Exploring Languages in the Linguistic Landscape of Bandar Grissee

This current study investigates the languages used in the linguistic landscape of a heritage tourism place, Bandar Grissee, Gresik, Indonesia. A total of 125 signs were collected through observation and photograph methods. These signs were then analyzed with focusing on the language choices and the strategy of the languages and the information presented in the signages. The results show that the languages used in the linguistic landscape of Bandar Grissee, both in top-down and bottom-up signs, are presented in the same categories: monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual. However, the language choices vary significantly among the signs. The salience of Indonesian and languages related to the cultural and historical values, such as Javanese, Chinese, Arabic, and Dutch, clearly appears in top-down signs, while bottom-up signs predominantly feature English, which is appealing for commercial purposes. The strategy of the languages and information presented in each sign is also different. Top-down signs predominantly use monolingual languages, while bilingual and multilingual signs employ the overlapping and fragmentary strategies. Conversely, bottom-up signs predominantly use bilingual languages with the fragmentary strategy. These results conclude that signmakers have a significant impact on the languages used, both in the language choices and the strategy, in the linguistic landscape of Bandar Grissee to reach their own goals on making the signages. Thus, the linguistic landscape could be a potential tool for the establishment of sustainable tourism and support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by preserving cultural heritage

Counter-Speech On Israel-Hamas Conflict News Comments

Israel-Hamas conflict has been a worldwide issue and its news on social media raised various responses on the comment section. Counter-speech comments are found on Instagram in most of hate speech comments. The study aimed to determine the types of counter-speech`s exchanges and its strategy found on Instagram comment section towards Israel and Hamas conflict news also to investigate the perceptions of social group about Israel and Hamas. Campbell Kathrin's (2010) theory used to examine respondents' views based on social assessment and social identification and Susan's (2016) framework to classify counter-speech interactions and tactics/strategy used. Documentary was used by selecting the suitable data on BBC Instagram account`s comments which were counter-speech written in English and interview were done to seven respondents as Instagram users from Indonesia with the age category of 18 to 34 years. The result shows that: (1) two exchanges type of counter-speech used in the comment section conflict namely One-to-One and One-to-Many are commonly used in Instagram as its features support; (2) the counter-speech comment contained all strategy that was dominantly used Pointing Out Hypocrisy or Contradictions and Presentation of Facts to Correct Misstatements or Misperceptions; and (3) social identification plays a role in the perspective or interpretation especially Racial and Ethnic Identification while social evaluation is more impactful to the use of word choice or diction

Violation of Language Politeness and Cooperation Principles in "Mencuri Raden Saleh" Movie: A Socio-pragmatic Study

This study aims to describe the types of violations of politeness maxims and the factors influencing these violations in the movie Mencuri Raden Saleh. Using a qualitative approach, data collection techniques involved listening and noting, while data analysis employed the pragmatic pairing method refined with theoretical triangulation for validation. The research findings reveal: (1) 19 instances of violations of politeness maxims; (2) 15 instances of violations of the cooperation principle; and (3) internal and external factors influencing these violations. The study demonstrates that politeness violations play a critical role in supporting character development, building conflict, and creating tension in the storyline. Additionally, such violations are often strategically employed to achieve specific communication goals, both directly and indirectly. These findings offer valuable insights into the use of language in popular media as a reflection of social interaction and the nuanced dynamics of politeness in communication. Furthermore, this research contributes significantly to socio-pragmatic studies by highlighting the interplay between language use and cultural norms in media narratives, providing a foundation for future studies on the implications of politeness in language, cultural representation, and media discourse

Translation Equivalence of Tourism Website Content: A Comparison Between Google Translate and DeepL Translate

Translation serves as a bridge to overcome language barriers. This research compares the types of equivalence produced by Google Translate (GT) and DeepL Translate (DT) using Koller`s equivalence framework. Employing a qualitative approach, the study follows data condensation, data presentation, and conclusion verification procedures. The translations generated by GT and DT were analyzed in the context of Kampung Kopi Camp, a tourism website being developed as a bilingual platform. The findings reveal two key classifications: (1) the same type of equivalence, where both GT and DT produce denotative, pragmatic, and text-normative equivalence for certain data, and (2) different types of equivalence, where the two tools generate varying results for the same data. Additionally, GT demonstrates a broader application of equivalence types, with a higher occurrence of pragmatic and connotative equivalence, making its translations more engaging. In contrast, DT adopts a more formal approach. These differences suggest that GT may be more effective in capturing contextual and expressive nuances, while DT maintains a stricter adherence to formal structures. By identifying the characteristics of these translation tools, this study provides insights into their effectiveness in producing equivalent translations, particularly in the tourism field. Understanding these variations can guide users in selecting the most suitable machine translation tool based on their specific needs, whether for formal communication or more engaging, context-driven translation. Ultimately, this research highlights the strengths and limitations of GT and DT, contributing to a broader understanding of machine translation in cross-linguistic communication

A Needs-Based Analysis and Development of an English Language Skills Module for Front Office Employees at a Local Hotel in Batam

This study presents a needs-based analysis and the development of an English language skills module specifically designed for front office employees at a local hotel in Batam, Indonesia. Using a Research and Development (R&D) approach and the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation), the module was developed based on Hutchinson & Waters' needs analysis framework. Data were collected through interviews with four front office employees, while two experts—a hotel manager and an ESP lecturer—validated the module. The analysis revealed that employees primarily struggled with listening comprehension, speaking fluency, and confidence when interacting with international guests. The findings imply that conducting a thorough needs analysis is crucial for developing effective English training materials in the hospitality industry. Without understanding the specific language challenges faced by front office employees, training programs risk being irrelevant or ineffective. This study highlights that a conducted needs analysis leads to more targeted, practical modules that directly address real workplace communication problems. It also underscores the importance of aligning training content with employee needs to improve service quality, enhance guest satisfaction, and strengthen the hotel’s role in supporting regional tourism growth

Functional Categories of Lexical Bundles in Indonesian EFL Textbooks: A Corpus-Based Study

Lexical bundles, which are recurring sequences of multiple words, play a crucial role in both written and spoken discourse. Understanding the presence and patterns of these bundles in educational materials is essential for effective language instruction and material development.This research aims to identify the most commonly utilized functional classifications of 3-word lexical bundles in junior high school EFL textbooks. This study employed a descriptive quantitative research methodology with a corpus-based analysis approach. The study's main methodological framework is a corpus-based approach, which combines quantitative and qualitative components to offer a thorough examination of the data. The data of this research comprises a collection of Indonesian junior high school EFL textbooks officially approved by the Ministry of Education. Specifically, the study examined textbooks used in grades 7-9, published in 2022. AntConc 4.3.1 was used to analyze the corpus, and N-Gram Tool was used  to generate the 3-word lexical bundles in this study. The study shows that the most commonly utilized functional classifications of 3-word lexical bundles in junior high school EFL textbooks is the referential expressions category; there are 914 bundles (44.76%). Furthermore, the implication of this research is that these bundles should be used by educators, especially those implementing the independent curriculum, to create instructional materials that enhance students' syntactic and pragmatic skills

Translanguaging Practices in the Rural Tourism Linguistic Landscape in Showcasing Cultural Identity: An Activity Theory Analysis

This study examines the roles of translanguaging practices in the linguistic landscape in a rural tourism area and their contribution to showcasing cultural identity from the perspective of activity theory. Translanguaging emerges as a significant tool in rural tourism, serving as a cultural hub where diverse linguistic and cultural expressions intersect to attract visitors with their unique nature, heritage, and traditions. Through an analysis of activity theory, this study explores the translanguaging practices of signage containing verbal and other multimodal semiotic resources at Alamendah in constructing and promoting tourism activities and its local cultural identity. The data were gathered from photographs of signage, observation, and interviews with the tourism manager, staff, and the local elder to see how translanguaging practices enable the community to showcase the local heritage and engage with local and global audiences. The findings revealed that translanguaging practices as the mediating tool seen from the 182 signage where 51 (29%) were written in monolingual, which is Indonesian that represents the official language, 71 % were written in bilingual or multilingual, combining Indonesian, English, Sundanese, and Sundanese old scripts. The use of Indonesian and Sundanese dominated the signage, indicating the strong local cultural representation and identity. The prevalent use of Sundanese exemplifies the heightened community awareness of the Sundanese heritage identity with the expectation that visitors would learn more about the language and culture through tourism activities. The community and other stakeholders` contribution to the public signage signifies distributive and creative power relations and division of labor

Sentential and Conversational Implicature Inference-Making Ability of Tourism College Students Based on Proficiency Levels

Studies on implicature inference-making ability of tourism students are ‘deficient,’ meanwhile implicature inference-making ability is crucial for tourism students. The current study aimed at: a) comparing implicature inference-making ability of sentences and short conversations between the low proficiency and high proficiency Tourism college students and b) exploring the factors which affect the learners’ implicature inference making-abilities. This is a mixed-methods study. The participants involved 320 students. Data collected with test for inferential ability were analyzed with Two-way Anova and qualitative data through iterative analysis. It is concluded that implicature inference-making ability of single sentences and short conversations between the low proficiency and high proficiency of the tourism college students is significantly different. However, there is no interaction of types of discourse and proficiency levels on implicature inference-making ability. Since the degree of skills affects implicature inference-making ability, the improvement of the students’ pragmatic understanding in English for Tourism should synchronize the types of implicature inference-making ability to be applied and their levels of skills

Critical Discourse Analysis of Linguistics and Visual Elements of GIV Soap Advertisements

Advertising significantly influences consumer perceptions and purchasing behavior through the strategic use of linguistic and visual elements. Despite extensive research on advertising discourse, there remains a gap in understanding how language and imagery are specifically utilized in beauty and skincare product advertisements, particularly on social media. While existing studies have explored general advertising strategies, limited research has examined the interplay between linguistic choices, visual representation, and color psychology in shaping consumer responses within the Nigerian context. This study aims to fill this gap by critically analyzing the linguistic and visual elements in Giv Soap advertisements. The research examines the choice of words, including nouns, verbs, and adjectives, to determine their role in portraying product attributes, effectiveness, and the desired impact on users. It also identifies various phrase structures, such as noun phrases, verb phrases, and adjectival phrases, and their contribution to conveying persuasive messages. Additionally, the study explores the use of colors-blue, white, green, and pink-in these advertisements and their psychological effects on audiences. Findings reveal that Giv Soap advertisements strategically combine language and imagery to appeal to consumers, particularly women, by creating strong mental images and emotional connections with the product. The study highlights how these advertisements subtly influence consumer preferences and purchasing decisions. This research contributes to the broader discourse on advertising by providing insights into how linguistic and visual elements work together to construct persuasive messages. It offers valuable implications for advertisers, marketers, and linguists, particularly within the beauty industry

Unveiling Power Dynamics in Online ESL Conversation Classes: A Critical Classroom Discourse Analysis of the IRF Pattern

This study explores power dynamics in online ESL conversation classes through the lens of the Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) pattern, a widely used discourse structure in classroom interactions. The research aims to examine how IRF shapes tutor-student interactions, influences student participation, and impacts learning performance. Utilizing a qualitative research approach, specifically Critical Classroom Discourse Analysis (CCDA), the study analyzes recorded ESL conversation sessions from online platforms to identify patterns of discourse control, student agency, and negotiation of power. The Findings reveal that while the IRF pattern facilitates structured learning, it also reinforces power asymmetry, with tutors predominantly controlling discourse flow and topic management. However, variations in feedback mechanisms, such as open-ended questioning and elaborative responses, create opportunities for more balanced interactions. The study highlights the need for ESL tutors to adopt more inclusive discourse strategies that encourage student-led discussions and minimize hierarchical barriers in online learning environments. The implications suggest that modifying the IRF structure to allow greater student participation fosters communicative competence and enhances learner confidence