Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics
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Features of Legal Language and Its Translation Analysis in Indonesian-English “Settlement Termination Agreement”
Get PDFTranslation procedures and translation quality assessment can be used to assist translators when translating to get more accurate results. This paper aims to find out what legal language features and procedures of translation are and determine the quality of the resulting translation. The data sources used are words, phrases, and sentences that contain legal linguistic features such as archaisms, technical terms, phrasal verbs, doublets, and word reciprocity. This research is a qualitative descriptive study and was compiled based on the translation procedure framework of 17 Newmark (1988) followed by an assessment of the quality of the translation by Nababan (2012). From the analysis, the most frequently used legal language features are technical terms and archaisms. Meanwhile, the most widely used procedure in settlement agreement documents is literal translation with a total of 18 data and a percentage of 23.3%. The second order is naturalization with a total of 15 and a percentage of 19.4%. These two procedures are most often used by translators in translating settlement agreement documents. The use of literal translation procedures dominates. This, of course, affects the quality of the translation of this document. Based on the evaluation of the quality of the translation carried out, the level of accuracy and acceptability is 89%, and the readability is 78%. So, it can be concluded that the results of the translation of this settlement termination agreement document can be declared valid because it is translated in accordance with the applicable legal system based on the target language
Teaching for Social Justice in English Language Classrooms: A Qualitative Analysis of Pedagogical Designs
Get PDFTeaching for Social Justice (TSJ) is a teaching approach aimed at promoting equity and justice in language classrooms, aligned with the Philippine K to 12 Curriculum Guide (Kiger & Varpio, 2020). This integrated approach seeks to develop social awareness and critical thinking skills among learners by interrogating issues about (in)justice and indoctrination (Spitzman & Balconi, 2019). This research aims to locate the teaching of social justice in English as a Second Language (ESL) Classrooms by analyzing the 25 pedagogical designs (referring to lesson plans) of Filipino ESL teachers crafted in years 2019-2023 in a secondary school in Antipolo City, Philippines. The six-steps thematic analysis model of Kiger and Varpio (2020) complemented by the nine-question rubric developed by Spitzman and Balconi (2019) was employed to locate the integration of the teaching of social justice in the lesson plans. Peer debriefing was performed to ensure the credibility of the result. The qualitative analysis found three main themes: (1) Facilitating Expression and Constructing Identity, (2) Acknowledging Interculturalism and Diversity, and (3) Promoting Action, each of which is pedagogically organized in a plan. These themes are discursively present in the motivation, discussion, and assessment sections of the lesson plan. Findings revealed that Filipino ESL teachers’ teaching for social justice leans more toward multicultural and culturally responsive education. The study recommends the future researchers to further study TSJ in terms of confirming the consistency of teachers’ pedagogical design and action in the ESL classroo
The Impact of Creative Writing Activity on EFL Learners' Non-Core Vocabulary Acquisition
Get PDFIn the context of ELT and EFL classrooms, creative writing has been underutilized in language learning and critical consciousness development (Stillar, 2013). This paper presents a quantitative approach that aims to explore the impact of a creative writing activity in terms of non-core vocabulary acquisition within B2-level EFL classrooms. By conveying a set of in-class and autonomous creative writing activities, the study deepens not only into vocabulary acquisition but also into second language acquisition (SLA) purposes. The investigation aims to discover the extent to which the instruction of creative writing activities fosters EFL learners’ acquisition of non-nuclear vocabulary. Following a quantitative methodology, a non-core vocabulary pre-test and post-test were administered to students. These tests included sections for analyzing students' knowledge of non-core vocabulary and the linguistic repertoire used in vignette descriptions (strip comics). Results from a paired samples t-test suggested that integrating creative writing activities in EFL environments not only enhanced lexical acquisition but also fostered detachment from cultural nuances and the influence of the students' mother tongue. All the scrutinized elements within the students’ linguistic repertoire were improved after the creative writing instruction. Within this analysis, the verbs and adjectives were the elements that were the most improved in terms of specificity and concreteness. Overall, the study sheds light on the potential benefits of integrating creative writing activities in EFL classrooms. The findings hold promising implications for EFL educators seeking innovative strategies to enhance language learning and intercultural competence
Differentiated Instruction: Challenges and Opportunities in EFL Classroom
Get PDFThe issue of Differentiated Instruction (DI) has recently attracted the attention of scholars and practitioners because of its immense significance and many opportunities to enhance student learning. In this regard, the current study aims to contribute a small summary of DI in the context of EFL to provide context and illustrate the need to implement DI in the classroom to ensure that students learn languages successfully. Since differentiated instruction puts students at the center of teaching and learning, encourages equality and academic achievement, and acknowledges student diversity, it encourages teachers to be aware of individual needs, interests, skills, English proficiency levels, and students’ preferred learning strategies. Although some challenges may occur such as time-consuming and pressure on teachers in implementing DI, this approach has advantages that can affect students' learning processes, future learning attitudes, and future success. So, the learning process provides many opportunities when the teacher is committed to differentiated instruction
Second Language Refugee Learners in Egypt: Needs and Challenges
Get PDFThe act of leaving one's country, home, friends, and family seeking a haven in another country is a traumatizing process that has a long-lasting impact on humans. Refugees always face a lot of challenges concerning the cultural, psychological, and educational aspects of the countries in which they seek refuge in. The case of refugees in Egypt is rather different from any other country. Egypt is the refuge for many neighboring Arab and African countries experiencing political and civil turmoil. Many of these refugees succeed in blending in Egyptian society, while others keep struggling. This paper aims at understanding the learning goals of refugees from different countries in learning English as a second language though English is not the first language in Egypt. The paper also aims at understanding the different needs of the refugees when learning English as a second language and the challenges they face. In addition, the paper seeks to understand whether the nationality of the teacher differs in the refugees’ perception of success in learning a second language. The paper employs both qualitative and quantitative methods in collecting data from displaced learners of English as a second language and the instructors who teach them to achieve a comprehensive view of the needs and challenges of refugees from different origins, nationalities, and circumstances. The results of the present study indicate that refugees in Egypt mostly learn English for relocation purposes which entails being keen on learning specific language skills more than others. In addition, both the views of the learners and the instructors differ regarding how effective they see the nationality of the instructor in the process of learning a second language. These results should be considered by curriculum developers, instructors, and NGOs to accommodate the refugees’ needs in learning a second language
Cognitive Levels of Questions By Indonesian Teachers of English
Get PDFAccording to the 2013 English curriculum (K-13), teachers were required to create English test items covering higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). By answering HOTS questions, students are expected to understand information deeper rather than only focusing on recalling facts. This case study aimed to find the cognitive levels of questions used in teacher-made English final tests in a private senior high school in Sampit, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Using the revised Bloom's taxonomy, this qualitative study investigated the written documents of teacher-made English final tests for grades X and XI in the academic years 2018-2019 for social and science programs. The findings showed that the cognitive levels of questions in the final test were dominated by the lower order of thinking skills (LOTS), with understanding as the highest level, followed by remembering and applying. The researchers identified potential sources of preference for LOTS questions. The paper concludes with research recommendations and a professional development program for English teachers
Exploring Lexical Errors of Indonesian EFL Students in Writing Recount Texts
Get PDFThe study aimed to examine the EFL students’ lexical errors in writing recount texts. This study employed a descriptive qualitative method involving 31 students and uses the taxonomy of James’ lexical errors in analyzing the texts. The findings revealed that there was a total of 161 lexical errors in the students’ recount writings. Likewise, it was claimed that misselection became the most frequent lexical error, with 73 errors. The next was suffix type with 35 errors and calque with 10 errors. Furthermore, the results showed that most students felt difficult to select the appropriate lexical types in writing recount texts and most of the formal errors resulted from the intralingual error. Thus, the study recommends that the teachers teach vocabulary in contexts rather than words and use English thesaurus or monolingual dictionaries to find the grammatical content, definitions, examples, spelling, or other structures. The study also recommends online lexical analyzers, drillling, and remedy as the other alternative methods of reducing lexical errors in writing
Utilizing Grammarly in an Academic Writing Process: Higher-Education Students’ Perceived Views
Get PDFThis small-scale study looks into the English-Language-Education-Program (ELE) students’ perceived views on using Grammarly as an automatic grammar checker in an academic writing process. It adopted a questionnaire instrument Novianti (2020) employed in her study. The interval scale average of 73.3% indicated that most students positively perceived using Grammarly in the academic writing process. They deemed that this application could help them revise their errors in the academic writing process, improve their academic writing, and boost their confidence in academic writing. On the other hand, some students negatively perceived using Grammarly in their academic writing process due to the nature of feedback this application offers. Furthermore, this study considered that factors that might have affected both views were associated with Grammarly’s handy and practical use and non-contextual and irrelevant feedback. This study is a small-scale one, primarily investigating students’ perceptions of the use of Grammarly application in an academic writing process. Future research can expand such dimensions as students’ attitudes in using this application or the impacts of Grammarly on students’ writing anxiety. Moreover, it can investigate students’ perceptions of the use of the application in an academic writing process by employing different instruments and indicators of perception
Iranian EFL Students’ Perceptions of Foreign Language Writing Anxiety and Perfectionism in Essay Writing
Get PDFMastering writing skills is an essential criterion for EFL students who desire to fully invest in their academic discipline. While it is crucial to develop numerous writing abilities to communicate effectively, the research shows that the affective variables, such as self-esteem, perfectionism, stress, anxiety, and burnout, exert a profound negative influence both on the process and product of writing. To explore the devastating effects of these constructs beyond, the study aims to investigate the interactive impact of anxiety and perfectionism on essay writing among Iranian EFL students (n=85). The Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory of Cheng (2004) and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale of Hewitt and Flett (1990) were employed to measure the participants’ perceived writing anxiety and perfectionism. A quantitative research method was employed in the collection and analysis of the data. The results showed a medium level of FL writing anxiety and perfectionism among the participants. They also revealed that the most prevalent types of anxiety and perfectionism among them were cognitive and self-oriented, respectively. Finally, the results disclosed a strong positive relationship between their anxiety and perfectionistic tendencies. Thus, it was concluded that anxiety and perfectionism may interactively challenge EFL students more in their writing activities. The results are beneficial in deepening the understanding of teachers and researchers in the field pedagogically and practically
Teacher Appraisal Systems of Critical Incidents Experienced in Iranian EFL Classroom Context
Get PDFThis study sought to solicit, through the Geneva Appraisal Questionnaire (GAQ), Iranian EFL teachers’ emotional experiences and their ensuing control and authority practices. In so doing, a total of forty university instructors in Iran were recruited to participate in the study by filling in the instruments, of which thirteen were returned back. The content analysis of the data was quantitatively and qualitatively done to pinpoint the frequency of the occurrences of the emotional events and to scour the teachers’ feelings, behaviors, and reactions to the encountered situations. The data gleaned from both female and male teachers in this study disclosed the recalling of the negative events more than the positive ones. The teachers’ reservations and expectations and the lack of dexterity to confront the unprecedented behaviors were witnessed to be the main causes of experiencing negative emotions. However, the teachers’ commiseration and empathetic teaching styles were reported as the reasons for their experiences of positive feelings. The results of this study may have some practical implications and suggestions for language teacher education