Papers by AIN NADZIMAH ABDULLAH
This article explores the attitudes of 340 Malaysian students in a public university in Klang Val... more This article explores the attitudes of 340 Malaysian students in a public university in Klang Valley towards two main English varieties in Malaysia: i) British English and ii) American English. Data were acquired by employing the Verbal Guise Technique (VGT) to determine the participants’ covert attitudes towards the two varieties. Some attitudinal questions were also used to obtain participants’ composite attitudes towards British English and American English. To further probe into the driving factors behind the attitudes, an interview was carried out with the participants. This study found that Malaysian undergraduate students prefer American speakers over British speakers. The participants also associated American speakers as ‘easier to understand’, ‘clear’, and ‘similar to Malaysian English’. This study also found that the strong influence of British English in the Malaysian education system and the influence of media both impacted attitudes and perceptions towards the two Engli...
This study aimed at determining whether Mandarin language attrition occurs in terms of Chinese ch... more This study aimed at determining whether Mandarin language attrition occurs in terms of Chinese character recognition, word order, and writing ability after a two-month holiday. The methodology of the study is mainly quantitative, and the data were obtained through pre- and post- tests. Pre- and post- Mandarin tests were conducted among 65 participants. The results showed that slight attrition was found in Chinese character recognition, while serious attrition occurred in word order and writing ability. The reasons for the attrition were also discussed. The study suggested that more attention be paid to learning Chinese word order and writing and less to Chinese character recognition for Mandarin learners, especially in Malaysia.
Studying linguistic landscape (LL) is a relatively new area of sociolinguistics that encompasses ... more Studying linguistic landscape (LL) is a relatively new area of sociolinguistics that encompasses written language on public road signs, billboard advertisements and shop fronts. The term, LL, can be traced to the seminal work of Landry and Bourhis (1997). It is through the lens of LL that this study aims to examine the linguistic practices and code choices in billboard advertisements in the ‘cityscape’ of a capital city. Spolsky (2004) states the real language policy of a community is likely to be found in its practices than in management of the policy. With this in mind, this study examines official documents that articulate and prescribe linguistic and code choice policies for billboard advertisements and apply the policies to analyse selected billboards along a stretch of highway in a cityscape. Thus, the reality of the practice is what matters most. The prescribed language policies provide a sense of the ideal that a society could strive for in nationhood practices; but the real...
With Malaysia being a multilingual, multicultural and multiracial country, it is not surprising t... more With Malaysia being a multilingual, multicultural and multiracial country, it is not surprising that everyone in Malaysia speaks at least two or more languages. Such a multilingual situation leads people to choose and use different languages for different purposes in different domains. Even within a single domain the choice of language varies on contexts, topics and participants. The purpose of this study was thus to investigate the patterns of language choice and use in the domain of education in Malaysia and also to investigate what influences this choice. The study examined the patterns of language choice among UPM(University Putra Malaysia) undergraduates through a questionnaire survey and the data was analyzed. The findings reveal that language choice in education varies on sub-domains. It is also found that language proficiency, ethnicity, gender, and discipline of study constrain the choice and use of language.
The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of using pragmatic consciousness-raisi... more The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of using pragmatic consciousness-raising activities on EFL learners’ metapragmatic awareness of the speech act of suggesting. Fifty-two Iranian EFL learners in two intact classes were randomly assigned into an experimental group (n=27) and a control group (n=25). A Metapragmatic Awareness Test (MAT) was administered to both groups before the treatment as a pretest, which showed no significant difference between the two groups’ awareness levels. Then, the experimental group received a pragmatic consciousness-raising treatment for eight weeks. After the treatment, first an immediate posttest and then, after eight weeks, a delayed MAT posttest were administered to the participants in both groups to determine the effect of the treatment. The t-test analysis of the delayed posttest mean scores of the experimental and control groups showed a significant difference, indicating the effectiveness of the treatment on the experimental ...
... David Yoong Soon Chye: Boycotting an International Tourism Company: A Critical Discourse Pers... more ... David Yoong Soon Chye: Boycotting an International Tourism Company: A Critical Discourse Perspective - Biook Behnam/ Hanieh Piadeh: Discourse of Advertising: A Comparative Study of Advertisements in English and Persian - Faridah Noor Mohd. ...
In order to gain insights into the tense profile in master theses’ Integrated Results and Discuss... more In order to gain insights into the tense profile in master theses’ Integrated Results and Discussion chapters, the present study investigated the use of tenses in obligatory rhetorical units (moves and steps) in 20 master’s theses in the hard sciences written by ESL students within a period of 10 years from 2002 to 2012. To conduct the study, a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative approaches was adopted. The quantitative analysis was conducted to locate the tenses in the identified obligatory rhetorical units of the corpus. Besides, to enhance the robustness of the methodology, the shifts in the use of the tenses and possible reasons for tense preferences in the obligatory rhetorical units were investigated qualitatively in the form of contextual analysis. The contextual analysis revealed that the simple present tense (66.03%) was the most preferred tense, followed by the use of simple past tense (28.14%). Also, the contextual analysis revealed that the contributing factors ...
A major dilemma facing teachers in English as a second or foreign language countries nowadays is ... more A major dilemma facing teachers in English as a second or foreign language countries nowadays is how students can best learn the English language – whether through ‘talk’ or through ‘silence’. Studies have shown that many Asian ESL learners tend to be silent in the classroom, and rely heavily on the teacher (Liu, 2002; Kaur & Lah, 1996). This study is part of ongoing doctoral research on the study of silence in academic discourse among Malaysian undergraduate science and non-science students. The aim of this paper is to provide an extensive review of the literature that has explored patterns of silence in the ESL classroom and the causes and cultural meanings of silence. Some findings on the study of silence among Malaysian science and non-science students in academic discourse will also be presented. It is hoped that the review will forward a stance between theory and practice in relation to learning through talk or learning through silence in the Asian context.
Oral communication skills are a highly valued commodity. Part of the packaging is the exuding of ... more Oral communication skills are a highly valued commodity. Part of the packaging is the exuding of confidence, which can be modulated by other mental states such as that of anxiety. Anxiety can be both good and bad and thus facilitating or debilitating, as a confidence booster or demotivator. Anxiety is worthy of investigation because it is a factor that influences communicative competence. Language anxiety can be defined along communication apprehension, test anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. Specifically, the study examines dimensions of language anxiety aligned to the major sub-constructs mentioned earlier. Data for this study is obtained through a survey questionnaire administered to 700 UPM students prior to an oral communication test. Findings suggest that most of the students experienced a medium level of oral communication apprehension, test anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. In the learning process, anxiety forms an important element that could determine language...
On 11 September 2012, the Prime Minister unveiled the National Education Blueprint that laid the ... more On 11 September 2012, the Prime Minister unveiled the National Education Blueprint that laid the foundation for transforming the Malaysian education system. Among the issues addressed was the strengthening of the teaching and learning of the English language alongside the reinforcement of the learning of the national language. Attention was given to ensuring students' English language proficiency through an emphasis on bilingualism (Bahasa Malaysia and English), which is one of the six key "attributes" addressed in the blueprint. The blueprint currently invites comments and feedback from the public in order for it to be sensitive to local needs. In this context, the concept of bilingualism must be clearly established and explained as the degree of bilingual proficiency one achieves often depends on the wider societal attitudes towards the languages concerned. This paper aims to explore the context of bilingualism in Malaysia and to describe responses from an important ...
In this multilingual milieu, Malaysians in their early age are given choices to use particular la... more In this multilingual milieu, Malaysians in their early age are given choices to use particular language in the various domains of usage. As such, it is rather common to have Malaysians speaking at least two if not more languages. Bringing the attention to English language, despite its status as the second most important language in the nation and is commonly known as the second language, English is gradually slanted towards a foreign language more than a second language (Platt & Weber, 1980; Nunan, 2003). Thus, it is of interest to examine the vitality of languages at the primary level of education as indicative of an early stage of language vitality. Although studies of language vitality are often linked to minority and indigenous languages, language vitality in the present study has broadened to encompass the main languages in the nation. Qualitative methodological approach was employed. Interviews were conducted with primary school teachers to obtain insights on the vitality issu...
3L The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies
Asians are said to use silence in academic situation more than other learners from Europe and Ame... more Asians are said to use silence in academic situation more than other learners from Europe and America. With the increased need for students' oral participation in the language learning classroom and other academic situations, the Asian silent behavior has been considered a problem. The aim of this study is to investigate factors that contribute to the use of conversational silence by Malaysian science and non-science undergraduate students in academic discourse. Seventeen undergraduate students from a local university in Malaysia participated in a focus group interview which required them to respond to questions related to the beliefs of their culture on the use of silence, the extent to which the participants practice silence in academic discourse, and factors that contribute to the use of conversational silence. There were two groups each from the Departments of English and Computer and Communication System who informed the research. The study was underpinned by Brown and Levinson Politeness Theory, which is tied to the concept of 'face' as something that is highly valuable, and must be guarded in interaction. The findings suggest that some factors such as sociocultural upbringing, personality and intimidation by the environment play a role in the use of silence by the informants of this study.
African Research Review
The purpose of this study is to analyze the management of turn distribution in academic discourse... more The purpose of this study is to analyze the management of turn distribution in academic discourse based on three turn taking systems of taking the turn, holding the turn, and yielding the turn by some undergraduate science students of a public university in Nigeria. The participants engaged in a discussion based on a chart presented by Global Peace Index on relative peace around the world from 2015 to 2016. The discussion which was video recorded, lasted 15 minutes. The study was underpinned by Sacks, Schegloff and Jefferson (1974) Turn-taking theory. Conversation analysis, using Drew and Heritage (1992) transcription notations, was used to transcribe the data. The result indicated that 'pleading' was among the strategies used by some participants of this study to take a turn. Also, gaze was used by some participants of this study as a strategy for seeking information not as a sign of nominating the next speaker.
Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS)
Conducting research about individuals’ feelings of belonging to a society comprising different so... more Conducting research about individuals’ feelings of belonging to a society comprising different social strata is of interest to researchers. National identity as a collective identity has gained salient attention in Malaysia because the country’s social structure is made up of different ethnic groups. To shed light on this topic, this study investigated national identity among undergraduate students of a public university in Malaysia. A survey questionnaire (the National Identity Measure or NIM) was utilized as the data collection instrument. Using a random proportional stratified sampling strategy, a total of 498 undergraduates studying in the University’s 15 different faculties were selected as respondents. The results of the study confirmed that, in a society that embraces various ethnic groups, a collective national identity can be measured.Keywords: Feeling of belonging, Malaysia, measurement, national identity, national identity measure.Cite as: Granhenat, M.…
LSP International Journal
The fast-paced, technologically advanced modern world has embraced English as the current ‘lingua... more The fast-paced, technologically advanced modern world has embraced English as the current ‘lingua franca’ of tertiary education, international commerce, tourism and diplomacy. International business, collaboration and global exchange seem to depend on effective communication in English. Malaysia is currently experiencing an emerging trend to focus on workplace specific language needs. This is to meet the incumbent demands of social and economic development in contemporary Malaysian society where employees with high English language proficiency are invariably in demand. Nowadays, pushed mainly by economic and political needs, almost all trades and professions around the world demand people who are able to use English effectively as an essential tool for establishing meaningful communication, and as an essential condition in order to work in today’s global context. Data for the study reveals a diverse spectrum of language needs that should characterize an employee who fits into the co...
SAGE Open
Learners' attitude is considered a key motivational component and an important nonlinguistic fact... more Learners' attitude is considered a key motivational component and an important nonlinguistic factor that influences second-language learning. The primary aim of the current study is to explore Arab secondary school students' attitudes toward English spelling and writing. To collect the data, a 52-item attitude questionnaire was administered to 70 Arab students studying English as a second language (ESL) in the Saudi School in Malaysia. The questionnaire comprises two scales: (a) attitudes toward English spelling and (b) attitudes toward writing in English that includes four writing purposes: (a) School Use, (b) Social Use, (c) Official Use, and (d) Creativity. The findings of the study revealed that the Arab ESL secondary school students have a high positive attitude toward English spelling and writing. The findings also indicated that the students' attitude toward the Social Use of English is the highest, whereas their Creativity in writing is the least mean among the four purposes. In addition, the study revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between the students' attitude toward spelling and writing. The findings suggest that English literature, that is, stories and literary activities, should be integrated in the curriculum to develop the students' creativity in ESL writing. The study also recommends that other studies may investigate Arab students' spelling error analysis as well as address other important aspects of writing such as brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing.
GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
Article-based thesis is an alternative thesis format which requires postgraduate students to writ... more Article-based thesis is an alternative thesis format which requires postgraduate students to write and publish articles as a fulfilment of a postgraduate degree. Therefore, knowledge of the rhetorical structure (moves and steps) of article-based thesis (AT) is crucial for the successful completion of a thesis. This study then seeks to compare the rhetorical structures and linguistic realisations of thesis introduction chapter found in the Traditional (TT) and Article-based (AT) theses. To realise the objectives, 12 purposive selected PhD thesis introductions were analysed based on Bunton's (2002) move model. Using content analysis, the moves and steps in the introduction chapters were quantified for their frequency of use and then examined qualitatively for their linguistic realisations. The data revealed that both types of theses had obligatory and optional moves and steps. It was also found that the steps of move 3 in the article-based theses were slightly different from that in the traditional theses. For the linguistic realisations, it was shown that there were variations in the different moves and steps in TT and AT. Words such as paper and article were found in move 3 in AT but were absent in TT. The results have several pedagogical implications. They provide informed input on the structures of the two types of thesis to the writing instructors and writing curriculum writers. More importantly, the findings provide knowledge to student writers on the genre of AT, specifically its rhetorical structures and linguistic realisations.
SAGE Open, 2018
Learners’ attitude is considered a key motivational component and an important nonlinguistic fact... more Learners’ attitude is considered a key motivational component and an important nonlinguistic factor that influences second-language learning. The primary aim of the current study is to explore Arab secondary school students’ attitudes toward English spelling and writing. To collect the data, a 52-item attitude questionnaire was administered to 70 Arab students studying English as a second language (ESL) in the Saudi School in Malaysia. The questionnaire comprises two scales: (a) attitudes toward English spelling and (b) attitudes toward writing in English that includes four writing purposes: (a) School Use, (b) Social Use, (c) Official Use, and (d) Creativity. The findings of the study revealed that the Arab ESL secondary school students have a high positive attitude toward English spelling and writing. The findings also indicated that the students’ attitude toward the Social Use of English is the highest, whereas their Creativity in writing is the least mean among the four purposes...
International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature
Assessment literacy, as a term, is not well known in the educational field. This is unfortunate b... more Assessment literacy, as a term, is not well known in the educational field. This is unfortunate because teachers' assessment knowledge and competence can have an important influence on the way they teach and the way their students learn. The relationship between the degree of assessment literacy a teacher has and the washback of this type of assessment is not clearly identified, especially in higher education context. In view of this gap, this article attempts to examine important assessment literacy issues in relation to student learning: definition and importance of assessment literacy, assessment in higher education and assessment practices through reviewing related studies. The review pinpoints the harmful effects of being assessment illiterate for both teachers and students.
International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies
Language assessment can be a valuable tool for providing information regarding language teaching.... more Language assessment can be a valuable tool for providing information regarding language teaching. Given the importance of assessment that has undergone much change, there are important issues that warrant investigation, particularly those related to language instructors. Understanding the assessment beliefs of ESL instructors, especially at the tertiary level, is important since it can help improve the quality of assessment practices as well. Therefore, this study investigated English language instructors’ assessment beliefs in the Malaysian context. This study adopted a cross-sectional research design. The survey method was utilized to collect data from six Malaysian universities using a purposive sampling strategy. English language instructors (n=83) were selected via purposive sampling for the study. Findings of the study revealed that English language instructors believed that the purpose of assessment was to improve teaching and learning. Regarding the assessment beliefs that a...
Uploads
Papers by AIN NADZIMAH ABDULLAH