International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies

Psychological state and support needs in promoting the well-being of English as second language students

Dwi Poedjiastutie — 2025-09-25

Ensuring students' psychological well-being is critical to their academic success and overall growth. The study examines students' psychological challenges to identify the type of assistance that the English Department at Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Indonesia, should provide. This is done to reduce negative feelings that may be affecting their motivation to excel in English class. The study employs quantitative analysis for identifying statistical trends while also incorporating qualitative data to clarify the underlying causes of these trends through a two-phase data collection strategy. During the first phase, a survey was distributed to all English major students. In the second phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather information in the form of narratives or experiences that participants believed were relevant to the issues discussed. The study reveals that negative emotions significantly impact the well-being of ESL students, with linguistic barriers and familial restraints being common factors. It is imperative that the department recognizes the fundamental role of emotional well-being in shaping students' academic trajectories and advocates for holistic approaches that address both psychological and educational needs. This section concludes with actionable recommendations for institutions, including the adoption of adaptive coping strategies and the implementation of comprehensive care procedures.

Innovating the English language curriculum to enhance career readiness in Vietnamese higher education

Doan Thi Hue Dung — 2025-11-17

As labor market demands evolve, aligning higher education curricula with students’ career goals and learning needs has become increasingly vital. This study investigates career aspirations and expectations of English-majored students at five universities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, including public, private, and international institutions. Drawing on survey responses from 560 students, the research explores three core dimensions: preferred career paths after graduation, expectations regarding course content, and perceptions of how effectively current programs support professional development. The study also explores students’ perspectives on hidden curricula, which refer to the implicit experience’s students learn through institutional culture, teacher-student interactions, and social norms and activities. The findings reveal a strong interest in careers such as English teaching, translation, and business, with growing attention to tourism, diplomacy, and media. Students expressed strong appreciation for English skills and specialized courses but reported dissatisfaction with modules perceived as outdated or lacking practical relevance, such as physical education, some literature subjects, and technology-related courses. These results highlight urgent needs for curriculum innovation that balances local responsiveness with global alignment. Universities should tailor course offerings to reflect evolving domestic career demands while benchmarking curricula against regional and international standards to ensure quality, comparability, and student mobility.

Learner autonomy in the Jordanian EFL context: Constraints, culture, and classroom realities

Fatima Abdul Kareem Salman — 2025-11-17

Learner autonomy is widely regarded as essential to meaningful language learning, but in contexts shaped by high-stakes tests and strong familial involvement, it often proves elusive. This study explores how twelfth-grade Jordanian EFL students experience and understand autonomy in the shadow of the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (commonly known as the Tawjihi), the high-stakes national exit examination that exerts a pervasive influence over students’ future academic trajectories and educational priorities. Drawing on responses from 600 students across six public schools, the study examines how gender and academic stream influence perceptions of autonomy and which factors are most likely to support or constrain it. While internal factors, such as metacognition, critical thinking, and motivation, were rated low, respondents pointed overwhelmingly to environmental and sociocultural pressures, crowded classrooms, peer disengagement, family control, and exam anxiety as major barriers to autonomy. Female students and those enrolled in the scientific stream consistently reported higher levels of learner autonomy, whereas male and literary-stream students conveyed a stronger sense of being externally regulated. The findings underscore that learner autonomy is shaped less by personal disposition than by broader sociocultural and institutional contexts. The authors call for contextually responsive interventions across pedagogy, family engagement, and curriculum.

Negotiating identities: How successful Malaysian ESL learners shape their language learning experiences

Chan Siang Jack — 2025-11-17

This qualitative multiple case-study examines how high proficiency Malaysian learners of English shape their learning over time through identity work and sustained commitment. Guided by Norton’s theory of identity as a sociocultural framework, the study worked with twelve high proficiency learners (HPL) and used semi-structured interviews, reflective narratives, and observations of digital interaction. The analysis identified three related processes. First, learners built a secure sense of self as English users through repeated public performance and teacher or peer acknowledgement. Second, they moved across family, campus, and online spaces through context-sensitive language choice, keeping close ties in Malay and other languages while placing English at the centre of study, leadership, and everyday coordination. Third, recognition as users of English linked present effort to hope for membership in academic and professional communities. When this identity was acknowledged, learners participated more regularly, accepted uncertainty in speech, and used English steadily beyond assessment. The study offers a Malaysia specific account that grounds these claims in scenes from campus and home life. For teaching, curricula should affirm students’ preferred identities, recognise translanguaging as a legitimate resource, and provide public moments of acknowledgement through feedback, peer response, and peer mentoring in class.

Anxiety in second language learning among Jordanian university students: A psycholinguistic perspective

Abdallah Hammad Al-Hammaideh — 2025-11-17

The present study aims to identify the levels of anxiety among speakers of English in Jordan. The study also examines whether anxiety levels vary depending on speakers’ age or gender. Additionally, it investigates key factors that trigger this anxiety and observes how these feelings might be linked to individuals' speaking performance. The participants of the study were 390 undergraduates majoring in English language at the University of Jordan, Yarmouk University, and Mutah University during the academic year 2019/2020. Data were collected via a second language anxiety scale developed by the researcher. Results revealed that there is a statistically significant difference at a≤0.05 in the level of anxiety of Jordanian speakers of English according to university and academic year. However, there is no statistically significant difference at a≤0.05 in the level of anxiety according to gender and grade point average. The results also show that Jordanian students have a moderate level of language anxiety, primarily influenced by three main factors: self-confidence, interactive approach, and non-facilitative negative feelings. It is also noted that participants in this study consider anxiety to be debilitating, negatively affecting their speaking performance. Furthermore, Jordanian speakers of English employ four strategies to reduce their language anxiety: positive thinking, preparation, relaxation, and resignation.

Polyphonic resistance: Voices of rebellion in Margaret Atwood’s the testaments

Faiz Algobaei — 2025-11-17

This study explores Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments through Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory of dialogism and polyphony to examine how multiple narrative voices articulate resistance against Gilead’s totalitarian regime. The purpose is to demonstrate how Atwood’s use of diverse narrators transforms rebellion into a dialogic process that challenges monologic authority. Employing a qualitative analytical approach grounded in Bakhtinian criticism, the paper interprets the perspectives of Aunt Lydia, Agnes, and Daisy as independent yet interrelated voices. Through textual analysis, the study identifies how Atwood’s polyphonic design allows each narrator to speak autonomously while engaging in a dynamic exchange with the others, thereby dismantling the dominance of a single authoritative discourse. The findings indicate that The Testaments functions as a polyphonic novel where meaning arises through interaction rather than authorial control. Rebellion becomes a collective act voiced through multiple, autonomous consciousnesses. The dialogic exchange among narrators illustrates Bakhtin’s belief that truth is relational and plural, never confined to a single viewpoint. This study contributes to Bakhtinian literary criticism by showing how Atwood’s narrative form embodies dialogic rebellion. It also provides a model for understanding reality through multiplicity and diversity of voice. Finally, it demonstrates the power of literature to resist ideological domination by allowing distinct voices to coexist, converse, and challenge oppressive authority.

Perceptions, readiness, and challenges of blended learning: Evidence from micro-teaching courses in Indonesian higher education

Ni Wayan Krismayani — 2025-11-17

Blended learning is increasingly vital in transforming traditional classrooms into open and creative environments that integrate teaching and learning without being constrained by time and space. Several factors must be considered in a microteaching class, including interactions between teachers and students and the communication skills taught within this setting. The primary aim of this study is to examine microteaching practices concerning teacher qualification, based on prospective teachers' perceptions derived from their teaching reflections. This cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to July 2024, involving 136 college students from six English Study Programs across six universities in three Indonesian provinces within the BaliNusra regions. Data collection involved questionnaires and interviews, followed by both quantitative and qualitative analyses. The findings indicate that 136 respondents preferred offline methods over online for micro-teaching courses. Although prospective teachers are prepared to implement blended learning, this readiness is not fully supported by the stability of available facilities, which presents challenges. The effective implementation and success of blended learning in areas with inadequate ICT infrastructure remain significant obstacles. This study recommends that educators conducting micro-teaching courses consider the blended learning model as a viable alternative in today’s digital age.

Between two worlds: The identity dilemma and paradox of assimilation in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith

Liu Pengkang — 2025-11-18

This study examines the racial construction of Aboriginal identity in Thomas Keneally’s novel The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, exploring how colonial Australian society produces and sustains racial hierarchies. It focuses on the character of Jimmie, a half-caste Aboriginal man, whose fractured identity highlights the contradictions of assimilation in late nineteenth-century Australia. Jimmie’s struggle serves as a prism revealing systemic mechanisms of exclusion masked as opportunities for inclusion. Using close textual analysis grounded in postcolonial theory, the study draws on Erving Goffman’s concept of stigma to show how Aboriginal identity is marked as other, and Homi Bhabha’s theory of hybridity to interpret Jimmie’s liminal position between colonizer and colonized. The findings demonstrate that assimilation, although promoted as a path to equality, is blocked by structures preserving white dominance, transforming hybridity into a source of alienation rather than inclusion. Jimmie’s experiences reveal the tension between imposed racial classification and cultural belonging, illustrating the psychological and cultural impact of assimilation policies. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that assimilation functions not as a bridge to equality but as a mechanism of marginalization that reinforces colonial hierarchies and denies Aboriginal agency. By foregrounding the intersections of stigma and hybridity, the analysis shows how Keneally’s historical fiction critically engages with colonial discourse and resonates with contemporary debates about race, assimilation, and systemic inequities in settler-colonial societies.

Bridging the gap: A critical needs analysis of ESP for industrial engineering students' professional communication competence in Indonesian higher education

Alviaderi Novianti — 2025-11-18

This research investigates the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) requirements of industrial engineering students through a systematic needs analysis framework examining necessities, lacks, and wants dimensions. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study encompassed 120 industrial engineering students across three Indonesian universities. Data collection utilized validated questionnaires incorporating seven primary dimensions, with findings analyzed through descriptive statistical methods. The results demonstrated that comprehending technical literature in English represented the most critical necessity (M=4.29), closely followed by competency in negotiating with international clients (M=4.27). The lacks dimension revealed substantial challenges in interpreting technical documentation and instructional materials (M=2.91), alongside difficulties in composing technical reports (M=3.12). Analysis of the wants dimension indicated strong motivation for enhancing technical reading proficiency (M=4.56), while demonstrating minimal emphasis on oral communication development (M=2.86). Findings reveal a pronounced disparity between existing conventional ESP curricula and students' authentic professional requirements, highlighting the necessity for curriculum restructuring centered on technical communication competencies. The systematic gap identified suggests inadequate alignment between academic instruction and industry demands in globalized professional contexts. This study provides empirical evidence supporting the development of responsive ESP curricula tailored to industrial engineering students' professional communication needs in contemporary international business environments, contributing valuable insights for educational policy formulation and pedagogical practice enhancement.

Code-meshing in clinical settings: The dynamic nature of professional medical discourse

Awad Alshehri — 2025-11-18

This study questions the long-held assumption that medical English represents a uniform and self-contained discourse. Drawing on a triangulated corpus that includes medical textbooks (2.5 million words), clinical case reports (1.8 million words), and doctor–patient consultations (about 500,000 words), it explores how medical professionals shift between technical and accessible registers a practice referred to here as linguistic code-meshing. A mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative corpus evidence with qualitative discourse analysis, is used to trace how such register blending operates across different communicative settings. The analysis identifies five recurrent strategies: terminological scaffolding, register-meshing syntax, strategic metaphor use, authority-accessibility markers, and layered discourse organization. These strategies enable practitioners to maintain technical accuracy while making information more comprehensible to patients and colleagues. Statistical comparisons show notable variation across contexts, with diagnostic and specialist consultations exhibiting the most intricate forms of integration. Qualitative findings further illustrate how these strategies promote understanding without undermining professional identity or institutional authority. Theoretically, the study positions medical discourse as flexible and stratified rather than strictly hierarchical, thereby extending work on register theory and professional communication. Practically, it points to implications for medical training and intercultural clinical communication, suggesting that code-meshing should be regarded as a key professional skill in today’s multilingual healthcare settings.

Echoes of conflict: Psychological fragmentation and trauma in American Tet and my blood is stations and shade

Najih Mohammed Selman — 2025-11-18

The true cost of war is not only engraved in the physical losses on the battlefield but rather in the echoes of pain screamed loud from the depths of the psyche. Wars are features of existence that extremely impact human life and injure the inner self by their traumatizing impacts that stay in the minds and psyches of people. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to uncover the role of drama in depicting these psychological impacts of war, particularly within the context of anti-war drama. It tends to explore anti-war motifs through a psychoanalytic lens, represented in the adoption of Trauma Theory as a means of exploring the effects of wars on psychological fragmentation as reflected through anti-war themes in American and Iraqi plays. It provides a sort of comparative analysis between American and Iraqi anti-war drama, respectively represented in Lydia Stryk’s American Tet and Qassim Matroud’s My Blood is Stations and Shade. The findings highlight suffering, loss, depression, and family disintegration, among other themes, as key notions mirroring the interplay between traumas and wars. Besides, the results reflect the varying representations of wars between the American and Iraqi contexts, asserting that although wars only result in misery, this misery differs from individual context to the wider shared communal sociocultural destruction.

The role of audiobooks in developing English listening proficiency: A study of undergraduate learner in Tamil Nadu

J. Charles Arockiasamy — 2025-11-19

Listening is one of the inevitable yet often overlooked skills in the process of learning a second language, especially for Indian undergraduate students learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Even after years of studying English in school, many students still struggle to understand spoken English. This occurs because students do not get sufficient exposure to real English as spoken in daily life, and they often feel nervous or uncomfortable in classroom settings. Various apps and tools are used to facilitate language learning, but there remains limited understanding of how audiobooks specifically contribute to enhancing listening skills. This study examines the effectiveness of audiobooks in developing listening skills through a twelve-week program involving 66 undergraduate students from Tamil Nadu. Students participated in a pre-test before the intervention and a post-test after completing the twelve-week audiobook listening program, which involved daily sessions of one hour. They listened to audiobooks with teacher support initially and then independently. The results indicated a significant improvement in listening scores, with an average increase of 25%. Additionally, students reported feeling less anxious about listening, better retention of new vocabulary, and improved ability to follow spoken English. The findings suggest that audiobooks are a vital component of language learning, providing autonomous, low-pressure, and long-term benefits in listening development. Consequently, audiobooks enhance confidence and foster consistent listening skills among ESL learners. The study recommends integrating audiobooks into regular classroom activities to support language acquisition.