Concept : Community Concern for English Pedagogy and Teaching

Exploring undergraduate students’ difficulties in EFL academic writing

2024-06-21T15:06:10+07:00

This study aims to explore undergraduate students’ difficulties and how they cope with difficulties in EFL academic writing. Despite much research revealing the difficulties of undergraduate students in academic writing, relatively few studies implied academic writing difficulties in the higher education context. To fill this gap, this present study focused on exploring EFL students’ difficulties and how they cope with the difficulties in terms of lexical difficulties, grammar and punctuation, avoiding plagiarism, and text structure. This study used a qualitative approach with a phenomenological case study design. Three undergraduate students were recruited as participants for this study. The data were collected through interview sessions employing open-ended questions adopting a three series of interviews by Seidman (2013) consisting of thirteen questions. The result showed similarities and differences in difficulties and the ways to cope with it. The result of this research is expected to support the lecturer to consider the students’ difficulties and their ways to cope with the difficulties where it can be applied in academic writing subject. Moreover, the difficulty in academic writing is important for students to examine the effective ways to cope with difficulties to become better academic writers.

Keywords: Undergraduate students; Academic writing; Academic writing difficulties

Enhancing Informatics Engineering students' speaking skills at Asahan university using picture media in present tense

2024-04-23T10:14:33+07:00

The ability to speak English with good and right pronunciation, accuracy, fluency, and intonation is a test for university students of the Informatics Engineering Department at the University of Asahan to achieve new knowledge. There are still many university students who are not good at speaking skills in English. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the implementation of image media techniques to students' speaking skills in the present tense. This research is descriptive qualitative research. This research was conducted in three cycles, each consisting of two learning cycles or face-to-face. The research subjects were 20 education participants. The methods used to collect data are observation, interviews, and tests. The instrument used to obtain data is a test question. The data analysis technique used is descriptive qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results showed that university students in cycles I, II, and III had an average score which indicated that image media techniques could enhance English speaking skills in the present tense. It was summarized that the implementation of image media could effectively enhance the ability to speak English. Picture media can help university students understand English. This finding can also be used as a reference for lecturers to enhance the speaking-learning process

Keywords: picture; media; speaking; EFL.

The student self-confidence profile in learning English for Mathematics with the Tiktok application

2024-08-13T13:33:44+07:00

Speaking is a mentally demanding task for a foreign language learner. One of the aspects that can lessen speaking anxiety is confidence. This research was conducted to expose mathematical students' confidence profiles when speaking using the TikTok application. To reveal the mathematical students' confidence profile, this research used the quantitative analysis research approach comprised of in-depth data analysis in the form of numbers. The data was obtained from the second-year Mathematics students who took English for Mathematics course. The results show the variety of levels of confidence and the aspects of confidence possessed by the students. Teachers can take advantage of the students' confidence profile to improve their teaching.

Keywords: English for mathematics; Self-confident; Speaking; TikTok Application

An analysis of translation techniques for racist utterances in Rush Hour 3

2024-06-19T10:24:49+07:00

This study aims to analyse the translation of racist content in the movie subtitles of "Rush Hour 3" by Dhespy fansub (Movieku) and Putra fansub (Lk21). The research uses a qualitative method and a case study design. Document analysis, including transcripts and subtitles, was employed in this research. The data were analysed by using the theory from Molina and Albir (2002). The result shows that 86 data were taken from the 2 fansub translators (43 data for each). Based on findings, there are 14 types of translation techniques are used, namely; Adaptation, Amplification, Borrowing, Calque, Compensation, Description, Establish Equivalent, Generalization, Linguistic Amplification, Linguistic Compression, Literal Translation, Modulation, Particularization, and Reduction. The researchers found that both fansubs used multiple translation techniques, with single (38%), duplet (40%), triplet (20%), and quartet groups (2%). In the Dhespy group, single grouping occurred 16 times (37%), duplet 15 times (35%), triplet 10 times (23%), and quartet 2 times (5%). In the fansub group, single grouping occurred 17 times (40%), duplet 19 times (44%), triplet 7 times (16%), and quartet none. The researchers hope this research can be helpful as a reference for readers who want to add knowledge about language features to their study.

Keywords: Movie; Racism; Translation Technique; Translator

Assessing student readiness for Kurikulum Merdeka implementation

2024-08-20T22:21:45+07:00

This study assesses students' preparedness for the Kurikulum Merdeka and its implementation. The subject and object of the research were 10th-grade pharmacy students at one of the vocational schools in Cirebon, totalling 19 students. There were sixteen female students and three male students. This research used descriptive-qualitative design. The researchers used questionnaires, interviews, and observations as the instruments. The result of this research indicates that student readiness is so important that students are ready to learn. Moreover, the curriculum must be implemented in all schools by 2024 according to the Ministry of Education and Culture's policy. Nevertheless, the results of this research show that students' readiness to face the Kurikulum Merdeka cannot be considered sufficient as their readiness for this curriculum stands at only 78.7%.

Keywords: Student readiness; Kurikulum Merdeka; Implementation