EFL Students’ Interpretations of E-Learning during COVID-19 using GETAMEL: Indonesian Higher Education Context

While the use of e-learning has been around for decades, the global pandemic increased the number of investigations on e-learning exponentially. Earlier studies have given useful insights into the benefits/ impacts of e-learning. However, students’ acceptance of technology within the context of emergency EFL remote teaching is still under-researched. A qualitative study framed within the General Extended Technology Acceptance Model for E-Learning (GETAMEL) aims to shed light on the students’ acceptance of technology during pandemics based on their perceived experience. It reports the challenges, opportunities of e-learning, and projections on future use based on the current experience. To collect the data, a questionnaire consisting of open and closed questions was distributed to 89 participants. In-depth interviews were conducted with focal respondents after gaining their consent. The data were then analyzed using the interactive model of data analysis. This study reveals that regardless of the negative experiences and challenges in the use of technology in e-learning, the students held positive perspectives and saw opportunities to use technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. They projected their future practice using the technology. These indicate that the students well accept the use of technology in the e-learning context. The study concluded that using e-learning during a pandemic is the ideal way to continue learning. However, given the challenges that students face, some changes in the implementation of distance learning are still needed. Additional studies should address GETAMEL on EFL teachers in an Indonesian school, so we know about the acceptance of e-learning by in-service teachers.Keywords: COVID-19, EFL students, e-learning, GETAMEL, higher education

Textbook Evaluation: A Case Study of Punjab, Pakistan

The textbook is one of the most substantial elements of classroom learning. As a result, it is critical to conduct a textbook evaluation to improve the quality of the teaching and learning environment in the classroom. Keeping in mind the very importance of the textbook evaluation, the current study evaluated a 10th-grade English textbook published by Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Lahore, Pakistan. The present study aimed to evaluate the book’s overall pedagogical worth according to teachers’ and students’ needs and demands. For this purpose, 10 teachers and 60 students were selected from different public and private schools. Two different questionnaires were prepared by Litz (2001) with slight variations. The teachers’ questionnaire version had 20 items, while the students’ version had 15 items. The statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS after the data had been collected. The study’s findings revealed that the textbook as a whole is well-designed and offers an array of useful extra materials. The book is also visually pleasing, well-organized, consistent, and orderly. Overall, the positive characteristics outnumbered the negative ones by a wide margin. Despite a few flaws in the book, such as the lack of a glossary and grammar, the results showed that the textbook was adequate for language learners. Overall, it was considered that, despite some flaws, the textbook fulfilled the needs of students and might be a practical book in the hands of competent teachers.Keywords: textbook; evaluation; English language

A Pragmatic Analysis on Vague Language Used in Disaster News Articles on Thejakartapost.com

This paper presents the findings analysis of categories and functions on vague language used in disaster news articles on Thejakartapost.com based on the theory of Channell (1994). In the journalism context, especially in disaster news article, the information often contains vague language that has imprecise statement since it is harmful. Therefore, to avoid wrong statements, the reporters often use vague language in presenting information accurately. The study employed a qualitative descriptive method. All data were 24 news articles. There were 12 news articles of natural disasters and 12 news articles of human-caused disasters. The period was from April 2018 until March 2019. The findings of this study showed that there were three categories of vague language, namely vague additives to numbers that were realized by approximators and adjectives. The others were vagueness of choice of vague words that were realized by nouns, and vagueness by scalar implicatures that were realized by quantifiers, numbers, and exaggerations. In addition, they also have its functions of vague language. Firstly, giving the right amount of information, it is used since the reporters just shared the right number of information although the exact number was not available. Secondly, filling in lexical gaps of uncertainty, it is used since the reporters wanted to cover the imprecise information with another word, and generalized word that was difficult to identify. Last but not least, self-protection. It is used since the reporters wanted to protect and hedge their statements from imprecise information.Keywords: Vague Language, Categories, News Articles, Disasters, implicature

EFL Young Learners’ Problems Encountered in the Learning of English Speaking: Teachers’ Perspectives

Teaching speaking to Indonesian EFL young learners is still problematic. It happens not only because English is not used in daily activities but also the government’s regulation to some extent does not support that. This qualitative study aims to describe the problems faced by EFL students in the learning of English speaking with teachers’ perspectives. The samples of this research were three teachers from three different elementary schools in Jepara, Central Java, Indonesia. The data were collected by using questionnaire, interview, and classroom observation. The data were then analyzed by 1) memoing or transcribing the interview data, reading them to make notes and finding the most important information that might be useful for the study, 2) describing the data to find complete explanation of context, setting, and interactions of participants, 3) classifying data—to break down the obtained result and put it into categories, and 4) interpreting the data to find the meanings of the data by connecting the findings with previous studies, personal experience, and expert advice to find the best result. The result showed that EFL students’ problems in the learning of English speaking came from some factors. They are 1) Native language, 2) Age, 3) Exposure, and 4) Motivation, and 5) Learners’ Autonomy. Keywords: speaking, Indonesian EFL students, young learners

Semiotics with Style and Situation: Multi-modal Comparative Analysis of Title pages of Native and Non-native English Novels

The communicative function of text can be obtained through the multimodal analysis of the text which contains the interaction and integration of two or more semiotic resources, graphics and text. This study investigated the structure of the titles and graphics of the title pages along with the situation of the content of native and non-native title pages of English novels of modern age. 20 title pages including 10 modern native and non-native English novels are randomly selected from the Google search engine. Multimodal analysis including Jeffries (2016) model to analyse the structure of the text of the title pages, Davy (2013) model to analyse the graphical features of the title pages and Bernstein (2003) to investigate the situational features presented in the title pages of the novels have been followed. A bench mark technique was used to identify the graphics of title pages, structure of the title phrases and situation presented in the title pages. The results generated from qualitative analysis indicated that mostly the native authors observed all of the features mentioned by the great linguists, stylitions and graphic experts while selecting the design of title pages whereas, non-native authors and publisher have not kept these features in mind while selecting the contents of title page of their composition. It causes lack of readership as the readers cannot extract maximum information from the title page. The study has opened new dimensions to the new researchers and it also beneficial for the authors and publisher in the selection of the title pages.Key words: Semiotics, Graphics, Situation, Text, Title-page

The Role of Adjacency Pairs to Create Politeness Strategies in Students’ Phatic Utterances

Adjacency pair is one of the language features to make utterances more polite as it creates turn-taking, which means that none of the participants dominates. Adjacency pairs also create functions of phatic communication as stated by Padilla Cruz. According to Levinson, there are nine patterns of adjacency pairs, and most could be found in utterances. The data were taken from 24 students’ phatic utterances, and they were chosen because all participants are classmates. COVID-19 pandemic has forced them not to meet each other for almost 2 semesters, yet they show their closeness and solidarity. After all the data were analyzed using the qualitative method, it can be concluded that there are 7 adjacency pairs: Question-Answer, Offer-Accept, Taking leave-Taking leave, Summons-Answer, Request for information-Grant, Request-Apology, and Greeting-Greeting, and most of them have phatic functions of communication. Using adjacency pairs employs politeness strategies and negative and positive politeness strategies from Brown and Levinson. Negative politeness strategies found are Be conventionally indirect, Question, hedge, and Quality-hedges, while positive politeness strategies found are: Offer, promise, Include both S and H in the activity, and Give gifts to H. One of adjacency- pairs and phatic utterances’ functions is to maintain politeness though the students are classmates with close social distance and equal power, they perform politeness strategies to keep their social relations. The appearance of politeness strategies shows that no matter how informal utterances are, closeness and politeness must stay together.Keywords: adjacency-pairs; phatic utterances; politeness; strategies

Portraying Informal Digital Learning of English from Management, Beliefs, and Practices

In a couple of years, massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) previous works reported various informal digital learning of English (IDLE) activities within and around video games that could enhance student-gamer vocabulary outcomes; receptive and productive language skills; and language socialization. The lack of multidisciplinary literature reviews between IDLE and language policy (LP) gives this study to open discussion on both areas. The urgency of this study is the high adoption of IDLE framework without considering LP where the reason for student’s engagement from MMORPG activities can be explained. This study aims to portray IDLE practitioner's activities in MMORPG from language management, beliefs, and practices. Following the long-term process, the data were generated from auto-ethnography and photo-elicitation that were taken from in-game and out-of-game activities. This article found three major findings. First, the management of MMORPG provoked gamers to communicate as a part of the game mission, and the guild could potentially develop top-down and bottom-up LP. Second, the value of language in the community played role in the decision-making language use from the negotiation process. Third, English and Mandarin dominated language practices from different interlocutors in various forms such as language in MMORPG’s context, code mixing, and abbreviation from multilingual sides giving various reading texts in contexts. The high status of English is still dominated by out-of-game language practices. There are two major implications in theory and praxis that would be discussed in this study.Keywords: Auto-ethnography, IDLE, language policy, MMORPG, and multilingual environment

Voices of Indonesian EFL Learners on Synchronous Learning amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

To ensure that the learning process during the COVID-19 pandemic runs smoothly, all universities in Indonesia have implemented online learning. However, based on the observations made, online learning, especially when carried out synchronously, appears to still be not as optimal as offline learning. This study aims to find out the voices of Indonesian EFL learners on synchronous learning during the covid-19 pandemic. Designed as descriptive qualitative, this study examined 50 students who voluntarily participated as the sampled group. In collecting the data, the researchers used a self-written reflection and questionnaire with four scales that were distributed using Google Form to the participants. The questionnaire was related to respectful attitude, benefits, and obstacles of synchronous learning. All collected data were then analyzed using the sequential explanatory processes. The result of data analysis revealed that Indonesian EFL learners still showed a good respectful attitude during the synchronous learning process, although they agreed that learning synchronously faces a few obstacles, such as unsupported devices and unfavorable learning environments. In addition, they also feel that the teaching and learning process synchronously during the COVID-19 pandemic provided them with several benefits, especially those related to safety, efficiency, and effectiveness.Keywords: EFL learners; synchronous learning; COVID-19 pandemic

Masculinity and Femininity in Yuriko Koike's Speech Style

This study aims at describing Yuriko Koike’s speech style in conducting verbal interaction in public in relation to her profession as a politician and the Governor of Tokyo. In relation to gender stereotypes, women have a feminine speech style while men have a masculine speech style. The activities as a woman politician and leader will indeed affect Yuriko Koike’s language use in public communication, whether she fully incorporates a feminine style or also employs a masculine style. The data of this study is Yuriko Koike’s utterances in verbal interaction taken from YouTube, comprising informal talk shows, formal talk shows, and press conferences. The data are analyzed with the theories of gender and language, as well as speech style, proposed by Holmes and Stubbe (2003) and Talbot (2003). From the data obtained, it can be deduced that Yuriko Koike’s speech style is androgynous, which combines masculine and feminine speech styles. Her speech style, therefore, does not reflect the stereotypical style of the traditional Japanese women, which is polite, soft, unassertive, and indirect. Instead, Yuriko Koike is the depiction of the deconstruction of Japanese women’s communication today, by which she shows herself as a respected leader to her political opponents. Koike generally has a communication style of a leader, that is public, report, lecturing, referentially oriented, problem-solving, dominating, and task/outcome-oriented. Specifically, her masculine speech style includes direct, competitive, independent-autonomy, and dominant, while her feminine styles were effectively oriented-sympathy, rapport, intimacy-connection, collaborative, and supportive feedback.Keywords: speech style; feminine; masculine; Yuriko Koike

Controversies in Political Ideologies: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Speeches of Indian and Pakistani Premiers on Pulwama Incident

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is considered an effective approach to explore the hidden realities in a text. The current research analyzes the speeches of the leaders of the two states on the incident of Pulwama attack on 14th February 2019 in the region of Indian occupied Kashmir to control the minds of the audience and formulate their ideologies to achieve their political benefits through power abuse. The data has been taken from the speeches delivered by the both political leaders, the Premier of Pakistan Imran Khan and the Premier of India, Narendra Modi on Pulwama Attack. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches have been followed to investigate the texts. For Quantitative data, AntConc 3.5.8 has been utilized for the frequencies and concordance of the important words to be discussed. Observation has been utilized to gain in-depth information to describe qualitatively. The results show that some specific linguistic choices regarding some specific vocabulary, pronouns, and modal verbs have been used ideologically by the premiers to manipulate the language of their speeches. The study will be important for researchers who want to investigate the discourse developed by the political leaders’ speeches on same issue . Keywords: Discourse, pronoun, modality corpus, intertextuality