SALTeL Journal (Southeast Asia Language Teaching and Learning)
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Exploring University Toilet Signage as a Visual Communication Tool Through a Social Semiotics Lens in Brunei Darussalam
Full text linkPrimarily, the linguistic landscape acts as a foundation for analysing how social, cultural and political structures are reflected in public signs. While previous studies have mainly focused on the linguistic elements and the semiotic principles of visual signs, this research explores how Brunei universities’ toilet signages are analysed and interpreted through a social semiotics approach. By employing convenience, purposive and snowball sampling, the data collected were from seven local and seven international university students\u27 semi-structured interviews and one focus group discussion, consisting of the local students only. This study employed a social semiotics approach by Halliday (1978) to analyse the visual findings and to guide the interview data analysis gathered. Three major themes emerged based on the findings, namely: 1) Interpretation and user experience, 2) Cultural encoding in signage, and 3) Cross-cultural interpretation gap. These findings revealed that university students’ cultural background and their familiarity influence their interpretation of the signage. Findings also emphasised the dominant use of English in the signage, which raises questions about Malay visibility and institutional preferences. This study implies that although visuals can be similar, their meaning is not fixed but is shaped by individuals’ cultural and social backgrounds. Although the findings correspond to existing literature, limitations include restricted access only to UTB and UBD signage, which influence the findings of the study. Besides, this study only explored university students from UTB and UBD, which excludes other potential public users and staff who might have a different interpretation of the signages. Hence, it is recommended for future research to explore how toilet signage is interpreted in other institutions and how different demographic groups interpret signage as a visual communication tool to expand the research area for more in-depth findings
Persuasion Speech Analysis in Xi Jinping\u27s Speech during the National Day Celebration of the People\u27s Republic of China
Full text linkCommunist countries often utilize persuasive speech to demonstrate authority, leadership, and legitimacy of the ruling party. This study explores the use of persuasive utterances delivered by the president of the People\u27s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, during the People\u27s Republic of China National Day celebration. This qualitative study is based on data from Xi Jinping\u27s speeches during the National Day Celebrations of the People\u27s Republic of China during Xi Jinping\u27s tenure. The data are in the form of sentences that have elements of persuasion, which were collected using content analysis techniques. The findings of this study are that 46 persuasion utterances were found in four speech texts of Xi Jinping. The persuasion sentences vary, but always follow the following indication patterns, namely (1) the use of collective pronoun, (2) the use of collective nouns, (3) the use of deontic modality, (4) the use of epistemic modality, (5) the use of majas, and (6) the use of evaluative vocabulary
Speaking Anxiety Symptoms among Tenth-Grade Students in English Language Classes
Full text linkThis study investigates the prevalence and nature of speaking anxiety among tenth-grade students at SMAN 15 Medan, with a particular focus on physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. Employing a descriptive qualitative design, the research utilized observations and interviews to capture a comprehensive picture of the students\u27 anxiety experiences. Analysis of the data revealed that physical symptoms were the most frequently reported, with a total of 83 instances documented. These included rapid heartbeat, difficulty speaking, trembling, and difficulty breathing, among others. Emotional symptoms were also prominent, with students frequently expressing feelings of nervousness, fear, and embarrassment. Mental symptoms, while less common, included issues such as memory lapses and cognitive disruptions. The findings indicate that speaking anxiety manifests predominantly through physical and emotional symptoms, with mental symptoms being less frequent but still impactful. Additionally, many students exhibited multiple types of symptoms simultaneously, underscoring the multifaceted nature of speaking anxiety. This research highlights the need for a holistic approach to addressing speaking anxiety, suggesting that future interventions should focus on reducing physical symptoms, enhancing emotional support, and improving cognitive strategies to help students manage their speaking anxiety effectively
An Interpretive Approach to Understanding How Emotions Leads to Approaches in Using Emojis among Bruneian Gen Z
Full text linkIn digital spaces where non-verbal cues are absent, Emojis have become a prevalent tool to express emotions in online communication. While past studies focused on the role of Emojis, little has been done to explore how emotional states may influence Emoji usage. This study aimed to explore how Emojis are used, how emotions influence their usage, and the extent to which Gen Z in Brunei use Emojis to express emotions in online communication. By utilising purposive sampling to recruit its participants, the data collected were gathered from a two-part stimulated recall (SR) interview with 10 Bruneian Gen Z, focusing on their responses to the scenarios given and their interpretations of Emojis. The study was also guided by Goleman’s (2001) Emotional Intelligence (EI) model and employed a hermeneutic approach to data analysis. Findings of the study revealed six major themes: (1) Perceived role of Emojis in online communication, (2) Perceived importance of Emojis in online communication and self (3) Emotions and Emojis use, (4), Emoji use according to relationship closeness, (5) Emoji use according to context, and (6) Demographic influences on Emoji use. These findings highlighted Emojis\u27 dual roles of not only expressing but also masking emotions. Emotions were also reported to influence individuals’ Emoji use with key elements of the EI model, specifically self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness, emerging as the prominent aspect of EI among individuals. Nevertheless, other factors including relationship closeness, emotional context, age, and gender, were also found to influence Emoji use. Future research could benefit from including a more culturally diverse and broader age range to further understand how cultural and demographic factors can influence Emoji use
Optimizing English Language Learning Competence Based Religious Moderation at the State Islamic Higher Education
Full text linkThe English language plays a pivotal role in education, particularly in global contexts. It is utilised in various domains, including education, business, and diplomacy. Moreover, it can be integrated with Islamic studies, particularly Islamic moderation, which emphasises balance, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence. This study addresses a research gap by investigating the impact of religious moderation on students\u27 learning competence in speaking classes, a topic that has received limited attention in previous studies. This research aims to investigate students’ learning competence in religious moderation at the English Department of the Tarbiyah Faculty of IAIN Parepare. This research was conducted from March to June 2024. This mixed-method study combines qualitative and quantitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding. Twenty students from the fifth semester participated, and data were collected through interviews and documentation. The findings indicate that religious moderation is effectively implemented in speaking classes through three stages: preparation (lecture planning with RPS), implementation (using materials from YouTube, podcasts, articles, and videos), and evaluation (role-playing videos to assess competence). The students\u27 scores increased from 77.0 to 85.76, showing significant improvement. The study shows that integrating religious moderation in speaking classes enhances language competence, with positive students’ perceptions confirming it as an effective teaching strategy
Audience Insights on Unhealthy F&B Advertisements via Cultivation Theory: A Visual Communication Study
Full text linkThis research explores how visual communication tactics and regulatory policies in advertisements may affect the perceptions of young adults in Brunei Darussalam on unhealthy food and beverage consumption. Following the regulations employed since 2021, this present research investigates its implications towards the young adult population of ages 18 – 26 years old who are also majorly exposed to persuasive content. The study analyses the role of visual aspects and their elements in advertisements in grabbing attention, shaping consumption behaviour, and the success and failure of the current regulatory framework, and its potential challenges in the dynamic light of contemporary media settings. Through a qualitative research design, in-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out among the local young adults to grasp their understandings and perceptions towards advertising, lifestyle dietary routines, as well as their awareness and opinions towards the existing regulations. Cultivation Theory served as the study’s underlying theoretical framework to interpret how the process of long-term media exposure has the ability to play a role in consumers’ attitudes and norms. The findings indicate that, although the respondents understand the health consequences of unhealthy food, visually appealing advertisements, especially those seen rapidly on digital platforms, continue to significantly contribute to their cravings and mindless dietary habits. Furthermore, the policies and regulations currently in place were viewed as insufficient as they did not have enough coverage in areas where permissive contents are still disseminated in digital spaces. With that concern in mind, a comparison with various reform proposals and guidelines published by international organisations, such as WHO and UNICEF, is considered to align with where the compliance and standards are not met
The Use of Modality in the Texts Markobar in Pabagas Boru Ceremony as Mandailing Oral Tradition
Full text linkThe research\u27s goal was to find out why the markobar texts used the modality in the pabagas boru ritual. Qualitative research methodology was employed. In Padangsidimpuan, two Pabagas Boru (wedding) ceremonies provided the data. This research focused on the 14 markobar roles in the Pabagas Boru ritual and two atobangon (markobar experts) in Padangsidimpuan. As the research\u27s data, there were 66 sentences with modality that participants provided orally. Halliday\u27s (2004) modality theory was applied to examine the rationale for the usage of modality in the markobar texts during the Pabagas Boru ceremonies. The data were analyzed based on Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2014). The results showed that there were four reasons of modality use, namely, (1) to portray possibilities that happened in a new family; (2) to express the speakers’ opinion and suggestion; (3) to obligate the new couple in creating a better family; and (4) to tell the speakers’ willingness toward the new couple
Exploring Near-Synonymy of the Adjectives ‘Expensive’ and ‘Costly’ through Corpus-Based Study
Full text linkThis study employed a corpus-based methodology to investigate the near-synonymous English adjectives ‘expensive’ and ‘costly’, with particular attention to their degree of formality, collocational pattterns, and semantic preferences. Drawing on data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), which encompasses eight distinct genres (spoken, fiction, magazines, newspapers, academic texts, blogs, web pages, and TV/movie subtitles), the analysis focused on the frequency of use across genres and the most common noun collocates with Mutual Information (MI) scores of 3 or higher. The results indicated that ‘expensive’ occurred more frequently in informal genres such as blogs, magazines, and spoken texts, while ‘costly’ was predominantly found in formal contexts, especially newspapers and academic writing. Although some collocates overlapped, their semantic preferences differed: ‘expensive’ typically co-occurred with terms related to luxury products and personal choices, while ‘costly’ was associated with business, legal, and problem-related contexts. The findings revealed that the two adjectives, while semantically related, were not fully interchangeable. This distinction provided insight into how English learners could develop vocabulary precision through the use of corpus tools. The study concluded that corpus-based analysis was an effective method for highlighting subtle lexical differences, offering practical implications for language teaching and learning
Utilizing Siakad Web-Based Learning (SWBL) to Promote Creativity Performance for University Students
Full text linkThis study aimed to investigate and explore potential factors influencing the creative performance of using SIAKAD web-based learning (SWBL). This study utilised the effect of SWBL to improve students’ creative learning in English Syntactic Structure class. However, SWBL was theoretically researched, and this study\u27s perspective enriched teachers\u27 learning creativity. Therefore, the SWBL has been designed as a learning environment system with planning, learning, evaluation, and reflection based on attributes, processes, and learning contexts. Fifty students participated as participants that were randomly assigned to be the experimental and the control group. This study used quantitative research with a quasi-experimental design. This research method was used to determine which group was effective in helping students improve their academic achievement in English Syntactic Structure. Treatment was provided in the experimental group by conducting English Syntactic Structure on the SWBL while the control group was performing a lecturing learning class. The data were analyzed by using tcount and ttable. The final data was evaluated using the Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS 23). The result of this study indicated that the students using the SWBL in the English Syntactic Structure class exhibited significant improvement in creativity performance. The experimental class students who used web-based learning scored 16.111 higher than the control class. Furthermore, the SWBL capabilities of the experimental group demonstrated gradual and continuous improvement. In addition, students’ thinking skills and academic achievement in the experimental group are discussed in depth
The Implementation of Ankiapp to Improve Students’ Vocabulary Mastery
Full text linkThis study aims to investigate the potential enhancement of students\u27 vocabulary mastery through the utilization of AnkiApp. The research design employed in this study is a pre-experimental design. The population under scrutiny comprises 48 students distributed across three classes. The sample selected for this study is Class VII.1, consisting of 15 students, chosen through purposive sampling techniques. The research procedure involves the initial administration of a pre-test to assess the baseline vocabulary mastery of the students before the implementation of the AnkiApp intervention. Subsequently, a post-test is administered to evaluate the impact of AnkiApp on vocabulary learning. Data analysis is conducted through automated procedures utilizing Microsoft Excel 365, employing the paired two-sample t-test from the toolbar menu to compare the average scores. The findings reveal that the mean score of the students\u27 post-test is 68.4, surpassing the average score of the students\u27 pre-test, which stands at 26.6. This discrepancy indicates a statistically significant improvement in students\u27 vocabulary mastery resulting from the effective implementation of AnkiApp.