Journal of English Language and Literature (JELL)
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The Teaching and Learning of Academic Writing Involving Critical Thinking in Higher Education
No full textAcademic writing and critical thinking are two things which strongly deal with higher education context, especially for EFL students. Unfortunately, the process of the teaching and learning which deals with the two aforementioned things was rarely researched. Hence, this current study aimed at revealing the process of teaching and learning of academic writing which involves critical thinking in higher education level. It was carried out through qualitative approach with non-participatory observation and interview as the data collection techniques. The participants were the subject teacher as the one who taught academic writing and also the students in the academic writing class. The result shows that the process of teaching and learning of academic writing consisted of several phases united into a set prevailing for each type of academic writing. Furthermore, critical thinking is engaged within almost all phases with different way of its existence. This study is expected to open eyes towards what occurs in the field, rather than to only value and judge
The Sound of Unsaid Words: Rethinking the Perception of Silence in Poetry
No full textMost scholars and literary critics, whether adhering traditionally to the iron-clad rules of language or enhancing creativity seem to marginalize personal silence or fail to perceive it as a type of discourse. This research is an attempt to subvert established notions of silence and proposes a paradigm that reaches beyond the sound of words and the epidermis of texts. It identifies important hidden dimensions of language, calls for a deeper exploration of the language of silence, and argues that silence in poetry is not simply the absence or opposite of sound. It should be viewed instead as the beginning of listening, a means of communicating the unsaid and the unheard of language as well as the power which privileges the poet's desire for the impossible through "les mots jamais dit". Based on examples from poems, the paper will address silence as the eloquent outpouring of sound and meaning, and as a better language for the unsaid.
In Pursuit of Angels And Self Discovery - Paulo Coelho’s “The Valkyries” and “The Winner Stands Alone”
No full textPaulo Coelho was born in Brazil and has become one of the most widely read authors in the world today. Coelho uses the supernatural element in all of his stories, “The Valkyries” and “The Winner Stands Alone” are two stories, that employ the “The Valkyries” supernatural using the good powers in trying to let go of the evil. His other work “The Winner Stands Alone” is about a powerful obsessed character whose wife had left him for another man. At one end ‘The Valkyries’ is about seeking redemption, a search for the right to amend the wrong whereas at the other end ‘The Winner Stands Alone’ the supernatural seems to serve to justify the wrongs
A Case Study of Critical Thinking Cultivation Based on Social Cognitive Theory
No full textHow to cultivate critical thinking (CT) is considered as one of the most important goals of Chinese higher education over the years. However, many Chinese scholars have shown their concern on "CT Deficiency" after assessing CT skills of English majors in many universities. Thus, the affecting factors of CT development has been investigated from the perspective of the social cognitive theory by a detailed analysis of an English major with comparatively strong CT ability, attempting to find approaches to CT cultivation. After the qualitative analysis of reflection diaries and several interviews, the findings indicate that CT is shaped by the interaction of the environmental, individual and behavioural factors. Leaners can employ the strategies as interpretation, planning and implementation, self-regulation and adjustment, and reflection to facilitate the interactio
Europeanization of Ghanaian Names and Their Representations in Drama
No full textIn Ghanaian culture a name could tell the story of when a person is born, how the person is born or some special event at the time of their birth. However, difficulties in pronunciation, as well as misinterpretation of local names by the then colonial masters resulted in alterations of many local names to the convenience of the British and Portuguese, resulting in evolution of some local names over the years to new pronunciations and spellings. During colonial dominance and immediate post-colonial period, some renowned Ghanaian playwrights used names that reflect this confusion and consequently imbedded in their characters, traits that depicted such misrepresentations as well as the specific roles the playwright assigned them. This paper reflects on the character names in relation to the settings in selected Ghanaian plays and how these characters reveal Ghanaian naming philosophies in the ways these characters play their roles. The focus is on, but not limited to, playwrights such as Kobina Sekyi, Ama Ata Aidoo, J.C. deGraft and F.K. Fiawoo who seem to be enduring points of reference particularly when one appreciates the reasoning that informs how they craft their characters, courtesy the curiously noteworthy names they drape them in. The discussion is preceded by deliberations on the indigenous naming, names and their significance furthering on the colonial influence and attempts to Europeanize
An Analysis of the Aboakyer Festival as Drama
No full textThis paper analyses Aboakyer Festival of the Effutu in the Central Region of Ghana from the dramatic or theatrical point of view. The paper discusses the two known myths surrounding the worship of the Winneba State god which led to the celebration of the Aboakyer Festival, the events and rituals involved in the celebration and analyses some dramatic elements that make the festival fit into what can generally be referred to as a theatrical performance. The main argument of this paper is that, the Aboakyer Festival is loaded with dramatic elements like audience/ performers’ arena/ stage, songs, costume and drumming and dancing among others and can therefore be considered not only as a ritual but also as drama
Co-relation among Language, Literature and Translation with Reference to Rabindranath’s Works
No full textMy research aims to find out the relationship among language, literature and translation as they are related with each other and add new dimensions to the field of knowledge. . Each of them is very important element in the realm of knowledge. The literature is being translated through the centuries. For translation, language is an indispensable part. I want to find out how the change of language affects the original text. The translated version cannot carry the same beauty of the original text. The culture and language of the other nation or state cannot resemble the other culture ever. The translation of Bengali novel or poems is very hard as the culture of Bengal is not natural to other cultures. The language and the structure of the original texts are more appealing than the translated version. The original one and the translated one cannot be ever same. Even If the author himself is the translator, the translation cannot reach the beauty of the original one
The State Matura exam in Croatia: How argumentative essay as an integral part of the Matura Higher English exam improved students’ foreign language literacy
No full textThe purpose of this article is to enrich the EFL teacher’s understanding of the development of educational standards in Croatia with the special focus on Secondary School Leaving Examination the so called State Matura. The external examinations are a widespread phenomenon which has also influenced Croatian educational system. This new type of assessment, which has been used for over a decade now has positively influenced the language competence of the students especially in reading and writing. Henceforth the argumentative essay, which is a crucial part of the English Matura exam at the higher level, has in great part contributed to such positive changes which were also documentd in the Reports issued by the Croatian Center for External Evaluation of Education, whose role is to govern the whole examination process and in the end to subject the tests and its items to psychometric analyses. Statistical data, rating scales and a sample essay included in this article are of great help in other to demonstrate the positive role the argumentative essay plays at the Matura exam and later at a university level .A study which also speaks in favour of this fact is the study conducted by R.M.Helms, in the USA (2008) which stresses the importance of the writing component of the SAT tests as predictors of college grades. Bearing in mind everything mentioned so far a lot of challenges still lie ahed, but the Croatian educational system will for sure yield even more promising results in the future
Advertisements and Depiction of the Woman Image: A Critique on Feminism
No full textBy promulgating the principle of equal status for the women, the movement of feminism has questioned, criticized, and protested against the conventional images of woman. By re-defining the existence of woman it compelled both men and women of the society to comprehend the identity of the woman from a different, hitherto neglected perspective. However, with the rampant socio-cultural changes due to the globalization, feminism has been trapped in new trauma. In this post-capital, post-post-modern world, all the revolutionary ideas are swiped away. Amidst this, several rejected values are re-nurturing their roots. This revival has made many revolutionary movements and thoughts dead. By watching the media that is the complete product of globalization and especially the advertisements that are the effective means of communication and manifesting tools of the contemporary culture one is sure to ask whether like all other disciplines there is the death of feminism. The present research paper intends to probe into the philosophy of feminism and its present status in the light of some select advertisements. Many times the audio-visual texts of ads may not use an overt manifestation of women, however, the pretext to the text and the cross referential world it creates through the text do communicate the new stereotypes of women image.