Journal of Studies in the English Language

About the Journal

2025-08-31T13:25:35+07:00

2025-08-31T13:26:40+07:00

“An International Experience in an English Class Is…”: An Examination of Postgraduate Students’ Perspectives

2025-05-15T08:23:42+07:00

It is important to understand students’ perspectives about their international experience in an English class because this would help practitioners in their teaching practice and material development. In this study, these perspectives were collected through an open-ended questionnaire that was distributed to 35 groups of international postgraduate students. All these students were enrolled in an academic writing course at a university in Singapore. The questionnaire asked participants for their thoughts and opinions on English lessons that were designed with an international focus. The data was then analyzed through a corpus tool, which identified recurring words. The contextual meanings of these recurring words were then thematized. The main findings saw the themes of “different yet inclusive”; “spurring improvements in writing”; and “learning affordances through native language”. These themes indicated that the participants viewed the international experience as bringing together different perspectives, including an extent of local knowledge and practices. The latter was exemplified through the use of their native language to better understand academic communication in English. Nonetheless, the findings also point towards an ideological tension as postgraduate international students would still need to develop an acceptable level of English language proficiency. This study thus highlights the complexities involved in creating an inclusive and effective English for academic purposes (EAP) course as part of an international experience at the university.

Fragmented Identities and Feminist Schizoanalysis: Reimagining the Self in Contemporary American Fiction

2025-05-20T07:06:14+07:00

Fragmented identity is not merely a theme in the works of Toni Morrison, Roxane Gay, and Don DeLillo—it is embedded in the very structure of their narratives. This paper examines how fragmentation functions as both theme and form in selected contemporary American fiction. Bringing together Deleuze and Guattari’s schizoanalysis with feminist psychoanalytic thought from Kristeva and Irigaray, this study engages with the ways in which literary form becomes a site for negotiating trauma, memory, and dislocation. Using a close textual analysis of Beloved, An Untamed State, Difficult Women, and White Noise, the study explores how these narratives challenge the notion of a coherent self. Nonlinear timelines, disjointed syntax, and shifting voices echo the fragmented psyche, where trauma distorts time, language falters, and identity refuses containment. Morrison’s haunted maternal bodies, Gay’s fractured yet resisting women, and DeLillo’s media—ghosted men reveal not a loss of self, but its reassembly through dissonance.

The findings suggest that these texts do not attempt to resolve fragmentation, but rather dwell within it—offering a literary and theoretical map of the disassembled self. Rather than seeking closure or resolution, these texts remain with the broken—where meaning is unstable, but no less urgent. This study contributes to feminist and post—structuralist literary scholarship by demonstrating how schizo—feminist readings illuminate the interplay between narrative form and identity construction in the postmodern era.

A Corpus-Based Analysis of Lexical Characteristics Across English News Categories for L2 Pedagogical Use

2025-05-21T08:06:29+07:00

News articles are widely regarded as valuable resources for vocabulary acquisition. However, they encompass diverse categories, each catering to specific learner needs. This study analysed the vocabulary of 3,000 news articles across 12 categories, focusing on lexical profiling, lexical level, variation, density, and CEFR level to support L2 learners. The results showed that the Health category had the highest General Service List word coverage (81.01%), while Technology featured the most Academic Word List terms (8.23%). Fashion contained the largest proportion of specialised vocabulary (18.31%) and exhibited the highest lexical variation (51.29%). High-frequency words dominated all categories (91–94.79%), while Fashion included the most mid-frequency (5.84%) and low-frequency (2.36%) words. Lexical density was highest in the Environment category (57.85%) and lowest in Sports (53.2%). The CEFR analysis indicated that A1 and A2 words comprised the majority (76.66% and 10.44%, respectively), while categories such as Fashion and Nutrition included the highest proportions of C1-C2 words (6.32% and 6.53%, respectively). These findings suggest that categories such as Health and Sports are suitable for beginner learners, while Fashion and Nutrition offer more complex vocabulary for advanced learners. This study highlights the unique lexical characteristics of news categories, providing educators and learners with guidance on selecting authentic materials to enhance vocabulary learning.

Journey of Myanmar Postgraduate Students: Overcoming Language Barriers and Academic Challenges during Study Abroad Programs in Thailand

2025-04-29T08:32:13+07:00

Since the military coup in early 2021, many Myanmar students have sought study abroad opportunities worldwide including Thailand, which is geographically the closest country in Southeast Asia. This research examines the experiences of these Myanmar students regarding their language barriers, and academic challenges during their studies in Thailand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 postgraduate students from nine Thai universities, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that language problems primarily stemmed from locals’ reluctance to use English and students’ lack of local language proficiency, leading to a feeling of being outsiders within the local community. Beyond linguistic barriers, differences in educational standards, academic resources, and the students’ lack of standardized academic practices posed additional challenges. Nonetheless, students showed positive sociocultural adaptation by learning Thai, utilizing translation tools and relying on non-verbal interactions. Additionally, support from teachers and peers, and consistent self-study efforts, contribute to their academic adaptation.

Translanguaging Practices in VSTEP Preparation Courses: Pedagogical Implications for Vietnamese EFL Contexts

2025-07-25T15:11:46+07:00

This mixed-methods study investigated teacher-reported translanguaging practices in Northern Vietnamese VSTEP preparation courses. Building on previous Vietnamese research documenting strategic L1 use in EFL contexts, this study extended investigation to assessment-oriented environments. Data were collected from 164 VSTEP preparation teachers through questionnaires and interviews with 12 participants. Teachers reported employing translanguaging selectively, with highest frequency for assessment-focused functions—explaining task instructions and clarifying evaluation criteria. Significant variations emerged across skill areas: writing preparation showed highest reported frequency (M = 3.68, SD = 0.76), speaking the lowest (M = 2.63, SD = 0.89). Principal component analysis identified three dimensions based on theoretical expectations that teachers employ translanguaging for distinct functions: assessment-focused (32.1% of variance), content-focused, and affective-focused. Teaching experience significantly influenced reported frequency, with less experienced teachers employing more frequent translanguaging. Teachers also reported observing strategic student translanguaging patterns for metacognitive purposes such as analyzing mistakes and discussing test-taking strategies. The research extends translanguaging theory to assessment-oriented contexts while challenging monolingual ideologies underpinning standardized testing. For Northern Vietnamese EFL education, findings provide teacher perception data for understanding policy-practice tensions, though implications remain tentative given the absence of learning outcome measurements.

Exploring the Ecofeminist Landscape: A Comparative Analysis of Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing and Gita Hariharan’s The Thousand Faces of Night

2025-08-07T08:46:40+07:00

Ecofeminism is a theoretical framework that examines the parallels between the exploitation of the environment and the subjugation of women. The existing research in the field of ecofeminism concentrates on a specific regional level. But a critical, constructive, comparative study across geographical borders is least present in this field. To address this scholarly gap, the current research focuses on a textual comparative analysis of a well-known Canadian writer, Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing and an Indian writer, Githa Hariharan’s The Thousand Faces of Night, through the lens of ecofeminism and post-colonialism. The analysis reveals how the authors challenge patriarchal norms and advocate for the empowerment of women and the preservation of the natural world. Atwood’s protagonist exemplifies cultural ecofeminism while Hariharan’s characters embody socialist ecofeminism. The current study significantly contributes to ecofeminist literary criticism by comparing a developing nation and a developed country, which is least represented in the existing ecofeminist literary discourse. The article demonstrates how Atwood presents the protagonist’s actions as a conscious political decision rather than a biological determination, and it integrates ecofeminist concerns through the symbolic merger with the wilderness. Hariharan explores a post-colonial world where mythology and modernity intersect, using mythology to reveal structural oppression and the resistance of women.

Decoding Speaking Mindsets of Thai Undergraduates using Q-Methodology

2025-07-18T11:33:48+07:00

Speaking English remains a persistent challenge in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, specifically in Thailand. This study investigated the perspectives that constitute a speaking language mindset among Thai undergraduate students. This research employed Q-methodology to systematically explore the beliefs of 19 Thai undergraduate students toward foreign language speaking. The participants individually sorted and ranked statements related to foreign language speaking mindset, their responses were analyzed to identify distinct perspectives, including contradictory beliefs. The analysis revealed three primary perspectives: (1) effort and practice as key to improving foreign language speaking ability, (2) self-regulatory tendencies from the appraisal of talent and effort, and (3) discomfort and communication apprehension in classroom settings. The findings suggested that Thai undergraduate students shared a common perspective on effort value, mastery goal orientation, and feedback. The three perspectives pointed out that cultural value, self-perception, and emotional challenges significantly influenced foreign language speaking mindset and language learning experiences. The study highlighted the importance of fostering a supportive learning environment and addressing emotional barriers to enhance students’ foreign language speaking ability in a Thai science-and-technology university. Additionally, the study demonstrated the utility of Q-methodology as a productive tool for uncovering learners’ perspectives in underrepresented educational context.

Exploitation in Duong Thu Huong’s Novel Without a Name and Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer

2025-05-15T08:21:40+07:00

Unlike many studies that focus on distorted Marxist ideologies and diasporic identities in the postcolonial period, this study examines how characters in selected novels experience exploitation in respond to economic challenges, hierarchical military class divisions, and ideological transformations. The aim is to explore experienced by Quan and Luong from Novel Without a Name (1995), and the narrator and Man from The Sympathizer (2015), within the military system during the Vietnam War and its aftermath, as well as how these characters respond to the forces of oppression behind their exploitation. As salaried workers, soldiers function both as state employees and as vital components of the military apparatus that upholds the ruling class. Thus, they face exploitation from two sources: the state and the military system. These selected characters, as individuals within Vietnamese society, are compelled to participate in the nation’s historical process after the outbreak of the Vietnam War. They join the North Vietnamese military out of patriotism, loyalty, and aspirations for success. However, their enlistment does not reflect the full policies of a modern state; rather, it is coerced, driven by wartime needs and revolutionary ideals. By applying the conceptual framework of exploitation from Marxist theory, this study analyzes the characters’ interpersonal interactions and psychological struggles within their families, societies, and the military. It finds that the extent of their exploitation is determined by their military rank, assigned duties, and their role in society.

Constructing Thai Masculinity through Beer Advertising: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of Chang Commercials

2025-07-03T11:49:13+07:00

This study investigates how masculinity is constructed and ideologically reinforced in Chang Beer advertisements through the interaction of verbal language, visual design, and auditory cues. Using a qualitative design, the study applies Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA), theory of hegemonic masculinity, and broader media and cultural frameworks. The dataset includes two high-view Chang Beer commercials published between 2017 and 2020 on the brand’s official YouTube channel. The analysis followed a systematic coding protocol to examine the interplay between linguistic, visual, and sonic modes. Findings reveal that the advertisements construct a form of hegemonic masculinity characterized by refinement, discipline, social prestige, and national identity. Verbal cues invoke meticulousness and mastery, while visual techniques such as camera angles, gestures, and symbolic imagery position male characters as dominant yet composed. Auditory strategies—including silence, traditional Thai instruments, and ambient sounds—convey emotional control and cultural rootedness. These multimodal features collectively promote a narrow vision of masculinity while marginalizing alternative gender representations. The study highlights how such branding not only sells beer but also circulates sociocultural ideologies that privilege elite Thai masculinity. It argues for more inclusive advertising strategies that reflect the evolving dynamics of Thai society, including gender diversity and cultural pluralism.

From Prompting to Proficiency: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Prompting with ChatGPT Versus Lecturer Interaction in an EFL Classroom

2025-08-01T07:56:30+07:00

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and extensive language models like ChatGPT have had profound implications for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pedagogical practices. However, while its applications are widely explored, a notable gap persists in understanding the effectiveness of its core "prompting" feature for academic help-seeking compared to traditional lecturer interaction. This study aimed to address this gap by comparing the effectiveness of ChatGPT versus lecturers, exploring the advancement of student prompting strategies, and identifying associated challenges. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed over eight weeks with 60 Indonesian university students allocated to an experimental (ChatGPT) and a control (lecturer) group. Data collected via pre/post-tests (proficiency, writing, self-efficacy), interviews, and a Focus Group Discussion were analyzed using ANCOVA and thematic analysis. The quantitative findings conclusively demonstrated that the ChatGPT group significantly outperformed the control group in enhancing general English proficiency, writing competency, and self-efficacy (p < .001). Qualitatively, students’ prompting strategies evolved from simple, single-turn queries to sophisticated, multi-turn dialogic interactions, which were a key determinant of deeper learning. The most critical challenge identified was pedagogy, specifically the tendency for cognitive offloading alongside difficulties in vetting the AI’s accuracy and pervasive anxiety regarding academic integrity. These findings suggest that the effective use of Generative AI (GenAI) is not an innate skill but a learned competence, necessitating a pedagogical shift from merely providing technological access to the explicit instruction of AI literacy and strategic prompting to harness its full potential.

Note from the Editor-in-Chief

2025-08-31T13:27:56+07:00

Editorial Team

2025-08-31T13:24:19+07:00