. It reveals the current status of undergraduate research in the fourth-level, suggests the teaching of research as a subject in the fourth-level, indicates the objectives of this move, proposes a methodology for research paper writing, lays down a model examination sheet to examine and evaluate students' papers and then states a few recommendations. The study is based on a questionnaire set to a sample of Fourth-year students of English to find out the difficulties and obstacles of undergraduate research writing faced by those students.