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Pragmatics Online, Kate Scott. Routledge: New York (2022), ix+168pp.

Book review

DOI: 10.58803/JCLR.2023.385313.1006

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The Third Person Pronoun and Demonstrative Resolution in Mandarin Chinese and Discourse Prominence

Introduction: The third person pronoun and demonstrative resolution are influenced by multiple factors in Mandarin Chinese. Therefore, factors influencing reference choice and the relations between discourse prominence and pronoun resolution from the perspective of discourse prominence are discussed in the current study. Methodology: A total of 20 native Mandarin Chinese speakers participated in this study. A picture-sequence-based narrative elicitation method was used to collect data. A formal operational scheme with conditional inference recursive partitioning tree and random forest analysis analyzing discourse data collected from was employed for the analysis of choice of adnominal demonstratives and the third person pronouns. Results: The results confirmed the idea that the discourse prominence-lending cues, including thematic role, animacy, grammatic role, topic, referential distance, and mentioned number influence pronoun resolution in Mandarin Chinese. Animacy and reference distance might be involved in the important variances, and reference distance relates to topic maintenance, discourse dynamicity and structural attracting. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that the discourse prominence-lending cues influence pronoun resolution in Mandarin Chinese. The third person pronouns often signal topic maintenance and high discourse prominence, while demonstratives often signal topic shift and low discourse prominence. Moreover, demonstratives often signal focus reinforcement. Therefore, topic and focus are also considered as the two crucial elements affecting pronoun resolution in Mandarin Chinese.

 DOI: 10.58803/JCLR.2023.386107.1008

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The Phonological Change in Hebrew Words Borrowed into Palestinian Arabic in Hebron City

Introduction: Phonology is one of the core subfields of linguistics that involves the organization and use of human speech sounds, or phonemes, in a language. Over time, the pronunciation principles of a language may change, resulting in a phenomenon called phonological change. Phonological change occurs when language users modify the distribution of phonemes in a language. The current study aimed to explain the phonological changes that occur in Hebrew words borrowed into Palestinian Arabic in Hebron city, using a borrowing scale and to explain the differences in phonological forms between Hebrew and Palestinian Arabic by comparing the original Hebrew words with the borrowed Hebrew words in terms of the phonetic modifications made in Palestinian Arabic. Methodology: The study involved 100 Arabic-speaking Palestinians of both genders residing in Hebron city, most of whom spoke Hebrew and worked with Jews regularly. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with each participant to achieve the objectives of the study. The interviews were recorded, and the questions focused on their profession, favorite meals, daily routines, frequently visited places, education, and technology. A total of 32 hours of conversations were recorded and analyzed. Results: The results indicated that the most common types of phonological changes in Palestinian Arabic were the substitution phenomenon (consonant substitution and vowel substitution), epenthesis, and deletion. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the lexical borrowing of Hebrew words by Palestinian Arabic has led to various phonological changes to the Palestinian Arabic lexicon in Hebron city.

DOI: 10.58803/JCLR.2023.388400.1012

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The Effect of Pre-task Planning on the Speaking Accuracy of Iranian EFL Learners

Introduction: Speaking is at the heart of second language learning. Nowadays, it is believed that pre-task planning, which is planning prior to performing a task, may enhance the speech production of learners. Therefore, the current study aimed to determine the effect of pre-task planning on the speaking accuracy of EFL intermediate learners. Methodology: The participants in this study were 90 male and female EFL learners studying English at language institutes in Iran. To investigate the effect of individual and group pre-task planning on learners’ accuracy in speaking, the participants were randomly divided into three equal-in-number groups. In this regard, 30 participants were in individual pre-task planning,  group pre-task planning, and no-planning groups. The obtained results of the pretests and post-tests were compared. Results: The findings of the study revealed a positive meaningful relationship between pre-task planning time and speaking accuracy of Iranian EFL learners. It was found that individual pre-task planning was significantly more effective than group pre-task planning in terms of accuracy in Iranian EFL learners’ speaking. The findings indicated pre-tasking could improve learners’ speaking accuracy, compared to no-planning. Conclusion: The obtained results of the current study may help language teachers, particularly syllabus designers, design pedagogical activities that pay specific attention to accuracy in language production so that learners can develop these elements of language production in a good balance.

DOI: 10.58803/JCLR.2023.168993

Journal of Contemporary Language Research (JCLR)

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A Study of the Conceptual Basis and Inferential Model of the Question and Answer Cold Jokes

Question-and-Answer Cold Joke (QACJ) is a language phenomenon with particular formal, semantic and pragmatic features. The existing analytical mode of it remains quite simple, and rarely pays attention to its conceptual basis and implicature inferring. The current study aimed to dig out its inferential model based on its conceptual basis under a comprehensive perspective. The particular formal and semantic features of the QACJ have laid the foundation for its four conceptual bases(i.e., intersected question and answer form, indirectly correlated logic, garden-path inferring, cold but humorous effect). Gudied by an integrated analytical framework, its forward and backward inferring models based on its conceptual bases have been proposed. The garden-path relevance inferring mechanism are the red-light mechanism and the crossroad mechanism, both relating to the presupposition entailing, the optimal-relevance’s verifying and the context’s shifting, all aiming at a phase in cold humor effect.

DOI: 10.58803/JCLR.2023.388135.1011

Journal of Contemporary Language Research (JCLR)

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Rovedar Publication Services Can be Followed on Google News

We are excited to announce that Rovedar Publication Services website is now available on Google News. This means you can easily follow our latest updates and news by searching for our website on Google News or adding us to your Google News feed. We are thrilled to be part of this prestigious platform and look forward to bringing you even more quality content in the future. Thank you for your continued support.

In today’s digital age, keeping up with the latest news and updates can be daunting. However, thanks to the power of technology, we are now able to access news and information from anywhere in the world, at any time. That’s why we are thrilled to announce that our website is now available on Google News!

As a trusted source of information and news, we are dedicated to bringing our readers the latest and most relevant content. By being featured on Google News, we are now able to reach a wider audience and provide our readers with even more value.

Google News is an online news aggregator that collects news stories and information worldwide. It allows users to personalize their news feed and receive news that is tailored to their interests. With millions of daily users, Google News is one of the most popular news sources on the internet.

As our website is now available on Google News, our readers can easily access our content and stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates. This means that you can follow our website on Google News or add us to your feed and receive our latest articles directly to your inbox.

We are honored to be part of this prestigious platform and look forward to providing our readers with even more quality content in the future. Our team of experienced writers and editors work tirelessly to bring you the latest news and information, and we are excited to share our work with an even wider audience.

We understand that staying informed is more important now than ever before, and we are committed to providing our readers with the most accurate and reliable information available. By being featured on Google News, we are able to fulfill this commitment and reach even more people with our message.

In conclusion, we are proud to announce that our website is now available on Google News. We invite our readers to follow us on this platform and stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to bringing you even more quality content in the future.

Rovedar Publication Services On Google: https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMJezzAswx87jAw

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Perspectives on English Language Teaching and Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Since its outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the worldwide education systems, leading to school closures in many countries as well as changes in the whole educational system. Therefore, there has been a rapid shift from face-to-face education to emergency online teaching. English language teaching and learning is an integral flow in this stream of online processes. Hence, this study aimed to explore both teachers’ and students’ perspectives on English language teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: The participants included 23 EFL learners and 18 teachers. The respondents took part in semi-structured interviews and filled out the questionnaire. Thematic analysis was performed to analyze the obtained data. Results: The findings from qualitative data revealed that all the participants, as learners, agreed upon the positive influences of online English learning in terms of skill development. Besides, they also considered the flexibility of class schedules and a variety of online assignments as the biggest advantages while bothering with some disadvantages such as internet/technical and health problems. As for English language teachers, speaking skill was the most challenging skill to help students; moreover, some of their concerns included difficulties in class management, online interaction, facilitation, assessment, and digital literacy. Nevertheless, they confirmed the advantages of online resources, new knowledge of technological issues, and development of learner autonomy. Conclusion: Overall, the research appeals to more support from university officials to improve the quality of online English teaching and learning. It also contributes to making both teachers’ and learners’ voices heard during the coronavirus quarantine.

DOI: 10.58803/JCLR.2023.168988

Journal of Contemporary Language Research (JCLR)

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On the Relationship of Iranian EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Depth with Their Writing Vocabulary Use, Fluency, and Organization

Introduction: Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in investigating L2 English productive and receptive vocabulary knowledge in writing. Previous inquiries focused heavily on the pedagogical effects of teaching vocabulary on writing. Less investigated is learners’ lexical competence involvement in the complicated writing process regarding their subcomponents. To bridge the research gap, the present study examines the alleged relationship between the elements of vocabulary depth (collocation and synonym) and the writing skill’s subcomponents (vocabulary use, content, and organization). Methodology: Thirty intermediate EFL learners’ (15 males, 15 females) writing scores on PET were compared and correlated to depth of vocabulary knowledge (DVK). The writing texts were given a holistic score, and several lexical measures were calculated. Results: The results indicated significant relationships (p<.05) between DVK and writing, synonym and vocabulary use, synonym and content, collocation and vocabulary use, and collocation and writing scores. Regression analysis was applied to investigate which element of DVK predicted the writing score. The result of multiple linear regression revealed the double impact of collocation as a predictor of writing scores. Conclusion: The findings showed the predictable pedagogical value of practicing collocation in EFL writing enhancement.

DOI: 10.58803/JCLR.2023.168992

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A Longitudinal Study of Foreign Language Boredom Experienced by English Major Students in a Blended English Reading Course

Introduction: Boredom is a negative psychological and emotional experience prevalent in foreign language classrooms. However, it has long been neglected by researchers and foreign language teachers. In this context, the present study investigated boredom experienced by college English majors in a blended English reading course. Research efforts revolved around students’ overall boredom level, gender differences, and dynamic changes in boredom. Methodology: This study adopted a quantitative research method, and the instrument was a quantitative questionnaire adapted from the Foreign Language Learning Boredom Scale. A total of 174 EFL learners (60 males and 114 females) in the second year of English majors from a private university in Southwest China filled out the online version of FLLBS in weeks 3, 9, and 15 during the fall semester of 2022-2023 academic year. Results: The findings demonstrated that participants’ boredom was at a moderate level. Moreover, except in foreign language class boredom at Time 2 and over-challenging or meaningless task boredom at Time 3, there existed no significant gender differences. Finally, a complicated picture was painted regarding the dynamic changes in boredom levels over time, and different patterns were found. Conclusion: College EFL learners do feel bored in the learning process, which should not be neglected by language teachers and researchers. This study enriched the research on foreign language boredom and can provide enlightenment to EFL teaching.

DOI:  10.58803/JCLR.2023.385904.1007

Journal of Contemporary Language Research (JCLR)

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The Impact of Digital Games on Students’ Willingness to Communicate in a Flipped Classroom Context

Introduction: The ability to use language for communicative purposes is significant in learning English as a foreign language. The present study investigated the effect of digital games on intermediate EFL learners’ Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in a flipped classroom context.  

Methodology: Of 90 female intermediate EFL learners, 60 participants were selected based on their performance on an Oxford Placement Test. The subjects were then divided into an experimental and a control group. After that, the participants in the two groups filled out the WTC questionnaire as a pre-test. Following that, in the experimental group, the researcher used Fun Easy Learning Game Software in a flipped instruction mode to instruct 50 vocabulary items that were identified as unknown to the learners. As for the control group, the learners followed the conventional method of instruction and thus followed the syllabus of the institute. The learners in this group were instructed on the same 50 vocabulary items but did not receive any content in a flipped instruction mode via games. The treatment lasted 10 sessions, and at the end, the participants in both groups were given the WTC questionnaire as a post-test.

Results: The results of statistical analysis indicated that the use of digital games significantly affected intermediate students’ WTC in a flipped classroom context. Learners in the experimental group outperformed their counterparts in the control group.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, EFL teachers are encouraged to employ digital games in a flipped instruction mode to enhance EFL learners’ WTC.

Journal of Contemporary Language Research (JCLR)

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The Effect of Bilingual-Word-List vs. Semantic Network Practices on EFL Lexical Competence

Introduction: The crucial role of lexis over other language elements in language learning prompts the argument of finding the most suitable way to enhance vocabulary learning among the studies in the educational arena. Among various word learning strategies, semantic network practices have received the least attention from researchers. Accordingly, the present follow-up study aimed to touch upon effective vocabulary learning, in general, and compare semantic network practices with the most common learning strategy implemented by EFL learners (learning from bilingual word lists), in particular. Methodology: The project investigated the effectiveness of the two treatments among 114 EFL university students of both genders who were assigned to two experimental groups to receive the treatments and the third group of 43 EFL learners as the control group. Word Associates Test (WAT) and Original Levels Test (OLT) were administered as pre-tests to research subjects. The participants in experimental groups received four pamphlets every other week. After eight weeks, the WAT and OLT were re-administered to the same sample as the post-tests to check the effect of the treatments on the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge. Results: The comparative results indicated that both treatments had significant effects on the depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge. The obtained results of the post-tests revealed the stronger role of semantic network practices on the depth of vocabulary knowledge than bilingual word lists. The comparisons of the mean scores of synonyms and collocations of WAT post-test in experimental groups indicated that class A (experimental group who received sematic network practices) significantly outperformed class B (experimental group who received bilingual word lists) in collocations. Conclusion: The study concluded that the FL learners’ mastery of new vocabulary knowledge is possible through obtaining a deep understanding of the acquired words.

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An Investigation of Culture Specific Items in English Textbooks Taught at Iraqi State-run High Schools and Private Institutes

Introduction: The issue of culture has been a controversial topic in foreign language teaching. One of the best resources for familiarizing foreign language learners with another language culture is textbook. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the culture-specific items in in terms of Kachru’s (1985) concentric circles in English textbooks used in state-run schools and private language institutes in Iraq.    Methodology: Two textbooks of New Interchange series and English for Iraq series were analyzed in terms of their culture-specific items using Newmark’s (1988) framework. Cultural items related to categories of ecology, material culture, social culture, organizations, customs and ideas, gestures and habits as well as anthroponyms, were identified, and their frequency counts were computed. The Chi-square test was run to test the significance of each category. Results: The results of a Chi-square test indicated that there were no significant differences between NewInterchange and English for Iraq series in terms of culture-specific items related to “the expanding circle”. However, a significant difference was found between the two series of textbooks as to the culture-specific items related to “the inner circle”. With regard to cultural items related to the Iraqi native culture, Organizations, Customs, Activities, Procedures, and Concepts were found to be the most frequent items, while Anthroponyms turned out to be the least frequent cultural items reflected in English for Iraq series of textbooks. Conclusion: It can be concluded that English textbooks published in English speaking countries (inner circle) and those published in non-native countries, such as Iraq, include items from expanding circle countries.

Journal of Contemporary Language Research (JCLR)

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An Investigation of Dark Jokes Translation Strategies in Persian Subtitled Versions of Joker Movie

Introduction: Humor does travel cross-linguistic and cultural barriers. Humor is a crucial aspect of mass entertainment and intercultural communication. The translation of humor is also a challenging task for translators as they should have sufficient knowledge of the source and target languages to comprehend the context of the situation. Regardless of the growing interest in Audiovisual Translation, subtitling humor, particularly dark jokes, in movies remains on the periphery of translation studies. This study aimed to determine the strategies used by Iranian translators in subtitling dark jokes in movies based on Molina and Albir’s (2008) model.    Methodology: The corpus of the study consisted of a crime and drama film entitled Joker (2019) movie. In the selected movie, 24 dark jokes were identified. To achieve the study objective, two Persian-subtitled versions of the Joker movie were analyzed. The obtained data were described using descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency, percentage) and the Chi-Square test. The obtained results indicated that Amplification, Literal Translation, and Modulation were the most frequently applied strategies in subtitling jokes. Results: A chi-square test of independence showed that Iranian translators had different strategies in the subtitling of dark jack. Of different employed strategies, the literal translation was the first commonly used strategy. Conclusion: The research findings can enhance translation students, subtitlers, and fansubbers’ understanding of the subtitling strategies being adopted by translators in subtitling dark jokes in movies.

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English Cohesive Devices Used by Indonesian EFL Learners in Their Writing

Introduction: Cohesive devices are regarded as an important linking marker in organizing the sequence of the idea. The purpose of this study was to find out the cohesive English devices used by Indonesian EFL students in their writing. It also dealt with the factors affecting students’ writing ability with regard to English cohesive mastery. Methodology: Participants in the current study were 100 sixth-semester EFL students studying at universities in Kupang, Indonesia. The instruments used were fill-in-the-blank tests and a sequence of pictures. The analysis of collected data revealed that the respondents were able to use references and conjunction in the fill-the-blank writing tasks. Results: It was found that substitution and ellipsis were considered difficult cohesive devices for students. The findings also confirmed that the respondents had problems using an ellipsis based on a sequence of pictures in their writing. The obtained results indicated that the Indonesian students favored using reference and conjunction cohesive devices. Various factors, such as a lack of teachers’ knowledge in introducing cohesive devices to students, can affect Indonesian learners' use of cohesive devices. Conclusion: The results of this research provided a general understanding of cohesive devices in Indonesian EFL learners’ writing. This will help to identify students’ problems in using cohesive devices, such as overuse, underuse, or never use of certain cohesive devices. Teachers are suggested to introduce the devices, such as substitution and ellipsis, in writing class.

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Developing the Speaking Ability of EFL Learners through Scaffolding

Introduction: The role of productive skills in social interactions is becoming more and more evident in modern communities. This study aimed to determine the effect of scaffolding on EFL learners’ speaking skills.    Methodology: A total of 60 EFL students were recruited in the current study. The subjects were divided into two equal groups, namely experimental and control. Teaching speaking in the experimental group was centered on activities that offered the most aid to the students. To enhance their motivation, they were given tunes, a casual setting, and the opportunity to converse while taking turns and waiting. The control group attended a regular speaking class. Results: After conducting the pre-tests and post-tests, it was found that scaffolding could significantly improve EFL learners’ foreign language speaking skills. Scaffolding was beneficial to language learning as it aided the learning process by providing learners with linguistic support in genuine circumstances, linking their prior knowledge to the texts, and promoting interaction among learners. Conclusion: Based on the findings, EFL teachers are encouraged to employ digital games in a flipped instruction mode to enhance EFL learners’ WTC.

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Processing Referentially Ambiguous Pronouns by Adult Learners of English as a Foreign Language

Introduction: Processing ambiguous pronouns by L1 speakers of English has been the subject of a great bulk of research. Only a few studies, however, have investigated the ambiguity resolution of pronouns by people for whom English is a second or foreign language. In this study, the researchers employed a picture selection task to explore how adult Iranian EFL learners treated ambiguous pronouns. Methodology: The materials were 20 experimental items in four different conditions (i.e., manipulation of neither NP1 nor NP2, NP1 manipulation, both NPs manipulation and NP2 manipulation) plus 30 filler items. The principal purpose of this study was to investigate whether manipulation of NPs by attaching extra content/semantic information to them had any impact on their accessibility and how the participants associated ambiguous pronouns with NPs when attempting to choose an antecedent. Results: The results confirmed the idea that increasing the length of an NP is an important mechanism employed by EFL learners in the process of ambiguity resolution of pronouns. The results also indicated that the NP length mechanism was a better predictor of accessibility in comparison with other mechanisms, such as the primacy effect, the subject rule, and the grammatical role. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that when an NP carries extra linguistic information compared to other NPs, it might have a better chance of being selected as the referent of an ambiguous pronoun.

Journal of Contemporary Language Research (JCLR)

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Cross-cultural Study of Grit among Iranian, Turkish, and Iraqi EFL Learners

Introduction: Positive psychology has been a buzzword in language learning and teaching practices recently. Among different concepts, grit, a tendency to maintain stamina to tackle long-term challenges, has received significant but inadequate consideration. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the role of grit in learning English as a foreign language (EFL) by Iranian, Turkish, and Iraqi learners. Methodology: Using a non-experimental and descriptive design, the present study explored three cohorts from Iranian, Turkish, and Iraqi learning contexts to compare EFL learners’ grit to examine whether language played a role in their perseverance of effort combined with passion. A total of 684 EFL learners participated in the study from three different cultures. The data for the study were collected via Google form employing the domain-specific L2 grit scale designed by Teimouri et al. (2020).   Results: The findings revealed that Persian learners’ grit in language learning was higher than the other two groups in terms of proficiency level. Moreover, regardless of the EFL learners’ first language, learners at advanced levels had the highest mean, followed by the intermediate and elementary groups. However, there was no significant interaction between the first language and proficiency. Conclusion: In conclusion, grit can act as a strong predictor of EFL learners’ achievement as their level of English proficiency increases. The findings could benefit material developers and teachers and help them consider grit as a predictor of achievement for EFL learners.

Journal of Contemporary Language Research (JCLR)

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