Journal of Language Studies

Abstract Our research, intitled "Psychological Conflict in Al-Muhalhil's Poetry: A Reading of Defense Mechanisms," aims to clarify the state of Al-Muhalhil and the severe psychological conflict he endured as a poet burdened by the heavy weight of loss following the murder of his brother, Kulayb, by Jassas bin Murrah. He represented a crisis-ridden voice characterized by an internal struggle between the motives of revenge and vendetta on one hand, and the need for rational judgment and conciliation with his cousins on the other. Consequently, his poetry became an arena for unconscious psychological defense mechanisms, serving as a means to stabilize psychological balance after the breakdown resulting from the loss. His poetry thus represented the sublimation of repressed feelings, the aestheticization of violence, and the transcendence of cruelty, all achieved through repression, rationalization, compensation, denial, and sublimation. Collectively, these mechanisms contributed to creating a heroic image for the poet, through which he attempted to present the self-according to his own desires on one hand, and the expectations of his society on the other. The study comprises two main axes. The first axis addresses the theoretical aspect, defining the concept of psychological conflict (linguistically and terminologically), its types, and the concept, functions, characteristics, and classifications of psychological defense mechanisms. The second axis focuses on the procedural/applied aspect, discussing the manifestations of the defense mechanisms in the poet's work, which appeared in various forms and types, through which he unconsciously attempted to overcome the pain of loss and its heavy consequences.

Abstract This research is concerned with studying the social aspect of poetic and prose messages in the pre-Islamic era. It is known that most messages in the pre-Islamic era were oral, poetic or prose. And prose in the pre-Islamic era, and it is known that most of the messages in the pre-Islamic era were oral poetry or prose, due to the lack of spread of writing, so the common method of messages was to save the message and memorize it in the chests, and transmit it orally on the tongues, and despite their scarcity, we found many messages, including prose or poetry, that dealt with social issues and social messages It is what is exchanged between individuals in the form of condolence, congratulations, reproach, longing, threats, warnings, and so on. These messages contain many rhetorical devices such as similes, metaphors, metonymies, rhyme, assonance, antithesis, and other arts.

Abstract This study focuses on analyzing the impact of the verbal structure (syntactic and morphological) in the Arabic language on the drafting of legal texts, and how these structures contribute to conveying the legislator’s intentions with accuracy and clarity. It also examines how legislators benefit from this verbal structure and how they employ them to orientation legal semantics toward the correct legislative purpose. The study argues that a deep understanding of these linguistic characteristics provides legal addressees (judges, lawyers, and others) with a greater ability to comprehend and interpret legal meanings without ambiguity. The study emphasizes that a precise grasp of the properties of verbal structure is an essential requirement for every legal actor, since even the addition or omission of a single legal term can alter the meaning of a text and lead to different legal outcomes affecting individuals’ rights and interests, or potentially changing their fate. Furthermore, a deficiency in understanding these features can complicate practical application and may negatively impact the social or political structure.

Abstract The theme of the dialectic of passion and deviation from the norm in the genres of love poetry and wine poetry represented the level of deviance and freedom of expression for the Abbasid poet. For him, passion was a vast field for reflecting his personal inclinations, desires, and emotional reactions towards the other/beloved, which allowed him to establish a new poetic system that transcended inherited values. This deviation was embodied in the genres of love poetry and wine poetry, as they were the most representative poetic genres of this newly established system, as is the case in the poetry of Abu Nuwas, Bashar ibn Burd, Ibn al-Rumi, Waliba al-Hubab, and others. However, due to the limited scope of the research, the researcher restricted the selected models for the study to only two poets: Abu Nuwas and Bashar. They are credited with playing a leading role in disrupting the traditional poetic structure of that era, as their poetry represented levels of ethical, thematic, and artistic deviation. It is worth noting here that there are many previous studies that have examined this development in poetic art. For example, Hamda Al-Ruwaili's study, entitled: Asceticism and debauchery in Abbasid poetry until the end of the fourth century, and Arabic literature in the first Abbasid era by Muhammad Abdul-Munim Khafaji, along with another study on the history of Islam, Yemen, and culture by Hassan Ibrahim Hassan, and others. The study was divided into an introduction and two axes: The first axis: the concept of passion within the framework of culture in the Abbasid era, while the second axis focused on the appearance of deviation from and its manifestations in the poetic text. We lost in that century a concluding summary that won the results that were determined in this study through the stages of analysis, its integration due to its comprehensiveness in studying the genetic poetic texts of the research.

Abstract This study aims to explore the intellectual and aesthetic transformations that shaped contemporary Arabic poetry –specially the Iraqi- after the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a critical analytical approach, it examines poetic texts that address the intertwined notions of life, death, and human existence within the context of a global crisis. The research reveals that the pandemic shifted Iraqi poetry from collective and political expression toward philosophical reflection on survival and mortality. It also shows a linguistic transition from rhetorical emotionalism to symbolic brevity and contemplative stillness. Consequently, Iraqi poetry acquired a profound existential dimension that redefined its aesthetic and human role as a means of resisting nihilism and restoring the meaning of being.

Abstract Metaphor is one of the most important and complex topics that, from the time of the Greeks to the present day, has been a subject of debate among philosophers, scholars, linguists, and researchers. For this reason, throughout the various stages of human life—from the fourth century BC, through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, modern philosophy, and the twentieth century—new and different perspectives on metaphor have emerged. Interpretations of metaphor are sometimes close to each other, while in other cases they are completely divergent. Therefore, this study attempts to present a new perspective on metaphor, distinct from the traditional view, which considers metaphor merely as a form of imagery, serving primarily as an aesthetic device in literature; or defines metaphor as the conscious use of words; or treats it as a process of analogy, comparison, and identification between two objects or entities that share certain properties and characteristics. The research, drawing on the insights of Paul Ricoeur, Max Black, and George Lakoff, introduces a new dimension of metaphor within the framework of Interactive Theory. In this theory, metaphor is based on the transfer of function from the aesthetic to the conceptual domain, constructed on the interaction between two concepts. Each of these concepts abandons part of its own features and properties while simultaneously adopting some features of the other. Thus, this study approaches metaphor as an intellectual matter rather than merely a literary one.

Abstract The research is entitled (The efforts of Sheikh Muhammad al-Khal to prepare the first Kurdish-Kurdish dictionary), in which those efforts were discussed and how the dictionary was developed by Sheikh Muhammad al-Khal and how he dealt with the information that should be included in the dictionary entries, and that he made tremendous efforts for nearly forty years to compile this dictionary. He named it as (Farhangi Khal / Dictionary of Al-Khal), the first part was printed in 1960, the second in 1964, and the third in 1976. It was printed several times and in different forms, as the three parts were collected and printed separately. The lexicographer Sheikh Muhammad Al-Khal tried to give the fruit of his efforts to his nation and bring the dialects closer together through his use of the words and vocabulary of all those dialects in his dictionary. Given the importance of this dictionary, we decided to devote our research to studying this dictionary in a linguistic-lexical study and to touch on the positive and negative points in it. For this reason, we divided the research into two chapters: The first chapter: was devoted to introducing the dictionary and previous works written about this dictionary. The second chapter: was devoted to studying the dictionary from a linguistic standpoint, in which we discussed this dictionary in terms of: (terminology, his skills for explaining vocabulary, and in return his lack of interest in some terms and words, morphological and grammatical information, lexical entries and explaining them and giving linguistic information to those entries, interest in proverbs and expressions Conventional (idiom -idiom) ...etc. At the end of the research, we reached several points of results, and we mentioned the sources that were used to write the research, and then we concluded the research with a summary in Arabic and English.

Abstract This research examines religious conflict and its impact on individuals and society, with a particular focus on the misuse of religion by those who lack a proper understanding of its principles. It explores how religion, God, and sacred concepts are sometimes employed to instill fear in individuals, leading to psychological conflict, guilt, and self-blame. The study is entitled The Reflection of Religious Conflict in Bakhtiar Ali’s Novel Evening of the Butterfly (Parwana Evening). The research is divided into two main sections. The first section consists of two parts: the first discusses the concept of religious conflict from a theoretical perspective, while the second examines manifestations of religious conflict within the novel. The second section presents a practical analysis of the novel, focusing on the ways in which the novelist portrays religious conflicts through various characters and events. Special attention is given to the character of Khandana, through whom the novelist presents a deeper and more authentic understanding of God, divine messages, and religious laws. The novel suggests that human beings should seek knowledge of God through reflection on the entire universe rather than relying solely on books or the extremist interpretations of individuals who claim to speak on behalf of religion. According to this perspective, God created a diverse world that embraces difference, freedom, the search for truth, and the exploration of life's mysteries. The novel emphasizes that God supports coexistence, love, and freedom, and that the real problem lies not in religion itself but in its misuse by certain individuals. Finally, the study concludes with its main findings and a list of references.

Abstract With the Turks embracing Islam in the ninth century, the Arabic alphabet, which was the basic script of Islamic civilization, became the written language of the Turks. The Arabic alphabet, which is the alphabet of the Holy Quran, was shaped by the influence of Arabic and Persian languages ​​with the acceptance of Islam and was significantly reflected in Turkish works of the Islamic period. Classical Turkish literature, which covers the twelfth to nineteenth centuries, has a rich literary heritage shaped by the poems written by poets throughout the centuries. The Messiah, who is discussed in the study, is a poet who lived in the fifteenth century, during the reign of Bayezid II, which is considered as the development period of Classical Turkish literature. Although there is no clear date of birth in the sources, it is known that the poet was born in Pristina, came to Istanbul for a madrasah education and practiced calligraphy, and was the divan clerk of Ali Pasha, the grand vizier of the period. It is stated in the sources that Mesihi fell out of favor with Ali Pasha due to his indulgence in worldly pleasures and that he died in Bosnia after living a difficult, unprosperous life and having difficulty making ends meet. Mesihi used idioms and proverbs in his poems, observing the simple Turkish language. The themes that the poet, who mostly adopted a lyrical style in his poems, generally dealt with are identical to the themes of Divan poetry, namely lover-beloved, lover-beloved-rival. Although a particularly rhyming style of expression is striking in the poet's poems, it is seen that Mesihi's fondness for alcohol, entertainment and gatherings directly shed light on his lifestyle. In the Divan, where the Rindane expressions are included, Sufi discourses also appear. In the century in which Mesîhî lived, literary activities rich in terms of Divan poetry were noticeable. Although Mesîhî was not a poet who came to the forefront compared to other poets of his time, he was able to deliver three works to the present day. The poet, who remained loyal to tradition in the line of classical Turkish literature, has a Divan, Şehr-engîz and a letter work called Gül-i Sad-Berg. Compared to other poets of the period, Mesîhî’s Divan was not considered very voluminous and rich. There are five manuscript copies of the Divan and the first edition was published in 1995. The poet’s Divan contains many quotations, analogies and reminders from the Quran. Thus, the poet expressed religious-mystical sayings from the Quran, the holy book of Islam, with Turkish, Arabic and Persian phrases. There are many references to surahs, verses and hadiths from the Quran. The aim of the study is to examine the Turkish, Persian and Arabic noun phrases quoted from the Quran in Masihî’s Divan. The noun phrases identified from Masihî’s Divan were classified according to their quotations. Masihî’s Divan was examined through a transcription study by Prof. Dr. Mine Mengi. Instead of Prof. Dr. Mine Mengi’s work, Masihî’s Divan was directly taken as basis in the study. Masihî’s Divan consists of münacaat, kaside, terkib-i bend, Şehr-Engîz der Medh-i Cüvânân-ı Edirne, ghazal, kıt’a and mufred. All verse forms in the Divan were examined in terms of noun phrases. With this study, the names and noun combinations quoted from the Quran in the Divan of the fifteenth-century poet Mesîhî have been illuminated in terms of Turkish, Persian and Arabic grammatical rules.

Abstract This research examines the effect of using language-based puzzles in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction for Iraqi preparatory school students. Its purpose is to determine if and how these puzzles can enhance oral and written communication more effectively than traditional instruction. Quasi-experimental design is applied and 90 first intermediate students in Al-Nidhal Secondary School for Boys, Kirkuk, Iraq are evenly distributed into experimental and control groups. The experimental group is taught with some language-related puzzles like crosswords, anagrams, jumbled sentences, and riddles, while the control group is taught with normal instruction. Pre- and post-communication tests are utilized to evaluate performance of both groups. The outcome shows that there are statistically significant differences in communicative competence of the experimental group, i.e., their vocabulary use and fluency. The outcome verifies that language puzzle tasks are an effective pedagogical task to construct communicative competence in EFL environments. The study offers valuable recommendations for EFL instructors and researchers who would like to find practical solutions to induce learner motivation and language acquisition.

Abstract In this study, metadiscourse markers in Iraqi academic articles within the field of pragmatics are analysed. The main objective of the study is to examine the types and frequency of metadiscourse markers and their employment in Iraqi research articles written in English. This research poses the question of ‘how Iraqi authors reach a level of engagement with their readers by using metadiscourse markers?’. Relying on Hyland’s (2005) framework to determine the types of metadiscourse markers, both types interactive and interactional in a self-constructed corpus of 106 articles. These articles are authored by Iraqi researchers and published in local journals. AntConc -‘a tool for analysis’- is used to check the frequency and distribution for each marker. Logical connectors are the frequent ones such as "and" (18,881 times) and ‘but’ (1,077 timess). Strategies for exemplification like, ‘for example’ and ‘such as,’ are used to fit things together. The aforementioned findings show how English academic writing among Iraqi researchers is organized.

Abstract Ambiguity is due to meaning which has more than one meaning. It may be due to several points, namely, pragmatic, phonetic, cultural, structural and grammatical. It means that words, phrases or any expressions have multiple meanings. The problem of this research is that these words or expressions could be interpreted into an ambiguous statement of target language. So, the translator will be confused to show the appropriate translation or rendering which stay as a ambiguous to source language. Added to these, some words as well as sentences have more than one meaning. So, according to words which have more than one meaning called lexical ambiguity whereas the sentence which has more than one meaning called syntactic ambiguity The study aims to translate the ambiguous structures from English into Arabic. For achieving this aim, the research hypothesises that the ambiguous structures of these expressions or words could be translated or interpreted via giving all things which they carry but not into unclear structures which belongs to source text.

Abstract In this study, a formal and textual stylistic approach was employed to investigate specific prompts in journalistic and legal genres that were provided to Generative Pre-trained Transformer-4 (ChatGPT-4) for generating prompts. ChatGPT-4 generates three prompts: minimal, tone-specified, and constraint-based. Each one of these prompts includes a prompt, an output, and a stylistic analysis. The purpose is to determine how prompt design influences stylistic variation, evaluate the AI's capacity for self-analysis, and highlight the importance of prompt engineering. Leech and Short's (2007) stylistic checklist of lexical, grammatical categories, and cohesion has been used as a theoretical framework for analysing the AI outputs. In the process of data analysis, a qualitative research method was used to evaluate ChatGPT-4’s ability to generate content within the two selected genres to perform a stylistic analysis, and evaluate its outputs against recognised standards of the stylisticians’ toolkit (Leech and Short 2007, Leech etal 1989). In the analysis, the following linguistic features are used: lexical features (nouns: abstract and concrete, verbs, adjectives), grammatical features: sentence (complexity, length, elements, types, structure), tense, and voice; Textual features: punctuation, specialised vocabulary, emotive lexis, word choice, and tone. The findings show that the legal genre had longer and more syntactically complex sentences, more lexical abstraction, a higher frequency of present-tense verbs, specialised vocabulary, and formal word choice. The journalistic genre, on the other hand, is characterised by a greater use of pasttense verbs, shorter syntactic structures, and a reportorial tone. Although declarative sentences and an active voice were used in both genres, legal prompts were distinct in that they contain a greater variety of authoritative tones and foregrounding punctuation. While AI is capable of identifying surface-level features, prioritising tone and genre over grammatical detail, it was less accurate and inadequate. It disregards detailed linguistic categorisations by methodically analysing lexical choice, syntactic complexity, and textual cohesion; human analysis demonstrates superior accuracy. Ultimately, ChatGPT-4 often replicates the style of stylistic critique, whereas stylisticians validate their conclusions through explicit linguistic evidence, particularly in abstract domains where linguistic validity predominates.

Abstract The present research aims to conduct a discourse analysis study of power dynamics in William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”. The categories of the speech acts theory, namely, directives, assertives, commissives, expressives, and declarations, are examined in the interactions between Abner Snopes and other characters, viz., his young son Sarty Snopes, on one hand and other characters representing the socio-economic system, on the other, seeking to find out how these speech acts contribute to weaving the discourse of authority, resistance, and ethical choice in the story. Previous studies have explored this side of the struggle from different perspectives, including psychological, historical, and socio-economic, but not linguistic. This is where the current study makes its contribution. The findings demonstrate Abner’s heavy use of directives in exerting his control over those who are weaker than him, such as his family members and servants. Meanwhile, he resorts to silence to confront and challenge the authority of those in power. Sarty, the son, on the other hand, used a variable range of those categories of speech acts as well as silence, exposing an evolving character along the story. The study concludes that power dynamics in literary discourse can be reflected through language as effectively as they are thematically portrayed.

Abstract This paper investigates assessing Arabic-English translated religious texts. Throughout history, religious texts translation has been an important part in spreading the divine word. It has been also used to mirror the importance of morals and faith, and to teach newly- converted people the rules and premises of the new religion. The study aims to answer the following questions 1) What are the strategies adopted by translator when they deal with religious texts? 2) What are the solutions available to overcome the problems encountered by religious texts translators? The author presents many culture-specific expressions and other linguistic-related problems that encounter translators during rendering from Arabic into English. The data collected in this paper is taken from different Quranic interpretations which have been analysed and assessed in terms of the strategies and procedures that should be followed in dealing with translating the religious texts. The author suggests some solutions that can be followed in dealing with translating religious texts.

Abstract This study examines the topic of sarcasm in the American television show Parks and Recreation. This topic has been chosen as the primary focus since it is relevant to modern social discourse. The challenge that this study attempts to address is how to interpret sarcasm in the program using a pragmatic approaches which are Searle’s speech acts (1979) and Grice’s maxims (1975). It also seeks to determine the type and purpose of sarcasm. As a result, the current study seeks appropriate answers to the following questions: (1) Which types of speech acts are used in the TV show? (2) What types of Gricean maxims are most frequently violated by the participants when producing sarcasm in the chosen TV show? The following aims are described in order to find appropriate solutions to the abovementioned questions:) 1) Identifying the types of speech acts used in the TV show and (2) finding Grice’s maxims utilized in the data under study. The present study hypothesizes that (1) Assertive speech act is more commonly speech act used in this TV Show (2) The quality maxim is flouted most frequently in producing sarcasm in the data under the study. Certain situations from the American TV show are selected to be the data for this study. The data are analysed based on Searle’s speech acts (1979) and Grice’s maxims (1975). The study has arrived at the following conclusions: (1) Assertive speech acts account for 57.14 % of all speech acts. This popularity implies that characters frequently make utterances that represent their thoughts or opinions, which serve as the foundation for sarcastic dialogue. (2) The quality maxim is most frequently violated (31.25%). This intentional infringement implies that characters frequently say things that are not meant to be taken literally, heightening the sarcastic tone.

Abstract The present study examines image schemas in English superstitious sayings from a cognitive semantics perspective. Image schemas, which have become a trend in cognitive linguistics, are conceptual structures derived from recurring embodied experiences, and they facilitate the understanding of both abstract and concrete concepts. The study explores the contribution of image schemas in interpreting the meaning of superstitions. Moreover, it aims to shed light on how everyday life experiences are conceptualized, as it is obvious that superstitions are basically an indispensable belief and practice of every culture. The data of the study was collected from books on superstitions, focusing on well-known English superstitions. The study presents a descriptive, qualitative analysis that investigates English superstitions using Johnson’s (1987) image schemas by identifying and categorizing them according to the image schema types and the conceptual metaphors they motivate. The analysis of the research has revealed several image schema types that exist in English superstitions, namely CONTAINER, PATH, PART-WHOLE, FORCE, CONTACT, LINK, CYCLE, SCALE, and NEAR-FAR schemas. In addition to that, applying image schemas to English superstitions demonstrates that they are grounded in recurring embodied experiences that map onto abstract notions like luck, protection, danger, or fate through conceptual metaphors.

Abstract The current paper will discuss the issues surrounding the translation of modality markers in colloquial expressions in the Iraqi Arabic language to English language, with special emphasis on the linguistic expression and translation of obligation, possibility, ability, and epistemic judgment. In contrast to the other researches that discuss modality in terms of being purely theoretical, this study relies on actual Iraqi colloquial markers like لازم/ تحتاج/ ما يكدر/ بلكت/ ايجوز, showing how their pragmatic force is modulated in different circumstances. The data are five Iraqi Arabic sentences with modality markers which are translated by five students of MA translation in Tikrit University. Similar translation difficulties can be identified through qualitative comparative analysis and they are the choice of an adequate English modal counterpart, the preservation of the desired intensity of obligation or possibility, and the offsetting of pragmatic meanings that are not directly matched in English. The results indicate that translators tend to switch between epistemic and deontic readings, resulting in the low strength or exaggerated meanings in the target text. The paper has found that effective translating Iraqi Arabic modality markers must be contextually sensitive and not lexicon to lexicon.

Abstract This study looked at how well the Diagnostic Teaching approach, which identifies specific learning needs and adapts instruction to meet those needs, improved the reading and spelling skills of intermediate-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. With this teaching strategy, students' strengths and shortcomings are evaluated, and then specific interventions are recommended to help them advance. Using a quasi-experimental approach, 60 students were divided into two groups: the experimental group received the structured intervention, while the control group kept receiving traditional instruction. Pre- and post-tests were used to evaluate spelling accuracy and reading comprehension. A statistical study using paired and independent sample t-tests revealed that the experimental group fared much better in spelling and reading than the control group. The findings suggest that employing precise, systematic teaching methods may greatly improve the reading skills of EFL students.

Abstract This study explores zeugma in English and the difficulties involved in the process of translating it into Arabic. Zeugma is an essential rhetorical device usually used in English literary texts. It is based on the semantic alignment between the governing word, which is often a verb, and its two incompatible words (literal and figurative). The study notes that zeugma has no exact equivalent term in Arabic that covers its full mechanism. The study aims at investigating zeugma and its types in English, analyzing the translations of zeugma into Arabic, exploring the methods that are followed in the process of translation, and to what extent they preserve its appropriate meaning and structure. It is hypothesized that translators may face difficulties in translating zeugma into Arabic due to the unexpected connection of words or the use of words out of their literal meaning. The study reveals that most translators failed to convey the rhetorical aspect of zeugma owing to their unfamiliarity with this stylistic device. Zeugma translation requires a literal method when a direct equivalent existed, a metaphorical one is adopted when no direct equivalent existed, and paraphrasing is adopted when neither existed, at the expense of its aesthetic aspect.

Abstract This study examined phonological factors affecting the intelligibility of English pronunciation among native speakers of Arabic learning English as a foreign language (EFL). In most cases, second language pronunciation is determined largely by the first language’s phonological system; this influence has been variously referred to as L1 interference or negative transfer. For learners of Arabic, since the differences between Arabic and English are quite marked with respect to their phonological features, there exist systematic and predictable patterns of mispronunciations which render comprehensibility difficult for both native and non-native interlocutors with them in English. The primary aim that this study sought was major phonological differences between Arabic and English through an analysis of how these differences manifest systematically as common errors in consonants, vowels, stress and intonation; then consideration about their effect on clarity in oral communication. The study was descriptive-analytical in nature, and (20) Arab EFL learners were selected using purposive sampling. The major tool for data collection was a specially prepared word list containing English phonemes and phonological structures known to pose problems for Arabic speakers, the participants’ (Iraqi undergraduate students) reading of which was recorded, hence audio-recorded readings. The recordings were subsequently analyzed using both perceptual analysis by a control group, who listened for error patterns, and acoustic analysis using Pratt software that objectively measured phonetic properties. The results revealed the presence of regular, systematic errors in the production of English consonants that do not exist in Arabic, for example /p/, /v/, and /ŋ/; even extreme difficulty in distinguishing English short and long vowels-for instance, /ɪ/ versus /iː/- transfer of syllable-timed stress patterns from Arabic onto the stress-timed rhythm of English. Finally, this research offered pedagogical implications for EFL pronunciation teaching through focused practice and learner awareness, and suggested future study in Arabic-English comparative phonology.

Abstract The present study contrasts the different types of informational tones utilized in the speeches of Bush and Trump concerning Islamophobia, aiming to illustrate the discursive strategies linked to us/them ideology. This study primarily employs a qualitative methodology, wherein the chosen excerpts are critically assessed through the lens of the ideological square from Van Dijk’s (2006) framework and the informational tones outlined in Brazil’s (1997) discourse intonation model. The main findings indicate that Bush's rhetoric significantly emphasizes positive self-representation, while Trump's discourse tends to focus more on negative portrayals of ‘THEM’ (others) in contrast to the positive representations of 'US' (self). Furthermore, both speakers employed the proclaiming (fall) tone and a non-dominant role in their speeches to convey anti-Muslim sentiments, reflecting Islamophobia and depicting Americans as in-group victims while negatively characterizing terrorists, particularly Muslims, as out-group aggressors.

Abstract This research investigates the media coverage by the BBC and CNN of the escalation of violence in Ukraine and Gaza to reveal how ideologies influence media discourse across distinct geopolitical contexts. While existing literature often examines these conflicts in isolation, this study addresses the gap regarding the asymmetrical framing of global crises by providing a comparative, qualitative analysis that demonstrates how Fairclough’s critical discourse framework reveals an ideological shift from humanized 'defence' in Ukraine to distanced 'attack' in Gaza. This study investigated how ideology influences media discourse via qualitative research and critical discourse analysis. Utilizing Fairclough's approach (2001) three-dimensional approach in the analysis process to reveal how the use of language in the media texts analysed manipulates power and ideology. The analysis of four representative articles identifies how linguistic choices manipulate power to frame social actors and create distance between conflicting sides. The results uncover significant disparities in reporting, identifying systemic bias in news discourse that aligns with broader ideological interests rather than universal journalistic objectivity, biasness was identified in the news discourse in terms of attack and defence.

Abstract This study conducted to explore the real uses of speech acts on chosen posts in the X platform in English by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the Israel-Gaza war (20232025). The research examines how posts by Netanyahu can be seen as an assertion, declaration, and direction, expression, and commitment but at the same time the establishment of political legitimacy and the shaping of public opinion. Between October 7, 2023, and January 31, 2024, an empirical dataset of English-language posts by Netanyahu was sampled. The posts were divided into the main and secondary type of speech act (assertion, instruction, command, expression, and declaration). This study hypothesizes the use of speech acts in Netanyahu’s posts in X systematically changes across different stages of the war in response to involving communicative and political demands. The data of the current study have been collected from Netanyahu’s English posts in X platform during the period from October 7, 2023 to January 31, 2024. A qualitative and quantitative pragmatic research design will be used in this study. Culpeper (2011) will assist the researcher to analyze the impoliteness strategies, while the speech acts theory by Searle (1969, 1975) will be used to analyze the speech act categories. In the results, one can see that the statements made by Netanyahu throughout the war were dominated by statements and declarations that immediately followed October 7, including the phrase “We are at war”, which is a declaration and assertion at the same time. The use of directives (e.g., Leave now) and promises (e.g., We will bring our hostages home) became more common over time and compared to the communicative needs, which changed: the crisis response was replaced by the need to justify and reassure. This paper finds that the application of the X by Netanyahu is indicative of how digital platforms re-orient the force of discourse and into performative acts of governance.

Abstract At the core of feminist text, Henry James and Kate Chopin’s works always stands out to portray women seeking freedom. The paper will discuss James’s The Portrait of a Lady and Chopin’s The Awakening, represented by Isabel Archer and Edna Pontellier as the main characters in these novels. The discussion will be based on comparative analysis that include women status, the conflict between their needs to be recognized as human beings and what the society expect from them as wives, and mothers. James presented those issues in The Portrait of a Lady by laying out different events to confront the obstacles set by the institution of marriage and society during the nineteenth century. Chopin’s in The Awakening approaches these issues differently, as she questions the whole institution of marriage through Edna’s awakening as she follows her romantic and artistic desires which lead to her unfortunate end. Edna and Isabel deal with multiple issues both psychological and societal which can be approached to pinpoint the impact of these issues and women fight for recognition. The best obvious way to discuss these works by implementing feminist discourse, the discussion highlights the enduring correlation of both works to debates of gender equality, identity and the fight for recognition.

Abstract The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono is an excellent environmental text that seeks to motivate people to plant trees in a bid to fight a real and a serious environmental challenge to the humanity desertification. Despite the brevity of this text, the writer succeeded in creating a coherent literary work that has been translated into many languages through creating a sense of awareness as well as through creativity in the linguistic and narrative methods of the text. This research attempts to provide a stylistic, linguistics, and environmental analysis of Giono's text, through an analysis of vocabulary and excerpts, including rhetorical devices, character names, and their meanings. The research considers environmental and stylistic aspects, names and religious vocabulary, and reveals how the author succeeded in combining several elements to form a coherent narrative text, which has become one of the most famous pillars of environmental literature. Furthermore, Giono's integration of such elements reflecting his religious fervor lends the text a religious dimension. The author further explores the importance of ecosystem through dichotomies: before and after the efforts undertaken by Elzéard Bouffier in planting trees.