Vivid Journal of Language and Literature
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Social Media as A Tool for Improving Pronunciation Skills in French among Selected English-Speaking Students at the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro Ogun State Nigeria
Full text linkThis study examines how well the selected National Diploma and Higher National Diploma students doing French courses at the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro in Ogun State, Nigeria, can pronounce French words correctly by using social media as a tool. The study aims to determine the following: 1) how well English-speaking students at the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro can pronounce French words correctly; 2) how the students feel about using social media as an additional tool for learning French pronunciation; and 3) which social media practices and strategies work best for helping English-speaking students pronounce French words correctly. Six hundred (600) students in all (School of Engineering, School of Pure and Applied Science, School of Communication and Information Technology, School of Environmental Studies, and School of Agriculture, School of Management studies), split equally between the experimental and control groups, took part in the study. While the control group practiced pronunciation using conventional means, the experimental group used social media platforms. To identify notable changes, frequency, percentage, and chi-square tests were used to analyse the pre- and post-test scores. The experimental group's results show a significant improvement, indicating that social media can be a useful tool for language learning
Metaphorical Landscapes: Exploring Metaphors in Hindi, Bhojpuri and English Proverbs
Full text linkThis study, titled “Metaphorical Landscapes: Exploring Metaphors in Hindi, Bhojpuri, and English Proverbs,” investigates the intricate and culturally rich use of metaphors in the proverbs of these three languages. Proverbs, known for their brevity and depth, serve as vessels of communal wisdom, encapsulating cultural values, societal norms, and collective experiences. Metaphors within these proverbs enhance their expressive power by enabling the conveyance of abstract ideas through vivid, concrete imagery. This research seeks to uncover the underlying conceptual frameworks that shape the worldviews of Hindi, Bhojpuri, and English-speaking communities. Focusing primarily on Hindi and Bhojpuri due to their geographical and cultural proximity, this study also includes English to explore potential overlaps and borrowings in metaphorical expressions. Employing a qualitative comparative methodology, this study analyses a curated selection of proverbs to identify universal themes and distinct metaphorical constructs. Proverbs, as carriers of cultural wisdom, offer a window into the collective psyche and values of a community. Through this exploration, the present study aims to understand these metaphorical landscapes to foster empathy, cross-cultural dialogue, and a deeper appreciation of the intricate ways in which language shapes our perception of the world
The Effect of Memory Strategies on Writing Skill of EFL Tikrit Secondary School Students
Full text linkThe current research aims to identify the effect of memory strategies on writing skills among secondary school students in Tikrit. To achieve this goal, An achievement test is conducted, which is the pre and post to measure writing skills according to memory strategies. The sample consisted of 70 students from the fourth class of secondary school. They are divided into two groups: an experimental group of 35 students who studied according to memory strategies, A control group of 35 students studied according to the conventional method. The results indicated that using memory strategies as a method for learning to write is more effective than the conventional method
The Impact of Parental Involvement on Students' Academic Performance: A Case Study of Secondary Schools in Sri Lanka
Full text linkParental involvement in students' studies at the secondary level is crucial for children’s academic success and future well-being. This study aims to explore how parental involvement impacts on the academic performance of their children both at home and school and investigate the relationship between parental involvement and students’ academic performance. A total of sixty-eight parents of secondary school students participated in the questionnaire survey, with data being collected using the convenient sampling method. Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analyses were employed to identify the relations between variables. The findings revealed that factors of parent involvement-, involving in the child's homework, discussing parents' expectations of the child, appreciating the child’s achievements, creating a positive learning environment at home, and parent’s relationship with the class teacher and with the other parents-have a strong relationship with students’ academic performance. Conversely, findings also show that traditional forms of parental involvement, such as attending parent-teacher meetings and supporting extracurricular activities, have no significant connection with academic achievement. The study concludes that a comprehensive approach to parental involvement- including direct support, relationship-building, and community connections- collectively contributes to improved academic performance for students. These findings point to the need for a network of socially supportive parents, which could improve children's entire academic experience
The Current State of Comfort with Interpersonal Touch Among University Students
Full text linkThis study surveyed 1,379 undergraduate students at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, to explore their level of comfort with interpersonal touch—a prominent social behavior among Gen Z youth. Data were collected online between November and December 2024 and analyzed using SPSS 26.0. Results showed that students’ comfort with interpersonal touch was relatively low. No significant differences were found by academic year or part-time work status. However, significant differences emerged in relation to gender, sexual orientation, and academic performance
Constructing the ‘Healthy Self’ on Instagram: An Appraisal and Critical Discourse Analysis of Health Narratives in Social Media Captions
Full text linkThis study aims to explore how the identity of “Healthy Self” is formed discursively in Instagram captions that promote ideal healthy lifestyles. It investigates the evaluative language and ideological narratives in creating self-representation through social media.
The qualitative approach was employed to analyze 26 captions in English tagged with #health, #diet, #healthylifestyle, or #bodygoals. The data were examined using Appraisal Theory (Martin & White) to identify evaluative meanings and Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough) to interpret the ideology underlying the language use.
The findings indicate that the captions express various affect, judgment, and appreciation dimensions to construct an image of “a healthy life.” Users tend to impose aspects of emotional recovery, discipline, self-acceptance, and personal empowerment. This discourse indicates a shift from traditional beauty standards towards a more balanced and compassionate approach to health. Still, it contains neoliberal ideological values such as individual responsibility, productivity, and control over the body.
Instagram serves as a platform for self-expression and a discursive space that reproduces and negotiates dominant ideology about health. This study confirms the importance of critical reflection on health standards established through seemingly neutral personal narratives
James Joyce's A Little Cloud: The Construction and Resistance of the Postcolonial City
Full text linkThis research aims to analyse the construction of urban space in the short story "A Little Cloud" by James Joyce through a postcolonial perspective. This short story describes how the character Little Chandler and his family experience dislocation and discrimination in London, which was initially expected to be a utopian city with economic progress and industrialisation. This research uses postcolonialism theory and Sara Upstone's concept of urban space to identify how London's urban space became a colonial space that maintained the stability of colonialism through boundaries constructed to distinguish between the English and the Irish. The results show the ambiguity between the idea of utopia and dystopia in London's urban space and the resistance strategies used by the characters in the short stories to deal with pressure and oppression. These resistance strategies include displacement and carnivalization of identity in public spaces. This research also highlights how the depiction of the city in postcolonial literature questions the city's position as a friendly space for all people, including minorities and migrants, and whether there is a repetition of the relationship between the coloniser and the colonised
Feminism in Nikewomen, What are girls made of Advertisement: a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis
Full text linkAdvertisement is one of the media which is used to influence audiences, which in this case is on framing woman portrayal or sharing feminism perspective and ideology. The goal of this study is to examine the portrayal of feminism in Nikewomen, What a girls made of advertisement. The research analyze a Nikewomen, What a girl made of advertisement by using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA). The findings revealed that the what a girls made of advertisement symbolizes feminism ideology, as shown by the plot, text, color, and woman character used on the advertisement which have the freedom to express herself and as the symbol of strength, confidence, power, independence, and resilience. Furthermore, the video depicts feminism ideology by depicting woman superiority and highlighting woman as valuable creature. Nike impact audiences by messages given, which are a feminist concept and feminism ideology, through using advertisement videos as a platform to influence audiences. Generally, this research is qualitative descriptive-explorative research where descriptive and explorative are intended to describe and explain the situation based on collected data and facts, which are then analyzed and arranged systematically to get conclusions in detail to be a hypothesis
Self-compassion in Haston’s Paperweight (2015): Its Ways and Effect for a Better Life
Full text linkThe aim of this research is to find out the self-compassion depicted in Paperweight novel to overcome Stevie's bulimia nervosa. Paperweight by Meg Haston is a novel containing psychological issue related to eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, in Stevie as the main character. Stevie, who initially had suicidal thoughts because she felt neglected by her family and friends, eventually realized to recover from bulimia nervosa. Stevie’s realization to recover from bulimia is related with self-compassion because it is a component that reduces negative thoughts in someone with mental illness including bulimia nervosa. Then, in order to solve the problem, self-compassion theory by Neff (self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness) is employed in this research. This research is qualitative research which was done subsequently by reading and rereading the novel, eliminating, identifying, and grouping, interpreting, describing, and analysing the data. In this research, the researchers found that Stevie possessed self-kindness to do treatment and she started doing fun things. Then, common humanity is found when Stevie realizes in this world every individual has his/her own problems. It is indicated that Stevie possessed mindfulness when she chose to leave an unpleasant memory and remember the pleasant one. As a result, self-compassion helps Stevie to recover from bulimia nervosa
Social Class Inequality in 1912 English Society as Reflected in J.B. Priestley's Play Script An Inspector Calls
Full text linkThis study examines social class inequality in 1912 English society as reflected in J.B. Priestley’s play An Inspector Calls. The play highlights the structure of society based on powerful class differences, where the upper class represented by the Birling family and Gerald Croft have privileges that the working class represented by Eva Smith does not have. The study uses a mimetic approach that views literature as a reflection of human life. To explore how inequality is portrayed through interactions between characters, this study uses a qualitative descriptive method. In addition, it uses the concept of base and superstructure in Marxism to examine how the economic structure (base) shapes and maintains social norms, ideologies, and institutions (superstructure) to perpetuate the dominance of the bourgeoisie over the working class. The results of this study reveal three main aspects: labor exploitation, class domination and social control, and gender inequality in capitalism. The results show that An Inspector Calls not only serves as a play, but also as a critique of capitalist society, by exposing how the economic structure maintains class-based oppression