EXPLORING STUDENTS’ VOICES ON SNBT ENGLISH LITERACY: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY APPROACH

This research study examines the challenges encountered by high school students in Indonesia while acquiring English literacy skills for the National Selection Based on Test (SNBT) examination. The research uses a narrative inquiry methodology to gather qualitative data from two participants who come from diverse backgrounds. The researcher aims to gain a thorough understanding of the participants' experiences, perceptions, and challenges associated with the SNBT examination. Using open-ended questions and probing techniques, the researcher was able to identify recurring themes, patterns, and significant insights. Thematic analysis was employed to identify and analyze the main themes and sub-themes that emerged from the respondents' narratives. The findings of the research indicate that language, psychological, and environmental challenges were identified as the primary obstacles. The findings underscore the significance of catering the varied learning needs of students, including language support and personalized instruction. Moreover, offering explicit guidance on the format and requirements of the SNBT test can better prepare students for success. Additionally, integrating technology, such as online resource and tools, into the language curriculum can enhance engagement and provide valuable learning opportunities. These recommendations aim to empower students by equipping them with the necessary tools and support to navigate the challenges of English literacy acquisition and excel in the SNBT examination. 

THE IMPACT OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING AND PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON WRITING SKILLS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON EXTROVERTED AND INTROVERTED INDONESIA EFL STUDENTS

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) and Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on enhancing the writing skills of students, considering their extroverted or introverted personality traits. The objective was to explore how different teaching strategies might yield varying results depending on the students' personalities. Employing a quasi-experimental design with a time-series approach, the research methodology included pre-and-post assessments, classroom observations, self-assessment tools for evaluating students' writing competencies, and questionnaires to determine their preferences. The research utilized three distinct forms of tests, revealing that the significance (Sig.) value stood at 0.005, which is below the 0.05 threshold for significance. This indicates a differential impact of PjBL and PBL on the writing abilities of introverted students. Conversely, for extroverted students, the significance value derived from the data was 0.300, exceeding the 0.05 level. This outcome suggests acceptance of the null hypothesis (Ho) and rejection of the alternative hypothesis (Ha), meaning there was no discernible difference in the effectiveness of the two strategies for extroverted students. Participants in the study were fourth-semester English Department students at the University of Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa (Untirta). The findings revealed that introverted students experienced variations in their writing skills when exposed to both PjBL and PBL, with these methods significantly influencing their writing abilities. In contrast, extroverted students did not show notable differences in their writing skills under the same teaching strategies, indicating that both PjBL and PBL were equally effective for them. This study underscores that the choice of teaching method can have varying impacts on the writing skills of students, particularly when considering their introverted or extroverted nature. It highlights that extroversion and introversion may play a role in how students respond to different educational approaches in the context of enhancing their writing skills

A DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH LEARNING COMPANION USING IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY APPLICATION

This research developed an educational application based an immersive virtual reality application using a 360-degree camera and a software engine called Unity. The content in the application contains conversations with topics given in the English II course and listening comprehension skill exercises tailored to the needs of users, especially for Computer Science Faculty Students. Each exercise is given a score or value to monitor the improvement of students' listening skills before and after using the application. This research is part of Research and Development (R D) research. In this study, a descriptive qualitative approach was used to explain the process, appearances, and results of application validation by six English lecturers. The result of this research was  an immersive-based educational application with virtual reality technology for listening comprehension exercises using several features like text to speech, rotating 360-degree ability, and scoring system. This application achieved a validation value of 94 percent.The highest value of the validation results was the suitability of the application to the needs of students, while the lowest value of this application was the video display which still has to be improved again

MULTIMODAL CONTENT ANALYSIS OF 21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN AN ENGLISH TEXTBOOK

English textbooks are a valuable tool for promoting the development of 21st century skills. Meanwhile, multimodal texts in textbooks are employed by authors to convey meaning through verbal and visual modes, thus necessitating the adoption of multimodal analysis as the most efficacious method for its elucidation. Regrettably, there exists a dearth of literature concerning the application of this approach for analyzing textbooks. To fill this gap, the study examined 21st century skills in an English textbook. This study used content analysis with multimodal social semiotic approach. The subject of the study was an English textbook “English for Nusantara” for the seventh-grade students. The result shown that critical thinking and problem-solving skill was the most frequent type. However, the study did not find any mention of media literacy, and there were only a few instances of economic literacy and global awareness. It is suggested that future revisions should include them. Moreover, English teachers are urged to actively participate in the process of textbook selection and augment the instructional materials with supplementary resources to mitigate any inadequacies of the textbook

UNVEILING STUDENT PERSPECTIVES: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF GAMIFICATION IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

This study examines the impact of gamification on English language teaching, focusing on student engagement, motivation, and overall learning experiences. To address a research gap in understanding the specific effects of gamified learning environments in this context, this qualitative research adopts a case study design, employing semi-structured interviews with ten students attending Islamic Senior High Schools. Thematic analysis reveals three main themes: Positive Impact on Engagement and Attitude, Motivation Through Competition, and Effective and Enjoyable Learning Activities. Participants have observed increased class attendance, a boost in their enthusiasm, and positive attitudes toward learning English, attributing these changes to gamification. The findings indicate that gamification not only positively has a beneficial impact on both student engagement and motivation but also enhances the overall learning environment. Implications for educators and policymakers involve the potential integration of gamified strategies to create dynamic, attractive language learning environments. The study provides new insights into the existing body of knowledge on the use of gamification in education, emphasizing the need for future investigation into its long-term effects on language competency and cultural contexts

WHO SPEAKS LOUDEST? EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS OF STUDENTS' VOICES IN THE DIGITAL AGE WITH WIZER.ME IN MODERN TEACHING

This study emphasizes the need for digital adaptation in contemporary teaching techniques and recommends utilizing the website Wizer.me as an effective instrument to achieve this need. Exploring the dynamics of students' voices in the digital age with Wizer.me in modern teaching is the topic of this study. The study is to investigate students' perspectives on the Wizer.me platform in teaching and learning, as well as its integration with conventional teaching techniques. This study used survey research method. The participants were seventh-grade students at SMPI Almaarif 01 Singosari Malang. According to the study, Wizer.me is an online learning platform that has a positive impact on student engagement, and personalized learning and promotes student-centered learning. The data will be statistically analyzed using descriptive techniques. The result indicated that 86,7% of students had utilized Wizer.me for their assignments, 100% of students liked using this platform, and 33,3% of students frequently use Wizer.me more than two times. Moreover, 73.3% of students preferred using the Wizer.me platform over traditional methods in the learning process, and 100% of students agree that they understand better acquiring the material using this platform than traditional techniques. Hopefully, the study's findings will be of major benefit to educators and those involved in the integration of educational technology, supporting breakthroughs and improvements in the learning environmen

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF USING INSTAGRAM REELS AS MOBILE-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING TO IMPROVE SPEAKING SKILLS

Instagram is one of the mobile apps to assist language learning. The most widely used social networking platform globally right now is Instagram. This study aimed to investigate the perspective of university students on using Instagram reels as mobile-assisted language learning to improve speaking skills whether they had a negative or positive perception of it. This study utilized a descriptive qualitative approach and the research instrument used a closed and open-ended questionnaire with 66 respondents from the first until the seventh semester. This study found that the majority of students have a positive perception of using Instagram reels in speaking skills. Students believe that this tool is comfortable and fun to develop a new atmosphere in learning to speak, it also increases their motivation because Instagram reels provide interesting content for improving their speaking skills, they can find many Instagram accounts that post more about English lessons with short duration even though students sometimes get a distract cause of random video but they already know their own goals to practice consistently every day and everywhere. Through this tool, students gain a lot of vocabulary from the video, quotes, caption, or comment section that is very helpful for them to improve their speaking performance especially when they are engaged in communication with other people both inside or outside classroom practice

READING STRATEGY IN FOCUS: NAVIGATING THE MEANING-MAKING PROCESSES IN READING MULTIMODAL TEXT

Indonesian EFL learners’ trouble comprehending multimodal texts was the main reason for this research. This study highlighted the reading strategy use in meaning reconstruction processes of multimodal reading. In this case, the meaning reconstruction process focused on the thinking processes of readers (EFL learners). This study applied a qualitative design (multiple case study) involving three readers studying at a private university in Indonesia. The triangulation data gained through verbal reports, non-participant observations, and interviews were analysed qualitatively. The findings show that all readers read the text while verbalizing their thoughts during the meaning reconstruction processes of the multimodal text. In the process, they segmented their verbal reports into many thought units. Each reader differently processed the thought units’ meanings through integrated reading strategies (i.e., monitoring comprehension, activating and connecting to background knowledge, questioning, inferring and visualizing meanings, determining the importance of text, summarizing and synthesizing). The use of the simultaneous integrated reading strategies is reflected in three stages of the meaning reconstruction process of reading print-based multimodal text, i.e., 1) Preparation, 2) Synchronization, and 3) Interpretation of the meaning. The complete meaning of each thought unit is reconstructed as a reader is able to implement the integrated reading strategies to find out the congruence of the multimodal information or knowledge of all reading elements (i.e., the reader’s prior knowledge, information of text, and context). Thus, reading strategies are crucial tools for reconstructing meanings of multimodal text

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS (CDA) ON ENHANCING 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS’ CRITICAL READING ABILITIES

This research aims to investigate the relationship between critical reading abilities and critical discourse analysis (CDA) competencies among future 21st century educators, emphasizing the critical necessity for these educators to possess such skills in today's demanding educational landscape. A sample of 70 prospective teachers was analyzed to determine the interconnection between their abilities in critical reading abilities and CDA, with an exploration into how one skill may influence the other. Additionally, the study examines the role of cognitive style—specifically, field-independent and field-dependent thinking—as a moderating factor in this relationship. Findings indicate a significant positive impact of CDA capabilities on critical reading abilities, suggesting that proficiency in analyzing discourse critically enhances one's ability to read with a critical eye. Furthermore, the study reveals no significant difference in CDA and critical reading abilities between participants categorized as field-independent thinkers versus those identified as field-dependent thinkers. These outcomes highlight the need for further research to explore additional factors that may affect the development of critical reading and discourse analysis skills. The study concludes with a call for educational strategies that integrate both critical reading and CDA competencies, considering the varied cognitive styles of learners.

GENDER REPRESENTATION OF PERCY JACKSON & THE LIGHTNING THIEF IN ENGLISH AND INDONESIAN

Abstract: Children’s literature plays an essential role in shaping readers’ characters through the influence of the ideology implied in it. Children will learn and implement these ideologies as the target readers for their future lives. This study aims to find out the gender representation in one of the children’s literatures, Percy Jackson the Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. By applying corpus linguistics, the number of characters and their representations are examined and compared between the English version as the source text and its Indonesian translation. The results show that although male characters dominate the novel in terms of number, a deeper analysis of the collocation of body parts with verbs reveals that there was a shift in gender representation between the two versions of the novel that have different cultural backgrounds. Furthermore, it was found that the author depicted some characters with less fixation on their sex; male characters are less masculine, and female characters are more masculine than the prevailing gender stereotypes in society. In the translated version, the translator rectified the stereotypes by depicting the characters’ gender according to sex. These findings reflect broader cultural ideologies about gender for the millions of readers who enjoy this book. In addition, these findings imply the significance of parents' and educators' awareness and critical thinking regarding the selection of reading materials for children.Keywords: children literature; corpus linguistic; critical discourse analysis; gender representation; translatio