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Purpose: In the 21st century, the importance of having good English proficiency in Malaysia and globally has impacted educators, especially in terms of their pedagogical practices. Although students are exposed to 11 years of English language instruction in Malaysia, Orang Asli students still possess low English proficiency and poor writing skills. This study aims to determine the extent to which the genre-based pedagogical approach is able to improve Orang Asli students' English as a foreign language (EFL) writing performance and analyse their responses in using the genre-based pedagogical approach as a framework to improve their EFL writing performance. Methodology: This quasi-experimental study included 78 students from a secondary school in Pahang, Malaysia. Participants were assigned to the experimental and control groups (N=39) to generate students' pretest and posttest scores. Quantitative data from the students' questionnaire were also triangulated with qualitative data from the focus group discussions with the experimental group. Findings: The approach was effective in improving students' descriptive writing and had a more significant effect than the mainstream process-based approach. Students reacted positively to the approach as they found it useful in improving their writing skills, which correlated with their improved test scores. Therefore, the genre-based pedagogical framework can be further enhanced by incorporating more grammar-related activities to meet the learning needs of Orang Asli students lacking in EFL writing skills. Significance: The novelty of this study is that the framework has the potential to be implemented in Malaysian secondary schools and other indigenous' educational contexts. Furthermore, this study can be a point of reference to stakeholders, English language teaching (ELT) practitioners and educators in terms of advocating a genre-based pedagogical approach in an EFL context.

Purpose: This study examined the types of written corrective feedback provided to ESL students in writing classes in Malaysian secondary schools, and their perceptions towards the provision of written corrective feedback in the Malaysian context. Methodology: A survey questionnaire was administered randomly among 720 Form Four students from 10 secondary schools in Penang. The questionnaire was based on a Likert scale and responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings: Results showed that most learners benefited from and preferred direct feedback, and tended to focus on form such as grammar, paragraph organisation, content and clarity of ideas. Students preferred this form of feedback as they were able to understand errors more clearly. It was found that most students were unable to self-regulate their own errors; a majority could not locate their own errors and had become passive learners within the Malaysian schooling system. Significance: The study is significant to Malaysian secondary schools in its effects, depicting the many forms of corrective feedback available in the ESL context that can be employed in school besides the popularized direct feedback used within the syllabus.

Malaysians have long realised the importance of being competent in English as one of the success factors in attaining their future goals. However, English is taught as a second language in Malaysia, and it is not easy to teach under such a foreign context, because authentic input may not exist beyond the classroom, especially in Chinese private schools. In this scenario, English is learnt as a subject with 10 sessions per week, which is considered insufficient for students to master the language effectively. Past research highlights the significance of motivation in English language acquisition. Motivated students tend to put in more effort in their academic endeavours by showing more persistence in their learning process. The purpose of the study was to identify and analyse whether instrumental or integrative motivation plays a more important role in promoting Form Four ESL students' English language learning. Furthermore, examine the areas of problems that affect ESL students' motivation towards English language learning. This study was a qualitative case study that used focus group interviews to elicit data from 12 students in a secondary school in Penang. The findings of this research indicate that students are more instrumentally motivated than integratively motivated in ESL learning. Instrumental motivation is found to have a greater impact on students' English language learning. This research also highlights that vocabulary and grammar are the biggest areas of problems that are encountered by students during their ESL learning process, which further influence their speaking and writing skills.

The ideology of Chinese racial pride in an online essay "Proud to be born a Chinese" by Dr. Chan-Lui Lee is described and analysed by using the sociocognitive approach to critical discourse analysis (CDA). The research design is based on the notion that Chinese racial pride is a tool to persuade Chinese Malaysians to prioritise their Chinese racial identity over the Malaysian national identity, leading to national disunity and racial fissures in society. This notion runs parallel to the concept of the dynamicity and fluidity of the construction of identity, as explored by Jones, McEwen and Abes in their Reconceptualised Model of Multiple Identities (2007). As the degree to which Malaysians identify with the national identity over other group identities determines the success of national unity (Liu et al, 2002), Dr. Chan-Lui Lee's essay provides insight into the overall success of national unity in Malaysia. "Proud to be born a Chinese" is analysed through three components: the discursive, cognitive and social components, which not only confirm that the essay prioritises Chinese racial identity over Malaysian national identity using Chinese racial pride, but also that the essay and its strategies are a response to the socio-political circumstances in Malaysia and the creation of neonationalist identities in the relatively new nations of Southeast Asia.

Fundamental principles of public speaking and appropriate organisational structure of ideas for occupational and social communication are vital aspects for undergraduates as a pathway to overcome employers' grievances on graduates' lack of communication skills (Malaysia Education Blueprint, 2015). This study was undertaken to explore the perceptions of a group of ten students at a tertiary institution in Malaysia to see how they utlise the theories and practice of effective communication skills beyond their course entitled "Oral Communication for Social and Occupational Purposes". Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. The study found that these students gained knowledge about effective communication for social and occupational purposes. The findings also indicate that students have benefitted in relation to communication in a formal way especially to higher authorities, and sharpening their communication and presentation skills. However, there were shortcomings that need to be addressed, particularly related to methods of teaching Oral Communication for Social and Occupational Purposes, time constraint in preparing for the tutorial sessions and producing a good quality video.

The transformation of the education curriculum in the Malaysia Education Development Plan (PPPM) 2013-2025 focuses on the Higher Order Thinking (HOT) concept which aims to produce knowledgeable students who are critical and creative in their thinking and can compete at the international level. HOT skills encourage students to apply, analyse, evaluate and think creatively in and outside the classroom. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the impact of using HOT skills in a secondary ESL writing classroom. A total of 120 Form Two ESL students from three intact classes participated in this study. The students experienced project and group-based work both independently and collaboratively in groups during their writing lessons. The findings from the focus group interviews revealed the following student perceptions: felt engaged in active learning, experienced learner autonomy, developed their writing, researching and personal skills. The implications of this study suggest that using HOT skills in ESL writing lessons facilitate students' writing ability and interest and it is recommended that HOT skills be explicitly infused in the teaching and learning of writing activities in ESL classrooms.

Kahoot! is a gaming system designed for interactive learning and can be utilised for students of all ages. The present study involved two groups of Malaysian ESL students(n = 57) enrolled in a remedial English proficiency course in a public university. All 57 participants were exposed to weekly Kahoot! sessions over a period of one semester; the sessions covered various English language learning components including vocabulary and reading comprehension, but focused largely on grammar. At the end of the semester, the participants completed a 34-item questionnaire comprising closed- and open-ended items. The questionnaire was tested for reliability with returned values indicating high internal consistency, thus making the instrument a reliable option for use in future studies. The study's findings indicate that the students found Kahoot! to be beneficial in terms of: 1) inducing motivation, and 2) fostering and reinforcing learning. The students were also of the opinion that Kahoot! would be useful for foreign language learning (for instance, Spanish and French).

Leadership is defined as the leadership level of a leader that is a low, middle or high level leader. In the meantime, Orang Asli or Orang Asal refers to a group of bumiputera residents found in Peninsular Malaysia, which has a variety of characteristics whether from an ethnic point of view or where they live. The purpose of the study is to look at the leadership of the Semai community in the novel ‘Ludaad’ by Mahat A/L China. This study is based on the leadership behaviour of the Semai community which is often raised by the author in his work based on his personal perspective as a Semai person. The focus of this study is to examine the behaviour of leaders in carrying out their duties as community leaders to resolve conflicts that tend to occur in the Semai community. In addition, this study also looked at the extent to which situational factors influence leaders in making decisions based on the behaviour practiced to overcome the conflict that occurs. The method used in this study is the bibliographic method, analysing the content of the text and applying the Path-Goal Theory to further strengthen the argument to be presented. The results of the study show that leadership behaviour through the character of Penghulu Busu conforms to the four principles set out in the Path-Goal Theory. The key findings from this study highlight that the Penghulu Busu practices different behavioural patterns based on personal factors as a respected leader and is influenced by environmental factors based on the threat of foreigners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The academic field of literary criticism or literary theory has long taken advantage of the covert connection between literature and psychoanalysis, as this study did when it employed a psychoanalytic technique to analyze a literary work. Psychoanalysis is one of the contentious and unappreciated literary criticism philosophies among many readers (Hossain, 2017, p. 41). The persona or the character of the literary work is one of the literary methods. This study seeks to identify the late persona in D.H. Lawrence's final three collections of poetry, which were composed near the time of the author's death due to extremely poor health. The study of a writer's unintended message is referred to as psychoanalytical critique. The investigation's main point of interest is the author's biographical background. The main goal is to look at the unconscious components of a literary work in the context of the author's upbringing. It is a technique for correctly and critically understanding the literary material. Additionally, it is a type of psychoanalytic reading. We can understand literary texts better by using psychoanalytical thinking. We can swiftly master the subject matter thanks to the manipulation of the literary text and the sharper picture it produces. Psychoanalytical critique is one of the most fundamental reading strategies for comprehending the psyche (Ahmed, 2021, p. 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of an asynchronous learning community (ALC) on English as a second language (ESL) learners’ skills acquisition. The ALC was designed by incorporating the community of inquiry (CoI) framework, which highlights cognitive, social, and teaching presence. The participants of this study consisted of 24 ESL learners and four ESL educators, and they were selected using a purposive sampling method. Focus groups and one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data. The responses were analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that opinion-based discussions play an essential role in enhancing learners’ skills, particularly their higher-order thinking skills. The study also identified some challenges ESL learners encountered in the ALC, such as improper time management skills, lack of participation, and a sense of isolation. Therefore, some effective strategies were proposed to overcome these challenges. The study recommends that the ALC approach that integrates the CoI framework should be embedded in the ESL curriculum to develop learners’ skills and foster a sense of community in the virtual learning environment. This approach can lead to better outcomes for learners in terms of skill acquisition and their ability to succeed in academic and professional settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decades have seen a growing trend both in the quantity and quality of the translation of children's literature (TCL). There have been a growing number of publications focusing on TCL. However, few studies have investigated TCL from the perspective of norm theory, and prior research has primarily concentrated on the implied reader while ignoring actual readers. This study aimed to investigate the expectancy norms of real readers of English-Chinese(E-C) TCL, Chinese children (12 and below) and adult readers (19 and above) and determine whether there are any differences between them. A list of 17 items was obtained according to the results of the semi-structured interviews and questionnaires conducted by Bijani et al. (2014) and Khoshsaligheh et al. (2020). An online questionnaire was conducted among 679 participants to gain insights into their attitudes towards E-C TCL. Key findings show that the highest-rated expectancy norms of children and adults differ, as does the priority of the top six expected features, suggesting that children and adults have diverse expectancy norm preferences. The top 3 highest ranked features of current Chinese children's readers are clarification of the ambiguous content, the plot of translations, and immersing themselves in the story, while the top 3 most important features for current Chinese adult readers are plot of translations, vivid illustrations, immersing themselves in the story. Children readers tend to place a greater emphasis on the educational values of the translated text, while adult readers prioritise enjoying their reading experience. These findings have implications for stakeholders such as publishers, translators, and educators who are involved in the production and dissemination of translated children's literature in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To create a human community with a shared future, cultural exchanges between countries should be strengthened (Xi, 2020, p. 365). Classical Chinese poetry is an important part of the communication of Chinese culture. The most translated Li Bai's poems in Cathay not only promoted better reception of Li Bai's poems in a foreign context, but also injected powerful vitality into the Western literary world. This paper investigated Pound's translation practice of Li Bai's poems in Cathay and specifically interpreted Pound's internal and external motivations in the selection of source text, textual features formed through translation strategies and the reception of English translation of Li Bai's poems by drawing on three main concepts: "field", "capital", and "habitus" in Pierre Bourdieu's sociological theory. It was found that Pound's selection of Li Bai's poems was made under the influence of utilitarian American sinology field and flashy literary field. Pound's habitus with cosmopolitanism and historicism shaped by American sinology and literary fields initiated his translation idea of "translation as creation", which further formed his translation strategies. Finally, Pound, with great social, cultural, and symbolic capitals, promoted better reception of Cathay, especially Li Bai's poems. The findings of research revealed the powerful interpretation of Pierre Bourdieu's sociological theory in translation and communication of literary works, which provided great recommendations for Chinese researchers and policymakers on how to better translate and communicate Chinese literature abroad for international literary exchanges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the ability of Saudi EFL students in the southern region of Saudi Arabia (hereafter SA) to produce and recognise utterances related to the speech acts of making promises. The qualitative study was conducted at Jouf University. To achieve the objectives set in the study, 10 hypothetical situations adapted from Beebe et al.'s (1990) DCT were selected. These 10 situations expressed the speech acts of promising and imitated real-life situations in SA; These situations were collected orally from 8 female Saudi students through semi-structured interviews (hereafter SSI) conducted with them. In addition, three questions of the SSI and five situational statements were proposed to enhance and enrich the findings. The focus was placed on identifying the various ways of promising when producing a promise in communication. The study's population for the SSI was chosen from the English Department at Jouf University in Tabarjal's 3rd and 4th year-5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th levels. The collected data were then transcribed using the NVivo software-12 version and analysed using thematic analysis. The study focused on the various responses to each question provided by each respondent. The findings indicated that Saudi EFL students faced significant difficulties when it comes to recognising the speech act of promising. Specifically, while 45% of students demonstrated the ability to recognise the speech act of promising, the majority of students 55% did not. Additionally, the findings showed that students frequently made unconditional promises rather than conditional promises, refusing promises, or delaying promises. In summary, the analysis revealed that Saudis issue pledges in various ways for various reasons. Indeed, the current study made a contribution to linguistics by focusing on examining speech acts in general and the speech acts of promising in particular by focusing on the prominent ways and reasons of the speech act of promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Malaysia's present scenario, competency in English is not a surety despite it being part of the curriculum from the very start of primary education. In view of the importance of lexical knowledge in language development and the hypothesised superiority of pictorial stimuli, the present study tested the effectiveness of an image-driven intervention for receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge development among Malaysian Year 1 students. A quasi-experimental design was utilised, involving Experimental and Control groups (totalling 159 participants). Three tiers of testing were administered -- pre-testing, post-testing to measure for recall, and delayed post-testing for retention. The Experimental group experienced five imagedriven sessions designed for lexical development (one session per week, 30 minutes per session). The Control group was not accorded the same treatment. Approximately 90% of the participants belonged to the B40 (Bottom 40%) group -- the group with the lowest income level in Malaysia. Despite the lack of statistical significance, our findings on the whole show development with respect to the participants' lexical knowledge after experiencing the image-driven intervention, with raw scores clearly indicating receptive and productive vocabulary improvement at both the recall and retention stages. The study's findings extend the current knowledge base, especially within the Malaysian domain which suffers from an unfortunate lack of similar studies focusing on lower primary learners. Also, the results appear promising (with only five treatment sessions) and pave the way for more research concerning the effectiveness of the intervention among young ESL/EFL learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the landscape of human life all over the world, including the conventional face-to-face teaching method, which has been replaced with online classes. The drastic changes without a holistic planning makes online teaching prone to various shortcomings. Thus, this article aims to address two research objectives. The first objective is to determine Malay Literature students 'online learning experiences, and the second objective is to analyse the demographic factors influencing students' perceptions of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This descriptive study employed a survey questionnaire to gather data. A sample consisting of 67 undergraduate students majoring in Malay Literature at a public university were recruited as respondents in the present study using a simple random sampling method. After following 14 weeks of online lessons, a questionnaire form was distributed to the students. The research instrument is a questionnaire, which has been adapted and modified from a study by Baczek et al. (2020). The questionnaire form consists of two sections. Section A contains eight items related to respondents' demographic background. Section B contains items related to students' perceptions of online learning, in which six items are related to the benefits of online learning, five items are based on the disadvantages of online learning, and four items on students' general perceptions of online learning. The responses from the questionnaire were analysed using Statistical Package for the Sosial Science 22.0 for descriptive analysis. Findings: The study found that online learning is perceived by students as being more disadvantageous than beneficial. Respondents concluded that the advantage of online learning is that they could learn from their own homes according to the suitability of their time. They also acknowledged that they could access learning resources better in online classes. One of the factors influencing students' perceptions of online learning is the speed of Internet connection. Contributions: The study highlights the need for lecturers to be adequately prepared and to consider factors such as quality of Internet access, home location, students' readiness and constraints faced by students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysian undergraduates have been facing writing difficulties as a result of lacking effective guidance tools in upskilling English writing and activating thinking skills. Failing to achieve writing competency, the problems extend to the high unemployment rate among fresh graduates. This paper proposes using Frangenheim's Thinking Skills Framework (TSF) to improve university students' academic writing proficiency. 60 students were selected to undergo a 6-week quasiexperiment to investigate the effectiveness of the TSF on academic writing and focus group discussions were held to explore students' perceptions on utilizing the TSF in writing processes. The results of the study confirmed the positive effect of using the TSF in improving students' academic writing and promoting the use of Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) throughout the writing process. Findings revealed students' perceptions on the TSF: an effective guidance tool with various writing strategies, comprises clues to activate suitable thinking skills, and assists writers' idea generation and decision-making. The implications are important to tertiary stakeholders as a practical TSF is recommended as a supplementary tool to be infused in English writing syllabus to facilitate students in fulfilling the essential thinking skills and writing needs in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) are part of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013- 2025, which was implemented into the school system to spark a new trend in the way young Malaysians learn and acquire knowledge. The aim of the study was to obtain greater insights into the teaching pedagogies of English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. This study underlies various types of information and communication technologies (ICT) usages in the classes, examine ESL teachers' challenges in integrating ICT in their classes for promoting HOTS and determines the types of higher-order thinking (HOT) activities that are being conducted in classes. A purposive sampling method was used to select 40 participants who then responded to a questionnaire. The respondents comprised ESL teachers from selected secondary schools in Penang. This study found that ESL teachers lacked pedagogical knowledge of HOT especially in ICT and experience various ICT challenges in their pedagogical practices. This study is pertinent as it highlights a need for the Education Ministry to take serious measures in ascertaining experts in particular fields of pedagogical knowledge and provide training for the teachers to be capable of infusing thinking skills into content instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As depicted in the current Malaysian scenario, competency in English is not assured although students are formally taught the language from their first year of schooling in National schools. Malaysian pupils have been achieving English proficiency level lower than the set expectation. This is further highlighted in the 2016 Economic Planning Unit report that after finishing Year 6 of Malaysian primary education, less than half of the students achieved a reasonable level of English literacy. Given the significance of vocabulary knowledge to language proficiency, the present study sought to examine the use of images in Malaysian ESL classrooms in terms of its effects on the development of vocabulary knowledge among Year One pupils'. The study is different from previous studies and exploratory in nature, in the sense that it examined not only receptive vocabulary knowledge but also the productive aspect of vocabulary learning. Two groups of Malaysian Year One pupils from a national primary school in Malaysia were selected by purposive sampling for a pretest-posttest-delayed posttest design in a quasi-experimental approach. The Experimental group experienced the interventional approach (use of images) while the Control group did not. Results revealed superior productive vocabulary scores, at both the posttest and delayed posttest levels, in favour of the Experimental group. No significant difference was recorded for the receptive dimension. One other finding is that the testing instruments used were statistically found to be reliable for use with Malaysian Year One pupils. This study and its findings are of relevance to policymakers, educators, curriculum designers, and scholars engaged in ESL/EFL research pertaining to young learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social Networking Sites (SNS) are a relatively new strand of the Internet, and are rapidly emerging as a popular and meaningful platform for teachers to engage in online professional development activities (OPD). However, literature indicates that very little studies have been done on how teachers actually use SNS, specifically Facebook, for professional development. Hence, their practices and experiences of Facebook for professional development are not well understood. Therefore, this study, which involved 113 English language teachers, was undertaken with the aim of understanding English language teachers' practices of online professional development using the Facebook platform. Findings do indicate how Facebook may have contributed to teachers' OPD. This has meaningful implications for planners and organizers of teacher development programmes to better integrate Facebook in enhancing teachers' meaningful learning and experiences, particularly during their professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]