A critical discourse study on Meghan and Harry’s CBS primetime interview

This study focuses on Meghan and Harry’s narratives in the CBS Primetime interview with Oprah Winfrey where they highlighted the issues they faced before moving to America. During the interview, the couple raised several bombshells ranging from the lack of freedom, to Archie’s royal title and security, racism, and the lack of support and guidance from the Royal Family, which negatively portrayed the Royal Family and British tabloids. Using van Dijk’s ideological square model and its discursive strategies as a framework, this study examines how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex linguistically construct the self-other representations that are evident in their interview via critical discourse analysis and narrative inquiry approach. Findings show that the couple most commonly employed discursive strategies such as victimisation, vagueness, disclaimers, comparisons, evidentiality, hyperbole, history as a lesson, generalisation, pseudo-ignorance, implications, distancing, openness, and polarisation of us versus them. In doing so, they represented themselves as positive, while portraying the British tabloids and the Royal Family as the negative-other. Consequently, the use of language in this interview narrative may legitimise the Duke and Duchess of Sussex while suppress the Royal family and British tabloids. This paper is timely as it is only through in-depth analysis of the linguistic features that we are able to unveil ideological presupposition and biases underlying the interview. It also serves to educate the public that there is always more than one side to a story. Therefore, we should avoid having any biases or ideological presupposition towards anyone in any event before the truth is revealed from both sides

What do they really “Meme”? A multimodal study on ‘Siakap Langkawi’ memes as tools for humour and marketing

The popularity of memes has increased in this modern era as they can be highly accessible on the internet. They are significant as communication tools on social media such as tools for humour and marketing. Studies commonly explored memes in the field of marketing and business, politics, and even their effects on social media users. However, studies which focus on memes from a multimodal discourse perspective, particularly in the Malaysian context in relation to the Siakap Langkawi issue, seem to be fairly scarce. Hence, through the lens of the three-dimensional model by Fairclough and the three dimensions of memes by Shifman, a multimodal study on memes with the issue on Siakap Langkawi as the theme is conducted. Specifically, this study examines the meanings and messages of the memes. Findings show that the memes in this study constitute a form of mockery, protest, and resistance towards the Siakap Langkawi issue as Malaysians stand for the rights of consumers. Additionally, pantun and famous memes were used and recreated; the salience of word font and images contribute greatly to the intended meaning and messages of these memes. This study is timely as it provides a detailed analysis of the structures of memes and categorises them into themes to show common trends. Such a move ultimately contributes to our understanding of the ways Malaysian social media users express their thoughts, messages, and dissent on the Siakap Langkawi issue via memes

Gendered Voices in Addressing Academic Needs Amongst Foster Children From Multicultural Society

Students from foster care are highly known for their poor performance in school and retention in grade. Nevertheless, female students in general achieve better academic results than male students. Studies on gendered differences among foster children seem to be scarce. Therefore, this study examines the use of linguistics features among male and female foster children in expressing their needs to improve their academic performance. For this purpose, semi-structured interview questions are used to gather data from foster children in Malaysia. The narratives elicited from the interviews are qualitatively analysed using content analysis approach. The data reveal that the use of adjectives, direct statements and accusation are common in the responses of both male and female foster children. However, the female foster children are more expressive in their responses as intensifying adverbs were frequently used when highlighting concern on their poor academic performance. Female foster children’s willingness to share problems and concern about their academic performance makes it easier for the teachers to assist. The male foster children, in contrast, tend to use denial as a strategy to conceal their problems and avoid displaying any signs of weaknesses. Ultimately, not voicing their problems may result in the lack of awareness amongst teachers and making it challenging for them to attend to the academic needs of these children

Symbolic representation of Tun Dr Mahathir: visual analysis of a Malaysian short film

The fragmented frames of a short film which comprise still images and signs can be visually explored in the representation of timing. The significance of such a visual representation can lead to the formation of synchronised discursive structures that reflect upon political and social time summons in the past, present and future. The issue is that the political and social agendas mapped with ideas of a pre-election campaign and synchronised with time summons may indirectly provoke viewers’ perception of a social actor through semiotic implications. Using a single component framework consisting of Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) grammar of visual design, representational and viewer network and Hall’s (2006) reception theory, this study explores the way agency is targeted visually towards the idea of a political change with pre-election sentiments of a prime minister. On one hand, through the choice of images Tun Dr Mahathir’s past political successes are symbolically represented. On the other hand, he is signified with message of ‘hope’ for a better future to his country and nation

Language of concern on the academic performance of Malaysian children in foster care / Cherish How

In Malaysia, school teachers and foster caregivers attend to the needs of children in foster home. As the children reach the age of eighteen, they have to leave foster care system and take charge of their own needs. In most cases, due to the lack of academic credential, securing a job and getting a place to live are some of the challenges they encounter. As such, teachers and caregivers play an important role in foster children’s lives to ensure the educational needs of these children are addressed. It is essential to explore the degree of concern that teachers, caregivers, and foster children have towards academic achievements. This study examines the realisation patterns of speech act of concern from teachers’, foster caregivers’ and foster children’s responses in relation to the poor academic performance of children in foster care. Based on the language use, it also evaluates their stages of concern and investigates the types of academic needs and issues of children in foster care. Searle’s (1976) Speech Act Categories and Hall and Hord’s (1987) Stages of Concern are employed as frameworks for analysis. Content analysis is used to qualitatively analyse the narratives elicited from the semi-structured interviews of teachers, caregivers and foster children from selected secondary school and foster homes in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Various categories of speech act and stages of concern are coded and identified. Findings reveal that concern is voiced through the categories of speech acts and representative act is highly utilised by teachers and caregivers to describe, explain, and complain about problems in managing foster children; while intention to help foster children excel in school is highly prominent at the stage of refocusing. The findings also illustrate the frequent use of expressive act amongst foster children to express concern on their low level of comprehension in the iv subjects they could not excel. Both teachers and caregivers are concern about the need for improving foster children’s poor academic performance and lack of attention. The older foster children are more concern about their weak subjects than the younger ones. This study allows Social Welfare Agency to recognise the constraints and issues teachers and caregivers are hampered with in order to provide support to improve the educational services for foster children. Moreover, foster children too could reach out for assistance in the achievements of their academic needs. With helping to improve foster children’s academic performance, they would have better careers in the future

Speech act of concern on the academic performance of Malaysian foster children

Language is vital in expressing concern as it allows one to explain their feelings, ideas and behaviour. Teachers and caregivers are concerned about the poor academic performance of foster children as these children have low grades on tests and high dropout rates. Those with poor academic performance might be vulnerable to secure a better life when they leave home. Nevertheless, studies on concern in regards to Malaysian foster children’s academic issues from a language perspective are scarce. Hence, this qualitative study uses speech act categories and stages of concern to examine the voices of concern, of teachers and caregivers towards the academic performance of foster children. The data were collected from semistructured interview sessions with teachers and caregivers. Findings reveal that teachers and caregivers are highly concerned about the poor academic performance of foster children as their responses are most prominent in the stage of refocusing. They attempted to reach out to address foster children’s academic needs by giving suggestions. However, they face challenges in addressing these children’s academic needs and issues. Representative act is highly utilised by teachers and caregivers to describe, report or explain about problems in trying to help the children. This study contributes to the area of speech acts on concern especially on the academic performance of foster children in Malaysia

RECOGNISING BARRIERS TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF FOSTER CHILDREN IN MALAYSIA

<div>Previous studies have shown that foster children frequently perform poorly in school(Watson & Kabler, 2012; Emerson & Lovitt, 2003; Zetlin, Weinberg & Kimm, 2003). Most foster children remain in the same grade at least once, are in need of special education classes, and have higher rates of dropout than non-foster children (Zetlin, Weinberg, and  Kimm, 2004). The reason for their poor academic  performance is uncertain. According to Sala (2009), some of the children in foster care in Kenya reported skipping school to look for food because their foster caregivers provided them with one meal per day or sometimes, none. Consequently, these children have to miss school to look, beg, and raise money for food (ibid.). This could also be one of the reasons for their absenteeism and dropout of school. Similarly, Chan (2013) found that some foster children turn to stealing  because they are not provided with adequate provision of food and pocket money. Using data derived from interviewing the teachers in school, this study aims to examine whether the inadequate provision of food and pocket money can affect the academic performance of children in foster care. Content analysis approach is used in this qualitative study. The narratives elicited from the interviews are analysed based on Searle’s (1969) Speech Acts Theory. This</div> <div>study reveals that the teachers used representative speech acts to describe, make claims, and complaints about the lack of pocket money and inadequate provision of food that might affect the academic performance of the foster children in school.</div