bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HUMAN CAPITAL AS A DETERMINANT OF STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION ON THE EXAMPLE OF POLAND
Authors: Dzieńdziora Joanna , Smolarek Małgorzata
Published: July 2019

Human capital refers to all the competences of employees. It is a resource of knowledge, skills and attitudes existing in every human being and society as a whole, which defines capability of work and adaptation to changes in the environment, and possibility of creating new solutions. The paper is theoretical and empirical in nature and presents the role of human capital in the implementation of personnel policy in an organisation. The aim of the paper is to present diagnosis of the level of human capital that contributes to the implementation of personnel policy of public administration on the example of integration and welfare institutions examined. Empirical part of the paper presents analysis of the survey results within selected aspects of human capital management in the institutions examined. Primary data collected during a quantitative study using questionnaire surveys, with a survey questionnaire as a research tool. The questionnaire was addressed to randomly selected employees of public administration organizations of the type integration and welfare institutions located in Silesian Voivodeship (Poland). Results of research: in the area of a strategy for human capital management there is a clear lack of a comprehensive approach which would enable a consistent use of modern tools for human capital management in this type of institutions.
Keywords: human capital, human resources management, public administration.
WHEN PUBLIC MANAGING FAILS. THE HOUSING QUESTION IN EUROPE
Authors: Bussotti Luca
Published: July 2019

If one seeks to rent a house for spending some months in a European city, or just some days on holiday, an aspect becomes immediately clear: the quasi-monopoly of an on-line platform, which proposes interesting and innovative solutions, from an entire apartment to a single room.
This on-line platform is Airbnb, created in 2007 in San Francisco and which in 2009 assumed the current denomination. Airbnb operates in 200 countries and about 8.100 cities, launching 5 million announcements yearly and hosting – through its associated structures – about 300 million people per year (Rubino, 2018), having reached in 2018 the target of 500 million people (AIRBNB, 2019).
MANAGING SUSTAINABILITY: THE ROLE OF MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH
Authors: Jacquinet Marc , Bussotti Luca
Published: July 2019

Multinational corporations and international business practices as well as international investment are considered important elements for the diffusion of new modes of production, namely through a flow of cleaner production and new management practices such as corporate social responsibility (CSR). This view is lacking consistency and is not buttressed on strong empirical evidence. The positive driver of environmental sustainability is probably not international business and trade but strong and good institutions. The focus here is on four limitations: the context of the private firms and corporations, the workings of complex organizations, the technology and the right institutions that buttress the global, national and local contexts, taking as concrete examples some specific cases from the Global South, as Mozambique. The article concludes that these aspects have to be considered and contrasted to the technological and management solutions for sustainability.
Keywords: corporate social responsibility, local communities, technology institutions.
THE ATTITUDES OF EMPLOYEES TOWARD HEALTH, SECURITY, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT DURING INSTALLATIONS OF TANKS AND PIPELINES IN A FUEL DEPOT IN LUBUMBASHI AIRPORT, DRC
Authors: Kelwon Solomon C. , Sogoti Peris K.
Published: July 2019

Lubumbashi was chosen for this study because it is the second largest city in Katanga Province in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The province is well known for the mining of many precious minerals like gold, diamond, and copper among others. The mining companies use an immense quantity of fuel, bulk diesel in their operations and aviation for their aircrafts. In the study, the target was the whole population of employees in four companies in Lubumbashi Airport. There were two fuel depot construction companies, a fuel transporter and a fuel depot. The study picked all the companies that were contracted to work in an operational fuel depot under construction. One of the researchers during the study was an Operations Manager in the fuel depot. A balance had to be done between seamless operations which were at the same time risk free. This was despite the dangers brought about by the ongoing construction which was a safety risky. It made it necessary therefore for every respondent to be targeted in the study. Data was collected using questionnaires and observation of operations. This was to ensure that every employee under target in the study is covered. The respondents were given the freedom to fill the questionnaires. The data collected were then fed into a computer and processed using the software SPSS version 20 for data analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inference. The findings were presented by the use of tables, figures, and bar charts which are detailed and shown in the study. This was to ensure that there was a proper understanding of the research. The details of the findings are well recorded. The three subcontracted companies were allowed to operate in a fuel depot with a lean staff for safety reasons. Of those interviewed, it was only 61 of them who agreed to return the questionnaires out of a target population of 115. This was a 53% response rate which was quite good considering the busy operations that were on going. The majority of the respondents, 98.4% were men while the rest 1.6% were female. As per the compliance to health, safety and environment, many respondents had not undergone training. This is because it was only 10.9% who had done emergency drills while 3.2% did not see the need of knowing contents in fuel tanks. Alternatively, a good number of the respondents valued the importance of safety gear, 91.2%. There is need for regular training of employees to avert serious cases of fire and accidents; since the facility falls under sensitive project in EIA/EA (Environmental Impact Assessment/Environmental Audit). The researchers recommend regular Environmental Audits from certified environmental Lead Experts.
Keywords: safety and health, fuel depot, work environment, attitude, employees & pipeline.
THE IMPACT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ON ACCOUNTING DEVELOPMENT AS THE ESSENCE OF SUSTAINABILITY ACCOUNTING
Authors: Zyznarska-Dworczak Beata
Published: July 2019

Growing public awareness of the need for sustainability raises the need for business settlements in the line with the concept of accountability. This phenomenon contributes to the objective extension of information systems in enterprises, including accounting system. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of accountability on accounting development, showing thus the idea of sustainability accounting. This study investigates the significance of the accountability concept and was conducted, indicating in particular the types of this concept and the areas of its management in the company. Based on inductive and deductive reasoning, the thesis of the article has been proved, showing that the accountability concept directs the development of accounting towards sustainability accounting as one of the basic manifestations of corporate responsibility. The paper shows that a cascading of corporate accountability determines the areas in which accounting is crucial for the company management, like valuation of the results of the implementation of sustainable development principles, managerial control and sustainability reporting. This paper aims to promote the perception of the changes and prospects of the development of accounting towards sustainability accounting, presenting theoretical and practical implementations. Keywords: accountability, accounting development, corporate responsibility, sustainable development, sustainability accounting.
MANAGEMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT TO THE ACTIVITIES OF YOUTH ASSOCIATIONS IN UKRAINE
Authors: Boltivets Sergii , Halushko Olena
Published: July 2019

The main result of the study is a systematic analysis of the peculiarities of legal and political institutionalization of public associations in Ukraine, ways of increasing the effectiveness of regulation of the activities of public associations in Ukraine by means of institutional support, institutional capacity of which is the result of their interaction with the state. This is manifested in the ability of public associations to perform their functions in providing social services in areas that are legally and normatively defined by the state. The evaluation of the effectiveness of relations between civil society actors, the form of institutional support for the activities of associations of children and young people on a public-legal basis, necessary for the effective use of the potential of different types of public associations, as well as optimal ways to increase the effectiveness of institutional support for public associations in implemented youth and social projects. The institutionalization of the process of interaction of public authorities with public organizations and their associations is highlighted in the context of consolidation of the organizational and legal rules of their relations, the conditions of their partnership cooperation in various spheres of socio-political and socio-economic life of the country. Institutionalization is revealed as the legitimization of the foundations of the interaction of these institutions, that is, the recognition of their interaction is legitimate and expedient for the majority of the population, whose interests are the institutions of civil society. The forms of institutional support for the activities of associations of children and youth are presented, which directly determine institutional support instruments, which can be either direct or indirect.
The presented results of the conducted research testify to the necessity of further development of civil society on the basis of cooperation between state authorities and the public. An indispensable condition for such interaction is the formation of an appropriate mechanism of public administration, in which a system of social and legal norms, methods for defining purposes and a legal basis for the management process in this direction are identified. The prospects for further research in this direction are envisaged, which include the development of proposals for improving the structure of state bodies - elements of the system for ensuring interaction between authorities and the public, improving the coordination of their activities.
Keywords: institutional support, youth policy, public associations, public administration, partnership cooperation.
Phytoremediation of organic pollutants in wastewater using native plants
Authors: Mohammed Omayma N. , M-Ridha Mohanad J.
Published: July 2019

Phytoremediation is a promising technology for the cleanup of petroleum contaminated soil. Total petroleum hydrocarbon TPH are elements of difficult management and they can cause carcinogenesis and toxicity in human. Different techniques have been used for the remediation of contaminated soils, but the phytoremediation is proposed as possible alternative, convenient and environmentally friendly than traditional physicochemical techniques. In this study two systems adopted; free surface flow (FSF) and sub-surface flow (SSF) to select which system is more suitable for plant to be applied in future study of phytotoxicity test. The preliminary test for two types of plants phragmites communis (The scientific name is phragmites australis) and Helianthus annuus was conducted in a greenhouse for 14 days. The diesel concentrations used in this experiment were (0,1,2,3,5)% Vdiesel/Vwater for both systems. Through this period the growth parameters measured; were wet weight, dry weight, stem length, root length and observation the withered for the two plants. From this work, SSF better than FSF and Phragmites communis is better in phytoremediation than Helianthus annuus.
Opportunities and limitations of exotic Pinus radiata as a facilitative nurse for New Zealand indigenous forest restoration
Authors: Forbes Adam S. , Norton David A. , Carswell Fiona E.
Published: July 2019

Background: We investigated the long-term potential of non-harvest Pinus radiata plantations for the facilitation and restoration of a natural forest community dominated by indigenous woody species. We investigated the relationship between indigenous regeneration and light levels and the hypothesis that proximity to indigenous seed sources is critical. We studied nine Pinus radiata stands of different ages located within Kinleith Forest, which is a large (ca. 66 000 ha) commercial exotic plantation forest located in New Zealand’s central North Island.

Methods: We constructed a chronosequence of P. radiata plantation stands aged 2–89 years to represent long-term natural forest regeneration following plantation establishment. We surveyed structural, compositional and contextual aspects of this secondary succession and compared these results with an old-growth indigenous forest reference site located within the study area.

Results: The exotic P. radiata canopy facilitated a regeneration trajectory characterised by shade-tolerant indigenous forest species. We found that the structure and composition of P. radiata understories were strongly influenced by stand age and proximity to indigenous forest. Stand age was important from the perspective of creating shaded conditions for the establishment of shade-tolerant woody forest species. Our results suggest that proximal indigenous forest was required for the consistent natural establishment of larger-fruited, bird-dispersed mature forest canopy species in P. radiata plantations.

Conclusions: Our results showed that, even at ecologically isolated sites, the microclimate conditions created by plantation Pinus radiata stands supported a suite of readily-dispersed indigenous forest plants. Based on these results we suggest that non-harvest P. radiata stands provide an important opportunity for the restoration of indigenous forest communities in New Zealand’s production landscapes. Where restoration of forest composition similar to old-growth is the restoration objective, however, interventions might be necessary to direct and accelerate the secondary forest succession. Further replicated study is required into the relationship between native forest proximity and understorey regeneration patterns.
PENINGKATAN KOMPETENSI GURU DALAM MENYUSUN SILABUS DAN RPP MELALUI SUPERVISI AKADEMIK DI SMP NEGERI 3 SUNGAI LALAK
Authors: Sujarno Sujarno
Published: July 2019

This research is motivated by the weakness of teachers in preparing syllabus and plans for implementing learning. The purpose of this study is to improve teacher competence in preparing syllabus and plan for implementing learning. The research was conducted at SMP Negeri 3 Sungai Lalak. This study uses school action research which consists of two cycles. The results of the study prove, the basic data of the teacher who compiled the learning device is 67% or as many as 8 teachers who collect. While the quality of the learning device is only 3 teachers with a large number of assessments of 70 with a percentage of 25% with very little category. In the first cycle the quantity of collection of learning devices increased to 92% while the quantity for the syllabus and lesson plans was above 70 with a percentage of 75% in the good category. In the second cycle, the quantity of teachers who compiled the syllabus increased to 100%. While the quality of the 12 teachers who compiled the syllabus and lesson plans, the assessment has been above 70 with a percentage of 100% in the excellent category. It can be concluded that by applying the academic supervision can improve the competence of teachers in preparing the syllabus and RPP at SMP Negeri 3 Sungai Lalak.
Paparan kesopanan berbahasa dalam teks Komsas Melunas Rindu: Aplikasi model Leech (1983) dan Grice (1975)
Authors: Beden Sara , Zahid Indirawati
Published: July 2019

Kajian dengan menggunakan bahan Komsas oleh para pengkaji setakat ini kebanyakannya tertumpu kepada nilai-nilai murni dan masalah pengajaran dan pembelajaran Komsas sebaliknya kurang memberikan tumpuan terhadap analisis kesopanan berasaskan teori linguistik. Bahan sastera diyakini dapat berfungsi sebagai wadah untuk menyemai keinsanan, kebijaksanaan berbicara, kehalusan budi bahasa, sikap dan minda yang positif selain bertujuan untuk menghargai kehidupan. Justeru, kajian ini akan menjelaskan kesopanan berbahasa dalam teks Komsas yang digunakan oleh para murid Tingkatan 4 Zon 4 di negeri Johor, Sabah, Sarawak dan Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan, Malaysia. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengklasifikasi dan memetakan struktur peristiwa bahasa berdasarkan dialog yang diujarkan oleh watak utama dan watak sampingannya dalam bab 17 dan 19 novel ini. Kajian ini mengaplikasikan kombinasi Prinsip Kesopanan Leech (1983) dan Prinsip Kerjasama Grice (1975) yang telah membentuk Model Pola Kombinasi Maksim Umum (MPKMU) berdasarkan prinsip tepat, hampir sama dan ekonomis. Terdapat enam pola dalam MPKMU. Hasil dapatan menunjukkan pematuhan terhadap dua pola kombinasi maksim dalam MPKMU, iaitu Pola 1 dan Pola 2 berdasarkan prinsip hampir sama. Pemetaan struktur peristiwa bahasa pula memperlihatkan struktur yang digunakan dalam setiap peristiwa bahasa bervariasi atas faktor objektif komunikasi yang berbeza-beza bagi memanifestasikan kesopanan. Kesimpulannya, kesopanan berbahasa dalam bahan Komsas dapat memberikan pendedahan tentang penggunaan dan pemilihan unsur bahasa yang sesuai agar komunikasi menjadi lebih berkesan dan mendatangkan manfaat kepada semua pihak.
Persembahan bahasa objek dalam Kamus Dewan dan Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia
Authors: Abu Bakar Ahmad Fakrulazizi , Subramaniam Vijayaletchumy
Published: July 2019

Kajian ini menganalisis cara mempersembahkan bahasa objek menerusi Kamus Dewan Edisi Keempat (KD4) (2010), dan Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia Edisi Keempat (KBBI4) (2011). Pengkaji menggunakan kerangka prinsip-prinsip umum leksikografi dengan berpandukan pendapat Béjoint (1994) untuk menghuraikan kaedah yang digunakan oleh para penyusun kamus dalam mempersembahkan bahasa objek kedua-dua buah kamus ekabahasa. Dalam kajian ini, 1087 entri telah dipilih secara rawak mudah dan bersistematik. Kaedah kajian pula ialah kaedah kepustakaan dan analisis kandungan dengan huraian secara deskriptif asas. Objektif kajian adalah untuk menganalisis cara bahasa mempersembahkan bahasa objek terhadap KD4 dan KBBI4. Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa kedua-dua buah kamus tersebut mengikut kaedah peraturan atau formula, dan teknik mampatan. Namun, kesemua data kajian tidak menunjukkan penggunaan cara kesejadian atau keidiomatikan bahasa. Kelebihan hasil analisis ini adalah dapat membantu para penyusun kamus memperbaiki kualiti sesebuah kamus yang tepat dengan golongan sasarannya khususnya kamus ekabahasa Melayu yang sedia ada.
Salience effect on the processing of idioms in L1: Evidence from Malay simpulan Bahasa
Authors: Mohamad Deli Radina
Published: July 2019

Experimental investigations into figurative language processing have received little attention for languages other than English and several major European languages. Research on the Malay language, in particular, has been very limited. This study thus aimed to investigate the figurative language processing of familiar Malay idioms by L1 native speakers. Familiarity or salience is hypothesised as having a dominating effect in the processing of idiom meaning. This means, regardless of context or other possible factors, salience is said to determine processing advantage. A total of 24 participants completed a timed lexical-decision task after listening to idiomatic stimuli. Eight highly familiar idioms embedded in neutral sentences were used as auditory stimuli, and were paired visually together with either their figurative or literal meaning as target words. Results revealed a similar processing speed for responses to both literal and idiomatic meanings. Hence, it was concluded that the salience levels of both meanings are balanced in line with the Graded Salience Hypothesis.
Blending online language laboratory into Indonesian EFL listening classroom
Authors: Arzal
Published: July 2019

Integrating Information Communication and Technology (ICT) into English as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms is believed to enhance teaching and learning. This study promotes the use of online language laboratory into Indonesian EFL listening classroom. Using a mixed approach of qualitative and quantitative principles, this study examined 23 Indonesian learners of English at the State University of Gorontalo, Indonesia to see whether the use of online language laboratory can significantly increase the students’ listening skills. In this experimental study, the participants’ condition and achievement in the pre- and post test were compared. The result showed that there is a significant difference between listening score on the modified TOEIC-like test. The findings suggest that , it is beneficial for teachers of English to be aware of the effectiveness, flexibility, richness, and the other advantages of using online language laboratory in EFL especially listening classroom.
Teaching Arabic oral and written communication among the Yoruba speakers in Nigeria: A constrastive analysis
Authors: Olatunde Yaqub Muhammad
Published: July 2019

The teaching and learning of Arabic language especially in the non-native environment require a simplified method to make the job a more fruitful enterprise. This paper explores the application of a contrastive analysis of both the target language and the native language in encouraging, motivating and simplifying the teaching and learning of oral Arabic communication skill among the native Yoruba speakers. The work identifies the major areas of difficulties facing the students from this region. This includes phonetics, phonology and agreement relation (otherwise known as concord in grammar). The agreement consists of gender, person, terms and numbers which form a major component of grammatical Arabic sentence. It is observed that understanding these major areas will enhance the performance of the students in achieving the required standard in Arabic oral communication. The paper concludes that Arabic phonetics, phonology and grammar are more elaborate than those of Yoruba. Hence, the instructors need to focus more attention on these difficult areas; especially those areas that do not exist in the native language (Yoruba).
The lexical borrowing in Palestinian colloquial Arabic
Authors: Hijjo Nael F. M.
Published: July 2019

The paper aimed to determine the social factors responsible for the variable use of [g], [k] and the prestigious [ʔ] in the Colloquial Arabic of the Gaza Strip women. These variables are of interest because they each have one variant that coincides with al-Fussha Arabic; which is the standard /q/. Towards this end, a quantitative study was carried out to examine the frequency of each sound in the naturally occurring speech of a sample of eight female participants belonging to families, six of whom have migrated from the occupied Palestine in year of 1948 and the other two are citizens of the Gaza Strip, where [g] is socially dominant, to the Gaza city. The findings suggest that younger generation shift from [g] or [kshift to the prestigious form [ʔ] to show prestige in the society. Thus the variable use of the original sound [g] in Gaza city could be a language shift.
Paraphrasing challenges faced by Malaysian ESL students
Authors: Adi Badiozaman Ida Fatimawati
Published: July 2019

This study examined the challenges faced by Malaysian second language (L2) learners when paraphrasing an academic text. Drawing on interviews with two diploma students from two business majors, I explored the types of challenges they faced when attempting paraphrasing tasks. The findings revealed that the students faced multiple challenges that ranged from text comprehension, poor L2 proficiency to referencing problems. In addition, there were significant differences between paraphrasing strategies adopted by a competent student and one with a lower proficiency level. Overall, the findings suggest that there is a need to utilise Content-Based Instruction to make the links between writing skills and learners’ disciplines tangible and that pre-degree preparation needs to include extensive writing practice which would help students become familiar with academic writing demands. Preliminary results also show that there is a need for teachers to be aware that the design of the materials for English language teaching should be tailored to the purpose of university study and academic vocabulary.
Advertising language: A pragmatic approach to cigarette advertisements in Indonesia
Authors: Qadafi Ahmad Muammar
Published: July 2019

In Indonesia, it has been a public knowledge that cigarette is dangerous to consume. However, the involvement of advertisement and its huge economic benefit has driven the government to freely let cigarette be widely promoted; nevertheless the image of the cigarette would not be shown on the screen as per agreement with advertisers. These series of complexities in the cigarette advertisements have attracted the authors to investigate the way cigarettes are promoted without explicitly exposing them. Using inferential pragmatic approach (Sperber & Wilson, 2002), this research reveals that the language of advertisements operate subtly at the level of cognition and comprehension to persuade smokers.
Challenges of teaching oral English in Nigerian high schools
Authors: Usman Joshua
Published: July 2019

This study advocates for greater emphasis on the acquisition of oracy skills whereby this component of English is totally neglected in our higher schools. It identifies and examines some of the major challenges that the teaching of oral English could face; thereby proffering some possible solutions that could improve the teaching of oral English in our secondary schools. Questionnaires were used to seek teachers’ and students’ opinions concerning the problem. The research participants consisted of the teachers of English Language and students, particularly, Senior Secondary Schools Students (SSSI-SSS III) within four selected schools. The results have shown that interference of mother tongue, unqualified teachers and dearth of relevant teaching materials are the major challenges. The study suggested that (i) a high degree of motivation in both students and teachers, and (ii) the teachers’ competence in the subject and their mastery of the techniques of imparting knowledge in it are the basic the solutions. Teachers and Language instructors should identify these problems, face the challenges through practical classes and improvisation and also insist on standards.
Malaysian L2 learners’ English learning motivation: A study of goals, attitudes and self
Authors: Prasangani K.S.N.
Published: July 2019

This paper investigates factors motivating Malaysian students to learn English through Dornyei’s (2009) construct of the L2 Motivational Self System. The purpose of the study is to examine the validity of self- concept (Ideal L2 and Ought to L2) in the L2 Motivational Self System and examine effect of learner social goals. Furthermore, the study aims to determine the relationship among L2 attitudes, social goals and motivated learning behaviour. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey conducted among 76 Malaysian undergraduates. The results of the study revealed a strong correlation between social goals and selves as well as social goals and motivated learning behaviour. There was a correlation between the L2 self and motivated learning, suggesting social interference to be an important factor for forming attitude.
English language assessment in Malaysia: Teachers’ practices in test preparation
Authors: Ch'ng Looi Chin
Published: July 2019

In the context of English language teaching, many studies that claimed to investigate teachers’ assessment practices were actually exploring their perceptions and belief with little reference to what they were practising in schools. The need to address such a limitation has prompted this study to examine the current formal assessment practices of English language teachers in lower secondary schools. Specifically, this paper reports how the teachers prepare the formal assessments. Extensive structured interviews were conducted with 72 teachers from 24 schools in Kuching division, Sarawak. Relevant documents such as test papers and assessment guidelines were also collected for further analysis. The findings from this study revealed that a majority of the teachers conducted formal assessments mainly due to the requirements of the school and ministry while following pre-determined steps in preparing a test. Furthermore, the findings also revealed teachers’ reliance on commercial reference books in constructing exam questions and sample answers. The outcome of the study provides an insight on the nature of English language teachers’ assessment practices in relation to the classroom teaching and learning at the secondary level.This could help inform the Ministry of Education in providing necessary support for the teachers particularly assessment practices in ESL context as well as in formulating a better assessment policy for schools.
Textual and language features of students’ written discussion texts
Authors: Ting Su Hie
Published: July 2019

The study examined textual and language features of discussion texts written by university students. The discussion texts were written by 100 students enrolled in an English for Academic Purposes course at a Malaysian university. The advantages-disadvantages essay was analysed using Feez’s (1998) framework for discussion texts. The results showed that about half of the students were unable to state the issue clearly in the introduction and assess the issue based on foregoing arguments in the conclusion. For the arguments, the topic sentences and supporting details were satisfactory. Analysis of the language features in the student discussion texts revealed that conditional clauses were seldom used to present hypothetical situations to move the arguments forward but connectors were frequently used, particularly “because”. More causal connectors were used than sequential connectors because of the need for reasoning in discussion texts. Shifts in arguments were signaled using adversative connectors but these were used less frequently than additive connectors for connecting similar ideas. The discussion texts were also characterised by the frequent use of modal verbs for hedging and boosting, mainly “can” and “will”. The study shows that while the student texts had the relevant language features of discussions, they sometimes lacked the characteristic textual structure of discussion texts.
Working in groups for coursework assignments: The tertiary students’ perspective
Authors: Hj. Mustafa Rosnah Bt.
Published: July 2019

The study examined undergraduates’ perception of group work in doing coursework assignments. It specifically investigated students’ perceptions of the usefulness of group work in doing assignments; identified reasons which influence students’ preference or non-preference for group work in doing assignments; determined students’ expectations of instructor’s roles in group work; and compared students’ perceptions of group work across ethnic groups. A 39-item questionnaire was distributed to 200 students in a Malaysian public university. The findings showed that a majority of students viewed group work positively due to lesser time required to accomplish given tasks and increased interpersonal gains. Some students however disapproved of group work for several reasons including the difficulty to find mutually agreed time for discussions, domination of some group members, and the existence of slackers in the group. One major aspect highlighted in the study was students' need for continuous instructor support and assistance when group work was assigned.
Gender messages in contemporary popular Malay songs
Authors: Jerome Collin
Published: July 2019

Gender has been an important area of research in the field of popular music studies. Numerous scholars have found that contemporary popular music functions as a locus of diverse constructions and expressions of gender. While most studies focus on content analyses of popular music, there is still a need for more research on audience’s perception of popular music’s messages. This study examined adult Malay listeners’ perceptions of gender messages in contemporary Malay songs. A total of 16 contemporary Malay songs were analysed using Fairclough’s (1992) method of text analysis. The content of the songs that conveyed messages about gender were the basis for analysis. The results showed that the messages revolve mainly around socially constructed gender roles and expectations in romantic relationships. Gender stereotypes are also used in the songs to reinforce men’s and women’s roles in romantic relationships. The results also showed that, while listeners acknowledge the songs’ messages about gender, their own perceptions of gender and what it means to be a gendered being in today’s world are neither represented nor discussed fully in the songs analysed. It is hoped the findings from this, particularly the mismatch between projected and perceived notions of gender, contribute to the field of popular Malay music studies in particular, and popular music studies in general where gender messages in popular songs and their influence on listeners’ perceptions of their own gender is concerned.
Genres apart: School and university writing
Authors: Ting Su Hie
Published: July 2019

This study examined the types of writing emphasised in secondary school and university. The specific aspects studied were the genres that students write best, genres frequently written in school, and genres frequently required in written coursework assignments in university. The data on school writing were obtained from questionnaires distributed to 235 students enrolled in English courses in two Malaysian universities whereas the data on university coursework assignments were obtained through interviews with lecturers in the two universities. The results showed that there is a mismatch between types of writing emphasised in school and university. Students frequently write recount and discussion in school but university coursework frequently requires assignments to be written in the form of research articles and explanations. In view of the different emphases in school and university writing, students entering university have difficulty coping with academic discourse. The findings suggest that it is beneficial to sensitise university students to textual conventions of commonly used academic genres at university to speed up their learning of academic discourse.
Study of science students' expectation for university writing courses
Authors: Nadarajan Shanthi
Published: July 2019

The New Malaysia Education Blueprint (2012) states that the private sector continues to have concerns for Malaysian graduates’ English proficiency. The present study investigates the views and expectations of science students taking English courses in a public university. The findings revealed that learners saw opportunities to communicate and job applications process as important soft skills. They preferred practical learning methods above traditional teaching methods. Learners considered group performance, personal attitudes and online activities as important learning opportunities, while factual knowledge, report writing were least supported despite the fact that the majority viewed both assessments and instructional process as relevant. The data revealed that though they were dissatisfied with their existing level of proficiency, many students continued to expect an A for their course. An assessment of the learner’s’ language ability revealed that language ability was less under the learner’s control and more dependent on learner proficiency level. Taken together, this study suggests that the curriculum for the Professional Writing course should be highly diversified and balanced, with some emphasis on getting less proficient learners to read and improve their grammar skills while better students should be given opportunities to develop creative talents and interpersonal skills.
The effects of increase and variations in time presentations for second language vocabulary learning
Authors: Mohamad Deli Radina
Published: July 2019

Barcroft (2007) found opportunities for word retrieval to be advantageous during second language vocabulary learning. This study extended such a finding and investigated the effect of increased time in target-word retrieval for learning new vocabulary in the L2, as well as the effect of presentation orders of different time conditions on word retrieval. The data were obtained from 17 native Arab speakers who attempted to learn 24 new English words by viewing 24 word-picture pairs. Each picture and its corresponding word were viewed with different time lags of 0, 6 and 12 seconds between them in different presentation orders. The results showed that, although the increased time does not positively affect word retrieval, the overall findings correspond to Barcroft’s (2007) view, at least in the case of 6 seconds lag. The results also showed that the production of target words in both the control and retrieval-oriented conditions depend on and vary according to the order of presentation, particularly in the case of 6 seconds lag in which word gain is found to be highest when the lag is presented first and second.
Aplikasi media sosial dalam pembelajaran Bahasa Inggeris: Persepsi pelajar universiti
Authors: Chuah Kee Man
Published: July 2019

Kewujudan pelbagai aplikasi berasaskan media sosial telah menawarkan satu wadah yang baik untuk para pengajar memaksimumkan penggunaan aplikasi tersebut dalam pendidikan. Kajian ini mengenal pasti persepsi pelajar tentang penggunaan aplikasi media sosial dalam pengajaran Bahasa Inggeris yang melibatkan sejumlah 100 orang pelajar prasiswazah yang mengikuti kursus pengukuhan Bahasa Inggeris. Mereka dikehendaki untuk melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti-aktiviti berasaskan media sosial yang dijalankan dalam laman e-pembelajaran kursus tersebut selama 10 minggu. Pada penghujung minggu ke-10, borang soal selidik diberikan kepada pelajar untuk mengenal pasti persepsi mereka tentang aktiviti-aktiviti yang telah dijalankan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan para pelajar berpendapat Wiki telah membantu penulisan mereka, manakala video YouTube banyak digunakan untuk meningkatkan penguasaan kemahiran bertutur. Selain itu, kumpulan perbincangan Facebook dianggap berguna untuk pembelajaran tatabahasa dan perkataan. Twitter pula hanya digunakan untuk menerima informasi tentang definisi perkataan. Perbincangan tentang kekuatan dan kelemahan media sosial dalam pembelajaran Bahasa Inggeris dan cadangan untuk meningkatkan potensi aplikasi tersebut juga disertakan.
Discovering Phonemes of Bidayuh
Authors: Misieng Jecky
Published: July 2019

There are generally three views of the notion of a phoneme. The structuralist view of the phoneme focuses on this language phenomenon as a phonetic reality. In discovering phonemes of a language, phonologists who hold this view will look for minimal contrasting pairs as a way to determine contrasting sounds of that language. They will also look for allophones or two sounds of the same phoneme which may appear in complementary distribution. This paper will discuss the possible application of the structuralist approach to analyzing the phonemes of a dialect of Bidayuh, one of the Malayo-Polynesian languages spoken in the northern region of Borneo.
Relationship Breakups
Authors: Jerome Collin
Published: July 2019

Breaking up a relationship is not easy. Those on the verge of breaking up with their spouses may use different verbal and non-verbal means to express their desire to end the relationship. The following poems attempt to tell the complex processes of, and the mediums used for, relationship breakups.
Bahasa Figuratif dalam Fajar Sarawak
Authors: Abdul Wahab Hamidah
Published: July 2019

Fajar Sarawak merupakan surat khabar bahasa Melayu pertama yang diterbitkan di bumi Kenyalang pada tahun 1930 menerusi usaha Muhammad Rakawi bin Yusuf. Dengan objektifnya untuk memberi “perkhabaran am, pengajaran, pengetahuan dan penghiburan” kepada pembaca, akhbar ini lahir dengan bahasa yang sesuai dengan zamannya dalam mengungkapkan hal-hal agama, politik dan sosial. Aspek bahasa akan ditonjolkan dalam penelitian ini bagi mengetengahkan corak bahasa penulis Fajar Sarawak. Justeru, penelitian terhadap Fajar Sarawak akan memfokus kepada bahasa figuratif yang melibatkan unsur-unsur seperti personifikasi, metafora, simile, ironi, dan hiperbola. Kupasan sudut bahasa ini ternyata menyerlahkan kekreatifan dan kebijakan penulis dalam olahan gaya bahasa berkesan bagi menarik minat pembaca, di samping memaparkan gaya kepengarangan mereka.
Kata Ganda Semu dalam Dialek Melayu Sarawak (DMS)
Authors: Hassan Salbia
Published: July 2019

Penggandaan merupakan salah satu proses morfologi yang berlaku dalam dialek Melayu Sarawak (DMS). Terdapat beberapa kategori kata ganda menurut beberapa ahli bahasa seperti gandaan asal dan gandaan penuh (Abdullah Hassan, 2006; Arbak Othman, 1981; Asmah Omar, 1982; Nik Safiah Karim, 1993; Zaharani Ahmad, 2007). Salah satu daripada jenis kata ganda berkenaan ialah kata ganda semu. Justeru, kertas kerja ini akan memaparkan proses penggandaan semu dalam DMS dengan membincangkannya berdasarkan empat kelas kata utama iaitu kelas kata kerja, kelas kata nama, kelas kata adjektif dan kata keterangan. Data lapangan daripada lapan informan dari Saratok dan dua dari Kuching akan dianalisis secara deskriptif berdasarkan penggunaan kata ganda semu ini dalam ayat DMS. Penelitian awal mendapati kewujudan kata ganda semu dalam ayat DMS mengkhusus dalam situasi yang tertentu sahaja dan terdapat juga kata ganda semu ini hanya merujuk perkara yang tetap. Dapatan juga menepati konsep kata ganda semu yang dicadangkan oleh Lee Lai Foon dan Raja Masittah Raja Ariffin (2007) berbanding sebagai sebahagian daripada kata ganda penuh dan kata ganda asal dalam kajian-kajian lain. Kata ganda semu dalam DMS banyak persamaan dengan bahasa Melayu tetapi perbezaan utamanya ialah terdapatnya keterbatasan kata ganda semu dalam kelas kata nama.
Menelusuri Estetika Tradisi Lisan Berladuh Lanang
Authors: Meor Osman Wan Robiah
Published: July 2019

Masyarakat Melayu Sarawak yang merupakan masyarakat ketiga terbesar di Sarawak terkenal dengan tradisi lisan yang diwarisi turun-temurun. Hal ini boleh dilihat dari segi adat dan budaya yang tercermin melalui aktiviti atau upacara seperti merisik, pertunangan, perkahwinan, mengandung, kelahiran, kematian dan sebagainya. Kehalusan budi dan budaya yang diwarisi ini menjadi simbol jati diri dan keunikan bangsa Melayu Sarawak. Nyanyian tradisi yang popular dalam masyarakat Melayu Sarawak ialah Berladuh Lanang. Nyanyian tradisi ini ialah sebahagian daripada hasil kreativiti yang tercipta secara spontan dan menjadi siulan serta lagu-laguan dalam kalangan masyarakatnya. Nyanyian ini juga sarat dengan nilai estetikanya yang menyelitkan unsur alam dengan mesej kasih sayang dan kesantunan yang mewarnai setiap kata yang dicipta. Oleh itu, karya tradisi harus diangkat, diketengahkan, diteliti dan didokumentasikan keindahan dan keunikannya untuk tontonan serta kebanggaan seluruh ahlinya agar tidak luntur ditelan zaman.
Input type effects on students’ written narrative responses
Authors: Ramlee Mohd Izwan
Published: July 2019

This pilot study examines the differences of second language learners’ written responses when they are given two different input types with similar content. One input was through written narrative or visual only input, where the learners need to read, and the other was a performed narrative or audio-visual input, where learners need to watch. Learners were then required to respond to the input by completing the narratives. Results showed that there were no major discrepancies in terms of complete/incomplete storylines, length, and number of dialogues, but revealed that the audio-visual input influenced learners more as their responses have a stronger correspondence to the traits in the performance rather than the written narrative.
Responding to literary texts through poetry writing
Authors: Jerome Collin
Published: July 2019

There are various ways in which readers respond to literature. This article discusses how readers (students in particular) can express their ideas and thoughts about the literary texts they have read through poetry writing. It begins with an overview of reader response theory and the field of literary response research, followed by a discussion of oral and written forms of readers’ responses to literature and a classroom activity that requires students to express their thoughts about literary characters in poetic forms. The article also highlights students’ proficiency, and literacy and literary skills as some of the factors that need to be considered when using poetry writing as a way of responding to literature.
Word familiarity and lexical change: The case of Sarawak Malay Dialect
Authors: Mohamad Deli Radina
Published: July 2019

This preliminary study looks at the familiarity rating of words in Sarawak Malay Dialect (SMD). Although familiarity ratings of language items are usually utilised in psycholinguistic research, they can be very useful for studies in the area of language change. The aim of this study is twofold: (1) to compare the perceptive familiarity rating of Sarawak Malay words; and (2) to document Sarawak Malay words that are undergoing lexical change. Fifty SMD words were used in this study consisting of those with meanings that can be considered as medium to high in frequency for everyday speech. Questionnaires were designed using a 5-point Likert-type scale to rate word familiarity and distributed to 15 participants who were native SMD speakers between the ages of 20 and 25. Across word items, more than one third were found to be rated as less familiar and unknown and thus were not actively used in daily conversations. There were also a number of words perceived as familiar to highly familiar but were not widely used in everyday speech. Evidently, it is crucial to document and preserve these SMD words as they are fast becoming passive vocabulary for the young and may eventually be lost in their lexicon.
‘Lang’ kah ‘Pintu’? Perubahan leksikal masyarakat Melayu Sarawak dewasa Ini
Authors: Sarbini-Zin Monaliza
Published: July 2019

Kertas kerja ini bertujuan melihat fenomena perubahan leksikal atau kosa kata yang berlaku dalam Dialek Melayu Sarawak (DMS). Untuk tujuan ini, dalam kertas kerja siri pertama ini, pengkaji akan memberikan sedikit gambaran perubahan kepada beberapa leksikal yang biasa digunakan oleh penutur asli DMS di kawasan Kuching dan Kota Samarahan sekitar tahun 60-an sehingga akhir 90-an dan cara perubahan secara konsisten telah berlaku pada akhir tahun 90-an sehingga kini. Data kajian dikutip hasil temu bual informal dengan informan-informan yang berumur antara belasan tahun sehingga 80-an. Data juga dikutip hasil pemerhatian. Dapatan kajian mendapati terdapat kosa kata penutur asli DMS berubah seiring dengan perubahan zaman dan termasuklah kosa kata yang biasa digunakan oleh penutur yang berumur ada yang tidak lagi digunakan. Antara sebab perubahan yang berlaku secara gradual ini termasuklah taraf pendidikan, sikap penutur sendiri, faktor modenisasi perkahwinan campur, dan taraf ekonomi dan sosial.