Responding to ‘nurturing global collaboration and networked learning in higher education’

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The Influence of Reading Strategies on EFL Students’ Comprehension Skill at Al Balqa University in Jordan

This research investigated the effect of reading strategies of Jordanian EFL students’ comprehension skill at Al Balqa University in Jordan / Al Karak Branch. The Survey of Reading Strategies Questionnaire that is adopted and adapted from Mokhtari and Sheory (2002) was administered to 30 male and female participants during the second semester of the academic year 2017/2018. The data was analyzed through descriptive statistics to reveal the frequency and type of strategies utilized by the sample participants. The results then were illustrated and discussed in forms of frequencies and percentages concerning the use of the reading strategies by Jordanian English Language and Literature at the University of Jordan. The findings of the study showed that 87% agreed they enjoyed using these four reading strategies , while 82% agreed that these reading strategies facilitated them completely and more accurately in achieving their reading comprehension tasks than the conventional reading comprehension method they generally practice (technical aid strategies, clarification and simplification strategies, coherence detection strategies and monitoring strategies).Then, recommendations were provided for further research studies of this kind in order to achieve a deeper understanding of Jordanian English Language and Literature students’ reading strategies use. Keywords: Reading, Strategies, Comprehension, Reading Comprehension Achievement. DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/54-05 Publication date:March 31st 201

THEORIZING CRITICAL POPULIST DISCOURSE ANALYSIS: A NEW PLAUSIBLE PARADIGM

As deeply related to Critical Theory, CDA has been established to deconstruct the hegemonic objective reasoning of elites and to construct an influential subjective rationality that contributes to generating a free human sense. Though CDA impartially centers on revealing power relations, its agenda is still politically detained.  Discourse- historical approach, for example, has been employed by Wodak (2015) in the analysis of right-wing populist ideology in Europe; it proves to be deconstructive, revealing only those radical discursive strategies existing in the right-wing populist discourses. Thus, it is essential to initiate a new paradigm in CDA which constructs a comprehensive framework that critically studies the different forms of populist discourses through analyzing their innate ideologies, emancipatory tactics, anti-elitist values, and sentimental attitudes toward people. This newly suggested paradigm, namely critical populist discourse analysis (CPDA) is expected to cause a ground-breaking step in critical studies as it provides a critical mapping for the multi arguments in populist discourses. This article, thus aims to argue about this proposed paradigm in CDA that provides a critical account on the insights of populist projects of emancipation. The article also highlights the interest of CPDA in interpreting the transformation of populist discourses from rationalism into radicalism. This suggested paradigm addresses all populist movements in the world, including those in Nusantara territories as CPDA’s main interest is to objectively analyze and value the core concepts of emancipatory discourses. This paradigm is also applicable to analyze the discourses of liberation movements against the colonial power in these territories.  Key words: Critical realism, critical theory, discourse analysis, methods in qualitative inquiry, qualitative evaluation Cite as: Al-Ramahi, R. A. & Ab Rashid, R. (2019). Theorizing critical populist discourse analysis: A new plausible paradigm. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 4(1), 422-446. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol4iss1pp422-44

Colligations of Prepositions: Essential Properties of Legal Phraseology

Specialised discourses manifest the organising thoughts of the discourse community that speaks the language.  They are formed by a series of interrelated linguistic properties that are joined in sentences by small but very important lexico-grammatical properties - colligations of prepositions. This paper reviewed the linguistic properties that constitute these linguistic patterns (colligations of prepositions) as well as their semantic and pragmatic functions in legal discourse. The literature reveals that prepositions have both the lexical and grammatical statuses. They are prevalent in legal texts, and they play very important role in conveying the thoughts of the discourse community of the law. Proficient linguistic users are marked by having competence of these patterns. Due to the importance of colligations of prepositions in legal discourse, it is recommended that law students and legal scholars be taught colligations of prepositions explicitly rather than learning them implicitly.

NIGERIAN POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE AND PERCEIVED COMPETENCE IN USING ICT RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH PURPOSE

The study aims to investigate the attitudes of Nigerian postgraduate students towards information and communication technology (ICT) and their perceived competence in using ICT resources for research purpose. The influence of field of studies on their competence and attitude were also examined. A total of 77 Nigerian postgraduate students at a university in Malaysia were randomly selected for the study. Data collected through questionnaires were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistic approaches. The analysis reveals that majority of the postgraduate students have positive attitude towards ICT and they perceive that they are competent in using several basic ICT tools. There is no significant difference between science and non-science based postgraduate students’ attitudes, however, there is significant difference in their perceived competence. This paper concludes that the postgraduate students require more hands-on experiences and special training programs so that they can maximize the use of ICT for research purpose. It is hoped that the findings revealed in this study will help the policy makers in designing necessary courses to improve the quality of postgraduates in the country.Keywords: Information and communication technology, Malaysia, Nigerian student, postgraduate, students’ attitudeCite as: Bichi, A.A., Embong, R., & Rashid, R.A. (2017). Nigerian postgraduate students’ attitude and perceived competence in using ICT resources for research purpose. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 2(2), 224-230.  http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol2iss2pp224-23

The Semantics of the Preposition “alā” in the Quran: A Conceptual Metaphor Perspective

Traditional syntactic approaches do not offer a plausible explanation regarding the use of the Arabic preposition “alā” with abstract nouns or states. This article adopts a corpus-based approach to investigate the semantic classification of the preposition “alā” in the Quran from a cognitive linguistic perspective. Conceptual metaphor theory (hereafter CMT) was employed to find out conceptual metaphors (hereafter CM) in the data retrieved from the Quran with the help of search Quran software. CMT holds that human sensorimotor neural structures help store spatial relationships, which are then used to map the abstract concepts in language and thought, and that prepositions are the products of human sensorimotor neural structures. This paper found nine key CM themes behind the usage of prepositions in the data. Contact and support schemas were at the heart of the literal and metaphorical use of the spatial preposition “alā” in the Quran. However, it was also found that language generation and comprehension involve the role of multimodal perceptual schemas and linguistic knowledge rather than the unilinear process of one CM. This paper suggests further research into spatial relations across languages to explore the cross-cultural implications of image schemas

TEACHERS’ ENGAGEMENT IN SOCIAL SUPPORT PROCESS ON A NETWORKING SITE

This paper is part of a larger study investigating teachers’ engagement in social support process on a networking site. It concentrates on the social and discursive practices of 20 Malaysian English language teachers as they co-construct social support on Facebook Timelines. The main data generated from participant observations were analysed using discourse analysis approach. The findings revealed that the teachers mainly post about negative experiences at school, such as facing colleagues and students whom they perceived as problematic and time pressure. By posting their negative experiences, teachers can be seen to initiate the co-construction of both emotional and informational support with Friends they believe are like-minded and supportive. This paper thus argues that teachers' postings on social networking sites are more than just an account of mundane teaching-related experiences, but serve as a mechanism for them to obtain social support to help them reflect on their practice and cope with the emotional turmoil arising from day-to-day challenges at school. Keywords: Social support, Malaysian English language teacher, Facebook Timeline, co-construction, discursive identity.Cite as: Rashid, R.A., Rahman, M.F.A., & Rahman, S.B.A. (2016). Teachers’ engagement in social support process on a networking site. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 1(1), 34-45.  http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol1iss1pp34-4

Conceptualizing the complexity of reflective practice in education

In higher education, reflective practice has become a dynamic, participatory, and cyclical process that contributes to educators’ professional development and personal growth. While it is now a prominent part of educators, many still find it challenging to apply the concept for it carries diverse meaning for different people in different contexts. This article attempts to (re)conceptualize the complexity of reflective practice in an educational context. Scholars in this field have taken different approaches to reflective practice, but all these approaches consist of four main components in common: (i) reflecting; (ii) planning for future action; (iii) acting; and (iv) evaluating the outcomes. We extend the existing literature by proposing a model which integrates these four components with three key aspects of reflection: problem-solving, action orientation, and criticality. The novelty of this model lies within its alignment of the three key aspects with different levels of criticality in a comprehensive framework with detailed descriptors provided. The model and its descriptors are useful in guiding individuals who directly or indirectly involve in critical reflection, especially educators, in appraising their levels of criticality and consequently engage in a meaningful reflection

The enactment of the Malaysian common European framework of reference (CEFR): National master trainer’s reflection

As Malaysia sets out to realise their plan of the English Language Education Reform, the adaptation and implementation of Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) is an obvious choice; however, creating a high-calibre teaching workforce to carry it out poses a significant challenge. This critical reflection article elucidates the implementation of CEFR in Malaysian Pre-, Primary and Secondary schools from the perspective of a National Master Trainer (NMT) who attended multiple courses by Cambridge English Super Trainers (CEST) before going on to train English language teachers using the Cascade Training Model. Based on the trainer’s experience, this article discusses the progress of the training, starting from CEST as the first tier, NMT as the second tier, and District Trainer (DT) as the third tier, until it reaches the teachers who will apply their knowledge and skills in the classroom. We conclude that despite the long and careful planning in terms of teacher training for the CEFR implementation, there are various aspects that need improvements, to better guarantee success in producing an English language programme along with international standards, as the plan dictates

English Language Learning Through Non-Technology Games: A Case Study of International Students at a Lithuanian University

Research on gamified language learning often involves the use of digital games. Little is known about the use of non-technology games in promoting language learning despite their accessibility. This paper aims to fill in this lacuna by providing insights into international students’ engagement in non-technology gamified English language learning in the context of a Lithuanian university. The research, which used a case study approach as its methodology, involved a total of 30 international students at a Lithuanian university together with their two instructors. They were observed for two weeks, and then interviewed by the researchers. An inductive thematic analysis approach proposed by Braun and Clark was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the students’ engagement with the non-technology gamified lessons have impacted them positively as they believe that they have improved English language proficiency and better mastery of the 21-st century learning skills. However, the participants raised several issues related to cultural sensitivity and blurred learning outcomes. This study concluded that non-technology games serve as a useful tool in promoting language learning in the 21st century if it is carefully designed to attract learners’ interests and at the same to time meet the learning outcomes. This study is hoped to encourage practitioners to experiment with non-technology gamified lessons and provide guidelines for them in conducting effective non-technology gamified lessons