Journal of Language and Literature Studies
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Grammatical and Syntatic Errors in L2 English Writing: The Impact of Language Inteference
No full textThis research examines grammatical and syntactic errors in second language (L2) writing, with a focus on the role of mother tongue interference and developmental processes in second language acquisition. In L2 writing, errors are viewed not merely as mistakes to be corrected, but as reflections of the learner's interlanguage—a transitional linguistic system that represents the learner's current level of grammatical and syntactic understanding. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, this study relies on a literature review to analyze data from various experts in the field of second language acquisition. The common challenges identified include grammatical interference in the use of articles, prepositions, word order, and subject-descriptor agreement, along with syntactic errors such as inappropriate pronoun use and incorrect word order. The research distinguishes between errors caused by first language (L1) interference and those resulting from developmental processes in L2 learning, offering valuable insights into the learners’ evolving interlanguage systems. The study highlights the importance of targeted pedagogical interventions, such as comparative syntax lessons, focused feedback, and practical exercises, to address these errors and improve L2 writing proficiency. Ultimately, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how L2 learners develop grammar and syntax skills, providing guidance for more effective teaching practices in language instruction
African Folklore in Women's Narratives: An Exploration of Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous Conditions
No full textMany of the contemporary challenges faced by women in Africa are deeply intertwined with African traditions and long-standing cultural practices. However, while African traditions indeed contribute to many of the challenges women face today, they also offer pathways to empowerment. African literature and folklore are posited in this study to be sources of retrospection into these African women-related narratives. This study aims to analyse folklore within a selected African literary text, in relation to women-centred narratives and explore the role of folklore in women’s narrative and experiences. Using Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous Conditions as a primary text, this study adopts a textual and interpretative analysis framed by feminist and nativist branches of postcolonial theory to achieve the objectives of the study. The study identifies two folklores (storytelling and marriage rituals) as central to women-related narratives and traditions depicted in the text. The analysis further reveals that African folklore can function as a double-edged sword as either reinforcing women’s subjugation or serving as a vehicle for their empowerment. The continuous integration of folklore in literature serves as a tool for illuminating and preserving previous experiences of women and the traditions of African culture. African folklore is an enabler of women subjugation, but it also has the capacity to challenge patriarchal structures and promote women’s empowerment. Deliberate efforts are required to amplify the women-empowering aspects of folklore. Strategic emphasis that focuses on promoting empowering narratives within folklore, challenging and deconstructing harmful narratives through critical engagement, and cultural revitalization by applying a gender lens to traditional practices are some of the implications for women’s empowerment
Enhancing Non English Students’ Communication Skills through Blended Learning: A Lesson from English for Specific Purposes Lens
No full textThis study investigates the effectiveness of blended learning in enhancing English communication skills among environmental health students, focusing on oral and written competencies essential in professional contexts. The research addresses a significant gap in language education for students in specialized fields, where limited engagement and practical application opportunities in traditional settings often hinder language proficiency development. A quasi-experimental design was employed with 60 students, divided into an experimental group receiving blended learning instruction and a control group following conventional face-to-face methods. Pre- and post-test results revealed that the experimental group demonstrated a 35% improvement in overall communication skills, compared to a 10% increase in the control group. Key gains in fluency, pronunciation, sentence structure, and vocabulary usage were observed. Data from student surveys and instructor observations also indicated higher levels of motivation, engagement, and confidence in the experimental group, attributed to the blended learning model’s flexibility, multimedia resources, and immediate feedback. This study highlights the significant advantages of blended learning for language acquisition in specialized academic fields and recommends its integration into language curricula. Tailored online resources and instructor training are proposed to maximize instructional impact. By addressing the language proficiency challenges in professional education, this research offers valuable insights into effective language learning strategies and supports adopting blended learning in diverse academic disciplines
Investigating EFL Police Officers’ Learning Needs and Problems in English Listening and Speaking Skills: An English Specific Purposes (ESP) Context
No full textThis research delves into the imperative nature of English speaking and listening competencies for tourist police officers and travel agents, crucial for efficacious communication with international tourists. Specifically, it focuses on the English linguistic needs and challenges faced by Mataram Police Officers (MPOs) stationed at the Mataram Town Police Station's counter. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the study employs questionnaires and interviews to gather data, involving a cohort of 15 police officers from Mataram as participants. The findings illuminate that MPOs necessitate enhancement in their English listening and speaking abilities across several critical functions. These include extending greetings and assistance, soliciting personal information, understanding tourists' issues and desires, and providing details on accommodations, travel, transportation, emergency services, directions, and advice on safety, travel, and shopping. The study reveals that for effective participation in English training programs, MPOs emphasize the need for proficiency in basic conversational English, advocating for the study of English textbooks and practical dialogue exercises. It is suggested that English training sessions be conducted over weekends, with each session lasting 1.5 hours, spanning a three-month period. The preference for instructors includes Thai teachers alongside native English speakers. The research further identifies the primary challenges in listening and speaking faced by the MPOs. Listening difficulties are predominantly attributed to the varied English accents, the challenge in capturing main ideas, and understanding fundamental expressions. Conversely, the speaking impediments involve articulating basic expressions, constructing complete sentences, and the pronunciation of English vowels. This study not only highlights the linguistic gaps in the professional capabilities of MPOs but also proposes targeted educational interventions to bridge these gaps, underscoring the significance of tailored English language training in enhancing the tourism policing experience
Investigating Teachers’ Roles in Forming EFL Learners’ Self- Confidence: A Lesson Learned for Young Learners
No full textTrust in oneself is a crucial aspect of personality development for students. The role of teachers is pivotal in fostering this self-trust among students. However, the implementation of this role often falls short, leading to instances where students lack confidence, such as feeling embarrassed when answering questions in front of the class. This study aims to delve into the teacher's role in cultivating students' self-trust, particularly among young learners in elementary schools. It employs a descriptive qualitative approach, utilizing observation sheets, interview guidelines, and documentation to gather data. The data is analyzed qualitatively through techniques such as data condensation, data display, and drawing conclusions. The findings reveal several key roles that teachers play in nurturing EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners' self-confidence, including acting as motivators, providing feedback, facilitating communication, and offering information. Implications for further studies include exploring the effectiveness of specific teaching strategies in enhancing students' trust in themselves and investigating the long-term effects of teacher-student interactions on self-confidence development
"Status Quo" of Malay Linguistics Studies: A Bibliometric Analysis
No full textThe study of Malay linguistics is a dynamic and intellectually engaging pursuit that provides valuable insights into the nuanced subtleties of one of the world's most widely spoken languages. The study of the Malay language holds a significant place in the extensive field of linguistic research because it reflects the diverse linguistic and cultural legacy of the Malay Archipelago. The study explores and analyses Malay linguistic studies conducted over the past two decades, examining trends, types of studies, research methodologies, prevalent themes, and author networks within Malay linguistics. The study employs bibliometric analysis of articles retrieved from the Scopus database using the keyword "Malay Linguistic." Utilising Vosviewer software, it identifies key trends and essential research themes within Malay linguistics. The findings revealed several key points. Firstly, publication trends in Malay linguistics varied over two decades, peaking at 91 publications in 2023, with stability observed from 2004 to 2009. This dynamic reflects evolving research interests with 724 publications. Major publishing venues were predominantly international journals in Malaysia and beyond the Malay Archipelago. Secondly, qualitative research was the primary method, often complemented by interdisciplinary and mixed-method approaches. Thirdly, common themes included Malay communities, dialect variations, identity, language structure, and applied linguistics. Fourthly, the author network in Malay linguistics remains interconnected, primarily among researchers from the Malay Peninsula. The trend of study themes in Malay linguistics has remained relatively stable, showing continuity with the status quo of the previous patterns. However, there has been a noticeable development in publication venues and author networks during this period
Derivational Suffixes Forming Adjectives and Their Syntactic Functions in reference to Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales
No full textFairy tales can be used as the medium to comprehend the word formation using the derivational suffixes and the word structure using syntactic functions. Furthermore, adjectives are an important class words needed to create a descriptive text that is required in English task, test, or daily use. This research was conducted to identify the types of derivational suffixes that form adjectives and analyze the syntactic functions of derived words. Therefore, the present study is categorized as a qualitative study. The data were obtained from a book titled ‘The Snow Princess and Other Tales’ written by Hans Christian Andersen. The data were gathered using observation and note-taking techniques. The collected data were analyzed by using a descriptive qualitative technique. This research applied an informal method to present the data analysis. The findings of this research revealed that all twelves of the derivational suffixes to form adjective are found in the source. Suffix -al, -ate, -ish, -able, and -less form adjective from noun, suffix -ing, -ise/ize, -ive, -able, and -ing form adjective from verb, and suffix -ish and -ly form adjective and adverb from adjective. Meanwhile, for the syntactic functions the derived words can be functioned as the object, complement, and adverbial element; however, the function as subject and predicator. The result showed that fairy tales are able to help English learners to gain adjectives and its structure in a sentence
Examining the Correlation among Motivation, Self-efficacy, and English Language Proficiency (ELP) across Gender
No full textThe motivational aspect has great influence on the urge to develop as does self-efficacy brings optimism towards attaining learning goals. High self-efficacy results to motivation for success in learning activities since the individual believes in his or her ability to accomplish a task. The current study indicates the importance of motivation and self-efficacy as the primary indicators of English learning proficiency. Therefore, the present study is aimed at assessing the correlation between motivation, self-efficacy, and language proficiency, with a particular focus on gender. The study employs a quantitative study by using a correlational method, using two types of questionnaires to obtain the data from the sample consisting of 71 participants, both 48 males and 23 females. The interplay of motivation, self-efficacy, and language proficiency across gender was statistically analyzed by using a Pearson correlation and a Multiple regression was used to explore the predictive ability of psychological variables. In male students, the correlation analysis found motivation demonstrated a strong correlation to self-efficacy of (R=0.680, p < 0.01) with a Sig.value (0.000 < 0.05), motivation with language proficiency also demonstrated a strong correlation (R=0.735, p < 0.01) with a Sig. value (0.000 < 0.05), and self-efficacy and language proficiency revealed a strong correlation (R=0.662, p < 0.01) with a Sig. value (0.000 < 0.05). In female students, motivation is closely-related to self-efficacy with a sig. value (0.000 < 0.05) and showed a very strong correlation (R=0.831, p < 0.01), while motivation and language proficiency resulted a strong correlation (R=0.748, p < 0.01) with a Sig. value (0.000 < 0.05), and self-efficacy is also correlated strongly with language proficiency (R=0.692, p < 0.01). The regression model for both genders demonstrated that motivation and self-efficacy significantly predict language proficiency; for male students, the adjusted (R2= 57.1% > 0.33 or < 0.67), while for female students, the adjusted (R2= 53.3% > 0.33 or < 0.67). The results reveal that moderate levels of motivation and self-efficacy must have been associated with language proficiency. Undoubtedly, motivation and self-efficacy are moderate indicators to predict language proficiency in ELT. The study can assist English and non-English teachers, students, etc. to increase motivation and self-efficacy theories, gender pedagogies and classroom learning climate and student language achievement
Understanding Second Language Performance: The Significance of Personality Type Among Learners
No full textAccording to studies, MBTI personality types exhibit different cognitive function preferences, where a strong inclination towards certain traits can influence how well individuals receive and process information. This is related to intelligence and problem-solving abilities, including the impact on foreign language learning. Understanding the role of personality traits in language learning can significantly enhance educational strategies. Despite growing interest in personalized education, the influence of personality on language acquisition remains underexplored, particularly for Arabic learners. Our research examines the impact of the MBTI personality dimensions of introversion and intuition on Arabic language performance as a second language among Indonesian students. We studied 53 college students majoring in Arabic language-related fields. Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and an Arabic language proficiency test, we conducted data analysis through multiple linear regression, ensuring robustness with assumption tests for residual normality, multicollinearity, and heteroscedasticity. The results indicated that the introversion and intuition dimensions of the MBTI did not significantly affect Arabic language performance (F-test: Sig. 0.696 > 0.05 and t-test 0.411, 0.754 > 0.05). These findings suggest that introversion and intuition may not be critical factors in Arabic L2 proficiency. This research provides insights for the development of Arabic language teaching programs, emphasizing that factors other than personality may play a more significant role in language performance. However, the complex relationship between personality and language learning warrants further investigation to fully understand the dynamics at play
Unveiling Environmental and Islamic Narratives in Avatar :The Way of Water": An Eco-Critical Analysis and AI-Driven Exploration
No full text"Avatar: The Way of Water" is a highly anticipated sequel in James Cameron's groundbreaking franchise, promising a deeper exploration of environmental themes intertwined with indigenous cultures. This study employs eco-critical analysis, augmented by AI insights, to investigate into the intricate connections between environmentalism and Islamic perspectives within the narrative. By examining the movie's portrayal of nature, spirituality, and socio-political dynamics, this study aims to uncover underlying themes that resonate with Islamic environmental ethics. Through the lens of AI-assisted analysis, the researchers unveil nuanced layers of interpretation, shedding light on the movie's potential to inspire meaningful dialogue on environmental stewardship and cultural sustainability. The researchers examine the symbiotic ecology and its hypothetical biology, which is proposed to be "better" than the metal-based technology used by the 'invading' humanity. It challenges the idealized notion of nature as a collection of native animals, plants, and people. Lastly, this study explores the different anthropocentric themes that the movie explores, criticizes the Na'vi's subtly "humanistic" domination over other fauna, and explores the prospects of embracing a truly impartial perspective to capture the realities of oppressed not humans