Linguistic Forum (LinFo) (E-Journal)
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Effects of SLA-Based Modifications on Language Teaching Practice
Get PDFThe Second Language Acquisition (SLA) hypothesis has had profound implications for language education and language learners. A notable shift in language education has occurred, marked by a transition away from communicative pedagogical approaches toward a resurgence in grammar-translation methodologies. Additionally, there has been a discernible shift in focus from learner-centered paradigms to a greater emphasis on the role of the teacher. This study aims to investigate the direct impacts of SLA research on language instruction. These impacts encompass technological integration, the cultivation of cooperative learning environments, a heightened emphasis on comprehensible input, and a departure from immediate error correction. In light of these developments, this research seeks to discern the effects of these changes on language learners and identify the benefits they may derive from them. Understanding these effects is crucial for educators in their endeavor to develop language learning programs that align with the requisites of SLA theory
Harmonizing Tonal Representation: An In-Depth Analysis of Models in Tonal Linguistics
Get PDFIn the realm of tonal representation, considerable strides have been taken in the past few decades. Yet, a consensus remains elusive on a number of pivotal questions, including (1) the defining characteristics of a tonal language, (2) the elemental attributes of tones, (3) the identification of the tone-bearing unit, (4) the nature of tonal features as binary or privative, (5) the optimal representation of contour tones, and (6) the arrangement of register and tone features. This review paper embarks on an exploration of the diverse models that have significantly contributed to the abstract representation of tone. By examining the similarities and differences among these models, we aim to expand our comprehension of tonological studies and illuminate pathways for the future investigation of tone and tonal systems
Semiotic Analysis of Pakistani Drama Cover Pages
Get PDFThe aim of this project is to find out the different layers of meaning and different interpretations of meaning on the cover pages of Pakistani dramas through semiotic analysis. For this purpose, six cover pages of different Pakistani dramas were selected and analyzed in terms of semiotics. The size, color, dresses, and facial expressions were deeply analyzed. The analysis showed that there were multiple meanings that were conveyed to the audience through different schemes of colors, dresses, and styles presented on the cover pages of dramas. Different major aspects of society were also analyzed, like religious, social, cultural, etc. It was investigated how these aspects were portrayed on the cover pages of dramas. The study revealed that semiotic analysis helps the audience understand the hidden meanings of the cover pages. It also helped to know what the theme of the story was and what the characteristics of the characters were
Settler Colonialism, Genocide, Language Appropriation and Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Afterlives
Get PDFThis study explores how Abdulrazak Gurnah’s (2020) novel, Afterlives engages itself with the themes of settler colonialism, genocide and oppression, and language appropriation. Using settler colonialism as a theoretical framework, we aim to trace the oppression and genocide faced by the native Africans as a result of settler colonialism. As Gurnah (2020) has also appropriated the dominant language of the colonizers to foreground the role of the local language in the transmission of indigenous cultural values, Bill Ashcroft et al.’s (2002) ideas on language appropriation and abrogation have been taken into account to find out how the novel becomes an illustration of a postcolonial text in terms of its strategic use of the colonizers’ language with a fresh signification. Patrick Wolfe (2006) who proposed the theory of ‘settler colonialism and the elimination of the natives’ argues that German and British settlers used various strategies to eliminate the native Africans’ history, language, and culture. Following Wolfe’s (2006) insights on settler colonialism, this study will highlight how the novel delineates European colonialism as affecting the socio-economic life of the African people by imposing linguistic and religious hegemonies and forced exile. The infliction of European policies was unacceptable to the African people, and it, therefore, caused a clash between colonizers and colonized in colonial settings
Representation of Power-Based Gender Domination in Joyce's Narrative "Eveline": An Investigative Analysis of Critical Discourse
Get PDFThe story “Eveline” by James Joyce is about a young marginalized girl of nineteen. The study depicted as how the story has constructed paternalistic power abuse in the shape of a father in some discourses. Through the story, the writer has depicted the two extremes of the Dublin; those who pursue their dreams and those who quit their dreams for the sake of their families. This study has constructed and represented as to how a father exercised his authority in the text. This research has been conducted from the perspective of Fairclough's (1989) Critical Discourse Analysis approach. The research is qualitative as well as quantitative, and grounded in critical discourse analysis, particularly, Fairclough’s three-dimensional Model. This article will help researchers and scholars as guiding force for analyzing a text (discourse).
 
Home-Based Learning as a Modality: Perspectives and Practices
Get PDFParents have an important role in the current learning situation because they need to get involved in the home-based learning of their own children. Children have no choice but to stay home and continue learning. The partnership between teachers and parents has been considered for the smooth implementation of this modality. This paper aims to describe and analyze the life experiences of parent-teachers who are involved in home-based learning. This is phenomenological qualitative research. There were six participants in this study who were selected using the snowball recruitment technique. Essay questions and focus-group discussions served as methods of data collection. In analyzing the textual data, the researcher used content analysis, where he examined, classified, categorized, and synthesized data to form a synthesis. It was discovered that participants were experiencing problems with connectivity, materials, collaboration, time, and socialization as they carried out home-based learning for their children. They believed that key ingredients to success in home-based learning include communication, collaboration, technology, connectivity, and training. After assessing the needs and concerns of the participants, this paper proposed a learning model which is named “Communication, Collaboration, and Reflection or C3 for Home-based learning,” which will address the concerns, needs, and problems being faced by parents, teachers, and children while they are involved in home-based learning as a form of modality not just during the pandemic but even in the new setting. Lastly, PhD students who are centered on qualitative studies served as validators of the proposed learning model.  
Thematic Progression: A Comparative Analysis of Social Science Research Articles Written by Pakistani and British Research Scholars
Get PDFCohesion plays a crucial role in shaping the texture of a text through appropriate thematic choices. Recognizing the issue of cohesion, the researcher conducted a present study to address this problem. The study focused on analyzing social science research articles authored by Pakistani and British research scholars, employing thematic terminologies and emphasizing the textual metafunction. The objectives were twofold: first, to explore and compare the thematic meanings expressed in Pakistani and British social science research articles, and second, to elucidate the functional interpretation of the identified themes. The researcher conducted a qualitative analysis of the data in three steps: (1) dividing the text into clauses, (2) identifying theme components, and (3) tagging the components according to their types and sub-types of themes. The results revealed that the prominent sub-types of themes were the unmarked topical theme (UMT), finite, continuatives, and conjunctions in the topical, interpersonal, and textual themes, respectively. The topical themes served as noun groups, while the textual themes connected new information with prior information. The qualitative analysis focused on studying the patterns of cohesion, leading the researcher to thematic progression and explaining the relationship between theme and rheme within a text. This relationship and its interpretation demonstrated that cohesion relies on thematic choices. Furthermore, the study found that British research articles exhibited greater cohesion compared to Pakistani research articles
The Semantics of Sentence Connectors in Reading Comprehension in Pakistani English Textbooks
Get PDFThe objective of the current research is to examine the semantics of sentence connectors in reading comprehension. To achieve this objective and answer the research questions both qualitative and quantitative data was collected for the research. The sample for the current research was two textbooks from Cambridge ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels. For this purpose, a corpus of 20 reading passages was developed. To investigate the sentence connectors in selected passages Halliday and Hassan model (1976) of grammatical cohesion was applied as a theoretical framework. The findings of the current research reveal that both the textbooks have utilized sentence connectors frequently, but the overall ratio of all sentence connectors’ categories is more frequent in ‘A’ levels textbooks while ‘O’ levels textbooks have utilized various temporal connectors instead. Each word-category of sentence connectors executed specific semantic function within a text to create more cohesive ties. This research may serve the purpose to bring more researchers into this field. The findings and methodology will be helpful for teachers in teaching reading comprehension
TESOL beyond Plights and Flights: A Book-Review
Get PDFAn adage tells us that there is nothing permanent in this world except the idea of change. This was proven to be true even in the education sector. The drastic changes in the education paradigm called for resilient and innovative solutions. The book titled TESOL Teacher Education in a Transnational World was crafted based on the collective insights and experiences of the highly recognized language professors, researchers, and TESOL practitioners in which Osman Z. Barnawi and Anwar Ahmed served as primary editors. The book investigates modern TESOL teacher education theories and practices to provide new and relevant insights on the nexus of language teacher education as well as transnationalism. It stresses the study of language instructors' global movement and exhibits crucial studies from many contexts.
The discussions in the book aim to fill a significant research hole by delving deeper into the theories and teacher education field at a transitioning period when national identities and inter-country mobilities push scholarly arguments.
The book is broken into four parts. Part 1 focuses on international origins, constructs, struggles in TESOL teacher education. Part 2 examines how transnational activities in TESOL teacher education are grounded in space. Part 3 consists of four chapters that engage readers in lively debates about how transnationalism is enacted in online TESOL teacher education. Within the broader field of TESOL teacher education, Part 4 investigates how practices in the transnational level are mistakenly represented in policy and professional learning curriculum.
For part 1 taking into consideration the international origins, constructs, struggles in transnationalism concerning TESOL teacher education, the authors clarified that TESOL has mostly operated within the monolingual worldview, despite taking place in multilingual and global environments. TESOL teachers' identity and epistemology have been formed by this ideology, which relates to their ideas about English teaching, as well as their knowledge on content and pedagogy. These are found to be essential for teaching English either as a second or a foreign language. Furthermore, they indicate that while English becomes a Lingua Franca as a result of globalization if it is thought and practiced in a transnational framework, it has the ability to overcome cultural divides. In this context, English must be viewed as a field practice, pertaining to the various strategies employed by practitioners worldwide. The highlight in transnationalism denotes that, in addition to Standard English, English users will communicate with a variety of languages and even dialects. The English language is a complex construct with a colonial and nationalist past.
As a language teacher, through this chapter, I gained insights into the origin of TESOL. This knowledge helps me to reflect on the fact that TESOL is present not only in English native speaking countries but also around the globe. Hence, because of the transnational construct concerning TESOL, I reflected that English language teachers like me should also promote the varieties of world English to my students.
As regards part 2 which focused on the specific transnational practices in the field of TESOL teacher education, in this part of the book, the authors noted that as our world becomes more globalized, we are witnessing extraordinary increases in human mobility as well as an insatiable need to learn English. This chapter discusses teaching-abroad experiences and how they have evolved in response to changing TESOL ITE roles, needs, and expectations. These experiences can help future TESOL teachers as a tool to their in-campus practice teaching, offering a conducive space for learners to become more adaptable and critically reflective during the development of their abilities to interact with other people. To work effectively in an increasingly complicated global context, TESOL professionals must possess these abilities (Johnson & Golombek, 2018). To attain these things, however, the tasks should be prepared methodically with specified academic goals in mind.
In part 2 of this book, I appreciate how the authors shared the transnational practices of TESOL teachers that include their experiences in adapting to challenges, changes, and needs of the students’ considering globalization.
Part 3 of the book focused on current English Language teachers’ critical challenges in the practice of ESL. Teachers must be ready for the transnational, technology-mediated and plurilingual ELT practice and play a very important duties as facilitators of intercultural relations, improving digital literacies and strategies for lifelong learning. As discussed by the author, this offered framework is a beginning mark for TESOL programs to aid mentors proactively solve these issues, turning these stumbling blocks into possible solutions and useful strategies.
Reviewing part 3 of the book, I realized that learning through a crucial reflective lens can benefit teachers inculcate learner-centered teaching, meticulously evaluating technologies, and teaching strategies to facilitate meaningful learning in the community. Today, in fact, employing ELT approach that is based in transnationalism can be a tool for students and teachers. This could help them reiterate student and teacher identity and agency in view of transnationalim. This could benefit both teachers and students embrace their cultural and linguistic resources. With the integration of an interactive, intercultural approaches based on by technology and pedagogical competence can aid teachers realize needs of English language students globally.
Moving to Part 4, which zeroed on TESOL policy, curricula, professional learning, and development, it can be depicted that transnational students, because of the impact of transnational mobility, brought schema from their home and cultures to their classes where they can be used in teaching and learning process. The diversity of learners invites culturally sensitive teaching strategies that address to the significant effects of transnational mobility. As a reviewer and educator, I advocate translanguaging in view of culturally-responsive teaching.
However, a limitation to this transnationalism may be the fact that some teacher may raise concerns that there is no space in their respective syllabi to integrate transnationalism modules as offered in part 4 of the book. The answer for this would be to offer the modules in short courses. Others could propose different topics for modules that could appeal to wider audiences in the transnationalism.
To conclude this review, it can be emphasized that language as well as language education has always served a critical role in the progress of different nations. In my view, teaching English to non-native English speakers has been an integral component of the economic global movement. Teachers and students alike are migrating across national borders in search of work and educational possibilities. They generate and pay a lot of money. While many do it independently, others are controlled directly or indirectly by global organizations, including recruitment agencies. Today, TESOL is a truly global organization, with offerings ranging from worldwide language testing regimes to textbooks and online resources. These and other factors must be taken into account when considering transnationalism and TESOL teacher education. Instances have created an entirely new and vital space for reflection and debate. It will spur additional research that will have a significant impact on policy and practice
Language Translation as a Reading Comprehension Test: A Meta-Analysis
Get PDFLanguage translation has always been associated with reading comprehension. Thus, many studies have been investigating how these two are related. Therefore, the researcher conducted a meta-analysis study about the role of language translation in a reading comprehension test. Meta-analysis was used to effectuate this investigation. The researcher sought related studies and literature that proved the significant relationship of reading comprehension and language translation. The researcher found that language translation is beneficial to improving reading comprehension tests