This paper aims to examine the representation of place in the poetry of Louise Erdrich and Lucille Clifton through the theoretical frameworks of phenomenological geography and environmental psychology. It draws on key concepts from Edward Relph, Yi-Fu Tuan, Irwin Altman, Seth Low, and Harlod Proshansky to dissect how Erdrich and Clifton’s poetry explore themes of place, identity, history, and memory. Key terms in place theory such as placelessness, topophilia, place attachment, and place identity are applied to representative poems by Erdrich and Clifton. The study also employs close reading and comparative analysis to investigate how the poets construct land as an emotional, historical, and lived place within the framework of place theory. To examine how place is rooted in language, close reading is used to examine poetic devices such as imagery, diction and figurative language.In addition, the study investigates the consequences of slavery and colonization and their psychological effects from the perspective of place-based theories. It reveals that Erdrich and Clifton share the belief that attachment to land helps preserve cultural identity of Native and African Americans. Nevertheless, they differ slightly on how they depict land emotional attachment. Lucille Clifton’s representation of land is marked by longing and geographical separation, while Louise Erdrich’s depiction is characterized by grief and land dispossession.By comparatively analyzing the poetry of Native and African Americans, within a place-based framework, this study contributes to broader academic discussions in place studies, Native and African American criticism, ethnic studies, and Indigenous scholarship. It also demonstrates the interdisciplinary value integrating close reading and comparative analysis with phenomenological geography and environmental psychology approaches to the study of literature.
Although typography was traditionally regarded as a transparent medium for linguistic content, recent developments in multimodal stylistics and social semiotics have established it as an active semiotic resource that significantly shapes narrative representation and reader interpretation in postcolonial literary studies. Despite this theoretical advancement, postcolonial fiction has comparatively underexplored the interpretive role of typographic variation. Therefore, this study critically examines the role of typography as a multimodal and semiotic resource in The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, focusing on how its visual-textual features contribute to interpretation. While previous scholarship on the novel has primarily focused on postcolonial identity, caste, gender, and socio-political concerns, comparatively limited attention has been given paid to the interpretive significance of its visual-textual features. Addressing this gap, the study investigates how typographic variations—including unconventional capitalization, misspellings, fragmented word structures, merged expressions, and reverse textual patterns—contribute to narrative meaning and reader interpretation. The research adopts a qualitative textual methodology grounded in multimodal stylistics and social semiotics, combining close reading, discourse analysis, and contextual typographic analysis of selected passages from the novel. The textual examples were purposively selected on the basis of visible typographic deviation and narrative relevance. The analysis demonstrates that Roy’s typographic experimentation functions not merely as stylistic ornamentation but as an integral narrative strategy that shapes emphasis, perspective, rhythm, and emotional tone. The findings further indicate that visual-textual forms play a significant role in representing child consciousness, cultural identity, psychological experience, and socio-political tensions embedded within the narrative. By integrating visual and linguistic modes of expression, the novel constructs layered meanings that extend beyond conventional lexical interpretation. The study, therefore, argues that typography in literary discourse operates as a functional semiotic system that contributes to meaning-making, reader engagement, and narrative representation. In doing so, the research highlights the relevance of multimodal and semiotic approaches to literary analysis and expands current discussions in stylistics, visual textuality, and postcolonial literary studies.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Duolingo application in improving the speaking skills of Jordanian EFL learners as well as examining how it affects learners' motivation to learn. A quasi-experimental research design was used to conduct the study, including 50 EFL learners divided evenly into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Both groups were taught the same instructional content but in the experimental group, the Duolingo application was used as a supplemental learning tool during an eight-week period, whereas the control group used only traditional methods of instruction. Data were collected using a pre- and post-test to measure the speaking skills of participants (pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy), in addition to a motivation questionnaire. The results indicated statistically significant differences between the groups, showing improvement in the experimental group as compared to the control group in both speaking proficiency as well as motivation to be involved in speaking tasks. Learners using Duolingo recorded a greater degree of improvement in their speaking proficiency and a greater desire to participate in speaking activities. The findings suggest that Duolingo is an effective supplementary tool for developing speaking skills and increasing motivation among EFL learners. The study underscores a pedagogical value in adopting mobile applications in blended learning environments to further support communicative language teaching methods.
Vision 2030, inaugurated in Saudi Arabia in 2016, seeks to diversify the national economy and raise the quality of education, among other strategic objectives. Acknowledging the pivotal role of English language proficiency in realizing these ambitions, the government has enacted a series of reforms targeting English language teaching (ELT) policy and planning. Nevertheless, the efficacy of these policy initiatives over the past decade—particularly their coherence with the overarching aims of Vision 2030—has been insufficiently examined in the ELT context. This review critically analyzed contemporary developments in ELT policy, their implementation, and their effectiveness in furthering Vision 2030’s objectives. Employing a semi-systematic review of policy documents, instructional frameworks, and recent scholarly studies, the analysis synthesizes the current ELT landscape in the Kingdom. The findings reveal persistent fragmentation in ELT policy, with many academic departments operating under implicit, self-formulated guidelines rather than cohesive national directives. This has resulted in a sustained disconnect between policy aspirations and pedagogical realities. At the instructional level, the field is experiencing a gradual, albeit uneven, transition from teacher-centered, assessment-driven practices to student-centered, communicative, technologically mediated, and translanguaging approaches. However, progress is impeded by inadequate teacher preparation, oversized classrooms, and assessment regimes that continue to prioritize rote recall over productive language use. The study proposes five interrelated reform imperatives to align ELT practices with Vision 2030 goals: formalizing context-responsive language policies; revising curricula and assessments to enhance communicative and labor-market relevance; investing in sustained professional development and teacher induction; strategically adopting bilingual, translanguaging, and culturally responsive pedagogies; and embedding technology within a robust pedagogical framework.
This qualitative phenomenological study examines how ESP instructors perceive and integrate Generative AI (GenAI) into university writing instruction, with a focus on the affective, social, and institutional factors that shape their practices. Data were collected through asynchronous, semi-structured, written interviews with 24 English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teachers working in Egyptian higher education contexts and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that teachers’ engagement with GenAI is not uniform, ranging from technophilic to technophobic orientations, reflecting both enthusiasm for its pedagogical potential and concerns about its implications. Key mediating factors include collegial influence, student expectations, and unclear institutional policies. While participants reported perceived benefits such as enhanced teaching efficacy, diversified writing instruction, and opportunities for professional development, these were accompanied by concerns related to ethics, student overreliance, and the impact on writing authenticity. The study suggests that the integration of GenAI in ESP writing pedagogy is shaped by context-dependent and socially negotiated factors, highlighting the need for clearer institutional guidelines and targeted professional support to facilitate its effective use.
This study examines active listening as a communicative process that shapes the interactional tone of courtroom discourse, focusing on Judge Frank Caprio in the television series Caught in Providence. Using the Active–Empathic Listening Scale (AELS) and the Active Listening Observation Scale (ALOS), the research systematically analyzes how Caprio’s listening behaviors structure judicial interaction. Twenty courtroom episodes representing diverse emotional and situational contexts were transcribed and coded to assess verbal and nonverbal indicators of listening, including paraphrasing, empathic acknowledgments, clarifying questions, and responsive humor. The AELS framework was employed to evaluate internal dimensions of listening - sensing, processing, and responding - while the ALOS captured observable behaviors such as eye contact, prosody, and supportive feedback. Qualitative discourse analysis, supplemented by quantitative rating averages, revealed that Caprio’s communication demonstrates consistently high levels of active-empathic engagement, with adaptability across affective contexts. Inter-rater reliability, measured using Cohen’s kappa, confirmed coder agreement. Findings indicate that Caprio’s courtroom talk operates active listening as a discursive and institutional practice, where empathic responsiveness humanizes authority and enhances perceptions of fairness. The study concludes that active listening, as measured through AELS and ALOS, embodies a communicative enactment of responsiveness, clarity, and respect in judicial settings.
This article presents a comparative corpus-assisted discourse analysis of amplifiers and profanities in the English and French translations of Mo Yan’s Frog. Combining frequency-based corpus profiling with Critical Discourse Analysis, the study examines cross-text differences in amplification and taboo calibration and interprets them in relation to target-language norms, readership expectations, and translator strategy. The results show that the French translation contains a higher normalized frequency within the selected amplifier set, whereas the English translation shows a higher overall profanity rate than the French version. Qualitative analysis further indicates that these differences are mediated by contextual and stylistic factors rather than attributable to translator gender alone. The study contributes to literary translation research by showing how expressive intensity and taboo language are reconfigured across translation contexts through both lexical patterning and discourse-level choices.
This paper examines how Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things (1997) and Meena Kandasamy’s The Gypsy Goddess (2014) deploy the female body as a contested site where systemic violence is inscribed and resisted. Through close reading textual analysis grounded in postcolonial feminism, Dalit feminism, and corporeal feminism, this study shows that both authors write the body not merely as a passive surface of oppression but as an active locus of resistance against intersecting structures of caste, class, gender, and colonial modernity. Roy’s narrative foregrounds the transgressive body of Ammu, whose intercaste desire violates the “Love Laws” that regulate bodily contact across caste boundaries, while Kandasamy’s polyphonic text inscribes the collective trauma of Dalit agricultural labourers whose bodies become sites of state-sanctioned violence during the 1968 Kilvenmani massacre. Both texts reveal how gendered vulnerability operates through what this paper terms “corporeal subjugation”—the systematic targeting of female bodies to enforce social hierarchies. Yet simultaneously, both authors demonstrate how these same bodies become instruments of defiance, articulating forms of resistance that challenge dominant narratives of victimhood. By comparatively analysing specific textual moments where bodily experience intersects with structural violence, this paper argues that Roy and Kandasamy contribute to a distinctly South Asian feminist literary tradition that refuses the separation of body from politics, instead insisting on embodiment as the primary terrain where power is both exercised and contested.
Oral fluency becomes a problem for Saudi EFL students with high foreign language speaking anxiety. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which fluency and the quality of interactions can be influenced by a generative AI scaffold remain unclear. This study examined generative AI pragmatic scaffolding (GAPSC) and AI Interaction Effects (INTEFF) through the lens of their effects on oral fluency, with self-regulation as the mediating factor and language proficiency as the moderator. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional survey of 345 Saudi university students majoring in English. The data were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicate that GAPSC and INTEFF can be used to predict oral fluency. Similarly, self-regulation played a mediating role in both relationships. Language proficiency negatively moderated the GAPSC fluency relationship and positively moderated the INTEFF fluency relationship. Theoretically, this study contributes to Sociocultural Theory (SCT) and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) by synthesizing AI scaffolding, interaction effects, and self-regulation into a single fluency model. In practice, this study provides evidence-based recommendations from Saudi educators for creating proficiency-sensitizing AI-mediated support interventions that align with Vision 2030.
This quasi-experimental study examined the effect of the flipped classroom strategy (FCS) on the grammar learning of female Omani grade eleven students as well as their motivation toward learning English. In total, 72 female students attending one public school in A’Seeb, Muscat Governorate, in the 2023/2024 academic year participated in the study. One class of 37 students was assigned as an experimental group and was taught using the FCS whereas another class of 35 students was taught the same grammatical structures using conventional teaching methods as a control group. Two instruments were utilized to collect data: a pre- and post-grammar achievement test and a motivation questionnaire. The results showed a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group’s grammar performance. There were also statistically significant differences between the mean scores in the post-test in favor of the experimental group. However, there were no statistically significant differences in motivation toward learning English before and after applying the FCS. In light of these findings, the study concludes with some implications and recommendations for further research.
This study explored the under-researched role of affective factors in digitally mediated language learning in Saudi EFL settings. It was based on Social Cognitive Theory and Control-Value Theory, using a convergent mixed-methods design involving 238 students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). This included collecting reflective journals from 42 students and conducting interviews with 16 instructors. Results indicated that the learners had neutral to moderately positive affective orientations with significantly lower anxiety levels and increased engagement in speaking and listening activities, supported by the perceived safety of the online environment. Teacher immediacy and adaptive pedagogy, which were highlighted in the qualitative data, were essential for maintaining motivation. On the other hand, writing was the least engaging skill due to the lack of individualized evaluation and feedback. The study found that affective development is not only an outcome of online language learning but also a major factor that influences both engagement and perceived progress. It therefore necessitates the creation of emotionally responsive and learner-centered online pedagogies, enabled by professional training in instructors’ affective mediation strategies.
This paper aims to investigate the benefits and drawbacks of ChatGPT in the context of EFL writing in Saudi Arabia. Forty-seven university students were selected to participate in the study voluntarily. To combine the depth of qualitative responses with the breadth of quantitative data, they responded to a survey and follow-up interviews. The dataset included both quantitative and qualitative data, which strengthened the scope of analysis. The findings showed that the participants perceived ChatGPT as a helpful tool for improving grammatical structures and vocabulary. Nonetheless, there is less impact on motivation and confidence. Perceptions varied by gender, discipline, and experience with use. The frequency of use strongly correlated with the perceived usefulness of ChatGPT. The interview yielded results supporting ChatGPT’s role in enhancing writing accuracy, organization, and self-confidence. Findings also raised some concerns about the output generated by ChatGPT and its potential for overreliance. Based on the findings, the study suggests teacher training on the responsible use of AI tools for writing skills. Some implications and areas of further research were also put forward at the end of the study.
This study examines the effects of ChatGPT-assisted feedback on the English writing development of Thai university students enrolled in an English for Business course. The research adopted a mixed-methods design involving 60 undergraduates divided into an AI-assisted experimental group (n = 30) and a teacher-led control group (n = 30). The participants were EFL students whose proficiency levels ranged from CEFR B1 to C1. Over an eight-week period, the experimental group used ChatGPT to support English writing and reflect on their own work. Pre- and post-test writing evaluations were analysed using t-tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Participants’ reflections were analysed using thematic analysis. After triangulating the findings from the pre- and post-tests and reflections, the results showed that both the experimental and control groups significantly improved on their pre-test scores across all four writing criteria. The experimental group demonstrated substantially greater improvement than the control group across all four assessment criteria. More specifically, writing organisation showed the greatest improvement in the experimental group. The thematic analysis findings aligned with the quantitative data, indicating that the experimental participants became more aware of English language mechanics, organisation, and grammar. However, lexical development appeared to require more time for noticeable improvement. The study concludes that AI integration in ELT can serve as an effective tool for Thai learners in higher education. Further investigation into AI integration for EFL writing is recommended.
English plays a significant role in facilitating global economic interaction through international trade, knowledge exchange, and access to global markets. It has become a key language of business, technology, innovation, and higher education, and is increasingly associated with economic development. In Saudi Arabia, ongoing transformations under Vision 2030—particularly in economic diversification, innovation, and global competitiveness—have further increased the strategic importance of English. As the country expands its global engagement and participation in international markets, English supports communication, collaboration, and knowledge transfer across sectors. This study adopts a qualitative review approach to examine the role of English as a global language in shaping economic outcomes, with reference to Saudi Arabia’s economic growth and global integration. The analysis draws on a range of existing research sources, including journal articles, case studies, policy reports, and academic publications. The selected studies explore the relationship between English proficiency and key economic dimensions, including labor and employment, trade and global integration, human capital development, the digital economy and innovation, and foreign investment and tourism. These dimensions align with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). The findings suggest that English proficiency is consistently associated with positive economic outcomes across multiple domains. Rather than acting as a standalone skill, English appears to serve as an instrumental factor supporting workforce development, international engagement, and participation in knowledge-based economies. While the study does not establish causal relationships, it highlights recurring patterns in the literature linking English to broader processes of economic development and global integration. These insights are particularly relevant to Saudi Arabia’s efforts to enhance human capital, strengthen global competitiveness, and achieve sustainable economic transformation.
Digital English language learning experiences are defined not just by pedagogical considerations, but also by unreliable internet connections, data prices, power outages, and small periods of internet availability. This work both profiles these constraints in two Sudanese universities using the cross-sectional descriptive survey research design, and pilots the Resilience-Adjusted Cost-to-Learn (RACL) framework as a decision support tool for guided learner platform selection in resource-constrained environments. Respondent-normalized data from 42 participants were aggregated to produce estimates of constraint pressure (CONS) and associated self-reported operational friction. Our convenience sample experienced significant overall constraint (CONS = 0.76, SD = 0.09), with connection strength stabilization and infrastructure reliability yielding the largest pressures. Due to the instrument's failure to collect respondent-level time-series logging of platform use, the comparison between YouTube and WhatsApp presented here should be considered an illustrative proof of concept for the framework instead of a quantified treatment effect. Interpreted this way, we expect low-bandwidth messaging applications to have greater longevity under high constraint conditions; high-bandwidth applications should outperform as caching, subtitles, and internet window durations lengthen. Similarly, the learning outcome subcomponent of RACL is self-perception of learning rather than an objectively measured language proficiency gain, and cost is operational burden rather than device telemetry. The study offers a transparent and context-sensitive framework for constraint-aware instructional planning in ELL environments affected by digital inequality.
This study examines the effectiveness of the Gamified Scaffold-to-Autonomy Framework (GSAF) in improving secondary-school learners’ mastery and retention of English present tense forms in resource-constrained English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. In many such contexts, traditional grammar instruction often leads to short-term learning with limited retention, making it difficult for learners to apply grammatical knowledge in meaningful communication. Addressing this challenge is important for both teachers and learners, as ineffective grammar instruction can hinder language development and require repeated reteaching. To address this issue, the study proposes an integrated instructional approach that combines inductive grammar learning, structured cognitive scaffolding, low-tech gamified activities, and a systematic reduction of instructional support to promote learner autonomy. A quasi-experimental design was used, involving 68 Grade 9 students divided into a GSAF group (n = 32) and a conventional Present–Practice–Produce (PPP) group (n = 36). Learners were assessed through pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed post-test measures to evaluate both learning outcomes and retention over time. The findings indicate that while both groups showed improvement, the GSAF group achieved higher immediate post-test scores and demonstrated stronger retention after two weeks. The results suggest that combining scaffolded support with gamified retrieval opportunities helps learners internalize grammatical structures more effectively and sustain their learning over time. Beyond the immediate classroom context, this study highlights the potential of structured scaffold fading and low-tech gamification as practical and scalable strategies for grammar instruction in low-resource educational settings. The findings have important implications for curriculum design and teacher practice, particularly in promoting long-term language development and learner autonomy.
Postgraduates who use English as a second language (L2) have been found in previous studies (e.g. Abdulkareem, 2013; Al-Khasawneh, 2010) to experience vocabulary deficiencies and difficulty with academic writing. Training in morphological awareness (MA) has contributed to developing learners’ phonological awareness, word reading abilities, reading, spelling, and receptive vocabulary. However, research on its role and effect on productive vocabulary knowledge and academic writing is lacking. The current study examines the effect of MA training on productive vocabulary knowledge and academic writing. Two groups of postgraduates participated in the quasi-experimental study. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 and two writing scoring criteria (IELTS and ESL Composition Profile). The results reveal that MA training is effective and significantly improves L2 postgraduates’ academic writing with a large effect size. Furthermore, the results show that the experiment significantly assists the students in enhancing their vocabulary production. The results demonstrate that MA training emerged to significantly affect the participants in becoming better writers and improving their vocabulary production.
This study examines the relationships between motivational beliefs (intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy) and self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies (goal-setting and planning, monitoring, and effort regulation) in relation to English achievement. A total of 237 grade 10 students were sampled from one public high school in the southwest of China. A self-reported questionnaire assessed participants’ intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy, as well as their strategies for SRL, including goal setting and planning, monitoring, and effort regulation. Standardized monthly test scores were used as an indicator of English achievement. Structural equation modeling indicated a good model fit (χ²/df =1.47; CFI =.95, RMSEA=.045). SEM analysis revealed that intrinsic motivation was a significant predictor of monitoring (β =.28) and effort regulation (β =.29). In contrast, self-efficacy strongly predicted all SRL strategies (β =.35-.59). The broad type of SRL strategies played a significant role in English achievement, and the specific categories: goal setting and planning was the most contributive SRL strategy to English achievement (β =.22), and then by monitoring (β =.18) and effort regulation (β =.15). It was found that SRL strategies mediated the relation between these motivational beliefs and achievement. These results highlight the significant role of SRL strategies in mediating between motivation and academic performance and the need to encourage goal setting, monitoring, and effort regulation in EFL classrooms to improve learner autonomy and academic success.
Specifically within the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Indonesia, this study adopts the perspective that classroom discourse is a transformative teaching environment that encourages critical thinking through reflective speaking practices. The data for this qualitative case study was gathered through semi-structured interviews with both lecturers and student samples. The study was carried out within the Speaking course at the University of Muhammadiyah Bone and the University of Muhammadiyah Barru in South Sulawesi. A combination of thematic coding and an emphasis on discourse strategies such as revoicing, probing, and waiting pauses are utilized in the analysis. Additionally, indicators of critical thinking are incorporated, such as assertions, evidence, reasoning, and responses to counterarguments. The findings indicate that the IRE (Initiation-Response-Evaluation) framework was transformed into a dialogue that was centered on evidence when guided questioning, peer discussions, and brief reflection sessions were incorporated into the process. An increasing number of students articulated their arguments in a clear manner, incorporated evidence from their immediate surroundings, and acknowledged the existence of contrasting points of view. The lecturers observed an increase in student confidence in their ability to express their thoughts in English, as well as an improvement in the monitoring of learning. It has been determined that a practical and efficient method for fostering critical thinking within Indonesian higher education is to view classroom discussions as a reflective-dialogic process. Implications emphasize sustainable instructional design, integrated reasoning-language, and lecturer professional development to institutionalize reflective-dialogic learning in Indonesian higher education.
The study examines a selection of Oriental plays performed on the English stage during the Restoration and 18th century, focusing on the portrayal of Eastern identity. In these plays, it is a recurring theme that the Eastern characters, including males and females from different social classes, are prepared to deny their culture, and ultimately their own identities, particularly when faced with challenges. Culture is a major constituent of one’s identity and presumed to be the shield that protects an individual from external influences that might shake one’s self-esteem or a feeling of pride in one’s ancestors and heritage. Encountering or interacting with people mainly from the Western culture becomes the real test of Eastern people’s pride and their feeling of belonging to their Eastern culture. These plays make a point of highlighting the fragility of the Eastern identity by presenting Eastern characters who have no qualms about denouncing their culture, and even show willingness to embrace the Western culture. The relationship between the West and the East has long since been characterized by conflict and strife. In the minds of many Westerners over the centuries, the Islamic faith has not represented a religion of conviction that invites people to an alternative path to God and fulfills the spiritual needs of its followers. Rather, historical and literary works of the past, along with modern media, have succeeded in creating a misleading perception of Islam as a religion of violence, coercion, and invasion that inevitably leads to a clash of cultures and animosity. This article examines a number of works of drama that, although penned during the period of the Restoration and the 18th century, were based on the earlier published accounts of sailors and European travelers to the East. As written accounts, the negative image drawn by these, often exaggerated and sometimes fabricated, portrayals of Muslim practices and beliefs was confined to a limited audience. However, the tales spun by the dramatic works were performed on stage in front of vast numbers of people, thus helping to make commonplace the misconceptions about Muslims and the doctrine that determines every sphere of their daily lives. As the vast majority of ordinary citizens in the West were very unlikely to interact with Muslims, let alone travel to the East to form their own conclusions, their opinions were easily molded.
