The Position of the Subjectness of the Subject-less Conventional Infinitives

The English conventional infinitive clauses have either overt or covert subjects. Previous analyses mainly used the PRO Theorem and Null-Case Approaches to show the distribution of the subjectness of the subject-less conventional infinitives. However, this paper investigated the position of the subjectness of the subject-less conventional infinitive clauses using the Minimalist Program’s Movement Theory of Control and the External Token Merge. In this qualitative paper, data was extracted from the previous English Ph.D. research studies conducted by English native and non-native speakers, and analysed using successive approximation analytic tools. The results demonstrate that the control and SSR-infinitives are generated in a similar fashion, which is why they share the type of subjectness. The base-generated PRO, which is claimed to be the subjectness of the control infinitives, is further revealed that is derived from movement. Therefore, for uniformity purposes, the subjectness of the control and SSR-infinitives is found to be a trace-copy (t) or a lexical subject positioned at the [spec-IP], [spec-TP], and [spec-vP]. The analysis suggested connectivity between the structure of the subject-less conventional infinitive clause and the position of the subjectness of the subject-less conventional infinitives as the structure of the subject-less conventional infinitives informs the distribution.

BTESL Studets’ Perception Towards Literature Subjects

This study investigates Bachelor of Teaching English as Second Language (BTESL) second and third-year students’ perception towards literature subjects in a higher education institute in Malaysia and identifies the perception, attitude and challenges faced by BTESL second and third-year students in learning literature subjects. The study involves 188 participants from a Malaysian higher education institute BTESL second and third-year students. The sample is being chosen based on the literature subjects that have been taken by the sample. A structured questionnaire has been prepared as the instrument of the study. A total of 45 items is designing in 4 different sections; including the demographic section; it applies the 5-point Likert-scales to collect the data from the respondents. The findings show the students have positive perceptions and attitudes in learning literature subjects. There are challenges faced by the student in learning literature subjects that need to be overcome by the educators. Consequently, in ensuring an effective teaching and learning process on literature subject, there must have considered in selecting text to be included in the classroom. The educators play an important role in identifying the student needs in ensuring the success of the teaching and learning process.

Speaking and Writing Interconnections: A Systematic Review

Drawing on previous studies on the relationship between speaking and writing modalities, this paper provides a critical synthesis of theoretical and empirical research on the interconnections between the two versions. Along with this, this systematic review shows that research on the issue at hand has been classified under three main categories: a) speaking effect on writing; b) writing effect on speaking, and c) correlation between speaking and writing. While experimental research has emphasized the impact of speaking and writing on each other, correlational endeavors have been much concerned with the symmetrical, reciprocal, and predictive connections between these two interrelated domains. Overall, the current review suggests that learning a second or foreign language could be enhanced by complementing speaking tasks by writing ones and vice versa. In this case, speaking could be taught along with writing to allow students to transfer their skillfulness from one to the other.

E-learning: An effective mode of teaching English as a Second Language

The benefits of e-learning in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) are huge. The outbreak of the dreaded COVID19 pandemic has forced schools, colleges and universities to temporarily remain closed to fight the contagion. E-learning or online learning is a learning method which has been employed in such a difficult scenario to continue the teaching-learning process. E-learning uses various tools and systems to optimize the teaching-learning process through online platforms. For teaching ESL, the teachers should explore collaborative learning, communicative language teaching, and communicative task-based language teaching to enable learners to effectively participate in the e-learning process. The use of these approaches engages the students to interact and perform the assigned tasks enabling them to effectively learn the language in the online platform. The paper explores the various e-learning practices into making effective teaching of English as a second language. Various e-learning tools like the internet, video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Google Meet and Webex, Google Classroom, YouTube, podcast and vodcast, online-boards, mobile phones, and social networking sites like WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter are explored to efficiently teach English as a second language. Further, the study investigated and analyzed an ESL classroom where various e-learning tools are used.

A Note on Morphophonological Changes of Fulfulde Verb Suffixes

This paper attempts to analyse the changes of Fulfulde verb suffixes, with particular attention to Adamawa Dialect. The aim of the paper is to analyse verb suffixes to identify the nature of the changes and the conditions that trigger them. The study employed unstructured observation to collect the data and oral interview was used to validate them. Generative Phonology (GP) was adopted as the theoretical framework for data analysis in the study. The study reveals that both phonology and morphology interact in the process of changes that occur within the verb suffixes in Fulfulde. It shows that each voice has a single underlying suffix, which interacts with various tense suffixes to derive a complete verbal complex. Considering the various environments that have different suffixes with common characteristics across the three voices, the changes are found to be triggered by certain rule-based conditions.

On the Legacy of Translation Theories from the 1950s and 1960s: A Critical Review

Translation theories which bloomed in the 1950s and the 1960s have inspired numerous debates on multiple contexts of theory and praxis. With the increase of specialized journals and publishing houses of the past few decades, the professional literature has gone in so many directions –with supporters and opponents alike— that it is often hard to strike a balanced view of the contributions of these theories to current translation studies. In an attempt to fill this gap, this theoretical review article examines a corpus of scholarly publications which have taken place mainly between 2002 and 2018 about the translation theories proposed in the 1950s and 1960s. To such end, a body of works focusing on the seminal works of Vinay and Darbelnet (1958), Jakobson (1959), Nida (1964a), Catford (1965), and Nida and Taber (1969) are reviewed to infer their degree of applicability to current translation-based discussions and praxis. Findings suggest that the authors exerting the greatest influence on contemporary discussions of translation studies seem to be Vinay and Darbelnet, followed by Nida and Taber, and then by Jakobson and Catford. They also indicate that the degree to which the translation theories under question are obsolete (or not) is hard to determine with accuracy. It remains unclear whether the bulk of publications which these theoreticians inspire is the product of acceptance or rejection of the assumptions contained in their postulates.

Students’ Perception Towards Flipped Classroom Approach in The Islamic And Asian Civilisation Studies (Titas)

Flipped classroom is an active, student-centered approach that has been developed to enhance the quality of time in the classroom. This study investigates the perceptions of third year Bachelor in Teaching English as a Second Language (BTESL) and Bachelor in Accounting (BIA) students in a Higher Education Institute, Malaysia. It aims to examine the students’ perceptions towards the use of flipped classroom approach in Islamic Civilisation and Asian Civilisation subject (TITAS) and to identify whether there is any significant difference between the perceptions of two groups of students with different educational backgrounds. This study involves 124 respondents consisting of 82 (66.1%) third year BTESL students and 42 (33.9%) BIA third year students. It adopted a quantitative research design using a survey method for data collection. The questionnaire was adapted from previous studies as the instrument for this study. Data were analysed through SPSS software and were interpreted through descriptive analysis and an Independent sample T-test. The findings show the majority of BTESL and BIA students perceived the usefulness of flipped classroom implementation in TITAS class positively. However, the study findings also revealed that there is no significant difference between the perceptions of BTESL and BIA students. Consequently, the outcomes were inferred that students perceived flipped classroom approach in TITAS class to be useful and there is no significant difference between the perceptions of the two groups of students with different educational backgrounds.

Linguistic Diffusion in the Development of Hausa Language

The purpose of this paper is to prove that intercultural relationship and sufficient contact between Hausa and other languages result in linguistic diffusion or borrowing. The study adopts both the historical and descriptive survey research design, predicated on the need for a brief history of Hausa and the donor languages, and descriptive design to facilitate the use of secondary data generated from textbooks, theses, dissertations, seminar and conference papers. The study traces the location of Hausa people in order to vividly comprehend the nature of contact with the donor languages which effectively bears on the objective nature of the borrowed words. It is in this light that three types of language relationship emerged: genetic, typological and cultural. The intercultural relationship can be unidirectional (English and Hausa) or bi-directional (Hausa and Yoruba). The work provides concrete examples from Tuareg, Fulfulde, Kanuri, Yoruba, Nupe, Arabic and English languages to demonstrate the long contact with the Hausa language. The study finally observes suppressive interference on the structures of Hausa especially from Arabic and English, which have attained second language status in Hausa society, which, again, does not make the language lose its originality.

Management and Science University BTESL Students' Perceptions towards Anxiety in Oral Presentation

Regardless of age, students often experience anxiety in oral presentations. This quantitative study investigates the perceptions of students towards anxiety in oral presentation in a tertiary educational context. It aims to examine students’ perceptions of anxiety in oral presentations and the factors affecting anxiety in oral presentation. A total of three hundred and two students taking Bachelor in Teaching English as a Second Language (BTESL) in Management and Science University, Malaysia participated in this study by answering an adapted questionnaire with two sections: demographic and anxiety in oral presentation. The items under anxiety in oral presentation revealed students’ perceptions towards anxiety in oral presentation and factors affecting anxiety in oral presentation. Collected data were analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results showed that the respondents perceived anxiety in oral presentation to be negative. Moreover, there were six factors affecting anxiety in oral presentation which were preparation, number of presentations, teacher’s feedback, audience’s attention, self-confidence and make mistakes. Thus, the results concluded that the students perceived anxiety in oral presentation to be negative and perceived that the major factor affecting their anxiety was preparation.

Considering Machine Translation (MT) as an Aid or a Threat to the Human Translator:

The present study aims to evaluate the output quality of an online MT; namely, Google Translate, from English into Persian and compare its output with the translations made by the human translators to find out that whether MT applications are considered as an aid or a threat to human translators. For the application of the study, the researcher designed a translation test consisting of 60 statements from different types of texts proposed by Reiss (1989). The translation test was translated via Google Translate and administrated to three human translators to be rendered. The translations made by Google Translate and by the three human translators alongside the 60 statements were given to 40 judges to be evaluated based on Dorr et al. s' (2010) criterion of MT quality assessment, including semantic adequacy, fluency, and understandability. As results indicated, Google Translate gave a good overall performance in the translation of the 60 statements into Persian in terms of semantic adequacy and understandability, but not in terms of fluency. Thus, there should be no fear of human translators being replaced by the MT. As conclusion, MT applications cannot be considered a threat to human translators, but as an aid for them. The present study also offers some recommendations that can be beneficial to translation students, trainee translators, translation teachers, and professional translators.