JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS <table style="height: 462px; width: 1042px;" width="647"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 446px;"> <td style="width: 317.656px; height: 446px;"><img src="https://jls.tu.edu.iq/public/site/images/admin/cover.jpg" alt="" width="326" height="452" /></td> <td style="width: 592.778px; height: 446px;"> <p style="text-align: justify;">Journal of Language Studies of Tikrit University is an international, multilingual quarterly journal publishing research papers in Eastern languages (Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish, Persian and Hebrew), Western and European languages (English, French, German, Russian, Spanish) and their literatures.</p> <p>Print ISSN: 1813-1646<br />Online ISSN: 2664-0597</p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Aims and Scope </strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> The Journal of Language Studies is a scientific journal that aims to support and promote research and studies in the field of language. Its primary objective is to encourage faculty members to contribute their scholarly work and disseminate knowledge to both the scientific community and the wider public. The journal recognizes the importance of scientific research and its role in advancing knowledge in the field of language studies. By providing a platform for researchers to publish their work, the journal aims to facilitate the exchange of ideas, theories, and findings among scholars in various disciplines related to language.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> TIKRIT UNIVERSITY en-US JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2616-6224 Grammatical and morphological issues in the book Al-Ibanah in the Arabic language by Salamah bin Muslim Al-Awtabi https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1380 <p style="text-align: justify;">Praise be to Him who has the reins of all things in His hand, and directs them as He wills. He is the doer of whatever He wills. If He wills something, He only says to it: “Be,” and it is. Glory be to Him, His speech is free from any word or letter. His names are sanctified, His attributes are sublime, and His actions are the eyes of wisdom<br />And prayers and peace be upon the unlettered Prophet, the most eloquent of those who spoke the Arabic language: Muhammad, His servant and Messenger, and upon his family and his brothers among the Messengers and Prophets, the lamps of guidance and the beacons of salvation, and those who followed their example and emulated their guidance<br />As for what follows, the Arabic language is the most abundant of the world’s languages in terms of words, and its ability to absorb clear words. It is one of the Semitic languages. The Arabic language is a universal human language, and its words and expressions have different meanings. It is one of the languages that is distinguished by a grammatical, morphological, and phonetic system; It carries a rich cultural heritage and expresses the cultural identity of the Arab nation, which distinguishes it from other nations. . Among the most important sciences of the Arabic language are rhetoric and its divisions, grammar, morphology, synonymy and antonymy, derivation, prosody and rhyme. As for my study of this language, my research dealt with (grammatical and morphological issues in the book Al-Ibana by Salama bin Muslim Al-Awtabi). The importance of this research lies in clarifying the status of this great scholar who has been overlooked by studies, and in his treatment of grammatical and morphological issues that are the essence of the Arabic language, and in extracting this treasure scattered between the pages of the book Al-Ibana. Although this book is a dictionary, these issues have taken their share from this great scholar, which are rich in explanation and detail for students to benefit from and are an aid to the reader in understanding the rules of the Arabic language and standing on the issues of grammar and morphology found in the book Al-Ibana. In the first section, my study dealt with an introduction to Al-Awtabi, his name and lineage, his personality, his birth, his upbringing, his scientific status, his family and its political status.</p> Intisar Muhammed Zidan Susan Ghanem Qaddouri Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 1 24 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.1 Figurative Image Among Blind Poets in the Abbasid Era https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1381 <p style="text-align: justify;">This study examines the use of visual imagery in the supplications of blind poets during the Abbasid era. The research focuses on studying the concept of visual imagery from a linguistic and terminological perspective. Types of visual imagery used, such as simile and its linguistic and terminological meanings, metaphor and its linguistic and terminological meanings, and metonymy and its linguistic and terminological meanings in these supplications are discussed. The specific poetic models that utilize these visual images in Abbasid poetry are also analyzed. The study is concluded with a summary of the main findings and important observations regarding visual imagery in Abbasid poetry</p> Khatam Saeed Mahdi Saleh Mohammed Saeed Hussain Al-Jubouri Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 25 49 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.2 Alteration and Substitution According to Ibn Kamal Pasha in the Book "Al-Falah Sharh Al-Marrah" https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1382 <p style="text-align: justify;">The Arabic language is considered one of the oldest Semitic languages, rich and profound, serving as a window into a culture and civilization with roots extending back thousands of years. It carries within it a storied history, a literary and intellectual heritage, and keys to understanding the values and beliefs that shape Arab identity. At the heart of this magnificent language lies the field of Morphology<br />(علم الصرف) one of the most important branches of Arabic, which focuses on the study of word forms and their variations. It enables us to understand how words are constructed and formed from their roots, as well as how they are inflected according to different contexts. This field encompasses the rules that dictate how words change in various cases, their patterns, and forms, reflecting the richness of the language and the diversity of its expressions. Morphology represents the foundational structure upon which Arabic sentences are built, contributing to the clarification of meanings and the extraction of implications from different contexts. Through the study of morphology, we gain a deeper understanding of the relationships between words and how they affect meaning, thereby enhancing our capacity for literary and intellectual expression.<br />Substitution (الإبدال) and alteration (الإعلال) are among the most prominent issues of morphology addressed by Ibn Kamal Pasha in his book Al-Falah Sharh al-Marah, which is a detailed commentary on Marah al-Arwah fi al-Sarf by Husam al-Din Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Mas'ud, a distinguished scholar in the field of morphology. This research focuses on the morphological analysis of substitution and alteration as presented in Al-Falah, highlighting Ibn Kamal Pasha's methodology in explaining these morphological issues.<br />The significance of the title lies in its focus on one of the deeper aspects of morphology, through a thorough explanation of the concept of substitution, which deals with changes occurring in letters, and the concept of alteration, which addresses the phonetic changes occurring among letters in words. Both are considered central issues in the field of morphology. The problem of this research arises from the desire to understand how Ibn Kamal Pasha presented fundamental morphological concepts, particularly concerning substitution and alteration, and the methodology he employed in explaining and simplifying these concepts for students. As the researcher delves into Al-Falah, questions arise: How did Ibn Kamal address the morphological issues related to substitution and alteration? </p> Angham Alaa fareed Sawsan Ghanem Qaddouri Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 50 72 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.3 The Inner Conflict in the Poetry of the Knights of the Pre-Islamic Era https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1383 <p style="text-align: justify;">The poetry of the knights serves as a mirror reflecting the contradictions of the human soul and its diverse aspirations in a world filled with challenges and conflicts. One of the most significant of these is inner conflict, which plays a central role in their poetry, revealing the contrast between their thoughts and values This is evident in the knights discussed in this study: ‘Urwah ibn al-Ward focuses on collective rights, emphasizing the importance of solidarity and cooperation within the tribe to achieve justice and equality. In contrast, ‘Antarah ibn Shaddad expresses his individual struggles, stemming from the social isolation imposed upon him by his unique circumstances. This leads him to reflect on the meanings of courage and personal dignity. Qays ibn al-Khatim seeks to establish his social identity through pride and self-assertion, expressing his emotions and thoughts in a manner that reflects his desire for a distinguished status in his community. Meanwhile, ‘Amir ibn al-Tufayl, despite his leadership of his tribe, hints at internal struggles hidden behind a façade of pride, reflecting his personal contradictions between his responsibilities as a leader and his inner emotions. Each of these poets expressed the theme of loss through a distinct objective correlative: for ‘Antarah, it was courage; for ‘Urwah, it was solidarity and cooperation, while for others, it manifested as pride and self-glorification.</p> Rafel Ahmed Ali Liqaa Nozha Suleiman Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 73 89 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.4 The Impact of Sticky Note Strategy on Students' Vocabulary https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1384 <p style="text-align: justify;">The Arabic language is one of the oldest and most authentic languages in the world, both ancient and modern, as this language contains a huge amount of roots, vocabulary and derivatives estimated at millions of words, some of which are used today and some of which have been neglected and left the field of use, as each word comes with meanings, some of which are original and some of which do not deviate from them, and some of which are subsidiary and belong to them and some of which are shared or synonymous or opposite to other words to determine the context for us the exact meaning of that word, as some of these words have an independent meaning that stands on its own and some of which are transitive and some of which are transitive with one of the prepositions to clarify and explain its meaning, and among these materials is the material (r g h b) which we chose as the subject of our research by explaining the effect of prepositions on the meanings of this material within the scope and circle of the words of the Holy Qur’an exclusively, which came under the title of our research entitled (Material (r g h b) and the effect of prepositions on its Qur’anic meaning, a linguistic study) to show through it the lexical meaning of this material and extract the most commonly used meanings For her, and then we discuss the formulas that appeared in the Holy Quran of nouns and verbs, to be followed by a study of the effect of prepositions on their Quranic meaning and their effect on the meaning of according to what the Creator intended and within the Quranic context in which it appeared .</p> Moaed Salih Habeeb Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 90 109 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.5 THE FAMILIAR PLACE AND THE HOSTILE PLACE IN ANAM KACHAJI'S NOVELS https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1385 <p style="text-align: justify;">This research, which is titled (( The familiar place and the hostile place in the novels of Anam Kachaji )) contains. An introduction to the places mentioned in the four novels, which is divided into two parts: a familiar place to which the character belongs in heart and conscience. It is the family home, the ancestral home, and the country is the home of memories.<br />As for the hostile place, it is the homeland and the country as well, but after it became a forest of monsters and its cities became ghost cities due to wars, sieges and other things, not to mention the countries of the diaspora, which France topped. Perhaps the reason for this is that the novelist resides there.<br />Through her novels, Anam Kachaji changed our view of the concept of familiar place, and hostile place. The country of emigration may be the place of safety and our favorite place, after the family home and the city. to which we belong became the hostile place in which we were stripped of all reassurance and comfort.</p> Saja Khaled Ali Liqaa Nazhat Sulayman Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 110 138 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.6 The word ((aldduea')) and its meanings in The language and The alquran alkarim https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1386 <p style="text-align: justify;">I began by dividing the research into three sections: The first section was titled (The lexical significance of supplication), which talked about the linguistic and terminological concept of the word (supplication). <br />As for the second section, it was titled (Features of Supplication in Arab Speech): In it, I talked about the term Supplication in Arabic poetry and linguistic prose throughout the ages. He studied a range of poetic and prose evidence on derivatives and their implications from linguistic material (Dawa-Y). <br />The third section is titled: (Features of supplication in Quranic expression). In it, I began talking about the features of (supplication) in the Holy Qur’an, and the connotations of the word (supplication) in the Holy Qur’an. I explained the connotations of the words derived from the three-letter root (supplication) and their meanings in the Holy Qur’an through the explanatory table. <br />The method used in the study is the descriptive method based on study and analysis.</p> Huda Najat Rasheed Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 140 162 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.7 The real location in Faraj yassin's stories https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1387 <p>The storyteller Faraj Yasin plays a crucial role in portraying the (Tikrit place) as a fundamental structure in the narrative text. This utilization of Tikrit reflects the significance of the techniques the storyteller used to achieve the artistry of the text and to infuse a human dimension, which he realized through the technique of memory recall. This technique highlighted both collective and personal pasts, as well as reinforcing cultural and collective identity.<br />Moreover, the use of Tikrit varied between making it a framework in which events unfold and transforming it from a mere backdrop for events into an independent space with its own characters and settings. This realistic place has become one of the important pillars, dominating the overall and specific atmosphere of the narrative text.</p> Noor Abd Al Hammed Suleiman Leqaa Nuzha Suleiman Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 163 176 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.8 Linguistic expression levels in zidan jayid zidan poetry https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1388 <p style="text-align: justify;">Zidan jayid zidan poetry showcases a sophisticated interplay of linguistic expression across mulipltiple levels reflecting his deep understanding of Arabic poetic traditions andhic ability to blend classical and mdern elements seamlessly his vocabulary is rich and diverse drawing from classical Arabic while occasionally incorporating contemporary terms carefully aligning his word choices with the themes of his poems whether they center on love philosophy religion or national pride his command of syntax is evident in his balanced and harmonious sentence structures with his use of parallelism and repetition enhancing the musicality of his poetry and creating a captivating rhythmic flow<br />At the semantic level zidan poetry is layered with meaning employing metaphors similes and symbolism to convey profound ideas with emotional resonance this is particularly evident in his religious and philosophical poems which invite readers layers of thought his careful selection of thought his careful selection of sound and rhythms at the phonological level contributes to the emotional tone of his work</p> Mawj Shjaa Jamel Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 181 215 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.9 Narrative style and production of meaning A study of the story (The Lesson) by Faraj Yassin https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1389 <p style="text-align: justify;">The research examines the issue of narrative style in the short story "The Lesson" by the author Faraj Yassin. It posits that the narrative style is the most critical structural element in the story's success, as it defines the narrative identity. This story, with its mature narrative perspective and its focus on cultural and educational aspects, demonstrates how the author, through his distinctive style, creates scenes that capture the reader's attention, provoke thought, and raise a multitude of cultural questions about life. The narrative style used by the author integrates all the artistic and aesthetic potential related to the strong presence of narrative elements in the scenes, contributing to a rich production of narrative meanings. This, in turn, makes the story itself a significant lesson in storytelling, through the nature of the characters, the event, and the effectiveness of the narrative style, resulting in a network of meanings that contribute to the story's artistic and aesthetic success.</p> Ahlam Amil Hazzaa Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 213 230 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.10 University Instructors' Levels of Use of Open Educational Resources and the Factors that Influenced their Usage https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1390 <p style="text-align: justify;">The study aims to reveal the university instructors' level of use of the kinds of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and their usage in teaching and for academic purposes too, also to reveal the factors that encourage them to use the OERs. The study's design is quantitative and qualitative data. The data were gathered via a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The participants were 52 university instructors from the Department of English and the Department of Sociology at the College of Arts, and the College of Education for Humanities, University of Anbar. The results revealed that the instructors' level of use of OERs was low. The most used OERs were The Multimedia Resources, Online dictionaries, and the Spell Checkers. The factors that affect using OERs were the attitude, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived behavioral control, satisfaction, and perceived pleasure. It can be inferred that the instructors do not use the most common OERs. They used Online dictionaries and Spell Checkers which is important for all EFL instructors. The instructors used the OERs based on several factors, they use the OERs which have positive attitude, useful for their teaching, ease of use, also they used the OERs that they feel they have behavioral control, satisfaction also was an important factor to use OERs which provide satisfaction atmosphere, and finally, they used the OERs which they perceived pleasure when they use them.</p> Ali Sabah Jameel Nabeel Jassim Mohammed Maha Majeed Anber Abdul-Razzaq Hussein Saleh Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 231 248 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.11 The Impact of Some Techniques on Preparatory School Pupils’ Mindset Growth https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1391 <p style="text-align: justify;">The current study aims at investigating the impact of some techniques on preparatory school pupils’ mindset growth, finding out the effect of these techniques on developing EFL pupils' mindset growth. The tool of this study is a test which is used to find the effect of these techniques on developing EFL pupils' mindset growth. The following hypothesis have been formulated, there is no statically significant differences between the main score of the experimental group, which is taught by using the techniques (identify your own mindset, look at your own improvements, learn from other's success, ask for feedback, harness the power of (yet), learn something new, intentionally make mistake, be kind to yourself' ,look at examples, set realistic goals), and the main scores of the control group, which is taught by using traditional methods in subsequent achievement tests. The sample of the study is (60) pupils who are taught during the academic year 2023/2024. They are selected randomly from Al Rayyan preparatory school for girls. The fifth-grade scientific branch consist of two groups are selected as a sample of the study. The Two groups have been equalized according to the following variables: the educational level of parents age ( in months), and the pupils scores in the pre-test and English scores in the previous schooling year . A-unified post- test which contains six questions are constructed to collect data. Face and content validity have been ascertained. The data collected from results of the post-test have been analyzed statistically by using T-test for two independent samples. The results show that there are strong differences between the mean scores of the experimental group who is taught by techniques, and the mean scores of control group who is taught by conventional method. Finally, some conclusions have been put forward.</p> Saja Mudhher Salman Muthana Mohammed Badie Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 249 267 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.12 Reflexive Assessment in Teaching https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1392 <p style="text-align: justify;">This study examines the topic of Reflexive Assessment in Teaching and presents the results of a questionnaire administered to fourth-year students in the Department of English at the College of Education for Women, Tikrit University, upon their return from the application period in secondary schools. The aim of the study is to explore students' perceptions and experiences regarding the use of reflexive assessment strategies in the teaching and learning process, specifically in the context of their practical application in secondary schools. The questionnaire, specifically designed for this study, focuses on students' reflections on their learning experiences during the application period, their self-assessment practices, and the impact of reflexive assessment on their academic development. The findings provide valuable insights into students' understanding and engagement with reflexive assessment, highlighting its effectiveness in fostering self-awareness, critical thinking, and metacognitive skills among English language learners in real-world teaching settings. The study contributes to the existing literature on assessment practices in education, particularly in the context of English language teaching, by emphasizing the importance of reflexive assessment during practical applications in secondary schools. The findings also offer practical implications for educators by suggesting ways to integrate reflexive assessment strategies into their teaching practices, thereby enhancing students' learning experiences and promoting their professional growth as future teachers.</p> Israa Burhanuddin Abdurrahman Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 268 278 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.13 Students' Beliefs of Integrating Translation with Communicative Language Teaching Approach https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1393 <p style="text-align: justify;">Based on the premise that old ideas never die, translation strategies are rooted in the ancient teaching approach, the Grammar Translation Method. This study aims to reveal the university students' beliefs regarding translation as a strategy for achieving success in the learning process, considering variables such as gender (males and females) and colleges (Arts / Basic Education). The study's design is quantitative, collecting data via a questionnaire adopted from Liao (2006). The participants were 200 male and female students from the College of Arts and College of Basic Education from Mustansiriyah University. The results revealed that the students have positive beliefs toward using translation in learning materials in English language, also there is a statistically significant difference between male and female students' beliefs regarding using translation as a strategy to learn English, favoring female students. Additionally, there is no significant difference between students from the College of Arts and the College of Basic Education beliefs in integrating translation strategies with (CLT) Communicative Language Teaching approach . In light of the results, translation strategies have proven to be an effective positive factor influencing the learning of the English language. Despite current instructional approaches that discourage using the first language in learning a foreign language, students still strongly believe that their success is due to using translation, even if it is limited to autonomous learning outside the classroom. Male and female students at both colleges strongly believe in the role of translation in supporting, facilitating, and enhancing learning, including memorizing vocabulary, understanding sentence structure, and reducing anxiety.</p> Arwa Harith Hasan Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 279 289 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.14 La Durée in The Bridge on the Drina https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1394 <p style="text-align: justify;">The French philosopher Henri Bergson claims that time has two qualities: The objective time; measured by clocks, and la durée that cannot be divided into units—but reflects our inner individual experience. The latter is the main concern of this paper which addresses the subjective concept of time in relation to a stone bridge—the main character in the historical novel The Bridge on the Drina, by the Yugoslavian writer Ivo Andrić. The bridge was constructed across the Drina by the Ottomans in the 16th century. In the novel, the bridge stands as a witness for the lives and fates of the residents of Višegrad for four centuries, till the time of its destruction during the First World War. The paper aims to examine Bergson’s la durée through the inner consciousness of the people who live around the stone bridge, or participate in its construction. The novelist describes people experiencing the swift or slow passage of time according to their circumstances. In both cases, time is linked to consciousness, and it is indivisible.</p> Maha Qahtan Sulaiman Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 290 296 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.15 The Generation of Endless Interpretations in Frost's The Road not Taken: A Deconstructive Reading https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1395 <p style="text-align: justify;">Derrida's deconstructive approach is considered one of the significant concepts that criticize the central idea of modernism and any other previous movements. Deconstructivists aim to re-examine literary texts from an individual perspective. This individuality may generate endless interpretations of a certain text. The deconstructive approach is mainly a reaction to the systematic rules of structuralism as well as it is a reaction to the formalist approach and to all the Western logos. The selected poem of this study is Frost's "The Road not Taken". The poem is challenging as it does not follow a traditional method. It keeps generating ideas and endless interpretations because the meaning is not located. The study aims to analyze the poem from a deconstructive perspective and blur the binary opposition.</p> Marwan Abdulmunem Tawfeeq Marwan Abdulmunem Tawfeeq Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-26 2025-02-26 8 12, 2 297 304 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.16 T Investigating EFL College Students’ Performance in Analyzing Modality Verbs: Discourse Analysis Study https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1396 <p style="text-align: justify;">Modal verbs play a crucial role in the English language, as they help express various degrees of possibility, ability, permission, necessity, and obligation. The problem of this study is that fourth year college students face serious difficulties in identifying the different meanings and the functions of the modal verbs used in the text. The purpose of the current study is (1) to determine whether fourth-year college students are able to correctly identify the types of modal verbs (2) to determine whether fourth-year college students are capable of correctly identifying function of English modals and employing them. It is hypothesized that students are unable to understand the meanings of the modal verbs and that students are unable to understand the types and the functions of the modal verbs. This study explores the different modal verbs along with their meanings and usage. Modality, which is the speaker's attitude or point of view towards the action or state being described by the main verb in a sentence, is expressed by a particular type of auxiliary verb known as a modal verb. By signifying possibility, necessity, capability, permission, and other related ideas, modal verbs change the meaning of the main verb. The sample was randomly selected from the population, which includes (180) male and female students. The reason behind choosing was that student in the first, second, and third years of study were exposed to English modals in their course materials, so they should be familiar with them. The sample consisted of 100 students in total and the diagnostic test was used in this study. The results explore that fourth-year college students are unable to accurately determine the types and the functions of English modal verbs. According to the obtained results and the conclusions the researcher has reached it is recommended that (1) Encourage students to read and to listen to the English material that have modals. (2) Provide extensive explanations of modal usage and their meanings.</p> Omar Ali Hussein Alani Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 305 320 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.17 Between Absence and Presence: Deconstructing Family Dynamics in Stephen Karam’s The Human https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1397 <p style="text-align: justify;">The current study investigates the complex interplay of absence and presence in family dynamics as portrayed in Stephen Karam's The Humans. The tension between familial bonds and individual isolation is deconstructed, revealing how absence—both physical and emotional—shapes characters’ identities and relationships. By applying Derrida's concept of absence and presence, the study deconstructs the notion of the ideal family, highlighting how the absence of authentic connection and the presence of hidden tensions shape the characters' interactions. Derrida's framework allows for a deeper understanding of how presence is often characterized by the impact of absence, manifesting in the characters' fragmented identities and strained relationships. The study argues that Karam's play presents a poignant commentary on the fragility of family ties in the modern society, highlighting the ways in which shared spaces can amplify feelings of disconnection. Ultimately, the study showcases that the dynamics of presence and absence are crucial in understanding the characters' struggles and the broader themes of belonging and alienation within the modern familial context.</p> Ahmed Khalid Hassoon Lamiaa Ahmed Rasheed Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 321 330 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.18 Examining the Ecofeminist Concepts of Power and Resilience in Diane Wilson’s The Seed Keeper https://jls.tu.edu.iq/index.php/JLS/article/view/1398 <p style="text-align: justify;">This paper tries to examine the ecofeminism theory and the principles of dystopian fiction in Diane Wilson’s The Seed Keeper (2021). It goes to study the interconnection between the suppression of women and the environment, concentrating on the oppression of women and the exploitation of nature. It aims at discovering the ecofeminist concepts of power and resilience describing the dualistic hierarchies addressing for a social shift towards sympathetic values that respect both women and the environment. It attempts to explain how The Seed Keeper depicts the Dakota women and their profound connection to the land, emphasizing the traditional practices of seed-keeping and cultural resilience. It also describes the intersectionality by showing the compounded oppression confronted by Indigenous women. It portrays the resistance and empowering women throughout the protagonists’ journey of connecting with the land and reclaiming their heritage.</p> Sahar Ali Hamdi Ahmad Khalid Hassoon Copyright (c) 2025 JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE STUDIES 2025-02-25 2025-02-25 8 12, 2 331 343 10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.19