Hello, I am Nyak Mutia Ismail from Universitas Serambi Mekkah, Indonesia. I am a lecturer and researcher with interests in English language education, digital learning, literacy, language pedagogy, and educational innovation. I am currently open to connecting with fellow researchers who may be interested in collaborative work related to language, education, technology, media, and learner cognition.
I am particularly interested in interdisciplinary discussions and joint research that respond to current issues in digital culture and learning. Some of my developing interests also include how repeated media exposure, attention patterns, and cognitive experiences shape the way people process language and online content today.
I would be glad to connect with scholars who are open to exchanging ideas, developing research together, or exploring publication opportunities.
English language education digital learning language pedagogy literacy educational technology contextual teaching multimodal learning digital culture and learner cognition.
This study aimed at finding out the influence of visualization on students’ reading comprehension ability. Quantitative approach was employed in carrying out this research. The data were collected through test as it was the main instrument of this study. The data analysis was carried out using manual statistics calculation to find out the mean score before and after the treatment. From the result, it was obtained that the most effect that visualization has is on the inferring; second, it is on details; then it is followed by main idea. The smallest influence is made on vocabulary. Thus, it can be concluded that visualization while reading can help students a lot in terms of inferring, details, and main idea.
Since many say watching movies can have a positive effect on language learning outcomes, this research was done to find out which skills movies can contribute most to, whether speaking, listening, reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar or cultural aspects. A qualitative research method was used for this study. This study was done to find out the teachers’ perceptions of using English movies in English Language Teaching (ELT) processes. Teachers from three different levels: primary, secondary, and senior high-school teachers were asked to answer a questionnaire set in accordance with the research topic. Five of them were senior high school teachers, two of them were junior high school teachers, and three of them were elementary school teachers. Creative interviews were also used as an additional data source. The results showed that most of the teachers agreed that movies play their biggest role and considerable advantages in developing cultural aspects and listening skills. Furthermore, some integration is possible between listening and speaking as well as with reading and writing because watching movies works better with integration of skills. Apparently, even though vocabulary can develop with this technique, grammar is not enhanced alone without being accompanied by writing.
There are a lot of forms of entertainment sources, one of them is prose or novel. Apparently, novels are interesting for children, too; and these days, many of these reading forms have also been translated from other languages. This study aimed at investigating the figurative languages used in a translated children’s novel. A qualitative research approach was employed in carrying out this research. The data were collected through the process of documentation from a novel originally written by Birsen Ekim Ozen and translated by Djoko Lelono. The original title of this novel was Shirin: How I became Famous. After the data were collected, a three-steps analysis was used in analyzing the data. From the result, it was obtained that the most common occurrences of figurative language is personification which is 35.5%, then it is hyperbole and simile which both consist of 29.4%, and metaphor happens the least frequently which is only 5.9%. it can be concluded that the minor use of figurative language in children’s literature is seen as a decent choice because children need a context that is easy to interpret. DOI: 10.26905/enjourme.v4i2.4 698
Vocabulary is the key linguistic item besides sound-pattern and syntactic rules (Hudson, 1996) serving notable tasks in language learning. For English as a foreign language learners (EFLLs), especially adults, vocabulary has become an intimidating notion that reflects in their reluctant behaviour when learning this language. This investigation intended to seek the individual processing factors that lead adult EFLLs to such discontented condition. Undertaking the study within the extent of qualitative case study, there were 26 adult EFLLs–non-English department students and lecturers aged above 25–to answer a questionaire set concerning the difficulties they have in English vocabulary intake. The result indicates that majority of the respondents (20 respondents) have problems with idioms, and the second major problem is the problems with synforms–the look-alike words or phrases–which is faced by 19 respodents. This interprets that most adult EFLLs in Aceh are still complying with fundamental topics in foreign language learning on the regular basis. Conclusively, knowing the factors emphasize the case of word meaning, the finding might gently suggest that English instructors for adult EFLLs can magnify more teaching approaches that leads to word-meaning preservation.
Acehnese language is rich in its figurative languages such as in forms of idioms and similes. Acehnese people have been magnifying the idioms and similes over decades to soften utterances, and they are inherited from generation to generation. Consequently, this study aimed at investigating Acehnese adolescents’ understanding of Acehnese idioms and similes. Qualitative research designed was used, and data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of 10 Acehnese figurative language expressions. There were 51 respondents, aged within 18-21 years old who all are indigenous Acehnese. The result suggests that Acehnese adolescents are still knowledgeable about them. There is 72.8% of respondents who are considered to understand the idioms asked in the questionnaire set. Meanwhile, those who did not understand the expressions come from different language continuum areas. In conclusion, Acehnese adolescents are still aware of the Acehnese figurative language, and this positivity shall help in preserving the values of Acehnese language for the next generation to come.
Science students are known miserable in coping very well with language, especially English. This study searched for the truth of this proposition by evaluating the formative test items for senior high-school level used in a science-based school in Aceh, Indonesia. The sources of this study were 150 questions and 35 students’ answers on the pertaining tests for three different grades. The objective of this study was to find out the item facility and distractors’ efficiency of each test item used for science students in their formative test. Methodology deployed was qualitative approach using content analysis in the scope of finding the item facility and distractors’ efficiency for the test items. The result depicted that 84% of the items are in the ‘easy’ index, and 11% in ‘moderate’ index, and 4% ‘difficult’ index. Then, the data show that only 17% of the distractors’ are efficient. The conclusion is that the formative test items are, indeed, easy for science students but with one condition: most of the distractors do not work properly for their cognitive level. <strong>Keywords:</strong> <em>Cognitive domain, science students, language tests, language assessments, item analysis</em>.
There are still a number of less skilled readers in higher degree education where academic texts are staple needs (Hellekjaer, 2009). This study investigated a technique to help students increase their reading ability in TOEFL reading section. A technique named Notetaking technique was implemented during two cycles of classroom action research. There were 3 meetings for each cycle. The participants were 17 Economics students who are taking TOEFL Preparation course at Universitas Syiah Kuala, Aceh, Indonesia. The result from cycle one showed no increase since the average only incline to 38.58. Then in cycle 2, there was a significant increase reaching 45.11 (which is the minimum TOEFL standard for the university). It can be deduced that this technique might not be appropriate for large classes as it demands individual assistance. Besides, a good skill of organizing information is fundamental in this strategy to maximize the students’ effort in answering the TOEFL questions during the test.
This study aimed to find out declarative memory recalls during online classes. Using a qualitative approach, the instruments used were simple and difficult word-sets. The data were collected through Zoom and WhatsApp platforms and later analyzed using interactive analysis. The results revealed two dissonances encountered: Informational Loss and Built-Up Dissonance. Initially, in the simple-word set, the majority of the students encountered Informational Loss 74 times (after 30 seconds) increasing to 97 times (after 30 minutes). In difficult word sets, it occurred 144 times, increasing to 154 times within identical spans. Regarding Built-Up Dissonance, it occurred 19 times (after 30 seconds), decreasing to 13 times (after 30 minutes) in simple word sets, and 27 times (after 30 seconds), increasing to 30 times (after 30 minutes) in difficult word sets. Surprisingly, it was found that in the recall test, linguistic buffering was generally employed instead of visual buffering. This finding helps teachers understand that virtual learning prompts need to be accompanied by activities involving procedural memory to minimize dissonances.
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to see whether the technique of peer-discussion during the TOEFL preparation class benefits the students in increasing their score in Section Two of TOEFL Test, Structure and Written Expression. According to Porter et al. (2001), during the process of students’ interaction with their peer(s), students have more open chances to ask conceptual questions; and as their peer(s) respond, they can understand more correctly and individually the questions. This study adopted quasi-experimental design involving one class consisting of 24 second semester college students at Economics Faculty, Syiah Kuala University, Aceh, Indonesia. The result showed that the technique posed positive result on the students’ score in Section Two of TOEFL. The findings revealed that the Ha is accepted for the tvalue is 0.37 (df 22, α=0.05, -0.404 ≤ t ≥ 0.404 ). Also, it is significant for the sigvalue is 0.9 (sigvalue ≥ α=0.05). Hopefully, the result can contribute to the theoretical gap in the TOEFL domain since there have not been many experimental studies about this technique used in TOEFL class. The technique indeed helps the students in overcoming the problems that they face in the Section Two of TOEFL. Besides, it can also boost their motivation in preparing for the TOEFL test. ABSTRAK Tujuan dari studi ini adalah untuk melihat apakah diskusi dengan teman selama kelas persiapan TOEFL dapat memberi manfaat kepada siswa dalam meningkatkan skor mereka di bagian kedua tes TOEFL, yakni Structure and Written Expression. Seperti dikatakan oleh Porter et al. (2001) bahwa selama proses interaksi dengan teman, siswa mempunyai lebih banyak kesempatan untuk menanyakan pertanyaan konseptual; dan diwaktu mereka merespon, mereka mampu untuk mengerti dengan lebih baik dan secara individu pertanyaan tersebut. Studi ini menggunakan desain quasi-experimental yang melibatkan satu kelas yang terdiri dari 24 siswa dari semester 2 di Fakultas Ekonomi, Universitas Syiah Kuala University, Aceh, Indonesia. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa teknik ini mempunyai hasil positif terhadap skor siswa dalam bagian kedua tes TOEFL. Hasil yang didapat menerima Ha dengan nilai t 0.37 (df 22, α=0.05, -0.404 ≤ t ≥ 0.404 ). Dan hasil ini juga signifikan dengan nilai signifikansi 0.9 (sigvalue ≥ α=0.05). Diharapkan hasil dari studi ini dapat memberi kontribusi kepada kajian teoritis dalam karena masih belum banyak studi eksperiment tentang ini dalam pengajaran TOEFL. Teknik ini mampu membantu siswa dalam menghadapi masalah dalam TOEFL di bagian kedua. Di samping itu, teknik ini juga mampu meningkatkan motivasi siswa di dalam menghadapi tes TOEFL. How to Cite: Ismail, N. M. Wahyuni, S. (2017). Peer-Discussion in TOEFL Preparation Class. IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 4(1), 63-70 doi:10.15408/ijee.v4i1.4837.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15408/ijee. v4i1.4837
Purpose of the study: This research aimed at investigating the extent of anxiety experienced by TOEFL test-takers in the Indonesian context as EFL learners.
 Methodology: The participants of this study were 50 university students from various non-English majors. They were selected by using purposive sampling. The research design was descriptive quantitative method, in which a 10-question questionnaire was used as the research instrument. The questions were scored by using a five-point scale and the data were analyzed by using the three steps of data analysis.
 Main Findings: The result of the data analysis showed that more than 80%percent of students experienced moderate anxiety before and during the TOEFL test-taking while the rest (20%) suffered from mild anxiety.
 Applications of this study: The research findings can benefit TOEFL Preparation classes’ instructors, by which they can take the anxiety variable into account when teaching TOEFL so that the level of students’ anxiety before and during the test can be minimized.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: Relatively little research examined EFL students’ anxiety in the TOEFL test. Others are much devoted to the anxiety aspects within English classroom contexts such as in anxiety in reading, writing, and speaking skills, the relationship between anxiety and motivation, as well as intelligence dominance among non-low proficiency students. Therefore, this research is devoted to a high-stake test (TOEFL test), which has not been studied previously by any researchers.
This study focused on the application of the Process Approach for teaching English descriptive writing. The purpose of this study was to find out whether this approach would work well for the teaching-learning of EFL descriptive writing by 10th grade students at MAN 1 Takengon. An experimental research method was used for this study. The subjects of this study were 61 students of the 10th grade at MAN 1 Takengon that were divided into an experimental group of 31 students and a control group of 30 students. The experimental group was treated by teaching using the Process Approach. Each group was given a pre-test and a post-test. The pre-test and post-test each consisted of one task which asked them to describe their family and Indonesia, respectively. The data were analyzed using SPSS. Before the data were processed, the normality and the homogeneity of the data were tested. The results of the normality and homogeneity tests showed that the data was normal and homogenous. Based on the t-test results the alternative hypothesis Ha was accepted hence the study concluded that there was a positive improvement in the results for writing a descriptive text from the students taught with the Process Approach.
Teacher talk must be specific, clear, concise, and comprehensible for students as the target interlocutors. This study aimed to characterize lexical density in teacher talks of elementary school teachers and university lecturers during teaching. A qualitative descriptive technique was used involving lexico-grammar analysis from an SFL perspective. The subjects of this study were three elementary school teachers (6th-grade teachers) and three university lecturers (English lecturers) who were voluntarily recorded during their teaching time; once for each. Hence, the object of this study is the transcriptions of teacher talks from these six research subjects which were then analyzed using documentation techniques of data analysis namely selection, categorization, classification, identification, and verification. The results show that the lexical density used in elementary school teacher talk is 42.65% (low) and that one employed at the university level is 36.76% (low). Unexpectedly, the rate for elementary school is somewhat higher than that for the university level. This case appears to have an intervening aspect because the elementary school is an international school. It is learned that an educational institution—regardless of its level—with a distinct learning target would certainly influence the lexical density employed in the teachers’ spoken discourse during classes.
This study aimed at finding out students’ state of motivation, engagement, and time management when Pomodoro teaching technique is implemented in ZOOM-based synchronous classroom. This study is naturally qualitative as it investigates the data from students’ during online learning as individual experiences. There were 53 freshman students from various majors involved in this study who had to attend ZOOM classroom for General English Course from August to December 2021. Ten meetings with the implementation of Pomodoro were carried out. In carrying out Pomodoro technique, the students were given break-time for 5 minutes in every 25-minute learning session. Afterwards, the students should answer the questionnaire consisting of 30 statements asking about motivation, engagement, and time management. Once the data collected, they were analyzed using Interactive Analysis (data reduction, data display, and data verification). The results uncover that, regarding motivation, 33 students had positively-oriented motivation; then in term of learning engagement, 40 students were actively engaged with online learning activities given; and concerning time management, 32 students had good time management. This result apparently implies thatnon-physical meeting—which lecturers probably presume that less stress is employed—demands regular break as well. Thence students can still learn efficiently and effectively.
The study of linguistic landscapes has garnered significant attention in recent years as a means of understanding the sociolinguistic dynamics within a given space. This article presents a critical evaluation of the methodologies and frameworks employed in analyzing linguistic landscapes. By exploring and reviewing existing approaches, the article aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse in the field, offering insights that challenge prevailing notions and propose alternative perspectives.
It is assumed that Acehnese do not make use of personal space during interactions. This study aims to investigate the proximity levels used by Acehnese people when communicating with other people. The observation approach was used to collect data with people who were in natural interaction in public places as the participant. The data were pictured and kept anonymous in regards of ethical codes maintained in research. The results show that there are three conditions obtained from this study. First, mostly, Acehnese people use intimate level of proximity, which is less than 0.46 meter eventhough when they are interacting with strangers. However, this condition only applies if the interactions taking place is male-male interactions or female-female interactions. Second, in a condition where the stranger interaction is male-female, the proximity employed by the people is in the level of personal—which is 1.2 meter. Lastly, men maintained farther distance compared to women. In conclusion, the farthest proximity level that Acehnese applied was social level (1.2 m to 3.7 m); yet, the main influencing factor is genders.
The purpose of this study is based on exploratory research to identify “Challenges in Quality of Education in HEIs of Pakistan”. The exploratory research approach is used to achieve the objectives of the study in less time and with inexpensive means. For the last few years, Pakistan is facing a lot of challenges in the education sector such as curriculum, few training institutions, corruption in education, teachers’ behavior, and less research work. Emerging Issues in the education sector are fewer training institutions and the trend toward research work which is essential to follow for the growth and strength of any economy. The purpose of our research is to identify the major challenges in the educational sector in Pakistan which the educational sector is suffering for the last few years. The researcher used triangulation to carry out the reliability and validity of the data for results. So, to conduct this triangulation the researcher used questionnaires for the students, questionnaires for the teachers, and interviews with the management. . In this regard primary data was collected from the focused group of students using a sample of 100 questionnaires for each university filled by the students of the selected five universities. The findings highlight the positive relationship of quality education with curriculum, few training institutions, corruption in education, teachers’ behavior, and less research work. These challenges caused restrictions in accomplishing competent teaching and learning with respect to quality education. According to the current situation in Pakistan, the same challenges are being faced. 
 
 Keywords: Curriculum, Corruption, Teacher’s Behavior, Research Work.
In spite of being included into receptive skill, reading is no longer considered as a passive activity of learning. It is known that readers should be actively engaged during the reading process in attempt to achieve comprehension. This study sought the impacts of the application of modeled reading in increasing students’ reasoning skill, both verbally and logically. Conducted by following quasi experimental characteristics, this study employed one-group pretest post-test design. There were 23 college students involved as the samples who were given a pretest, teaching treatment, and a post-test. The instruments used were two types of test: verbal reasoning test and logical reasoning test. Each set consists of 10 questions. During the data collection or test, the students were given 25 minutes to answer each set, for both the pretest and the posttest. Later, the data were analyzed using normality test and t-test to see if there is any significance increase after the treatment. The results unveil that both skills enhance after the treatment with modeled reading. First, students’ ability in verbal reasoning ability increases from 34.7 to 77 and logical reasoning ability increases from 65 to 83.4 in average. In conclusion, applying modeled reading can expand students’ cognitive ability in sharpening their verbal and logical reasoning which are beneficial during their learning, especially in reading comprehension.
This study explores how social skills are performed among first-grade elementary school children, focusing on key competencies such as communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution. Through qualitative observations and analyses, the study examines how individual differences influence children's social interactions and ability to adapt to structured educational environments. The data were collected using interview guides and documentation, which were later analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that there are three significant notes. First, regarding the communication pattern, the children are more intimate and relaxed when talking to peers and feel more serious when talking to teachers. Second, their ability to cooperate is shown in taking turns. Third, in resolving the anger conflict, they mostly stay silent, believing that it will disappear, and they find their teachers to help end the conflict. It is later concluded that first-grade children adapt their social skills based on context, showing different communication styles, cooperation, and conflict-resolution strategies with peers and adults. This implies that school teachers must pay attention to the student's ability to develop their social skills.
It is important to keep the cohesion and coherence when writing; this is where the use of cohesive devices starts to be taken into account. This study sought the types of cohesive devices used by undergraduate students in their writing. The qualitative discourse analysis was used as the design of this research. The data were collected from seven undergraduate students as the respondents who were in the 6th semester at a private university in Aceh. These respondents were asked to write a descriptive text approximately 200 words in length and they were given forty-five minutes to finish their writing. The result unveiled that the type of cohesion devices which was majorly used was addition, as there are 94% of the additive device usage. Then, 75% refers to the use of cohesive devices as comparison, 56% as consequential, and 40% as temporal device. In can be concluded that the students use more addition in writing. As a suggestion, it is essential to shed light on their ability to employ cohesive devices more on other types in balance as it is necessary in contrasting, comparing, sequencing, giving exception, and illustrating.
Movies have been everybody�s favorite across all ages. Some movies are not suitable for certain ages and the parents� assistance is needed during the watching movie process so that they can show the morals conceived in the movie. This study tries to shed lights on the elements contained in �a movie entitled �Sense and Sensibility�, �a movie made based on a novel by Jane Austen. This study was carried out in qualitative approach using visual feature analysis technique. The object of this study was the movie with the duration of 140 minutes. The data obtained were then classified based on its elements such as realism, local color, narratives, and symbolism. The result portrayed that the realism given in this movie is the condition of a noble family who had lost all of their wealth and life had been becoming crude. The local color depicts the social status in the mid-eighteenth century. The story was narrated in the linear plot and finally, the symbolism in this movie exposed much about the calming and melancholic nature of Devonshire.
This research is aimed at analyzingthe Indonesian curriculum 2013 (K13) using Posner's Curriculum Analysis Framework: Curriculum origin, curriculum proper, curriculum in use, and curriculum critique. The analysis process was carried out by employing qualitative method, mainly document analyses and interviews with teachers and parents. This study is expectedly considered as a bridge to a more trustworthy effort in K13's implementation, especially for teachers and parents in providing more supportive actions and behaviors pertaining to the youths’ pedagogical provisions. The result depicts that the curriculum origin has been derived from the goal of better citizenship characters which are needed in imprinting the students' intellectual and psychological growth. K13 consists of Core competence and Basic competence for elementary, junior, senior high-school, and higher education in attempt to reach students' higher-order thinking skill enhancement. Concerning on its implementation as well as limitation, K13 emphasizeson technology use, knowledge, and skillfrom various stakeholders, such as from parents, schools, and policy-makers.In conclusion, the K-13 curriculum is a well-designed curriculum but in its implementation it needs further review.
The use of movies in English teaching and learning is believed to have a positive effect on language learning outcomes. This research was carried out to discover where movies can contribute to skills and aspects of language, whether in speaking, listening, reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, or cultural aspects. This study is significant because this study tries to find out the teachers’ perception about the movie-using in ELT classroom and which skill it is prone to, so that English teachers see the chance to maximize its pedagogical use in ELT process. The qualitative research method used in this study focused on 10 English teachers from a heterogeneous background — primary, secondary, and senior high-school teachers — to answer 12 questions in a questionnaire set in accordance with the research topic. The use of creative interviews was also employed during the data collection phase. The results showed that most of the subjects agreed that movies played the most important role in the cultural aspect; and suggested that movies could contribute considerable advantages to listening skills. While the least convincing aspect was that, neither the reading skill nor grammar was linked to movie-watching technique. And this only encompassed one of the teachers agreeing with this statement.
Abstract This qualitative research aims at describing the coastal children’s knowledge and perspective about the Tsunami and earthquake’s symbols and signs. The use and purpose of the signs on the warning board is very important for children on the coastal area as an understanding of disaster preparedness. Consequently, the researchers chose 43 respondents with 8-13 years old who live at the coast of Kampung Jawa, Banda Aceh to respond questionnaire and interview. The questionnaire set contained the verbal and non-verbal symbols and signs about tsunami and earthquake which was formulated in the form open-ended questions. It was found that only 12 children who could answer 80% of the questions correctly from the questionnaire. This implies that their understanding and background knowledge about the tsunami and earthquake’s symbols and signs are very low level even though the symbols and signs are put on their enviroment. Moreover, during interview process, children had wrong interpretation about the signs and symbols and did not know the function because they never get information about the symbols, the way to evacuate and preparation before the disaster happened from their school and enviroment. Consequently, it is suggested that stakeholder should conduct practices for disaster education that can improve their disaster awareness.
In dealing with standardized tests, including TOEFL test, there is a common propensity for test-takers to adopt convergent thinking which is a cognitive process in retrieving a pre-existing answers using concepts, knowledge, and understandings. On the contrary, the use of divergent thinking in standardized tests is scarce because the test-takers do not create new knowledge or ideas during the test. This study sought whether higher divergent thinking ability could affect TOEFL score. A case study was employed to gather the data from 143 respondents (divided into two groups: each 73 and 70 students) whom of which were 3rd year Economics students at Syiah Kuala University. Guilford’s Alternative Uses Test was used as the instrument where the students should name the functions of a stone in 5 minutes. The total of 538 responses from group A and 366 from group B were obtained from this test. The data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics in terms of its originality. The results showed that the group whose ability in divergent thinking is higher could achieve average score reaching 523, while those with less ability in employing divergent thinking could only attained 477 in average. The findings imply that in teaching TOEFL preparation or other standardized tests, divergent teaching technique needs to be employed as the instructors should expands students’ thinking by not only limiting it to Question-Answer technique.
Academic writing papers in Indonesia require students to be able to write academically correct both in college assignments, essays, and journal articles. It has long been a serious discussion, especially in universities. Reputable journals always wait for the best and qualified articles (Wekke, 2015). This research is a qualitative descriptive design employing a case study model. There were 30 respondents involved in this study. They are all undergraduate students at Syiah Kuala University, Ar-Raniriy State Islamic University, and Serambi Mekkah University. The data collection was done by distributing a set of questionnaire to the respondents. Later, the data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics. The result shows that students utilize several strategies in writing academically. First, they frequently discuss the tasks with their colleagues, this is considered important because peer helps a lot in the learning process, including in writing. Second, in terms of outline organization of ideas, students usually make an outline or rough draft before writing. Later, regarding the organizational revision of content and writing coherence, the students rarely do this because the students ’ awareness in re-examining writing after the first writing was still very lacking. The students focus less on organization and ideas, only grammar.
Learning materials have essential roles in building learning environment—whether it becomes learner-centered, knowledge-centered, or assessment-centered. This study sought the trend of learning material development in basic speaking class. This study was qualitative in nature where the data quality was the key point measurement for further steps in finding the answer(s) to the research question. The data source was materials used for 14 meetings of Basic Conversation class. While the subject of this study was these materials, the object was the material criteria categorized based on Bransford’s et al. (2001) representation about learning material development in a classroom. The data analysis employed interactive analysis undergoing three steps which were data reduction, data display, and data verification. The results show that learner-centeredness was majorly developed in Meeting 2, Meeting 4, Meeting 5, Meeting 8, Meeting 9, and Meeting 10; knowledge-centeredness was majorly developed in Meeting 3, Meeting 6, and Meeting 7; and assessment-centeredness was majorly developed in Meeting 6 and Meeting 7. It is concluded that, first, the learning materials used for Basic Conversation class generally developed learner-centered environment as the focus was students’ interest and their background knowledge. Secondly, the materials also accentuated on knowledge-centeredness, though not as much as the first result. Last, there was also slight but still substantial development of assessment-centered environment. It implies that there can be found ample balance between these three types of learning centeredness to promote good learning environment.
Nowadays, the power of English has changed people's perspectives toward their own native languages. Those who could speak English are recognized as knowledgeable persons. Nonetheless, traditional languages, Acehnese, should not be ignored, but it is preserved to avoid it from extinction. Literature has reported that most traditional languages in Aceh are in the phase of extinction. Acehnese teenagers seem reluctant to use Acehnese in their conversation. This is qualitative case study investigating the behavioral judgement of Acehnese people toward English and Acehnese language in coastal area of Aceh. A set of character-rubric in the Likert Scale was given to 207 Acehnese people, aged between 18 and 30, involved as respondents. The result shows that majority of the respondents felt more secure and comfortable with the Acehnese rather than the English ones. Acehnese is highly addressed in sense of humor, kindness, sociability, and religiousness. Meanwhile, English is highly used in the sense of ambition, leadership, intelligence, and confidence. This implies that Acehnese language in the coastal area could be sustained for a certain length of time in the future.
There are four steps necessarily to be conducted when designing multiple-choice test items, namely setting the objective, building both concise stems and options, determining one correct answer, employing item indices to accept or discarding items (Brown, 2004). As a matter of fact, most teachers in Aceh are not very well-informed about the fourth step and they accept all items as they are. This study focuses on high school teachers who undergo all of the steps offered in the framework when constructing multiple-choice items for English summative test(s). The qualitative method using framework analysis was used in obtaining the data. A questionnaire was distributed to 15 teachers. The analysis process was carried out through three-step analysis (Miles, Huberman, & Saldana, 2013). The results depict that the teachers hardly conduct the index determining step or try-outs when constructing a test. This implies that there is no empirical warrant that all items are worth tested and can be the fundamentals for decision-making when assessing and evaluating students test results.
PISA’s result in 2016 shows that Indonesian country score in reading, 397, is still below PISA average score, 493. Although the rank increased, the below-average score denotes that the students are still less literate while reading is vital to all scholars. Most higher education students still encounter difficulties when reading, <em>per se</em> reading is profoundly essential in academes. This study is devoted to shed light on intrapersonal difficulties that higher students face in reading. Qualitative research method was employed involving 83 Economics students at Syiah Kuala University. The data collection process was carried out through questionnaire and interview procedures after which the data were analyzed using three-steps analysis. The result suggests that 91.5% of the students has difficulties in retention—where they tend to fail retrieving just-obtained information, discharge information found in passage(s) with prior knowledge, and cannot relate the information with real life experiences. Then 87% has comprehension difficulty where they are not optimally engaged while reading, confused with contextual meanings, main ideas and supporting details, and about what to expect from passage(s). Finally, 12% faces problems in decoding (regardless of Dyslexic symptoms) for which they still read word-by-word and occasionally despise punctuations. Generally, it leads to a discussion that problems in concentrating promote problems in memory-processing. The authors would gently suggest students to be trained to monitor and regulate their metacognitive ability during reading. <strong>Keywords:</strong> <em>Reading Difficulties, Retention, Comprehension, Decoding, Memory-Processing.</em>
This study examines the sound shift from plosive // to /k/ as a coda in final -k syllabic words, such as duduk, anak, bisik, and pojok in the Indonesian-Aceh dialect. The Indonesian dialect developed in Aceh province area has // variant for most words with final-k spelt syllables. However, due to the increasing popularity of and contact with the Standard dialect via television, internet and travels, there is now a new variant of final plosive production for orthographically final -k syllabic words. The present study aimed to verify if this sound shift is occurring in the dialect by asking 25 Acehnese who spoke the Indonesian-Aceh dialect for daily basis to read an Indonesian text consisted of 39 final -k words with varied vowel letters preceding it, and varied degrees of word-frequency effect. The results show that the final -ik and final -ek syllables tend to be more prone to change to the Standard dialect. The position of the syllable also determines the rapidity of the shift, as // positioned as the coda in the non-final syllable, like words makna anda paksa, changes faster to /k/ sound compared to those positioned in the final syllable. It can be summed up that the sound shift from coda // to /k/ in the Indonesian-Aceh dialect context confirms the lexical diffusion theory, with the speed of the change determined by factors that include word frequency, the position of the syllable (whether at the beginning or the end), and the onset-nucleus combination of the syllable.
This study tried to shed light specifically on head gestures which are categorized as upward tilts, downward tilts, leftward tilts, rightward tilts, nods, shakes, and turns. This study is qualitative in nature since the data quality is considered as the focal importance in generating the results as well as the conclusions. The data collection was carried out through observation and interviews involving 2 respondents in two different topic rounds. Hence, the instruments are observation sheets, documentations, and interview guides. The data from observation (in the form of videotapes) were analyzed using visual thematic coding, while the interview data were analyzed using interactive analysis. The results unveil that in argumentation topic, repondents tend to perfomr more turning head movement, both right turn and left turn. Meanwhile, in discussion topic, the respondents performed more of nodding and upward tilt. It can be concluded that head movements performed by interlocutors depend on the types o topic(s) they are engaged in. It implies that in teaching and learning process, teachers can use this onformation to ensure the situation during material explanation to see whether the students agree, disagree, understand, or confused with the explanations.
This study examines the implications of figurative language in the film adaptation of Laskar Pelangi directed by Riri Riza. Laskar Pelangi is a movie based from a novel by Andrea Hirata which was chosen because of positive messages and motivating storyline it has. The method used to conduct this study was descriptive case study. The data source was merely this 124-minute movie of Laskar Pelangi. The data collection was done through documentation by watching the movies several times to find out the figurative languages and the implications conceived. Later, the data were analyzed using interactive analysis involving data reduction, data display, and data verification. The results show that, first, the literary devices of irony, metaphors, simile, hyperbole, and symbolism are employed in the novel "Laskar Pelangi" to accentuate the profound disparity between the aspirations of the students for a more promising tomorrow and the harsh realities of their present existence; second, in terms of pedagogy, figurative language simplifies difficult topics, helps students understand Laskar Pelangi's characters' feelings and analyze word meanings. It also helps students appreciate literature. Conclusively, it can be inferred that Laskar Pelangi holds affirmative and inspiring connotations for its audience, particularly the student demographic.
TOEFL test is required as one of the standardized test in English proficiency for scholars worldwide, across cultures. This study is a pilot study conducted to see cultural bias contained in the TOEFL test in various TOEFL Preparation modules that are frequently used as the source of questions for TOEFL equivalent in Aceh. Descriptive content analysis was considered as a method that well-conforms the needs of this study. The data were taken from four different TOEFL modules—Cambridge TOEFL Preparation, Barron’s TOEFL Practice, Cliff’s TOEFL Practice, and Longman TOEFL practice module.—specifically scoped into reading section alone. Hence, the instruments involved in this study were the documents of TOEFL preparation module. The questions which indicate cultural bias are verified as the data of this study. Later on, the data analysis was carried out by employing three-step analysis by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2014). The result shows that from those four TOEFL modules, particularly in reading section, the quantities of biased items are not cautious for EFL TOEFL test-takers. However, future research covering the Listening and Structure and Written Expression sections should be taken into account.
A successful process of English teaching and learning has been considered as an ultimately major goal in Indonesian high-schools, including in integrated Islamic high-schools known with doubled-curriculum schools. To mention further, this agenda tightens students’ academic activities as other subjects also bring about numerous high standard motives and goals. This study was conducted to analyze the effect of this compact curricular agenda towards the process of English Teaching and learning from the teacher’s perspectives. The curricular agenda at SMP IT Az-Zahra Takengon was SWOT-analyzed regarding its effect to the process of English teaching and learning at the school. In significance, this study is expected to broaden the knowledge of stakeholders of high-school curriculum management in developing the curricular academic activities in more deliberately careful ways in the purpose of reaching the goal protocols. The method used in this study was mainly qualitative approach through interviews which solely sheds light on the description of the academic agenda in the congruence of English teaching and learning process through interviews with the English teacher at the school. The result showed that the strength is that it has risen the students’ motivation whether in learning English or other subjects since the school provides various curricular activities, instead of monotonous ones, that loosen the students’ boredom and tension. The weakness is that full academic agenda leads to the condition where lots of English lessons are left untaught from which we eventually see that it are a management failure. The opportunity from the agenda is that the students are exposed to multi-disciplinary material abundance. Finally, the thread is that realizing the students with low motivation in English would seemingly remove English into their blacklists as a result of exhaustion.
Regarding the phenomenon of language contacts that happen nowadays, a lot of traditional languages are in the threat of extinction, including Acehnese language (Aziz & Amery, 2016). Many Acehnese adolescents, recently, have discriminated the language and, too, they have preferred to use Bahasa Indonesia in their daily life contexts compared to the Acehnese language. This concerned issue, as a result, would bring an effect on the existence of Acehnese language in the future as well as its varieties such as idioms. These idioms constitute spoken or figurative language have been existing side by side among Acehnese people and cultures from long time ago. Those idioms are magnified not only to express emotional feeling but also to soften utterances. Consequently, this study aimed at investigating Acehnese adolescents’ understanding about Acehnese idioms since idiomatic expressions depict language users’ proficiency. Qualitative research designed was used and the data were collected through a questionnaire set consisting of 10 Acehnese idiomatic expressions. There were 51 respondents, aged within 18-21 years old who all are indigenous Acehnese. The result suggests that Acehnese adolescents are still knowledgeable about Acehnese idioms. There are 72.8% of the whole respondents who are considered to understand the idioms asked in the questionnaire sets. From additional data, it was obtained that those who did not understand the expressions come from different language continuum. In conclusion, Acehnese adolescents are still aware of the idiom use in Acehnese language. And most importantly, they still understand those expressions.
There is a public assumption that Indonesian people, particularly Acehnese, do not utilize personal space during interactions. This study investigated the proximity levels used by Acehnese people when communicating with other people. The observation approach was used to collect data. The participants involved in this study were people who were in natural interaction in public places such as park, playground, market, mosque, restaurant, sports field, and beach. The data were pictured and kept anonymous in regards of ethical codes maintained in research. The results show that there are three conditions obtained from this study. First, mostly, Acehnese people use intimate level of proximity, which is less than 0.46 meter eventhough when they are interacting with strangers. However, this condition only applies if the interactions taking place is male-male interactions or female-female interactions. Second, in a condition where the stranger interaction is male-female, the proximity employed by the people is in the level of personal—which is 1.2 meter. Lastly, men maintained farther distance compared to women. In conclusion, the farthest proximity level that Acehnese applied was social level (1.2 m to 3.7 m); yet, the main influencing factor is genders.
This study aims to test whether using the technique named keeping-journals during the TOEFL preparation class is beneficial for the listening section part A of the test. The quantitative pretest-posttest method used in this study involves single-group design consisting of 36 fifth semester college students at Syiah Kuala University, Aceh, Indonesia. The result is considered essential since, practically, TOEFL tutors need to bring TOEFL learners to keep track on their learning rate on their own; hopefully, the result can best suit the theoretical gap since there have been only few experimental studies conducted on Listening Section of TOEFL through journal-keeping. The findings approved that the Ha is accepted for the tvalue is 1.90 (df 34, α=0.05, -2.02 ≤ t ≥ 2.02 ). It is also significant for the sigvalue is 0.7 (sigvalue ≥ α=0.05). In conclusion, the technique does help the learners in tackling problems they face in Listening section on TOEFL part A as it enhances their listening performance, attitude, and motivation.
A lot of attention and various efforts have been devoted to the character development of students at formal schools. Meanwhile, there are also those who dropped out of school for some certain reasons and conditions which, however, does not clog their future success. This is presumed to be in such a way due to intelligence alone is not what it takes to be successful. This study aimed at assessing school dropouts' soft skill ability. A qualitative design was chosen for this study and the case study model was deliberated as a precise method to carry out. There were 40 school dropouts (aged 7-11) in Taman Edukasi Anak Pemulung, Banda Aceh involved as the objects in this study. The Brooking Soft Skill Report Rubric was used as an instrument. This rubric was filled by 5 volunteer teachers, who are considered as the subjects of this study. A semi-structured interview was also carried out to triangulate the data. Later, the data were presented in percentage to see each skill result. Afterward, a three-step analysis was utilized to verify the data. The results unveiled that the highest percentage skills that they have are Social Skills (33%), followed by Self-Management Skills (26%), then Academic Soft Skills (22%), and the least is Approaches to Learning (19%). Besides, it was found that although they have a low percentage in Academic and Learning Soft Skills, they still have good skills in Social and Self-Management. This implies that the school dropouts still have chances to succeed. Despite a belief stating that social skills play huge roles in determining someone's success—as most the world's influencing CEOs to show us, academic and learning skills never weigh less in strengthening someone's values. Keywords: Social Skills, Self-Management, Academic Soft Skills, Life Success, Character Education
Test-taking strategies in TOEFL are seen as test significance since the test-takers mostly make a guess when they are faced with the absence of decision in identifying the correct option. Guessing with strategy is helpful and can manifest in score achievement. This study aimed at finding the test-taking strategies utilized by TOEFL test-takers. This study employed a descriptive case study by which the researchers access in-depth information about the test-taking strategies used by TOEFL testees. There were 23 non-English department students involved as the respondents in this study. They were asked to answer three sets of questions within different times—each set consisting of 7 questions representing each test-wise strategy. The data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics to see the score variance. The result displays that only 4 out of 23 students who can employ their test strategies—are known to be test wise; meanwhile the rest cannot—known to be test naive .
This study aims at finding out and comparing students' ability in identifying abuse(s) in argument deductions between science students and social science students. The design of this study is a descriptive qualitative. There were 108 students involved as the respondents (52 science students and 56 social science students). The instrument utilized was ten arguments taken from Guth (1969), which is a specified test to drill argument analysis—aligning content validity for this current study. The respondents were asked to analyze these arguments and find out the deduction abuses. Their approach in analyzing each argument was further interpreted through data analysis. There were a total of 1080 analyses, but 477 analyses of which were discarded due to a biased approach. The data were analyzed using thematic and interactive analysis. The result shows that, among science students, the most employed approach is faulty premise (199 analyses), followed by misleading statistics (53 analyses), hidden premise (37 analyses), equivocation (10), and circular premise (4 analyses). Meanwhile, among social science students, the majority also exploited the faulty premise (137 analyses). Additionally, the hidden premise was also engaged in a great number (130 analyses), equivocation (40), followed by misleading statistics (9 analyses), and circular premise (2 analyses). These findings circumstantially imply that, in learning, students with a science background are better at capturing stated details, while students with a social science background are competent at spotting both stated and unstated details in arguments. It is suggested that teachers should balance the students’ reasoning approaches, regardless of their academic backgrounds to achieve learning objectives. Keywords: logic, students’ cognition, deduction, reasoning skills, and teaching and learning.
Keyword: listening, movie scenes This study is focused on the use of watching movie scenes technique to enhance students' listening skill. The purpose of this study is to know whether the activity of watching movie scene can enhance students' listening skill as the high school students find difficulties in listening comprehension. Furthermore, the process also involved four different accents from four different movies to expand students' knowledge. The subject of this study was 40 students of the second year students of SMAN I Takengon who were 40 altogether for each group. Each group of them was given both pretest and post-test, but the experimental group was given treatment in between those tests. The test consisted of 20 questions asking their comprehension about the recorded audio material. The questionnaire was also given to the experimental group to see their opinion about the technique. A t-test, index of difficulty, and percentage were used to analyze the data. From the t-test of the score of both groups in post-test was 2,8 out of 5%=2,64 and I%= 1.99 assuring that the alternative hypothesis was accepted and there is significant difference between both groups. Related to the questionnaire, from the percentage we could see that most of the students give positive response toward this technique.
There are four steps necessarily to be conducted when designing multiple-choice test items, namely setting the objective, building both concise stems and options, determining one correct answer, employing item indices to accept or discarding items (Brown, 2004). As a matter of fact, most teachers in Aceh are not very well-informed about the fourth step and they accept all items as they are. This study focuses on high school teachers who undergo all of the steps offered in the framework when constructing multiple-choice items for English summative test(s). The qualitative method using framework analysis was used in obtaining the data. A questionnaire was distributed to 15 teachers. The analysis process was carried out through three-step analysis (Miles, Huberman, Saldana, 2013). The results depict that the teachers hardly conduct the index determining step or try-outs when constructing a test. This implies that there is no empirical warrant that all items are worth tested and can be the fundamentals for decision-making when assessing and evaluating students test results.DOI: doi.org/10.24071/llt.2017.200201
This research aimed to discover how male and female students used visual hierarchy in their learning videos. There were 7 female students and 6 male students from the English Department, Education, and Teacher Training Faculty engaged in this study. This study used a visual content analysis design and is qualitative in nature. The instruments used were 13 videos produced by the respondents containing teaching material for speaking class. The data collection was carried out through identifying, classifying, verifying, and generating meanings of the visual elements by peering into the visual elements embedded into the video such as style or shape, color, line, space, and scale to create and convey meaning intended. The data were later analyzed using interactive analysis by classifying out the irrelevant data, then displaying the data, to be later verifying them theoretically. The results reveal that, for female students, the style used was generally bright-colored animated visuals with varied textures such as furry animals or glossy cute ladies. The space is rather crowded and the object composition is mostly occupied on the right or left with standard scaling. Lines were used with varied width and weights. For male students, more natural style was engaged, muted colors without the implementation of lines and textures. The spacing is also plain, the object composition is centered, and the scaling is small, no lines were employed. It implies that female students engaged various visual elements in video editing compared to male students.
 
 Keywords: Visual, Hierarchy Analysis, Learning Video, Gender Preferences, Design in ELT
This study aimed at putting an experiment to young learners in acquiring through the use of gestures as the treatment process. This study was carried out under the procedure of the quasi-experimental approach with repeated measurement design. There were 35 primary school students involved in this study. The data were gathered through pretest-posttest. After the pretest was administered, the treatment process was carried out during the three following weeks by teaching the students verb vocabulary using gestures. The post-tests were then administered repeatedly in the 4th, 6th, and 7th week after the treatment to see the level of their memory retention. Later, the data obtained were analyzed using repeated test analysis. The results unveiled that the use of gestures can definitely enhance the students’ vocabulary intake. It implies that EFL teachers—especially those teaching youths—should consider integrating their teaching method with gestures, but they are expected to be more creative in generating understandable gestures to convey abstract verb vocabulary.
This study aimed at finding out the use of figurative language in an artwork, specifically movie called Toy Story 3. The method used in this study was descriptive qualitative which provided the necessary data analysis to gain the information needed from the movie. The data soure was movie entitled Toy Story 3 with xxxx minutes in length. In collecting data, the researcher used document analysis; later in daa analysis, the interactive analysis consisting of data reduction, data display, and dat verification was employed. Te result shows that there are three types of figurative language consisted in the movie: Metaphor, Simile, and Hyperbole. The metaphors were used to describe something by comparing it with other objects, Hyperbole ws employed iin order to make the language used in the film increase a child's imagination to infinity, and Simile usage enhances the sentences to spark the curiosity of the audience—merely children. Then, it was aso found that regarding the frequency, Metaphor occurs nine times and represents 60%, Hyperbole occurs five times and represents 33%, and Simile occurs one time and represents 7%. Iin conclusion, The movie Toy Story 3 used only a few figurative speeches because the target audience is children, hence simple forms of language uses are utilized.
This study aims at finding out Communicative Effect Taxonomy in students oral productionspecifically on local and global errors. This study is qualitative in nature involving 16 first grader at SMPN 2 Muara Tiga, Pidie. The instrument used was analytical table which was constructed based on the theory of Communicative Effect Taxonomy. The data collection was carried out by following the steps of: sample collection, errors identification, error description, error clarification, and error assessment. The data analysis was conducted afterward in line with the following phases: identification of errors, classification of errors, evaluation, and conclusion. It is found that local erros were produced more compared to global errors (52 local errors and 45 global errors) in the students speaking performance. Regarding the implication, the result from this study can enhance the development of more accurate and dependable evaluation tools for measuring students' oral communication skills by establishing a classification system for communicative impacts. Consequently, this can exert a substantial influence on educational policies and practices.
This study aimed to discover the visual values—regarding interactive meaning—contained in the “My Next Words” English textbook and used at an international primary school in Banda Aceh, Indonesia using Kress and Van Leuween’s (2006) visual complementarity—only focusing on interactive meaning. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach. The data were qualitative in the form of pictures in the textbook. The data were collected through a documentation procedure. From the findings, the interactive meaning found is as follows. primarily it uses long shots for most of the distance; second, it exclusively uses oblique views; and third, it shows both background-free and background-filled photographs. This outcome suggests that the pictures presented in this book are appropriate for the target audience, which is youngsters. For children to understand the concepts and messages presented in the textbook, their vision needs to be more distinct and clear. It is recommended that to produce more thorough and complex conclusions, future research should subcategorize the age in greater detail.
The aim of this research is to design teaching materials for the listening and speaking learning process on the basis of independent learning with a focus on students through the technology-based android application ‘Haba Inggreh‘. The Android application “Haba Inggreh” can be the right solution to solve listening and speaking problems because students can directly access the material and sentences they want and there is a feature to view scores. The research design used was Research and Development design involving six steps: need analysis, app development, app trial 1, app revision, and app trial 2. There were 6 high schools in Nagan Raya involved in this study as the respondents. The data collection was done following the R&D steps. After that, the data were analyzed using interactive analysis. The results show that, first, the students already have high motivation and goof knowledge on technology-integrated learning; second, they have positive perception on the use of Haba Inggreh learning application. Thus, it can be concluded that the use of mobile learning in the ELT process can enhance the students’ motivation and well as knowledge in language learning process.
Mobile application provides a spectrum of interactive and multimedia tools to improve the learning process. Unfortunately, this application not only brings benefits, but also portrays some flaws. Hence, this study aimed at finding out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that are potential from a newly-developed learning application named Haba Inggreh. This study belongs toqualitative deisgn, involving 29 students and 4 teachers from SMAN 1 Seunagan. Classroom observations and interviews were employed as the data collection techniques, and all the obtained data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that in terms of thestrength, both teachers and students agreed that the Haba Inggreh application enhances language acquisition. On the other hand, the weakness of this app is slow performance, which could frustrate the users, resulting in impeding effective learning. Furthermore, the opportunity of this app is that Haba Inggreh can be improved by raising interactivity and involvement. However, it also poses a threat, as using the app excessively for language learning is dangerous. Though Haba Inggreh offers helpful materials, language acquisition calls for real-world contact and immersion. Users could overuse the app and choose not to follow local wisdom.
Rod Ellis’s contributions to second language acquisition (SLA) and language teaching have been transformative, offering a comprehensive understanding of how languages are learned and taught. This paper explores his major theoretical frameworks, including Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), the Focus on Form approach, and his work on interlanguage development. Ellis’s emphasis on balancing communicative competence with linguistic accuracy has shaped modern teaching methodologies, providing educators with practical strategies for effective classroom instruction. The discussion highlights Ellis’s impact on curriculum design, teacher training, and assessment practices, emphasizing his role in bridging the gap between SLA theory and practical application. His research on feedback, task complexity, and individual learner differences continues to inform contemporary studies and teaching practices, demonstrating the enduring relevance of his work. As the field of language education evolves, Ellis’s frameworks remain adaptable to emerging trends, including the integration of technology and the increasing demand for multilingual competence. His insights provide a foundation for innovation, guiding the development of AI-powered tools and virtual learning environments. This study underscores Ellis’s lasting influence on SLA and language teaching, emphasizing the need for continued exploration of his work to address future challenges and opportunities in global language education.
This study explored the emotional and cognitive (Emo-Cog) experiences of university students using AI-driven educational technology (EdTech) in the context of English language learning. As AI-based tools such as chatbots, personalized learning platforms, and mobile applications become increasingly integrated into education, understanding their impact on learners goes beyond test scores and usability—it included how students feel, think, and engage. This explorative case study involved 93 first-year non-English major students at Syiah Kuala University who were already familiar with AI tools. Data were collected through a structured Likert-scale questionnaire that examined students’ emotional responses (e.g., motivation, anxiety, enjoyment), cognitive engagement (e.g., clarity, focus, memory), and perceptions of AI features (e.g., feedback, personalization, gamification). Findings revealed that students generally responded positively to AI-assisted language learning, reporting increased motivation, emotional comfort, and clearer understanding when using tools that offered real-time feedback, adaptive content, and gamified interaction. Many students described AI as a “partner” in learning, not just a tool—highlighting its role in fostering autonomy and reducing communicative anxiety. However, some limitations were identified, including over-automation and lack of contextual explanations. The study concluded that effective AI-driven EdTech must consider both the emotional and cognitive dimensions of learning, especially for novice language learners. The implications suggest that educators and developers should design emotionally responsive AI environments to enhance learner engagement. While limited to one institution and self-reported data, this research offers valuable insights into the Emo-Cog journey of language learners and calls for further studies integrating emotion and cognition in EdTech evaluation.
This qualitative case study investigated how teachers and students at senior high schools in Banda Aceh experience the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in classroom-based language learning. Adopting a human-centered perspective, the study addressed two primary questions: (1) how do teachers navigate their roles when integrating AI into classroom instruction, and (2) what are students’ experiences of receiving AI-generated feedback in a teacher-guided learning environment? Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with English teachers, Focused-Group Discussions (FGDs) with students, and classroom observations. Thematic analysis was applied to identify emerging patterns across data sources. The findings indicate that teachers serve as facilitators, interpreters, and ethical decision-makers in the use of AI, consciously adapting AI-generated feedback to suit student abilities, classroom dynamics, and instructional goals. While they value the efficiency and personalized support AI offers, teachers remain central in guiding students through the feedback and ensuring pedagogical alignment. Students generally perceive AI feedback as helpful, especially for grammar and writing tasks, yet they often rely on teachers to clarify or validate the suggestions. Their confidence and motivation in using AI tools increase when teachers provide clear guidance and frame AI as part of an interactive learning process. This study affirms the importance of a human-centered approach to AI integration in education, where technology enhances—not replaces—teacher-student interaction. The study recommends targeted teacher training, collaborative AI design, and policy support to ensure ethical and meaningful classroom implementation. Its limitations include a single-site focus and non-generalizable scope.
This qualitative case study explored the roles of the audio-recording and playback features within the Haba Inggreh app on the speaking skills of students at a high school in Nagan Raya. The study involved 34 students and 5 teachers, using interviews as the primary instrument for data collection. The aim was to understand how these technological tools influence the students' speaking proficiency, engagement, and confidence. Interviews with students revealed that the audio-recording feature allowed them to practice speaking in a controlled environment, free from the immediate pressures of live conversation. This practice enabled them to focus on pronunciation, intonation, and fluency, which are critical components of effective speaking. The playback feature was particularly beneficial, as it provided an opportunity for self-evaluation. Students reported that listening to their recordings helped them identify areas for improvement and track their progress over time. Teachers also noted the positive impact of these features on students' speaking skills. They observed that students who regularly used the Haba Inggreh app demonstrated improved confidence in speaking activities, both in and out of the classroom. The ability to repeatedly listen to their own speech allowed students to become more aware of their linguistic strengths and weaknesses, fostering a more self-directed approach to language learning. Furthermore, the study found that the integration of the Haba Inggreh app's audio features encouraged greater student engagement. The interactive nature of the app made the learning process more enjoyable and motivating, which is crucial for sustaining interest in language learning.
This study explores the significance of technology implementation in English language learning and its impact on community empowerment in Thailand. With the rapid advancement of technology, the use of digital tools in English education has become crucial in enhancing accessibility and effectiveness. This research employs a qualitative approach to assess how technologies such as learning apps, online platforms, and multimedia tools have influenced English learning processes within Thai communities. Through in-depth interviews with educators, students, and community members, as well as documentation analysis of technology use in education, the study identifies key benefits, challenges faced, and successful implementation strategies. Findings indicate that technology not only improves individual English language skills but also empowers communities by increasing educational opportunities and job skills. The study recommends further development of technology-based programs and policy support to expand the benefits of technology in English learning within Thai communities.
The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the application of contextual strategies in improving the understanding of learning materials of students at UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh through the interpretation of Tarbsawi verses. The research method used in this study is qualitative research with a field research approach. Data were obtained from data sources in the form of observations, interviews, and documentation studies. The data sources were lecturers and students of the Islamic Religious Education (PAI) Study Program at UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh. Data collection techniques were obtained through observation, interviews, and documentation. Then, the data analysis process was carried out through data reduction, coding, theme extraction, and interpretation. The results of the study indicate that: 1) The implementation of contextual strategies in the learning process of interpreting Tarbawi verses in the Islamic Religious Education Study Program at UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh is implemented by connecting the teaching material with students' daily lives. Lecturers use examples relevant to students' social and cultural conditions, as well as various media, to enhance understanding. This helps students more easily understand and apply the values of tarbawi in real life. 2) The effectiveness of contextual strategies in improving the understanding of students of the PAI Study Program at UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh regarding the interpretation of Tarbawi verses is that contextual strategies are proven to be effective in improving students' understanding of the interpretation of Tarbawi verses. 3) The obstacles faced by Islamic Religious Education students at UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh in understanding the interpretation of Tarbawi verses through contextual strategies are differences in social and cultural backgrounds, limited literacy on deeper interpretation, and a lack of optimal learning support facilities.
This study explores the representation of gender roles in the government-published English for Nusantara VII textbook for seventh-grade students, focusing on the portrayal of male and female characters in imagery and the actions they perform. Gender representation in educational materials is crucial, as it can shape students’ perceptions of societal roles. Despite efforts to promote gender equality in education, textbooks often exhibit gender biases, either by underrepresenting females or depicting them in stereotypical roles. This research addresses the gap in existing studies by examining the frequency and types of activities associated with male and female characters in the textbook. A content analysis method was used to quantify and analyze the presence and actions of male and female characters. The findings reveal a significant gender imbalance: male characters appeared more frequently and were often depicted in active, leadership, and outdoor roles, while female characters were more passive, engaging in stereotypically feminine tasks like reading and household chores. The implication of this study is that such gender biases in educational materials may reinforce traditional stereotypes, potentially influencing how students perceive gender roles in society. Addressing this issue is vital for promoting gender equality in education. Future research should explore the impact of these representations on students' learning and development, and seek to create more balanced and inclusive educational resources that challenge traditional gender norms.
This study investigates phonological shift and accent erosion among Generation Z Acehnese speakers in the West–South coastal region, focusing on the role of social media. Adopting a descriptive-qualitative design, we gathered speech recordings from targeted stimulus sentences, in-depth interviews, and field observations with youth in Meulaboh and Calang, and contrasted them with an adult control group. Praat-assisted analysis traced changes in vowel and consonant realization, stress, and intonation. Findings show systematic simplification: diphthongs such as /eu/ and /oe/ frequently monophthongize to /e/ or /o/; nasal and guttural consonants weaken (e.g., /ng/→/n/, /kh/→/k/); final consonants are dropped in fast speech; and prosody flattens, with Indonesian-like contours replacing Acehnese rise–fall patterns in both declaratives and questions. Interview evidence links these shifts to intensive exposure to standard-language models on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram; code-switching in online interaction; migration to urban centers; and household language policies that prioritize Indonesian for mutual comprehension. The study offers phonology-level evidence of accent erosion in Aceh and clarifies how digital culture mediates language change among minority-language youth. Implications include producing Acehnese-language digital content, integrating phonological awareness into local curricula, and designing community programs that valorize prosody and segmental features. While limited to two towns and a modest sample, the findings provide a baseline for longitudinal monitoring and comparative work across districts and age cohorts, and inform preservation strategies that balance modernization with the maintenance of Acehnese phonological distinctiveness.
Conversational implicature plays a central role in everyday interactions, particularly in informal settings where meaning is negotiated through context, social relations, and interactional goals. Traditional markets provide a rich site for examining how speakers convey meaning indirectly while managing negotiation, politeness, and face. This study explores conversational implicature in buyer–seller interactions at Langsa traditional market using an interactional pragmatics perspective. Rather than treating implicature as a fixed rule-based phenomenon, the study views meaning as something collaboratively constructed through naturally occurring talk. Data were collected through audio-recorded market interactions between buyers and sellers during routine transactions and negotiations. Selected interactional excerpts were transcribed and analyzed qualitatively to examine how indirectness and implied meanings emerge, are interpreted, and are responded to in real-time interaction. The findings show that implicature in Langsa market interactions is closely tied to negotiation strategies, social positioning, and situational constraints such as price sensitivity and relational familiarity. Indirect expressions are frequently used to soften requests, signal dissatisfaction, suggest alternative prices, or maintain social harmony without explicit confrontation. These implicatures are not interpreted in isolation but are co-constructed through turn-taking, shared local knowledge, and immediate contextual cues. This study contributes to interactional pragmatics by highlighting how conversational implicature functions as a practical communicative resource in marketplace discourse. Keywords: conversational implicature; interactional pragmatics; Langsa market; marketplace discourse; indirectness.
Accent erosion has become a noticeable phenomenon in many regional speech communities, particularly in areas experiencing increased linguistic contact and social mobility. In the Barat–Selatan Aceh (BARSELA) region, local accent features are gradually shifting toward more neutral forms, one of which is reflected in vowel change. This study investigates accent erosion through the process of monophthongization of the diphthongs /eu/ and /oe/ as a qualitative case study of BARSELA speakers. The study focuses on how these diphthongs are realized in contemporary speech and how their changing pronunciation signals broader accentual change. Data were drawn from naturally occurring spoken interactions and selected elicited speech samples produced by speakers in the region. Qualitative phonological analysis reveals consistent patterns of monophthongization, where /eu/ and /oe/ are frequently realized as simpler vowel forms in everyday communication. These shifts are especially evident in informal contexts and among speakers with higher exposure to external linguistic influences. The findings suggest that monophthongization in BARSELA speech is not random, but represents a systematic phonological process associated with accent leveling and adaptation toward more widely intelligible speech forms. By focusing on specific vowel changes, this study contributes to sociophonetic and sociolinguistic discussions on accent erosion, highlighting how subtle vowel shifts can function as salient indicators of ongoing accent change in regional speech communities. Keywords: accent erosion; Barat–Selatan Aceh; monophthongization; sociophonetics; vowel shift
Hello, I am Nyak Mutia Ismail from Universitas Serambi Mekkah, Indonesia. I am a lecturer and researcher with interests in English language…
Hello, my name is Hasnah Am Abdul Aziz. I am an academic and researcher with interests in education, innovation, and research collaboration…
This proposed review paper outlines a plan for a systematic review to investigate the impact of visual representations on digital learning …