Language Literacy: Journal of Linguistics, Literature, and Language Teaching
e-ISSN: 2580-9962 | p-ISSN: 2580-8672 DOI PREFIX (By Crossref): 10.30743/ Language Literacy: Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching is a blind peer-reviewed international journal biannually published by the Faculty of Literature, Universitas Islam Sumatera Utara (UISU), Medan, Indonesia. This journal issues publication in June and December with its first issue released in December 2017. It has been indexed in DOAJ since 27 June 2018. The journal is nationally accredited with Grade 3 (SINTA 3) by the Ministry of Research Technology and Higher Education of Republic Indonesia based on the Decree Number: 72/E/KPT/2024 dated 1 April 2024. This accreditation is effective from Volume 6 Number 2, 2022 to Volume 11 Number 1, 2027. Authors are encouraged to submit complete unpublished and original works or research results, which are not under review in any other journals. Manuscripts should follow the style of the journal and are subject to both review and editing processes. The journal's scope includes, but not limited to, the fields of linguistics, literature and language teaching with all submissions written in English. <a title="DOAJ" href="https://doaj.org/toc/2580-9962?source=%7B%22query%22%3A%7B%22filtered%22%3A%7B%22filter%22%3A%7B%22bool%22%3A%7B%22must%22%3A%5B%7B%22terms%22%3A%7B%22index.issn.exact%22%3A%5B%222580-8672%22%2C%222580-9962%22%5D%7D%7D%5D%7D%7D%2C%22query%22%3A%7B%22match_all%22%3A%7B%7D%7D%7D%7D%2C%22size%22%3A100%2C%22sort%22%3A%5B%7B%22created_date%22%3A%7B%22order%22%3A%22desc%22%7D%7D%5D%2C%22_source%22%3A%7B%7D%7D" target="_blank">
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DIGITAL MULTIMODAL COMPOSING IN EFL PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ SLIDES: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
Presentation slides are highly incorporated in the classroom. However, the EFL pre-service teachers’ ability to compose meaning across different modes in presentation slides remains underexplored. This study investigates how a group of four EFL pre-service teachers designed presentation slides by analysing the visual, verbal, and gestural modes through the lens of Systemic Functional Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA). The research aims to examine how ideational, interpersonal, and textual meanings are realised in the multimodal artefacts, students’ design rationale, and how the three modes unite to achieve pedagogical goals, i.e. intersemiosis. The data included 15 presentation slides and an interview transcript, which provided insight into the EFL pre-service teachers’ design rationale. Findings indicate that although the slides employed the three modes, the analysis found limited intersemiosis, with modes, particularly the visual mode, not co-constructing meaning. This reflects a gap between the designers’ intention to engage students and the actual execution. The study concludes that pre-service teachers require not only theoretical exposure to multimodality but also structured practice in designing materials where meaning is distributed meaningfully across modes. These findings highlight the need for teacher education to develop curriculum that explicitly scaffolds digital multimodal composing skills.
Copyright (c) 2025 Viville Irena Lola, Emi Emilia
PRAGMATICS OF BREADCRUMBING: IMPLICATURE AND MAXIM VIOLATIONS IN MANIPULATIVE COMMUNICATION
This study examines the role of conversational implicatures and maxim violations in manipulative communication, particularly in the phenomenon of breadcrumbing. Breadcrumbing is a subtle manipulation tactic in romantic relationships characterized by ambiguous messages to maintain someone's interest without commitment. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, data were collected through an open-ended online questionnaire aimed at individuals who had experienced breadcrumbing. By applying Grice's implicature theory, this study identifies how maxim violations (quantity, quality, relation, and manner) contribute to creating ambiguity and false hope in breadcrumbing. These deliberate violations aim to maintain an emotional connection while avoiding clear intentions in the relationship, thereby preserving ambiguity within it. The findings reveal that perpetrators of breadcrumbing often use vague and unclear language as a communication manipulation strategy that creates emotional uncertainty in the victim. This study also highlights the psychological impact of breadcrumbing on victims, such as emotional uncertainty and decreased self-esteem. The work emphasizes the value of pragmatic linguistic analysis in uncovering subtle forms of emotional manipulation in romantic relationships and suggests potential strategies for awareness and prevention.
Copyright (c) 2025 Raisya Nur Fitriani, Emy Sudarwati
FROM LOCAL FLAVOR TO GLOBAL APPEAL: LANGUAGE IN INDONESIAN BEAUTY BRANDING
This study examined the language of Indonesian beauty branding, focusing on how language choices constructed brand identity and appealed to specific social groups. The research analyzed 79 data points, including brand names, slogans, taglines, and campaigns, which were collected from homepage banners and company profiles of seven beauty brand websites, using the Linguistic Landscape (LL) and Virtual Linguistic Landscape (VLL) frameworks. The sample included both local and international labels. A qualitative descriptive method with purposive sampling was applied, and the data were categorized by language form (monolingual or bilingual) and linguistic function (informative and symbolic). The findings showed a strong preference for English in conveying prestige, modernity, and global orientation. Bahasa Indonesia was employed to emphasize national pride and ensure accessibility, while occasional Arabic or Spanish terms targeted niche audiences. The dominance of symbolic over informative functions reflected strategic branding aimed at influencing consumer perceptions and appealing to defined social groups. This research contributed to the advancement of LL and VLL scholarships by extending their application to the under-explored domain of beauty branding in Indonesia. It demonstrated how multilingual branding operated simultaneously as a marketing tool and a vehicle for ideological expression, offering a framework for understanding how language choices in emerging markets reflected and reinforced socio-cultural values.
Copyright (c) 2025 Innama Ramadhani, Emy Sudarwati
SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IN KATY PERRY’S TEENAGE DREAM ALBUM
This study investigates the semantic construction of figurative language in Teenage Dream, the second studio album by American pop singer Katy Perry. Using a qualitative-descriptive approach, the study draws on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and Semantic Field Theory (SFT) to systematically analyze all twelve original songs on the album. The analysis uncovers the strategic use of figurative language especially metaphor, simile, and personification, as a means of encoding complex emotional, psychological, and social meanings. The findings suggest the presence of dominant semantic fields, including love, nostalgia, empowerment, desire, and identity, mapped through embodied imagery such as fire, light, heartbeat, and transformation. These tropes serve not only as poetic embellishments but also as core semantic strategies that construct narrative voice and emotional depth. Furthermore, the study illustrates how figurative language enhances lyrical identity and cultural resonance, particularly in the context of women’s artistic expression in popular music. By highlighting the latent depths in commercially produced lyrics, this study contributes to the broader discourse on the intersection of linguistics, gender, and pop culture. Filling this gap allows for a fuller account of female pop stardom and highlights how Teenage Dream complicates and extends dominant narratives of gender, sexuality, and cultural production in contemporary music studies.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nova Pinky Nurcahyani, Sigit Haryanto
EXPLORING LANGUAGE STYLES IN THE FILM UGLIES (2024): A SOCIOLINGUISTICS PERSPECTIVE
This study investigates the use of language styles in the film Uglies (released in 2024) by applying Joos’ (1967) classification of language styles (frozen, formal, consultative, casual, and intimate) and Holmes’ (2013) framework of social factors influencing the choice of language styles, including participants, setting, topic, and function. Using a qualitative approach with content analysis as the research design, this study took the data from the English subtitled transcripts of the film officially released by Netflix. The findings reveal that the casual style is the most dominant, followed by the intimate and consultative styles, reflecting the film’s focus on adolescent characters and peer relationships in informal and emotionally driven contexts. The formal style appears in institutional interactions, while the frozen style is notably absent, due to the lack of ceremonial or ritualistic settings in the narrative. Analyzing language in dystopian fiction is significant because it reveals how imagined societies construct power, identity, and resistance through communication. This study highlights the close relationship between language styles and social factors, demonstrating how linguistic choices reflect the dynamics of participant relationships and communicative functions in the film.
Copyright (c) 2025 Olga Adelia Daulay, Rusdi Noor Rosa, Muhammad Yusuf
LANGUAGE LEARNING AS A COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT STRATEGY AMONG KURDISH EFL LEARNERS IN CHARMO UNIVERISTY, CHAMCHAMAL, KURDISTAN REGION, IRAQ
The current mixed-methods study focuses on cognitive enhancement strategies through Structured English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning among fourth-year students at Charmo University, Chamchamal, Iraq. The study considers the implications consequent to the cognitive flexible triggering of problem-solving, resilient psychologically from the translated memorized content, and acquisition of a foreign language. The study revealed quantitative results of strong positive interrelations of language learning with cognitive enhancement (r = 0.614, p < 0.05 medium effect), adaptive cognitive functioning (r = 0.643, p < 0.05) and resilience psychologically (r = 0.597, p < 0.05). The qualitative analysis on thematic analysis and semi-structured interviews illustrated the students’ self-reported mental flexibility, creativity, and cultural awareness, as well as the positive adjustments from the anxiety. There are no significant differences in gender (p > 0.05). The study principally highlighted the cognitive advantage of advanced EFL learning, countering claims of diminished bilingual advantage over time. Integration of culturally relevant language materials into higher education curricula will serve as cognitive training, considering the scarce studies on the neuropsychological benefits of language learning within the context of developing countries.
Copyright (c) 2025 Khelan Mahmood, Zana Mohammed, Ibrahim Murad
LOVE AND BETRAYAL IN THE SHADOW OF WAR: PAT BARKER'S REGENERATION TRILOGY
This study examines the interconnected themes of love and betrayal within the psychological and moral framework of Pat Barker’s esteemed Regeneration Trilogy: Regeneration (1991), The Eye in the Door (1993), and The Ghost Road (1995). The objectives are threefold: first, to analyze the dual role of love as a therapeutic and disruptive force among individuals traumatized by war; second, to examine betrayal as a complex motif involving personal relationships, institutional authority, and ideological allegiance; and third, to evaluate how these emotional dynamics mirror the broader psychological disintegration and ethical ambiguity of wartime society. The methodology utilizes a qualitative literary analysis informed by psychoanalytic and historical frameworks, using trauma theory and war studies to elucidate the psychological complexity of Barker’s characters. Detailed textual analyses are enhanced by secondary critical sources that examine trauma, gender identity, and the politics of memory. The results demonstrate that Barker deconstructs traditional war narratives by highlighting psychological authenticity and emotional intricacy. Betrayal functions as a social and psychological mechanism that reveals the fissures within individuals, institutions, and the moral structure of wartime Britain. The discourse indicates that Barker's feminist and humanist viewpoints contest dominant notions of masculinity, loyalty, and patriotism. Through her intricate depiction of love and treachery, she examines the morality of survival and the vulnerability of human integrity in difficult circumstances. In conclusion, the study posits that Barker’s trilogy surpasses conventional war literature by converting personal feeling into a medium for historical and ethical contemplation.
THE ROLE OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN ENHANCING STUDENTS' READING LITERACY IN THE INDONESIAN EFL CONTEXT
Students’ reading skills in English reflect the cultural interaction that takes place during language learning. When students are able to recognize and understand the cultural aspects of a text, it is predicted that they can usually interpret it more effectively. The purpose of this study is to examine students’ understanding of intercultural communication in English reading and to investigate the relationship between intercultural communication and reading comprehension. The study applied a quantitative descriptive method, using a reading comprehension test and a questionnaire as the instruments for data collection. The participants consisted of 40 high school students, equally divided into 20 males and 20 females. The findings indicate a strong and positive correlation between students’ intercultural communication skills and their ability to comprehend English reading texts. The linear regression analysis produced a strong correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.64) by referring to Correlation Pearson Product Moment. These findings suggest that English teachers should consider the intercultural communication in teaching reading comprehension. Eventually, incorporating intercultural communication into English language teaching is essential, particularly to support the development of students’ reading skills.
Copyright (c) 2025 Surya Asra, Rahmiati, Fadlia, Aina Mawaddah
A MORPHO-SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF COMPOUND NOUNS IN A. D. MALEDU’S SEPEDI DOCTORAL THESIS
Noun compounding is a linguistic process involving the combination of two or more lexical items to form a single noun. This method of word formation is effectively demonstrated in the translated Sepedi Bible as well as in translations of other African languages. This article seeks to critically assess the innovative use of compound nouns as observed in A.D. Maledu’s doctoral thesis, which is written in Sepedi—one of South Africa’s twelve official languages. Maledu’s body of scholarly work is recognised for its prolific and distinctive use of compound nouns, showcasing a rare form of linguistic creativity in African-language scholarship. The article intensively assesses these compound nouns and explores their potential utility for Sepedi language custodians. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study primarily used document review as the data collection method. Out of the pool of compound nouns used in the thesis, only thirty-four (34) were purposively sampled for discussion. The findings were analysed thematically, thereby situating the study within a thematic framework. The analysis reveals that most of the compound nouns applied in the thesis are endocentric and copulative compounds, with minimal exocentric examples. Ultimately, the article commends the thesis author’s inventive contribution to the development of compound nouns, thus enriches the corpus of Sepedi applied linguistics in the digital era and beyond.
POSTCOLONIAL PERSPECTIVES ON MALAY BATU BARA ORAL NARRATIVES: INSIGHTS FROM ENGLISH LITERARY THEORY
This study investigates how Malay Batu Bara oral narratives express cultural identity, morality, and resistance through the analytical lens of English postcolonial theory. Addressing the lack of research applying postcolonial literary frameworks to Indonesian oral traditions, the study aims to reinterpret local oral texts using key concepts from Bhabha (hybridity, mimicry) and Spivak (subaltern voice) to understand how these narratives negotiate cultural power. A qualitative comparative design was employed, drawing on twelve Batu Bara oral texts including pantun, gurindam, ritual verses, and folktale fragments supplemented by interviews with five cultural informants. These were compared with selected English literary works exhibiting parallel moral themes. Data were analyzed using thematic coding and cultural semiotics to identify symbolic patterns and interpret how postcolonial concepts function within the local narratives. Findings indicate four specific moral and cultural patterns recurring across the oral texts: ecological harmony, respect for social hierarchy, communal ethics, and moral sincerity. These values are articulated through metaphor, performance, and collective expression, revealing how Batu Bara narratives function as moral counter-discourses that embody subaltern agency and cultural resilience. The cross-analysis demonstrates a form of “moral hybridity,” where local ethical worldviews intersect with and reinterpret English postcolonial concepts. The study contributes theoretically by positioning Malay oral literature as an active epistemological space within postcolonial discourse and practically by offering a model for integrating indigenous oral traditions into comparative literary pedagogy.
EXPLORING A TAILORED TASK-BASED LANGUAGE TEACHING (TBLT) MODEL FOR ENHANCING LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY IN MATURE STUDENTS
Language teachers employ a range of approaches, both direct and indirect, to support effective language learning. Among these, Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) stands out as a learner-centred, indirect method that fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and learner autonomy. Mature students in higher education, however, encounter distinctive challenges related to balancing multiple responsibilities, managing academic anxiety, addressing financial constraints, and overcoming limited language proficiency, often resulting from an extended gap in formal study. This paper proposes a tailored TBLT model comprising four components: constructivist principles, TBLT phases, cooperative learning principles, and contextually relevant teaching–learning activities. The model aims to enhance mature students’ language competence and bridge proficiency gaps with their younger peers through authentic tasks such as event planning, community debates, report writing, and formal email preparation. By drawing upon their professional and life experiences in these collaborative and authentic contexts, learners engage with real-world language use, leading to measurable improvements in linguistic performance. Implemented over a twelve-week intervention with 21 mature students at a private university, the model demonstrated significant gains in reading, writing, and speaking proficiency. The study thus presents an empirically validated framework integrating constructivist, task-based, and cooperative learning approaches to meet the specific needs of mature language learners.
REVISITING SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS: A QUEER-FORMAL READING OF GENDER IDENTITY
This study aims to review the construction of gender identity in Shakespeare's sonnets in the context of contemporary gender theory and queer reading. A descriptive qualitative method is applied with a Formalism approach combined with queer theory (Butler, 1990; Sedgwick, 1990) and Marxist feminism (Federici, 2012). The primary data consists of five selected sonnets, Sonnet 20, 57, 62, 18, and 55, which are analyzed using close reading techniques, textual interpretation, and contextual analysis. The research steps include: (1) selecting sonnet texts based on the relevance of gender themes, (2) identifying formal elements (diction, structure, symbols), (3) analyzing meaning and power relations in the discourse of love and identity, and (4) drawing conclusions based on the theory used. The results of the study show five main findings. First, Sonnet 20 displays an ambiguous representation of gender, showing the shifting roles between masculine and feminine. Second, Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 87 depict homoerotic desire and power relations that transcend heteronormative norms. Third, Sonnet 57 shows the emotional ambiguity and identity of the poet as a passive subject and admirer. Fourth, Sonnet 62 reveals Time, Mortality, and the Search for Eternal Identity, while fifth, Sonnet 55 shows language, symbols, and performativity as spaces for identity formation. This study concludes that Shakespeare views identity as a fluid social and linguistic construction, and makes poetry a space for negotiation between love, time, and human existence.
Copyright (c) 2025 Hidayati Hidayati, Zuindra Zuindra, Misla Geubrina, Muhammad Kiki Wardana, Yuniarti Hia
THE INTEGRATION OF DIGITAL HUMANITIES (DH) IN BANGLADESHI LIBRARIES: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES
This study examines the role of Digital Humanities (DH) in the libraries of Bangladesh, with a focus on integrating digital technologies, staff training, and enhancing the accessibility of digital resources. Given the rapid advancement of digital tools in academic environments, this research aims to assess DH implementation in libraries, identify key challenges, and suggest strategies to enhance their effectiveness and inclusivity. The study adopts both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data were collected through two primary methods: Google Forms and interviews, with a sample size of 103 respondents. The data collected were analyzed utilizing Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The study finds a mixed adoption of digital humanities (DH) tools across libraries in Bangladesh, as the use of new technology required to fully digitalize them is still uneven. While urban academic libraries have made substantial progress in digitalizing resources and offering DH-based services, rural libraries continue to face significant barriers due to limited ICT infrastructure, the digital divide, and digital literacy gaps among staff and users. The analysis reveals that the lack of structured training for librarians and insufficient funding for infrastructure development pose significant obstacles. The study also highlights that integrating DH into libraries in Bangladesh is inevitable, as it can transform libraries into digital hubs for knowledge production and dissemination. The study recommends enhancing library ICT infrastructure, reducing the digital divide to make resources accessible to all, and offering digital literacy programs for both staff and library users.
Copyright (c) 2025 Md. Masud Rana, Shahjahan Kabir
LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS IN THE BASARANG RITUAL: A CULTURAL-LINGUISTIC STUDY OF MINANGKABAU ORAL TRADITION
Language serves as a vital medium in oral traditions—not only for communication but also as a vehicle for transmitting values and reinforcing collective identity. The Basarang ritual in Nagari Kasang, Minangkabau, is a traditional ceremony performed to commemorate the birth of kembar sumbang (twins of opposite sex) and to restore social and cultural harmony within the community. Despite its cultural richness, linguistic studies on Basarang remain scarce compared to other Minangkabau traditions. This research investigates the functions of language in the Basarang ritual through Roman Jakobson’s (1960) model of language functions, employing a qualitative framework and an ethnography of communication approach (Spradley, 1997; Duranti, 1997). Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation of ritual utterances, mamang (chants), pantun (poetic verses), and prayers. The analysis categorizes linguistic expressions according to Jakobson’s six language functions—referential, emotive, conative, phatic, metalingual, and poetic—allowing systematic interpretation of their realization in ritual discourse. Findings reveal that language in Basarang functions not merely as a communicative tool but as a symbolic medium that legitimizes customary law, nurtures social solidarity, and transmits moral and cultural values. This study extends Jakobson’s framework by embedding it within the ethnolinguistic context of Minangkabau ritual discourse, offering contributions to both linguistic theory and cultural preservation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Febry Aurlani, Akbar Idaman
CONSTRUCTIVIST ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ MULTIMODAL TEXTS INTEGRATING LOCAL WISDOM IN THE DIGITAL LITERACY ERA
This study aims to analyze university students’ multimodal texts that integrate local wisdom values through the lens of Jean Piaget’s constructivist perspective. The study connects constructivist theory with digital literacy practices rooted in local culture, an area that remains underexplored in Indonesian language education. The research employs a descriptive qualitative approach, focusing on the process of students’ knowledge construction in producing multimodal texts based on local wisdom. The participants were third-semester students of the Indonesian Language, Literature, and Regional Education Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Mathla’ul Anwar University, Banten. The primary data consisted of multimodal text products themed around the local wisdom of Pandeglang, while supporting data were obtained through direct classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. The research instruments included observation sheets, interview guides, and students’ reflection journals. The data analysis process was guided by Piaget’s constructivist framework, which examined the processes of assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration in students’ cognitive development. Data were analyzed through three stages: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with triangulation employed to ensure data credibility. The findings reveal that students actively assimilated local wisdom knowledge with academic theory, adjusted their ways of thinking and presenting cultural values in multimodal texts, and achieved a balance between cultural preservation and the demands of digital literacy. The process of creating multimodal texts also demonstrated experiential learning (learning by doing) and self-reflection, while variations in visual and narrative styles reflected each student’s individual knowledge construction.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nanang Maulana, Sholeh Hidayat, Nurul Anriani
TRAUMA REPRESENTATION IN AGUK IRAWAN’S KIDUNG RINDU DI TAPAL BATAS: A SIGMUND FREUD’S PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
This research aims to describe the representation of two forms of trauma, namely psychological trauma and neurosis trauma, in the novel Kidung Rindu di Tapal Batas by Aguk Irawan MN. This study integrates the traumatic theory of Fatmah K. and Diah Retno Ningsih with Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic approach to interpret the psychological dynamics of the characters through three structures of personality: id, ego, and superego. This research uses a qualitative descriptive method through reading techniques and recording data in the form of dialogue, narration, and descriptions that show symptoms of trauma. The analysis is carried out by classifying the types of trauma and interpreting the characters' psychological responses to inner stress and traumatic experiences. The research results show that psychological trauma and neurosis are represented through inner conflict, fear, loss, and guilt experienced by the characters. The dynamics between the id, ego, and superego show how the ego acts as a mediator between instinctual drives and moral control in the face of traumatic stress. Theoretically, this research enriches the study of literary psychology by confirming that literary works function as a reflection of human psychological conditions and a medium for understanding the dynamics of trauma in the context of Indonesian literature.
Copyright (c) 2025 Language Literacy: Journal of Linguistics, Literature, and Language Teaching
AN EXPLORATION OF ORTHOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES AMONG SEPEDI GRADE 10 LEARNERS IN ESSAY WRITING
Writing is a language skill that every Sepedi language custodian should master. Learners seem to encounter multiple orthographic challenges in their formal writing activities, thereby deviating from standard spelling rules in the language. This study aims to critically explore orthographic errors made by Sepedi learners in their essay writing. It is a qualitative study which seeks to assess the quality of language usage in Grade 10 classrooms. Four learners and two Sepedi educators were purposively sampled for this study. Learners’ formal activity scripts were utilized while teachers were interviewed to gather data, thereby employing document review and semi-structured interviews as data collection tools. Data were analysed thematically to identify and critically examine spelling challenges. Findings from this study indicate that learners face significant orthographic challenges, including differentiating between conjunctive and disjunctive writing systems, incorporating colloquial language into formal writing, and handling the insertion and omission of certain letters and vowels, as well as punctuation issues, among other issues. The study is expected to contribute to addressing overall orthographic challenges among Sepedi learners, as well as being handy to Sepedi language educators on how to instruct grammar lessons.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ngoako Silas Mashaphu, James Seanego
THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AS VICTIMS OF MASCULINE POWER IN CANTIK ITU LUKA BY EKA KURNIAWAN: AN EXISTENTIALIST FEMINIST STUDY
This study analyzes the representation of women as victims of masculine power in Cantik Itu Luka by Eka Kurniawan through the lens of Simone de Beauvoir’s existentialist feminism. The novel was chosen for its intricate portrayal of women’s suffering and social positioning within Indonesia’s patriarchal structure, marked by violence, sexuality, and moral oppression. While earlier research has explored themes of women and patriarchy in Kurniawan’s works, studies explicitly connecting Cantik Itu Luka to Beauvoir’s existentialist feminist theory remain scarce. This study therefore contributes to a deeper understanding of women’s freedom and existence in Indonesian literature. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the research draws on the text of Cantik Itu Luka as the primary data source. Analysis is conducted through close reading of narrative elements, symbols, and character actions, framed by Beauvoir’s concepts of freedom, oppression, and woman as the “Other.” The findings reveal that masculine power in the novel manifests through physical violence, sexual exploitation, and moral or social control over women’s bodies. The protagonist, Dewi Ayu, together with other female characters such as Alamanda and Maya Dewi, embodies the subjugation of women under patriarchy. Yet, amid this suffering emerges an existential awareness that urges women to assert freedom and autonomy as self-determining subjects. Through his use of magical realism, Kurniawan captures the tension between oppression and resistance, illuminating women’s search for meaning and agency. Ultimately, this study enriches feminist literary criticism in Indonesia by showing how literature reflects women’s existential struggles toward liberation and self-sovereignty.
Copyright (c) 2025 Weni Febriyanti, Hasan Suaedi, Mohamad Afrizal
EXPLORING DARK DESIRES IN AVENGED SEVENFOLD’S A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN: A PSYCHOANALYTIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL READING
Research on dark themes in literature and music often focuses on narrative or aesthetic form, leaving a gap in understanding how psychological and philosophical dimensions shape artistic expression. This study aims to explore how dark desires are represented in Avenged Sevenfold’s A Little Piece of Heaven through psychological, sociological, and philosophical perspectives. Employing a qualitative descriptive method with thematic analysis, the research identifies symbolic patterns of unconscious drives, moral conflict, and emotional duality within the song’s narrative. The analysis applies Freud’s concepts of the id, ego, and superego alongside Jung’s theory of the shadow self to uncover repressed impulses, while Nietzsche’s philosophy is used to interpret how destructive instincts are transformed into creativity and moral reflection. The findings reveal that A Little Piece of Heaven embodies the duality of affection and violence, suggesting that dark desires function as both destructive and creative forces within human consciousness. This study contributes to literary and cultural studies by demonstrating how psychological repression and moral conflict in heavy metal music can be interpreted as a creative articulation of human emotion, offering insight for both literary analysis and cultural pedagogy.
Copyright (c) 2025 Falah Muzaqqi Aljazera, Masnia Rahayu
TRANSLATION STRATEGIES OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS IN LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S LITTLE WOMEN AND ITS INDONESIAN VERSION GADIS-GADIS MARCH
This qualitative study analyses the strategies used in translating idioms from Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women into Indonesian Gadis-Gadis March and evaluates the degree of equivalence in the translation. Idioms, as an important element of linguistic and cultural richness, require appropriate strategies to ensure that the original message is conveyed accurately and naturally. Document analysis reveals five main strategies. The most dominant strategy is the use of idioms with similar meanings but different forms (39%), which indicates a priority on preserving meaning and emotional effect rather than adherence to the structure of the source language. The strategy of providing idioms with the same meaning and form (35%) was also used significantly, in an effort to maintain the authenticity of the text. In addition, paraphrasing was applied (22%), focusing on conveying meaning naturally and in accordance with the target cultural context. The strategies of omitting idioms (3%) and borrowing idioms (0%) were rarely used. The distribution of these findings suggests a dominant orientation towards dynamic equivalence, where the main focus of translation is the preservation of meaning, emotional nuance, and cultural impact, rather than literal translation. The results show that effective idiom translation in literary works depends on the selection of strategies that are sensitive to cultural context and capable of maintaining the naturalness of the target language. These findings make a significant contribution to the study of literary translation by clarifying the relationship between the choice of idiom translation strategies and the achievement of dynamic equivalence in fictional texts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Siti Tasya Jelita Manurung, Isli Iriani Indiah Br.Pane, Masitowarni Siregar
LINGUISTIC ATTITUDES AND LANGUAGE CHOICES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN A MULTILINGUAL GHANAIAN ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT
In multilingual environments, language users continuously negotiate their linguistic identities by selecting among available languages to achieve specific communicative purposes. However, such choices are not random; they are shaped by context, domain, and attitudes toward each language. Anchored in Communication Accommodation Theory and Identity Negotiation Theory, this study examines students’ language preferences within the academic setting of a Ghanaian university. Adopting a qualitative research design, data were gathered through focus group discussions (FGDs) to capture students’ linguistic choices and the factors influencing them in both academic and informal contexts. The findings indicate that students’ language choices are driven by attitudinal orientations, situational contexts, and group membership dynamics. Elements such as time, place, interlocutors, and conversation topics significantly influence which language is chosen in a given interaction. The study highlights how multilingual students strategically adjust their linguistic behavior to align with social expectations and identity positioning. These insights have implications for understanding language attitudes and communication practices in multilingual educational and professional settings.
Copyright (c) 2025 Paul Anzah-Ackah Herzuah, Christiana Hammond
MAXIM VIOLATIONS IN CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION: A PRAGMATIC STUDY OF RUMSPRINGA: AN AMISH IN BERLIN
This study shows on purpose violations of conversational maxims and their implied meanings in the Netflix film Rumspringa: An Amish in Berlin (2022) through a pragmatic and cross-cultural. The film shows Jacob, a young Amish man, going through Rumspringa in Berlin. The cultural differences Jacob sees show the various ways of communicating, values, and perspectives between the Amish way of life and modern city living. This study aims to identify the types of maxim violations and explain their pragmatic functions within the intercultural setting of the film. This research employs a descriptive qualitative method. In order to analyze data that were obtained from selected dialogues in the film using Grice’s Cooperative Principle framework (1975). The findings reveal that maxim of relevance, which is the sole maxim violated in the data, is employed as a strategy to communicate deeper meanings, express cultural identity, create humor, and subtly critique society. The study contributes to pragmatic and intercultural communication research by illustrating how media discourse reflects complex cultural negotiations through linguistic and multimodal implicature.
Copyright (c) 2025 Asya Asyura Djawar, Julia Wulandari
METAPHORS WE SHOOT BY: METAPHORS IN LIVE TEXT FOOTBALL COMMENTARY
This paper examines metaphors in live text football commentary, a developing genre of computer-mediated sports discourse. Drawing on Lakoff and Johnson’s CMT, live text commentaries of three final football matches were used as the data for the study. The commentaries included that of the 2025 UEFA Champions League, 2025 Conference League and 2025 Europa League. The commentaries were analysed using the Pragglejaz Group’s (2007) procedure for identifying metaphorically used words, enabling the study to systematically detect and classify lexical items whose contextual meanings diverged from their basic meanings. The results show that war, journey, construction and power domains were mapped onto various events in the football game. These domains functioned to frame football as a combative struggle (war), a contest for dominance (power), a structured and progressive movement toward a goal (journey), and a creative or strategic process (construction). The following conceptual metaphors were identified: A Football Match Is War, A Football Match Is Competition For Power, A Football Match Is A Journey and A Football Match Are Construction. The analysis provides support for the claim that metaphors are not merely stylistic choices but fundamental cognitive tools through which football discourse is structured and communicated.
SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF THE POEM A CONVERSATION WITH MY MOTHER ABOUT THE BLOODSTAINS ON MY SHIRT BY DARIUS SIMPSON
Leech’s semantic theory plays a crucial role in analyzing meaning in a poem, as it highlights the multiple layers of interpretation embedded in poetic language. The aim of this study is to analyse the types of meaning in the poem “A Conversation with My Mother about the Bloodstains on My Shirt” by Darius Simpson. This study employs Leech's semantic theory as the primary theoretical framework for interpreting the semiotic meanings present in the poem's text. The research method used in this study is a qualitative descriptive approach, using content analysis of Leech’s semantic categories. The findings reveal six distinct types of meaning in the poem. They are conceptual meaning (16 %), connotative meaning (27 %), affective meaning (18%), thematic meaning (16 %), social meaning (18%), and reflected meaning (4%). The dominant meaning is connotative, emphasizing the emotional burden and sociopolitical critique of the poet. While the least is reflected meaning, because the poem prioritizes clarity, emotional resonance, and sociopolitical truth, rather than wordplay or associative ambiguity. Therefore, this study provides a comprehensive lens for interpreting how poets use linguistic creativity to communicate meaning in subtle, layered, and aesthetic ways.
Copyright (c) 2025 Rosmawati Lase, Mayshia Safitri, Fitriyah Fitriyah
ICT INTEGRATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING IN VIETNAMESE HIGHER EDUCATION: LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES
Information and communication technology (ICT) has been conducting sweeping changes in higher education worldwide. With its focus on communication and interaction, language education can be immensely benefitted from various available ICT tools. A number of studies have been conducted in the field of ICT application in language education, but the perspective of language teachers in Vietnamese higher education – a pivotal part – is not thoroughly studied. Hence, this research investigated the issue of ICT integration in foreign language teaching in Vietnamese higher education from the perspective of language teachers. Using the descriptive qualitative method, the research employed the instrument of interview with 87 teachers of different foreign languages from a number of tertiary institutions in Vietnam. The findings showed that various ICT tools were used in their foreign language teaching for different purposes and can be grouped into 06 groups according to their functions in use. Such ICT integration resulted in more effective teaching, learning, assessment, class management, and students’ higher learning motivation and better language learning outcomes. The ICT tools were acknowledged to help with the development of the four macro-language skills as well as vocabulary. To promote ICT integration in language teaching, supportive school leadership and policy frameworks alongside with ICT training for language teachers are required. In short, this research has provided insights into how ICT can be more effectively integrated into language teaching practices in Vietnam.
WEB-BASED INTERACTIVE STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE TOEFL ITP READING SKILLS
The TOEFL ITP reading comprehension section poses a significant challenge for many EFL learners, necessitating innovative instructional approaches. This study aims to develop and evaluate a dedicated web-based learning platform integrating interactive strategies to enhance reading skills for the TOEFL ITP. Employing a Research and Development (R&D) design with the 4D model (Define, Design, Develop, Disseminate), the study involved 109 university students selected through purposive sampling. The platform's development included validation by English teaching and educational technology experts, followed by a limited field test. Data were collected through pre-test/post-test assessments and a usability questionnaire. The results indicated a substantial improvement in reading proficiency, with mean scores increasing from 355.88 to 423.45, a statistically significant gain of 18.98% (Z = -9.019, p < .001). Furthermore, user evaluations revealed positive feedback on the platform's accessibility, interactivity, and ability to maintain engagement. This study concludes that the purpose-built web-based platform serves as an effective intervention for improving TOEFL ITP reading skills. It contributes to the field of digital-based EFL instruction by demonstrating the efficacy of a tailored, interactive learning tool for standardized test preparation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Arda Adianto, Eva Sulistiana, Wardatun Nadzifah
TRANSLATION OF EXPRESSIVE SPEECH ACTS BY PROTAGONIST AND ANTAGONIST CHARACTERS IN THE WITCHER SERIES
This study examines the translation of expressive speech acts in the Netflix series The Witcher, focusing on the protagonist Geralt of Rivia and the antagonist Cahir Mawr Dyffryn. Expressive speech acts—such as apology, gratitude, condolence, lament, congratulation, protest, and praise—play a crucial role in conveying emotions and shaping character identity. A total of 158 utterances were analyzed from English–Indonesian subtitle pairs using qualitative descriptive methods, supported by translation quality assessment based on accuracy, acceptability, and readability. Findings reveal distinct pragmatic patterns: Geralt frequently uses empathetic expressions like protest, apology, and regret, reflecting moral engagement and interpersonal sensitivity, while Cahir predominantly employs praise and boasting, emphasizing authority and self-image. Analysis of 700 translation instances shows that established equivalence (56.14%) and variation (17.29%) were the most common techniques, supporting naturalness, readability, and cultural appropriateness. Techniques such as modulation, paraphrase, amplification, and compensation were applied to preserve pragmatic force and emotional nuance. Overall, translation quality was high, with mean scores of 2.84 (accuracy), 2.76 (acceptability), and 2.89 (readability). This study contributes a novel perspective by linking expressive speech acts with character function and translation strategies in subtitling. The findings emphasize the importance of selecting translation techniques that maintain pragmatic intent, emotional impact, and character portrayal, offering guidance for audiovisual translators and informing future research on cross-cultural narrative translation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Faisal Septiaji, Mangatur Rudolf Nababan, Riyadi Santosa
SEMIOTICS IN INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION OF TRADITIONAL MARKET TRADERS IN MEDAN CITY: A PRAGMATIC PERSPECTIVE
This study investigates the role of semiotics in the interpersonal communication of traders in traditional markets in Medan City through a pragmatic lens. Semiotics, as the study of signs and symbols, plays a central role in shaping meaning and mutual understanding in everyday interactions. Traditional markets offer a rich communicative environment where traders and buyers depend not only on verbal exchanges but also on gestures, intonation, cultural codes, and symbolic expressions to negotiate meaning and sustain social relationships. This research adopts a qualitative descriptive design involving 20 traders selected purposively from three major traditional markets in Medan. Data were collected through participant observation and in-depth semi-structured interviews to capture authentic communicative behaviors and interpretations of meaning. The data were analyzed using semiotic and pragmatic frameworks to identify the implicit functions of signs and contextual negotiation of meaning in interpersonal exchanges. The findings reveal that semiotic elements in traders’ communication function to build trust, strengthen social solidarity, and create persuasive strategies that influence economic decision-making. From a pragmatic standpoint, meaning is constructed contextually, reflecting the traders’ cultural values, social norms, and economic intentions. The study concludes that semiotic practices in traditional market communication represent not only linguistic phenomena but also socio-cultural strategies that sustain market interactions and preserve local wisdom. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of interpersonal communication as a dynamic process supporting the cultural and economic vitality of local communities.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ely Ezir, Devi Annisa Marpaung, Aisyah Noor Nasution, Apriliyanti Apriliyanti
REPRESENTATION OF MULTICULTURAL VALUES IN THE NOVEL LELAKI HARIMAU BY EKA KURNIAWAN
Multiculturalism refers to the diversity of life across the world or a cultural framework that emphasizes the acceptance and coexistence of different cultures. Multicultural values, therefore, represent society’s appreciation of all that is considered good, important, noble, appropriate, and functionally beneficial for fostering collective development and the well-being of social life. This study aims to describe the representation of multicultural values in the novel Lelaki Harimau by Eka Kurniawan. The type of research conducted is qualitative; utilizing descriptive analysis methods, while the method employed in this study is content analysis. Based on the study's results, the novel Lelaki Harimau by Eka Kurniawan features 78 quotes that represent multicultural values. The essence of human life has 20 quotes, the essence of human work has 13 quotes, the essence of human position in space and time has 19 quotes, the essence of human relations with nature has 11 quotes, and the essence of human relations with others has 15 quotes. Based on the research results, the representation of multiculturalism values in the form of the essence of human life dominates in this novel, while the multiculturalism values in the form of the essence of human relations with nature are the least. The findings of this study can provide readers with information that the novel Lelaki Harimau by Eka Kurniawan explores individual abilities in living life. Additionally, it can be a reference for readers regarding real-life situations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Neyskia Ramadila, Dzarna, Dina Merdeka Citraningrum
INVESTIGATING THE ARTICULATION DISORDER OF THE ARABIC PHONEME /L/: A CASE STUDY IN POST-ISCHEMIC STROKE PATIENT
This research investigates the articulation of the lateral phoneme /l/ in an Arabic speaking post-ischemic stroke patient using acoustic phonetic analysis and Praat software. Speech data were obtained from the patient’s Qur’anic recitation. The Qur’anic recitation was selected because it serves as a controlled phonetic corpus standardized through the rules of tajwīd, ensuring precise and consistent sound production, which makes it highly suitable for acoustic analysis requiring reliable comparison with native-speaker models. The model speaker was Sheikh Mishary Rasyid Al-Afasy. The analysis focused on the production of /l/ in the vocalic contexts /la/, /li/, and /lu/. The analysis of the surrounding vowels /a/, /i/, and /u/ was essential because these vowels provide the coarticulatory environment that directly shapes the articulation of /l/, allowing vowel impairments to explain disruptions in the target phoneme. The vowel /a/ had a certain degree of impairment on the vowel with increased duration and heightened laryngeal tension. The speech parameters that demonstrated /i/ had a reduction in trunk selective control, thus centralising the vowel. Furthermore, production of the vowel /u/, the most devoid of articulation and therefore the most significant impairment, was characterised by reduced precision with respect to the production of the manner of articulation, as well as marked reduction in coordination of the high and low tongue, and the lips. The severity of the impairment was ranked as /lu/, /li/, /la/. The acoustic baseline identified in this study offers a diagnostic basis for developing targeted, step-by-step speech therapy programs for Arabic-speaking post-stroke patients, directly supporting clinical SLP in this demographic.
Copyright (c) 2025 Hanifah Nurfitri, Mohamad Zaka Al Farisi, Nalahuddin Saleh
DEBATE IN QS. 2:258 PERSPECTIVE OF RELEVANCE THEORY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR KALĀM LEARNING
This study analyzes communication strategies in the debate dialogue between Prophet Ibrahim and King Namrud in QS. Al-Baqarah verse 258 using Sperber and Wilson’s Theory of Relevance. This study aims to reveal how the cognitive mechanism in the Prophet Ibrahim’s argument can achieve optimal relevance, namely, producing maximum comprehension effects with minimal processing efforts, and examining its implications for the development of the Mahārah al-Kalām learning model. The research uses a qualitative approach with a content analysis design, focusing on the text of Q.S. Al Baqarah, verse 258, as primary data, and studying it through the perspective of Relevance theory. The results of the study demonstrate that the Prophet Ibrahim’s argument succeeded in fulfilling the principle of optimal relevance, thereby giving rise to a model of Qur’anic debate for the study of Mahārah al-Kalām. This model consists of four fundamental stages: first, opening with clear, rational basic premises; second, presenting objections that uphold communication ethics; third, grounding in concrete, irrefutable empirical evidence; and fourth, communicative closure by letting logic speak independently. These findings led to an integrated pedagogical framework that not only pursues linguistic fluency but also trains critical thinking, argumentation, and the ability to present relevant arguments in accordance with the principles of Relevance Theory. The novelty of this research lies in applying pragmatic analysis based on Relevance Theory to uncover the argumentative structure in Qur’anic debate and to transform it into a learning model for Mahārah al-Kalām, designed to cultivate logical, relevant, and ethical speaking skills.
WEAVING IDEOLOGY THROUGH WORDS: THE ROLE OF METAPHORS IN THE NDC 2020 MANIFESTO
Metaphors are significant rhetorical tools that shape public perception and construct political identities (Charteris-Black, 2014). This study examines how metaphorical framing functions as an ideological instrument in the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) 2020 manifesto. It aims at uncovering how metaphorical framing functions as an ideological tool in political discourse. Using a descriptive content analysis and qualitative interpretive research design grounded in a Critical Metaphor Analysis (CMA) approach, the study identifies five dominant metaphorical constructs—building (most prevalent), growth, journey, war, and health metaphors—each serving distinct rhetorical purposes. Additionally, the study reveals five key ideological functions of metaphor in the manifesto: constructing legitimacy, projecting development and vitality, naturalizing crisis and delegitimizing the incumbent, mobilizing collective identity, and contesting power and framing opposition. The study provides unique insight into how opposition parties in African democracies strategically deploy metaphorical language in manifestos to critique incumbents, frame alternative visions, and mobilize public support.
EXAMINING OTTO ANDERSON’S EXISTENTIAL CRISIS IN THE FILM A MAN CALLED OTTO
The examination of existential crisis in film has gained increasing relevance as cinema provides a representational space capable of illuminating complex human struggles with meaning, suffering, and psychological disorientation. In this context, the present study aims to analyze the construction of existential crisis and psychological recovery experienced by the protagonist Otto Anderson in the 2022 film A Man Called Otto. Employing a qualitative approach through interpretive textual analysis, this study aims to analyze key scenes, dialogues, and character developments that depict Otto’s existential rupture and subsequent transformation. The analysis is guided by Irvin D. Yalom’s Existential Psychotherapy, which outlines the four fundamental existential conditions, and Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy, which emphasizes meaning reconstruction through creative, experiential, and attitudinal values. Findings reveal that the film portrays Otto’s existential crisis through his encounters with loss, isolation, and diminished purpose, expressed in pervasive despair and withdrawal. The study further demonstrates that Otto’s psychological recovery unfolds through the gradual restoration of meaning facilitated by relational connectedness, prosocial engagement, and the capacity to transcend personal suffering. This research highlights the potential of cinematic narratives to serve as interpretive sites for examining meaning-making processes and existential transformation within contemporary human experience.
Copyright (c) 2025 Winda Pratiwi, Yanti Rosalinah
INCLUSION OF THE SEHANANWA DIALECT IN GRADE 10 LEARNERS' SEPEDI ACADEMIC WRITING: AN ANALYSIS OF DIALECTAL INTERFERENCE
Home Language learners always face multiple challenges in their formal writing activities. One of these is the frequent inclusion of dialects in their academic writing. There seems to be an unresolved argument regarding whether dialects should be included in the academic writing of a standard language or not. This article aims to analyse how Sehananwa-speaking learners include their dialectal orthography in the Sepedi academic writing. This is a qualitative study located within the interpretivism paradigm. Essays from 4 learners were purposefully sampled using a document review as a data collection method. Thematic steps were incorporated to analyse the collected data. Findings demonstrate that spoken variety plays a great role in differentiating Sehananwa as a dialect and Sepedi as a standard language. Speech sounds and lexicons reflect some gap between Sehananwa and Sepedi, notwithstanding the fact that both languages are sociolinguistically bound. It is also noted that Bahananwa-speaking learners are rigid in maintaining and sustaining the linguistic features of their dialect. The question remains: how is a language deemed officially standard while its dialectal orthographies are not recognised in formal discourses? For language development, vocabulary enhancement and learner academic performance, this study recommends that the incorporation of dialects such as Sehananwa should be allowed in formal settings like educational spaces.
Copyright (c) 2025 James Seanego, Sello Treasure Moyaha
THE CLASSROOM SOCIAL INTERACTION INFLUENCE ON THE NON-EFL STUDENTS IN ENGLISH SPEAKING CLASS
Social interaction is one important factor that influences the process and resulting quality of non-EFL students in English-speaking classes. It could both support and decrease them. This study investigated the social interaction influences on the non-EFL college students’ English-speaking process and results. It aims to find out which social determinants cause students to engage communicatively in speaking tasks. The research was conducted by applying the qualitative descriptive design that involved observing classroom conduct, making field notes, and analyzing interactional processes to explore how students and lecturers built a social environment. The findings reveal four main data points that affected the quality of interaction, including the student noise and side-talk, non-routine greetings and leave-takings, mobile phone interference beyond control, and the lecturer’s management techniques in the classroom. The condition had an impact on the atmosphere of emotions through how students feel confident, focused, attentive, and motivated to talk. In general, the results emphasize the necessity of transparent social routines, behavioral guidance, and regulation in digital use to foster a good speaking environment in Indonesian higher institutions. It is suggested that mastering these non-pedagogical phenomena will be crucial for minimizing affective barriers and achieving speaking betterment, particularly in the case of developing communicative confidence among non-English majors.
Copyright (c) 2025 Shendy Destiani, Lilia Indriani, Agung Budi Kurniawan
PEDAGOGICAL CHANGE IN THE AI ERA: INDONESIAN EFL TEACHERS' VOICES AND CONTEXTUAL CONSTRAINT
This study examines how Indonesian English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers perceive and negotiate pedagogical change arising from the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into language instruction. This research uses an interpretive qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews with seven teachers from diverse institutional backgrounds in Sumatera. Thematic analysis identified six key themes: (1) pedagogical change through AI integration, (2) evolving teacher identity, (3) reflective professional agency, (4) contextual constraints, (5) students' engagement and critical awareness, and (6) the need for instructional support and teacher training. Findings indicate that AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Grammarly, have facilitated a shift toward more student-centered, project-based, and reflective teaching practices. Teachers reported a redefinition of their roles from content transmitters to facilitators and mentors, with an increasing emphasis on assessing learning processes rather than outcomes. However, AI integration was hindered by infrastructural limitations, unequal access to technology, and a lack of AI literacy. The study reveals that technological transformation in ELT is not merely technical but also shaped by contextual realities and teacher identity. It highlights the need for context-sensitive professional development and inclusive policy support that enhance teachers' adaptive capacities in an AI-mediated learning environment.
TEMPORAL ETHICS AND THE PARADOX OF SCIENTIFIC RESPONSIBILITY IN CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S TENET
Amid growing concerns over the ethical risks of accelerating technological development, this study examines how Christopher Nolan’s Tenet confronts the tensions of temporal ethics and scientific responsibility through a narrative and visual design that functions as a critical reflection on time, agency, and moral consequence. Using a qualitative interpretive design, the study employs film-textual analysis based on Knight’s methodological framework and Strano’s concept of the “ludic space,” while grounding its ethical argument in Hans Jonas’s ethic of responsibility. Data were generated through repeated close-viewing of temporally inverted sequences and interpretive mapping of narrative causality. The analysis yields three central findings: Tenet transforms determinism into an ethical condition where human agency persists within inevitability; the film reconfigures Hans Jonas’s ethic of responsibility by inverting its direction from present-to-future obligation to future-to-present retaliation driven by ecological trauma; and the cognitive struggle of the spectator to comprehend the film’s nonlinear story world represents an ethical act in itself, simulating the characters’ moral dilemmas under temporal uncertainty. The finding is not merely a science fiction narrative but a critical philosophical allegory for contemporary moral responsibility, challenging the direction, burden, and mandate of technological power across time.
Copyright (c) 2025 Upi Anti, Yanti Rosalinah
ELEMENTARY EFL TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES IN FOSTERING LEARNER AUTONOMY
Learner autonomy is essential in young learners’ language development, yet its implementation remains limited at the elementary level, particularly in contexts rooted in teacher-centered traditions. This study examined the understanding of elementary EFL teachers and the strategies they use to foster learner autonomy in EYL classrooms in Indonesia, employing a sequential mixed-methods design. The study commenced with a survey of 34 teachers, followed by semi-structured interviews with four selected teachers. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze survey data, while thematic analysis was applied to interview transcripts. The findings revealed that most teachers have a positive understanding of learner autonomy, with a particular emphasis on their role as facilitators and motivators. Teachers applied various strategies to foster autonomy, such as providing choice in learning activities and giving positive feedback. However, this positive orientation was contrasted by the presence of teacher skepticism regarding young learners’ readiness for autonomy. These findings suggest that while the conceptual understanding of learner autonomy is present, its implementation still requires targeted professional development focusing on age-appropriate pedagogical scaffolding and practical tools to move teachers beyond conceptual understanding to consistent autonomous practice.
Copyright (c) 2025 Suci Fadilla, Fazri Nur Yusuf, Yanty Wirza
EFFECTS OF MULTIMODAL LITERACY ON INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION AMONG STUDENTS FROM PERIPHERAL AREAS
Addressing low student engagement is critical, particularly in peripheral schools serving low socioeconomic status (SES) populations. This study aims to investigate the effect of multimodal literacy on students' motivation to learn English in a school with a low socioeconomic background. Using a mixed-methods strategy with a quasi-experiment pre-post design, 39 students participated in learning with multimodal literacy in three weeks of interventions. Students' motivation was measured before and after the intervention using a questionnaire adapted from the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). Results of the t-test showed a slight: 0.176 in intrinsic and -.956 in extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation showed no significant difference, and extrinsic motivation saw a statistically non-significant increase. Qualitative observations showed off-task behavior, low self-regulation, or inconsistent engagement. The extrinsic factors, multimodality and socioeconomic background, influenced students’ motivation simultaneously. This study concludes that short-term interventions using multimodal media have not been able to sustainably effect motivation. This non-significant effect emphasizes the importance of long-term strategies and family involvement as the necessary next steps for practitioners and policymakers in peripheral areas to capture the more stable impact of multimodality on students' internal and external motivation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jesinta Dwi Lestari, Fitrotul Mufaridah, Anam Fadlillah
DEVELOPING A DIGITAL VIDEO SERIES TO ENHANCE MEDICAL ENGLISH SPEAKING PROFICIENCY
This study investigates the design, development, and implementation of a Digital Video Series (DVS) aimed at enhancing Medical English speaking proficiency among health-science students. Using a Research and Development (R&D) approach adapted from the Borg and Gall model, the study followed seven systematic stages including needs analysis, planning, product development, expert validation, field testing, and final revision. A one-group pre-test–post-test design was employed with 109 Nursing, Midwifery, and Pharmacy students to measure speaking improvement after the implementation of the DVS, which features authentic clinical communication scenarios. The results demonstrated a substantial increase in speaking performance, with mean scores rising by 13.49 points and a statistically significant difference confirmed through a paired-sample t-test (p < .001). Students also reported highly positive perceptions of the videos’ clarity, relevance, and usefulness for supporting communicative practice. Overall, the study provides empirical evidence that systematically developed video-based materials can effectively strengthen communicative competence in English for Medical Purposes (EMP). The DVS offers a feasible and contextually grounded model for integrating multimedia learning resources into EMP curricula, particularly in settings with limited access to authentic clinical exposure.
Copyright (c) 2025 Eva Sulistiana, Arda Adianto, Wardatun Nadzifah
T. S. ELIOT’S THE WASTE LAND THROUGH POSTMODERN LENS
Conventional readings T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land interpreted it as a poem of utter cultural degeneration, spiritual collapse and mental disillusionment. Its dialectical mode of exchange and opposition between the past and the present invokes complicity to Hegelian dialectical approach that blends thesis (tradition), antithesis (disillusionment) — leading to an anticipation of a final synthesis as a ground of stability in truth and reality. However, the narrative structure of the poem remains resistant to any final synthesis, since the promise of the anticipated renewal does not materialize in any form of final resolution —a state that draws on the postmodern aporia of postponement of meaning supported by Derrida’s Deconstruction. This study thus contends that Eliot’s objective correlative and polyphonic voices support what Adorno (1973) calls “determinate negation of opposites”, thus framing a cultural decline of the present into self-awareness as opposed to the fragmented history of the past. By analyzing unresolved tensions within the poem, the study demonstrates how it enacts différance, positioning Eliot at a critical cusp of the postmodern epistemological departure.
Copyright (c) 2025 Md. Nurul Anwar, Md. Nurul Ahad
A COGNITIVE METAPHOR ANALYSIS OF DONALD TRUMP'S SPEECHES
Metaphorical expressions carry layered meanings and serve a range of persuasive functions, especially within the political sphere. Their strategic use often aims to influence public perception and reinforce a speaker’s credibility. Donald Trump’s presidential campaign speeches during the 2016–2017 U.S. election cycle offer a compelling corpus for examining such rhetorical choices. This study analyzes the metaphors in these speeches by categorizing them into three types: structural, ontological, and orientational metaphors. Using a qualitative descriptive design grounded in cognitive metaphor theory, the analysis draws on Lakoff and Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By (1980). Operating within a post-positivist paradigm, the researcher serves as the primary instrument in interpreting the data. The findings show that structural metaphors allow Trump to frame abstract ideas through more concrete conceptual structures; ontological metaphors provide moderate conceptual grounding by attributing entity-like qualities to abstract phenomena; and orientational metaphors offer minimal conceptual structure while shaping spatial or directional understandings. Across these categories, Trump’s metaphors function to evoke emotion, shape audience perception, and construct a particular persona. Taken together, the metaphors project a worldview centered on resilience, national pride, and assertive leadership—features that contributed to the persuasive force of his political messaging.
Copyright (c) 2025 Thomson Radesman Lingga, Debora Serwanti Sirait, Asnita Sirait
IMPACT OF TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES ON CHARACTERIZATION AND SUBTITLE QUALITY IN THE GOOD DOCTOR (2017)
This qualitative study examines a key challenge in Audiovisual Translation (AVT): balancing technical constraints with the stylistic fidelity required to represent characters with distinctive communicative traits, focusing on Dr. Shaun Murphy, a character with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in The Good Doctor (2017). The study analyzes English source dialogues and their Indonesian subtitles across seasons 1–4, employing a descriptive qualitative method with a stylistic approach. The analysis identifies the types and functions of repetition, the translation techniques used, and subtitle quality based on accuracy, acceptability, and readability. Expert focus group discussions were conducted to validate the findings. Results show that deletion, reduction, and discursive creation frequently remove repetitions, reducing emotional nuance and weakening ASD-related speech features, thus diminishing character distinctiveness. Conversely, preserving repetitions maintains character integrity and enhances subtitle quality. Theoretically, this study contributes to AVT by highlighting the importance of stylistic fidelity in translating neurodivergent discourse and recognizing repetition as a marker of character identity. Practically, the findings underscore the need for preservation-oriented techniques to prevent character erasure and to support authentic representation of ASD characters.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND ENGLISH ACHIEVEMENT: INSIGHTS FROM INDONESIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
Parents play a vital role in supporting their children’s academic achievement. This study aims to identify the types of parental involvement that support students’ English learning at SMPN 3 Langsa and to examine how these forms of involvement relate to students’ English achievement. This study addresses this gap by examining the forms and effects of parental involvement on English achievement among eighth-grade students in an Indonesian public middle school. Guided by Epstein’s Framework of Parental Involvement, this study categorizes parental practices into six types and investigates their relationship with students’ formal English achievement scores. A qualitative-dominant design was employed, triangulating three data sources: (1) questionnaires measuring the frequency of involvement across Epstein’s types, (2) semi-structured interviews exploring parental practices and motivations, and (3) official English score documents quantifying students’ achievement. Findings show that parenting, learning at home, and volunteering were the most frequently practiced types of involvement, with rates of 89%, 84%, and 82%, respectively. Qualitative patterns indicated that learning-at-home involvement—including homework supervision and structured study routines—was strongly associated with higher English achievement scores, particularly among students consistently surpassing the Minimum Mastery Criteria (KKM). The study contributes context-specific evidence for designing targeted parental engagement programs that address the unique demands of L2 learning in Indonesian middle schools.
Copyright (c) 2025 Fadlia Fadlia, Siti Pratiwi Telaumbanua, Irma Dewi Isda, Surya Asra
SOCIAL NETWORK DYNAMICS AND L2 PROFICIENCY: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF LEARNERS IN A SOUTH AFRICAN MULTILINGUAL CONTEXT
This study examined sociolinguistic dimensions of second language acquisition (SLA) within a multilingual community in South Africa, focusing on how social identity, community participation, and cultural context shaped learners’ linguistic development. Employing a mixed-methods ethnographic approach, the research used sociolinguistic surveys and in-depth interviews with second-language learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds to investigate how factors such as social identity, social class, age, gender, and motivational dynamics influenced SLA outcomes. The study further explored how learners navigated sociocultural boundaries within complex multilingual networks and how language attitudes and ideologies informed their engagement with the target language community. Findings revealed that social network integration specifically the frequency and quality of interaction with target-language speakers emerged as the strongest predictor of linguistic proficiency, providing learners with sustained opportunities for meaningful language use. Positive attitudes toward the target language and its speakers were also associated with higher levels of linguistic integration and increased use of the language in everyday contexts. Overall, the research demonstrated that SLA was profoundly shaped by the interplay of social networks, identity positions, and local cultural dynamics. The study underscored the need for pedagogical and policy approaches that strategically promoted learners’ participation in target-language social networks to improve L2 acquisition in diverse multilingual settings.
Copyright (c) 2025 Billy James Chavalala
SPELLING ERRORS AND MEANING-MAKING IN MASTER’S DISSERTATION AT A RURAL SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITY
This study was aimed at investigating the impact of spelling errors in meaning-making in the master’s dissertation written by university students. The researcher identified common spelling errors in dissertation writing within the department of language education in the School of Education at a rural university in South Africa. Six dissertations were selected from a sample of forty master’s students, using the random sampling technique. Data were collected using a qualitative method. A descriptive case study design was employed in this study, as a specific case was identified and analysed through qualitative, narrative explanation. Data were gathered from dissertation documents and classroom observations. It was found that the majority of the spelling problems result from pronunciation during dialogue. The findings suggest that the spelling errors were as a result of omission, addition, substitution of letters, incorrect word spacing, dialects, and punctuation. The study will greatly contribute to post-graduate studies by providing guidance on dissertations and ensuring that meaning is achieved.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ngwanamphaga Alettah Matji
PRESERVATION OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE AMONG THE VATSONGA THROUGH EDUCATION
This study explores the preservation of Vatsonga Indigenous Knowledge Systems (VIKS) and cultural heritage as a foundation for sustaining community identity, intergenerational wisdom, and cultural diversity. It emphasizes the importance of culturally grounded education amid globalization and the Westernization of schooling, which erode Vatsonga traditions. Guided by Decolonial Education Theory and epistemological justice, the study conceptualizes integrating Indigenous epistemologies into formal education as both an intellectual necessity and a social imperative. Using a qualitative design, data were collected from 18 participants—Vatsonga elders, educators, policymakers, and secondary school learners—through interviews, focus groups, and curriculum content analysis. Findings reveal that embedding IKS enhances cultural pride, identity, belonging, and educational equity while promoting cultural sustainability. System-level recommendations include developing culturally responsive materials, formalizing collaboration with elders as knowledge holders, and strengthening policy frameworks supporting Indigenous knowledge integration. The study concludes that systemic incorporation of Vatsonga Indigenous knowledge into South African education is vital for cultural preservation, decolonization of learning spaces, and intergenerational knowledge transmission. It contributes to decolonial education scholarship by demonstrating how localized Indigenous epistemologies can be operationalized within curricula as a transformative strategy for advancing epistemic justice and cultural renewal. The research calls for national policy adoption of IKS integration to affirm the cultural rights and intellectual sovereignty of Vatsonga learners and communities.
Copyright (c) 2025 Tinyiko Esther Chauke
EXPLORING A PEER SUPPORTER’S EMOTIONAL GEOGRAPHIES IN SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (SWD)
This study explores the emotional geography of a peer supporter who assists students with disabilities at Brawijaya University. Data were obtained from a participant at the Disability Service Center (PSLD) with the informed consent of the individual involved. The data were collected over three months through in-depth interviews. The analysis draws upon Hargreaves’ (2001) framework of five emotional geographies—moral, sociocultural, physical, professional, and political. The study aims to analyze the emotional relationships that emerge during the peer support program organized by PSLD UB in assisting students with disabilities (SWD) as they navigate university life. The findings reveal how a peer supporter contributes to the academic and moral well-being of SWD, not only by providing physical support but also through emotional engagement. Furthermore, the study uncovers how the peer supporter responds to various situations with empathy, resilience, initiative, and responsiveness. These findings highlight the importance of fostering both personal and professional growth among peer supporters to strengthen inclusive practices within higher education environments.
Copyright (c) 2025 Alfiyya Dafifah, Emy Sudarwati
INTERPERSONAL METAFUNCTION IN INDONESIA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY SLOGANS (2015–2025)
This study analyzes Indonesia’s Independence Day slogans from 2015 to 2025 through Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics, focusing on Interpersonal Metafunction. As annual commemorative texts, these slogans function not only as symbolic expressions of independence but also as strategic discourses that negotiate power, construct solidarity, and reinforce national identity. Employing qualitative discourse analysis, the research investigates mood, modality, pronoun usage, evaluative lexis, and the interplay of explicit and implicit meanings. The findings indicate that declarative and imperative moods position citizens within relationships of inclusivity and responsibility, while modality expresses urgency and commitment. Evaluative vocabulary conveys optimism and resilience, with explicit meanings emphasizing productivity, recovery, and progress, and implicit meanings connecting contemporary challenges to historical struggles and the long-term vision of Indonesia Emas 2045. Overall, Independence Day slogans function as condensed ideological texts that bridge past sacrifices with future aspirations, illustrating the discursive power of language in shaping nationalism and providing practical insights for developing effective national slogans.
Copyright (c) 2025 Siska Eka Syafitri, Muhammad Arif Sanjaya, Devi Pratiwy
MULTILINGUALISM IN ADVERTISING: A LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE STUDY AT TIMOR PLAZA, DILI, TIMOR-LESTE
Language use in public spaces reflects broader sociocultural dynamics, yet limited research has examined multilingual practices in commercial contexts in Timor-Leste. This study investigates the linguistic landscape (LL) of advertising signs at Timor Plaza in Dili, focusing on language distribution and the motivations behind language selection. The main objective of this study is to analyze how language choice in advertising signage reflects sociocultural interaction, identity negotiation, and power relations within a multilingual environment. Using a qualitative design, the research employed documentary analysis of 142 advertising signs, semi-structured interviews with shop owners and managers, and photographic documentation as data collection techniques. Data were analyzed thematically to identify linguistic patterns and communicative motivations. The analysis shows that English (44%) and Tetun (24%) dominate the signage, while bilingual combinations of Tetun and English account for 30%, and multilingual signs using Portuguese or Bahasa Indonesia represent only 2%. English is primarily employed to project modernity, cosmopolitanism, and global appeal, whereas Tetun ensures cultural relevance, authenticity, and accessibility for local audiences. The occasional inclusion of Portuguese and Bahasa Indonesia reflects Timor-Leste’s colonial history and regional connections, signifying both heritage and proximity. Overall, the linguistic landscape at Timor Plaza demonstrates a deliberate balance between globalization and local identity, positioning language as both a communicative and symbolic resource. This study advances theoretical understanding of linguistic landscapes by emphasizing the dynamic relationship between language, commerce, and identity, and it provides practical implications for language policy, marketing communication, and sociocultural planning in multilingual societies.
Copyright (c) 2025 Agus Martins, Agalita Gomes
THE SYMBOLIC PREMISE IN NADIN AMIZAH'S ALBUM: A PEIRCEAN SEMIOTIC APPROACH
This study investigates the symbolic premises embedded in Nadin Amizah’s albums Selamat Ulang Tahun (2020) and Untuk Dunia, Cinta, dan Kotornya (2022) through Charles Sanders Peirce’s semiotic framework. Employing a descriptive qualitative design and Herbert Blumer’s theory of symbolic interactionism, the research explores how icons, indexes, and symbols construct meaning in Amizah’s lyrical narratives. Data were collected from song lyrics and analyzed using Peirce’s triadic model to identify the interplay between imaginative imagery, emotional indicators, and figurative expressions. The findings reveal that the albums articulate intertwined themes of maternal affection, identity formation, emotional struggle, and spiritual reconciliation. Iconic signs depict visual metaphors of personal experience, indexes mark emotional and social relationships, while symbolic signs convey abstract representations of self-reflection and existential awareness. Through the semiotic process, Amizah’s works transcend musical aesthetics, functioning as cultural texts that reflect Indonesian youth’s emotional and social realities. The study contributes to Indonesian music semiotics by demonstrating how symbolic premises in popular lyrics mediate personal meaning and collective experience within contemporary socio-cultural contexts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Febrianti Dwi Lestari, Dzarna, Eka Nova Ali Wardan
THE USE OF GEN Z SLANG BY DIGITAL INFLUENCER "AWKARIN" ON HER SOCIAL MEDIA: A SOCIO-SEMANTIC STUDY
Generation Z increasingly relies on slang as a linguistic resource to express identity, negotiate belonging, and build intimacy in digital communication, making it an important site of sociolinguistic and semantic change. However, most existing studies focus on broad usage patterns rather than examining how individual influencers strategically use slang to construct their online personas. Addressing this gap, this study analyzes Awkarin’s use of Gen Z slang on Instagram and YouTube through a qualitative sociolinguistic and semantic approach. The analysis identifies various slang forms—such as acronyms, neologisms, semantic shifts, and code-mixing—and their communicative functions in shaping influencer–audience interaction. Findings reveal that slang serves not only as informal vocabulary but as a strategic resource for identity performance, emotional expression, and audience engagement. This study contributes to sociolinguistic and semantic research by showing how influencers act as linguistic mediators who adapt and circulate Gen Z slang within Indonesian digital culture, highlighting slang as both a social practice and a site of meaning innovation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Meilita Khairunissa, Tri Rina Budiwati
IDEOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTION IN GEN Z’S SLANG ON INSTAGRAM: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
This research aims to examine textual features, investigate discursive practices, and analyze social practices that reveal the ideological constructions embedded in Gen Z’s slang on Instagram, utilizing Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Data were obtained from 31 purposively selected public Instagram posts that contained frequently used slang expressions, such as "delulu," "roasting," and "rizz." The analysis was conducted through three interrelated stages: textual analysis (examining linguistic patterns, metaphors, and emojis), discursive practice analysis (exploring production, circulation, and audience interpretation), and social practice analysis (interpreting the broader ideological context). Findings reveal that Gen Z’s slang reflects ideologies of individualism, irony, authenticity, and digital resistance, functioning not only as a linguistic trend but also as a discursive tool for negotiating power and identity in online communication. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how language and ideology intersect within contemporary digital discourse, highlighting the socio-cultural significance of youth language in shaping online interactions.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nabila Dhea Putri Amalia, Tri Rina Budiwati
MEDIATING ORAL COMPETENCE THROUGH GEN-AI IN GENRE-BASED SPEAKING INSTRUCTION FOR FRACTURED NARRATIVES
Developing oral narrative skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts is challenging. It is often made more difficult by limited opportunities for personalized feedback and the cognitive burden of real-time production. This study investigated the integration of GenAI tools, specifically Gemini and ChatGPT, within a Genre-Based Approach (GBA) to scaffold the speaking skills of 32 tenth-grade students in West Java, Indonesia. This study focuses on the creative genre of "fractured stories," which is a demanding task that requires progressive scaffolding. This study used a qualitative case study design to explore how GenAI tools functioned across the GBA cycle. Data were collected through classroom observations, student-AI chat logs, students’ speaking recordings, and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that GenAI tools could improve students’ organizational structure and pronunciation by effectively enacting Vygotskian scaffolding, functioning as a dynamic "More Knowledgeable Other," that progressed from a lexical support during the knowledge-construction stage to a personalized phonological coach in the phase of independent practice. Analysis of speaking recordings showed marked improvement in narrative structure across all proficiency levels, while lower-proficiency students demonstrated significant gains in pronunciation accuracy via multimodal rehearsal loops. The study concluded that when embedded in a rigorous genre-based framework, GenAI transforms from a mere text generator into a robust, affective-aware partner that democratizes access to high-quality oral feedback. Future research should examine long-term retention of skills beyond the intervention period and investigate GenAI integration across diverse oral genres.
Copyright (c) 2025 Herti Herawati, Emi Emilia, Finita Dewi
DIGITAL PORTFOLIOS IN VOCATIONAL SPEAKING CLASSES: TEACHER’S PERCEPTIONS AND LESSON PLAN ANALYSIS
Digital portfolios have become increasingly relevant in language education as tools for documenting learning processes, enabling multimodal task performance, and supporting formative assessment. However, limited research has examined how they are embedded in instructional planning or how teachers perceive their assessment role, especially in vocational English classrooms. This qualitative case study investigates (1) how digital portfolios are integrated into a speaking lesson plan, and (2) how a vocational English teacher perceives their use as an assessment tool. Data were collected through document analysis and an open-ended teacher questionnaire completed by an English teacher in an Indonesian vocational high school. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings show that digital portfolios were positioned as central to the design of speaking tasks, functioning as a structured mechanism for organizing workflow, documenting progress, and compiling multimodal evidence of learning. The teacher perceived the portfolio as a valuable tool for monitoring engagement, identifying learners who need support, and enhancing transparency in the learning process. However, constraints related to the absence of explicit assessment rubrics, increased workload, and varying student digital literacy limited the portfolio’s potential for systematic assessment of speaking skills. The study concludes that digital portfolios have strong potential as process-based assessment tools in vocational English instruction; however, their effectiveness depends on the availability of clear assessment criteria, technological readiness, and sustained institutional support.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mailiza Zainiza, Novia Trisanti
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH TO ENGLISH GRAMMAR STRUCTURES: THE CASE OF EFAL TEACHERS IN SELECTED SCHOOLS IN LIMPOPO PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA
English grammar instruction is fundamental to learners’ success, especially in contexts where English is not a first language. However, despite its importance, the teaching and learning of English grammar continue to face persistent challenges. This paper investigates the teaching of English First Additional Language (EFAL) grammatical structures in selected public secondary schools in Limpopo Province, South Africa, and identifies obstacles to effective grammar instruction. The study was prompted by learners’ inadequate grammatical proficiency, as reflected in National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results. Employing a qualitative exploratory design, data were collected through classroom observations of Grade 11 EFAL teachers across five schools representing five education districts. The study is grounded in both the Grammar Translation and Communicative Language Teaching approaches. Its significance lies in exploring the practical realities of grammar instruction, thereby shedding light on possible causes of learners’ grammatical weaknesses. Findings reveal that while some teachers demonstrated a sound understanding of grammar rules and structures, others showed misconceptions regarding grammar teaching. Evidence of learner interlanguage, permeability, and fossilization was also observed. Moreover, teachers employed varying degrees of adaptation of the three approaches and utilized diverse teaching and learning materials. The study concludes that effective grammar instruction requires enhanced teacher training in the integration of multiple pedagogical approaches to strengthen learners’ understanding of English grammatical structures.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mmetlane Valery Mashiane, Tebogo Johannes Kekana, Malesela Edward Montle