Discourse analysis of texts on Iraq-Iran War: A case study of Persian to English narrations

While critical discourse analysis has gained solid ground in war literature and narratives, few studies have used this analytical tool to scrutinize the translation of ideology in the literature relating to war. This study aimed to analyze how ideology was (re)produced and translated in the Iraq-Iran War narrations. To this end, a sample from a corpus of such narrations was selected and analyzed based on Farahzad’s (2012) CDA model. The results showed that ideologies produced in the proto-texts were rendered in the meta-texts with a few alterations at the textual level and with no change at the semiotic level. The findings indicated the role of ideology in shaping the translated text and revealed how language can be manipulated as a social practice to support ideologies, maintain power, and serve the interests of powerful groups in society. Such materials could also shape the reader’s mind about war. Parallel studies would shed more light on the function of ideology in war literature, narratives and translation processes. This research has implications for professional translators, translation educators, translation teachers and students as well as policymakers for publications of translated texts loaded with ideologies, raising their awareness regarding the importance of critical discourse analysis in translation studies to trace hidden ideologies in texts and meta-texts

LGBTIQ+ education for making teaching inclusive? Voices of teachers from all around the world

As the protection of the rights and integrity of LGBTIQ+ people seems to be increasing in some parts of the world, discrimination and violence towards them remain a reality in many other contexts. As a result, there is a growing number of initiatives for making education LGBTIQ+-inclusive in order to enhance educational inclusiveness and train fully prepared democratic citizens. However, research is still limited when examining the perceptions of in-service teachers regarding the appropriateness of addressing topics connected to gender identity and diversity and the reality of the LGBTIQ+ community in their lessons and their training to do so. By using a structured interview distributed online, this qualitative study explores the attitudes of 89 in-service teachers from all around the world regarding the introduction of these issues in education. Findings show that, in general, participants agree with the relevance of these issues but highlight that their sensitive nature needs to be considered. Moreover, there seems to be a lack of training in this respect, which would be appreciated. Ultimately, this article intends to expand both research and reflection on the importance of making education LGBTIQ+-inclusive as a means to promote educational inclusiveness and the training of democratic citizens of tomorrow

Marketing strategies for mid-/low-end B&Bs in China: A SWOT analysis

With the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy and the promotion of the sharing economy, the boom of the domestic B&B industry has set off and the B&B industry has entered a period of explosive growth. The prosperity of the B&B market has attracted a large number of investors to invest and operate B&Bs, especially small-scale accommodations with low thresholds and small investments. Hence, such mid-/low-end B&Bs occupy the mainstream position in the B&Bs market. Therefore, there is a need to investigate this new phenomenon from different facets and perspectives in the commercial accommodation market, such as tourists, policymakers, community hosts, and stakeholders. Collectively, this study aimed at providing marketing strategies for the future development and expansion of mid-/low-end B&Bs in the Chinese domestic market by analyzing their Strengths (S), Weaknesses (W), Opportunities (O) and Threats (T) as well as SWOT matrix of SO, WO, ST, and WT

Handling translations of data for qualitative research

Qualitative research conducted in a non-English speaking setting requires the researchers to prepare and present translations of data, and then to report on the project in English to reach a global audience. This paper considers the process and ethical considerations involved in such an invisible methodological phase. This includes activities undertaken before data analysis and at the point of data presentation in order to convey participants’ original meanings and fulfil translation ethics. It focuses on educational research using the constructivist-interpretive paradigm on the grounds that its knowledge construction process involves different parties and demands both researchers and the researched to co-construct knowledge. Therefore, researchers in this paradigm might encounter dilemmas around translating data generated from interviews with non-English speaking participants. This paper offers strategies to address translation dilemmas for bilingual researchers based on the existing literature and own experience

Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Environment and Social Psychology in 2022

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the reviewers of the journal Environment and Social Psychology for their invaluable contribution to our research in the field of environmental and psychological health. The insightful comments and constructive criticisms provided by the reviewers have greatly improved the quality of our manuscripts.Their meticulous attention to detail and their willingness to provide feedback and suggestions have been instrumental in shaping our research into a more comprehensive and robust study. We appreciate their time and effort in reviewing our work, and we are grateful for their dedication to advancing knowledge in this important area.Their expertise and professionalism have been an inspiration to us, and we feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with such exceptional reviewers. We look forward to continuing our collaboration between this journal and its esteemed reviewers, and we hope that our work will contribute to further advancements in the field of environmental and psychological health

A Systematic Review of Gamification as a Playful Strategy to Prevent Bullying

Playful learning is an educational method in which students experience fun and curiosity in an active context that is meaningful to them. Game-based learning, serious games, and gamification can be highlighted here. The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review of studies that have used gamified resources as a game-based strategy for bullying prevention. For this study, a search of several databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Dialnet) was conducted. 606 studies were collected, of which 12 scientific studies were selected. Playful strategies are effective in identifying and processing different variables related to bullying. The use of playful strategies in the classroom has many benefits and several studies confirm that it is an effective method for raising awareness and preventing bullying

Social cognitive theory-assisted learning of Arabic: A study of self-regulated learning strategies, social media usage, and motivation

Social cognitive theory (SCT) has widely been used in second or foreign language learning. Multiple studies have also verified its importance in language learning. This present study examines the role that SCT plays in assisting the learning of Arabic by analysing the relationships among self-regulated learning strategies (SRLS), social media usage (SMU), and motivations of Arabic learners. A total of 317 university-grade Arabic learners participated in the present study. The self-regulated online learning questionnaire (SOL-Q), a social media usage questionnaire, and the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ) were used to understand the current issues that Arabic learners face. A quantitative analysis of the data revealed that most of the Arabic learners had medium levels of SRLS and SMU and high levels of motivation. Furthermore, SRLS and motivation significantly affected the Grade Point Average (GPA)-based academic achievements of these Arabic learners. The findings of this study verify that SRLS, SMU, and motivation have a triadic reciprocal correlation with SCT in the context of learning the Arabic language

The implementation of English as a compulsory subject in Mongolia: EFL teachers’ perceptions and experiences

In responding to neoliberal globalization, the importance of English language education has been strongly emphasized in many Asian countries, including Mongolia, during the past several decades. Despite the nationwide prioritization of English language education in Mongolia, little research has examined the experiences and challenges of English teachers in teaching English as a compulsory subject in Mongolian secondary schools. This study aims to address this gap by exploring teachers’ perceptions of teaching English and the challenges they encounter, by interviewing forty-three private and public-school teachers. The findings indicate that although teachers had positive attitudes about the nationwide emphasis on English education, they also have experienced a variety of challenges, including workload, lack of professional development and support, lack of shared vision and supportive leadership, and other tensions related to low pay and the social status of schoolteachers in that country. Furthermore, the study recommends that the Mongolian government must create initiatives to reduce educational inequality associated with access to quality English language education, for instance, by increasing funding for public schools, raising awareness of teachers about their importance for the future of the country, and improving the quality of pre-service and in-service teacher education.

The development of Ukrainian university students’ discourse-oriented translation competence in Chinese and English as foreign languages

The manuscript covers some methodological issues related to the development of Ukrainian university students’ discourse-oriented translation competence in Chinese and English as foreign languages at the State Institution “South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushynsky”, Odesa, Ukraine (Ushynsky University). Against the backdrop of the competence-based curriculum design for training translators, this research is aimed at investigating the structure of the discourse-oriented translation competence and possible means that contribute to its development within specialized translator training in Chinese and English majors. The importance of the study is actualized through the analysis of translation competence models which can be applied to different professional spheres alongside teaching methods and technologies that can provide for students’ academic success. In this perspective, the discourse-oriented translation competence indices as well as evaluation criteria of students’ proficiency level (excellent, sufficient, satisfactory, and low) were determined. The authors used the research tools as follows: the methods of systemic and content-based analyses to examine and generalize the theoretical foundation for the topic under focus, to systemize the outcomes of the study; focused observation using two similar multiple-choice questionnaires and the register as tools for data collecting in three groups of bachelor students majoring in Translation Studies (Chinese/English major and Chinese/English minor) and one group of Chinese/English teachers at the platform of Ushynsky University