International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation
The International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation (ISSN: 2617-0299) is a double-blind peer-reviewed, monthly, open-access journal published by Al-Kindi Center for Research and Development. It publishes high-quality articles across the breadth of linguistics, literature and translation research. With its uniquely broad coverage, all articles are free to access across the globe, allowing authors to share their research and maximise its impact. The journal is led by expert international editorial board members who take an objective approach to peer review, ensuring each research paper is reviewed and evaluated on its own scholarly merits and research integrity. Publishing your work in the International Journal of Linguistics, Literature, and Translation means you will receive prompt and reliable publishing and a global platform for your research to reach its full potential. The journal is published in both online and print versions.
Al-Kindi Center for Research and Development
Translation and Rights: A Practical Grid for Protection Settings
This article proposes a three-part grid – reliability, verifiability, equity- as an interdisciplinarity tool for reading translation in protection settings. The grid is borrowed from two well-established traditions: global governance and international protection law. For decades, governance scholars have judged institutions by three questions: Are they effective, accountable, and legitimate? (Archibugi and Held, 1995; Buchanan and Keohane, 2006). International protection law asks much the same thing in its own terms: It requires accurate information, procedural safeguards, and fair treatment for vulnerable people (Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951; UNHCR, 2019). The article brings these traditions together and adapts them to translation studies, so that very different kinds of research can be placed within an emerging protective turn. The grid is not a theory. It is a reading tool: it makes studies comparable, shows where scholars have focused their attention, and points to the gaps that remain. Three illustrative readings, all drawn from the existing literature, show the grid at work, and a set of proposed instruments is added in the appendices for future testing. The article argues throughout that translation in protection settings cannot be studied well without law, political science, and sociolinguistics. Here, interdisciplinarity is structural.
Translation studies, protective turn, global governance, international protection regimes, reliability, verifiability, equity, interdisciplinarity
Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Subtitling Oath Language from Arabic into English: A Study of the Saudi Comedy Series Jak Al Elm
This study investigates how oath expressions are subtitled from Saudi Gulf Arabic into English in Season 2 of the comedy series Jak Al Elm (MBC Shahid, 2025). Oath language — expressions such as wallah (by God) and ali al-talaq (I swear by divorce) — is deeply embedded in Arabic everyday speech and carries religious, social, and performative weight that poses a considerable challenge for subtitlers. Despite this, it has received little systematic attention in audiovisual translation (AVT) research. This study analyses 124 oath instances drawn from fifteen episodes, applying Vinay and Darbelnet's (1995) translation procedures to classify subtitling strategies, Al-Khawaldeh's (2018) extended pragmatic function typology to identify source-text functions, and Baker's (2018) pragmatic equivalence framework to evaluate translational outcomes. Modulation emerges as the dominant strategy (38.7%), most often rendering wallah as 'Actually' or 'really' — a domesticating move that preserves surface fluency while erasing the oath's religious and social dimensions. Partial equivalence is the most common outcome (50%), confirming a systematic loss of illocutionary force. Oaths deployed for comedic exaggeration are particularly vulnerable: in eleven of fourteen cases, the comedy depends on the incongruity between a solemn oath form and a trivial claim, and modulation removes that incongruity entirely. Two outright mistranslations highlight a Gulf Bedouin dialect competence gap in professional subtitle production. The study concludes that domestication is the structural default, and that translating oath language effectively requires a pragmatic, function-aware approach rather than a purely lexical one.
Audiovisual translation; subtitling; oath language; pragmatic equivalence; domestication
Yinyuan's Thoughts on Home and Country: Cross-Ocean Patriotism and Cultural Integration
This study aims to explore the profound patriotism and cultural integration reflected in the poetry and life of Monk Yinyuan, a pivotal figure in Sino-Japanese cultural exchange during the Ming-Qing transition. The research employs textual analysis of Yinyuan's poetic works and a historical review of his journey to Japan and the subsequent establishment of the Obaku sect. By examining his literary expressions and religious activities, the study contextualizes his personal emotions within the broader socio-political landscape of the 17th century. The analysis reveals that Yinyuan's poetry is deeply imbued with a complex nostalgia for his homeland and a steadfast commitment to national righteousness. Despite the geographical distance, his founding of the Obaku sect in Japan served as a vital conduit for transmitting Chinese Zen Buddhism, Confucian ethics, and traditional culture. His efforts not only significantly enriched Japanese Zen culture but also fostered a deep resonance within Japanese political and cultural spheres. Yinyuan's cross-ocean journey transcends mere religious propagation; it represents a monumental act of cultural integration driven by profound thoughts on home and country. His legacy underscores the importance of cultural confidence and the role of individuals as bridges in cross-cultural communication, offering valuable historical insights for promoting cultural diversity and mutual understanding in the contemporary era of globalization.
Yinyuan; Thoughts on Home and Country; Obaku Sect; Cultural Integration; Zen Buddhism; Sino-Japanese Exchange; Ming-Qing Transition; Cross-Cultural Communication
Still Searching for a Moroccan Cultural Diplomacy
The ambiguities that surround the concept of cultural diplomacy have led scholars to approach it in different ways. These discrepancies largely concern both the objectives attributed to cultural diplomacy and the actors involved in its practice. Gienow-Hecht (2010) identifies three schools of thought: one that associates cultural diplomacy with political objectives; another that views the practice as functioning outside the realm of the state and a third that emphasizes the heterogeneity of the structure involved in cultural diplomacy, including both public and private actors. To resolve these ambiguities, the authors suggest that cultural diplomacy should rather be defined in terms of concept and structure. In other words, time and location shape both the meaning of cultural diplomacy and the actors responsible for its implementation. This paper reviews two sections of the introduction of Searching for a Cultural Diplomacy: the first, “What Are We Searching For? Culture, Diplomacy, Agents and the State”, authored by Gienow-Hecht (2010), and the second, “The Model of Cultural Diplomacy: Power, Distance and the Promise of Civil Society” co-authored by Gienow-Hecht and Donfried (2010). This paper further applies the proposed model of cultural diplomacy to the Moroccan context. The analysis revealed the practical applicability of the model in addressing Moroccan cultural diplomacy. It suggests that it may help overcome some of the challenges currently affecting this field particularly the multiplicity of the actors involved in the practice. This paper argues that the institutionalization of Moroccan cultural diplomacy though the creation of a federating institution would clarify the actors involved in the practice and better define their roles. Such an initiative would bring relevant stakeholders together to determine the objectives attributed to Moroccan cultural diplomacy.
Moroccan cultural diplomacy, Model, Concept, Structure, Institutionalization
Generative AI in Teacher Professional Development: A Literature-Based Review of Student Engagement and Academic Performance in Saudi Early Childhood Education
Globally, classroom practices and teacher professional development have been significantly impacted by the quick development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) (Chen et al., 2020; Kasneci et al., 2023; UNESCO, 2023). In Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030-aligned educational reforms, technological innovation and the integration of AI into educational systems are becoming increasingly significant, especially in early childhood education (Ministry of Education, Saudi Arabia, 2021; UNESCO, 2023). Focusing on student engagement and academic performance in nursery and early childhood settings, this literature-based evaluation contrasts classrooms led by teachers trained through generative AI-supported professional development with those trained through conventional professional development. Using a qualitative document analysis method, the study examined peer-reviewed journal articles, policy papers, conference proceedings, and educational research published between 2015 and 2025. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurring themes across instructional strategies, classroom interaction, student involvement, and early academic development. According to research, AI-assisted professional learning can improve classroom interaction, individualized learning, engagement-based pedagogies, and instructional flexibility (Holmes et al., 2019; Luckin et al., 2016; UNESCO, 2023). Adaptive activities, language-supportive engagement, and personalized feedback strategies were more common among educators who received AI-supported technology training. There is still little and conflicting evidence for a direct advantage in academic achievement, especially in early childhood environments where linguistic interaction and social-emotional development are crucial to learning outcomes (Fredricks et al., 2004; Parker et al., 2021). The review also emphasizes the importance of aligning AI integration with Saudi cultural norms, educational regulations, and teacher autonomy. By examining recent findings on generative AI, teacher development, and early childhood learning in the Saudi Arabian context, the work contributes to ongoing discussions on AI in education and provides recommendations for additional empirical and longitudinal research.
Generative artificial intelligence; teacher professional development; student engagement; academic performance; early childhood education; Saudi Arabia; educational technology
A Pedagogical Model for Developing Syntactic Awareness in EFL Contexts through Explicit Instruction
This paper aims to propose a theory-driven pedagogical model for enhancing syntactic awareness among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners through explicit instruction. Although grammar is a core component of EFL curricula, learners often fail to transfer grammatical knowledge to accurate written production. The study seeks to address this gap by synthesizing relevant theories and empirical research into a coherent instructional framework. A conceptual and analytical approach was adopted to develop the Explicit Syntactic Awareness Development Model (ESADM). The model integrates principles from the Noticing Hypothesis, Skill Acquisition Theory, and Metalinguistic Awareness Theory. Current literature on grammar pedagogy, explicit instruction, and syntactic development was systematically reviewed to formulate a three-phase instructional sequence: noticing, guided analysis, and reflective application. The synthesis of theoretical and pedagogical evidence indicates that explicit syntactic instruction—supported by consciousness-raising tasks, structured manipulation activities and reflective writing practices—can substantially enhance learners’ syntactic awareness and promote more accurate language production. The ESADM model provides a comprehensive framework showing how metalinguistic reflection and procedural practice can be effectively combined to support syntactic development in contexts with limited authentic input. The proposed model offers practical guidance for EFL teachers, curriculum designers, and language programs seeking to improve grammar instruction and writing proficiency. It supports the integration of explicit, reflective, and application-oriented approaches in grammar pedagogy. The paper recommends future empirical research to validate the model across diverse EFL contexts and to examine its impact on learners’ writing, reading, and oral performance.
Syntactic awareness, explicit instruction, grammar pedagogy, EFL teaching, metalinguistic awareness, instructional model
Integrating Emerging Technologies into ESL Classrooms (Gamification, Mobile Vocabulary Learning, and AI Chatbots)
With the growing focus on language education, teachers have increasingly turned to technology to enhance and develop students' learning environment. This study tests the learning use of AI-powered chatbots, mobile-assisted language learning, and gamification techniques in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms) classrooms. It explores how the use of modern technology impacts students' learning ability and motivation, specifically their vocabulary acquisition and communication skills. This research draws on modern learning theories, including self-determination theory, mobile learning theory, interactionism theory, and sociocultural theory. The paper concludes with strategic suggestions and potential research topics.
Gamification, Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL), AI Chatbots, Self-Determination Theory, Interactionist Theory, ESL Pedagogy, Educational Technology
Copyright (c) 2026 Nagla Mokhtar, Manal Algorashi, Somaih T Ahmed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Managing AI reliability in L2 writing: Designing a systematic framework
Despite the widespread institutionalized application of AI tools as learning aids, the onus to manage and check the reliability of AI output, especially in writing, lies with the learners. This study conceptualizes reliability management in AI-assisted L2 writing as epistemic trust calibration. Based on this conceptualization, L2 writers need to continually evaluate the reliability of AI output for a given purpose, helping them decide whether to accept, revise, verify or reject such output. Thus, this paper proposes an epistemic trust calibration framework which integrates five theoretical constructs through a trust checking loop linking AI suggestions to writer judgment and outcomes. The framework also provides three operational tools: a risk taxonomy that identifies lower and high-risk zones, a five-step verification routine for high-risk AI output, and a reliability management rubric that operationalizes calibration as a developmental competence. This framework can be utilized to show how AI can boost learning when writers calibrate trust and verify high risk AI output. The study concludes with pertinent recommendations for future research directions.
AI-assisted L2 writing; reliability management; generative AI; Critical AI literacy
Conversation Analysis on the Use of Communication Strategy of Technical Vocational Education and Training Students in Small Group Interaction: Basis in Designing Strategic Competence Enhancement Program
This study examined the communication strategies used by Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students during small group interactions through conversation analysis. Specifically, it aimed to identify the represented and underrepresented communication strategies employed by TVET students during conversations and use the findings as the basis for designing a Strategic Competence Enhancement Program. The study utilized a qualitative research design using conversation analysis in examining the interactions of selected TVET students. Data were gathered through recorded small group conversations, which were transcribed and analyzed based on the communication strategies demonstrated by the participants. The findings revealed that the communication strategies among TVET students included the use of all-purpose words, message abandonment, retrieval, self-rephrasing, circumlocution, response: confirm, response expand, asking for clarification, asking for confirmation, and indirect appeal for help. These strategies were frequently observed in sustaining interaction and maintaining the flow of conversation. On the other hand, underrepresented communication strategies included literal translation false friend, literal translation from L3, L1-based foreignizing, L3-based foreignizing, code switching to L3, response repeat, response repair, direct appeal for help, interpretive summary, and own accuracy help, which appeared less frequently during the interactions. Based on the findings, a Strategic Competence Enhancement Program was designed to help improve the communicative competence of TVET students. The study concludes that TVET students employ different communication strategies to manage communication difficulties and maintain mutual understanding during small group discussions. The findings highlight the importance of communication strategies in facilitating effective interaction among participants despite language limitations.
Communication Strategy, TVET Students, Conversation Analysis, Direct Strategy, Interactional Strategy, Small Group Interaction, Strategic Competence
Copyright (c) 2026 Efraim Michael Teja, Jennelyn Raymundo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Journey to the East: Things and Cultural Imagination in Peony in Love
Lisa See’s novels have garnered widespread acclaim among American readers, owing to their captivating stories of Chinese women persevering through social upheaval and their rich, exotic cultural elements with Chinese characteristics. However, compared with other overseas Chinese works, there is little academic attention. The Chinese things that are central to the narrative and beloved by readers have, surprisingly, sparked minimal interest within the academic community. This paper examines the representational, structural, and thematic roles of the Chinese things in See’s Peony in Love. It argues that things represent and reproduce an imagined China, drive the narrative forward, and shape the characters’ gender identity. They are also endowed with significance beyond the text, which not only refers to the development of Chinese women in the feudal Ming and Qing dynasties, but also responds to the identity anxiety of Chinese-Americans in contemporary globalization.
“Thing” Narratives, Lisa See, Overseas Chinese Literature, Chinese culture, The Peony Pavilion
Rewriting the Marriage Plot: Female Agency, and Postfeminist Desire in Fielding and Eugenides’ Fiction
This research paper rewrites the Marriage Plot: Female Agency and Postfeminist Desire in Fielding and Eugenides’ fiction focusing mainly on Bridget Jones’s Diary and The Marriage Plot. Drawing from feminist and psychoanalytic theories, the study interrogates how both novels reflect and critique evolving gender roles, romantic ideals, and internalized patriarchy in late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century Western society. The analysis traces the protagonists’ psychological struggles with identity, autonomy, and emotional fulfillment, highlighting the cultural and historical shifts in the perception of romantic relationships and female subjectivity. This paper reveals the deconstruction of the traditional marriage plot and the emergence of postfeminist irony as a mode of resistance and self-awareness. It ultimately argues that both novels, though rooted in classical literary conventions, they expose the ongoing complexities of love and gender in the modern era.
Love, marriage, female agency, postfeminist Desire
Language Assessment Literacy and Assessment Practices of English as Second Language In-Service Teachers
One crucial aspect of the teaching and learning process that teachers need to master is the use of appropriate assessment tools to ensure that the learning objectives and core competencies are acquired by the learners. Central to attaining this mastery is their language assessment literacy (LAL), which is necessary for designing, evaluating, and understanding language assessments. With the importance of this in the instructional process, this study investigated the LAL and assessment practices of the 60 ESL in-service teachers in the five big and mega high schools in Isabela. It employed the descriptive design with a triangulation method, and the data were collected through validated questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and observation in the assessment part of the respondents’ instructional process. Results revealed that the ESL in-service teachers are highly proficient in their LAL among the domains of knowledge, skills, and principles, attributing to their built foundational knowledge in assessment during their years of studying. Furthermore, the respondents are also often employing diverse assessment practices, which include the use of traditional and alternative assessments, assessment standards and criteria, student-involved assessment, non-achievement-based grading, and developing digital assessments, since they see the crucial role that assessment plays in both the teaching and learning process. It is notable as well in this part that, though the assessment practices in general were often employed by the respondents, the domain of communicating assessment is always employed. This is due to the importance of communicating assessments in guiding the students to perform properly in their tasks, and for them to monitor their progress in learning. The results recommend a capacity development program to continuously enhance the proficiency of the respondents in the LAL and to improve their frequency of employing various assessment practices.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ronnie Jhay Saet, Jennelyn Raymundo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Why Translation Matters in Border Screening: A Translation Studies Perspective on the EU Screening Regulation (Reading Regulation (EU) 2024/1356 with the tools of Translation Studies)
From 12 June 2026, every external border of the European Union will operate a uniform screening procedure for irregularly entering third-country nationals, lasting between three and seven days, at the end of which each person is oriented towards an asylum procedure, a return procedure, or a refusal of entry. The procedure is governed by Regulation (EU) 2024/1356 of 14 May 2024. This article approaches the procedure as a Translation Studies researcher would. It explains, step by step, why the screening cannot be properly understood without translational concepts, and what those concepts contribute. The argument is presented didactically; it assumes no prior familiarity with translation theory and works through, in plain terms, the questions a translation scholar asks of an institutional procedure mediated by interpreters. The article culminates in three dimensions and eight evaluative considerations – each developed at length – that monitoring bodies, courts and policy designers may find useful when assessing the translational quality of a screening operation. The eight considerations are presented not as an instrument to be applied, but as a structural argument about what Translation Studies has to say. These three dimensions and eight evaluative considerations should pave the way for a future modelisation of a translation studies and fundamental rights compliant screening procedure.
Translation studies, border screening, regulation (EU) 2024/1356, fundamental rights, legal procedure, monitoring, migration law
Constructing Cultural Meaning on Memorial Official Websites: A Visual Grammar Analysis of China and New Zealand
Memorial websites serve as multimodal platforms shaping collective memory and cultural identity. While existing research prioritizes technological or textual aspects, this study employs Kress and van Leeuwen’s Visual Grammar (VG) to comparatively analyze visual-cultural encoding on the Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China (the Site of the 1st CPC National Congress) and the Auckland War Memorial Museum (AWMM) websites. Through qualitative analysis of 30 images, Findings reveal distinct strategies. In representational meaning, both websites use narrative representation for cognitive engagement.As to interactive meaning, the Site of the 1st CPC National Congress utilizes offer images, elevated shot, and vermillion tones to construct authoritative narratives and revolutionary sanctity. Conversely, the AWMM employs demand interactions, eye-level angle, and cool grays to foster democratic reflection. In terms of compositional meaning, it highlights the Site of the 1st CPC National Congress’s vertical axis emphasizing ideological symbolism versus the AWMM’s horizontal divisions enabling informational democratization. This study empirically validates the explanatory capacity of VG in non-Western contexts and broadens its cross-cultural relevance. It also offers theoretical frameworks for the internationalization of memorial museum websites, aids in achieving a balance between cultural distinctiveness and global discourse, and underscores the pursuit of a dynamic equilibrium between preserving cultural uniqueness and facilitating the exchange of meaning.
Visual Grammar; the construction of cultural meaning; official websites of memorials
Copyright (c) 2026 Fei Guo, Lingling Liang https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Examining Article Misuse in Writing Among Students of Public Secondary Schools in Mbale City, Uganda
Misuse of English articles among second language learners is a source of difficulty in language and education, particularly in nations where English is an official language. Language proficiency is one of the elements that contribute to the improper usage of English articles in writing. The study examines the misuse of articles in the writing of students in public high schools in Mbale town, Uganda, in this context. Krashen's Input Hypothesis Theory, which attempts to explain the misuse of articles in writing, was used as the theoretical framework and a descriptive research design for data. The target students’ population was 600 with a sample size of 235 while the teachers’ population was 20 with a sample size of 19. The study used interviews and questionnaires as its two main research instruments. The study found that instructional, linguistic, and contextual variables have significant impact on how students use articles in their writing. The study concludes that students face a variety of challenges, including insufficient fundamental education, insufficient feedback, a lack of exposure to acceptable use models, interference from their native language, and insufficient writing practice, all of which contribute to the systemic and complex nature of the issue. When teaching Grammar, the study recommends that teachers to explicitly compare the structure and function of English articles to the absence or variance of these characteristics in native languages.
Definite article, English Language, Grammar, Indefinite article, Second language, Writing
Copyright (c) 2026 SEERA Susan Dorothy, Sulaiman Muhammad Isa, OKELLO Proscovia Daphine https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring experience of the practice of French/English- home language interpretation for patients who are not proficient in the official language in Far-North postcolonial multilingual Cameroon: a healthcare providers' perspective
As the Far North of Cameroon has the highest illiteracy rate in the country, a significant proportion of the population is unable to communicate in the official languages, English and French. As these two exoglossic languages are used in all areas of public life, many patients who are not proficient in them face language barriers in health centers. As Official Language non-proficient patients (OLNPPs), they are unable to communicate with health professionals who are trained in these languages. It is common practice to use interpreters to bridge this communication gap though the outcomes are not always satisfactory. Based on data from questionnaires administered through random sampling to 487 healthcare providers in 45 healthcare centers in the Far North Region of Cameroon, this study aims to explore the experiences of healthcare providers with French/English- home language interpreting in these centers. In addition to a quantitative analysis (using SPSS 18.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), a qualitative analysis was carried out using a thematic approach. The work is discussed from the perspectives of the cultural competence model (Brach & Fraser, 2000) and Postcolonial Linguistics (see Makoni, 2011; Arnke, 2017; Anchimbe, 2018; Levisen & Sippola, 2019). The findings reveal that the practice of French/English home language interpreting in health centers in the Far North Region of Cameroon faces several challenges. Furthermore, it is found that healthcare providers are divided on the need to train French/English home language interpreters to limit language barriers in healthcare centers. While some healthcare providers view the training of French/English-home language interpreters positively as a means of overcoming language barriers between patients who do not speak the official language and healthcare providers (the Satisfied Group), others view it negatively (the Unsatisfied Group).
Illiteracy, interpreting, official languages, patients, healthcare providers, communication gap, Far North Region of Cameroon.
Attitudes and Barriers to Extensive Reading at Red Sea University in Sudan
This study is theoretical in nature and aims to examine the distinction between extensive reading and intensive reading. It also explores the potential role of extensive reading in supporting foreign language acquisition. The study also shows attitudes and barrierso extensive reading among undergraduate students of English at Red Sea University in Sudan. The descriptive method was employed to carry out this study where a questionnaire for a random sample of (70) undergraduate students of English at the Red Sea University was designed. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Packages of Social Sciences. Besides positive attitudes of the students to extensive reading, the study has revealed various barriers to extensive reading. Among others, the participants have shown that they are not motivated to do extensive reading in English, and they lack the appropriate extensive reading materials. They also have revealed that they are busy with their university language courses and lack time to practice extensive reading. The study recommends the use of extensive reading as a means of improving the overall language proficiency of EFL learners at Red Sea University.
extensive reading, comprehensible input, target language, intensive reading, language proficiency
Copyright (c) 2026 Abbas Eltahir https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Lexical Processing Strategy Use and Vocabulary Performance of Primary School Learners Towards Semantics-Oriented Language Learning Intervention
In the context of primary education, vocabulary development serves a fundamental pillar for reading comprehension, effective communication, and long-term academic success. This study examines the lexical processing strategies employed by Grade 6 learners and their vocabulary performance in selected public elementary schools in Roxas, Isabela, Philippines. The research employed descriptive-correlational design in determining the profile of the learners, their lexical processing strategy uses in initial discovering of words and consolidating new word forms and meanings, and their vocabulary performance. The methodology involved administering a teacher-made vocabulary performance test aligned with Grade 6 English curriculum standards, and an adapted Schmitt Vocabulary Learning Strategies Survey. Data were collected from Grade 6 learners from across four selected elementary schools using stratified sampling to ensure accurate representation. Findings of the study revealed that the respondents exhibited average to low level vocabulary performance, with limited depth in their vocabulary knowledge. The learners utilized a range of lexical processing strategy uses in discovering and consolidating new word forms and meanings, with varying frequencies across different specified strategies. Findings underscore the importance for targeted semantics-oriented language learning interventions. In conclusion, this study contributes to addressing the gap in lexical processing strategy use and vocabulary performance among primary school learners in ESL contexts. Through identifying the lexical processing strategy use and vocabulary performance of Grade 6 learners, the study provides a basis for designing semantics-based activities such as concept mapping, semantic feature analysis, thematic clustering, contextual inference training, and multi-modal meaning making tasks. These interventions are expected to enhance vocabulary development and support teachers in delivering more effective instructions for young learners.
Semantics-Oriented Language Learning Intervention
Copyright (c) 2026 PRINCESS ANN BERBON, Jennelyn Lacar-Raymundo, Ph.D https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Mediation, Dissemination, and Reception of David Tod Roy’s English Translation of Jin Ping Mei in the Anglophone World
Drawing on medio-translatology and a framework of translational mediation adapted from Lasswell’s model of communication, this article examines the mediation, dissemination, and reception of David Tod Roy’s English translation of Jin Ping Mei in the Anglophone world. It further introduces interpretive authority as an analytical concept, placing translational subject, content, channel, audience, and effect within a unified chain of inquiry to explore how a scholarly translation acquires influence in the target culture. Methodologically, the study combines qualitative discourse analysis of translator interviews, quantitative comparison of different English translations, sentiment analysis of platform-based reader reviews, and external dissemination data. The findings show that Roy continually constructs interpretive authority over Jin Ping Mei through redefinition of the object of translation, explicit strategic justification, and a proceduralized narrative of scholarly labor. This authority is further materialized in the scholarly textual form of the translation, as reflected in its lexical distribution, syntactic organization, information embedding, and paratextual system. University-press publication, academic reviews, and cultural media together constitute a mechanism for the institutional amplification of interpretive authority. Anglophone readers generally acknowledge the translation’s reliability, completeness, and scholarly value, while also displaying sensitivity to the reading friction generated by dense annotation and translator visibility. The article argues that the dissemination and reception of Roy’s translation in the Anglophone world should not be understood as the natural outcome of scholarliness itself, but rather as a dynamic cycle in which interpretive authority is continually constructed, amplified, validated, and negotiated among translator, text, institution, and readership.
Jin Ping Mei; David Tod Roy; Medio-translatology; English Translation
Copyright (c) 2026 Yuhua Fang, NOOR MALA IBRAHIM , Gang Wu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Shaping of African Identity in Langston Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers”
The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes is a very strong representation of the African American identity that builds on the cultural continuity and historical memory. The paper shares a review of the abundant use of metaphors of rivers in the poem as a symbol of the trauma and strength of the African diaspora. Following the speaker in his relations to ancient rivers, Euphrates, Congo, Nile, and Mississippi, Hughes redefines the notion of Black identity as a dynamic and changing tradition that cuts across both time and space. This paper will examine how the symbolic use of these rivers by Hughes is cultural reclamation and spiritual renewal that deals with the theme of displacement, survival, and ancestral wisdom. Based on the postcolonial theory and the diasporic memory and the cultural renaissance of the Harlem renaissance, the paper posits that the poem of Hughes provides a historical continuum, which binds individual experience with a shared legacy. Through analyzing the imagery, tone, and structure in the poem, the present research points to the fact that the work of Hughes is not just a reflection of the past, but is more of a philosophical picture, linking the past to the present, and renewing the African American experience. Finally, this poem is an anthem to identity, personal and collective, that is a historical set of testimonies to cultural survival.
Identity, African American, Harlem renaissance, black, postcolonial, African diaspora
A Comparative Analysis of Pashto and Dari Verbs
The paper presents the comparative analysis of the systems of verbs used in the two major Indo-Iranian languages and official languages of Afghanistan: Dari and Pashto. The comparison is made on the basis of the examination of different aspects of the verbal system such as verb conjugation, T-A-M systems, agreement forms, and syntactic properties of verbs in the languages. For this purpose, the paper presents the results of the analysis of the material taken from 30 texts written in Dari and Pashto (15 texts per language). It has been found out that Dari makes use of nominative-accusative alignment and rather simple forms of conjugation based on suffixes, while in the verbal paradigm of Pashto, there can be identified features typical for split ergativity, complex stem changes and pronominal clitics used especially in past tenses. Differently from Dari, aspectual distinction in Pashto is marked via the use of prefixes and auxiliaries; auxiliary verbs are used to form tense and aspect forms in Dari. In addition, syntactically there are differences concerning agreement forms (ergative agreement vs. subject-verb agreement).
Pashto; Dari; comparative verb systems; split ergativity; TAM; syntactic alignment; Indo-Iranian linguistics
Human-AI Collaborative Feedback in Translator Training: A Mixed-Methods Study
The integration of large language models (LLMs) into language education has prompted renewed interest in AI-assisted feedback, yet purely automated feedback remains vulnerable to contextual misalignment, cultural misreading, and reliability concerns that are particularly consequential in translation training. A human-AI collaborative feedback model, in which an instructor curates, corrects, and supplements LLM-generated commentary before students revise, offers a theoretically motivated alternative, yet its pedagogical effects in translator education remain empirically underexplored. This mixed-methods study examines the impact of such a hybrid feedback approach on undergraduate Chinese-to-English student translators. Forty senior undergraduates translated a 1,500-word cultural heritage text and received ChatGPT-4o-generated feedback subsequently reviewed and annotated by an experienced instructor using a color-coded transparency system. Quantitative analysis using a Multidimensional Quality Metrics (MQM) rubric revealed significant pre-to-post gains across all measured dimensions (overall MQM composite: Δ +1.20 on a 5-point scale, p < .001), with the largest improvements in terminology (Δ +1.47) and accuracy (Δ +1.32) and meaningful gains in cohesion, cultural adaptation, register, language conventions, and format (all p < .001). Think-aloud protocols revealed a consistent two-stage revision pattern and active source evaluation behavior, with students demonstrating greater decisiveness when AI and instructor annotations converged and deeper deliberation when they diverged. Student perception surveys indicated high ratings across clarity, trustworthiness, usefulness, and pedagogical value, with no significant differences between high- and low-performing students. Instructors reported meaningful workload relief on routine corrections while retaining pedagogical authority over higher-order feedback. These findings suggest the potential of a human-in-the-loop feedback framework for translator training in which AI handles systematic error detection while instructors validate, contextualize, and model evaluative judgment, a model that warrants further controlled investigation as a means of enhancing translation competence without displacing the pedagogical depth that professional translator development requires.
Copyright (c) 2026 Shiyue Chen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Study of English Translation of Chinese Ceramic Cultural terms: A corpus-based approach
This article employed self-building corpus to explore the strategies and methods of translating Chinese ceramic cultural terms. Firstly, the translator rendered the Chinese ceramic terms preferably into their literal or conceptual equivalents in English, during which the methods of literal translation, transliteration and free translation were utilized. However, the English translations of Chinese ceramic terms were also diversified and suffered from deviations from source-target equivalence for both intralinguistic and interlinguistic reasons. The intralinguistic reasons include polysemy of Chinese Ceramic terms and terminological variations in Chinese ceramic texts, and the interlinguistic reasons include different cohesive patterns between English and Chinese and determinologization as result of the adaptation of the target audience from experts for the source text to laymen for its English translation. These intralinguistic and interlinguistic reasons accounts for the methods adopted by the translator in English translation of Chinese ceramic terms including the zero translations of Chinese ceramic terms and explanations of Chinese ceramic terms with general language in English.
Chinese ceramic cultural terms; translation; corpus-based approach
Copyright (c) 2026 Junyu Lu, Guoping Wang https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Critical Assessment of the Principle of Functionality in Skopos Theory and its Application to Quran Translation
This study critically examines the principle of functionality in Skopos Theory and its applicability to the translation of the Holy Quran. The research explores whether the purpose-oriented nature of Skopos Theory aligns with the linguistic, cultural, and spiritual characteristics of the Quran. Using a qualitative and descriptive approach, one key Quranic verse is analyzed through selected English translations to evaluate how functionality influences the translation process and its final outcome. The findings reveal that while the functional principle enhances communicative effectiveness and audience accessibility, it remains limited in addressing the sacred and immutable purpose of the Quranic text. The study concludes that a strict functionalist approach cannot fully capture the divine and theological intent of the Quran, which highlights the need for a more balanced method that acknowledges both the communicative and spiritual dimensions of sacred translation.
Quran translation, Skopos Theory, functionality, Quranic meaning, translation challenges
Pragmatic Functions of Swearing Among Female Najdi Arabic-Speaking EFL Students
This study investigates the use and possible pragmatic functions of swear words among 55 Saudi female undergraduate students from the Department of English Language and Literature at Qassim University. The data were collected using a questionnaire addressing the frequency of swearing, contexts of use, interlocutors’ influence, language choice, and the possible pragmatic functions of swearing. The participants reported mainly using swear words in informal, emotionally charged situations, such as when expressing anger, frustration, or joking with friends, while they avoid swearing in formal and religious contexts. Najdi Arabic, the participants’ first language, is the dominant language of swearing due to its greater emotional power. Some participants also reported frequently swearing in English, possibly reflecting media exposure and social expressiveness. While some participants reported consistently using swear words regardless of the interlocutor’s gender, others moderated their use in accordance with cultural politeness norms. The participants generally considered men’s swearing as harsher, more frequent, and more socially tolerated than women’s, which differs from previous research. The findings demonstrate that swearing is a culturally mediated practice through which Saudi female EFL students negotiate their identity, emotions, and social norms. The study concludes with a recommendation to conduct future studies on swearing, including participants of different ages and from different regions in Saudi Arabia, to compare their use of swear words.
EFL students, female, Najdi Arabic, pragmatic functions, swearing
Copyright (c) 2026 Majedah Alaiyed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Literary Analysis in the Age of AI: Impacts, Challenges, and Best Practices
This paper explores the use of AI tools in analyzing and teaching literature by EFL teachers, students, researchers, and curriculum designers. Within the context of the TPACK framework alongside the Constructivist Learning Theory, this research investigates the applications, perceived benefits, and challenges surrounding the use of AI technologies in literature classes. Eighty-one participants filled out a quantitative online survey aimed at documenting their application of AI to the processes of literary interpretation, critical thinking, and participation. The investigation focused on the pedagogical use of AI and the literature’s ethical implications. The results indicate that AI tools are predominantly used for essays and literary critiques at different sophistication levels, and in other related activities, including personalized AI-based assessments. Participants acknowledged AI’s application for critical thinking, analysis, and student engagement, which signals the TPACK integration’s effectiveness. The use of TPACK in literary instruction has enhanced critical thinking among students, who now demonstrate considerably higher engagement with the contents of the class. There has been a fair share of challenges, however, in this approach. These include concerns about AI-generated bias in literary analyses, a possible loss of human interaction resulting from an overreliance on AI generated responses, and the need for continuous professional development to adapt to this ever-changing educational landscape, as a result. Furthermore, several concerns about data privacy and academic integrity remain, as AI continues to encroach into academia and education, triggering ethical questions. The findings of this study point towards the necessity of an integration which must, however, be balanced, so that the possibility of AI tools threatening or replacing human expertise is minimised. This would ensure that such integration instead complements human expertise, adding interpretative depth to literature education, among other things. This study throws light on the need for responsible use of AI tools in education, something which can only be possible with regular teacher training (to keep teachers abreast with new developments in AI), strict ethical rules that limit the extent to which said tools can be used, and periodic evaluation of those tools, to make sure that academic integrity remains intact.
Artificial Intelligence, Constructivist Learning, Critical Thinking, Ethics in Education, Literary Analysis, TPACK
Copyright (c) 2026 Abdulrahman Mokbel Mahyoub Hezam https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Saying More by Saying Less: Conversational Implicature in the Davos 2026 Welcoming Address: A pragmatic study
This study tackled a qualitative pragmatic analysis of the welcoming speech in the Swiss Confederation at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) by the president of the meeting, Davos, in 2026. This study followed Grice's (1975) theory of conversational implicature-encompassing the Cooperative Principle (CP) and its maxims in addition to subsequent refinements by Levinson (1983, 2000) and Sperber and Wilson's (1986) Relevance Theory. This research paper investigated the implied meaning encoded in the speech beyond the literal propositional content. The paper investigated how the speaker exploits, flouts, and observes Gricean maxims to convey political intentions, diplomatic signals, and ideological values that are not explicitly stated. It is revealed through the analysis that three main implicature functions in the speech: solidarity-building and national identity projection, implicit critique of global political trends (protectionism, AI governance deficits, geopolitical instability), and the strategic self-positioning of Switzerland as a responsible, neutral, and forward-thinking international actor.
Implicature; Gricean maxims; Cooperative Principle; diplomatic discourse; World Economic Forum; Davos 2026; pragmatics
Language Planning and Policy in Education: Exploring the Impact of Organic Laws on Enforcing the Amazigh Language Teaching in Morocco
Language planning is a problem-solving process usually undertaken by national governments and is intended to affect literacy practices within a given society. On the other hand, language policy plays a pivotal role in developing theoretical linguistic policies that target shaping or reshaping the social, cultural, and political identity of nations. Given the interrelation between these two notions, it is significant to state that Morocco has implemented several language policies since its independence. The various reforms to Morocco's education system have consistently highlighted the status of languages in education. Actually, the integration of Tamazight into the Moroccan education system began in 2003. To some extent, Amazigh activism, language research, and the royal will have played pivotal roles in the evolution of both the Amazigh language's status and its teaching. In fact, several studies have tackled Tamazight language teaching and learning from different perspectives. The current study intends to analyze the adapted top-down model of language policy and explore the distinct factors that estimate or underestimate Tamazight across social, political, cultural, and economic domains. Similarly, it seeks to examine the impact of the macro-level decisions on the status of Tamazight in the Moroccan education system. Furthermore, this study aims to determine whether successive governments since Ajdir’s king's speech in 2001 have served or hindered the standardization of this 'national heritage'. More specifically, the overall rationale for this study is to examine the variance between the macro and micro levels of language planning and how this gap affects Tamazight teaching.
Tamazight, Language planning, Language policy, Organic laws, Standardization
A Case Study of Chinese EFL Demotivation among Senior Students in Business English Major in a Chinese Private University
Learning motivation serves as a critical factor influencing second language acquisition (L2), functioning not only as a key driver in initiating but also in sustaining the language learning process. Adopting the perspective of "demotivation" in EFL learning, this study investigates the extent of demotivation among Chinese EFL learner. The participants included 100 senior Business English majors (BE major) students and 5 instructors from a private university in Guangzhou. Data were collected through questionnaires and audio-recorded interviews both conducted in Chinese. Quantitative data from the questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS version 27, while interview recordings were transcribed and examined using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that demotivation is widespread among Chinese EFL learner, with varying degrees of severity. Multiple demotivating factors were identified, including teacher-related, learner-internal, and peer-influenced factors. Among these, teacher-related factors emerged as significant contributors to motivation attenuation. However, these factors do not operate in isolation; rather, they interact intricately with learners’ internal factors (e.g., self-efficacy) and peer environments (e.g., negative peer culture) to form a generative system of demotivation. Based on these findings and considering the evolving demands of the new era, we proposed several pedagogical recommendations to sustain student motivation and reduce the occurrence of demotivation in language learning.
College English teaching, L2 acquisition, Chinese EFL demotivation, Chinese EFL learner
Copyright (c) 2026 Yonghui Zhang https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Language anxiety in learning Arabic as a second Language: A Case Study of Female Learners at the Arabic Language Institute for Speakers of Other Languages in King Abdulaziz University
The present study investigates language anxiety among female learners of Arabic at the Arabic Language Institute for Speakers of Other Languages at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. It aims to identify the level of foreign language anxiety among the learners, and examine the factors causing it, as well as the extent of its impact on the process of learning the Arabic language. To achieve the objectives of the study, a descriptive analytical approach is employed, using the Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale "FLCAS" developed by Horwitz et al. (1991) to collect the data. Four sources of anxiety are taken into consideration in this scale: communication-bound anxiety, negative assessment anxiety, test anxiety, and classroom anxiety. A total of (23) female learners of Arabic from three proficiency levels in the institute: the second, the third, and the fourth, participated in the study. The results reveal that the participants experienced a moderate level of language anxiety. They also show that test anxiety is the main source of anxiety among the learners. The study concludes that the institute needs to find alternative assessment methods in order to reduce the negative impact of tests on the learning process.
Language anxiety, Arabic non-native speakers, KAU