Samal Zhanatkyzy Yergaliyeva; Meruyert Assetovna Uaikhanova; Nurlan Ramazanovich Omarov; Kuanysh Sovetuly Yergaliyev; Eldana Bakhytovna Assanbayeva; Rimma Meyramovna Ualiyeva
Abstract
The article focuses on the axiological dominants of Kazakh and English-speaking cultures in the virtual world. The authors analyze the valuable national picture of the world in ordinary virtual discourse by considering the parameters of tradition and innovation in text formation. They collected and analyzed ...
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The article focuses on the axiological dominants of Kazakh and English-speaking cultures in the virtual world. The authors analyze the valuable national picture of the world in ordinary virtual discourse by considering the parameters of tradition and innovation in text formation. They collected and analyzed Internet comments using linguocultural and linguoaxiological methods to identify the linguocultural units that reflect the value markers of Internet commentary. These units include verbalized mythologemes, phraseological and paremiological units, poetic features, and nationally specific units that reveal the value basis of both cultures and are indicators of their axiological dominants. The study found two additional parameters of the value marker, “Bata - national peculiarity” unique to the Kazakh culture, and “IQ peculiarity” unique to the English culture. Overall, the study highlights the importance of understanding the axiological dominants of linguocultures in the virtual space.
Rahman Sahragard; Ehsan Ansaripour
Volume 2, Issue 1 , March 2014, , Pages 88-105
Abstract
The present study sought to investigate demotivating and remotivating factors among Iranian MA students of TEFL. The participants included 170 male and female (Male= 97, Female= 73) Iranian MA students of TEFL randomly chosen among the students of 10 most well-known state universities of Iran. To collect ...
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The present study sought to investigate demotivating and remotivating factors among Iranian MA students of TEFL. The participants included 170 male and female (Male= 97, Female= 73) Iranian MA students of TEFL randomly chosen among the students of 10 most well-known state universities of Iran. To collect the qualitative data, interviews were conducted on 20 students, two from each university. Subsequently, a 40-item demotivating questionnaire was constructed and administered to 150 students, 15 from each university. The findings indicated that ‘economic problems’wasthe most salient demotivating factor for the participants of this study. The second important demotivating factor was ‘future pessimism’. The third and the fourth demotivating factors were ‘professors’ characteristics’ and ‘syllabus design’, respectively. The order of importance of other demotivating factors was as the following: ‘curriculum decisions’, ‘scoring system’, ‘administrative decisions’, ‘facilities’ and ‘classroom environment’. Furthermore, remotivating strategies were investigated based on what students proposed as ways to get rid of the existing demotivating factors.
Hayder Al Hamdany; Michelle Picard
Abstract
Language and culture are inextricably linked. Consequently, the teaching of cultural awareness as part of additional language instruction is crucial to increasing language proficiency. This paper examines how literature circles are utilized and actively modelled in the teaching and learning of the Arabic ...
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Language and culture are inextricably linked. Consequently, the teaching of cultural awareness as part of additional language instruction is crucial to increasing language proficiency. This paper examines how literature circles are utilized and actively modelled in the teaching and learning of the Arabic language and its culture in an adult Arabic as an Additional Language classroom in Iraq with beginner, intermediate and advanced learners. The impact of the literature circles pedagogy is explored through the analysis of audio transcripts of the interactions during the class, student journals reflections on their experiences participating in the study, and the researcher’s field notes recording their observations during the literature circle activities. Eight participants from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds were divided into two multi-level groups. The data revealed that the literature circle methodology increased student-to-student interaction and collaborative learning and understanding of Arabic culture. These outcomes resulted in enhanced confidence in using the language and, consequently language proficiency in the Arabic language.
Hisham M. Ali
Volume 6, Issue 2 , September 2018, , Pages 90-101
Abstract
While Bourdieu’s theory of practice provides an ensemble of conceptual tools which analyze patterns of social life that are irreducible to the limiting view of individuals as free-acting agents, Genette’s paratextual theory offers the metalanguage necessary to account for the microcosm of ...
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While Bourdieu’s theory of practice provides an ensemble of conceptual tools which analyze patterns of social life that are irreducible to the limiting view of individuals as free-acting agents, Genette’s paratextual theory offers the metalanguage necessary to account for the microcosm of paratext as a linguistic space. This study takes issue with unidirectional approaches to researching paratexts in terms of linguistic or sociological accounts, and argues for a bidirectional understanding of paratext to unearth the interplay between structure and agency. Drawing on Genette’s paratextual features and Bourdieu’s sociology, this interactive approach is explored in a series of analyses of paratexts enveloping two Arabic translations of Gibran’s The Earth Gods. Through a discussion of the linguistic manifestations and the socio-historical backdrops of paratexts, the paper argues that the preface with its attendant micro features has the potential to exhibit the translation illusio which epistemologically foregrounds the stakes and investments that motivate the production of translation.
Tugba Toprak; Yasemin Aksoyalp
Volume 3, Issue 1 , March 2015, , Pages 91-104
Abstract
Increasingly intercultural dimension of communication in the 21st century has brought about challenging aims in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) pedagogy, such as ascertaining the enhancement of the learners' intercultural awareness and promoting their ability to communicate in intercultural settings. ...
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Increasingly intercultural dimension of communication in the 21st century has brought about challenging aims in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) pedagogy, such as ascertaining the enhancement of the learners' intercultural awareness and promoting their ability to communicate in intercultural settings. Taking the disadvantage of EFL environment in terms of intercultural input into account, course books can be considered as one of the most crucial tools used in these settings. Thus, the links between culture, language teaching, and course books deserve a closer investigation carried out with a critical eye. Hence, the present study was conducted: (1) to explore the extent and number of the cultural representations present in course books (2) the distribution of cultural representations across different English-speaking countries (i.e., the UK, the USA, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand). To this end, 17 English course books written by international publishers and used at preparatory English schools of universities in an EFL setting were examined by using a quantitative content analysis. The results were discussed and implications were made.
Raazia Sajid Taqi; Sara Khazai; Rajabali Askarzadeh Torghabeh; Kaveh Azodi
Abstract
The present research applies game theory to Austen’s Sanditon (Austen, 1817b) by analyzing the novel’s characters in the light of games, choices, and rational thinking. The application of game theory is especially relevant, considering Austen’s particular focus on interactions and choices ...
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The present research applies game theory to Austen’s Sanditon (Austen, 1817b) by analyzing the novel’s characters in the light of games, choices, and rational thinking. The application of game theory is especially relevant, considering Austen’s particular focus on interactions and choices within society in her work. Moreover, a lack of incorporation of rational and mathematical models of decision-making in the field of literature, along with the shortage of academic studies on Austen’s Sanditon (1817b) prompts the present study. In the present paper, the major characters in Austen’s original novel fragment are divided into strategic and non-strategic (or clueless) characters. Some characters (Lady Denham, Charlotte Heywood, and Mary Parker) are found to be strategic, while others (Tom Parker, Sir Edward Denham, and Diana Parker) are established as clueless. On a larger scale, the study’s concentration on rational decision-making and the prediction of character decisions in Sanditon (1817b) creates an opportunity to incorporate empirical evidence while studying works of literature.
Putu Yudha Asteria Putri; Iwan Triyuwono; Bambang Hariadi; Lilik Purwanti
Abstract
This research aims to deconstruct the Management Control System (MCS) concept using the cultural framework of Catur Purusa Artha (CPA) in Hindu philosophy. Balinese people believe that culture is always inherent in all their activities. Adopting a postmodern paradigm and a binary opposition synergy methodology ...
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This research aims to deconstruct the Management Control System (MCS) concept using the cultural framework of Catur Purusa Artha (CPA) in Hindu philosophy. Balinese people believe that culture is always inherent in all their activities. Adopting a postmodern paradigm and a binary opposition synergy methodology inspired by Lyotard's perspective, the study produces a CPA-based Management Control concept, which consists of four parts. In the first part, the Dharma element finds a sense of family, open management, and communication, which are synergized with the Standard Operational Procedures (SOP). In the second part of the Artha element, there is fairness and efforts concerning employee performance measures and work plans, budgets, and expenditures. The third part contains various desires in the Kama element, expressed as integrity, empathy, and trust in synergy with implementation. The final part is the estuary of the goal, namely honesty and a sense of belonging from the elements of Moksa, which is a synergy of reporting, supervision, and audit.
Abobo Kumbalonah
Volume 1, Issue 2 , September 2013, , Pages 104-116
Abstract
Drawing largely on Aidoo’s (1970) play, Anowa, as well as lived experiences, I argue on the philosophical flaws of Ashcroft’s (2009) claim that there is no inherent link between language and culture. This essay subsequently explores the implication of my argument on some transformational ...
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Drawing largely on Aidoo’s (1970) play, Anowa, as well as lived experiences, I argue on the philosophical flaws of Ashcroft’s (2009) claim that there is no inherent link between language and culture. This essay subsequently explores the implication of my argument on some transformational domains of English in particular though it has obvious applicability to the role of colonial languages in general. As one of the foremost postcolonial theorists, Ashcroft’s seeming departure from the postcolonial agenda he has pursued in his academic practice is striking to read. I consider as philosophically frail his claim in Caliban’s Voice that language has no intrinsic connections to the way of life of its speakers. Consequently, I find his succeeding position on the transformational value of English, in the postcolonial context, as equally requiring reassessment.
Munmun Gupta; Katharina Sukamto
Volume 8, Issue 2 , September 2020, , Pages 105-120
Abstract
The present study highlights a number of similarities and differences among cultural communicative styles used in India versus Indonesia. The analysis is based on Hall’s theory (1959, 1966, 1976, 1983) of high-context (HC) and low-context (LC) cultures, and Hofstede’s (2008) cultural dimension ...
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The present study highlights a number of similarities and differences among cultural communicative styles used in India versus Indonesia. The analysis is based on Hall’s theory (1959, 1966, 1976, 1983) of high-context (HC) and low-context (LC) cultures, and Hofstede’s (2008) cultural dimension of collectivism versus individualism. When viewed through the lens of Hall’s theory, India and Indonesia can both be classified as HC cultures, although India appears to be moving in the direction of LC culture. When both cultures are observed via Hofstede’s account of collectivism versus individualism, it is evident that Indonesia belongs to a collectivist culture, whereas India can be considered as both individualistic and collectivistic. There are marked differences in the ways that Indians and Indonesians interact, yet they also share a number of similarities, including respecting their elders and persevering in the accomplishment of tasks. This study also suggests how potential gaps between members of different cultures can be bridged by promoting intercultural acceptance.
Albina Fanilevna Mukhamadiarova; Mariya Alexandrovna Kulkova; Yuriy Viktorovich Kobenko; Alina Eduardovna Rakhimova
Volume 8, 3 (Special Issue on Russian Culture and Language) , December 2020, , Pages 63-71
Abstract
This article deals with a comparative analysis of phraseological and paroemiological units with the component coloronym black / Schwarz, черный, кара in German, Russian, and Tatar. We have analyzed 85 phraseological units and paroemias in German, 50 in Russian, and 99 in Tatar, extracted by ...
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This article deals with a comparative analysis of phraseological and paroemiological units with the component coloronym black / Schwarz, черный, кара in German, Russian, and Tatar. We have analyzed 85 phraseological units and paroemias in German, 50 in Russian, and 99 in Tatar, extracted by a continuous selection from etymological, lexical, and phraseological dictionaries. The paper exposes similarities and differences in the perception of the coloronyms black / Schwarz, черный, кара by representatives of different cultures. As a result of the analysis, we have found eight symbolic meanings of the coloronyms, which coincide in all three languages. The explication of the meanings ‘bad, evil, insidious, malicious, dishonest, untruthful’ is of high frequency in German, Russian, and Tatar. The second and third places are occupied by symbolic meanings ‘unhappy, unsuccessful, sad; heavy, difficult’ and ‘shameful’, respectively. In the linguistic world-image, the three symbolic meanings of the coloronym Schwarz are lacunar for the German language.
Agnur Khalel; Altnay Zhaitapova; Fatima Mamedova; Elnara Dulayeva
Volume 9, 2 (Themed Issue on Modern Realities of National Languages of CIS Countries) , August 2021, , Pages 74-84
Abstract
The topic of discursive foreign language skills is a major problem that needs to be studied in the context of a new educational paradigm. On the basis of analysis, the authors allocated the component of foreign language professionally discursive competence of future diplomats. Based on communicative ...
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The topic of discursive foreign language skills is a major problem that needs to be studied in the context of a new educational paradigm. On the basis of analysis, the authors allocated the component of foreign language professionally discursive competence of future diplomats. Based on communicative tasks and project-based activities, the principles of future diplomats’ foreign language professionally discursive competence formation were developed. A cognitive approach in pedagogics is aimed at the development of the entire set of intellectual abilities and skills and impacts the tuition process along with the ability to be adapted to the new conditions. The survey that allowed to check the effectiveness of this model was conducted. As a result of implementing this model, the structure of the foreign language professionally discursive competence of future diplomats was being formed. The project-based activities and communicative tasks had promoted the necessary conditions for an increase in the levels of readiness for the realization of future diplomats’ professional activities.
Haitham Y. Adarbah; Haniyeh Jajarmi
Abstract
In recent decades, content-based instruction (CBI) has been increasingly used worldwide with the aim of developing students’ English language competency, particularly in their area of specialization. However, its implementation has not been without problems, and researchers have been seeking and ...
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In recent decades, content-based instruction (CBI) has been increasingly used worldwide with the aim of developing students’ English language competency, particularly in their area of specialization. However, its implementation has not been without problems, and researchers have been seeking and suggesting ways to solve them. In this vein, this research describes the development and implementation of restructuring the teaching materials of General Foundation Programme courses (basic and applied mathematics modules) in Oman by using active learning through educational technology. The suggested restructuring of the teaching materials has two elements: 1) reorder the presentation of the course content for teaching specific learning outcomes within the context of broad conceptual themes; 2) incorporate active learning through technology and collaborative learning into every lecture. The new instructional design was assessed by a student survey and the comparison of their exam performance across three semesters in the academic years 2018-2020. The restructured courses significantly improved at-risk student engagement and satisfaction and increased academic performance.
Omid Azadibougar
Volume 2, Issue 2 (Special Issue on Translation, Society and Culture) , September 2014, , Pages 89-102
Abstract
The exportation of modern novel from European languages to other literatures has long been the object of study and has been, most recently, evoked in discussions of World Literature. The introduction of modern novel into the Persian literary system through translation occurred about the turn of the twentieth ...
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The exportation of modern novel from European languages to other literatures has long been the object of study and has been, most recently, evoked in discussions of World Literature. The introduction of modern novel into the Persian literary system through translation occurred about the turn of the twentieth century. The genre was unprecedented in Persian and the concept of adabiyat was specific to its literary tradition. As a result, the genre had to negotiate its position with literary and cultural norms to legitimize itself in the literary system. This negotiation was partly formal, i.e., accepted forms of literary expression, and partly conceptual, i.e., what the literary should express. The present paper focuses on the channels that introduced the genre into the literary system: first, explicit and implicit norms that regulated the transfer of the genre into Persian are outlined; then, the implications of form, literariness, and genre in inter-cultural transfer are discussed to elaborate on how the incoming novelistic discourse was appropriated. In the end, in view of the way the novelistic was transplanted into the Persian literary system, a number of hypotheses about the location of the novelistic in the Persian literary system are developed.
Amani Lusekelo
Volume 4, 1 (Special Issue on African Cultures and Languages) , March 2016, , Pages 89-102
Abstract
The existing literature on Bantu verbal semantics demonstrated that inherent semantic content of verbs pairs directly with the selection of tense, aspect and modality formatives in Bantu languages like Chasu, Lucazi, Lusamia, and Shiyeyi. Thus, the gist of this paper is the articulation of semantic classification ...
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The existing literature on Bantu verbal semantics demonstrated that inherent semantic content of verbs pairs directly with the selection of tense, aspect and modality formatives in Bantu languages like Chasu, Lucazi, Lusamia, and Shiyeyi. Thus, the gist of this paper is the articulation of semantic classification of verbs in Kiswahili based on the selection of TAM types. This is because the semantics and morphology of Kiswahili verbs have been extensively and intensively researched but the semantic classification of verbs has not been fully provided. Findings for the current research point towards the fact that, based on the realizations of three important sections of the verbal semantics, namely, onset, nucleus, and coda, Kiswahili verbs are divided into three major categories: activity (durative), achievement (inchoative), and stative verbs. A clear TAM-selection is provided for in achievement verbs whose semantic contents prohibit co-occurrence with progressive aspect, habituality, and futurity. This behaviour is attested in other Bantu languages though Kiswahili has no -ile formative.
Chin-Hui Chen
Volume 5, Issue 2 , September 2017, , Pages 91-104
Abstract
Outside of Western contexts, natural-conversation-based research on intergenerational communication is relatively rare. To help redress this imbalance, this paper explores the conversational styles of first-encounter talks between five pairs of college students and older adults in Taiwan, and infers ...
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Outside of Western contexts, natural-conversation-based research on intergenerational communication is relatively rare. To help redress this imbalance, this paper explores the conversational styles of first-encounter talks between five pairs of college students and older adults in Taiwan, and infers the interactional norms that underlie them. It is found that younger Taiwanese adults tend to exhibit great formality in their conversational styles, manifested as frequent appeals to older people’s positive face, and a preference for quick question-asking especially at the opening of the talks. Older adults, in contrast, exhibited lower levels of commitment to eliciting information from their interlocutors and were more likely to interrupt them. Younger adults appeared uneasy when hearing older adults’ painful self-disclosures, as reflected in the former’s minimal responses or quick shifts to other topics. The conversational styles pinpointed by this research are discussed in terms of how the observed intergenerational communication could be problematic.
Gulshat Ahmathanovna Hayrutdinova; Xiaoxu Wang; Xinxin Zhang
Volume 9, Issue 3 , September 2021, , Pages 91-100
Abstract
It is obvious that investigating a text or a poem, regardless of the culture of the period in which the writer or poet lived, is futile. The current study explores the conceptual metaphors formed by culture in the functioning of the autumn word in the works of Russian poetry. The relevance of the work ...
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It is obvious that investigating a text or a poem, regardless of the culture of the period in which the writer or poet lived, is futile. The current study explores the conceptual metaphors formed by culture in the functioning of the autumn word in the works of Russian poetry. The relevance of the work is due to the need for a comprehensive study of those language units that play an essential role in the embodiment of the author’s intention. At the same time, not all words expressing a temporary meaning have received comprehensive coverage in the scientific literature. Among these, lexemes are the word “autumn”. The purpose of the study is to analyze the functioning of the “autumn” lexeme in poetic works of the XX-XXI centuries. Considerable attention is paid to the realization of the creative potential of the temporal lexeme. The material for the study was poetry texts extracted from the “National Corpus of the Russian Language”.
Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Othman
Volume 8, Issue 1 , March 2020, , Pages 92-110
Abstract
This paper investigates service provisions in community languages offered by Manchester City Council and agencies working alongside to find out whether there is an explicit language policy in Manchester, how such a policy is formulated, how it functions, and how it is reflected in education. Data was ...
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This paper investigates service provisions in community languages offered by Manchester City Council and agencies working alongside to find out whether there is an explicit language policy in Manchester, how such a policy is formulated, how it functions, and how it is reflected in education. Data was collected through interviews with different personnel in MCC, focus group discussions with community language speakers, and the websites of various government agencies. The results show that there is an implicit rather than explicit language policy in Manchester. There exists also a language hierarchy in Manchester’s language policy whereby some community languages are given precedence over others, depending on the numerical strength of speakers. The results also show that there is usually a sort of articulation between the micro and macro-levels of language policy in multilingual contexts, which is evident in Manchester, particularly in the role that supplementary schools play in filling the gap in teaching community languages in mainstream schools.
Debalina Maitra
Volume 5, Issue 1 , March 2017, , Pages 94-102
Abstract
This chief aim of this paper is to explore the concept of Funds of Knowledge (FOK) in relation to Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). This study unveils the basic tenets of FOK from the lens of activity theory and analyzes pertinent discoveries, key concepts, and scholars’ arguments relating ...
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This chief aim of this paper is to explore the concept of Funds of Knowledge (FOK) in relation to Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). This study unveils the basic tenets of FOK from the lens of activity theory and analyzes pertinent discoveries, key concepts, and scholars’ arguments relating to FOK and literacy development over time. The major purpose of this study is to expand the perspective of FOK and make an argument that cultural identity has a great potential to promote school literacy. The literature review done on some education journals explicitly reveals that FOK is a concept embedded in one’s cultural identity, and that the various aspects of cultural identity – such as ethnicity, language, and customs – are all linked to student engagement. This article illuminates the diverse cultural resources of different ethnic groups and proposes that academic institutions connect those resources with education.
Mohammad Ghazanfari; Atena Attaran; Mohammad Zabetipour
Volume 7, 2 (Special Issue on Iranians Views of Cultural Issues) , September 2019, , Pages 94-106
Abstract
As an Islamo-Arabic utterance,throughout the history of Islam, “Allahu Akbar” has been widely used as one of the most influential religious slogans since the advent of Islam in the 7th century CE. However, during the last four decades, it has gained a fairly global reputation thanks to various ...
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As an Islamo-Arabic utterance,throughout the history of Islam, “Allahu Akbar” has been widely used as one of the most influential religious slogans since the advent of Islam in the 7th century CE. However, during the last four decades, it has gained a fairly global reputation thanks to various functions it has pragmatically come to serve in different social settings. Recently, it has been particularly assigned a world-wide notoriety due to the terrorist acts by extremist Islamist factions. This study aimed at identifying the social, political, and religious contexts in which contemporary Muslims recite “Allahu Akbar” with various pragmatic meanings in mind, making a special distinction between ordinary, peaceful contexts of use and violent contexts, where, in the latter, it is mostly heard from the mouths of extremist factions like ISIS, who, as well, associate themselves with Islam. We have, finally, identified eleven pragmatic functions the utterance serves in today’s Islamic societies, with a special focus on the Iranian context.
Tatyana Anatolievna Spirchagova; Svetlana Evgenevna Nikitina; Maria Nikolaevna Spirchagova
Volume 9, Issue 1 , March 2021, , Pages 94-101
Abstract
Due to its nature and content, the media is related to almost all different economic, social, cultural, and political dimensions of societies and can be claimed to be one of the influential variables in today's societies. The formation of a country's image in foreign media is a direct reflection of the ...
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Due to its nature and content, the media is related to almost all different economic, social, cultural, and political dimensions of societies and can be claimed to be one of the influential variables in today's societies. The formation of a country's image in foreign media is a direct reflection of the attitude of the world community to its foreign policy and economic course and the activities of its power structures in terms of coincidence with the political and economic interests of hegemonic states that dictate the conditions for the functioning of states within the framework of world space. The relevance of this work is due to the position of modern Russia on the world stage and the foreign policy and economic factors that have a strong influence on the formation of the image of the Russian state in foreign media. The chronological framework of the study covers the foreign policy of the Russian Federation from 2014 to 2018.
Gulmira Aitkulova; Raushangul Avakova; Zlikha Zhantasova
Abstract
This study focuses on the linguocognitive nature of conceptual structures, which is a central element of cognitive linguistics. In cognitive linguistics, concepts are considered to be the primary language units. These lexemes reflect the cultural characteristics of each nation and create a linguistic ...
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This study focuses on the linguocognitive nature of conceptual structures, which is a central element of cognitive linguistics. In cognitive linguistics, concepts are considered to be the primary language units. These lexemes reflect the cultural characteristics of each nation and create a linguistic image of the world that conveys a deeper cultural message. The article explores the verbalization features of the concepts of diligence/laziness in cognitive discourse, including prose, poetry, paremiology, and phraseology. The study also examines the linguistic and cultural context of these concepts in the Kazakh language, using national stamps as a source of information. Conceptual metaphorical methods are used to analyze the data. Ultimately, the article defines the cultural-national semantics of linguistic expressions related to the concepts of diligence/laziness within the context of cognitive discourse and ethnocultural awareness.
Mostafa Morady Moghaddam; Neil Murray
Volume 7, Issue 1 , March 2019, , Pages 96-105
Abstract
English language teaching (ELT) in Iran has experienced a turbulent history reflecting an often dynamic context and changing attitudes toward English, yet framed within a discourse of tolerance rather than one of embrace, as this study is going to show. The discourse was much brighter before the Islamic ...
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English language teaching (ELT) in Iran has experienced a turbulent history reflecting an often dynamic context and changing attitudes toward English, yet framed within a discourse of tolerance rather than one of embrace, as this study is going to show. The discourse was much brighter before the Islamic Revolution and this study reveals that there were much fewer adverse policies toward the spread of English (mostly because of economic reasons). However, after the Islamic Revolution, the discourse can be seen as a product of a postcolonial perspective and an accompanying unease – even antipathy – concerning Westernisation and Western values that are seen as being at odds with Iran’s identity and aspirations as an Islamic state. It is discussed in this study that at its current status, language policy and planning in the Iranian context is blatantly at odds with the ‘educational’ and ‘social’ needs of the nation.
Taha Rajab
Volume 3, Issue 2 , September 2015, , Pages 97-114
Abstract
This paper reports on an exploratory study that explores the instructional patterns within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) secondary school classrooms in Syria. Recently, the Syrian Ministry of Education (MoE) has introduced a new national curriculum which recommends a shift in EFL teachers’ ...
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This paper reports on an exploratory study that explores the instructional patterns within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) secondary school classrooms in Syria. Recently, the Syrian Ministry of Education (MoE) has introduced a new national curriculum which recommends a shift in EFL teachers’ instructional practices. Despite this costly innovation, there has been no attempt to check whether it was working. Adopting a socio-cultural perspective on learning, the study looks at teacher-student interaction and the discourse taking place during teacher-fronted whole class talk. To help in the identification of teachers’ training needs, teacher beliefs and classroom practices are investigated using a mixed-methods approach comprising classroom observations and interviews. Detailed discourse analysis revealed a traditional teacher-controlled mode of teaching focusing on mechanical practices rather than meaningful interactions. Students were afforded few opportunities to participate meaningfully in classroom interactions, as teachers controlled the topics of academic learning. The study highlights the need to invest in teachers’ professional development, particularly during the critical phase of curriculum innovation, to promote interactive and dialogic teaching in the Syrian educational system.
Peyman Nouraey; Mohammad Bavali; Fatemeh Behjat
Abstract
E-learning has recently gained a tremendous amount of attention worldwide; however, this phenomenon has not been studied much from the viewpoints of its immediate beneficiaries (i.e., students and teachers). This systematic review aimed at creating a conceptual framework consisting of the most significant ...
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E-learning has recently gained a tremendous amount of attention worldwide; however, this phenomenon has not been studied much from the viewpoints of its immediate beneficiaries (i.e., students and teachers). This systematic review aimed at creating a conceptual framework consisting of the most significant problems and challenges vs. opportunities and solutions associated with e-learning. In doing so, we established a corpus of post-pandemic articles. Out of 2126 original research articles published between March 2020 and March 2022, 13 were included. These sources were obtained through MetSearch and were representative of 14 countries, 2726 student participants, and 1374 educator participants. Through thematic analysis, each document was categorized under certain themes. Technical, physical, mental, interaction, assessment, and pedagogical issues, as well as proper training, IT literacy, and additional burdens on students and educators, were the main challenges and problems found in association with e-learning. The opportunities and solutions included improvements in communication, interaction, teaching, and learning, as well as accessibility, convenience, productivity, and safety.
Mashudi Mashudi; Agung Nurmansyah; Natalya Ryafikovna Saenko; Asep Nurjamin; Svetlana Rafaelyevna Sharifullina
Abstract
The current research examined the impacts of English cultural awareness on Indonesian EFL students’ grammar knowledge. To achieve this objective, 40 advanced participants were chosen according to their performance on the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). Then, the participants were equally divided ...
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The current research examined the impacts of English cultural awareness on Indonesian EFL students’ grammar knowledge. To achieve this objective, 40 advanced participants were chosen according to their performance on the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). Then, the participants were equally divided into two groups of 20; an experimental and a control group. A grammar pre-test was administered to assess their knowledge of grammar prior to applying the instruction. After conducting the pre-test, the researchers taught the grammar points to the experimental group through using English cultural materials. On the other side, the grammar points were taught to the control group by using a traditional method. The instruction was conducted in 9 sessions of 45 minutes, and in the last session, the post-test of grammar was given to both groups in order to measure the impacts of the instruction on the participants’ grammar improvement. The findings revealed that the culture group had better performance than the conventional group after the treatment.