journal of Language Studies

The study sought to reveal the features of joy, elation, and contentment that emerged within the poet Ibn Sana' al-Mulk upon his genuine engagement with his artistic experience. This was achieved through tracing the manifestations of his pride and self-esteem in his individual identity, following his accomplishments that created distinction, fulfilled his ambition, enriched his self, and established his presence before others. This was reflected in his poetic language. Furthermore, it revealed the extent of his unique experience in expressing emotions, creating a psychological context that persuaded
audiences. The study comprised an introduction and three chapters. The introduction examined ecstasy and the self, both linguistically and technically. It then provided a brief overview of the poet's life and the role of self-ecstasy in the poetry of the gardens of poetry. The first chapter examined the ecstasy of personal pride. The second chapter examined self-ecstasy in nasib poetry. The final chapter addressed the ecstasy of asceticism. It was followed by a conclusion and a list of sources and references.

This research examines the words "dhu" and "dhat" meaning "possessor" and "owner" from the six nouns, and the two Tayyyat words as relative pronouns meaning "that which" and "that which" in Arabic grammar and the Holy Quran. These words are considered unique in the Arabic language and its grammar. The research stems from the importance of understanding the linguistic meaning of words, as they are tools for human communication and the linguistic interpretation of texts. Since the beginnings of linguistic study, Arab scholars have recognized the necessity of delving into the issues of word and meaning to serve the language of the Holy Quran and clarify its meanings. The first section of the research presents the linguistic origin of the words "dhu" and "dhat," their meanings, and their grammatical inflection in Arabic grammar. This is achieved through a study of the use of "dhu" as "possessor" and "dhat" as "owner," as they are among the six nouns. It also examines their use in the Tayy tribe language, meaning "that which" and "which." The second section focuses on the two words in the Holy Quran, exploring their various meanings, grammatical positions, and the number of times they appear. Their occurrence, along with an analysis of their Quranic contexts, reveals the breadth of their meaning, the subtlety of their style, and the beauty of the Quranic structure. Through this, the research seeks to highlight the grammatical and semantic dimensions of these words and clarify their impact on enhancing a precise understanding of Arabic texts in general, and the texts of the Holy Quran in particular, thus fulfilling the goal of linguistic study in serving comprehension and clarifying the grammatical and Quranic meaning for the reader.

In the world of The Chalk Door, utopia and dystopia emerge as two reflections of the same mirror, where salvation is sketched in fragile chalk lines upon prison walls, transforming hope into an illusion that thickens the bars rather than dismantles them. Consciousness wavers between the mirage of imagined doors and the futility of indifference, between a death presumed to be a utopia ending pain, only to reveal a deeper void. Ancient myths unfold as black books promising passage into alternate realms, yet merely replicate the void in more deceptive forms, while love flashes like lightning across a sky heavy with ruin, returning a fleeting meaning to life before vanishing without altering destiny. In the heart of an evacuated Baghdad, cities morph into tangible dystopias, where even cats become silent witnesses to the emptiness of both streets and soul. Meanwhile, the nebulous realms shimmer with lapis-lazuli hues to conceal their hollowness, turning utopia into a colored prison where exiles embrace their banishment willingly. Ultimately, the crimson door stands as a final sign that utopia is neither a place nor a deliverance, but rather a mental act of resistance that refuses to concede to the finality of walls—even if it remains merely a crimson scrawl on the wall of the mind.

Tact is a core skill in Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior and a key component of the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills – Revised (ABLLS-R) program. This study examines the role of tact in supporting children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to use language more effectively and systematically. Research indicates that tact training expands vocabulary, strengthens the link between words and environmental stimuli, and enhances the ability to express objects and events clearly, Additionally, tact practice promotes the generalization of language skills to new contexts beyond the direct training environment, contributing to overall linguistic improvement. Emphasizing tact in educational and therapeutic interventions provides an effective strategy for fostering communication, supporting cognitive-linguistic development, and enabling children with ASD to engage more successfully in social and learning contexts. The findings highlight tact as a crucial tool in promoting structured language use and facilitating meaningful interactions for children with ASD.

This research, titled "A Comparative Analysis between X-bar Theory and Bare Phrase Structure (BPS) Theory in the Kurdish Language," presents a comparative evaluation of two major theories in the field of syntax: X-bar Theory and Bare Phrase Structure (BPS) Theory. X-bar Theory, developed in the 1970s and 1980s, introduced a static, three-tiered framework (XP, X', X) for analyzing phrase structure. Although this theory was initially beneficial for modeling syntax, it faced criticism due to several shortcomings, including its pre-supposition of static and non-dynamic phrase levels. In contrast, Bare Phrase Structure (BPS) Theory, introduced by Chomsky within the "Minimalist Program" in 1995, revolutionized the understanding of sentence structure by eliminating redundant levels and relying on the "Merge" operation. BPS dynamically and derivationally constructs structures, which obviates fixed predictions such as the existence of 'X' or 'XP'. The study meticulously examines the benefits and features of both theories using examples from the Kurdish language. The findings indicate that BPS Theory is more suitable and robust due to its simplicity, economy, and greater capacity for analyzing syntactic phenomena in Kurdish, particularly in terms of its compatibility with phonological and semantic interfaces. This research emphasizes that BPS offers a dynamic and derivational system that better aligns with the goals of the Minimalist Program.

The Linguistic Atlas is the outcome of researches focused on the dialects of various
languages. It is a publication that presents a collection of maps, each displaying linguistic
data gathered from different regions. These maps use specific symbols to represent
information related to various aspects of speech, such as pronunciation, grammar, and
meaning. This study, titled (Morphological Atlas of Kalar sub-dialect) aims to analyze the
morphological atlas of (15) linguistic variables and map them geographically.
The study was conducted using a combination of (descriptive, fieldwork, and statistical)
methods, following the French model. Using this approach, the lexical variables of the
Garmian-sub-dialect of Kalar were analyzed and plotted on a geographical map.
Following the selection and identification of linguistic variables, the study was conducted
within the geographical scope of Kalar, which comprises four townships and 171 villages.
A total of 39 villages were selected for the research, with 1 to 7 speakers participating from
each. Data were gathered through interviews and questionnaires involving participants of
different ages and educational levels, with a particular emphasis on elderly and illiterate individuals. After analyzing the recorded linguistic variables, the data were processed using
middle average to accurately determine the percentage distribution of responses.

It is evident that language does not remain in a static state; rather, it is continuously developing and changing. The ongoing transformations of human life have a direct impact on language change. In this sense, language is a dynamic system that constantly adapts to meet the evolving needs of society. With the increasing complexity of life, humans naturally seek efficient ways of communication with the aim of saving both time and energy.
In this context, non-linguistic symbols such as traffic signs, commercial logos, emojis, and others play a crucial role. These symbols, at the same time, convey clear meanings and are often universally recognizable, regardless of an individual’s educational background. Non-linguistic symbols, as a category of signs, have been used by humans since ancient times for communication and interaction.
The complexity of life has led humans to adopt more convenient ways of organizing their lives with minimal expenditure of energy and time. This has encouraged humans to think in terms of economy, thereby developing a tendency to simplify their expressions, conserve energy, and reduce the burden placed on the speech organs. In this regard, non-verbal symbols play an important role in linguistic economy by accelerating the transmission of meaning and reducing the effort required in writing and speaking. From this standpoint, the present study discusses a range of non-linguistic symbols in relation to linguistic economy.

Dialogue is regarded as an important literary technique, particularly in literary genres inclined toward prose. With the expansion of literature and the deepening of critical perspectives, the blending of genres has become a prominent phenomenon, through which dialogue has increasingly emerged as a technique in modern poetry. Talaat Tahir, as a pioneering voice in contemporary Kurdish poetry, has prominently employed this technique in the construction of his poetic texts. This study explores the poet’s capacity to use dialogue as a technical tool in his works and aims to establish the foundations of dialogic poetics. Unlike many previous studies on dialogue in modern Kurdish poetry, which focused largely on the technique within narrative frameworks, this research adopts a different approach by examining dialogue through the lens of poetics. The central question is whether dialogue adds a new dimension to the poetic texture of the text. To achieve its objectives, the study applies a descriptive-analytical method. It is structured into two chapters: the first addresses dialogue and poetics from a theoretical perspective, while the second provides an analytical application of dialogic poetics in Talaat Tahir’s works. One of the most important findings of the study is that Talaat Tahir effectively employs dialogue to enrich the poetic construction of his texts, elevating their aesthetic quality and enhancing their poetic presence.

The current study aims to find out the impact of the Response to Intervention (RTI) strategy on improving reading comprehension skills of Iraqi primary school pupils learning English as a foreign language. Recognizing the critical role of reading comprehension in language acquisition, the study is based on two hypotheses: There is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group taught using the Response to Intervention strategy and the control group taught using the prescribed method in the posttest. There is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group in the pretest and posttest. To achieve the aim of this study and verify its hypotheses, a non-randomized experimental group pretest-posttest group design has been chosen. The pupils have been taught during the academic year 2024-2025 in English subject. The sample comprises 68 sixth-grade pupils selected from Al-Khansaa\\'1st School for Girls in Tikrit City. The experimental group, consisting of 34 pupils, was taught using the Response to Intervention strategy, while the control group, also consisting of 34 pupils, received instruction through the prescribed traditional method. A posttest contains six questions, which are constructed to collect data. Face and content validity have been achieved. The reliability coefficient has been verified, and the researcher herself teaches both groups. The data collected from the posttest results have been analyzed statistically by using a t-test to measure the pupils\\' performance. The results show that there is a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group and control group in posttest. Moreover, there is a statistically significant difference between the mean score of the experimental group in pre and posttest. which indicates that Response to Intervention strategy is more effective than the prescribed method. The study ends with recommendations and suggestions for further studies based on the obtained results.

The current study aims to find out the effect of a discourse-orientated model on EFL university students’ speaking performance. It tests the following hypothesis: there are no statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the experimental group and the control group in their speaking performance. The researcher adopts a quasi-experimental design, specifically a quot;non-randomized control group pre-posttest design quot to verify the hypothesis and achieve the aim of the present study. The sample for this study comprises 60 second-stage students from the English department at the College of Education for Women at Tikrit University, distributed into two groups, experimental and control, with 30 students for each. Both groups have been equalized in some variables. The findings indicate that, following the statistical analysis of the data, there are statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the experimental and control groups, with the experimental group benefiting from instruction using a discourse-orientated model for speaking performance.

Morphological productivity is explained as the capability of a specific word formation process in producing the highest distinct word forms. Moreover, it refers to the availability of that process in the language and to make new words continuously. So, comparing the three processes [derivation, compounding, and conversion] established upon a dictionary-based corpus is seen as need for the linguistic domain analysis in general and morphological field in particular. Thus, this paper aims at investigating about the productivity of three English word formation processes theoretically and practically. In addition to that, it compares the three processes in terms of their morphological productivity degree. Consequently, the findings and the concluding points are announced in the conclusion section.

This study critically examines the translational efficacy of domestication and foreignization strategies in rendering culturally embedded English idiomatic expressions into Arabic. Grounded in Venuti’s conceptual framework and Sager’s linguistic criteria notably inversion, omission, addition, and deviation the research interrogates how idioms, as culture-bound units, are mediated across linguistically and socioculturally divergent systems. Recognizing the communicative complexities inherent in idiomatic translation, the study posits that the choice of strategy directly affects semantic fidelity and audience accessibility. Four hypotheses are advanced, most prominently that domestication, despite its infrequent application, is superior in achieving both interpretive clarity and cultural appropriateness for Arabic-speaking audiences. This approach aligns the source-language idioms with target-language cultural norms, enhancing reader comprehension. Conversely, foreignization, while preserving source-text integrity, may impede interpretive fluidity due to its emphasis on cultural otherness. Through the analysis of ten idioms extracted from advanced English discourse, the research identifies three critical factors compromising translational quality: (1) reliance on dictionary meanings without contextual calibration, (2) neglect of cultural and pragmatic context, and (3) overuse of additive techniques that distort intended meaning. The research concludes that domestication more effectively preserves culturally nuanced semantics, facilitating meaningful cross-cultural communication. However, it cautions against overcorrection, advocating for a balanced translational praxis that harmonizes semantic precision with cultural resonance. Recommendations emphasize enhanced translator sensitivity to contextual and cultural variables to improve idiomatic accuracy in Arabic translation.

This study examines the challenges of translating ironic expressions in Conor McGregor’s speeches, focusing on how his flouting of Grice’s maxims—especially Relevance—impacts the translation from English into Arabic. Adopting Newmark’s semantic and communicative approaches, the study analyzes four pre-fight press conference clips translated independently by five MA students. It evaluates the type of irony, flouted maxims, translation strategy, and rendering quality. Results show verbal irony and communicative translation are most effective in preserving rhetorical impact. The study highlights the role of cultural competence and context awareness in achieving accurate translation, recommending pragmatic strategies and communicative methods in translator training for irony-rich discourse.

This research studies persuasive strategies that include speech acts and Grice’s Cooperative Principle in Kurdish advertisements. Four types of Kurdish newspapers are used with two examples in each one. This research investigates the use of language in Kurdish advertisements with the goal of influencing consumers in particular sectors. It aims at examining the functioning of the advertisements in relation to the Grecian Cooperative Principle. Kurdish advertising texts are also analyzed in terms of locutionary, illocutionary as well as perlocutionary acts investigating how these acts operate. The methodology is based on a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of a set of Kurdish advertising samples, with a focus on the coherence, brevity and cultural appropriateness of the language. The study revealed that the successful Kurdish advertisements skillfully control the utilization of speech acts and maintain or deviate the Grecian maxims to improve their persuasive potency. It is also evident through analysis of advertisements that the most common maxim employed is the Quality maxim, for example, such as Dala Brand Sunflower Oil advertisement. Less frequently used is a Manner maxim,as in this ad from Korek Telecommunications. In connection to speech acts, the most frequent type was the illocutionary act followed by the locutionary act, while the perlocutionary act was used the least.

This study addresses a significant gap in political discourse analysis by conducting a fine-grained pragmatic examination of the speech act of threatening, focusing specifically on the under-researched strategies of implicit coercion and plausible deniability. The primary research objective is to elucidate how threatening illocutionary acts are constructed, communicated, and legitimized within a populist framework. To this end, the study poses the following research questions: How are explicit and implicit threats linguistically encoded? What pragmatic and rhetorical strategies facilitate threat mitigation or amplification? And how do these strategies function to shape political action and in-group identity?
The research design employs a qualitative pragmatic analysis grounded in an integrated theoretical framework of Speech Act Theory (Searle, 1969), Politeness Theory (Brown & Levinson, 1987), and Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 1995). This tripartite model enables a layered investigation of the locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary dimensions of threat production. The dataset consists of ten strategically selected excerpts from Donald Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021, chosen for their pragmatic salience and relevance to the subsequent Capitol riot.
The findings reveal that Trump’s rhetoric relies predominantly on implicit threat strategies—such as off-record intimations and presuppositional assertions—to maintain plausible deniability while mobilizing followers. Key strategies identified include the blending of commissive pledges (vows of resistance) with directive commands (calls to action), often amplified through hyperbole, metaphor, and dichotomous framing ("us vs. them"). Crucially, the analysis demonstrates how positive politeness strategies (e.g., inclusive "we") foster in-group solidarity, while bald-on-record face-threatening acts delegitimize opponents. A central finding is the pervasive use of victim-perpetrator reversal, which morally reframes aggression as righteous self-defense.
The study concludes that the pragmatics of threatening in Trump’s discourse is not merely instrumental but constitutive, shaping a political reality where democratic norms are subverted and extra-legal action is legitimized. This research underscores the critical role of pragmatic analysis in decoding the latent power of political language and its capacity to weaponize grievance.

This research paper explores Dunya Mikhail's poetry "The Iraqi Nights" through the lens of Carl Jung's archetypal psychology. In this poem, classical myths and their symbolic symbols have been recreated in the broken land of modern Iraq, which is broke separate by war and exile. In this poem, the image of the traditional hero goes away in place of a more difficult figure who carries the brunt of memory and loss, silently pushing their sorrow without recognition or glory. Mikhail uses mythological figures like Scheherazade, Tammuz, and Gilgamesh not to escape reality, but to bring back shared memories and deal with the psychological scars caused by violence. The hero is not a victorious warrior; he is a tired survivor who wears "half a metal heart" and "tows the hills of dust" so lightly that no one notices. This represents invisible pain and the weight of silent sadness. Through ‘The Iraqi Nights’ Mikhail asserts that healing starts with getting language and myth back. Telling stories, like Scheherazade's voice, fights against silence and gives an archetypal way to avoid destruction. The poem is not just a sad song for a lost Iraq, but also a thoughtful hymn to the power of poetry to show how people think and feel and help them survive and get better.

The current study examines moral lessons in picture books for children. Picture books for children are important in teaching moral values, as they often blend text with images to create meaning. This combination has the potential to convey moral lessons effectively for children. However, the integration of visual and textual modes in this context has not been studied. Therefore, this study aims to fill that gap by addressing key questions. The questions are: What role does the compositional arrangement of elements play in clarifying and emphasizing moral lessons in picture books for children? How does the integration of visual and textual modes enhance moral lessons in picture books for children? The study aims to investigate the role of the compositional arrangement of elements in picture books for children in clarifying and emphasizing moral lessons, and to analyze the importance of integrating visual and textual modes in picture books for children for enhancing moral lessons. The study analyzed two fiction picture books for children using Kress and van Leeuwen\'s (2006) model, applying a qualitative methodology. The study concluded that the arrangement of visual elements plays a crucial role in clarifying and emphasizing moral lessons. The central placement of key characters, the use of contrasting colors and sizes, and the positioning of text in relation to images all work together to highlight these lessons. Moreover, the integration of visual and textual modes significantly enhances the clarity and effectiveness of moral messages. Images make these lessons more accessible and memorable for children, while the alignment of text with images reinforces the intended moral lessons.

The current study aims at finding out the effect of text classification of EFL university students’ performance in literary analysis. The sample of the present study consists of 60 students from Department of English Language at College of Arts / University of Tikrit. Students are divided randomly into two groups: the experimental (EG) which represented in (Section B) and the control (CE) which represented in (Section A), each class consists of 30 students. Both groups are matched in terms of parental academic attainment, age, previous year scores in poetry and the+ pretest. The study has been lasted forten weeks during the first semester of the academic year 2024/2025. To achieve the aims and verify its’ hypotheses, Non-randomized Control Group Pretest and Post-test Design has been adoptedin this study. The collected data have been statistically analyzed by using different statistical means. The results indicate that the text classification has beensignificantly enhanced the performance of EFL university students’ literary analysis.

This study aims to investigate the effect of communication skills on EFL Iraqi pupils' achievement, specifically in their achievement in written skill, and its hypotheses are as the following: Firstly, there is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group who is taught by using communication skills, and the mean scores of the control group who is taught by traditional method in post achievement test. Secondly, there is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group who is taught by using communication skills in pre and post written achievement tests. To carry out the aims of this study, and validate its hypotheses, a sample of 60 pupils have been randomly chosen from the fifth-preparatory class in Al-Bassma Secondary School for Girls, during the academic year 2024-2025. The two groups are equally divided into, group (A) represents an experimental group that consists of 30 pupils who have been taught ف communication skills. While group (B) signifies a control group that also includes 30 pupils who have been taught by applying the conventional method. Pre-test and posttest are used to collect the data. This study reveals a significant difference in posttest scores between the experimental group who is taught through applying the communication skills and the control group who is taught through applying the conventional method. The results show that there is a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of experimental group who is taught by applying the communication skills in pre-post written achievement tests. This indicates that the communication skills are more effective than the conventional method. The study concludes some conclusions, recommendations, and suggestions for further studies.

The objective of this study is to examine the effect of the Test-Teach-Test strategy on developing the achievement of Iraqi EFL learners. The TTT strategy is an action-based approach of testing learners' existing knowledge and providing specific instruction, then re-testing learners' improvement. This study aims to explore whether or not the strategy can guarantee significant improvement in students' language competence, as an indicator through pre- and post-achievement tests. Two groups of Iraqi EFL students participated in the experiment: a control group, which was taught using the conventional way, and an experimental group, which was taught using the TTT approach. Pretests were administered prior to the teaching period in order to allow the participants to begin on an equal footing, and posttests were administered after the intervention in both the control and experimental groups to measure the impact of the teaching method. Statistical comparison between the posttest scores using independent samples t-tests indicated improvement much higher in the control group when compared to the experimental group.
The results confirm that the TTT strategy has a positive and quantifiable impact on the success of Iraqi EFL learners. The results show that task-based teaching practices, i.e., the TTT strategy, are better than conventional ones in developing language abilities. The research adds to the evidence that interactive and student-focused teaching practices should be implemented in language learning environments. Follow-up studies can study the long-term impact of the TTT approach and how it impacts certain of the language competences namely, speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

The current study aims at finding out the influence of shaping meaning through context on students’ metapragmatic awareness. The sample of this study consists of (70) third stage students at University of Tikrit , College of Education for Women, Department of English, for the academic year 2024-2025. The instrument of this study is test that is used to collect data . The instrument of the study has been validated, and different statistical means have been used to analyze the obtained data. The obtained results have shown the efficiency of shaping meaning through context in improving students’ metapragmatic awareness. Finally, some conclusions are put forward in the light of the obtained results.

This study is interested in the most common rhetorical, argumentation, and meaning ideological tactics utilized in the presidential back-to-school speeches in Arabic and English and aims to add something new on politicians' self-representation in critical discourse analysis. Based on Tajfel and Turner's (1979) Social Identity Theory and van Dijk's (2006, 2008) Socio-Cognitive Approach and Ideological Square, the research is eclectic in model and compares four excerpts, two from Barack Obama and two from Mohammed bin Zayed. The study seeks to get responses to three basic questions: (1) Which rhetorical, argumentative, and meaning-based techniques are most and least frequently employed in these speeches? (2) How are these strategies used in both Arabic and English contexts? (3) Why do the two presidential levels adopt different approaches? The findings confirm that actor description is the most utilized meaning strategy, while authority and presupposition dominate argumentation tactics, and metaphor and repetition are major rhetorical devices. Both leaders construct social and personal identities and frame themselves as responsible who determine the future of the students, on the basis of shared ideological and communication norms between cultures.

Cette recherche aborde le thème du trauma et de la survivance dans l’œuvre théâtrale et romanesque de l’écrivaine libanaise Hala Moughanie (née en 1980). Elle se déploie selon trois axes : le premier examine comment la mémoire traumatique des conflits armés devient le lieu d’une création appréhendée telle une survivance ; le second interroge les tensions, entre oubli et remémoration, dans des narrations fragmentées où l’intime se mêle volontiers au collectif ; le troisième souligne combien la trace des traumatismes endurés se déploie dans une poétique du territoire et de la langue marquée par la violence, par l’exil et la perte.

Dans l’enseignement - apprentissage du français langue étrangère, les étudiants, comme les enseignants, sont confrontés à de nombreux défis, notamment la compréhension et la traduction d’expressions idiomatiques du français vers l’arabe et vice-versa. Ces expressions sont profondément ancrées dans la culture, les traditions, l’histoire et la pensée d’un peuple ou d’un pays. Elles ont des significations figuratives et métaphoriques associées à une situation particulière, ce qui les rend difficiles à traduire littéralement. Par conséquent, l’ambiguïté du sens, souvent figuré et indirect, empêche l’étudiant de comprendre le sens précis de ces expressions. De plus, la méconnaissance de leur équivalent dans la langue maternelle constitue un obstacle supplémentaire. De ce point de vue, l’enseignant doit élaborer une stratégie spécifique pour enseigner ces expressions, tout en fournissant des outils d’accompagnement qui permettront d’abord de consolider la compréhension de ces expressions, puis de les traduire sous une forme correcte et acceptable.