JOALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literature)

Communication barriers between gen Z and alpha in the cultural digitalization era

Bambang Wibisono, Titis Rizka Yusnita, Akhmad Haryono — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The role of culture in the interaction process also determines the effectiveness of communication that takes place between generations. This research aims to describe communication barriers that impact the effectiveness of interactions between Gen Z and Alpha in the era of cultural digitalization. The literature used is Chaney and Martin's theory of communication barriers which was processed through a process of observation and interviews. The research results showed that there were nine types of barriers found, namely physical, cultural, perceptual, motivational, experiantial, emotional, linguistic, non-verbal, and competition. The nine types of communication barriers are supported by explanations from sources or participants in the data. These findings show that there is a gap between Gen Z and Alpha, in this case in the context of cross-cultural communication. This has an impact on the emergence of quite complex communication barriers. Of the nine types of barriers, the barriers most frequently encountered are linguistic, motivational, and competition. Based on these findings, motivational communication barriers have the potential to give rise to conflict between Gen Z and Alpha due to a feeling of not being appreciated when interacting. The role of digital in this era also has an impact on hampering effectiveness of communication. Nevertheless, communication barriers from a cultural aspect need to be seen as the complexity of cultural diversity that exists in Indonesia, both language differences and other differences. This should not be claimed as a reason for conflict, but rather as a medium for tolerance and mutual respect so that communication barriers can be minimized. So, the communication process that occurs in the future can be more effective and harmonious.

Fostering communicative competence: A task-based approach to public speaking materials development

Ariatna Ariatna, Ade Aini Nuran, Nazlah Syahaf Nasution — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

While ample studies have explored the creation of task-based materials to enhance the English proficiency of university students, there has been limited research on how such materials can be tailored to promote university students' public speaking competence. This paper presents findings from a research and development (R&D) study aimed at refining English teaching materials using a task-based approach to bolster university students' public speaking abilities. The study was conducted in the English Language Department at a public university in Medan and followed the R&D model by employing a multi-phase methodology. Initially, a needs analysis was carried out using a questionnaire to gather student data, focusing on their learning needs and preferences for public speaking skill development. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics to identify key trends. Based on the findings, task-based public speaking materials were developed, featuring structured debates, role-plays, and presentations that encouraged students to engage in real-world speaking tasks. These materials aimed to cultivate both linguistic and strategic competencies necessary for effective public speaking in academic and professional contexts. The materials were then validated through expert evaluation to ensure content accuracy, alignment with public speaking objectives, and pedagogical relevance. Following validation, the materials were piloted in the classroom, and qualitative feedback was collected from both the lecturer and students through interviews and surveys. The validation process confirmed the practicality and effectiveness of the task-based materials. Additionally, both the lecturer and students reported positive outcomes, noting significant improvements in the students' public speaking competence and increased engagement due to the real-world relevance of the tasks.

LOTS and HOTS reading questions in EFL textbooks (Kurikulum Merdeka): unveiling every learning process purposes

Maria Kartika Widiastuti, Concilianus Laos Mbato — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) have received much attention in Indonesian English textbooks and research in recent years. However, the role of lower-order thinking skills (LOTS) is inevitable because it creates a stepping stone to reaching HOTS. The current research aimed to fill the gap of research in Bloom's taxonomy by demonstrating the function of LOTS to shape students' higher-order thinking skills in reading comprehension aside from another thinking category. Secondly, the research explored the implication of EFL Senior High School Texbooks’ (Kurikulum Merdeka) different characteristics represented in Bloom’s Taxonomy reading comprehension questions pattern. Each textbook has a different Bloom’s taxonomy question pattern. The second aims are inspired by research investigating Bloom's taxonomy, which mainly did not discuss English textbooks used in Kurikulum Merdeka. This research employed document analysis to investigate Bloom’s taxonomy in two Senior High School English textbooks. To triangulate the data analysis results, the researchers analyzed the answers to open-ended questions from two graduating undergraduate English education students. An experienced English teacher also verified the results of the analysis. The findings show that LOTS enabled students to pay attention to important details and the main ideas and apply the text structure. HOTS enhanced critical thinking, problem-solving, strategic thinking, empathy, and creativity. LOTS and HOTS questions should be complementary to empower students’ reading skills. The findings provide insights into the nuance in reading comprehension through the balanced structure of LOTS and HOTS questions.

Multicultural values in ELT textbook for Indonesian elementary schools: a critical discourse analysis

Ahmad Amin Dalimunte, Irma Suryani — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Incorporating cultural elements into teaching is essential for Indonesian educators. However, a key issue currently observed is the lack of awareness among English teachers regarding the integration of cultural learning into English instruction. This study was to critically investigate how culture is represented and introduced in an English textbook at the elementary level. Cultural contents were analyzed throughout the 2021 revised edition of the English textbook for grade 5 of elementary school, published by the Ministry of Education and Culture (MOEC). The textbook was selected due to its widespread use in Indonesian schools and its production by MOEC. To analyze the data, a semiotic critical discourse analysis approach was employed on the basis of Kachru's concentric circle framework. Moran's 4P framework, addressing products, practices, perspectives, and people, as well as Bennett's theory on cultural values, were also used to further investigate the cultural dimensions presented in the textbook. The findings revealed a significant dominance of source culture content, while the representation of target culture and foreign culture was minimal. Of the 27 cultural views analyzed, expanding circle cultures were most prevalent. Our findings also indicated that product culture was the most prominent cultural dimension. The findings suggested that cultural embedment in the textbook facilitates students to have a broader perspective of diverse culture. Recognizing and understanding the multicultural values and their representations allows Indonesian students to develop their intercultural competence, which not only introduces them to diverse cultures but also strengthens their communication skills.

Junior high school's EFL teachers' reading habits and literacy practices

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As role models, teachers hold great potential to influence their student's literacy. The present study explored Indonesian teachers' reading habits and literacy practices. In this qualitative descriptive study, 75 EFL teachers from different provinces in Indonesia enrolled in the Kelas Kreatif Indonesia English Club and became respondents to the survey. The study employed questionnaires and interviews to collect data. The study revealed that regarding the frequency of reading, 36 teachers did not allocate exact time for reading, while 39 and 9 teachers allocated one and two hours a week, respectively. The teachers read a combination of material: online or printed textbooks/modules/articles, online/printed newspapers and magazines, and literary texts such as online/printed novels, short stories, and poems. They mostly read for professional and pleasure purposes, and a small number of teachers reads for test preparation. The teachers affect their students' literacy by promoting their students' reading habits by integrating various tasks that require reading and writing with opportunities for students to retell and share their reading results and writing products in open discussions. The teachers fostered the students' awareness of reading by giving reading tasks, sharing and discussing the reading experience, establishing literacy groups, forming reading corners, using the text or result of reading as learning resources, and posting the reading activities on social media. This study shows that teachers are potential influencers on the environment. Thus, further research should be conducted on the influence of reading habits on teachers' literacy performance on a larger scale.

Exploring students’ attitudes towards their own English accent: Insights from SMA Negeri 1 Stabat

Fika Emylia Effendi, Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, Rusdi Noor Rosa — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The norms of linguistic correctness often stigmatize non-standard accents and varieties of English, reinforcing a perception of inadequacy among non-native speakers. This stigmatization is particularly evident among students learning English as a foreign language, many of whom may view native-like accents as the ideal, which can diminish their confidence in their own speech. This study investigates the attitudes of students towards their own English accents, aiming to uncover the underlying reasons for these attitudes and identify their preferred English accents. Utilizing a descriptive research design, a set of questionnaires was administered to 34 students at SMA Negeri 1 Stabat, North Sumatra, Indonesia. The findings reveal that most students have negative attitudes towards their own English accents, largely influenced by affective factors such as self-esteem, anxiety, and fear of judgment. In contrast, behavioral and cognitive factors contribute to more neutral stances. The majority of students express a preference for the American accent, a choice shaped by the global dominance of American media, the Indonesian education system’s focus on American English, and the perceived career benefits tied to American English proficiency. Furthermore, students associate the American accent with prestige, higher social status, and enhanced employment prospects. These findings underscore the need for educational interventions that challenge the bias toward specific accents and promote a more inclusive appreciation of the diversity within the English language. The study’s implications are critical for educators and policymakers in developing curricula that foster positive attitudes toward diverse English accents, ensuring that learners feel confident in their unique linguistic identities.

Ideological Rhetoric: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Prabowo’s First Inauguration Speech

Puji, Purwarno — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the rhetorical strategies, ideological rhetoric, and political ideology of nation-building presented by Prabowo Subianto in his inauguration speech as the newly elected president of Indonesia on October 20, 2024. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, the analysis is grounded in Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to reveal the underlying rhetorical devices and ideological themes conveyed in his speech. The study is structured through two interlinked dimensions: rhetorical strategies and ideological rhetoric, utilizing Aristotle’s rhetorical concepts of ethos, pathos, and logos to provide a comprehensive interpretation of the speech. The analysis addresses key themes such as sovereignty, the relationship between the state and its citizens, justice, equality, the vision of a "Great Indonesia," the plight of wong cilik (the ordinary people), and the cultural principle of gotong royong (cooperation). These themes are pivotal to Prabowo’s articulation of Indonesia's identity and vision for the nation’s future. Findings reveal that Prabowo employs a balanced array of rhetorical strategies, ethos, and pathos, accounting for approximately 30% of the speech, focusing on his credibility and emotional connection with the audience. Logos, comprising 40% of the rhetoric, underscores logical and structured arguments, enhancing his appeal to rational thought. The ideological rhetoric, meanwhile, emphasizes national sovereignty, justice, and unity, reflecting Prabowo’s deep-seated vision for an independent and resilient Indonesia. His ideology resonates with themes of independence and self-reliance, advocating a stance against foreign influence, and drawing from Indonesia’s historical struggles for independence. This study sheds light on how Prabowo's rhetorical strategies and ideological expressions serve to frame political discourse and contribute to the formation of national identity, underscoring the role of presidential rhetoric in shaping the public's perception of leadership and vision for Indonesia.

Bridging Dialects: Translating Aboriginal English into Indonesian in the Novel My Place

Delita Sartika, Hidayati Hidayati, Armiwati Armiwati — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines the translation of non-standard orthographic features of the Australian Aboriginal English (AAE) dialect in Sally Morgan’s biographical novel My Place into the Indonesian language. Addressing the challenges posed by linguistic and cultural untranslatability, this study explores three key questions: (1) What strategies are employed by the translator to convey the AAE dialect into Indonesian? (2) How do these strategies influence the transfer of the original message? (3) What alternative strategies could mitigate linguistic and cultural loss, especially given the sociolinguistic gap between AAE and Indonesian? Following J. K. Chamber’s (2004) features of vernacular universals, the analysis identifies four primary types of non-standard orthographic features of AAE in My Place: (1) Alveolar Substitution in –ing Ending Verbs, (2) Deletion of Initial Unstressed Syllable, (3) Eye Dialect, and (4) Morpheme Simplification. Findings indicate that the translation often fails to retain AAE as a distinctive literary dialect, which is largely due to the absence of equivalents in Indonesian language. The translator predominantly uses standard Indonesian renderings, which reduces the portrayal of non-standard elements of the source text However, the study emphasizes compensation as a practical strategy to minimize translation loss. By compensating for the loss of non-standard effects through other means, such as using elements of a local dialect from the target culture in the translation, translators can maintain the centrality of dialect within the story. Although the exact level of non-standardness may not be fully replicated, this approach preserves some of the cultural and linguistic uniqueness, offering a balanced compromise that conveys the broader essence of AAE dialect in the target text.

Understanding Raciolinguistic Dynamic in EFL Classroom: A Systematic Literature Review on Language and Identity in Global Educational Contexts

Nirwana, Wawan Gunawan, Muhlis — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research aims to explore and analyze the raciolinguistic dynamics that influence teaching and learning experiences, as well as educational access, within global EFL contexts. Through an in-depth review of current literature, this research explores how language biases and hierarchies influence educational structures, create inequalities and affect social mobility. The study not only highlights the issues of raciolinguistic but also expands critical understanding of the role of language in reproducing or undermining social injustice. The research shows how raciolinguistic ideas have been globalized and adapted to a variety of circumstances by utilizing bibliometric analysis of the Scopus database and applying it to a wide range of previously published works. It also highlights the need for educational practices that bring these ideas into play to solve racial and linguistic disparities. The results show that racialolinguistic ideas are not only globally spread, but also adapted in various educational contexts, reflecting how language policies and pedagogical practices can reinforce or challenge social injustice. Using a cross-country survey and case studies, this study identifies adaptive strategies used in EFL teaching to deal with linguistic and racial challenges. In addition, the findings emphasize the importance of policy-based approaches and more inclusive pedagogies to reduce language and racial disparities in education. By cross-national surveys and case studies, the study emphasizes the significance of adaptive techniques and the complex interactions between language and race in EFL classroom.

Imagining Liberation; a Prophetic Literary Analysis in Atef Abu Saif’s Diary “Don’t Look Left: A Diary of Genocide”

Zulfi Zumala Dwi Andriani — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines the quest for liberation by Palestinians amidst Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip from October 2023 to December 2023, as documented in Atef Abu Saif's diary, "Don't Look Left: A Diary of Genocide." the diary showed that Palestine experiences kinds of oppression during Israel’s attack. The method used is the descriptive analysis with the theory of Kuntowijoyo's prophetic analysis. There are two kinds of liberation proposed by Kuntowijoyo: external liberation and internal liberation. However, the finding revealed that the Palestinians were only struggling for external liberation. The external liberation that is depicted in Atef's diary is the liberation efforts of Palestinians from some oppressions executed by Israel, such as political oppression, cultural oppression, and economic oppression. The prophetic analysis powerfully indicates the interconnected between religion and social issues. The examination of Atef’s diary also illustrates that the socioeconomic issues confronting Palestine now are intricately linked to the essence of prophecy, asserting that all individuals possess the inherent right to liberation from any form of oppression, irrespective of race, religion, or nationality. Moreover, the Atef's diary illustrates the reality of Palestinian existence under Israeli aggression and offers further insight into war literature grounded on life writing.

Framing Conflict through Euphemism and Dysphemism in Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern Media

Muhammad Ali Rohmatullah, Agwin Degaf — Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Israel-Hamas conflict, claiming around 42,960 lives from October 2023 to September 2024, has received extensive international media attention with varying portrayals. While Western perspectives are widely examined, research on non-Western media remains limited. This study analyzes how Channel News Asia (CNA) in Southeast Asia and The National in the Middle East employ euphemism and dysphemism to frame public perceptions of the conflict. Using Allan and Burridge’s typologies, this qualitative research examines 20 news articles from each outlet between October 2023 and September 2024. Through coding and categorization, it explores how language not only reports events but also shapes national and international discourse. Results reveal a significant difference in rhetorical approach: CNA predominantly uses dysphemisms, particularly to delegitimize Hamas, positioning the group as a threat. to state and represent a very bad thing or condition. In contrast, The National employs more euphemisms to soften portrayals of Palestinian actions and emphasize humanitarian concerns, presenting Palestinians sympathetically and highlighting civilian impact. This strategy suggests alignment with pro-Palestinian narratives, aiming to evoke empathy from readers. This study contributes to media discourse analysis by examining non-Western framing of conflict, illustrating how euphemisms and dysphemisms act as ideological tools in shaping public opinion. Expanding the scope to include non-Western perspectives highlights the role of regional media in influencing global narratives on sensitive geopolitical issues. Future research could apply this framework to similar rhetorical strategies in other conflicts and contexts.

Love and Belonging Across Cultures: A Comparative Study of Two Asian Short Stories

Jihan al Humairoh, Muhammad Edy Thoyib — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Love and belonging are universal and essential to human needs as they transcend cultural boundaries. This comparative study conducts an analysis of Xi Xi's A Woman Like Me, set in Hongkong, and Agus Noor's Kisah Cinta Perempuan Perias Mayat, set in Indonesia. Both short stories narrate the struggles of their protagonists with love, belonging, rejection, and social isolation. Therefore, this study aims to analyze how the social stigma associated with professional activities related to or leading to death stands in the protagonists' way in regard to satisfying their emotional needs, to establish how social rejection and isolation contribute to their self-concept development, and to show attempts they make to fulfill the need to be loved and to belong in spite of cultural barriers. This literary criticism applies Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and a qualitative comparative literature approach to illustrate the cross-cultural challenges in Hong Kong and Indonesia. The results indicate that while both protagonists strive for love and belonging, they are alienated by society due to their professions. Cultural aspects also revealed how Hong Kong and Indonesia's view of death shape their experiences of rejection. This study places emphasis on the intersection of character motivation in the pursuit of love and belonging, societal isolation and rejection caused by negative stigmatisation across cultures.

Exploring Modality in Analytical Exposition Texts: A Study of Senior High School Students' Writing

Siti Khairani Ritonga, T. Silvana Sinar, T. Thyrhaya Zein — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the application of modality in analytical exposition texts written by senior high school students, focusing on how different modalities convey ideas, judgments, and attitudes. Employing a comprehensive theoretical framework, the research categorizes modality into three types: epistemic (expressing degrees of certainty), deontic (indicating necessity or obligation), and dynamic (reflecting ability or willingness). Data were gathered through a documentation method, analyzing 36 essays written by 11th-grade students in an academic writing class. The analysis identified 77 clauses containing modality, distributed as follows: 42 clauses (54.5%) were epistemic, 11 clauses (14.3%) were deontic, and 24 clauses (31.2%) were dynamic. The dominance of epistemic modality indicates students’ inclination to express degrees of certainty in their arguments, reflecting an awareness of the persuasive demands of analytical exposition. The moderate presence of dynamic modality highlights their ability to convey potential or capability, while the limited use of deontic modality suggests less emphasis on obligation or necessity in their arguments. These findings underscore the critical role of modality in academic writing, particularly in structuring clear and persuasive arguments. This study emphasizes the need for educators to enhance students' understanding and effective application of modality in writing, ensuring greater clarity and precision in their analytical texts. By addressing gaps in students’ use of modality, this research contributes to improving their expressive skills and their ability to tackle complex issues critically. Furthermore, it offers insights into how instructional strategies can better support students in mastering this essential aspect of academic communication.