JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION UPM | UPM - Universiti Putra Malaysia (original) (raw)

Vol. 11 (2) 2024 by JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION UPM

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

Tests & Us - A Collection of Real Stories (Volume 3), edited by Vahid Nimehchisalem and Hui Geng,... more Tests & Us - A Collection of Real Stories (Volume 3), edited by Vahid Nimehchisalem and Hui Geng, is an engaging collection that explores the intricate and often emotional world of assessment through personal stories from authors with diverse backgrounds. It is the third volume of short stories published by the international publisher Generis Publishing, following two previous volumes published in 2017 and 2023 (Nimehchisalem & Babaee, 2017; Nimehchisalem & Geng, 2023). Started as a humble assignment, this project has grown significantly due to the input of international writers. Stories have proven to be powerful tools for grasping and making sense of abstract terms and technical concepts, such as those in assessment. The ongoing success of Tests & Us, even beyond the original course, highlights the project’s potential for lifelong learning. The increasing number of volumes being displayed here indicates why assessment should not be taken to only be a measurement of someone’s academic performance. It covers the psychological and social dimensions of testing, making it a compelling read for anyone passionate about education. This volume continues the tradition of highlighting the human side of evaluation, showing how it shapes teaching, learning, and personal growth.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

In producing second language (L2) speech, L2 learners tend to deviate from its norms, resulting i... more In producing second language (L2) speech, L2 learners tend to deviate from its norms, resulting in foreign-accented speech. Pitch range plays a crucial role in the perception of foreign-accented speech. This study aims to investigate the production of emphatic pitch range in English by Chinese Learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) from both the phonological and phonetic perspectives. There were seven native English speakers and fourteen Chinese EFL learners participating in this study. They were required to read the second part of eighteen dialogue pairs loudly. Through linguistic measures of the recordings, the study found significant differences in three pitch range types between the native English speakers and the learners in the phonological perspective, which might be influenced by Chinese prosody. However, no significant differences were found in the phonetic perspective, which might be impacted by the learners' native language. In addition, English proficiency did not influence the learners' performance in the phonological and phonetic perspectives. This may be attributed to the homogeneity among the learners and the effect of their native language. Lastly, focus position significantly influenced the phonological performance of the learners in five pitch range types, which may be explained by multiple factors. However, the effect of focus position on the learners' phonetic performance was limited to two pitch range types, which may be explained by the principle of least effort.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

The internet is an environment where users display the prowess in language and all forms of semio... more The internet is an environment where users display the prowess in language and all forms of semiotic resources for different forms of communication. The current study examines Generation Z's use of language in order to highlight the emerging forms of language structures on TikTok, as a result of the innate ability of humans to create new forms, mostly in verbal communication. The research questions are: What are the forms of construction of Generation Z's lingo on TikTok? What semantic peculiarities are Generation Z's lingo on TikTok characterized by? The premise of this study is that, Generation Z's creative use of language on TikTok, shows the innate ability of humans to create new forms, and adapt to the affordances of new platforms in using language for communication. Crystal's (2005) propositions concerning Internet Linguistics-the Stylistic perspective is applied in this study. Fifty Tik Tok videos were downloaded from the TikTok platform, some of the videos had the same lingos, in which case only one of such videos was chosen. Seventeen videos were used, each video was played; the part of the video that had the Generation Z's word(s) was screen shot and used as the data for the analysis. In all, seventeen images were used. Findings show that the Generation Z's lingo is replete with: acronyms used as full words in speech, combination of words and image in speech, the use of neologisms, esoteric words, and laconic structures. Some words and phrases have new meanings in addition to their previous meanings; all these show a new variety of the English language. The study recommends that language users should deploy the affordance of new internet platforms to freely express themselves, in doing so, naturally, new varieties will spring up and widen the lexicon of the English language.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

The difficulties of using the National Language (NL) curriculum in Tamil primary schools in Malay... more The difficulties of using the National Language (NL) curriculum in Tamil primary schools in Malaysia are discussed in this paper. Although Tamil primary school pupils struggle with NL competence, hurting their secondary school preparation, the Malaysian educational system requires mastery of Bahasa Melayu, the National Language. The research uses 2019 UPSR data to examine the NL success levels in comprehension and writing among Tamil school children. Focusing on a sample of Tamil pupils, the approach used a quantitative study of test results from national-type schools. Data were gathered using UPSR Comprehension and Writing papers. The results showed a notable difference in NL proficiency as only 40.11% of pupils attained an acceptable level in both examinations. Important debates focused on the absence of NL exposure in everyday life and the effect of mother tongue interference as main contributing elements. According to the report, standardising the NL curriculum and enhancing it across the institutions would assist to reduce these disparities. This study highlights the necessity of strategic changes to promote Tamil primary school pupils' language competency, therefore guaranteeing better preparation for secondary education.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

Fear appeals are a form of discourse that arouses emotional imbalance which triggers a desire to ... more Fear appeals are a form of discourse that arouses emotional imbalance which triggers a desire to alleviate the ensuing uneasiness. Often, such appeals result in some forms of behavioural changes, at least temporarily. In public discourse, the behavioural changes are expected to be compliance towards the fear appeal advocations. Previous studies reveal that the effect of fear appeals is largely decided by threat-framing strategies (Furedi, 2006). This study examines how threat-framing strategies are constructed to produce fear appeals in public service announcement (PSA) videos. Data for our analysis comprise of 13 PSA videos from the Nature Is Speaking campaign that was launched in 2014. These videos use a unique narrative perspective, with Nature highlighting its superior power and its indispensability to humans. We adopt the Proximisation Theory (PT) proposed by Piotr Cap (2013) to identify instances of threat occurrences. According to PT, a threat occurs when an external agent or force, referred to as "the outside-deictic-centre" (ODC), is conceptualised as crossing the space to invade another central figure in the narrative, referred to in PT as "the inside-deictic-centre" (IDC). Our analysis reveals that through different choices of nouns and pronouns, Nature is constructed as the ODC that threatens humans, the IDC. The threat-framing strategies were often found to be amplified through analogies, assertions, rhetorical questions, and parallel structures. This study adds to our understanding of how fear appeal PSAs are constructed; future research needs to further examine the effectiveness of these PSAs through public surveys.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

This study investigates the perceptions of Malaysian undergraduate students regarding the use of ... more This study investigates the perceptions of Malaysian undergraduate students regarding the use of English songs as a tool for vocabulary acquisition. Through in-depth interviews with five undergraduate students in Malaysia, the study examines their experiences, insights, and reflections on utilising English songs to expand their vocabulary. Four prominent themes emerged from the analysis: subconscious word learning, learning of pronunciation and accent, vocabulary retention, and exposure to authentic English words. The results reveal that while listening to English songs undergraduate students in Malaysia improve their English language by learning new words, accent and improving pronunciation. Learners benefit from the autonomy to choose strategies they deem suitable for their learning, while also benefiting from teachers' guidance on various strategies to employ. The study concludes that there is a growing preference for engaging approaches such as using English songs, and providing students with an enjoyable and immersive way to learn vocabulary.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

Despite broad acceptance of the importance of English language in academic and professional conte... more Despite broad acceptance of the importance of English language in academic and professional contexts in Malaysia, a continuing difficulty persists even at the university level. Malaysians' proficiency levels remain below the intended benchmark, and a variety of reasons, ranging from motivation to familial effects, contribute to this problem. While external factors have been recognized, the learning process remains slow and difficult. This necessitates a research of intrinsic factors, notably those related to the language faculty, in order to understand the underlying reasons that have influenced second language learning. Surprisingly, research on intrinsic variables influencing second language learning difficulty are few in Malaysia, particularly among adults. This literature review seeks to address this gap by providing insights into potential studies focusing on internal factors and emphasizing adults as a critical demographic in understanding and addressing these challenges.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

This article delves into the role of Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance, as a transformative... more This article delves into the role of Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance, as a transformative force for Kalyani, the protagonist in the novel The Undoing Dance (2018). It investigates how Bharatanatyam serves not only as a form of artistic expression but also as a means of transcending caste boundaries and societal expectations. By applying the concept of the difference principle, a framework within socio-political theory, the study examines how castebased discrimination is confronted and reimagined through the medium of dance. Natarajan's narrative, which alternates between past and present, underscores the significance of Bharatanatyam in conveying Kalyani's inner turmoil, struggles, and ultimate empowerment. Kalyani's journey is marked by her revaluation of her Devadasi roots-a lineage steeped in both cultural richness and societal stigmatisation. As she reconnects with her heritage, she gains a deeper understanding of the matriarchal traditions within her community and begins to reinterpret them through her dance. This exploration leads to a redefined sense of identity and womanhood, where Bharatanatyam becomes a vessel for Kalyani's self-expression and liberation. This study argues that classical dance, particularly Bharatanatyam, provides a unique lens through which the complexities of the Indian caste system can be viewed, offering Devadasi women in South India a powerful tool for reclaiming their narratives and challenging the entrenched social hierarchies. Through dance, Kalyani not only reclaims her heritage but also transforms her pain and suffering into a powerful statement of resilience and identity.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

This study seeks to expand the established critical discussion regarding the presence of a flâneu... more This study seeks to expand the established critical discussion regarding the presence of a flâneuse in the rapidly transforming Malaya during the flourishing days of the British Empire, as depicted in Chang Ling Yap's work, A Flash of Water (2015). Earlier discourse has explored the term flâneuse in Yap's fifth novel, positioning and making sense of her presence in the postcolonial Malaya modernity. Using flânerie as the method for literary analysis, Yap's protagonist assumes a distinct position in her life compared to the characters in Baudelaire's and Benjamin's works. Shao Peng defies the image of a degraded heroine who needs sympathy and embodies the allure of the flâneuse persona, delineating it throughout her journeys to the city and public realms, and transitions while dealing with issues in the novel. The critical approach highlights her urban experiences and closely examines how she explores her public realms through walking and observing. Customs and traditions are dealt with from the perspective of a flâneuse, linking accounts from daily life to her social engagement within the culture of the spectacle. This study finds that she is also breaking free from the confined roles traditionally associated with a flâneuse.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

This research aimed to look into the falling standards of content in radio broadcasts in Kenya an... more This research aimed to look into the falling standards of content in radio broadcasts in Kenya and the disengagement of audiences due to commercialization, regulatory pressures, and competition from vernacular and digital platforms. The objectives of this paper were to evaluate the impact of these challenges on Kiswahili radio stations, identify possibilities for enriching their content and expanding their audience bases, and strategies towards media relevance in Kenya's dynamic landscape. A qualitative approach involving semi-structured interview guides with Kenyan leading radio producers and presenters, key informants, and listeners was employed to provide an analytical perspective on listening habits and key concerns about Kiswahili radio. Findings indicate that Kiswahili radio has played a significant role in promoting public discourse by offering a platform for people to voice their opinions concerning national matters and the cultural significance of indigenous customs and practices while creating a sense of belonging among its listeners. They act as a medium through which important messages relating to healthcare services and governance are passed across to others, including political communication tools that mobilize the masses for elections. Factors such as lack of funds, new technologies, political interference, and linguistic variety can sooner or later bring negative effects, affecting the stations' programming quality and ability to respond to the constantly changing media environment. However, barriers encountered in this study suggest that growth in Kiswahili radio broadcasting can still be achieved through embracing digitization, diversification of revenue, upholding good journalism practices, inclusiveness of the community, geographical expansion, and regional and international outreach.

Vol. 11 (1) 2024 by JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION UPM

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION UPM, 2024

Titles in a research project play a crucial role as they serve as the first point of contact for ... more Titles in a research project play a crucial role as they serve as the first point of contact for readers, conveying essential information about the study. Despite its brevity, crafting a good research title is a challenging undertaking that demands both time and mental exertion. The title is used to describe the content and purpose of the study using the fewest words possible. Even though students have access to the guidelines on constructing a research title, they still find it overwhelming, as they are unfamiliar with writing research papers and other publications. Considering the post-pandemic era, this study aimed to examine the titles of final-year projects among undergraduate students in the Intercultural Communication program. The analysis focused on the structure of titles, including considerations of length, beginnings, and construction types. It also sought to identify the preferred research areas and settings students chose. Employing a mixed-method design and purposive sampling, this study used only research titles from completed final-year projects. The findings shed light on the structure of titles and the research areas and settings favoured by students. This information could be beneficial for both teachers and students in the teaching and learning how to write research proposals, as well as providing insights into the linguistic areas that students can focus on.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

In the era of globalisation, the education system in Malaysia has undergone multiple drastic chan... more In the era of globalisation, the education system in Malaysia has undergone multiple drastic changes from time to time. A different education strategy is essential to impact students' success positively. In the Malaysian education system, Google Classroom replaced VLE-Frog to enhance teaching and learning in Malaysian schools. Technology has gained importance in all stages of education, and Google Classroom is one such tool that is free and has gained popularity quickly. The spread of COVID-19 has affected multiple sectors, including Malaysia's education sector. The decision to close schools during the Movement Control Order (MCO) has caused a severe problem for the learning environment. Therefore, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has taken proactive steps to solve this problem. Most schools carried out online teaching during this period. Teaching and learning recently emphasised online platforms, where Google Classroom is the primary application used in the Malaysian education system. As a teaching aid, Google Classroom can make learning more meaningful and effective. Therefore, this research investigates Google Classroom's effectiveness in developing linguistic accuracy in writing among ESL learners. Findings conclude that Google Classroom is a practical application to enhance linguistic accuracy in writing. Google Classroom is expected to be an essential application for learning English among Malaysian secondary school students. Currently, the students accepted using Google Classroom as a new norm in learning. The positive outcomes observed in terms of linguistic accuracy suggest that Google Classroom has the potential to revolutionize the field of ESL education. However, it is essential to acknowledge that effective implementation requires thoughtful pedagogical strategies and ongoing teacher professional development. Additionally, digital access and technological literacy should be considered to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all ESL learners.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

Emotional attachment (EA) to the community's language reshapes speakers' identities and aids in m... more Emotional attachment (EA) to the community's language reshapes speakers' identities and aids in maintaining that language in most immigrant societies. Language also serves the social purpose of identifying identity characteristics and significantly impacts social identity development. However, more research is still needed on how Chinese Heritage Language Learners (CHLLs) form their identities, particularly when examining the relationship between this identity construction and language learning (Zhou, 2016). Therefore, this study uses a quantitative approach to explore the correlations between EA and CHLL's motivation and attitudes and the Malaysian CHLL's Chinese language proficiency (CLP) in relation to EA, motivations and attitudes. It also draws on the Chinese Identity Theory (Wang, 1985) and Gardner and Lambert's (1972) psychosocial model. The study found that participants in Malaysian public and private secondary schools showed high CLP in listening, speaking, and reading (over 80%), relatively low scores in writing (around 77%) and positive attitudes toward learning Chinese, high integrative motivation, and low CHL classroom anxiety, according to the study; the distinction is that, while Chinese cultural identity and attitudes toward Malaysian Chinese are thought to be the best predictors of CLP for the public school group, traditional Chinese dress, eating, housing, and transportation are considered to be the best predictors of CLP for the private school group.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

Chinese fiction has long explored the notion of retributive justice as the dominant mode of discu... more Chinese fiction has long explored the notion of retributive justice as the dominant mode of discussing socio-political issues in Chinese literature. Despite its significance, this topic has received limited scholarly attention. This article addresses this gap by analysing Zhou Haohui's novel Death Notice (2019), in which the protagonist navigates a lawless society, seeking to address the absence of justice through retributive means. Tension arises when he tries to punish the wrongdoers through retributive means to redress the lack of justice in the novel. Death Notice serves as a compelling commentary on contemporary issues in China, underscoring the urgent need for societal change. Using Goran Duus-Otterström's retributive concepts as a lens, this paper examines Death Notice as a novel that unravels the weaknesses in the Chinese justice system. As the powerless continue to be oppressed, retributivism becomes increasingly appealing as the channel to seek justice due to its ability to accommodate the desire to seek justice. This article argues that the oppressed protagonist is acting as a retributivist to voice out the flaws in the justice system. It highlights the overlooked aspects of retributive justice in Chinese fiction and emphasises its significance as a tool for critique and the need for a more equitable society. By unravelling the complexities of justice through the protagonist's actions, this study contributes to our understanding of justice and its portrayal in Chinese literature.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

Historical occurrences have always been one of the sources that critics have linked with the insp... more Historical occurrences have always been one of the sources that critics have linked with the inspiration and composition of literary writings. Like their other counterparts in the world, Nigerian artists have been inspired immensely by historical occurrences which are sourced from oral history or tangible experiences of the nation and the world. The experiences that have been mirrored in global art, however, had remained localised until the outbreak of the coronavirus plague in 2019. For the first time after a long time, historical experiences coincide in literary writings across the world on account of the covid-19 surge. This paper takes a critical look at Remi Raji's latest poetry collection, Wanderer Cantos (2021), with a particular focus on his covid-19 section-"Coronavirus Cantos and Monologues: My Life in the Bush of Impossible Virus". The inquiry into Remi Raji, regarded as a third generation Nigeria poet, engages with the evolutionary trends in modern Nigerian poetry After noting that Remi Raji's covid-19 compositions are different from others because of his personal experience as a victim of the virus, the paper points out how the poet has used his encounter to meditate on the social trauma that beclouded his space and the world during the lockdown. The aggregation of the personal, domestic and universal experiences mirrored by the poet in the isolated verses, leads to a conclusion that emphasises common humanity as the thrust of Remi Raji's covid-19 intervention but also exposes to re-interrogation settled theorising such as the postcolonial.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

The article comprises three case studies examining Shakespearean productions across varied geogra... more The article comprises three case studies examining Shakespearean productions across varied geographical and methodological arenas, aiming to review and identify promising avenues for new directions in performance research. Through analyses of political adaptations in Greece, cultural hybridity in Malaysian productions, and practice-based research models (involving rehearsal studies) deployed at the Folger Theatre (USA), this article explores the mechanisms by which Shakespeare's works blend into different historical, political, and cultural contexts. In doing so, it advocates for a departure from the conventional emphasis on textual or performative authenticity in Shakespeare studies. By documenting how diverse values, practices, and experiences shape creative processes, it reveals these endeavours as dynamic networks of cultural-creative collaboration. Ultimately, this study transcends traditional geographical and methodological limitations, urging readers to recognise and celebrate the ever-evolving presence of Shakespeare in diverse cultures and media.

Vol. 10 (2) 2023 by JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION UPM

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

The objective of this research was to analyse the articulatory movements linked with the midsagit... more The objective of this research was to analyse the articulatory movements linked with the midsagittal plane in Australian English /l/. For this purpose, the investigation employed the experimental paradigm introduced by Sproat and Fujimura (1993) as a methodological framework for analysis. The study involved monitoring the production of syllable-initial andfinal /l/s in four distinct vowel environments (/ae/, /ɛ/, /ɪ/ and /u/) by six speakers, using threedimensional electromagnetic articulography (3D EMA). The timing lag difference between the tongue tip (TT) and the tongue middle (TM) was measured, along with the lag between the tongue tip (TT) and the tongue back (TB). Results revealed that during the articulation of the alveolar lateral approximant /l/ in initial and final positions within syllables, the timing and coordination of tongue movements differ. The findings align with previous research on the articulation of lateral approximant /l/ in American-accented English. The temporal coordination between coronal (i.e., TT) and dorsal (i.e., TM/TB) articulatory movements would be influenced by syllable position. In syllable-initial /l/s, coronal and dorsal articulatory movements are nearly simultaneous, whereas in syllable-final /l/s, dorsal articulatory movement precedes the coronal articulatory movement. Regarding the vowel effect, we observed that the influence of vowels on timing differences is not consistent across all measurements. While adjacent vowels partly affected timing discrepancies, particularly in the tongue tip-to-middle (TT-TM) measurement in syllable-final positions, the tongue tip-to-back (TT-TB) measurement does not show the impact of surrounding vowels, except in the /ae/ vowel environment.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

During the early stage of the COVID-19, scientists encountered many uncertainties about the virus... more During the early stage of the COVID-19, scientists encountered many uncertainties about the virus in their research, primarily due to its novel and rapidly unfolding nature. As the public learned more about its threats, there was widespread panic and fear. More than ever, scientists had to ensure their ongoing research was helpful and reassuring. Nonetheless, the uncertainties were still evident and studies that probe into how they navigated this situation are relatively scarce. By incorporating Lyons' (1977) concept of modal expressions and Halliday and Matthiessen's (2014) trichotomy of epistemic modality values, the study examined the (un)certainty of scientific researchers in COVID-19 articles through their epistemic modality choices. The results of a corpus-based semantic analysis on a small collection of COVID-19 scientific research articles show the use of multiple epistemic modality expressions. The usages were purposeful and responsive to various circumstantial factors attributed to the pandemic. It was found that the use of either modal auxiliaries or non-auxiliary modals demonstrates the precautions taken by researchers in making claims to avoid possible deterioration of the situation. This study contributes to the literature on epistemic modality and demonstrates how especially important the negotiation of this semantic category is in communication during a major health crisis.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

Damage to the environment is a pressing concern. Nature Is Speaking, an environmental protection ... more Damage to the environment is a pressing concern. Nature Is Speaking, an environmental protection public service advertisement (PSA) series produced by Conservation International, is one of the many attempts to arouse the awareness of the general public. In the series, the Redwood video stands out for its unique dialogic format which differs from the homogeneous monologic others. The conversation in Redwood makes use of anthropomorphic metaphors and encompasses two layers of the parent-child (P-C) relationship analogies, including (1) the P-C relationship between the elder and younger redwoods, and (2) the P-C relationship between Nature and Humans. Using Lakoff and Johnson's (1980) Conceptual Metaphor Theory, the present study first examines the message underlying these parent-child metaphors and how these metaphors are constructed in the Redwood video. Additionally, using Fauconnier and Turner's (2003) Conceptual Blending Theory, this study draws attention to the asymmetry between the millennial lifespan of redwoods and the short lifespan of human beings, in the process constructing a favourable identity of the ancient elder redwood as a credible witness of earth's history, and hence a knowledgeable educator to humans. In highlighting the asymmetry between the lifespans of the redwoods and humans, the video serves as a warning to human beings, reminding them to show greater respect to Nature if they wish to ensure their and their offspring's survival. The findings of this study reveal how metaphors, via conceptual mappings and blending, contribute to the creation of effective environmental protection PSAs in general.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

In Malaysia, research on the essential vocabulary for academic comprehension among preuniversity ... more In Malaysia, research on the essential vocabulary for academic comprehension among preuniversity and university ESL students is rather limited. This study introduces the "Comprehension Corpus" to pinpoint critical words vital for reading understanding. This study aims to develop the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) Reading Corpus, in order to identify the vital vocabulary for text comprehension and the specific categories or word lists that improve reading based on their texts coverage in the text. In addition, the vocabulary size needed to comprehend the comprehension texts was identified. By analysing CEFR-aligned texts using tools like RANGE BNC-COCA and WordSmith, it was found that to comprehend 98% of the content, students needed familiarity with 8,000-word families. this extensive demand, a streamlined list of 100 words, grouped by frequent topics and enhanced with the New General Service List (NGSL) and New Academic Word List (NAWL), was developed. The research underscores the necessity for educators to adopt targeted vocabulary teaching methods, highlighting the interplay between vocabulary breadth and reading comprehension. This tailored approach aids teachers in addressing students' specific lexical needs, ensuring more effective academic reading outcomes.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION UPM, 2024

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2024

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

For many decades, the role of the learner's mother tongue in foreign and second language classroo... more For many decades, the role of the learner's mother tongue in foreign and second language classrooms has been a topic of debate. EFL teachers may present and explain vocabulary in student's native language, they may do so in the target language, or they may keep switching between the two. The aim of the current study is to investigate how EFL vocabulary instruction affects EFL Arab learners' usage of English lexical collocations in their speaking performance through implementing several working memory strategies. A quasi-experimental, mixed method design was adopted comparing teacher code-switching and L2 explanations in teaching lexical collocations. Within twenty-six sessions of teaching intervention to teach lexical collocations to EFL learners, the study measured learners' responses to vocabulary instruction in the two experimental groups. The study also explored how working memory strategies used by learners in response to vocabulary instruction may enhance learning lexical collocations by EFL learners. For this purpose, 45 Arab elementary EFL learners in the English language centre in Kuala Lumpur were divided into three groups (code-switching, L2 explanation group, and control group); they completed three speaking tests, pre, and post-test and delayed post-test. The results indicated that both the code-switching group and the L2 explanation group were improving their vocabulary; however, the study showed an important role of L1 in learning lexical collocation. The findings revealed that working memory strategies assisted learners to retain collocations effectively. The study included several pedagogical suggestions and implications for future research to improve the standard for teaching, learning, and retention of lexical collocations in speaking performance.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

Today, there is a strong demand for employees who are competent in communication skills as a resu... more Today, there is a strong demand for employees who are competent in communication skills as a result of global competitiveness in industries. The same requirement is also demanded of those in the accountancy discipline. Accountants need to be competent in various generic skills, including those related to communication, working under pressure and problem solving. This study explored accounting interns' perspectives of the challenges and issues faced during their internship experiences and how their English language and communication skills can be improved. In this study, a qualitative research method was adopted where semi-structured interviews were conducted with (i) five interns from the Faculty of Economics and Management of a public university in Malaysia, along with (ii) two managers, and (iii) a supervisor of a Chartered Accountant Company. The interview data was transcribed verbatim and analysed using Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis. The interns' data were triangulated with the responses from the managers and supervisor which were later validated by three independent interraters using the Cohen's Kappa Reliability Test. Based on the findings, it was identified that the English language communication challenges faced by the accounting interns encompassed (i) their unfamiliarity with workplace terms and jargons, (ii) the English accent being used, and (iii) the level of difficulty of the various tasks. The interns' perspectives on ways to improve English language communication skills included improving the teaching and learning of English at the university, holding more programmes in English, and making self-efforts by undergraduates to improve their communication skills.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE ANC COMMUNICATION, 2023

King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, describing a father’s sorrow over his daug... more King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, describing a father’s sorrow over his daughters’ unfilial or disobedient behavior. Although the father-daughter relationship in the play is often studied, to date, this relationship has not been investigated from the perspective of the Bowen family systems theory. Thus, the present study adopts the new interdisciplinary research method, the Bowen theory, to interpret the father-daughter relationship in King Lear. The focus of this article is to analyse the level of self-differentiation of Lear and the three daughters, namely Regan, Goneril, Cordelia in King Lear. It will thoroughly investigate the fusion and differentiation in their interactions with their original and nuclear families and examine the projection of Lear’s chronic anxiety on his daughters. Chronic anxiety due to social factors, such as humanism, feudalism, and patriarchy, and their impact on the father-daughter relationship in the tragedy, will also be investigated. It argues that the father-daughter relationship in King Learis dysfunctional due to the lower level of differentiation of self between Lear and his three daughters, the projection of Lear’s anxiety onto the daughters, and the chronic anxiety brought about by societal regression. Hence, through the lens of the Bowen family systems theory, the study of the father-daughter relationship in the play can provide a new method for examining the dysfunctional family relationship in literary works.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

The key multilingual propaganda documents and media modes have been used as primary sources for I... more The key multilingual propaganda documents and media modes have been used as primary sources for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria's (ISIS) propaganda strategy. To further expand the discussion on the propaganda intentions by ISIS, the researchers demonstrated the study conducted that attempted to explore the role of miscontextualisation of Qur'anic verses through ISIS's linguistic propaganda strategy from a socio-political perspective. The study seeks to illustrate how ISIS utilised its miscontextualisation of Qur'anic verses through its linguistic propaganda strategy to justify its extreme actions for achieving the socio-political goals. It uses linguistic stylistics to demonstrate that ISIS made a piecemeal usage of the Qur'an by miscontextualisation of Qur'anic verses through its propaganda publications to justify its extreme actions. It systematically situates the particular Qur'anic passages that ISIS uses within the wider Qur'anic passages/chapters in which they originate. More specifically, this contextualisation highlights the discrepancies between the original contexts of these passages and their miscontextualisation by ISIS. The results of the study revealed that all linguistic strategies that comprise ISIS's discourse revolve around four main themes: Khilaafah, Imamah, Jihad, and Hijrah. These connections are important because they clarify the priorities inherent in ISIS's discourse as an instrument for achieving socio-political gains and agendas.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

We often use verbs that describe sight, sound, touch, taste and smell to explain the nature of th... more We often use verbs that describe sight, sound, touch, taste and smell to explain the nature of the world and the manner we perceive it. What is profoundly intriguing, though, is how frequently these words refer to things outside of our physical reality. They also allude to "knowledge," "thinking," "feelings," and "preferences," rather than just "shapes and colours," "sounds," "textures," "flavours," or "odours." Our physiological experiences have a significant impact on how we think and communicate. Such expressions are manifestations of conceptual metaphors, which are fundamental cognitive mappings between the source and target domains. Thus, the current cross-linguistic study focusses on the metaphorical use of visual ('see' and gani) and auditory ('hear' and ji) verbs in English and Hausa romance novels. The conceptual metaphor theory of Lakoff and Johnson and the mind-as-body metaphor theory of Sweetser serve as the theoretical foundations for this study. The study is situated within the cognitive semantics domain and adopts a qualitative corpus-based approach to collect its data. Ibarretxe-Antuñano's (2013a) perception metaphor model was used for data analysis. Although the findings revealed that the two languages share some perception metaphors, they differ significantly in a number of perception metaphors. Specifically, the findings from English data consistently show that knowledge and understanding are developed from the verbs of vision, which provide support for the universality of perception metaphor. However, findings from the Hausa data provide evidence otherwise, in that the higher intellection verbs such as 'understanding' are developed from auditory perception verbs, thus suggesting culture-specificity of the perception metaphors.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

One of the technological advances of the modern age is the mobile phone, as it enables free acces... more One of the technological advances of the modern age is the mobile phone, as it enables free access to a wide variety of applications (apps) and language learning tools, which help students develop their language abilities in and out of the classroom. The purpose of this study was to develop a mobile web application (mobile web app) designed specifically for learning Thai as a foreign language and to examine whether the use of the mobile web app assists Thai language learning. The participants in the study consisted of 22 international undergraduates with multicultural backgrounds at an international college in the northeastern region of Thailand. The research instruments used in this study were a set of questionnaires and 'Let's Learn Thai' web application designed by the researcher. Participants were assigned to use the 'Let's Learn Thai' web app to study the same unit they had learned in class each week, and the experiment took place over the course of 6 weeks. Data was collected through online questionnaires in order to assess students' perceptions of their use of the web app. Based on the statistics generated through SPSS, the results showed that participants had positive attitudes toward the web app, and it was convenient and helpful for them to learn and review Thai lessons at any time. Regarding additional comments and suggestions, the participants stated that more lessons and various learning activities and exercises should be provided so that the students can get more practice.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

Effective communication is a fundamental factor for high productivity and successful delivery of ... more Effective communication is a fundamental factor for high productivity and successful delivery of construction projects. However, the disjointed nature of construction activities, the emergence of more advanced communication technology, and the involvement of workers from various disciplines and background makes effective communication a hassle in the construction industry. Despite the enormous studies on enhancing communication in the construction context, the issue of ineffective communication persists, thereby contributing to site accidents and project delays. cost overrun, disputes, and low labour productivity. Therefore, this study investigates the current strategies for effective communication in the construction industry, particularly in emerging countries like Malaysia. Twenty professionals including construction managers, site supervisors, construction labourers, and language professors were interviewed. The interviewees were selected via the convenient sampling technique and the In-depth interview data was analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings reveal that the root causes of ineffective communication in the construction industry are low literacy level of construction workers, poor management and supervision, lack of technical knowledge, the complexity of the construction industry, and the language barrier. Additionally, the strategies for effective communication in the Malaysian construction industry were established and categorized into 3: Technological Based Strategies, Integrated Process Strategies, and Human Engagement Strategies. The research output provides construction experts with a novel approach that can guide the construction workforce to effectively communicate using various communication mediums, thereby increasing productivity and profits.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

In this study, sentiment analysis, commonly referred to as opinion mining or emotional artificial... more In this study, sentiment analysis, commonly referred to as opinion mining or emotional artificial intelligence (AI), is used to obtain student comments about institutional facilities. To ascertain whether an online text has a good, negative, or neutral emotional tone, it must first be analyzed. Natural Language Processing (NLP) includes the subfield of sentiment analysis, and NLP can be used to categorize and extract information with the aid of machine learning methods. Finding out if students are content with the amenities or services provided is important since, in an educational setting, they are consumers. This study of the resources and services that the libraries offer evaluated college students' perceptions of the books, audio CDs, and video CDs, the services provided by the library staff, and the personal computers that are made available to them as part of their facilities. In the current study, surveys were carried out to gather information and assess how well the needs of the students are addressed. On Kaggle.com, secondary data from a North Indian institution was used in the experiments. The research approach was sentiment analysis using a machine learning framework. The F1-score, a harmonic mean of precision and recall based on the attitudes evaluated by the algorithms, was calculated using a text-based classification method using Naive Bayes Multinomial and Support Vector machine learning algorithms. The findings offer views on how successfully library facilities are managed in the form of student sentiments.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

Peer feedback is increasingly used in higher education. However, in China, peer feedback is not w... more Peer feedback is increasingly used in higher education. However, in China, peer feedback is not widely used in EFL writing classes. Distrust of students' ability to provide comments and teachers' fear of losing power are two frequently discussed reasons. For the lack of peer feedback, the study used teacher-student collaborative assessment (TSCA), a native classroom assessment proposed by Chinese researchers involving peer feedback supported by teachers, to find how it affects peer feedback quality and EFL writing performance. The study used a quantitative method and conducted a quasi-experiment. In the experimental group, 45 freshmen took TSCA after each writing task, while in the control group, 57 freshmen only received the teacher's analysis of the writing sample. After the training of five weeks, participants in the experimental group showed significant improvement in the quality of their peer feedback and EFL writing than participants in the control group. Based on the findings, the study proposes a blended TSCA for better adaption to Chinese EFL writing teaching in higher education, i.e., with limited EFL teaching time and a large class. This also shows a middle way to provide feedback from teacher-centered transmission to student-centered process based on the sociocultural context of China.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

This study aims to assess the validity and reliability of research instruments to investigate the... more This study aims to assess the validity and reliability of research instruments to investigate the level of Malaysian students' participation in E-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, examine their perceptions towards virtual learning, and propose strategies to increase students' participation in online classes. The content validity of the research instruments was established by two e-learning experts, while the face validity was examined by seven school students. The adapted questionnaires and interview questions were modified based on the feedback obtained from the two-stage validity process. As for the reliability test, a simple random sampling method was employed, where a Google form was shared with school students with the help of their teachers at a particular school in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia. Out of the 43 students, who responded to the questionnaire, 29 were secondary school students while 14 belonged to primary school students; most of them were Year-6 students. Results demonstrated that Cronbach's alpha of the adapted questionnaires is 0.81, which indicates that the instrument is highly reliable and ready for data collection for the real study. This study highlights the need to develop a research scale that can cover the various aspects of e-learning participation among students, including the online and offline modes. Further research is recommended to examine the level of participation in online classes and perceptions towards e-learning among students in other parts of Malaysia as well as other regions.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

The coronavirus (COVID-19) began in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in which the pandemic has sprea... more The coronavirus (COVID-19) began in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in which the pandemic has spread worldwide. Before the outbreak, Malaysia''s government implemented precautionary measures by enforcing the Movement Control Orders (MCO). Social media sites that focus on a photo-based usage are currently a vital part of young people's lives. COVID-19 has enormously affected people's mental health, such as anxiety, fear, hopelessness, and sleep deprivation. Social media became a reliable way of seeking resources, especially for university students during the pandemic. This concept paper builds upon various insights from many researchers on social media within the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher first presents background on social media and COVID-19 pandemic. Next, based on prior literature, she provides the logical reasons for using social media during this unprecedented time. Additionally, the researcher discusses the conceptual framework explaining why individuals consume social media during these challenging times, including the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), given the recent growth of studies on this research question. Finally, the researcher offers discussion and recommendations for future research in this range.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

Recent developments in the local literary arts scene have seen the emergence of publications on f... more Recent developments in the local literary arts scene have seen the emergence of publications on folktales and fables of Malaysian indigenous people in English. Central to these publications is the presence of animals, whether as symbols, voices, or characters. Nonetheless, critical reaction to this presence has been sparse at best. As animals are paradoxically recognised as central to indigenous societies and their literatures yet marginalized in relation to human concerns, analysing texts to see how these animals function in literature, what they teach us about animals and what they reveal about humans and our relationships to animals seem critically crucial. Tapping into the field of animal studies, this paper investigates animal tropes in Malaysian indigenous folktales in English. To this end, folktale collections from such as Heidi Munan's

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, Mar 30, 2023

Writing a good discussion section is crucial as how the section is written contributes to the acc... more Writing a good discussion section is crucial as how the section is written contributes to the acceptance of a research article (RA) by the reader. Through a move structure model for the Discussion section of RAs and the taxonomies of hedges and boosters, the study examines communicative strategies, namely move structures (move and step) as well as the metadiscoursal devices (hedges and boosters) used by Tourism and Pharmacology authors to discuss research results in Tourism and Pharmacology RA discussions. Thus, in the current study, the Discussion sections of 20 Tourism RAs and 20 Pharmacology RAs were analysed using a mixed method comprising both the qualitative and quantitative analyses. In the qualitative method, a content analysis was used to identify the communicative strategies in terms of rhetorical 'moves' and 'steps' as well as hedges and boosters employed in the selected RA discussions. In addition, a semi-structured interview was conducted with specialist informants to obtain further insight for the present findings. On the other hand, in the quantitative method, data was quantified in terms of the number of sentences employing the moves/steps and the frequencies of hedges and boosters found in the corpora. The findings show that authors of Tourism and Pharmacology RAs tend to report and comment on their research findings in a reciprocally connected manner. However, a major difference was observed in terms of how the findings were commented on. Besides, both the Tourism and Pharmacology authors were also found to utilise hedges more frequently than boosters to avoid overclaiming their results. The findings of this study can help future academic authors and students to employ effective communicative strategies to discuss research results along with the appropriate use of hedges and boosters.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

The authors co-chaired this symposium, entitled How to Make Peer Feedback Work and hosted online ... more The authors co-chaired this symposium, entitled How to Make Peer Feedback Work and hosted online by the Malaysian Association of Applied Linguistics (MAAL) on 1 September 2022. The speakers, Juuso Henrik Nieminen (Assistant Professor, University of Hong Kong), James Wood (Associate Teaching Professor, Seoul National University), Wei Wei (Associate Professor, Macao Polytechnic University), Tingting Liu (PhD candidate, Nanyang Technological University), and Vahid Aryadoust (Associate Professor, Nanyang Technological University) delivered enlightening presentations to over 50 participants, in turn, discussing topics related to authentic assessment, dialogic peer screencast feedback, self-efficacy, teacher video feedback, and gender and academic major bias in relation to peer assessment.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

Now known as Sabah, North Borneo was under the British administration from 1881 until 1963. The B... more Now known as Sabah, North Borneo was under the British administration from 1881 until 1963. The British North Borneo Herald was published by The British North Borneo (Chartered) Company and circulated from 1883 until 1941. This study discusses the relationship between advertising, consumerism and text production using The British North Borneo Herald advertisements as data. Thirty-four advertisements, published between 1937-1941, were selected based on four criteria: the advertisements must have both visual and body copy; the advertisements were selected from the last five years of The British North Borneo Herald publication; the products advertised originated from Britain and its allies, and the advertisements promoted essential and luxury products. A Marxist analysis, derived from Terry Eagleton's Materialist Criticism (1978), was utilised for this study. The discussion also includes a discourse on postcolonialism. There are three categories of needs and desires capitalised by the advertisers observed in the advertisements, which are health, lifestyle and relationship. The analyses also reveal that the components of ideology (General Ideology, Authorial Ideology and Aesthetic Ideology) have shaped the content of advertisements. Besides that, the findings also highlight the unequal relationship between the coloniser and the colonised as the colonised were marginalised in and from the colonial advertisements. Therefore, this discussion on advertising, consumerism and the production of text illustrates how advertising works in disseminating consumerist ideology in colonial North Borneo.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

The close relationship between nature and women is an age-old phenomenon. Nature is often associa... more The close relationship between nature and women is an age-old phenomenon. Nature is often associated with feminine traits owing to its motherly and nurturing nature. Although some scholars have attempted to explore how nature serves to empower women, the role of nature as a means of empowerment specifically for female ghosts remains relatively scarce. Hence, this study examines female ghost characters in two Southeast Asian horror films, Inhuman Kiss (2019) and Suzzanna: Buried Alive (2018), through the ecofeminist lens as they fight their ways through the patriarchal domain. The study investigates how the exploitation of women happens concurrently with the destruction of nature and how elements of nature, such as water, plants and trees and the forest, play a role in empowering the female characters in the selected films. The study's findings suggest that, when examining female characters through the ecofeminist perspective, the figures do not always need to be human figures. Most importantly, the findings show the unbreakable bond between women and nature that perpetuates beyond the corporeal world. It is because, even as ghosts, these women are still closely connected to nature.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

Recently, the argument about the utilisation of advanced technology to sustain human lives is con... more Recently, the argument about the utilisation of advanced technology to sustain human lives is controversial. The employment of technology, such as biotechnology, genomics, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and cognitive neuroscience, to redeem human beings from illness and death is called 'transhumanism'. Consequently, transhumanism and its proponents defend the various application of technology that seeks to ensure the advanced future of humanity. Thus, this notion corresponds to the concept of negative utilitarianism which legalises the conduct of different methods to guarantee the minimum suffering of humankind. In this regard, this paper presents a case study from contemporary fiction to examine the transhumanist primary principle in the eyes of negative utilitarianism. The case study is represented by Bertrand Zobrist, a transhumanist scientist in Dan Brown's Inferno, who seeks to utilise biotechnology to save the future of humanity. The methodology of this study comprises extracting excerpts from the novel which serves as observations to discuss the objectives of the study. The first objective argues the apocalyptic future of humanity which is depicted in the novel. The second objective examines the implementation of negative utilitarianism with respect to the principles of transhumanism that attempts to resolve the overpopulation crisis. Through the problematisation of Zobrist's moral conduct to his biotechnological project, this study shows that transhumanism shares a mutual ground with the concept of negative utilitarianism which validates the employment of strategies to place a higher priority on the reduction of suffering.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

This paper investigates xenophobia in selected poems by Susan Kiguli using psychoanalytic theory ... more This paper investigates xenophobia in selected poems by Susan Kiguli using psychoanalytic theory in post-independence Uganda. The study looked into the issue of xenophobia as a postindependence issue in Uganda during the military rule. In order to explore the issue of xenophobia in Kiguli's selected poems, the study identified and analysed three poems from the collection titled Home Floats in the Distance (2012). This was done in order to analyse the issue of xenophobia in Uganda, which has been identified as a post-independence disillusionment. As a direct consequence of this disillusionment, the people have gotten frustrated and, as a result, they have focused their rage on the defenseless immigrants who are now residing in the country. The notion of "institutionalised xenophobia" was also investigated as part of the study, as past governments are culpable of the heinous act. The study that was carried out analysed Kiguli's portrayal of xenophobia in the poems that are being examined for this study through the lens of Melanie Klein's concept of the paranoid-schizoid position. This was done in order to better understand the scope of the problem. The current study has concluded that the issue of xenophobia is psychologically motivated rather than economic as put forward by previous studies.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

Joyce Carol Oates has been recognized as a postmodernist writer. In her literary texts, there is ... more Joyce Carol Oates has been recognized as a postmodernist writer. In her literary texts, there is a great deal of difference and heterogeneous space in postmodern writing techniques. This paper explores Oates' relevant texts through Foucault's theory of Heterotopia by examining the main forms and representational meanings of her heterotopia writing to understand Oates' social critique of established space and power more deeply. In this paper, the concept of Heterotopia and its characteristics are introduced and applied to an analysis of Oates's work. It argues that Oates' literary works contain numerous postmodern writing techniques in the space of difference and heterogeneity. Oates's ideas and works traverse the real and the imaginary, the moderate and the edgy, in a manner that intersects time and space, history and the future. Almost every significant scene in Oates's work conforms to the six characteristics of Heterotopia. In Oates's writing, American society is a heterotopia of power; it is a heterotopia of special operation; it is a juxtaposition space of functional superposition; it has multiple non-immediate connections with time, producing a heterotemporal space; it is inclusive and exclusive; it is a heterotopia of illusion and compensation. It concludes that Oates' Heterotopias reflect religious repression, racial discrimination, and sexual violence. By analyzing the construction of Heterotopia, this paper provides a glimpse of Oates' plot of power and violence, her innovative and pioneering writing, and her expectation of female struggle for survival space and pursuit of self-worth.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

The literary works by the contemporary British author, Doris Lessing (1919-2013), can be regarded... more The literary works by the contemporary British author, Doris Lessing (1919-2013), can be regarded as troubling and challenging narratives of women's experience in Africa where discussions on sexuality, societal pressure and environmental problems are still ignored. More importantly, in her novel Mara and Dann: An Adventure (1999), Lessing portrays the female protagonist, Mara, as a typical young African woman who attempts to survive and overcome social and environmental problems. This study examines how Mara attempts to create a good relationship with other people and her environment, or society, while changing the world around her. Using the critical concept of perfectibility by the Genevan philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, we aim to examine the depictions of Mara's interactions with her society and her responses to the practice of traditional cultures in African society. The methodology is based on examining Rousseau's theodicy of self-love as a way to examine how characters attain perfectibility, namely the ability to improve and change the world. The study clarifies that Mara's interactions with her natural environment and society play an important role in her perfectibility and improvement. When Mara achieves good connections with her society, her actions become highly intelligible and moral. She cares about others who are less fortunate than herself so she attempts to increase people's awareness of their surroundings. She also manages to change the cultural norms and patriarchal traditions by choosing her own sexual partners. She achieves the ability to improve herself, express her ideas and make a better world for herself.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

A Map of Glass (2005), written by the Canadian novelist, Jane Urquhart, is one of the postcolonia... more A Map of Glass (2005), written by the Canadian novelist, Jane Urquhart, is one of the postcolonial novels filled with notions of love, loss and memories. However, it presents one of the main characters struggling with trauma and agoraphobia, which have prevented her from living a normal life for a long time. This study focuses on this topic in the novel and sheds light on the reasons behind the character's trauma, the consequences of the trauma and whether she has managed to convalesce from such trauma and restore her life. This study applies Dominick LaCapra's concepts of "acting out" and "working through" in analysing the protagonist's condition of trauma. This study traces the process that the character goes through to free herself and overcome her condition. Additionally, it provides further knowledge about the lives of traumatised people, the difficulties they face, and their ongoing struggles with life in order to gain a more complete understanding of the horrors of trauma since most people are ignorant about these issues.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

Writing apprehension is one of the primary issues that impede students' willingness to compose cl... more Writing apprehension is one of the primary issues that impede students' willingness to compose classical Chinese poetry. It refers to the negative and anxious feelings that undermine their self confidence in fulfilling writing goals. This paper aims to measure the levels of writing apprehension of Chinese undergraduate students in the composition of classical Chinese poetry and explore whether majors, preferences of situated and sensory learning styles contribute to any significant differences in their writing apprehension levels. The potential factors that mainly influence their attitudes are also investigated. The respondents include 100 undergraduate students at the Guilin University of Electronic Technology in China. The quantitative findings firstly indicated that the students had a moderate level of writing apprehension, and those who majored in Chinese were more anxious than those who majored in English. Secondly, students who preferred the tactile learning style had the lowest level of writing apprehension. However, there were no significant differences in their writing apprehension levels regarding majors and preferences of learning styles. Moreover, the qualitative findings suggested that the six factors that mainly led to the writing apprehension were: the choice of words and sentences, the expression of thoughts and emotions, the establishment of themes and subject matter, the selection of poetic templates, the creation of imagery and aesthetic conception, and the use of artistic techniques. The results highlight the awareness and necessity of poetry writing instruction. It is recommended that similar research be done on a larger scale in China.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

The development of web-based technologies has increased the popularity of an online type of word-... more The development of web-based technologies has increased the popularity of an online type of word-of-mouth, known as electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). With the proliferation of online platforms, online reviews as eWOM have significantly influenced consumers' purchase decisions in various industries. Given that eWOM can be immensely influential in businesses, engaging in digital platforms is crucial in rapport building with customers. Responding to online reviews can have a positive impact on both customer relationships and online reputation management. Expressing gratitude can create rapport and build trust with customers as a sense of appreciation can be kindled. Building on Spencer-Oatey's Rapport Management Model, this study examines expressing gratitude strategies in the hotel responses to positive online reviews on TripAdvisor. Using purposeful sampling, particularly intensity sampling, the hotel responses were collected from Malaysian five-, four-and three-star hotels, which are situated in popular tourist destinations. The study findings show that four-star hotels accounted for the highest frequency of expressing gratitude strategies, followed by five-and three-star hotels. The five and four-star hotels tend to vary their expressing gratitude strategies. It was also found that there was a significant relationship between the hotel star rating categories, the strategies of gratitude expression and lexical choice in those strategies. This study will establish an understanding of digital rapport management strategies from a linguistic perspective.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

In the academic circle in the Chinese mainland, Malaysian Chinese literature studies closely conn... more In the academic circle in the Chinese mainland, Malaysian Chinese literature studies closely connect China with the world as a part of World Chinese-language literature. However, due to the isolation of the Chinese mainland from Malaysia after the Second World War, the interruption of thirty-year communication directly or indirectly led to some problems within academic circles in the Chinese mainland about studying Malaysian Chinese literature. Taking the journal of Literatures in Chinese as an example, this paper attempts to explore the focus and its underlying causes of the academic study on Malaysian Chinese literature in the Chinese mainland through data statistics and comparison. The following results were obtained: the low attention paid to the Malaysian Chinese literature studies, fewer relevant research journals with limited and single content, regionally weakened distribution of journals and authors from South to North and from East to West, and lacking experience and originality in the part of author teams.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

The field of auditory recognition of words occupies an important place in cognitive psycholinguis... more The field of auditory recognition of words occupies an important place in cognitive psycholinguistics. The study of the processes and representations in the recognition of words is an extremely complex activity, which depends on the physical characteristics of the signal, the requested sensory method and the forms of organization in mental lexicon. The present study investigates the process of auditory lateralization by Arab/French bilingual subjects. The originality of this study is closely related to Arabic/French and diglossia situation in Algeria. Twenty-five bilinguals mix Arabic and French in their oral speeches, and another twenty-five French were selected in studying the process of lateralization. A dichotic listening technique used in sending two different words simultaneously to each of the ears was adopted, whereby every subject was asked to report what s/he perceived. The finding of the experiment showed more words were reported in the right ear regardless of language.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

This study aimed at exploring the psychological challenges of Iranian English as a foreign langua... more This study aimed at exploring the psychological challenges of Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in online courses during the pandemic. The present research had a qualitative design and used thematic analysis (TA). The participants of this study were 50 Iranian EFL students, including 31 females and 19 males, who were selected from the English translation B.A. program of the English department of Islamic Azad University, Iran. To select the participants, the convenience sampling was applied. They were students of 6 th and 7 th semesters. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 participants of the study. Each participant was interviewed individually. The interview consisted of 15 researcher-made questions. The interviews were administered in ten one-hour sessions. Each session five participants were interviewed. The results of the present study showed that the main reasons and causes of psychological challenges perceived by the participants in online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic include on-line classes as a stress-provoking learning context, lack of digital literacy, low quality and speed of internet connection, platform issues, coronavirus disease stress, and lack of direct interactions. At the end of the paper, the implications of the study are presented.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

This study explores the environmental challenges of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria especially as... more This study explores the environmental challenges of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria especially as it affects non-humans as a subaltern group. The environmental challenges and devastation of the region is consequent upon the unregulated and unprofessional exploitation of petroleum product. Over the years, the environmental devastation by multinational oil firms in the Niger Delta region has gained prominent attention from Nigeria literary writers and critics. However, it is worthy of note that most of these writers and critics are majorly interested in the negative or positive effects of oil exploration and exploitation on humans. They either highlight the benefits of the venture or lament its negative effects on human's means of subsisting in the region. This study will therefore shift attention to the representation of non-humans in Nigerian literary production, and analyse how the exploration and exploitation of petroleum products in the Niger Delta affects non-humans in the region as depicted in the Nigerian novels that serves as primary texts for this study. To do this effectively, we shall examine the relationship that exists between humans and non-humans as portrayed in Helon Habila's Oil on Water (2012) and Lawrence Amaeshi's Sweet Crude Odyssey (2017) as well as advocate for environmental justice for the subalterns. The analysis shall be anchored on the subaltern theory which we shall draw upon to include non-humans in the class of subalterns and we shall also draw instances from the novels to justify the classification of nonhumans as ecological subalterns. Above all, we propose Murray Bookchin's social ecological theory as a base to advocate for justice for the subalterns. The study found that imminent danger abounds if urgent measures are not taken to care for and protect non-human members of the ecology.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

Innovation and continuous development of digital technologies have brought significant changes to... more Innovation and continuous development of digital technologies have brought significant changes to learning. The use of digital technologies allows accessibility to a vast array of information and provides students with the opportunities to learn and grow in different ways. While the Malaysian government has constantly put in huge investments for developing Information Communication Technology (ICT) facilities in higher learning institutions to prepare students for new technologies and 'new' workplaces, information which focus on creative arts students' digital competency in staying relevant to creative arts is still limited. This paper aims to explore the use of digital technologies by creative arts students for creative project development. This study employed qualitative methodology where in-depth interview was conducted with five well-known Malaysian creative arts practitioners. Perceptions and views of creative practitioners on creative arts students' digital competency are gathered and analysed. While students in this day and age are known as 'digital natives', creative arts practitioners have different views on creative arts students' digital competency in creative project development. Majority of the informants noted that digital technologies are helpful for creative arts students, but they also expressed their concerns on the challenges faced by the students. The interviews revealed that practitioners associated several issues in students' creative projects, such as building collaboration, obtaining constructive and helpful information, as well as identifying goals and copyright concerns. The data collection outcome will enable policymakers and practitioners to identify actions that should be taken to prepare creative arts students with better skills, knowledge and attitudes for meaningful participation in the digital world. This article is written to generate and facilitate discussion on how creative arts students' digital competency can be further improved for productivity and efficiency in accomplishing their tasks.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

Speakers interrupt each other in a conversation to show their excitement and support, or to simpl... more Speakers interrupt each other in a conversation to show their excitement and support, or to simply disagree and hog the floor. Interruption has always been viewed as a disruptive action that could ruin the conversation flow and always regarded as something that carries negative meaning. Many studies were conducted on interruptions in TV programs, casual conversation, and interviews. There were less study done on interruption involving mixed-gender in a podcast conversation, especially in Malaysia's context. Hence, this study investigated the interruptions that occurred in a mixed-gender conversation. It also focused on the types and functions of interruptions that were used by both men and women in Malaysia's podcast conversation. This paper adopted a content analysis method, combining both quantitative and qualitative approach. A 48-minute episode of Mamak Session's podcast were chosen to be analyzed. Two male and two females were chosen as the samples. The data was collected and analyzed by using Chera's (2014) List of Types and Functions of Interruption. Overall, the data showed that there was no mutually exclusive relationship between the use of types and functions of interruptions. The data also revealed that men did more interruptions than women. However, women did more disruptive interruptions than men. This was considered as a significant finding as previous studies suggested that women were more nurturing and less competitive. Due to this, the women in this particular study exhibited competitive speech style rather than cooperative. In conclusion, men had proven that they interrupted more than women but women did more disruptive interruptions than men.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

The persistent male ideological narratives attached to psychogeography and walking still take piv... more The persistent male ideological narratives attached to psychogeography and walking still take pivotal sides in various discussions. This essay uses the psychogeographical approach that focuses on gender and space to prove that this masculine idea has changed otherwise. What makes the fictional character's movement aesthetically imperative in Chan Ling Yap's Sweet Offerings is the relationship with the environment both in the private and public spaces, associating walking, seeing, and sensing with the spatial and temporal position of the narrative. The interaction between the fictional character with her geographical environment while commencing the movement reveals a conscious act that provides readers with a symbolic expression in this literary representation of the period in history. This study seeks to achieve two objectives. Firstly, to analyse the protagonist's experiences in the private and public space that reveals issues or situations that disrupt the very concept of masculine and feminine subjectivity in the prescriptive social and spatial setting. Secondly, to expand the existing discussion that uses the contemporary approach of feminist psychogeography to understand the social and spatial experience that connect or disconnect women with a particular space. Implementing the mixed method derived from Harlow's Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Bridger's Feminist Psychogeographical Method, this paper uncovers that Yap has portrayed a fictional female character that can take the wanderer mode in the city. She transgresses the traditional constraints and expectations and becomes an independent woman who resists the gendered spatial division in her private and public domain.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

This paper discusses the relevance of irony as a conduit for social commentary in selected tradit... more This paper discusses the relevance of irony as a conduit for social commentary in selected traditional personal names in Sissala land in Ghana. The research is motivated by the fact that names, apart from their communicative functions, are also intricate layers of verbal aesthetics all over the world. This article investigates, using the theory of ethnopoetics, the concepts of irony and culture, the ability of selected traditional personal names to comment effectively on attitudes, utterances or certain postures among the Sissalas in Ghana due to the irony embedded in them. By collecting a number of names purposively from Sissala land, and by using methods such as structured interviews, observation, and participating in five naming ceremonies, the researchers are able to subject selected ironic names to a critical analysis. The findings reveal that due to the verbal art embedded in these names, they constitute a unique platform for contributing sound advice, warnings, observations, and social commentary which are all conduits of communication that keep the community functioning as a unit. The names are able to function in this way due to the role and aesthetic quality of irony.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

An important challenge for Malaysia today is to retain and attract more skilled and qualified wom... more An important challenge for Malaysia today is to retain and attract more skilled and qualified women in the leadership positions. Because women account for more than half of Malaysia's population, gender diversity and inclusion strategies are required to help the country achieve high-developed status. The objective of this study is to investigate how women leaders in a Malaysian higher learning institution use language to exercise 'power over' their team members. Specifically, it explores the linguistic strategies used by women leaders in Malaysian higher education through their narratives. Using a qualitative research approach, the discursive features employed by these women are examined. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews in which women leaders presented their conversation with their colleagues in face-to-face interactions, email exchanges or WhatsApp messages. The gathered data were transcribed and analysed through content analysis in light of Fairclough's (2009) theory of power to provide insight into how and why these women leaders enact 'power over' through language use. The findings of this research revealed that women leaders use different linguistic strategies in a direct or mitigated way for several reasons such as to show personal power, hierarchy, strictness with deadlines, enactment of leadership, and to assert authority which would enact 'power over' to their colleagues in order to achieve their agenda. Further, there is a tendency for women leaders in higher learning institution to frequently use I-statement as a strategy to enact 'power over' colleagues.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

Tash Aw is the first renowned Malaysian writer who has brought Malaysian literature to the platfo... more Tash Aw is the first renowned Malaysian writer who has brought Malaysian literature to the platform of the world. This paper uses the text, The Harmony Silk Factory (2005), by Tash Aw to investigate the relationships between traumatic memory and temporal-spatial narratives. The text utilises three narrators to tell the story of central silent character Johnny Lim, intermixing with their personal memories. We hypothesises that traumatic memories are correspondent to or characterised with special time and space arrangement of narratives. The article also frames its arguments according to the ideas proposed by Michael Toolan and Cathy Caruth, Toolan's viewpoints about time and space in discourse and story; Caruth's views on features of trauma. The frame of argument presupposed that circular temporal-spatial narratives have more similarities to traumatic memories than previously assumed. By analysing Jasper's and Peter's telling of Johnny's experiences, the study strives to deepen the idea of chronotope arrangement being conducive to expression of traumas. The study concludes that traumas determine special arrangement of narratives, especially in the dimension of time and space, in turn, temporalspatial narratives are to express traumas' characteristics and even achieve some universal theme in literary works. The implication of the study allows us to view traumatic texts more objectively and deeply.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2022

The concept of utopia, which seems to have lost its conceptual power in the second half of the tw... more The concept of utopia, which seems to have lost its conceptual power in the second half of the twentieth century, is increasingly returning to the center of debates on the relationship between literature and social change. Utopian thinking is now seen as a fundamental space for coming to terms with the present age-an age defined by pandemics, environmental destruction, and the threat to the narrative of freedom. But how do we go about rehabilitating utopia-itself a product of the long history of European domination-and make it adaptable to our postcolonial situation? How can the utopic be harnessed as an alternative way of imagining postcolonial futures? And is it capable of restoring idealism as a horizon of our expectations and as a precondition for freedom? Drawing on texts from the discourse of decolonization debates about utopian thinking in works of postcolonial literature and neo-Marxist criticism, my paper will address some of the ways in which the imaginative is asked to sustain the idea of an alternative society in moments of crisis and atrophy.

Volume 8(2) September, 2021

The effect of EFL learners' proficiency level on their pronunciation has been a debatable issue a... more The effect of EFL learners' proficiency level on their pronunciation has been a debatable issue as some scholars reported a positive effect of proficiency level on pronunciation learning process, while others did not report any positive effect. Previous researches have investigated the impact of experience on the pronunciation of EFL learners, who belong to various linguistic and dialectal backgrounds; yet, Iraqi EFL learners have not been examined in terms of their pronunciation of consonants that are not found in their L1 sound system. Hence, the current study investigated the effect of Iraqi EFL learners' proficiency level on the pronunciation of the non-Arabic consonants (/ŋ/, /ӡ/, /p/, /g/, /v/, and /tʃ/). The study aimed to identify the sounds that are difficult to pronounce, the error patterns shown by learners, and the effect of learners' proficiency level on their performance. To this end, thirty Iraqi learners were divided into three groups (advanced, intermediates, and beginners) based on their results in a general English proficiency test. A production test was administered to ask learners to produce words containing the six non-Arabic sounds. Their pronunciation was directly recorded via mobile phones. The results showed that /ŋ/, /ӡ/, and /p/ sounds were problematic for Iraqi learners, while /g/, /v/, and /tʃ/ sounds were not. These results can be accounted for based on learners' dialect transfer, which makes the pronunciation of non-Arabic consonants easier than expected. The results also showed that proficiency level did not have statistically significant effect on Iraqi learners' pronunciation of non-Arabic consonants.

Volume 8(2) September, 2021

The current paper presents the findings of a research study examining the acquisition of the Engl... more The current paper presents the findings of a research study examining the acquisition of the English Present Perfect by Malay learners of English. Our main objective was to determine whether the structural features of Malay language could influence Malay ESL learners' acquisition of present perfect forms in English. The instruments used consist of three elicitation tasks: a cloze task, a Grammaticality Judgement Task (GJT), and a translation task. Written output from the participants of two levels of English proficiency (advanced and intermediate) whose first language is Malay and second language (ESL) is English was collected. The data analysis provides evidence that even the advanced proficient group faced the persistent difficulty to acquire the English present perfect. The difficulty is the result of interacting factors such as the markedness, there being no equivalent form to express the English present perfect in Malay, and the complexity in meaning and the ambiguous nature of the English present perfect. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications of our findings.

Volume 8(2) September, 2021

In the paper, I propose an extended version of conceptual metaphor theory (CMT). The extended ver... more In the paper, I propose an extended version of conceptual metaphor theory (CMT). The extended version of CMT consists of a number of distinctions relating to meaning, conceptual structure, memory, ontological level (or realm), and context. In discussing the relevant distinctions each of these categories involve, I also indicate how they are related to one another. Finally, I describe the various types of context, together with the particular contextual factors they subsume. I suggest that the contextual factors prompt or prime, singly or jointly, the linguistic metaphors in metaphorical conceptualization in natural discourse.

Volume 8(2) September, 2021

Group discussion is a key feature in education. Despite its importance, however, its potential in... more Group discussion is a key feature in education. Despite its importance, however, its potential in higher education is under-researched. With the advent of technology in education and the vision for 21 st century learning, innovative use of mobile-based technologies has become a necessity in teaching and learning. Having to get on the bandwagon, the present study examines WhatsApp as a tool for synchronous group discussion in class and how it could promote communication and learning among undergraduates. The app is used in a blended delivery design to teach a content course called Discourse Analysis in an undergraduate program for Applied Linguistics. The research is qualitative in nature and employs pragmatics as the approach to discourse analysis. The study showed that WhatsApp group discussion helped student understanding of content knowledge, facilitated group learning, and promoted learner autonomy and learner cooperation. The students used one another as resources and made sense of the course content together based on their subject matter knowledge and life experiences. They pooled their knowledge and experiences and helped each other figure out the concepts, theories and issues through a negotiation of meaning that involved active participation in the form of questions and responses that justify, explain and clarify meanings. In this new age of digital literacy, the study shows how WhatsApp synchronous group discussion can encourage cumulative learning as a way to learn content knowledge, stimulate exploratory talk as a relevant communication skill for academia and work, and promote among learners, a sense for autonomy and cooperation.

Volume 8(2) September, 2021

Form" is a small word with large and fundamental meanings, and it has uses in every aspect of lif... more Form" is a small word with large and fundamental meanings, and it has uses in every aspect of life. It is not just in art that "form" refers to structure, the patterning which provides not only recognisability but meaning itself. Any situation or event in which we cannot find the connections that constitute a pattern is meaningless. When we learn something about it we are informed. Poetry is the literary genre with the longest history, and it is also the genre with the most elaborate structuresthat is, evidences of form. Those forms range from the large, such as the designation of poetic genres such as elegy or ode, to the small, such as the metre in a poetic line. In this talk I will trace the changes in attitude to form through the history of English language poetry, and attempt to relate these attitudes to the broader philosophical beliefs prevailing when the poetry was written. In its early centuries English language poetry adhered to fairly strict line and stanza forms, but over time these have loosened to the point that there is now a strong move towards "prose poetry". Why is this so? What are the strengths and limitations of both formal and informal poetic styles? I aim to reflect on these questions and draw on my own workwhich includes both formal poems and free verseto also consider whether the value of form depends on a poem's subjectmatter and attitudes.

Volume 8(2) September, 2021

The purpose of this paper is to make some arguments that learning-oriented assessment (LOA) could... more The purpose of this paper is to make some arguments that learning-oriented assessment (LOA) could serve as an efficient framework to alleviate some of the testing-driven problems in assessing student achievement. More specifically, I will first argue that the undesirable consequences of high stakes and external tests have convinced educators that such tests are no longer efficient for classroom contexts (Rea-Dickins, 2007; Scott et al., 2016). Second, I will present a working framework for LOA and argue that it could be a viable alternative to the often-practiced midterm and final test tradition. Third, I will suggest some LOA-related tasks and argue that they would help teachers feel confident about students' independent performance in online instruction. Fourth, I will discuss the findings of data from graduate and undergraduate students' weekly reflections to demonstrate that they, indeed, develop a positive attitude towards the assessment system, both in real-time and virtual instruction. I will end the paper with the implications of LOA for learner autonomy and self-regulation that would develop mutual trust and confidence between learners and teachers.

Volume 8(2) September, 2021

Interpersonal communication is an essential element of university life of students who stay at in... more Interpersonal communication is an essential element of university life of students who stay at international universities. Identifying factors affecting their regular contacts could help them to conduct fruitful interactions with one another. Thus, this study was carried out to appraise factors influencing interpersonal communications amongst foreigner and local students of a Malaysian university. The embedded structure of assorted techniques was applied to carry out the existing study. The quantitative scheme, as the major method of this study had 210 contributors from foreigner and local students of the mentioned university, and according to their personal agreements, 12 of them were interviewed to strengthen the survey data. Based on the results from this study, the contributors were using English langue as the major medium of their regular communications with students of divergent nationalities and the levels of their proficiency in English language and their regular interpersonal contacts had reciprocated effects on each one. According to the results from the current study, about 70% of the contributors pointed out that they had practised various interactions with peers from dissimilar nationalities, and their regular contacts helped them to advance the levels of their proficiency in English language and to achieve some new social and cultural information in relation to dissimilar people. The results from this study could help students from dissimilar nationalities to have more effective communications with their peers from various demographic settings.

Volume 8(2) September, 2021

Vocabulary knowledge is essential in learning a second language, especially in an academic contex... more Vocabulary knowledge is essential in learning a second language, especially in an academic context. This corpus-based lexical study in ESP (English for Specific Purposes) presents the most frequently used medical academic vocabulary across a wide range of medical textbooks in addition to their frequent collocation/phraseological patterns. Previous research to develop academic word lists in medicine have been done by Ashrafzadeh (2018), Lei and Liu (2016), Hsu (2013), and Wang et al. (2008). Academic Word List in Medicine (AWLM) of the study was compiled from the Medical Academic Corpus with 3.5 million running words in written medical textbooks by examining the range and frequency of words outside the first 2,000 most frequently occurring words of English (BNC/COCA2000) (Nation, 2012) and the Academic Word List (AWL) (Coxhead, 2000). The list contains 505 word families, which account for 11.27% of the tokens of the corpus of the study. Including the most frequent highly specialized medical terms of Greek/Latin sources, the AWLM encompasses various sub-technical and technical vocabularies. For the first time in research to develop wordlists in medicine, the list of the most frequentlyoccurring collocation/phraseological patterns (MACL) of the words was also retrieved to help ESL/EFL (English as a second/foreign language) students fulfil their vocabulary needs in reading medical textbooks in English. The list may facilitate the process of teaching for ESP lecturers by focus on their vocabulary teaching and designing curriculum for instructors as well.

Volume 8(2) September, 2021

In the children's literature genre and translation studies' domain, this study mainly aims to exa... more In the children's literature genre and translation studies' domain, this study mainly aims to examine whether the translation of English (SL)-Arabic (TL) cultural terms and expressions of flora and fauna are regulated by translation norms or not. The study aims to identify the implemented English-Arabic translation strategies throughout the translation process. Two key translation strategies, including foreignization and domestication, which were proposed by Venuti (1995), are investigated in the study. The English-Arabic translation of flora and fauna's cultural terms and expressions in children's literature has been examined in conformity with Klingberg's (1986) theoretical framework and Pedersen's (2005) model of classification of foreignization and domestication. To this end, a comparative and descriptive analysis has been applied to analyze and classify the translation of the selected English items and their corresponding Arabic terms and expressions based on the proposed theoretical framework of the study. The analysis included three English stories: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Hansel and Gretel, and Cinderella, from German into English by H. B. Paull. The comparative-descriptive analysis showed that the translation of the Arabic versions of the three stories has not been regulated by specific translation norms as translators have domesticated many ST expressions and foreignized others. In other words, the translators' choices of the translation strategies varied between foreignization and domestication. More significantly, the findings of the study revealed that domestication as a translation strategy has been implemented more predominantly in the English-Arabic translation process of the stories.

Volume 8(2) September, 2021

Language and Intercultural Communication as a subfield, this paper presents the results of examin... more Language and Intercultural Communication as a subfield, this paper presents the results of examining the influence of the specific social categories of age, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, mother tongue, and English language ability on the formation of self-selected groups and group work interactions of students in a private Malaysian university. An interpretive conceptual framework was used to highlight how these social categories influenced the face-work (Goffman 1967) and politeness (Brown & Levinson, 1987) strategies employed to manage rapport (Spencer-Oatey, 2008) in order to achieve successful group work. The study involved a total of 193 culturally diverse students in the Faculty of Management in the private university. Using an ethnographically informed qualitative approach (Hammersley, 2006; Neuman, 2011) the participants were observed during group work sessions and the interactions audio-taped. The data corpus comprised transcripts of audio-taped recordings, close-ended survey questions, self-reports from post-hoc interviews, feedback from expert informants and field-notes from direct participant observations. The study found that age and English language ability are significantly influential in the formation of self-selected groups, while age, gender, mother tongue, and English language ability were salient and influential in face-to-face group work interactions. This study contributes towards an understanding of the influence of social categories in intercultural group work interactions within the context of a Malaysian university.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2021

Postgraduate supervisors' interaction with their students, the feedback they provide them, and th... more Postgraduate supervisors' interaction with their students, the feedback they provide them, and their relationship with them are very important factors in the latter's successful completion of their studies. At the postgraduate level, feedback plays a prominent role in making student's academic research a success. It gives a student an awareness of what they have done in their thesis, and sheds light on the desired goals and achieved ones in the course of completing the research project. Students' perceptions and reactions are influenced by such matters as who the supervisor is, and how he or she interacts with supervisees. However, students' perceptions about the quality of their supervisors' feedback and its usefulness in the thesis revision process have not been thoroughly investigated. Further, only a few studies have been conducted on postgraduate students' perceptions about their supervisors' feedback. The present study focused on ESL students' perceptions of their supervisors' oral and written feedback on their thesis drafts. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews, and global supplementary interviews, the study discovered that students perceived their supervisors' feedback as crucial, helpful, and useful in the revision of their drafts as well as in the associated research activities. Students, however, perceived written feedback as more useful than oral feedback. Furthermore, oral feedback was not perceived as intrinsically useful and even as detrimental to students who had low linguistic and communication skills. They indicated that the most useful types of feedback were those that focused on content, research methods, discourse flow, and effective arguments. It was concluded that the students generally perceived their supervisors' oral and written feedback as valuable input worthy of incorporation into their thesis drafts despite their own shortcomings in comprehending or responding to the feedback. This study is deemed to contribute to the field of feedback and supervision with the development of an analytical framework based on postgraduate students' perception of their supervisors' feedback. The outcomes of this study would provide useful insights on postgraduate supervisory practices for both supervisors and postgraduate students. Findings may also help researchers, supervisors and supervisees to develop better understanding and to identify potential issues that arise in the unique teaching and learning environment of supervision.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2021

It is essential to understand how social media can shape certain behavior and self-esteem by lead... more It is essential to understand how social media can shape certain behavior and self-esteem by leading young people like students to become aggressive and demotivated, specifically, Instagram. This research focused on students' personal motivation and the effect of their selfesteem when Instagram is in use. Ultimately, Instagram is a popular social media and a total of 11.68 million active users. Data have been collected from fifteen students, between 18-29 years old who have an Instagram account and also are active users. Three research instruments were used in this study: in-depth interview, open-ended survey, and image observation. Thematic analysis was employed in search of the themes. This qualitative research approach was used because it provides a very personal level of experience despite the smallest amount of sample of open-ended interviews that add depth, detail, and meaning. The findings have demonstrated research questions each with four themes. Four themes represented the personal motivations and the other represented self-esteem. Additionally, individuals felt motivated due to goal-oriented in order to achieve something. Further, individuals may feel high or low selfesteem for using Instagram. By viewing what other posts, can effect individual's well-being. This study has found answers to several patterns for using Instagram in today's environment is much more aggressive in their usage. This study found abnormal patterns which are obsessive and are not taken lightly. Nevertheless, individuals who spent more time with Instagram may slowly develop more new patterns. Hence, this may contribute to a new dimension of motivation and self-esteem followed by the use of Instagram.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2021

Within the ESL classrooms, teachers' written corrective feedback has always been under scrutiny a... more Within the ESL classrooms, teachers' written corrective feedback has always been under scrutiny as the inconclusive debate is still going on since the publication of Truscott's (1996) article that sparked the debate. Moreover, research findings point to Malaysian students' lacking writing skills which could be attributed to the teachers' failure to follow the processbased approach and to provide effective feedback in their teaching of writing. This study seeks to find out the factors affecting Malaysian ESL teachers' understanding of feedback. Data were collected using the Teachers Conception of Feedback (TCoF) Inventory adapted from Harris and Brown (2008). The questionnaires were sent out to all secondary schools in Pahang, and a total of 372 English Language teachers answered the survey. The data were analysed using SPSS (Version 25) and Exploratory Factor Analysis. From the analysis, five factors were found, namely (i) Purpose, (ii) Peer and Self-assessment, (iii) Teacher, (iv) Attitudes, and (v) Praise. The results are discussed, and recommendations for further research are made. The results of this study are significant in the sense that they could help the country's policy makers, especially at the Education Ministry level, where better trainings could be delivered to preservice and in-service teachers so that they are better equipped in delivering top quality education to the future generations.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2021

Bernice Chauly's debut novel, Once We Were There (2017), presents an intimate comingof-age journe... more Bernice Chauly's debut novel, Once We Were There (2017), presents an intimate comingof-age journey into Malaysia's political struggle following the life of a journalist, Delonix Regia (Del), as she finds love and solace in the midst of the country's Reformasi movement in the late 1990s. The novel has garnered attention from literary circles and critical acknowledgements, particularly Chauly's boldness in depicting many Malaysian taboos. Her work can be regarded as a valiant narrative of a modern woman's lived experience in Malaysia where discussions on sexuality, mental health, societal pressure and madness are still shunned. The protagonist, Del, is caged into conforming to the societal expectations of being the perfect wife and mother. Unable to cope, she succumbs to madness. This transformation bears affinity to two prominent archetypal figures in women's literature-the angel-in-the-house, which symbolises conformity to patriarchal roles and expectations, and the madwoman, which symbolises defiance to patriarchal dominance. This study aims to apply these two prominent archetypal figures in Once We Were There, arguing that Chauly seems to subscribe to these traditional archetypes but presents a vicious circle in which the angel-in-the-house transforms into the madwoman, then reverts to being an angel in the house. It is this vicious circle that fails to liberate the protagonist from the patriarchal notion of the ideal womanhood.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2021

The grotesque and existential concerns are rarely studied alongside each other in the field of li... more The grotesque and existential concerns are rarely studied alongside each other in the field of literature. History has it that the grotesque is always associated with aspects which denote negative connotations, such as deformity, death, violence or monstrosity. Additionally, the grotesque is also popularly employed as an approach to challenge traditions and deviate from what is accepted as the norm. Meanwhile, the origins of existentialism can be traced back to as early as the 19 th century. The existentialists' main concerns have always been seeking the meaning of life and they are constantly looking for ways to justify one's existence in a world where pessimism rules. Thus, this paper aims to establish a connection between existentialism and the grotesque by primarily focussing on how the two male protagonists, Yuichi and Shunsuke, in Yukio Mishima's Forbidden Colours (1951), employ the grotesque as a way to deal with their existential concerns of death and meaninglessness as posited by Irvin Yalom. Grotesque elements, such as misogyny, pederasty and carnivalesque, will be studied alongside two existential concerns, which are death and meaninglessness. This is meant to show how the male protagonists are able to rely on the grotesque to subdue their fears and anxieties brought upon by their existential concerns in order to justify their sense of existence.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2021

This study aimed at investigating the impacts of interaction through social networking (WhatsApp)... more This study aimed at investigating the impacts of interaction through social networking (WhatsApp) vs. face to face (FtF) interaction on Iranian intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' willingness to communicate (WTC) and anxiety. This study employed quasi-experimental design. The initial sample was 100 Iranian EFL learners that studied English at Speaking House institution in Ankara, Turkey. After administering Oxford Placement Test (OPT), 60 EFL learners were selected based on the results of the OPT test for the purpose of the present study in which 22 students were male and 38 were female. Then, language anxiety questionnaire and WTC questionnaire were administered to the participants as the pretest. Next, they were divided into two groups: experimental A group and experimental B group. Experimental A group received instruction in class, and it was the studies' FtF interaction group. Experimental B group received instruction through composing a group in WhatsApp application, and the learners interacted with each other and the teacher in WhatsApp. At the end of the treatment sessions, language anxiety questionnaire and WTC questionnaire were administered again as the posttest. The findings revealed that interaction through social networking developed WTC and decreased anxiety. The findings also revealed that in comparison with FtF interaction, social networking was significantly more effective in developing the EFL students' WTC and reducing their anxiety. Pedagogical implications of the study for the similar contexts under investigation are also discussed.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2021

Contemporary Chinese American author Minfong Ho (b. 1951) has written four novels focussing on th... more Contemporary Chinese American author Minfong Ho (b. 1951) has written four novels focussing on the narrative of East Asian female characters living in Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand and Cambodia. The Stone Goddess (2003), in particular, portrays Nakri, a typical Cambodian young woman who practices her culture in her Cambodian society. Utilising the concept of transculture/ality and its seven tenets by the transcultural scholar, Arianna Dagnino, this paper problematises the Western stereotype of the East Asian female identity as voiceless, submissive and hypersexual by examining the portrayal of Nakri and her various responses to the practice of traditional cultures in Cambodian society. Our findings suggest that Nakri renegotiates an East Asian female identity that reflects transculture/ality through her intermingling of culture together with her sister, Teeda, and later with people whom she encounters when she migrates to America, displaying an evolution of identity and patterns of her intermingling of cultures when she adapts to her new American environment. Nakri becomes unafraid to give opinions, shows agency, and masters the English language thus contesting the Western stereotype of the East Asian female identity.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

The objectives of this paper are to translate and adapt the parent proxy Kid-KiddoKINDLR R questi... more The objectives of this paper are to translate and adapt the parent proxy Kid-KiddoKINDLR R questionnaire on Quality of Life (QoL) for children with hearing impairment into Malay language and to describe the translation techniques used, as well as the equivalence issues, with regards to morphology and semantics, encountered during the process. A combined technique of forward-backward translation was used following the translation protocol provided by KINDL developer. The techniques involved in the translation process were the forward translations by three translators, reconciliation between the translations. Next, this questionnaire was backward translated, and harmonised. As the types of equivalence were determined, several related issues were identified; vocabulary equivalence, idiomatic equivalence and grammatical-syntactical equivalence. However, it can be reported that there were no issues in experiential and conceptual equivalence during the process. The translation of this questionnaire is essential in order to shed light on the children's QoL in the Malay speaking community.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

The primary purpose of this study is to find out the reading preference of students in an extensi... more The primary purpose of this study is to find out the reading preference of students in an extensive reading (ER) programme conducted in a Malaysian Tamil primary school. The study also reports the children's responses to the different types of post-reading activities in the reading sessions. The participants were 66 multilingual Tamil school students between 10-11 years old. They were involved in reading storybooks extensively in an after-school reading programme which examined the effects of ER and different post-reading activities on vocabulary learning. The qualitative data reported in this paper were analysed from observations, video-recordings of interactions between student/teacher, reading reports, records from the library checkout cards, teacher feedback forms and vocabulary record sheets. Using thematic analysis techniques, the data from these various sources were categorised, and analysed. The findings of the study revealed that the students preferred to read 3 major genres of storybooks during the reading sessions; (a) adventure; (b) mystery; and (c) informational books. The results also show the reactions of the students towards the different types of word learning activities. Four patterns of responses were identified: (a) positive and negative feelings; (b) active participation; (c) preference for collaboration; and (d) motivation for reading.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

Studies on the discourse of representation often involve good or bad values to indicate polarisat... more Studies on the discourse of representation often involve good or bad values to indicate polarisation. Nevertheless, in the context of sports, literature on sportsmen's associations with both values reveal that those who tend to be praised despite their flaws are socially included and deemed as the heroes. Meanwhile, those who tend to be blamed despite their good traits, can be regarded as the villains who are socially excluded. Thus, the paper aims to examine how the heroes and villains in the corpus of football news of an English local daily newspaper are represented to further investigate whether or not they are associated with both values. Based on the constructionist approach in the theory of representation, the study centralises on the analysis of social actors that is founded on the dimensions of good and bad which define their social inclusion or exclusion as stated according to van Dijk's polarisation strategies. Based on the concordance analysis, the findings indicate that the actors became the heroes if their actions bring desirable outcomes and turned into the villains as they caused undesirable circumstances for their team. Hence, this may contribute to a new dimension of polarisation in which both good and bad values can define the socially included and excluded actors.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

Insufficient knowledge in constructing acknowledgements may lead to improper expressions of grati... more Insufficient knowledge in constructing acknowledgements may lead to improper expressions of gratitude (Hyland, 2004). As such, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the strategies for expressing gratitude in thesis acknowledgements within the context of Malaysian ESL postgraduate students. Correspondingly, this study adopted Haverkate's (1984) framework of thanking strategies to examine how Malaysian ESL postgraduates express gratitude in their thesis acknowledgements. Content analysis of the acknowledgements in 30 PhD theses written by Malaysian ESL postgraduates revealed that most of the postgraduate students thanked the addressees explicitly to express their gratitude. In essence, the findings of this study contribute to the limited number of studies on expressions of gratitude in thesis acknowledgements as well as helping future postgraduate students indicate the best choice of gratitude expressions to acknowledge those who have helped them over the course of their postgraduate studies.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

It has been argued that social media in the contemporary world now occupies a top agenda of many ... more It has been argued that social media in the contemporary world now occupies a top agenda of many business executives, political players and analysts, social engineers, decision makers and consultants. As a growing phenomenon, the contemporary colouration of politics around the world is such that it has made the deployment of social media seemingly inevitable and political victory appears to be largely tied to the effective use of the social media. Similarly, the role of the youth in political participations and electioneering processes in societies of the world has now been a major force in the direction of political pendulum at a given point in time. Therefore, the strategic positions of both the youth and social media in electioneering processes define the aim of this study. Specifically, this study surveyed the youths of Ilorin South on the use of social media for political participations during the 2015 General Elections in Nigeria. Anchored on the Uses and Gratification theory, this study found that, through social media, the Ilorin South youths showed great concern and participation during the 2015 General Elections in Nigeria and, by extension, to the political development in the country. This is demonstrated through the use of social media, notably the Facebook, to share political/electoral information among themselves, in order to increase political awareness and to influence voting decisions. It is recommended that politicians, political administrators and political office holders should strategically deploy the social media for social engineering, politicking and electioneering processes, and give the youths a rightful place in the scheme of things, particularly in politics.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

Chinese universities are eagerly questing to earn international reputation by showcasing their ac... more Chinese universities are eagerly questing to earn international reputation by showcasing their achievements in the current importance placed on higher education globally. It is acknowledged that the introduction section published on the universities' websites plays an important role in the publicity of universities. Little attention has been paid to understand how this discourse is linguistically constructed with a communicative purpose to align readers. This article employs an Appraisal analysis (Martin & White, 2005) to investigate how the evaluative language used in the introduction section embodies the values upheld by Chinese universities. The article attempts to detail the evaluative language patterns used to construct the universities' introduction section by examining a corpus of nine elite Chinese universities' (known as the C9 League) websites. The findings reveal that multiple verbal appraisal features are used by these universities to realize the evaluative meanings with a purpose to positively align themselves with the audience. It shows that the universities' introduction section is formulated as factual informative messages to portray trustworthiness and authenticity. The intensified positive evaluation of the introduction section allows universities to effectively portray a positive identity in the global context through this comparatively new professional genre.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

Although empirical studies on information and communication technology have affirmed that Nigeria... more Although empirical studies on information and communication technology have affirmed that Nigerian academic staff used email as the most useful internet product for accomplishing clerical tasks, email related studies so far researched in Nigeria seemed to have focused less on ascertaining if demographic factors could have effects on email satisfactory communication. Therefore, this study examined if demographic factors had effects on email satisfactory communication among SouthEast Nigerian academic staff. The quantitative research approach was used because the study engaged in descriptive and inferential studies. We found that the respondents' gender affected email satisfactory communication. However, the other four demographic factors that comprised age, job status, educational level, and working experience years did not have significant effects on email satisfactory communication. In terms of management patterns, the study established that more than half of the respondents rarely clean junk emails. Moreover, the findings demonstrated that the majority of them did not set up smart folders for moving joke and advertisement relatedemails. Our study further indicated that more than half of the respondents were not strategically managing incoming emails. We, therefore, recommend that SouthEast Nigerian academic staff should consider regularly cleaning junk emails, setting up folders for moving jokes and advertisements related-emails, and adopting strategies for managing incoming emails if they anticipated achieving more email satisfactory communication. Conclusively, our findings contributed to understanding the effects of demographics factors on email satisfactory communication and other virtual communication technologies in addition to their effective management.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

Leila Aboulela, a Sudanese diasporic writer living in Scotland, is a prolific contemporary immigr... more Leila Aboulela, a Sudanese diasporic writer living in Scotland, is a prolific contemporary immigrant Muslim woman writer who has written notable fiction on the lives of female characters, who are also migrant Muslims, and their struggles to adapt to their new host countries. A contemporary novel by Aboulela, namely the historical fiction The kindness of enemies (2015), revolves around the protagonist, Natasha, and her crisis of identity and sense of unbelonging in Britain. While previous studies on the text have applied the framework of Islamic feminism in relation to the concept of topography (Idris & Zulfiqar, 2017), the concepts of history and cultural memory (Kershaw, 2017), postcolonialism (Almaeen, 2018), and the concept of history (Awad, 2018) in analysing the novel, the issues concerning Natasha's crisis of identity and sense of unbelonging need to be further examined through the lens of cultural studies due to the gap in scholarship on this aspect of the novel. This study will apply the concept of cultural homogenisation by Stuart Hall (1992) which refers to the reduction of cultural distinctions to a phenomenon of global currency. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine how the author depicts Natasha's adoption of the Western culture to acquire a sense of belonging in Britain through Hall's concept of cultural homogenisation. The findings of this study reveal that the phenomenon of cultural homogenisation is present in Natasha's adoption of the Western culture and also the eroding of her Sudanese and Muslim identities in her quest for a sense of belonging in Britain.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

The intricate connection between literature and society has been a subject of controversy in mode... more The intricate connection between literature and society has been a subject of controversy in modern critical approaches to literary text interpretation. This study aims first to highlight two of these dominant approaches, which are called New Criticism and Cultural Poetics, then focus on the latter whose principles are the base for the analysis and interpretation of the literary text of the short story under study. Based on the theoretical principles of Cultural Poetics, the study also aims to analyse the text of Joyce Carol Oates's "Big Momma," one of the six mesmerising tales in her anthology "The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror" (2017). The study relates this short story to its social and cultural contexts exploring the societal concerns of the author about the threatening dangers inherent in contemporary American lives of young adulthood in particular. This paper also analyses a new turn in the writer's oeuvre where the gothic genre is not approached in a straightforward manner as usual but is carried further into other dimensions of surrealism and dark fantasy firmly rooted in social realism. In the selected short story, she employs bleak imagery, an irrational metaphor together with an open-ended final scene taking her story further into another realm as her new tool of the gothic genre of which she is known to be a master. The study concludes with the view that Oates's prophetic art as a whole has largely contributed to humanism promoting a reconsideration of the emotional and psychological conflicts of a whole young adult generation of the twenty-first century.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

Malachi Edwin Vethamani published his first collection of short stories, Coitus Interruptus and O... more Malachi Edwin Vethamani published his first collection of short stories, Coitus Interruptus and Other Stories in 2018. Interestingly, nine out of twelve of his short stories dwell on themes related to homosexual men and women's sexuality, and this not only attests to Vethamani's skill as a storyteller, but also adds to the body of works by Malaysian writers which delve into queer experiences and women's sexuality such as Dina Zaman's I Am Muslim (2007) and Jerome Kugan's Body 2 Body: A Malaysian Queer Anthology (2009). Vethamani has never identified himself as a feminist, yet in an interview with Mumbai Guide in September 2018, he admitted that he is particularly concerned with how institutions of Malaysian-Indian families deal with issues of gender, women and heterosexuality. In this study, we examine women's resistance to accepted sexual roles and practices in three selected short stories in Coitus Interruptus and Other Stories: "Coitus Interruptus", "In Close Proximity" and "The Good Daughter". These three short stories are selected because the protagonists are women and they share a central preoccupation with resisting sociallyconstructed gender roles and sexuality. Borrowing from Goffman's dramaturgical analysis, we argue that women characters in the three selected stories are "performing" as a way to resist oppressive norms.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

In the majority of medical schools worldwide, English is used as the language of instruction. In ... more In the majority of medical schools worldwide, English is used as the language of instruction. In contexts where English is a second or foreign language, medical students face the challenge of having to learn skills and subject matter required in their field in a language they may be unfamiliar with. For English language support provided to students to be effective, development of language programs must be informed by an assessment of students' needs. The current literature shows that systematic analyses of students' needs as a basis for developing English for medical studies programs are rarely conducted, and there is often a mismatch between the needs of students and the English courses offered. To obtain targeted information about students' language needs for program development, input from the main stakeholders, medical students and medical teachers, is crucial. In this article, we report the results of an English language needs analysis conducted at a medical school in Malaysia where English is spoken as a second language by most Malaysian students. Forty-three medical lecturers and 226 students responded to a needs analysis questionnaire. A description of students' English language needs ranked in order of priority for training is derived, covering the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing across various learning activities required of students in the clinical years. While students and lecturers concur on the most important needs of students, students perceive the use of English for academic purposes and understanding the professional mode of talk more pressing while lecturers emphasize students' needs for using English in the clinical setting, particularly communication with patients and reading case related texts. Needs derived from the perspectives of medical lecturers and students provide valuable information about the relative importance and urgency of needs to be addressed in English language programs for medical students.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

The Southern culture of the United States of America (USA) is known to be violent and racist. Pre... more The Southern culture of the United States of America (USA) is known to be violent and racist. Prejudice against black people in these regions is still dominant today as violence and murder inflicted on them are sometimes ignored. The call for justice for innocent black people is highlighted in Harper Lee's renowned novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960). The time setting of the novel is in the 1930s, yet it is necessary to study the novel as it depicts how the Southern culture of violence and racism is unchanged. This paper, therefore, analyses how characters become anti-racist as a result of their androgyny that defies the culture in Southern USA by analysing the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird using the concept of the androgynous mind by Virginia Woolf. Scout is masculine in appearance, speech, and behaviour, but feminine in her emotions, affection with her father, and admiration for the skills in the kitchen. Atticus Finch is masculine in shooting well and his brave defence of Tom Robinson although he is feminine in his affection with his family, his inadequacy at role modelling masculinity for his son, and his stance against violence. Their androgynous minds cause them to challenge the Southern culture and in turn make them oppose racism. Hence, this study suggests how beneficial it can be for society to have both feminine and masculine traits.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

This study was to examine parental attitude to Tiv Language as a medium of instruction in view of... more This study was to examine parental attitude to Tiv Language as a medium of instruction in view of the Nigerian language policy derived from the National Policy of Education which requires instruction to be given in the mother tongue in the Junior Secondary School. The theoretical and conceptual framework that was used for this study emerged from bilingualism and its two forms which are additive and subtractive models. One research question was used for the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A questionnaire titled parents language preference questionnaire (PLPQ) was the instrument used for data collection. A sample of 330 parents were randomly selected from the eleven council wards in Vandeikya Local Government during Parent Teachers Association (PTA) meetings in two schools selected each from council ward from a population of 5000 parents. Data were collected and analysed using simple percentages to answer the research question. Findings indicate the following: First, Tiv parents are not ready to allow teachers to use Tiv language as a medium of instruction in the Junior Secondary School. The study also discovered that parents supported English as the language of instruction at the Junior Secondary school level. The study recommended among others the immediate introduction of Tiv Language medium in the Junior Secondary schools in all Tiv speaking areas in Nigeria.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2020

The ever-increasing spread of English as a major international language has facilitated the emerg... more The ever-increasing spread of English as a major international language has facilitated the emergence of distinct English varieties. These new varieties of English are now being adopted for international and intercultural communication. However, one of the consequences of having different varieties is the possible lack of mutual intelligibility among them. This study aimed to compare and contrast the English vowels produced by Nigerian and Malaysian ESL speakers to explore the distribution of the vowels produced in the vowel space and its effect on the intelligibility of the vowels in speech perception. The study is motivated by the lack of current research comparing similarities and differences of these nonnative English varieties, specifically Nigerian and Malaysian accented English. The participants in this study were 20 Nigerian ESL speakers and 20 Malaysian ESL speakers. The participants were asked to produce ten sentences containing the target vowels and these vowels were analyzed acoustically by extracting the F1 and F2 formant frequency values using PRAAT. The vowel charts were plotted for each language to show the similarities and differences between these two accented varieties of English. The results revealed that both groups of speakers categorized the ten English vowels under investigation differently in their vowel space.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

Cultural extinction in our view is a collective term that is more representative of the threat to... more Cultural extinction in our view is a collective term that is more representative of the threat to, and the extinction of all cultural forms. In providing an overview of the definitions, interdisciplinary uses, and causes of cultural extinction, our paper aims to contribute towards the strengthening of the tenuous discourse on the concept of cultural extinction. Through our review of literature, we find that available scholarship on causality commonly presents external forces that are exterior to the cultural group as responsible for triggering cultural extinction. Thus, there is need to expand research by looking into the role of the cultural groups themselves, being instrumental to the extinction of their tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Language as a form of culture has many standardized tools for assessing its status, but we have observed a comparative paucity of such tools for identifying the status of other cultural forms. To address this, we suggest the development of hybrid tools adapted from existing language status assessment tools. Finally, we recommend the need for more scholarship to advance the phenomena of cultural extinction as existing literatures are grossly inadequate. Future scholarship addressing the phenomena of cultural extinction could explore other cultural forms beyond language to offer balance to the discourse on the realities of cultural extinction.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

Kazuo Ishiguro (b. 1954) is a Japanese diasporic writer residing in Britain and is a master of st... more Kazuo Ishiguro (b. 1954) is a Japanese diasporic writer residing in Britain and is a master of storytelling through his use of the melancholic and nostalgic elements to embody the fragmented self. In his 1989 Booker Prize winning novel, The remains of the day, Ishiguro portrays the main character, a butler named Stevens, who works under an aristocrat whom he highly respects which he later finds out had supported the Nazis during World War Two. The text is laden with Steven's gradual acceptance of how his mentor eventually fails him and also how he denies himself of happiness in the pursuit of his career. Various studies from different perspectives have been conducted to examine the layers of complexity behind the characters and storytelling; for example, contesting how the stark scenery and setting changes in the novel reflect Steven's state of mind through ecocriticism (Konlov, 2013) and a New Historicist reading to link how the storyline is parallel to real historical events regarding World War Two (Emara, 2015). Yet a much-overlooked aspect of the novel which needs to be addressed is the feeling of trauma felt by Stevens regarding his life with the aristocrat. Using the concept of trauma by Cathy Caruth, this study aims to analyse the novel focusing on the repressed memories of the protagonist, Stevens. Thus, the objective of the study is to examine how Stevens' repressed memories as well as his British upbringing in shaping the experience he has undergone are reflected through the concept of trauma. The findings of the study demonstrate that indeed the trauma he has experienced is very much linked to the two elements.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

A significant part of learning a second language takes part in classroom, which brings into discu... more A significant part of learning a second language takes part in classroom, which brings into discussion as second language students face various problems and challenges which interfere in their second language learning. Teachers and educators have used different teaching approaches and strategies to help these struggling students, untying the knot of language theories from the experts. However, there are still circumstances in which students could not master the language due to various challenges and difficulties in learning the second language. One of it is to acquire the linguistic items in the English language namely grammar and the four basic skills. Hence, this study determines the challenges faced by upper secondary Malaysian students as well as the solutions employed by them to assist them in learning English as a second language (L2). The findings suggest that students faced challenges in terms of understanding the language and learning materials, the L1 interference and the motivation to learn. There are also solutions employed to facilitate L2 learning such as collaborative and autonomous learning styles and language practices. Based on the findings, some recommendations are presented for future research.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

Residential schools functioned from 1876 to 1996 in Canada in order to assimilate Indigenous chil... more Residential schools functioned from 1876 to 1996 in Canada in order to assimilate Indigenous children to Euro-Canadian culture. By implementation of Indian Act (1876), the Indigenous children were taken away from their parents and sent to these schools. The trauma that these kids underwent as a result of physical, mental and sexual abuse at these residential schools has been reflected in Basil H. Johnstons' Indian School Days. The novel will be analyzed based on Judith Herman's concept of trauma and Shoshana Felman and Dori Laub's concept of witnessting and testimony since the literary work can be a witness to the historical incidents that happened at residential schools in Canada. However, the novel also reflects the incidents that remained non-documented within various narratives within the selected novel.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

Utterances that often contain stressed words assist in communicating the intended message clearly... more Utterances that often contain stressed words assist in communicating the intended message clearly. The correct use of stressed words in job interviews is crucial for interviewees to interact effectively with the interviewer. This study aims to analyse how fresh graduates in job interviews to elicit favourable reviews from interviewers use stressed words. The job interview data, which involved 10 successful interviewees, were gathered from a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) in Malaysia. The data were annotated with Jefferson's (2004) transcription notation, which focuses on stressed words. Allwood's (1976) communicative behaviour framework of phonological patterns and Wong's (1987) analytical framework of stressed words are used to analyse qualitatively. The findings show that the interviewees used a one-word category, two-word category, phrases and phrases of more than two words. Using these stressed words are crucial because it shows interviewees' language competency, which is important in securing employment.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

The discussion section forms an integral part in the writing process of a research article (RA). ... more The discussion section forms an integral part in the writing process of a research article (RA). It is a pivotal section where proposition of findings and rebuttal of claims conflate. For such writing to be credible and be accepted by the discourse community, it is important for writers to structure their arguments along the accepted communicative moves. To date, a plethora of studies on rhetorical moves in research articles abounds but most research focuses on only moves which are at the macro level. Therefore, this paper seeks to examine not only the rhetorical moves but also the relevant steps within a move. The study also examined the linguistic realizations that identify each move and step. To realize the objectives, a qualitative analysis of 16 discussion sections of RAs in medical sciences and applied linguistics disciplines were conducted. A model of 8 moves was used as an initial framework for move analysis. The findings demonstrate the manifestation of three steps in move 1 and another three in Move 5. In addition, two moves namely Implications and Summary of Results were also found in the analysis. Regarding the disciplinary differences, move 2 (Finding) and move 5 (Explanation) were found to be obligatory in AL discipline while Move 7 (Concluding information) was the only obligatory move in MS discipline. Based on the findings, a more holistic model on moves and steps was drawn along with a list of linguistics cues pertinent in each move and step.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

Writing an abstract in English is a challenging task. This corpus-based study aims to identify th... more Writing an abstract in English is a challenging task. This corpus-based study aims to identify the move structures of empirical Political Science research article abstracts written in English in Iranian journals and to examine if the writing complies with Hyland’s (2000) model as an accepted model for abstract writing. A corpus of 120 abstracts was randomly collected and analysed employing Hyland’s (2000) five-move model for abstract writing. Findings revealed that the moves of Political Science research article abstracts in Iranian journals differ from Hyland’s model. Political Science writers of Iranian journals used 3-move and 2-move patterns in their abstracts. These patterns show that the abstracts lack Move 1 (Introduction), Move 4 (Product) and Move 5 (Conclusion). These moves were low in frequency of use and were treated as optional. Only Move 2 (Purpose) and Move 3(Method) were used with high frequency. The move analysis showed that Iranian journals lack a display of genre competence in abstract writing with regard to the rhetorical structure of an abstract mainly in the use of moves that explain the introduction, outcomes and conclusions of research (i.e. Moves 1, 4 and 5 respectively). Recommendations are made to investigate reasons for the difference in move patterns through comparative and contrastive research between native writers (both in English and Persian languages) and non-native writers (Iranians writing in English), so as to address languages and discipline specific conventions in abstract writing in political science.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

The data consisted of 109 e-mail requests to faculty written by 20 Libyan postgraduate students w... more The data consisted of 109 e-mail requests to faculty written by 20 Libyan postgraduate students who were studying in Malaysia. The data was analyzed by adopting Brown and Levinson (1987) politeness theory which is considered as a plausible analytical framework to identify politeness strategies. The research method and design used in this study was essentially qualitative approach. The findings of the current study revealed that the Libyan postgraduate students applied mostly negative politeness strategies more than the other politeness strategies. This study argues that these e-mails which featuring a high level of directness, displayed a fundamental inadequacy in the use of politeness strategies, thus creating potentially a higher chance of pragmatic failure.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

The future of language education is experiencing pedagogical shift due to the new expectation cen... more The future of language education is experiencing pedagogical shift due to the new expectation centering on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The communication skill is one of the significant 4IR technical skills apart from 21 st century skills and digital skills which are highly sought after by Human Resource Departments in future employment (Jeshcke, 2015). However, in order to produce future workforce who are not restricted by communicative barriers, learners may be affected by the threat of listening and speaking anxieties. Hence, in an attempt to understand how severe the impacts of listening and speaking anxieties are on university learners, which is the main source of human capital required for the protraction of 4IR, the research objectives of this study are to investigate the impact of language anxiety on listening and speaking skills and discover the causal factors that could contribute to language anxiety in relation to listening and speaking skills. By employing a survey design with a mixed method approach, the Factors of Language Anxiety Questionnaire (FLAQ) was distributed to 125 university learners from non-English programmes. Based on the analysis, it was discovered that learners experienced a severe impact of language anxiety in listening skills in comparison to speaking skills. However, using paired sample t-test, it is discovered that there is no significant difference between the mean scores of listening and speaking anxieties. The impact of language anxiety in both listening and speaking skills was profoundly affected by causal factors such as self-esteem and social anxiety. Therefore, by understanding the impact of listening and speaking anxieties from the learners' perspective, several strategies are recommended which highly emphasise how educators can eliminate the existence of listening and speaking anxieties in language classroom environment.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

Writing an abstract in English is a challenging task. This corpus-based study aims to identify th... more Writing an abstract in English is a challenging task. This corpus-based study aims to identify the move structures of empirical Political Science research article abstracts written in English in Iranian journals and to examine if the writing complies with Hyland's (2000) model as an accepted model for abstract writing. A corpus of 120 abstracts was randomly collected and analysed employing Hyland's (2000) five-move model for abstract writing. Findings revealed that the moves of Political Science research article abstracts in Iranian journals differ from Hyland's model. Political Science writers of Iranian journals used 3-move and 2-move patterns in their abstracts. These patterns show that the abstracts lack Move 1 (Introduction), Move 4 (Product) and Move 5 (Conclusion). These moves were low in frequency of use and were treated as optional. Only Move 2 (Purpose) and Move 3(Method) were used with high frequency. The move analysis showed that Iranian journals lack a display of genre competence in abstract writing with regard to the rhetorical structure of an abstract mainly in the use of moves that explain the introduction, outcomes and conclusions of research (i.e. Moves 1, 4 and 5 respectively). Recommendations are made to investigate reasons for the difference in move patterns through comparative and contrastive research between native writers (both in English and Persian languages) and non-native writers (Iranians writing in English), so as to address languages and discipline specific conventions in abstract writing in political science.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

Neil Gaiman's Coraline was published in 2002 and, since then, many studies have been conducted on... more Neil Gaiman's Coraline was published in 2002 and, since then, many studies have been conducted on this literary work of children's literature. In all these studies, research using Sigmund Freud's concept of defense mechanism and John Bowlby's theory of attachment are yet to be conducted. I intend to analyse Coraline using these concepts in this study in order to fill in the research gap. In the novel, the eponymous character, Coraline, has been going through a journey to find her missing parents after discovering the existence of another world that resembles her real world. When Coraline encounters the Other Mother in this alternate world and finds that she resembles Coraline's own missing mother, she feels confused. From here, my study will focus on the scope of Coraline's relationship with her real mother and Other Mother through Freud's defense mechanism and Bowlby's theory of attachment. My study uses a textual analysis approach and aims to analyse Coraline's family relationship, her feelings of denial as well as her aggressive behavior towards the Other Mother. Findings show that Coraline's family relationship with her Other Mother is mirroring John Bowlby's theory of attachment but in contradiction, Coraline still chooses to return back to her real mother as opposing this theory. Besides, Coraline's denial and aggression depict her disapproval and rejection towards the existence of her Other Mother.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

This study examines the effect of native language on listeners' perception of native and nonnativ... more This study examines the effect of native language on listeners' perception of native and nonnative consonants. The study focuses on cross-language perception of selected stops and fricatives among Hausa speakers who have little exposure to Malay, and Malay speakers who have no exposure to Hausa. The primary goal of this study is to examine how Hausa and Malay speakers perceived non-native stops and fricatives that are absent in their native language. Hausa language has a combination of plosives and implosives which involves the use of different airstream mechanisms in their production. Malay speakers who do not have any experience of implosives may find it difficult to discriminate between implosives and plosives, and to produce implosives accurately. In contrast, Hausa speakers may have difficulty discriminating between labial stops and fricatives in Malay as this distinction is not present in Hausa. Forty-five Hausa native speakers and forty-five Malay native speakers were recruited for the study. Audio-recording of minimal pairs of Malay and Hausa words were used as stimuli in an AX discrimination task. Subjects had to indicate whether they heard two different words, or the same words presented twice by two different speakers. The results of the study show that the Malay and Hausa native speakers faced considerable difficulties and problems in perceiving most non-native sound contrasts. Native language influence was found to be a major factor influencing the perception of non-native sound contrasts. This study concluded that the Perception Assimilation Model was successful in the prediction and interpretation of most of the perceptual difficulties encountered by the Malay and Hausa native speakers in the perception of stops and fricatives.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

With the ever-increasing population of non-native speakers (NNS) of English around the world, enc... more With the ever-increasing population of non-native speakers (NNS) of English around the world, encountering foreign-accented speech (FAS) has become frequent and inevitable, even in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching and learning context as more and more non-native English teachers are trained and recruited around the world. This study set out to examine the nature and extent of Libyan EFL learners' perception of Malaysian-accented English as Malaysia is one of the frequent postgraduate study destinations for Libyans. The study also attempts to examine the effect of exposure to Malaysian accented English in a speech intelligibility task. Libyan EFL learners received training with English sentences produced by fifteen Malaysian English speakers for five consecutive days. Sixteen undergraduate students recruited from a public university in Libya completed two intelligibility tasks; one as the pretest and the other as the post-test. The task involved listening to a list of sentences presented to them only once on the computer. While listening to the sentences, participants had to complete a cloze task with a total of 50 missing keywords. On average, the participants performed better in the post-test, as compared with the pretest. The results indicated a statistically significant difference between the pretest and the post-test, and this indicates that Libyan EFL learners could attain better speaker-independent adaptation to the Malaysian English variety when exposed to multiple speakers of the given accent during training. It is, therefore, concluded that perceptual training had a significant effect on the participants' achievement in speech perceptual learning.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

Most African nation states continue to be beset with a many problems resulting from years of colo... more Most African nation states continue to be beset with a many problems resulting from years of colonial misrule and neo-colonial capitalist exploitations. African literary artists continue to respond to their people's dire quality of lifequality shaped by the vicious circle of colonial experience. It is no wonder then that African literary works continue to be placed within the framework of postcolonial criticism. This study will show how, in responding to the influences of the socio-political conditions on the continent, African literature has found itself continually susceptible to literary postcolonialism. We examine the various ramifications of the relationship between the colonial experience and literary production, and draws the conclusion that postcolonial theory will continue to be relevant in the study of African literature for as long as present socio-political conditions continue to maintain a link, no matter how tenuous, to the continent's colonial experience. We use selected works of Nigerian-born British author, Ben Okri to show the concerns of postcolonialism with the hegemonic practices of the West has become an overlap from the beginnings of these hegemonic practices during colonisation, to the contemporary world. In this contemporary world, colonial and postcolonial independence ideological formations in their political and cultural manifestations continue to play a pivotal role in maintaining the power structures that differentiate the North from the South, the rich from the poor, the Centre from the Empire.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

Despite the numerous advantages reported as regards citizen journalism in developing countries, l... more Despite the numerous advantages reported as regards citizen journalism in developing countries, little has been documented on its adoption and practice in rural developing communities. This study, is anchored on democratic participant media theory. A qualitative research design was adopted and interviews were conducted among 40 participants within three large rural developing communities in the northeastern region of Nigeria. The findings confirmed that a large proportion of the rural dwellers were not aware of the term citizen journalism, and only a few of them participated fully in the practice of citizen journalism. The results establish that citizen journalism practice is still very minimal in the rural areas of Nigeria, due to poverty, power failure, their attitude, religious upbringing, customs, high level of illiteracy, high internet subscription and slow speed. Nonetheless, it was found that citizen journalism provides an avenue for community dwellers to gather and disseminate messages with immediacy, assists in exposing the excesses of government officials, and promotes a healthy lifestyle in community settings. It is relevant to encourage citizen journalism practice in rural areas, and further studies could continue to explore the issues affecting the adoption and practice of citizen journalism in developing countries.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

Vocabulary knowledge is very complex and learning vocabulary often requires the application of va... more Vocabulary knowledge is very complex and learning vocabulary often requires the application of various vocabulary learning strategies (VLS).These strategies recommended by educationists and researchers are based on some theoretical principles and are considered as effective in varying degrees in different contexts. It is important to find out the comparative effectiveness of these strategies in case of the tertiary level students of Bangladesh who are not found to be very good at using VLSs. This study, thus, investigates the comparative effectiveness of three different strategies by randomly assigning 90 tertiary level students into three groups. These three groups received different treatments and were given tests to find out both the short term and long term retention rates of 16 vocabulary items. The findings show that both the short and long term retention rates were the highest when learners were taught vocabulary using the visual aids.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2019

This paper discusses the effects of Chinese on the use of English articles by Hong Kong Cantonese... more This paper discusses the effects of Chinese on the use of English articles by Hong Kong Cantonese ESL learners. A total of 63 Cantonese ESL learners participated in two language tasks about the use of English articles, including a cloze passage task and a noun countability task. In the cloze passage task, participants completed two cloze passages by providing a suitable article for each of 50 blanks and explained, immediately after the completion of each passage, the reason for each article choice. In the noun countability task, participants used a bilingualized dictionary to determine the countability and associated article use of seven nouns in different contexts and explained, in an introspective questionnaire, how their judgements were made. Results of the tasks showed that despite the absence of structural equivalents of English articles in Chinese, Cantonese ESL learners occasionally resorted to their mother tongue in their article selection processes. A translation and comparison strategy was often employed to validate an article choice by comparing a given English sentence with its seemingly equivalent Chinese version. In teaching the use of English articles, ESL teachers are suggested to alert learners to the differences and similarities between English and their mother tongue and to help learners tackle possible adverse L1 influence.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

Despite the increasing interest on the impact of social media use for political campaign communic... more Despite the increasing interest on the impact of social media use for political campaign communication, it has been observed that the propaganda in the digital campaign processes, have been less well studied. This paper documents the role of social media in political campaign communication. This research is based on the review of past studies, conducted between November 2017 and April 2018 using Clarivate Analytics, Scopus database, Google and Google scholar. A total of 129 studies were identified and used in this study. Of the 129 papers reviewed, (n=75) 58.1% focused mainly on the use of social media (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) in political campaigns; the others (n=54) 41.9% focused on either the language of political campaigns, propaganda in e-electioneering campaigning, social bots and computational propaganda in electioneering campaigns as well as other related matters that shaped this review. A large proportion (n=33) of the studies reviewed that focused on social media (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) in electioneering campaigns predominantly used a questionnaire survey. In terms of country coverage, results from the reviewed papers show a focus on the US,, with only a few studies on Africa and Asia. Overall, results suggest that across the world, social media is now being used as a platform for broadcasting political opinions as well as a means of involvement and influencing of electorates to like a particular political party and to vote for a particular candidate. However, computational propaganda is now a threat to online political campaign and democracy across the world, because it can be used to fake grassroots political support and likes on Facebook and Twitter, thereby increasing the chances of manipulating public opinion and spreading political misinformation.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

The objective of this study was to conduct an intertextual analysis of sex-trafficking victims' r... more The objective of this study was to conduct an intertextual analysis of sex-trafficking victims' representation in Malaysian news media. More specifically, the study applies critical discourse analysis as a tool to explore the different social actors' voices and analyse how they are woven together textually or recontextualised to reproduce the underlying power and ideologies of the media on this social group. This study is based on media texts and the data is obtained from mainstream English-language newspapers, The Star and New Straits Times. Grounded in CDA, the selected articles are examined using Reisigl and Wodak's (2009) discourse-historical approach and van Leeuwen's (1996, 2008) socio-semantic categories of social actors to investigate how discursive strategies and other features of texts are employed intertextually to construct particular meaning about victims of sex trafficking. The analysis of newspaper excerpts have led to the representation of sex-trafficking victims as threats, sex offenders, and foreign invaders. Additionally, findings from the intertextual analysis reveal that certain voices have been given more emphasis by the news media while some voices are markedly silenced in order to privilege others. INTRODUCTION Trafficking of people for sexual exploitation is a serious issue and a violation of human rights, and the increase of slavery in the past decades has raised major concerns among policymakers and legislators around the globe. Although the number of sex-trafficking cases in Malaysia is comparatively smaller than in bordering countries, the impact on victims and the country's state defence is inconceivable. Exact statistics concerning the crime are difficult to obtain largely because of its surreptitious nature and few trafficked victims being willing to step forward to report their cases. As a result of its complexity, sex trafficking continues to profusely operate underground resulting in more and more women being forced into sexual slavery. Interchangeable use of the terms sex trafficking and prostitution has significant concern for victims of trafficking. When a woman is recognised as a trafficked victim, more resources will be available for helping her, but when the victim is labelled a prostitute, she loses access to justice and is therefore subject to discrimination and criminalisation. This may lead to victim blaming, assigning them derogatory labels and classifying them as criminals. At present, Malaysia does not have any specific law that addresses sex trafficking or that recognizes trafficked men or women as victims despite the prohibition of sexual slavery stated in Malaysian Constitution. The international human trafficking law is used as the

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

In an argumentative piece of writing, an issue is put forth, its pros and cons are considered, an... more In an argumentative piece of writing, an issue is put forth, its pros and cons are considered, and the writer‟s justification(s) for supporting one of them is presented. Although there are several models of argumentation, what is lacking in the literature is a comprehensive model for assessing writing by English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. This paper presents the Pyramid of Argumentation (PoA) that is an integrated model for assessing writing. As a three-sided pyramid standing on four columns, PoA integrates several recent and ancient theories of argumentation, linguistic competence, and language assessment. While the pyramid focuses on the components of argumentative writing, the pillars involve components of language ability and language assessment. The four sides of the pyramid, logos, ethos, rhetorical situation, as well as style and arrangement represent adapted version of the Classical Rhetoric as re-introduced by Crowley (1994) and Kinneavy (1971). The side of the pyramid that covers logos is replaced by Toulmin‟s (2003) Model of Argument. The four columns, on which the pyramid is based, include the language knowledge, context of situation, world knowledge, and strategic knowledge. PoA integrates the theory of Communicative Language Ability (Bachman, 1990) with Components of Language Competence (Bachman, 1990). Writing teachers and material developers can use the PoA to make sure that they cover all the skills that learners need to develop mature pieces of argumentative writing. With the PoA as a framework, self-assessment and peer-review checklists can be developed to scaffold students‟ learning of argumentative writing. Similarly, such a framework can provide the criteria based on which rubrics for evaluating argumentative essays can be designed. As a comprehensive model, PoA will help teachers improve validity of their assessment by providing a comprehensive account of argumentative writing construct.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

In an argumentative piece of writing, an issue is put forth, its pros and cons are considered, an... more In an argumentative piece of writing, an issue is put forth, its pros and cons are considered, and the writer " s justification(s) for supporting one of them is presented. Although there are several models of argumentation, what is lacking in the literature is a comprehensive model for assessing writing by English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. This paper presents the Pyramid of Argumentation (PoA) that is an integrated model for assessing writing. As a three-sided pyramid standing on four columns, PoA integrates several recent and ancient theories of argumentation, linguistic competence, and language assessment. While the pyramid focuses on the components of argumentative writing, the pillars involve components of language ability and language assessment. The four sides of the pyramid, logos, ethos, rhetorical situation, as well as style and arrangement represent adapted version of the Classical Rhetoric as reintroduced by Crowley (1994) and Kinneavy (1971). The side of the pyramid that covers logos is replaced by Toulmin " s (2003) Model of Argument. The four columns, on which the pyramid is based, include the language knowledge, context of situation, world knowledge, and strategic knowledge. PoA integrates the theory of Communicative Language Ability (Bachman, 1990) with Components of Language Competence (Bachman, 1990). Writing teachers and material developers can use the PoA to make sure that they cover all the skills that learners need to develop mature pieces of argumentative writing. With the PoA as a framework, self-assessment and peer-review checklists can be developed to scaffold students " learning of argumentative writing. Similarly, such a framework can provide the criteria based on which rubrics for evaluating argumentative essays can be designed. As a comprehensive model, PoA will help teachers improve validity of their assessment by providing a comprehensive account of argumentative writing construct. BACKGROUND In the past, teaching writing to English as a Second Language (ESL) learners was approached very differently from the way it is done today. During the dominance of Product approach, the focus was on students " written products rather than the process they went through in writing a text (Raimes, 1991). In writing composition classes students were given some time to write about a topic. Teachers edited (if at all) and scored these compositions impressionistically based on the implicit criteria that they might have developed throughout their teaching experience. During the dominance of Audio-Lingual Method, spoken skills were considered to be superior to written skills (Larsen-Freeman, 2000). As a result, writing was merely there to reinforce the language structures that the learners had just learned.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

Ruthless victimization of women is often depicted in Malaysian fiction. Characterized by biasness... more Ruthless victimization of women is often depicted in Malaysian fiction. Characterized by biasness and brutalities of a predominantly male-centred culture, this theme has been a central theme by writers coming from varied cultural and ethnic backgrounds that makeup Malaysia. Rani Manicka also incorporates such theme in her debut novel, The Rice Mother (2003). However, another theme that becomes prominent in this novel is the theme of resiliency – portrayed mainly through the matriarch figure, Lakshmi. Indeed, Lakshmi's resilience has interesting affinity with Durga, a principal form of the Hindu goddess, and it is against this mythological archetype that we frame the reading of the novel. Ultimately, an understanding of this mythological archetype will provide a clearer lens with which to look at Manicka's story, and thus, the reader will be able to see how she presents the greater purpose of this archetype: to promote the resiliency of the human spirit.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

Everyday interaction is not a faultless process. It is possible for the process to experience tro... more Everyday interaction is not a faultless process. It is possible for the process to experience troubles in speaking, hearing or understanding that can lead to interactional breakdowns between speakers. One available mechanism for speakers to address and resolve trouble is through other-initiated repair (OIR). Majority of OIR studies to date have used English language as data source. This may not entirely describe similar strategies employ by speakers of other languages when they participate in OIR. The present study aims to examine strategies for speakers of Malay language to initiate repair following troubles in everyday interaction. Three parent-child dyads of Malay language speakers were selected as participants. Their interaction over several homely activities (i.e. family meal time) were recorded and later transcribed following Jefferson Transcription System (2004). Analysis on strategies was quantitatively performed following Philip's (2008) Clarification Request coding scheme. Overall result showed that parents and children employ different types of strategies when they are in position to initiate repair. Children largely depend on the use of open-class word that is known to be a weak repair initiator while parents are consistent with a more specific repair initiator. Result from this study provides novel discovery on how Malay speakers initiate repair in the context of parent-child interaction and it can serve as comparative data for future typological studies.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

Development has always been Malaysia's priority since independence in 1957. This enthusiasm is re... more Development has always been Malaysia's priority since independence in 1957. This enthusiasm is reflected in many of the country's past and existing policies and plans. Being one of the countries endowed with plenty of natural resources, Malaysia's rapid capitalist-driven development has, however, taken its tolls on nature, causing concern that environmental sustainability is taken for granted. The antagonistic relations between development and environmental sustainability have also preoccupied local writers writing in English, such as Muhammad Haji Salleh, KS Maniam and Cecil Rajendra, to name a few. Among these writers, Rajendra is the most consistent in writing about environmental issues. This study analyses Cecil Rajendra's selected poems, ranging from 1978 to 2004. It deals with the questions of how Rajendra characterises development in Malaysia and what this conveys about Rajendra's view on environmental sustainability. Marxist concepts of treadmill of production and metabolic rift are applied to examine the antagonistic relations between development and environmental sustainability. This paper extends the literary critical practice of Malaysian poetry in English by focusing on the environmental perspective, adding to the debate on development in Malaysia.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

Idioms are fixed expressions, which can be challenging for translators. This paper aims to compar... more Idioms are fixed expressions, which can be challenging for translators. This paper aims to compare the representation of idioms in the source text, San Gua Yan Yi, a Classic Chinese novel with the representation in the translation enacted in Three Kingdoms. All idioms that were utilized more than six times in the source text were identified and these idioms and their translations were analyzed. The paper adopted the transitivity system in Systemic Functional Linguistics (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2014) for the analysis. The representation of meaning in idioms in the source and target texts were examined closely, by focussing on the processes and other elements of the idiom and the sentences prior to and following the idiom that forms the context surrounding the idiom to describe the literal lineament in the translated texts. The results provided some insight to fathom the translators word selection and strategies for translation of idioms. The investigation revealed that some of the idioms that were reiterated for numerous times in the novel were sometimes presented differently from its source text to accommodate the need of the contexts. The analysis showed differences in distinct word selection, for the purpose of pertinent context presentation and message delivery. Ultimately, the analysis in this study strives to offer insights on idiom translation strategies by illustrating the silhouette of word concordances that may be influenced by the context of use for each idiom.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

The relationship between feeling and understanding is vital to learning, as what we feel about co... more The relationship between feeling and understanding is vital to learning, as what we feel about concerns what we learn.Thus, understanding how learners " make meaning of a learning experience is crucial. It needs to be uncovered specifically to assist language practitioners facilitate learning. This article discusses learners " " meaning making " of their Problem-Based Learning (PBL) experiences in a Business English Course (BEC). In this qualitative study, a phenomenographic research methodology was employed. The research participants were eight first year undergraduates from a Malaysian public university. The data was collected through interviews and observations. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded into categories using thematic analysis. The observation notes acted as triangulation as well as additional data in the interpretation phase. The findings demonstrated the unique experiences of the research participants in experiencing PBL for the first time and the " meaning making " of what PBL is for them as learners. The learners " PBL experience was considered essential for practitioners to establish a link between what they perceive and the actual experiences from the learners in order to aid the practitioners in developing a conducive learning environment. INTRODUCTION Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical strategy which employs contextualized real world situations. In this learning environment, learners are engaged in a collaborative process which starts with a problem or case that is assigned to them. The learners work collaboratively to research and reflect the information obtained before arriving at a group consensus in solving the case or problem. In other words, learners undergo a very complex and challenging learning experience contrary to the traditional classroom environment. This paper focuses on the meaning making of Business English learners who experience Problem-Based Learning in their course. The term meaning-making has been used in constructivist educational psychology to refer to the personal epistemology that persons create to help them make sense of the influences, relationships and sources of knowledge in their world (Kegan, 1982). Thus, understanding the learners " experiences in this learning environment is very crucial and deemed necessary for practitioners to adapt and adopt teaching and learning activities to meet the needs of the learners and classroom.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

Since speaking is one of the most difficult skills for Chinese EFL learners to manage, mastering ... more Since speaking is one of the most difficult skills for Chinese EFL learners to manage, mastering the skills to communicate effectively in a L2 context has attracted the attention of many researchers. There were number of studies conducted on communicative strategies, however less attention was given in analysing EFL learners on transactional practice on communicative strategies. Therefore, this study aims to analyse upper-intermediate Chinese EFL learners' communication strategies in a transactional context so as to investigate the appropriate functions of communication strategies, utilising the qualitative method (Jackson, 2011 & Creswell, 2014). Data was collected from a pair of Chinese master students in one the higher learning institutions through audio-recording, pair discussion and stimulated recall interview. It was found that the participants appeared to be lack of sufficient knowledge about communication strategies prior to the study. The findings also reveal there was an improvement in the participants' communication strategies; conveying meaning, ensure language accuracy (self-repair and others repair), and to keep conversation going. Since oral communication is the most commonly used means of communication, 'to convey meaning' is the most effective and quickest method of sending and receiving messages.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2018

This study aims to identify the ways in which elements of magic realism in Salman Rushdie's Luka ... more This study aims to identify the ways in which elements of magic realism in Salman Rushdie's Luka and the Fire of Life (2010) are used to subvert notions of reality that are reflected through various mediums, from literary realism through non-literary discourses and, finally, time itself which is often regarded as objective. This paper seeks to show through its application of Hegerfeldt's (2005) five prototypical features of magic realism that, firstly, words could be used to both represent fantasy as reality through the appropriation of realistic forms of writing to describe fantastical characters and events. Secondly, the use of an " ex-centric " or marginalised focaliser in the novel also enables it to challenge mainstream ideas regarding reality, specifically the conventional notion of Time. Time, as the novel implies, can be subjective as it is affected by the consciousness of the novel's marginalised characters. Thirdly, words could also be used to subvert non-literary discourses. Fourthly, Time is also supernaturalised or personified in the narrative even though it neither has a physical nor an abstract form. Discussion on the opposition between fatalism and free will appears in this context of time as determining the destiny of the novel's characters who appears to challenge it through their free will. Finally, a subverted reality is represented through literalisation which is when figurative expressions manifest themselves literally, thus crossing the boundaries between words and reality.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

This paper briefly thematically analyses the moral lessons derived from the MTV " Shuga down sout... more This paper briefly thematically analyses the moral lessons derived from the MTV " Shuga down south " drama series acted in South Africa, which portray the issues youth are confronted with in our contemporary society, such as HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, identity and sexual awareness. As such, the study suggests positive health behaviours and choices youths can imbibe. The Edutainment framework was adopted in this study to demonstrate the place of television drama in creating awareness and attitudinal change in the society. The themes explored in this study include peer pressure, supporting friends and living with HIV, HIV disclosure, abortion, unplanned pregnancy, dangers of traditional medicine, infidelity deceit of underage female in the society, HIV testing, stigmatization, living with HIV, and transactional sex. This analysed themes led to suggestions that youths in Africa and the world at large, can adhere to, so as to improve their health behaviours and choices, such as the need to test for HIV/AIDS regularly, that contraceptive/condom use is not the answer to prevent HIV, the best is abstinence, never give up even when you contract HIV, live a positive life and support friends living with HIV. Furthermore, the study proposes that female youths should abstain from illicit sex that leads to abortion as the most dangerous abortion technique is the traditional method. INTRODUCTION Background to the study MTV Shuga was first produced in 2009 for Kenya television by the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, in partnership with MTV Base Africa (UNAIDS, 2013). The drama series demonstrates a classical example of edutainment film rich with didactical lessons. The series encapsulate stories around the youth of different African region, showcasing their lifestyles and realities to the rest of the world, and addressing the key issues of society, especially matters surrounding HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, identity and sexual awareness. According to Booker et al. (2016), the entertainment-education, the drama was designed with specific goals of promoting the use of condom, single versus multiple sexual partners, and the stigmatization of HIV. Hence, the main aim of the TV drama was to educate and empower the youths with respect to their sexual and reproductive health. The MTV Shuga series started from Kenya with the first two seasons, then to Nigeria for another two seasons and next to South African which is Season 5. This ground breaking TV show portrays the lives and loves of a group of young people and examines the ramifications of sexual decisions on the lives of young people, their partners, and their loved ones. Seamlessly interwoven into the storylines are vital messages related to HIV and a wide range of other sexual health messages (Christodoulo, 2014). Hence, the drama was done to bring to the attention of young people the social complexities of negotiating safer sexual and lifestyle decisions. Supporting this view, Arnold (2017) observed that the drama series is a campaign that employs the power of entertainment to generate positive sexual and reproductive health outcomes among young people.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

Catherine Lim's The English Language Teacher's Secret (1987) features Sylvie Ponniah as a spinste... more Catherine Lim's The English Language Teacher's Secret (1987) features Sylvie Ponniah as a spinster during The Graduate Woman phenomenon in Singapore during the mid 1980s. While unaffected by the government's matchmaking efforts and the excitement of the people around her, the story revealed Sylvie's secret love story and how she had faithfully held onto the memory for twenty years without having her feelings actually reciprocated at the present time. Lim brilliantly projects the issue of feminism, freedom and individual choice within her spinster narrative, opening up possibilities for Sylvie to be read under an existentialist point of view. By using the conceptual framework that highlights the construction of Sartre's bad faith, this paper aims to dissect Sylvie's use of misdirection strategies to evade her freedom.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

In general, trauma is often a threat to life when it involves physical harm. However, an overwhel... more In general, trauma is often a threat to life when it involves physical harm. However, an overwhelming feeling can also be traumatic. Recovery, on the other hand, is the process in which characters manage to restore their life back to normal. The main focus of this study is to examine the types of trauma and the stages of recovery that characters in the selected novel go through by using Judith Herman's concepts of Trauma and Recovery. The main concept of Trauma that will be analysed in this study is child abuse while the stages of recovery to be discussed include reconnection and the dialectic of continued trauma. The study examines these issues in the narrative of Daughters Who Walk This Path, written by Yejide Kilanko. This novel depicts ill-fated events that eventually lead to the characters' traumatic experience and later the recuperation that the characters go through. Daughters Who Walk This Path portrays how a traumatised rape victim manages to move on with life after that torture. The book portrays how the traumatised characters managed to recover from their dark past in order to live a normal life. INTRODUCTION The novel, Daughters Who Walk This Path, depicts ill-fated events that eventually lead to the traumatic experiences and later recuperation that the characters go through. Trauma has been depicted as an experience whereby the victim goes through a series of ill-fated events (Caruth 1996). As portrayed in the novel, trauma was shown in the form of child abuse. In the novel, Child abuse was in the form of rape that happened to two school-going children. These two children were left under the care of people their parents had trusted. In order to recuperate from a trauma, the victims must come to terms with the issues which are actually not allowing them to move toward the future. The only way for the victims to have a better future is by working through the residual effects of their traumatic experiences (Schick 37-55). Both the rape victims in Daughters Who Walk This Path had to undergo the stages of recovery in order to restart normal life. They had to come to terms with their attacks and attackers as a way for them to move forward. The stages of recovery that these two characters underwent were those proposed by Herman in his concept of Trauma and Recovery. Generally, African texts have been discussed from a Post-Colonial theoretical perspective. The main focus of Post-Colonial literature's transcultural memory is its colonial past, which can portray important insights into life during that time. Although many of important events that took place and circumstances that existed during the colonial age have been related in Post-Colonial literature, not many themes have emerged depicting the lives of African slaves, although slavery has been a major theme portraying the physical and mental traumatization that the slaves were subjected to by their colonizers (Eckstein 2006) As for the novel used in this study, no prior studies were found to have been done on this book. However, many genres have been discussed using trauma theory in the African context. This study will analyse the novel Daughters Who Walk This Path by using Judith Herman's (1992) Trauma and Recovery concept. The Trauma: Child Abuse

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

Organisational membership of workplace social positioning could provide individuals a sense of so... more Organisational membership of workplace social positioning could provide individuals a sense of social identity and at the same time, give way to some form of disclosure dilemma. In such context, one may have dilemma sharing their views due to ethical reasons among organisation members. Such dilemma may affect the manner in which caregivers and teachers address the welfare of foster children in order to safeguard their social positioning to the organisation they serve. This paper applies Scager et al.'s (2017) dilemma analysis instrument to examine the effect of social positioning among teachers' and caregivers' disclosure dilemma. Semi-structured interview data among teachers and caregivers in Malaysia reveal that disclosure dilemma of teachers and caregivers were realised through the use of mitigation devices. To preserve their social identities, they positioned themselves positively in the organisation they serve.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

This study uses Hartman and Judd’s (1978) framework to investigate the occupational and stereotyp... more This study uses Hartman and Judd’s (1978) framework to investigate the occupational and stereotypical roles assigned to women and men in two volumes of English textbooks belonging to Iranian high schools. Although some decades have passed since the first investigation of sexism in textbooks, gender-bias still exists. The results of this study demonstrated that the manifestation of women and men regarding occupational roles in the textbooks was unfair. In other words, women were depicted in more stereotypical occupations than men and the men’s occupations were more diverse than the women’s.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

Hesitations are pauses with different lengths, which are not generally left unfilled. They occur ... more Hesitations are pauses with different lengths, which are not generally left unfilled. They occur when the speaker is at a loss for words or engages in cognitive or verbal planning. Hesitation strategies belong to the larger class of 'disfluencies' or 'self-repairs'. The objectives of this article are, firstly, to identify the hesitation strategies used by FL (Foreign Language) learners when participating in an interview and, secondly, to identify the distribution of hesitation occurrences during a discourse. This study presents an investigation of hesitation strategies among fifteen international students from one of the public universities in Malaysia. Video and audio recording were used for all participants during the interview. Two standard interviews were prepared for each participant. The interviewer asked a few questions about two specific topics from each participant. Concentrating on hesitations, DF (Disfluency) and pauses, and idiosyncratic fillers, the interviews were transcribed and analysed qualitatively. The video recordings were also coded and analysed according to non-verbal/paralinguistic features, including different body gestures. The results indicated the disability to speak fluently was endemic among the FL students even though they possessed linguistic abilities. Consequently, they need to be taught to apply effective oral skills, including appropriate hesitation strategies, to improve their ability in fluent speech production.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

In Nigeria, the northern region accounts for the largest population with 53.4 percent and it is n... more In Nigeria, the northern region accounts for the largest population with 53.4 percent and it is noted for various communicable and non-communicable diseases. The region is also noted for the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS, malaria and polio-the three global scourges. Statistics further indicate that the north has the highest level of illiteracy in Nigeria. It is, therefore, noteworthy that the region is strategically important as its state of affairs has overbearing effects on the socioeconomic and political systems of Nigeria. In view of this, this study investigates the newspaper coverage of health issues in relation to the north with particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS, malaria and polo. The author performed content analysis on four national newspapers in Nigeria from 2010-2013 and found a medium correlation coefficient value of .308 between newspaper coverage of HIV/AIDS, malaria and polio and northern region. This correlation value (r = .308) implies that Nigerian newspapers have given a moderate attention or coverage to northern Nigeria in their health coverage. However, the study concludes that if this region can enjoy more coverage from Nigerian newspapers, this may influence policy makers in the health sector to focus more attention on the north. The paper then recommends that more national newspapers may need to be established in the north because location of newspaper organisations has great influence on the coverage of health issues among Nigerian newspapers.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

In the 21 st century, mastering English language helps fresh graduates to cope with workplace com... more In the 21 st century, mastering English language helps fresh graduates to cope with workplace communication in any situation There are four language aspects that attributes to communicative competence (Canale & Swain, 1980). The most important is competency in grammatical and sociolinguistic which are needed for successful communication and, importance in promoting and portraying their capabilities especially during employment interviews. However, most of the fresh graduates fail to impress employers when they could not even comprehend the basic interview questions asked by most employers. This shows that not only their proficiency of the English language as a tool of communication is poor, but above all, they neglect to see the importance of successful communication. This inability leads to social and economic drawbacks, in relation to job attainments. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how the ignorant attitudes towards the importance of mastering English amongst the fresh graduates is one of the major causes of not securing jobs in Malaysia. An in-depth interview was conducted with a sample of 35 Human Resource Managers from well-known organisations in Malaysia. A semi-structured interview protocol was used in this study to find out the reasons of the incapability of fresh graduates to land jobs. The findings show that most of the fresh graduates who attended the employment interviews could not comprehend the basic questions asked in most interviews. They were not able to answer questions accordingly and oftenly, the answers given were misinterpreted by the interviewees because of their inappropriate choice of words, incorrect sentence formation, lack of pragmatic competence, and misinterpreting questions. This indirectly shows the lack of English language competence among fresh graduates. There can be further investigation into learning language and behaviour skills to develop certain communication skills. Fresh graduates are invited to participate in blended learning to enhance their English language proficiency. The Government has also implemented the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) to create more job opportunities by 2020 and this will benefits graduate who have a good command of English. Most organisations may request fresh graduates to show evidence of English proficiency apart from having excellent academic qualifications

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

The Stillborn (1984) is Zaynab Alkali's debut novel that captured the attention of many researche... more The Stillborn (1984) is Zaynab Alkali's debut novel that captured the attention of many researchers and critics alike. The Virtuous Woman (1986) that arrived two years after has not attracted much critical attention. Alkali is a prominent Nigerian female writer, whose concern is always the place of a girl-child in a patriarchal African society. Literary reviews on the texts have highlighted concept of women oppression and their emancipation (Okereke, 1996, Razinatu and Kurfi, 2011). Alkali believes that, it is only education that can play the role of emancipation of a girl-child in a patriarchal society. In The Stillborn and The Virtuous Woman, Alkali attempts to prove this by portraying a female character (Li) in The Stillborn who triumphs at the end both educationally and economically. And in The Virtuous Woman three female characters are portrayed as successful ones educationally. But in so doing, Alkali seems to alienate the male characters in the two texts. The objective of this paper is to examine the aspect that is given less attention hithertothe female dominance over the male character(s) as portrayed by the author. It also uses textual analysis as the methodology in analyzing the two texts. Nego-feminism is the theory to be used as conceptualised and theorised by Obioma Nnaemeka (1999). It is a new feminist theory which is hoped to be used as a negotiating tool between patriarchy and matriarchy. The expected finding hopes to create a better and balanced society that accommodates the sexes.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

This exploratory study was conducted to examine the influence of expertise on the subject matter ... more This exploratory study was conducted to examine the influence of expertise on the subject matter knowledge of literary devices among English language teachers. Data was collected from 246 English language teachers in a district in north Malaysia and it was analyzed quantitatively. The findings of the study revealed expertise influenced the subject matter knowledge of literary devices of the three groups namely novice, competent and expert English language teachers. The expert English language teachers were significantly different in their subject matter knowledge of literary devices from the competent and novice English language teachers. They were also better in their subject matter knowledge of literary devices than the non-expert English language teachers. Further, there was a significant difference in the subject matter knowledge of literary devices between the competent and novice English language teachers.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

This paper attempts to establish that the zeitgeist emerges from trends of the times and imprinte... more This paper attempts to establish that the zeitgeist emerges from trends of the times and imprinted onto Chick Lit, a genre of popular postfeminist fiction, through authorship from the point of Chick Lit's emergence to its rise in popular culture. This paper traces the origins of Chick Lit to better pinpoint the current trends or spirit of the times that serve as the backdrop or cultural landscape Chick Lit writers have utilised. It demonstrates the contemporaneous nature of writers who produce the same kind of fiction around the same time from different parts of the world. The writers are exposed to prevalent popular culture throughout their lives that may influence their writing style and content. The qualitative method of this study detects these patterns based on data of Chick Lit writers' real life experiences and documented trends from the early twenty-first century.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

Effective TESL trainee practitioners (TPs) not only equip themselves with the knowledge of the En... more Effective TESL trainee practitioners (TPs) not only equip themselves with the knowledge of the English language but must also have the right personality traits to suit their profession. Their personality needs to be further complemented with the proper use of nonverbal communication skills. This study investigates TPs' self-reported use of nonverbal communication skills and the dominant personality traits of TPs. In addition, this study investigates the relationship between TESL trainee practitioners' personality traits and their nonverbal communication skills. The Big Five personality traits measured in this study include openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and extraversion, while the nonverbal communication skills measured are facial expression, eye contact, posture, touch, proxemics, paralanguage, clothing, gestures, and chronemics. Data was collected through two sets of questionnaires given to 277 trainee practitioners from the TESL programmes in four teacher training institutes in Malaysia. Findings suggest that TPs are concerned about their attire during working hours, and agreeableness is their dominant personality trait. Out of the five personality traits, only threeagreeableness, openness, and neuroticismshowed significant relationships with nonverbal communication. Implications for these correlations are discussed. The salience of personality traits in relation to nonverbal communication skills of trainee teachers are further discussed as relevant characteristics in developing the skills of effective teaching. These characteristics are particularly recommended to be included in the ongoing reflective practices of teachers for awareness and self-improvement.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

State of flow has been conceived as the optimal mental condition on a learner's part for task eng... more State of flow has been conceived as the optimal mental condition on a learner's part for task engagement and learning (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). The occurrence of flow experience during language learning activities depends to a large extent on those features of learning environment which are mainly derived from a dynamic view of cognitive-affective functioning. Consequently, a balanced combination of cognitive, emotional and motivational engagement with a language learning task is regarded as a favorable condition for flow sate to occur (Dornyei, 2010). In this study, different pretask activities were used to induce emotional, motivational and cognitive engagement with a vocabulary learning task. The results indicated that each type of task engagement activity was effective in enhancing short-term gains in productive and receptive command of target words. Meanwhile, integrating the three types of task engagement activities led to the enhanced performance on both short-term and long-term assessment of target words, which is interpreted as resulting from flow state in task engagement. The study findings imply suggestions for adding emotional and motivational components to the syllabus and pedagogy of focused tasks in a task-based program. INTRODUCTION Language learning tasks were originally proposed to involve learners in cognitive processing of L2 elements while the primary attention remains on meaningful communication (Skehan, 1998). Nevertheless, 'authentic communication' as a defining feature of language learning tasks allows for affective and motivational dimensions as well to play a role in the language learning process. Cognitive processing of linguistic elements, through focused tasks for example, does not occur in vacuum and void of any affective or motivational impressions (Manolopoulou-Sergi, 2004). In line with this argument, evidence from cognitive psychology and neurobiology advocates a dynamic, integrative and interactive relationship between the three components of mental functioning, i.e. cognition, emotion and motivation (Dai & Sternberg, 2004). Similarly, recent postulations concerning a 'dynamic system' view of SLA motivation (Dornyei, 2010) conceive of motivational processes as being in close interaction with cognitive and emotional elements involved in language learning tasks. In this regard, 'flow state' as "a state of intensive involvement in and focused concentration on a task" (Dornyei, 2010: 254) has been proposed to be resulting from a balanced combination of

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

The trilogy of Toni Morrison is set against the backdrop of slavery and Reconstruction of African... more The trilogy of Toni Morrison is set against the backdrop of slavery and Reconstruction of African-Americans. The historical scenario provides Morrison with a context to explore the emotional and psychological trauma particularly inflicted upon women of the society, thus reminding the contemporary reader the significance of past and its influence upon the present. In Paradise, physical and mental evasion of Mavis from domestic violence helps her to confront the situation confidently and bravely. The severe treatment of the woman by her family-members results in emotional breakdown leading towards confusion and nervousness. I investigate various ways in which evasion is registered, through the character of Mavis, which becomes a strategy to survive amid atypical circumstances. Essentially the paper argues my stance that in certain cases, events have to be evaded by the survivor, only then they can be decoded into non-traumatic experience making the survival probable amid nonconforming conditions.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate compliment responses (CRs) produced by Malaysian Chin... more The purpose of this study is to investigate compliment responses (CRs) produced by Malaysian Chinese undergraduates. The data of this study was collected from 30 Malaysian Chinese undergraduate students in one of the public university in Malaysia. The data was collected by role-play scenarios which consisted of 8 situations that were recorded and transcribed by Dongmei Cheng's (2011) framework. The findings of the study show that Malaysian Chinese undergraduates' CRs are greatly influenced by social distance and they tend to use Acceptance strategy at the macro level. At the micro level, the most preferred strategy is Appreciation which is under macro strategy of Acceptance. On the contrary, Rejection and Offering have been the least preferred CRs strategies.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

In April 2009, reports of a new strain of a deadly flu virus emerged in Mexico. The scarcity of i... more In April 2009, reports of a new strain of a deadly flu virus emerged in Mexico. The scarcity of information available on this new threat can be observed clearly in the language used in the news reports. This study investigates the use of conceptual metaphors of the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in the newspaper and how these metaphors helped to construct the notion of a pandemic in the media. Metaphors of illness and disease are a prominent tool in the discourse of disease in the news. The conceptual metaphor theory by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) was utilized as a framework in this study to investigate the coverage of the pandemic in the newspaper. The data was extracted from a corpus of news reports from The New Straits Times Malaysia from April 2009 to August 31, 2009 when the disease was at its peak. The results of the study yielded various metaphorical linguistic expression of war and construction of the pandemic in the news. Metaphors of war were found to be prominent, and it had a rhetorical function in helping to structure and control the situation. By highlighting certain aspects of war, the concept of disease was given a form and structure and thus, made it more tangible and controllable.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

International graduate students in Malaysian higher education institutions are faced with challen... more International graduate students in Malaysian higher education institutions are faced with challenges in fulfilling the academic literacy demands at graduate level. One of the components of academic literacy that impose challenges for the students in coping with their academic tasks is academic speaking. This purposive sampling based qualitative research investigated the challenges faced by these students in their academic speaking practices and the overcoming strategies employed to overcome the challenges. Focus group interviews were conducted with 70 students in 10 taught Master programs at a public university. Findings indicate the challenges faced in academic speaking practices are affected by first language influence on academic speaking, lack of English language proficiency, lack of self-confidence, lack of feedback from their lecturers and lastly, the influence of their socio-cultural identity. The strategies employed by the students to overcome the academic speaking challenges are also discussed. The findings are beneficial for the management of higher education institutions to provide avenues for the students to improve their academic speaking practices experience prior to embarking on graduate study and also during their graduate study.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

The Malaysian concept of collecting Corporate Art remains underdeveloped, with only a few busines... more The Malaysian concept of collecting Corporate Art remains underdeveloped, with only a few businesses supporting such engagement. Considerable research has been conducted to understand the management rationale for either engagement in collecting or avoiding art, although no such study is available relating to Malaysia. This research investigated the relationship between managers' demographic backgrounds and the practise of collecting Corporate Art in Malaysia. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and community engagement are the drivers behind organisational art acquisition. Art can also enhance other stakeholders' benefits. This study used the Stakeholder Theory as theoretical framework, and the analyses used mainly t-Test and ANOVA. Major findings were that demographics influence the rationale behind Corporate Art Collection practice, and a positive correlation was found between the CSR rationale and other rationales such as Decoration or Cultural Experience. A model for the highest potential for art engagement in Malaysia was then derived: Managers who are Muslim, specializing in HRM, working in the Finance sector and are over 37 years old. The findings can create an awareness of Corporate Art Collection practise beyond the mainstream business of viewing it as an investment or solely as a CSR tool. The paper brings valuable knowledge to Malaysian managers and communication professionals with respect to the impact of brand and image extension strategies through artistic and cultural products.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2017

Communication is among the main elements and requirements of modern life for all human beings. Co... more Communication is among the main elements and requirements of modern life for all human beings. Communication competence and communication theories help and guide individuals to conduct proper communication and assess the process of interactions among different people. So far, almost all communication theories are developed based on the Western social, cultural and communicative norms, which may not cover works on communications among people in the Eastern parts of the world. This study reviewed and assessed 100 available works on interpersonal communication and intercultural communication from different perspectives. This study also assessed the results of four different original studies on interpersonal communication and intercultural among universities from different social and cultural backgrounds. Through the review of previous works which were available in the literature that mostly belonged the Western parts of the world, and thorough the evaluation of the results from the original studies which were conducted in an Asian country, some differences were found based on the main elements and steps of communication. Through the comparison of the results from the reviewed works and from the original studies, this study suggests a new theoretical framework of direct communication among individuals from different backgrounds under the Eastern context of communication. This study suggest the contact initiation, negotiation, cognition, and cohesion as four of the main steps for conducting successful interactions among people from different backgrounds based on the Eastern communication norms and social perspectives.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

In African Male Writings, as in other writings from the other regions of the world, the tradition... more In African Male Writings, as in other writings from the other regions of the world, the tradition of domination of women has been long established-a patriarchal (mis)adventure. This is partly because for a very long time, male authors have dominated the writing and criticism of African Literature which gives birth to the present state of affairs. Nego-Feminism is a relatively new theory which confronts the issues of patriarchy and female dominance through negotiation and non-confrontational attitudes in dealing with the feminist struggles that occur on the continent. It considers the implications of patriarchal traditions and customs and aims to dismantle them and negotiate for a better position through the power of the pen in the literary discourse. This article seeks to interrogate this exercise of negotiation in the contemporary African Novel in relation to the female voice as given to women by male writers to express their non-confrontational stand in the contemporary male authors narrative from Northern Nigeria using Abubakar Gimba's Sacred Apples as an example.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

Error analysis is one of the ways to study and correct learners' mistakes in vocabulary and synta... more Error analysis is one of the ways to study and correct learners' mistakes in vocabulary and syntax in the process of leaning a foreign language. Hence, this study aims to analyse misselection and related errors made by French students in their learning Malay as a foreign language with regard to the writing skills. The study utilized quantitative and qualitative method of data collection, by applying the definition of misselection errors by Dulay, Burt and Krashen (1982) and misformation errors by James (1998) to the analysis. A total of 10 French respondents participated in this study. The task consisted of the administration of the four writing task. The study discovered the most dominant error produced by French students in their Malay written tasks were misselection on lexis (52%), misselection error on affix/ suffix (16%) and misselection errors on the phrases (11%). As a result of this preliminary study, it is hoped that learners can acquire a better understanding of the Malay language; and future study can help classify the errors that learners made and how they could overcome them.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION , 2016

This study is on remediating Nigerian Junior Secondary School (JSS) students written English comp... more This study is on remediating Nigerian Junior Secondary School (JSS) students written English competence and writing anxiety using the guided writing strategy. The quasi experimental research design involving two groups (one experimental and the other controlled) was used. The population of the study comprised JSS 2 students from the public Junior Secondary schools in Zaria Educational Zone of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Two (2) coeducation schools were selected by the simple random sampling method. The sample for the study comprised 132 students from two intact classes selected by the simple random sampling technique from the JSS2 arm in the respective schools. Three (3) validated instruments: Guided Expository Essay Performance Test (GEEPT), Guided Descriptive Essay Performance Test (GDEPT) and English Writing Anxiety Scale (EWAS) with reliabilities of 0.73, 0.78 and 0.84 respectively were used to collect data. The research hypotheses were analyzed using the t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test at P ≤ 0.05 level of significance by the aid of the computer software Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS version 23). The results obtained showed a significant difference in written English performance in favour of student exposed to the guided writing strategy. It was also observed that students exposed to guided writing strategy had lower anxiety level compared to others taught by the conventional method. Based on the findings recommendations such as teachers should employ the use of guided writing were made in the teaching of written English among JSS students to enhance their writing skills, ability and competence.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

Hinduism plays an integral role in the Malaysian Indian identity construction. Its philosophical ... more Hinduism plays an integral role in the Malaysian Indian identity construction. Its philosophical and spiritual tenets provide a crucial epistemic understanding of selfhood and existence to the Malaysian Indians for them to live a meaningful and flourishing life. Nonetheless, there is a perceived lack of discussion on the transformative role of Hinduism to the Malaysian Indians. The existing body of research predominantly views Hinduism as an outward representation of the Malaysian Indian identity through its religious festivals, rituals, and ceremonies. Hinduism is deemed to either exacerbate their sense of alienation and marginalization in Malaysia or reiterate the community's nostalgic longing for Mother India. In this line of thought, religion is said to lack the capacity to grant agency to the Malaysian Indians. This article explores how these views are challenged by K.S. Maniam, a Malaysian Indian author who explores the transformative capacity of Hindu philosophy and spirituality to the Indian community in his literary works. Using Maniam's first novel, The Return (1982), this article explores the transformative role of spirituality in bestowing the Malaysian Indians an alternative form of agency. Maniam's narrative strategies reflect the Indian philosophy, Advaita Vedanta which stresses on the concept of " oneness " and the obliteration of the self-other and subject-object duality. Indian philosophy of space, time, reality and selfhood are woven into and embodied by one of the novel's main characters, Periathai. Periathai attains the highest form of Hindu identity, Atman or True Self through spiritual knowledge, rituals, and self-reflexivity. This article suggests adherence to Hinduism provides the Malaysian Indians the agency to transcend the corporeal and physical realms, deconstruct the normative view of Hinduism as an ethnocentric religious nostalgia for India, and challenge the idea that religion further aggravates the Malaysian Indian sense of marginalization and displacement.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

In this study we carry out a comparative analysis between titles of research papers published in ... more In this study we carry out a comparative analysis between titles of research papers published in the most authoritative specialized European and US-based astrophysics journals written in English and titles of articles on astrophysics published in Scientific American Magazine, the most prestigious English-written journal in the divulgation of science. We specifically address issues related to three linguistic variables: title length, title lexical density and title type. Our main results show that titles of research papers published in scientific journals are much longer than titles of articles published in Scientific American Magazine. Lexical density is also higher in scientific titles than in popular science ones. Scientific American Magazine titles are formulated in a clear and direct way, with no syntactic complexity. They consist primarily in simple and nominal constructions with a low presence of adjectives, compound groups and technical terminology. The predominance of nominal compounds over adjectival ones and the use of proper names, which mainly refer to well-known stars, planets, satellites and galaxies, imply that popular science titles usually deal with more global and well established concepts. The higher number of verbal titles and of definite articles in popular science titles when compared to scientific titles may also be interpreted as a greater desire to generalize the ideas presented. This study may be applied to languages other than English and would surely be of the utmost importance to determine the design of titles of scientific and popular science papers, not only in astrophysics but also in other fields.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

The purpose of this paper is to study the organization of mental lexicon in semantic memory throu... more The purpose of this paper is to study the organization of mental lexicon in semantic memory through the presentation a list of imaged and abstract words to bilingual subjects of Arabic / French and monolingual French subjects. For this experience, the technique of semantic priming was used where to write the first three words that come into their mind. This technique revealed the existence of several types of semantic relations within the same semantic network. In addition, there was a positive association between the words "target" and the words mentioned by our subjects because the time allotted for the experiment was observed. On the other hand, the words were organized in terms of memory semantic categories by inclusion of a set of equivalent words according to the taxonomic model (Collins & Loftus, 1975; Collins & Quillian, 1969). Finally, the associative strength between different items reflected the connectionist model of Boutanquoi (2003), who taught that a unit is connected to others only if a significant number of topics are associated with it.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

Aizuchi or short utterance, and responses are some of the Japanese linguistic features. Each of t... more Aizuchi or short utterance, and responses are some of the Japanese linguistic features. Each of them holds significant meaning and functions from the listener to the speaker. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the occurrence of Aizuchi, short utterance, and responses in the interview context by Japanese native speakers. By using 15 episodes of Easy Japanese videos, the study found a few types of Aizuchi, short utterance, and responses produced by the interviewee in the interview conversation. From the data, it was found that Aizuchi (hai), short utterances (hai), and responses (hai) occurred the most in interviewees' utterances. Each hai held significant functions to maintain the naturalness of Japanese conversations. It also indicates that the term hai are frequently used in the Japanese conversation regardless of the context. The findings showed that Aizuchi, short responses and responses occur in the Japanese conversation in the interview context. In addition, the use of the term hai also extensively occurred in the conversation either as the Aizuchi, short response or response.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

Initial sentence elements signal changes, shifts or stages in the progression of the discourse. T... more Initial sentence elements signal changes, shifts or stages in the progression of the discourse. These elements serve different functions in the discourse. Thus, this study aims to shed the light on the forms and functions of initial sentence elements of the method section of environmental engineering research articles. The data of this study comprises 10 method sections extracted from research articles published in three prestigious journals published by Elsevier. The data were analysed based on a framework suggested by Ebrahimi (2014). The results indicated the predominance of the research-related object grammatical subject, time context frame, and additive textual marker. The results showed that self-mention grammatical subject, time context frame, and additive textual performed greater variety of functions in method section. Thus, the results suggest that writers need to know that the selections of initial sentence elements' forms and functions are related directly to the rhetorical functions of the method section and to the disciplinary nature. Writers need to be aware that the initial sentence element is a pivotal position in which care must be practiced concerning the selection and realisation of the elements.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

In its broadest sense, hegemony is defined as a set of agreed ideologies practiced by prominent r... more In its broadest sense, hegemony is defined as a set of agreed ideologies practiced by prominent regimes and governments which influences people's minds. One of the practices which can be observed in most societies is the exclusion and rejection of homosexuals of their fundamental rights as humans. As such, the issue will be magnified in this paper through a satirical play written by Larry Kramer, entitled The Normal Heart. Parallel with the dominant hegemony, the homosexual characters in the play are mistreated and isolated within their own society. To retaliate, these characters consider themselves as victims and intend to counter the situation by masochism. However, the attempt seems to backfire and reify the preexisting hegemony. As such, this paper explores The Normal Heart in light of Antonio Gramsci's concept of hegemony as well as Erich Fromm's masochism. To further specify, the paper examines the homosexual characters – their victimization and their fight against the dominant ideologies and how it all leads to their estrangement within the society.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

Apology is defined as remedial exchange to produce social harmony after an offended action has be... more Apology is defined as remedial exchange to produce social harmony after an offended action has been committed (Goffman, 1971). Apology is a type of speech act which has been the object of numerous studies (Demeter, 2006). The notion of apology may differ from one culture to another based on the social norms of the target culture. With this concern in mind, this study aims to identify apology strategies used by Iranian postgraduate students who are living in Malaysia. To this aim, 50 Iranian postgraduate students in one of the public universities in Malaysia (Universiti Putra Malaysia) were selected. In order to investigate the apology strategies, the questionnaire proposed by Sugimoto's (1997) was used. The questionnaire was designed to compare the apology strategies used by male and female students. In this study, duration of stay and gender are the two variations which are also taken into consideration. The design of this study is quantitative and the framework to analyze the data from all responses was categorized according to Sugimoto's model of apology speech acts model. The findings of this study revealed that male and female respondents differed in the use of strategies they used and also showed that the duration of stay would affect the use of apology that one can use in an apology situation. This study shows whether English learning experience in the EFL context of the participants' home country helps them to use English in an ESL context communicatively.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

This paper presents a detailed report of the users' quality expectations and the extent to which ... more This paper presents a detailed report of the users' quality expectations and the extent to which the expectations vary based on the type of conferences in Malaysian conference interpreting setting using a questionnaire-based survey study. Five conferences were selected for the purpose of data collection and 256 users rated eleven quality criteria of sense-consistency with the original message, logical cohesion, native accent, lively intonation, style, synchronicity, correct terminology, correct grammar, fluency of delivery, completeness of message, and pleasant voice on a four-point ordinal scale adapted from Zwischenberger and Pöchhacker (2010). Users also answered five open-ended questions adopted from Moser (1995). The findings from the scale analysis indicated that users' expectations of the quality vary in different conferences. The users of the " Translation " conference rated most of the quality criteria higher than the users of the other conferences and had higher expectations. Their rating was followed by the attributions of users in " Science " , " Technology " , " Tourism " , and " Management " conferences respectively, in terms of quality expectations. Analysis of open-ended questions revealed that while the Translation conference users attached high importance to the linguistic criteria with a focus on interpreter's role and contribution, the users at other conferences considered extra-linguistic aspects in conference interpreting as important. INTRODUCTION Quality in interpreting is a complete and accurate rendition of the original, which is more than just the words in the target language. It includes the interrelated aspects of the different circumstances that are linked to quality (Moser-Mercer, 1996, p.45). Optimum quality in professional interpreting implies that an interpreter that does not extort the original message and tries to capture any and all extra-linguistic information that the speaker might provide, subject to the constraints imposed by certain external conditions (Moser-Mercer, 1996). Since conference interpreting is a service industry by nature, therefore, service quality should begin with the understanding of the customers' needs, expectations, and perceptions. Depending on the characteristics of various work situations, such as technical, medical and the size of the audience, conference interpreters have become aware that the way they use the target language should be adjusted to the users'

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

This study explored how advertisements emphasise individuals'needs as a way to persuade them. Mor... more This study explored how advertisements emphasise individuals'needs as a way to persuade them. More specifically, it investigated which 'need' is addressed more commonly by web advertisements according to the 'Ideal' and 'Real' concepts respectively. For this purpose, five web advertisements related to residential areas were analysed qualitatively based on Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. Based on Maslow's five-stage model (1954), individuals have biological and physiological needs (e.g., air and food), safety needs, love and belongingness needs, esteem needs (e.g., self-respect and prestige), and self-actualization needs (e.g., selffulfilment). The results showed that the advertisers tend to focus on the individuals' esteem needs compared to others. This research opens up a different perspective to view persuasion in advertisements. Further studies are required to investigate individuals' needs reflected in other types of advertisements using different methods.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

The quest for a meaningful life and selfhood is one of the main themes in the works of K.S Maniam... more The quest for a meaningful life and selfhood is one of the main themes in the works of K.S Maniam, a Malaysian Literature in English author. The main characters in Maniam's works often yearn for an inner fulfillment and enlightenment that cannot be solely addressed through the socio-political and economic means. Thus, issues such as a sense of displacement, anxiety and alienation that haunt the Malaysian Indians in Maniam's works are not just common features of postcolonial and diasporic conditions. Rather, they are symptomatic of an existential crisis. This article explores how spirituality provides a source of healing to Sumitra, the protagonist of his novel Between Lives. It uses Advaita Vedanta, an Indian philosophy to understand the genesis of Sumitra's existential crisis and how she can surmount it. In this novel, Maniam uses recurring motifs that eschew subject-object duality such as rites of passage, excursions and mystical experiences. These motifs reflect the concept of "oneness" of Advaita Vedanta that stresses true self (Atman) transcends materialism and corporeality. Through her spiritual journey, Sumitra critically reexamines her misidentification with the ego-identity and gains insight into the true nature of "self" and "reality". Consequently, Sumitra finds a more viable sense of selfhood through the Hindu spiritual concept of Atman. Finally, this study suggests that spirituality provides a more dynamic view of the Malaysian Indian identity construction.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

Listening is as an important language skill and should be acquired by all language learners. In t... more Listening is as an important language skill and should be acquired by all language learners. In training the listening skill, many online freeware and courseware can be applied, for example, Schoology. It can be used to entice students' interest to do listening exercises online, and subsequently improve their listening competence. This study investigated the efficacy of two different modes of listening materials, audio and video, through a quasiexperiment. It also examined if Schoology was useful in improving ESL undergraduates' listening skills through analyzing the participants' perception to its use. The study was conducted in a public university in Malaysia. The participants were 50 undergraduates assigned to two experimental groups. The measurement instruments comprised a pre-test, a post-test, and a questionnaire. The two groups received a series of treatment in the form of parallel listening materials in either audio or video mode administered through Schoology. The results showed that the audio mode achieved a higher mean than the video mode in the post-test. In addition, the study found that the listening exercises conducted through Schoology produced a significant gain. Outcomes from this study should be beneficial in facilitating language teachers and policy makers to choose the right mode of listening materials for the language classrooms.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

This study investigated the use of apology and non-apology strategies by Iranian Azerbaijani ESL ... more This study investigated the use of apology and non-apology strategies by Iranian Azerbaijani ESL students at Maz International School in Malaysia. The data gathered from Discourse Completion Test (DCT) and role-play were triangulated and analyzed based on Cohen and Olshtain's (1981) framework. The results of the study indicate that female respondents opted for explicit expressions of apology while males offered apologies instead of asking for forgiveness. As for the non-apology strategies, it appears that male students preferred the use of avoidance, but female students frequently used denial of responsibility and blame the victim.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

Effectiveness of advertising on Facebook has been a constant debate among scholars with contradic... more Effectiveness of advertising on Facebook has been a constant debate among scholars with contradicting opinions. Subsequently, this study aims to explore the effectiveness of Facebook advertisements in driving awareness and sales conversions among the consumers. By using Hierarchy of effects theory framework, this study further analyzed on the factors that influence consumer's purchasing behavior through Facebook advertisements. Among the factors examined in this study were, consumer's awareness towards advertisements placed at home page, profile page, fan page and group page that they are member of. Besides, characteristics of Facebook advertisements such as format; color; interactivity; reliability and relevancy of Facebook advertisements in affecting consumer's purchasing behavior were also studied. A quantitative research method was utilized by using a survey method. Systematic sampling method was used on 415 respondents, who were the working adults in Klang Valley. Data was collected using survey questionnaire. The findings of this study revealed that, though consumers were aware of Facebook advertisements placed on their Newsfeed wall, however they do not click on the advertisements or proceed with purchases due to the security and privacy reasons. Therefore, this study further concludes that, by having a group pages that are targeted besides ensuring the relevancy of the Facebook advertisement to the target audience, advertisers could increase users' preference towards advertised products or services and subsequently influence their purchasing decisions.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

Denoting power and creating solidarity in social interactions has always been a target for resear... more Denoting power and creating solidarity in social interactions has always been a target for researchers due to their importance in shaping relations among interlocutors within the same linguistic and cultural community or across different languages and cultures. The present work is a critical review of some of these studies. These studies are divided, according to the type of informants and the languages they investigate, into four types: native informant, nonnative informant, mixed informant and cross-cultural studies. The review shows that there are many accounts of power and solidarity within the same native culture using the mother tongue, while studies that target non-native informants, mixed informants or cross-cultural studies are very few. The study recommends more cross-cultural studies to be conducted as they give helpful insights for people who use languages other than their native tongues. The same is true about studies that target non-native and mixed informants which support the fact that all humans try to be polite and friendly, but use different strategies to achieve these goals. The study also recommends that socio-pragmatic studies should rely on quantitative and/or qualitative methods that support personal claims native speakers assume about their mother tongues.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

Marxist-Feminism highlights the unjustifiable inequality faced by the working class citizen. The ... more Marxist-Feminism highlights the unjustifiable inequality faced by the working class citizen. The effect is especially evidently shown on women who have been subjugated and oppressed in so many ways by men. This study addresses the issues of subjugation and subordination faced by Tess, the Victorian woman, in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles. The impact of cultural hegemony is carefully structured and presented by Marxist-Feminism. Such constructed ideology is brilliantly created to show the misleading superiority of men over women. The huge influence of Capitalism in the 19th Century is shown through the treatment women received in both public and private spheres. The active enrolments of women as Productive and Reproductive labours go unrecognised. Textual evidences are extracted to facilitate, support, and solidify the purpose of study.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

Communication among students from different nationalities who stay and study in multicultural uni... more Communication among students from different nationalities who stay and study in multicultural university campuses is an important issue for their personal and academic lives. Among other concepts of communication, interpersonal communication which requires the direct interactions among communicators is important to be assessed. This study was carried out to assess the characteristics of interpersonal communication among international postgraduate students of a Malaysian public university. This study had 128 participants from 17 different countries, and the quantitative and qualitative methods were applied for the data collection procedure. Based on the results from this study, their stay and study in a multicultural university campus with students from various backgrounds helped the participants to have opportunities to interact with different people, and to gain some new personal and social skills and information. The results from this study confirmed that most of the participants of this study who were from different countries had daily interactions with students from other nationalities, and were comfortable and satisfied when interacting with their international peers. Based on the results, personal skill building was among the main reasons that encouraged the participants to leave their own countries and enroll at a multicultural university abroad. The results from this study may encourage university students to have more interactions with their peers and may also help researchers to focus on the related issues in the future.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2016

This article analyzes the class system in Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class. Class system... more This article analyzes the class system in Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class. Class system is scrutinized in terms of the capitalist and proletariat forces in the play. The core argumentative theme emphasises the degenerating labour opportunities in the socioeconomic life of American individuals. In essence, the study mainly focuses on the achievement of economic welfare in a poor-economic society. The loss of economic welfare is not sufficiently obtained by the main characters, especially Wesley and Ella who long for economic prosperity and stable social life. These characters do not achieve their aspiration and do not make progressive economic labour. Therefore, the study accentuates the way in which these characters lose their work opportunities. The analysis of this economic loss is done by applying two Marxist concepts, namely, commodity fetishism, and the objective reality of economic societies. Together, these concepts uncover the class struggle in Curse of the Starving Class.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

It is unanimously agreed that many Malaysian graduates lack English competence and proficiency to... more It is unanimously agreed that many Malaysian graduates lack English competence and proficiency to function adequately at the workplace. To address this problem and to develop more employable and linguistically marketable graduates, Universiti Putra Malaysia endorsed the bold move taken by its Centre for the Advancement of Language Competence to revamp English Language teaching and learning at the university and develop an unconventional English Language Experience (ELEx) package for its undergraduates. ELEx takes UPM undergraduates on a chartered English language learning experience throughout the entire duration of their academic programmes, providing students with increased engagement with the language in and beyond the classroom, as well as experience in a variety of structured and less structured learning environments. The paper discusses the rationale for ELEx, the learning principles and theories on which the package is based, as well as the structure and innovative components of the package. In addition, it discusses issues and challenges faced in the implementation and considers actions that need to be taken for further improvement. INTRODUCTION English has long held a place of significance as the language of knowledge in tertiary education, with much effort and myriad resources expended on improving students' proficiency in that language. Understandably, the focus of English Language (henceforth EL) education in universities has largely been on enabling students to perform well in academic tasks. Increasingly, however, the purpose and scope of EL education has had to include equipping their students with language skills for the workplace. Specifically, universities are now expected to make their graduates employable and linguistically marketable. Developing soft skills and language competence for the workplace has gained equal, if not greater, importance than developing language skills for handling academic tasks. This added onus has prompted some universities to review their EL proficiency programmes and make them more appropriate for meeting current needs. One such effort has been made by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), which implemented the English Language Experience (ELEx) package for its undergraduates in 2013. Developed by a team at the Centre for the Advancement of Language Competence (CALC) in UPM, the ELEx package is an innovative departure from what is offered in most universities. This paper presents the ELEx package as a response to the continuing need for English

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

The paper is motivated by investigations on how visuals interplay with text to create meaning. To... more The paper is motivated by investigations on how visuals interplay with text to create meaning. Today in news reporting, written text alone would not suffice to attract the attention of readers. Photos play a major role in depicting a theme and also to create mental representations that would help to bring out the message in the text. The current study focuses on examination of the relationship between photo, caption and headlines as the initial elements of a news article that set the scene for further reading. A qualitative approach is used to analyse the content of the photos as well as the captions and the headlines. Each of the elements is discussed and the elements are then linked together to provide coherence of response to the effects that are created. The analysis also points to the techniques used by news writers in the evocation of emotions and attitude towards a universal concern of food and its critical shortages through the manipulation of the interrelationship between photo, caption and headline.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

This paper is an analysis of On the Road (1957) written by Jack Kerouac (1922-1962), the celebrat... more This paper is an analysis of On the Road (1957) written by Jack Kerouac (1922-1962), the celebrated twentieth century American writer, utilising Foucauldian concepts of madness, power and resistance. In Foucauldian views, there is a dichotomy between sanity and madness in which the former is always regarded as superior to the latter. The objectives of this paper are to present a new positive concept of madness in contrast to society's common views of madness in order to deconstruct the dichotomy of madness and sanity, and give birth to a new strategy of resistance to the 1950s American cultural codes. In view of this, we provide a new definition of resistance to the Foucauldian concept of resistance to clarify the new strategy of the protagonists, Sal and Dean. Kerouac's protagonists select madness with its pleasures over sanity with its sadness; hence, we hypothesise that the madness presented in On the Road is regarded as resistance to the 1950s American cultural codes. Therefore, we have found that, in this context, the relationship between Foucauldian concepts of madness and resistance is madness as resistance to the cultural and social codes of America in the 1950s.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

Engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) not only requires the practice of strategic com... more Engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) not only requires the practice of strategic communication but also the carefully constructed use of messages in reporting CSR in public documents. This is because appropriate usage of messages in corporate documents potentially enhances readability and awareness of companies' activities in CSR. Strategic reporting projects substance in practising CSR beyond window dressing, a practice that raises the bar in CSR performances. This study aims to create a snapshot of existing CSR standards of Malaysian multinational corporations through the processes of communication in text particularly in the delivery of the content as written in annual reports. A qualitative textual analysis is employed to detect instances of CSR communicated in annual reports. The data provides a discussion surrounding communication as an important process in achieving readability of messages in the area of CSR grounded within communication literature and theories. The study adds value to research in communication and beyond.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

This exploratory study aimed to analyze the effects of word processing on students' writing perfo... more This exploratory study aimed to analyze the effects of word processing on students' writing performance in terms of quality and quantity. The subjects in this study were twenty-five first year Bachelor students. Two writing sessions were carried out in this study. For each session, the students were divided into two groups, with one group wrote an essay in class while the other group used the computer to type their essay. They switched the writing medium in the second session. Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level were used to measure the quality of the essays; while the number of words, number of sentence, and words per sentence were used to determine if there was any improvement in the quantity of writing. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine any significant differences between the two media.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

Hedges are linguistic devices that largely diminish the force of an utterance and soften the impa... more Hedges are linguistic devices that largely diminish the force of an utterance and soften the impact of a statement. As such, they are useful pragmatic devices that speakers use to achieve their desired communicative goals. Motivated by Lakoff's (2004) study which reveals that women are more inclined to use hedges than men, this exploratory study attempts to verify this notion by comparing the use of hedges in informal conversations between female and male ESL students in the light of Politeness Theory. The comparison is made between both genders by examining the pattern of frequency and the linguistic realizations of hedges used in the spoken discourse. To realize the objectives, a mixed method was employed in this study. Voice recordings of both single-sex and mixed-sex groups were transcribed and the hedges were analysed based on an adapted framework of categorization of hedges by Riekkinen (2009) and Svarova (2008). The findings revealed that in single-sex groups, the frequency of use of hedges used were similar for both genders. However, in a mixed-sex group, females hedged more than males. This study confirms the claim of Lakoff (2004) in which females are seen to be more sensitive to the use of hedges when compared with male speakers.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

In terms of structure, languages of the world can be either subject-verb-object (SVO) or subject-... more In terms of structure, languages of the world can be either subject-verb-object (SVO) or subject-object-verb (SOV). English is an example of a SVO language while Korean is a SOV language. Such a difference between languages may have implications for second language (L2) learners learning a language with a different structure from their first language (L1). In view of this, the study investigates the interpretation of verb initial English sentences, i.e. verb-object-subject (VOS) command sentences and verb-subject-object (VSO) inverted reported speech sentences by forty-eight L1 Korean and nine L1 Malaysian Malay L2 English learners. Each group simultaneously heard and read forty randomly sequenced English sentences, each accompanied by two pictures, labeled A and B. Each picture has a girl and a boy. If picture A depicts the girl playing the role of doer and the boy, the role of receiver, then the other picture where their roles are reversed, is picture B. Upon listening to and reading each sentence, participants circled either A or B on a Pictorial Sentence Interpretation Task Sheet provided. Results from independent T-tests comparing the misinterpretation means showed no significant difference between both groups, suggesting that Universal Processing Strategy exhibited by the First Noun Principle accounts for adult L2 acquisition. Furthermore, the findings of the study also revealed that both groups of L2 learners made more misinterpretations in VOS compared to VSO sentences, suggesting that L2 learners tend to (mis)interpret the first noun or pronoun of a sentence as the subject or doer of an action, regardless of its position in the sentence, thus validating VanPatten's First Noun Principle (2007).

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

Despite all efforts made to identify, address and remedy gender inequality, sexism in modern-day ... more Despite all efforts made to identify, address and remedy gender inequality, sexism in modern-day society is still prevalent, particularly those against women. This study aims to investigate the occurrences of linguistic sexism and gender stereotypes against women in essays written by Malay male university students. Linguistic sexism was analysed using Umera-Okeke's (2012) and Amare's (2006) framework while Brannon (2004) was used for the analysis of gender stereotypes. Fairclough's (1989, 1995) critical discourse analysis framework was used to approach the study. The findings from the study indicate that linguistic sexism is evident, particularly in terms of students' semantic choices. Gender stereotyping in the form of psychological traits and activities associated with women were also noted. The findings show that Malay males display the normative gender role stereotypes of a woman as polite, modest, understanding, supportive and adept at homemaking. However, the study also indicates that women were beginning to be viewed in a new light as intelligent and educated with professional careers of their own. This study falls back on Malay culture to explain sexism and gender stereotyping of women by Malay males.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

Intercultural communication strategies are used to overcome language barriers across cultures (Be... more Intercultural communication strategies are used to overcome language barriers across cultures (Berardo, 2008). The strategies are important for frontline administrative staff when interacting with foreign students in a local university. This qualitative study was carried out in three centres in a public university. The study used Gallois and Giles' communication adaptation theory (2015) and Hall's theory of intercultural communication (1959). Data were collected from observations and semi-structured interviews with six Malaysian administrative officers and six foreign students. The findings revealed that although the Malaysian administrative staff members have good command of English and communication skills, they still encountered problems when dealing with foreign students. Most of the foreign students reacted positively towards the intercultural communication strategies, but a few reacted negatively because they did not understand the differences between cultures. High-context communication and low-context communication were essential in interactions across cultures. This study provides insights into the use of intercultural communication strategies when communicating with foreign students. This enables them to foster norms that could reduce conflict from miscommunication or cross-cultural differences.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

This study intends to explore the notions of writers' authority and invisibility in research arti... more This study intends to explore the notions of writers' authority and invisibility in research article abstracts from four disciplines namely Economics, Applied Linguistics, Biology, and Mechanical Engineering. Twenty five research article abstracts from each discipline (total 100) were analyzed for the frequency, realization and roles of the self-mention (writers' authority) and the empty theme (writers' invisibility). The results suggested that there are disciplinary differences in frequency, realizations and roles performed by the use of the self-mention and the empty theme. These results could guide the novice writers of research article abstracts (especially those from the disciplines in focus) to express their authority and invisibility while writing the research article abstracts. INTRODUCTION Research article (RA) abstract is a pivotal academic genre to investigate. It is the first section of research article that the readers encounter. It is the point at which the readers decide to continue reading the accompanying RA or ignore it and save their time (Hyland, 2000). It is responsible for selling the accompanying RA to disciplinary community members. It also plays a crucial role in convincing the editorial boards of academic journals or conference organizers to accept the RA. Having these features on board, the task of writing RA abstract is challenging for novice writers and this challenge become more daunting when it comes to novice non-native writers. To grasp this challenge, writers need two kinds of knowledge beside the content knowledge related to their own disciplines. One is the knowledge of organization, which includes the knowledge of moves and steps of writing RA abstract. The other one is the knowledge of appropriate use of linguistic features to convey the intended meanings, claims and findings in a more comprehensible way. In the last three decades, a number of researchers have analyzed RA abstracts from one or more disciplines to shed the light on organization and linguistic features used in this) analyzed the realizations of verb tenses and modality in the organizational moves of RA abstract from discipline of medicine. Lores (2004) analyzed the organizational moves and realization of theme in applied linguistic RA abstracts. Pho (2008) studied the linguistic realizations of organizational moves of RA

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

Trauma is an unacceptable pain in the psyche of people who went through terrible events in their ... more Trauma is an unacceptable pain in the psyche of people who went through terrible events in their lives, and causes feelings of shame, humiliation, or guilt. In response to these feelings, people who experienced trauma usually embark on the tendency to dissociate and repress these emotions. On a continual basis, this dissociation and repression lead them to have unresolved conflicts within themselves. This study aims to investigate how trauma led to various kinds of death drive in Don DeLillo's Point Omega. It is found that the characters of the novel experienced different kinds of trauma such as war, dysfunctional relationships, and failure from separation, and then developed different kinds of death drive including psychological self-destructive, physical self-destructive, psychological destructive and physical destructive which later affected their personalities.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty that affects the academic integrity of educational in... more Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty that affects the academic integrity of educational institutions worldwide. However, the need to curb plagiarism is immensely influenced by the lack of student understanding of what actually constitutes plagiarism. Thus, this study aims to explore Malaysian public university students' attitude towards plagiarism through a questionnaire survey among public university students in Malaysia. The findings highlight that the students were not aware that certain activities they considered as non-plagiarism actually constitute some form of plagiarism and vice versa. The study provided evidence that a significant proportion of the students had engaged in plagiarism activities to a certain degree. Students also looked forward for more lenient penalties by the university if they were found to have plagiarized. The findings have significant implications for educators if they intend to improve the detection and punishment of plagiarism to educate potential perpetrators.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

The study attempts to analyse the differences and similarities between Theme Theta Roles in Sindh... more The study attempts to analyse the differences and similarities between Theme Theta Roles in Sindhi and English language. This study focuses and establishes the argument structure of Sindhi, and its comparison to English. The study aims to answer the research question: What are the argument structures of theme theta roles in Sindhi verbs? It also examines the argument structure of the Sindhi verbs and investigates how theme theta roles are assigned by the verbs. The data come from natural/oral conversation of Sindhi language based on two interviews with two Sindhi native speakers. Each verb phrase in the data is therefore examined and studied in detail in terms of argument/thematic structure in order to analyse the theme theta roles in Sindhi language, and their importance and position in sentences. The data have been analysed and discussed based on the Carnie's theoretical framework (Thematic Relations and Theta Roles). Each verb phrase has been analysed according to the Carnie's analytical framework. Towards the end, the study found that the Sindhi language has Theme Theta Role which is almost similar to that of English in terms of placement, function and importance. However, the only difference between them is that Sindhi Theme theta roles can be placed at initial, middle and also at the end of sentences is Spoken Sindhi. Theme theta roles in Sindhi are more prominent than English ones.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate integrity policies of five top public universities in... more The purpose of this study is to investigate integrity policies of five top public universities in Malaysia. To collect the data relevant policies as well as any other related information about plagiarism management processes were retrieved and downloaded from the university websites. Then the policies were coded and analyzed based on Australian university integrity policies of five core elements of exemplar. The results indicated that policies of Universities A, B, and D are easy to locate and access. Universities A, B, and C apply both punitive and educative approaches to address plagiarism. They also provide a clear outline of the responsibility for academic integrity which must be borne by the students and the staff of the universities. The study highlights the exemplar of five core elements in Malaysian university integrity policies and may serve as reference for universities interested in developing a holistic integrity policy.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

Chinese politeness has a long native proto-scientific research history in comparison with many ot... more Chinese politeness has a long native proto-scientific research history in comparison with many other languages. The origin of modern Chinese politeness principles derive from ancient times and have evolved from the past. Although parts of ancient polite languages have disappeared, the principles have not yet vanished. We argue that current Chinese politeness and historical Chinese politeness are in essence very similar. Although there are new polite expressions used, there is continuity between historical Chinese politeness and modern Chinese politeness. This paper elaborates the notion of li 7 9 3 C (rites) at five levels and compares the difference between Chinese li 7 9 3 C (rites) and western culture. It also explores the origin of modern Chinese politeness strategies mainly self-denigration/ other-elevation, attitudinal warmth, and refinement. By illustrating examples from Confucian Classics, the paper shows that modern Chinese politeness strategies are in line with historical Chinese politeness strategies and that the modern phase has inherited from the essence of li 7 9 3 C (rites) of the historical phase.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

In his fiction, the Malaysian-Indian author, K. S. Maniam depicts the identity and culture of Mal... more In his fiction, the Malaysian-Indian author, K. S. Maniam depicts the identity and culture of Malaysian-Indian. This is shaped with a collection of materials that are vital to keep the trace of ancestral identification marks, of retaining the status of being Indian, even though the land they live in is not India. In the new land the Indian community invests its new narrative of existence with a power structure to support the Diasporic Indian " self ". In Maniam's reconstruction of the Indian immigrant experience in Malaysia, there are the difficulties that the community faced when trying to recreate this world. Maniam depicts the rites of the complicated cultural issues in a Diasporic Indian community. In his reconstruction of the Indian immigrant experience of Malaya, One can see these previously peripheral characters as the agents of the Diasporic identity that the present day Malaysian-Indian has inherited. The passage of such identity formation, however, is demonstrated to be filled with the many snares of both colonial and postcolonial experiences. The present study examines Maniam's short story, Ratnamuni, from a Diaspora perspective. This study shows the way in which Maniam symbolically depicts the culture of a nation in Diaspora. INTRODUCTION The history of Malaysia, its development from colonialism to post-colonialism, and its movement towards multiculturalism are all important in appreciating not only the nation at a particular period of time of its development, but also the psyche of its individuals and its authors. Obviously, this reconstruction can never be wholly and inclusively a smooth and balanced affair, especially where the issues of gender, culture, race and identity are considered. Yet, the key element is that the power of narrativity in the hands of postcolonial writers allows for the reinsertion of the subaltern into written history. By looking back at history, one can find that Malaysian literature develops in its own root that Malay language has been used as a medium in writing. Malay writers, particularly, have talked about issues on patriotisms and nation building. However, the emergence of Malaysian writers from other races began and rose together with the development and modernization in Malaysia. Malaysia literature in English has developed over fifty years which is after the country independence. Concerning the Malaysian writers that come from different races, their literary works are also varied and touch the important multicultural issues ranging from broad questions of identity such as sense of home/homelessness, gender, language, multiculturalism and Diasporic perspective.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

Language choice and use maintain that speakers select a particular language in relation to a part... more Language choice and use maintain that speakers select a particular language in relation to a particular context and purpose. Based on Fishman’s (1972) domain analysis theory, this study investigates the language use and perception of frontline employees in the workplace by focusing on their spoken language to customers. A set of questionnaires was distributed to the frontline employees of four major rail transportation services in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The respondents of the study comprised 106 frontline employees at ticketing counters and customer service information counters. Face–to-face interviews were also conducted on a sample of the respondents. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the survey data. The findings show that most of the respondents used both Malay and English in carrying out their daily work. The respondents also perceived that English and learning other languages are important in their daily job scope.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

This study aimed to examine the characteristics and advantages of interpersonal communication (IP... more This study aimed to examine the characteristics and advantages of interpersonal communication (IPC) among local and international students of a Malaysian public university. A quantitative survey with 220 local and international students was conducted as the main data collection method for this study, and the qualitative interviews were done to enrich the data. The findings of the study showed adequate opportunities for both local and international students to be involved in IPC with their peers from other cultures and countries. About 80% of the participants reported that they experienced some interactions with students from different nationalities during their stay and study at the university. They gained some new cultural information throughout this process, and also learned how to interact with other people. The results confirmed that interactions among local and international students had positive effects on their personal and academic lives, and enabled them to have more collaborative activities at the university campus. The qualitative findings of this study support the quantitative results and confirmed that IPC among students was beneficial for their social and academic lives. Findings of this study may encourage university students to have more interactions with students from different social and cultural backgrounds in collegiate environments.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

Vietnam has joined the globalization trend to make itself an inviting market for foreign investme... more Vietnam has joined the globalization trend to make itself an inviting market for foreign investment. However, working with foreigners and expanding business abroad can be a risky venture. The diversity among business cultures frequently leads to confusion, misunderstandings, and failures in cross-cultural endeavors. There is hence a need to study business negotiation in a cross-cultural setting. Among the investing countries, America has always been on top of the list, with a strong strategic partnership for years and billions of U.S. dollars in registered invested capital. Many studies have been conducted to understand this important partner, yet none of them so far have addressed nonverbal communication during negotiations between Vietnamese and American businesses. This paper examines through reviewing related studies on the proxemics within a traditional Vietnamese company, specifically the choice of negotiation site (e.g. location) and the room arrangement of that site to see how American people perceive them and how they affect the negotiation process.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015

This study examines the filled pause um used by the English Department students of the State Isla... more This study examines the filled pause um used by the English Department students of the State Islamic University of Malang during their oral presentations in the classroom. A filled pause such as um is a linguistic expression used to signal hesitation in its immediate context, with the primary function of bringing the listener’s attention to a particular kind of linkage of the upcoming utterance with the immediate discourse context. In achieving the purpose of the study, a total of twenty five oral presentations in English based on different topics were collected and analysed. By using Clark and Tree’s (2002) framework on the use of um, the study shows that the filled pause of um played different roles based on the speaker’s thoughts on feelings of uncertainty. Furthermore, it is also used in almost all positions of utterances, and each of which brings specific meanings. An um is used at the initial position of an utterance to show readiness to open a new sentence, topic, or point of a presentation, to express awkwardness, and to show respect to others. In the middle of an utterance, it is used to detect a problem, to struggle, to find upcoming words, and to restart a conversation. Finally, in the final position of the utterance, it is used as a result of agnosia and to close a presentation. Future research could make use of the findings from the present study to examine the use of filled pauses based on different characteristics among speakers to find out other different functions of filled pauses especially in EFL classroom presentations.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

This paper examines the relationship between women an d men and how the women had to live, behave... more This paper examines the relationship between women an d men and how the women had to live, behave and react in 1960s America in the short story “I Stand Here Ironing” (1961) by the twentieth-century American author, Tillie Olsen (1912-2007). The story revolves around the protagonist, ‘mother’, and her daughter, Emily, where the women are depicted as confined within constrained identities, having to live in a world where they have to be obedient and having to live up to men’s expectation. With the pressure enforced by the expectations of the patriarchal society and the idea of ‘feminine mystique’, the women seem to be devoid of any romantic feelings. Based on a textual analysis as our methodology, our study focuses on women’s position in the second wave feminism period by using the feminist concept of the feminine mystique, as the conceptual framework, as outlined by Betty Friedan in her book, The Feminine Mystique (1963). Our findings demonstrate that the reasons behind the female protagonist’s barren emotions for men are because of her sense of obligations on completing the domestic demands, the expectations set by the patriarchal society and because of the judgemental eyes of the men in the patriarchal society in general.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

Feelings of anxiety, apprehension and nervousness are common problems voiced out by second or for... more Feelings of anxiety, apprehension and nervousness are common problems voiced out by second or foreign language learners in acquiring the speaking skills in a second or foreign language. Such feelings are said to have a potentially negative and debilitating effect on oral performance. This study aimed to examine the level of English language learning anxiety of undergraduate ESL learners, its causes and relationship with the learners' oral performance in English. This study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches in data gathering. Data were collected via the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) questionnaire (Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986), a structured interview, as well as class oral assessment tasks. Participants of the study comprised 70 undergraduate ESL learners of Universiti Putra Malaysia. Findings of the study revealed that the undergraduate ESL learners experienced a medium level of anxiety. English classroom anxiety, communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation, and test anxiety, were identified as factors that significantly contributed to the language anxiety experienced by the learners. The findings suggest that anxiety is a learner variable that needs to be minimised so as to enhance optimal learning of a target language.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

Argumentative writing is an important skill expected of all students from the institutions of hig... more Argumentative writing is an important skill expected of all students from the institutions of higher learning. These tertiary students are often required to state their opinions and put forward their arguments in their written essays, assignments, and projects. As Shannon (2011) points out students are required to write to fulfill their academic course requirements. Hyland (2005) also emphasises the importance of writing which involves interactions between writers and readers. The ways that the writers express their opinions to the readers are very much related to the choices of their language use. Therefore, this study explores how undergraduate writers state their stances in English argumentative essays. The analysis of the argumentative essays for stance was based on the framework proposed by Biber (2006), focusing on the lexico-grammatical features. The findings of this study were obtained from the argumentative essays of thirty undergraduate writers from a public university in Malaysia. The findings of this study have provided a more in-depth understanding of how stance-taking can be identified through the use of particular linguistic features such as modal verbs, stance adverbs, and stance complement clauses in argumentative writing by these ESL undergraduate writers. Further, the findings from the analysis of the use of linguistic features in English for stating stances can then be used to guide these writers improve their abilities to write for academic purposes, specifically in argumentative writing. INTRODUCTION Writing is an important skill expected of all the undergraduates from the institutions of higher learning (IHL). It is often the case that these undergraduates need to do some forms of writing like essays, assignments, projects or theses. The writing skills that are required of them are often to state their stances and put forward their arguments. As Shannon (2011) points out, the students are required to write to fulfill their academic course requirements. As writing is considered important to the undergraduates, it is essential for them to be aware of how they express their stances in their academic writing, particularly in their argumentative writing. According to Hyland (2005), when the writers state their stances, they show how they convey their opinions, judgments, and commitments to the propositions. To him, stating a stance in writing involves interaction with the readers. The competency in stance-taking can establish writer-reader dialogue, and relationships between people and ideas.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

This study was conducted to examine the speech act of compliment among Jordanians residing in Mal... more This study was conducted to examine the speech act of compliment among Jordanians residing in Malaysia. It aims to explore the forms of compliments, and the differences in using compliments in different gender group among Jordanians. The corpus of the current research consists of 132 compliments collected from eight participants through an ethnographic method during the holy month Ramaddan and Eid al Fitri. The data were analyzed in terms of the strategies, topics and syntax of the compliments. The findings of this study revealed that the forms of compliments differ by gender. The most frequent compliments occurred in interactions within the same gender than between opposite genders. Females paid more compliments than males. While almost half of the compliments were given between females and almost one third of the compliments between males, only few compliments were given between the opposite genders. Women gave compliments the most on appearance whereas men paid more compliments on personality, possession and children. The present study shows that traditional Islamic values play an important role in complimenting behavior among Jordanians.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

In recent years, university instructors are required to integrate computer technologies in their ... more In recent years, university instructors are required to integrate computer technologies in their teaching and to support student learning by employing computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools. Yet, the authentic experience of students' engagement with the technology is seldom explored. There is an apparent lack in research related to student satisfaction and their perceived usefulness of the CMC application for task completion in the public tertiary sector. Thus, this paper examines students' experience in using Wiki and Skype to complete two project-based tasks collaboratively. The sample comprised 25 ESL undergraduates from an intact class. Class observation, interview and a questionnaire with Likert-scale and open-ended items were administered for the investigation. Data from the questionnaire only are reported here due to space constraint. The results indicated that Skype is preferred over Wiki for interaction; however, the use of Wiki was more favorable as it can improve students' writing skills. Skype was perceived as more useful than Wiki for academic, social and technological aspects. Students also commented on the technological problems where poor Internet connection was the main interruption that caused delay in their work. INTRODUCTION Research has revealed that students can learn effectively when they work in teams face-to-face as they are exposed to different ideas, and they also have the chance to collaborate in problem-solving for team projects (Garfield, 2013). Based on sociocognitive and constructivist theories of learning, it is believed that more learning can be achieved outside the traditional or formal classroom. In recent years, instructors in many universities are required to integrate technology in their teaching; therefore, students are able to share knowledge online when they are unable to interact face-to-face for their group projects. In this light, online collaborative learning among students is becoming extensively recognized in

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

This exploratory study aims to find out how the educational level of Arab parents plays a role in... more This exploratory study aims to find out how the educational level of Arab parents plays a role in their children English language learning in Malaysia and whether the difference in the parents' level of education affects their children's English language learning. The sample of the study composed of 10 parents who answered a questionnaire and three out of the 10 were interviewed for the purpose of triangulation. The results from the first part of the questionnaire indicate that most Iraqi parents used English and promoted it to their children for functional purposes such as getting a job in future, making new friends and facilitating the use of some instruments as computers and smart phones. Results from the second part of the questionnaire show Iraqi parents focused on teaching their children listening and speaking skills rather than reading and writing.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

Translation covers a variety of disciplines or fields, including politics, philosophy, economics,... more Translation covers a variety of disciplines or fields, including politics, philosophy, economics, art, science and religion to name a few. When one comes across different languages with two distinct cultures, translation appears to be the most frequently practiced method to introduce a common novel term. This paper examines the translation from English into Chinese. The data for this study are the Chinese translation of 112 chemical elements from a periodic table. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach to examine the grammatical features of Chinese translation of chemical elements from the semantic and phonological perspectives. The analysis of data revealed that the unique property of Chinese radicals has been fully utilised in the Chinese translation. Consequently, the semantic aspects of the chemical elements are well informed in the translation. On the other hand, the phonological elements in Chinese translation have been simplified and reduced to only one sound which is represented by only one character. The translation of chemical elements is considered unique, both semantically and phonologically, in achieving the equivalence in the Chinese language.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

In Malaysia, children spend a lot of time online and are thus often exposed to undesirable experi... more In Malaysia, children spend a lot of time online and are thus often exposed to undesirable experiences. However, little is known about how parents monitor children's online activities to avert negative exposure. Using the Malaysian context, this study tests the Parental Mediation Model (PMM) developed by the European Kids Online project (a multinational research network on new media and children). The objective of the study is to test the reliability and validity of measurements of parental mediation of children's Internet use. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 420 school children and their parents/guardians. Self-administered questionnaires were employed and exploratory factor analyses and structural equation modelling used to test the model. The results show that the five-factor PMM (technical, monitoring, restrictive, active mediation of Internet safety and active mediation of Internet use) is not applicable to the Malaysian context. Instead, a three-factor model (technical, restrictive monitoring, and active mediation) emerged from the data. Thus, the five-factor PMM of online risks is not a generic construct of dimensions, though the reconstructed three-factor model seems to fit.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

This study investigated the effect of message source labeling (US politician versus Al-Qaeda lead... more This study investigated the effect of message source labeling (US politician versus Al-Qaeda leader) on citizens' perception of their own values in comparison to their perception of values held by the message source. An experiment conducted on 145 participants found that citizens perceived the values of the political figure as more similar to their own when the political figure was labeled " US politician " instead of " Al-Qaeda leader ". However, when presented with a statement with no source labels, participants perceived the values of the US politician and the Al-Qaeda leader to be similar to one another.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

The paper explored how in feminism, the sexes will co-exist to determine mutuality in the overhea... more The paper explored how in feminism, the sexes will co-exist to determine mutuality in the overheated sexual polity. Series of sexual rift between the sexes have been the attention of extensive debate; and the debate still rages on as to whether taking series of the imagined aspects of feminism would still widely be viewed as working outside, or in this instance against feminism. With the emergence of recoded feminism (Nego-feminism), there is a significant shift from other previously coded feminisms because there are observable defective dichotomies. Based on the findings, therefore, the authors recommend that in sanitising the sexist world, it is important for both sexes to bury their egos and simply, in a round table discussion, negotiate their mutual existence. The authors synthesised that as an answer to all sexual challenges, if concerted efforts are not made by feminists, critics, and teachers of literature towards Nego-feminism, the world may continue to be beclouded by visions of disharmony between the sexes.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

Collaborative writing involves group members engaging directly with one another to complete a tas... more Collaborative writing involves group members engaging directly with one another to complete a task. The quality of learning from members is closely associated with the nature of the collaboration and the interactions that take place. This paper examines the dynamics of three groups of tertiary ESL learners as they collaborated on three expository essays. Data were collected from nine audio-recordings of group discussions and four semi-structured interviews. The three cases unveiled very different dynamics due to group connection, individual traits, level of engagement, and degree of control. Social, affective and cognitive processes affected the direction and the quality of collaboration. With an understanding of the group dynamics that ensues during collaboration, practitioners will be better prepared when incorporating collaboration in their writing class.

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

This study concerns the perception of proficiency in English as a foreign language among employee... more This study concerns the perception of proficiency in English as a foreign language among employees in the Beijing 798 art zone plus visitors' perception of services received and staff professionalism. The aim of the study is to establish the extent of the mismatch between the perceptions of both gallery employees and foreign visitors and of the role this plays in the overall visitor experience. Data collection comprised of a bespoke questionnaire with additional open ended questions. All questionnaires were distributed to both employees and visitors in August 2013. Based on the responses received from 100 respondents, the results showed significant misinterpretation that resulted from ineffective communication. Most visitors experienced a number of issues and faced difficulties in obtaining appropriate feedback from gallery staff. These communication problems, (relating to language barriers, either in English among local staff, or in Mandarin among overseas visitors), have lead to misunderstandings and ultimately to lower appraisals of the art works exhibited. The study offers suggestion for improvement, e.g. through the more efficient teaching of English for specific purposes, i.e. tourism, volunteering as mandatory industry training for foreign language students from nearby colleges or universities, and the extension of general information boards and signs within the art district itself. The study is limited in the number of participants (n=100) and should, therefore be repeated for higher objectivity with more participants (n>1000).

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

For years, word sequences which tend to co-occur have been studied under different terms, such as... more For years, word sequences which tend to co-occur have been studied under different terms, such as phraseology, chunks, n-grams and lexical bundles. Lexical bundles in the main are referred to as extended collocations which are used more frequently that we expect by chance. They are building blocks of discourse which have three main functions. Among them, stance expressions appear to be frequently used in academic discourse to reflect the speaker or writers' attitudes towards different propositions. With this idea in mind, the present study aims to portray the use of stance expressions in academic lectures to find out the discourse functions that the stance bundles serve. To this aim, the most frequent stance expressions in six English lectures taken from the British Academic Spoken English (BASE) corpus were studied and analyzed in order to see to what extent stance expressions are used and how English lecturers use them. Results revealed that lecturers deployed 62 different word combinations to carry out stance functions. Among the functions, attitudinal/modality stance bundles were found to be more used – about twice as many as the epistemic stance bundles which was next in the hierarchy. Most of the stance expressions found in the corpus of the study were of personal rather than impersonal. The study of stance expressions in lectures delivered in English could provide insights into the significance of lexical bundles as building blocks of academic discourse in the context of their communicative functions. INTRODUCTION There has always been an interest in finding out the underlying meaning of what people say. Sometimes people do not mean what they say or they may use certain markers to indirectly convey a message that cannot be overtly expressed. Most of these markers are in the form of a variety of lexical phrases which are frequently used in everyday conversations. These expressions, also known as formulaic word units, are considered as a main source of fluency and cohesion in speech or writing, and help to shape meaning in specific contexts (Hyland, 2008).Understanding the way that academic articles or speeches are organized is of a great value for researchers particularly those that are concerned with English for Academic Purposes (EAP), based on the fact that spoken discourse has not received that much attention in research. In order to appreciate the text organization of academic articles or speeches, research could be done by carrying out analyses of the most frequently used multi-word combinations in the language used in academic

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

The present study examines selected speeches of a non-Western leading politician as an attempt to... more The present study examines selected speeches of a non-Western leading politician as an attempt to widen the scope of rhetorical studies from different cultures and to address the lack of studies from non-Western societies. The study conducts a rhetorical analysis of selected speeches of Mahathir Mohamad (the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia) to identify and interpret his language use as a means to persuade his audience to accept or follow a specific course of action. This study explores logos, ethos, and pathos as a means of persuasion demonstrating how they are utilized by Mahathir Mohamad to influence his audience. The findings revealed that logical, ethical and emotional proofs were used for this purpose. Together logos and pathos projected Mahathir's ethos, that is, his credibility as a person, as a persuasive mean. Supportive rhetorical techniques such as examples, parallelisms, rhetorical questions and metaphors were used to enhance Mahathir's argument and to add clarity and conciseness to the argument. INTRODUCTION The study of rhetoric and persuasion should be encouraged because our society can profit from a general awareness of persuasion as a mode of social change and influence. Lessl (2005) emphasizes the importance of rhetoric because the study of rhetoric helps us to understand the processes of communication which underpin making decisions. He adds that understanding the rhetoric of a society tells us about its culture, beliefs, ideas, and assumptions. The recent period has witnessed an interest among researchers to understand the nature of rhetoric and the application of rhetorical techniques in persuasion. However, the study of rhetoric does not cover all societies; it still focuses on the West today. This focus of rhetorical studies on the West has created a lack of knowledge about the rhetorical techniques and the ways of argumentation in non-Western communities. This study is a modest attempt to address the lack of rhetorical studies from the non-Western societies. It is designed to examine how language is utilized by a prominent non-Western orator as a means of

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of using pragmatic consciousness-raisi... more The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of using pragmatic consciousness-raising activities on EFL learners' metapragmatic awareness of the speech act of suggesting. Fifty-two Iranian EFL learners in two intact classes were randomly assigned into an experimental group (n=27) and a control group (n=25). A Metapragmatic Awareness Test (MAT) was administered to both groups before the treatment as a pretest, which showed no significant difference between the two groups' awareness levels.Then, the experimental group received a pragmatic consciousness-raising treatment for eight weeks. After the treatment, first an immediate posttest and then, after eight weeks, a delayed MAT posttest were administered to the participants in both groups to determine the effect of the treatment. The t-test analysis of the delayed posttest mean scores of the experimental and control groups showed a significant difference, indicating the effectiveness of the treatment on the experimental group's metapragmatic awareness. Additionally, the results of repeated measures of ANOVA showed that the treatment enhanced the experimental group's awareness in the immediate posttest as well as the delayed posttest, confirming the durability of the effect of the consciousness-raising treatment on these EFL learners' metapragmatic awareness. The results showed that pragmatic consciousness-raising activities improved EFL learners' immediate and delayed metapragmatic awareness significantly, thus they can be taken into consideration more seriously in L2 teaching, teacher training and material development. INTRODUCTION The role of conscious learning as opposed to unconscious learning has been a controversial issue among second language acquisition theorists and researchers. Some theorists such as Chomsky (1965) and Krashen (1982) have stressed the significance of unconscious learning of a target language; however, conscious learning has gained favour among a greater number of

JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate Malaysian undergraduates' perception of plagiarism an... more The purpose of this study is to investigate Malaysian undergraduates' perception of plagiarism and university policies on plagiarism detection and prevention. The study also aims to identify the factors contributing to students' plagiarism. Data were collected through a questionnaire distributed among undergraduates of different disciplines at a local public university. Results indicated that the students had quite good knowledge about the concept of plagiarism, its various forms, and university plagiarism policies. Most of the students mentioned the ease of copying and pasting from the Internet sources and getting a higher score as contributing factors to commit plagiarism. The study offers a significant contribution in the area of plagiarism prevention. Although students have generally good knowledge of plagiarism, the results of the study may provide further evidence that students' knowledge of plagiarism need to be improved, and lecturers need to understand the causes of students' plagiarism. The study suggests that educators need to provide more information on plagiarism, referencing rules and paraphrasing in academic writing to reduce students' plagiarism.