journal of Language Studies

Abu Dharm Musab Al-Khushani is considered one of the most prominent linguists of the seventh century AH.
This study seeks to highlight the efforts of an Andalusian linguist, and to shed light on his morphological efforts through examples on the subject plural of takasir in the book Al-Imlah Al-Mukhtasar fi Sharh Gharib Al-Sir by Abu Dhar Al-Khushni Al-Andalusi (d. 604 AH). The research aims to introduce the types of plurals mentioned in the book, and to find examples of what Al-Khushni mentioned in his dictation, citing the opinions of ancient linguists. And the Modern linguists in the examples you provided. The researcher concluded that Al-Khushani was the dean of Arabic sciences in his time. It was said about him: The standard-bearer of Arabic in Andalusia. Al-Khushani also paid special attention to the subject of the plural of takasir. This is because his approach in the book is closer to the approach of lexicographers, so we see him mentioning the word, its origin, connotation, plural, and other derivatives from which the word is derived.
Key Words: The crushing, the plural of the few, the plural of the many, the brief dictation in Sharh Ghareeb Al-Sir, Al-Khushani

The contextual and semantic study is considered one of the most important linguistic studies, especially since the field of this study is the Holy Qur’an. Therefore, I chose a title for this research, which is (the significance of the verb (taaf) and its derivatives in the Qur’anic context). It became clear to me from studying this topic that the word (taaf) comes in the Qur’anic context. With many meanings and connotations, namely (burning fire, meaning servants and Mamluks, wandering, hesitation and movement, obsession and imagination, circumambulating the Sacred House, a group of people, water and heavy rain). Then I studied these meanings in the Qur’anic verses and compared the sayings of grammarians and commentators in guiding these meanings. Verses.
Keywords: Connotation, Verb, Tāaf, Qur’anic Context

The science of discontinuation AlWaqf and initiation AlIbtida’ is one of the most important sciences that scholars of Qur’anic readings, Arabic, and commentators are interested in, and it is a great art because through it one knows how to perform the recitation of the Noble Qur’an, and many rules result from knowing it, and through it one knows the meanings of the verses, one is protected from falling into problems with recitations, and many conclusions are reached from its method. Therefore, the predecessors of this nation were from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions. They are interested in discontinuation and initiation and the meanings that result from them, and thus traces have been reported from them.
This research is an investigation and study of a thesis in an aspect of the science of discontinuation and initiation, which is the unpleasant discontinuation. This thesis is entitled: (A Chapter on the unpleasant discontinuation in the Qur’an) by Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Yasin Al-Habrawi Al-Shafi’i, who died in the year (1224 AH), in which he mentioned what makes the discontinuation unpleasant, starting with what comes after it in the Qur’anic verses, and he claimed that they are eighty-three places in the Holy Qur’an, and he also mentioned in them the rules that results from whoever falls into this discontinuation, but he did not elaborate on this aspect, and it is an aspect that needs some detail.

Keywords: (discontinuation, Al Dani, Al Habrawi, the complete discontinuation, the sufficient discontinuation, the good discontinuation, the unpleasant discontinuation, disbelief, the Anbari, the optional, the necessary).

Intertextuality and the inspiration of heritage have always been a rich source for poets and writers across different eras due to the diversity of its meanings and the variety of its sources, which draw from their vitality and address reality with the meanings and implications that poets have derived. This is what we have observed in our study of intertextuality in the poetry of Mohammed Azzam. The poet demonstrates reliance on religious and historical stories, interweaving his texts and drawing their material and foundation from the Quran, with its stories that reflect our reality and work to portray hope at times and show the decline and degradation of the nation at other times, through a paradox that creates a linguistic, intellectual, and suggestive poetic image. Intertextuality is the relationship between the discourse of the other and the discourse of the self, a dialogical relationship between texts, times, and places. Given that the poetry of Mohammed Azzam, this contemporary Jordanian poet, is full of this harmony and intertextuality to the extent that none of his texts lack intertextuality with religious and historical heritage, we decided to study this phenomenon in his poetry.
Research Methodology: In this study, we tried to rely on the structural semiotic approach based on the relationship between the signifier and the signified, which is the semiotic foundation through the dialogue of the two texts in order to identify the relationships connecting them and to answer its objectives.
Keywords: Intertextuality, religious stories, Mohammed Azzam, textual thresholds, quotation.

This research tries to investigate the impact of debating strategy on the classroom pupils and how it allows pupils to exchange information between them through group work, ask questions, use role playing, group problem-solving activities, and have more interaction with each other. The problem of this study by applying a strategy in order to increase the pupils' competence in writing skill. Many of pupils do not place enough emphasis on developing their writing skills, which results in numerous errors being made in the writing projects they are given to do. The pupils do not have sufficient time to work on their writing skills. Therefore, the current study aims at finding the impact of debating strategy on Iraqi preparatory pupils in writing skill. For carrying out the aim of this study, and validating its hypothesis which is there is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group which is taught by debate strategy and the mean scores of the control group which is taught by the conventional method in the post-test, a sample of (60) pupils have been randomly chosen from the fourth class in AI-Salam secondary School for Boys at Salah Al-Den during the academic year 2023-2024. The two groups are equally divided into; group (A) represents the experimental group that consists of (30) pupils who have been taught the debating strategy and group (B) the control group who also includes (30) pupils who have been taught the prescribed method. The researcher herself has taught both groups. According to the results, debating strategy guides pupils in the experimental group to better achievement at the posttests. Finally, appropriate conclusions are presented.
Key Words: Debating Strategy, Impact, , Method, Pupils Performance, Problem-Solving.

The emergence of religious extremism and its effects on people and society are explored in Khadra's The Sirens of Baghdad, especially in light of the Arab world. This study examines the fundamentalist motif found in Yasmina Khadra's The Sirens of Baghdad. The story's protagonist's journey illuminates the complicated philosophies, goals, and repercussions of fundamentalist groups. This research investigates the manner in which Khadra depicts the captivating nature of fundamentalism, the elements that contribute to its attractiveness, and the mechanisms via which it may influence and exploit people. Furthermore, this analysis delves into the novel's exploration of the socio-political and cultural circumstances that contribute to the emergence of fundamentalism. Additionally, it scrutinizes the novel's exploration of the tensions and conflicts that arise between traditional values and the forces of modernity. By examining the fundamentalist theme in The Sirens of Baghdad, this research adds to current understanding of the intricacies of religious fanaticism and how it affects both people and society.
Keywords: fundamentalism, Yasmina Khadra, The Sirens of Baghdad, religious extremism, Arab world, the complicated philosophies, goals, and repercussions, socio-political and cultural circumstances, traditional values, the forces of modernity.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an eight-session vocabulary teaching program utilizing the Oxford Picture Dictionary, focusing on specific vocabulary words related to clothing, health, emotional states, and environmental actions. The study assesses the vocabulary proficiency of 30 beginner-level (EFL) university students, aged between 19 and 21, at the University of Sulaimani. The three assessments—pre-test, mid-test, and post-test—were meticulously designed to serve as benchmarks for measuring the program's impact.
Participants were immersed in consecutive sessions where vocabulary instruction was based on the Oxford Picture Dictionary. Pre-test, mid-test, and post-test scores were analyzed using the robust statistical methods of paired sample t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Several students were also interviewed to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences.
According to the analysis, vocabulary proficiency increased dramatically from the pre-test to the post-test (p < 0.05). Moreover, ANOVA indicated variations in performance across the eight sessions.
The findings suggest that the Oxford Picture Dictionary-based program positively influences vocabulary acquisition. Educators can use this insight to tailor language instruction, benefiting students' language proficiency.

Key Words: Language acquisition, Oxford Picture Dictionary, vocabulary assessment, vocabulary teaching, visual imagery

Storing words in memory is an interesting topic for a great number of researchers working in the fields of linguistics, applied linguistics and psycholinguistics around the globe. It is worth mentioning that the words we know are stored in a very complex way in our memory this can be pictured as the World Wide Web. Researchers have always been curious about the way this store is accessed, which in psycholinguistics is known as mental lexicon. This paper aims to explore how this network-like-store is accessed when a person is under pressure. In this study, twenty-four participants are tested in two runs of the experiment, which is used to conduct the study. On the first attempt, participants are placed in a typical scenario where there is no time constraint or any pressure to produce a certain number of words within a given amount of time. Later, they will be asked to write again in a shorter period of time and then the time is further decreased to produce written words in the third run. The effects of time constraints on the capacity to use the mental lexicon during written language production will be examined in this study. At the conclusion of the paper, the improvement of accessing mental lexicon is shown when the time pressure is increased.
Key Words: accessing lexicon, memory, mental lexicon

Walcott, through his searches for the history of his original nation, seeks to face the racial conflicts that impacted his cultural formation; he does celebrate the hybridity that becomes an integral part of his identity through crossing- national transit. It is through his constant traveling that, continuously, leads him to experience other nations, cultures, identities. His poetry comes to be a witness for a more cosmopolitan construction of individuality. Walcott, in his early poetry, shows his endeavors to understand the culture and the racial challenges of his origin, yet it seems that he comes to no resort. In his later poetic volumes, he seems to come to a better realization of his Caribbean identity that fell under colonial influences. Thus, Walcott comes to accept that his own Caribbean roots can go beyond its origins. This can be called transcultural approach which has developed in the last few decades, not only to embrace alterity, but also to encourage interconnectedness and empathy with the Other. Transculturalism challenges the traditional notions of culture, belonging, and identity. The purpose of this study is to explore Walcott’s poetry that reveals the poet’s perspective on national and cultural identity. It argues that, though Walcott’s poetry is deeply rooted in the Caribbean culture, traditions, and national inheritance, yet it transcends the national and cultural limits to celebrate the hybridity of the Caribbean present identity. Walcott’s constant traveling created a poetry that goes beyond its national borders to see in displacement of the Caribbean people and the diaspora as a means to develop a better communication with the world. Therefore, Walcott is quite liberal in his cultural perspective regarding identity politics.
Keywords: Caribbean identity, cultural mutation, multivocality, transculturalism, and transcultural literature

Recently, the effect of the blended learning strategy as compared with the face-to-face instruction in English language teaching has become a popular topic of research. This study focuses on the effect of implementation of Blended Learning (BL) approach in English Language Proficiency courses in Sulaimani city, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) on the language proficiency of both Elementary and Pre-intermediate level course participants. The study utilizes the quasi-experimental research design involving 104 Kurdish postgraduate students, who were allocated into a treatment group (blended learning) and control group (traditional face-to-face classroom), from these two levels. Thus, the main goal of this study is to investigate whether there are any significance differences in obtained language proficiency between participants of the two groups between groups and per level. The sampling has been taken from the population who were enrolled in an English language proficiency course at the public universities’ language centres in Sulaimani city. The experiment was carried out during an intensive course lasted for six weeks (100 hours) in which the classes of English language proficiency were taught four days per week. The experimental group was taught using blended learning (i.e. an equal combination of both virtual and face-to-face teaching) and the control group was only instructed with regular face-to-face teaching. Overall, the results show that the participants who were taught using both blended learning and traditional teaching methods outperformed the control group who were only taught in face-to-face classrooms. Additionally, the pre-intermediate experimental group achieved higher language performance than the pre-intermediate control group and improved their overall language proficiency slightly higher than the elementary group. The findings of this study bring further evidence and support for the integration of blending learning into English language classes, particularly in the language proficiency courses of the universities’ language centres. This study also has a number of teaching implications for EFL teachers which will be highlighted at the end of the paper.
Keywords: BL, language proficiency courses; face-to-face instruction, Kurdish students, EFL.

This study investigates the realm of nonverbal communication and its persuasive impact in the context of TED talks. Nonverbal communication plays a significant role in effectively conveying persuasive messages, especially in TED talks, which are considered a useful database for the study. Surprisingly, little researches and studies have investigated the role of nonverbal behavior in persuading and influencing others. The study aims to find the most common body movements in TED talks, analyze the common movements kinetically to have a better understanding of these movements, and investigate the nonverbal persuasiveness of the selected movements. The study adopts a model consisting of Birdwhistell's (1952) kinesic analysis model and Andre et al.'s (2011) nonverbal persuasion analysis model. Final results reveal that (1) hand movement is the most common type among other types of movements, (2) the persuasiveness of nonverbal communication is achieved by basing on the following persuasive body behaviors: importance, emotion, certainty, the sender’s competence, evaluation, and the sender’s benevolence, (3) body language, such as hand gestures, head nods, and facial expressions, can be broken down into smaller parts, these smaller parts, known as the kinemorph, kineme, and kine, make the body movements understandable.
Key Words: Body language, kinesics, nonverbal persuasion, persuasion, TED talks, ,

The translation of Islamic marriage contracts from English into Arabic is an actual issue for an ordinary translator and even for a legal translator. Almost all translators in such a field of translation face the difficulty of grasping the straight and accurate equivalence in Arabic for specific linguistic terms. This problematic issue lies in the differences between the English legal system and the Arabic legal system. Another essential problem that legal translators usually face is the translating of items that are related directly to Islamic shariah and Islamic culture. The present research evaluates and inquiries about three translations for a sample of an English International Islamic marriage contract that is officially utilized by Muslims of India and translated by three MA Students who have master's degrees in translation. It is noteworthy to note that the assessment of these sample translations is defended on Peter Newmark's (1981) approach of Semantic and Communicative translation which is widely used in translating texts of languages from two different families such as English and Arabic. In closing, following the communicative procedure is the most equivalent option according to the context on one hand. On the other hand, the Semantic procedure is only acceptable when there is already a direct rendition for the items of ST into TT, So, Communicative is usually used in case of absence of equivalence. Or semantic procedure leads to translation non-identical from that of the source languages
Keywords: Indian; Islamic; Legal Translation; Marriage Contract.

As a linguistic phenomenon, deixis holds significant connotations for how discourse, whether verbal or written, is interpreted, especially when it requires understanding the referential and contextual aspects of language in a framework of mutual communication. Deixis assumes a pivotal role in the conveyance of religious messages characterized by guidance and instructional content in the domain of Islamic Friday sermons, thereby contributing significantly to the establishment of religious identity and fostering a sense of connection between the preacher and the audience. Based on Levinson's theoretical viewpoints and sociopragmatic background, the current study examined the active effect of deixis used in Friday sermons delivered by some Muslim preachers. Hence, different types and frequencies of deixis categories have been comprehensively examined. Additionally, the study aimed to elucidate the reasons that led to the predominant type of deixis in both languages English and Arabic, in line with Levinson's focus on communicative choices. From reliable websites, ten sermons in both Arabic and English were downloaded. This study employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to examine the data. The analysis involved examining (80) utterances, with English Islamic Friday sermons employing deixis expressions (133 times) and Arabic Islamic Friday sermons using them (93 times). The results indicated that discoursal and temporal deictic expressions were frequently observed in both languages with the personal category being the most prevalent.
Key Words: Deixis, Friday Sermon, Religious identity.

Translating cultural elements from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" into Arabic involves conveying not just the words, but also the cultural nuances and historical context to ensure the richness of the original text is preserved. References to Greek and Roman mythology, such as allusions to gods and heroes, should be translated with care to maintain their cultural significance. While translating these elements, it's important to consider the target audience and whether footnotes or explanations might be necessary to aid comprehension, especially if the audience is not familiar with Roman history and culture. Additionally, the translator should aim to capture the poetic essence and linguistic beauty of Shakespeare's language in Arabic. Translating Julius Caesar, like any literary work, from its original language into Arabic can present several challenges as Cultural Context: Translating a work from one culture to another requires understanding and conveying the cultural context. Julius Caesar is deeply rooted in ancient Roman history, politics, and social customs. Translators must ensure that English translation conveys the cultural nuances and historical background accurately to make the play accessible and meaningful to English-speaking readers or audiences. Translating Julius Caesar into Arabic demands a deep understanding of the play, the cultural context, and linguistic intricacies. Translators must navigate the challenges of language structure, cultural adaptation, and poetic form to create a faithful and resonant Arabic version of the play.
Key words:, Culture, Cultural Translation, Shakespeare studies, Translation.

The current paper attempts to do a semiotic analysis of the play Fresh off the Boat abbreviated as FOB by prominent Asian-American playwright David Henry Hwang. FOB talks about the complex cultural identities and experiences of first-generation Asian immigrants and their American-born children. Adapting Ronal Barth’s semiotics as the theoretical framework, the study explores how Hwang employs various linguistic, visual, and performative signifiers to construct and deconstruct notions of "Asianness," assimilation, the difficulties of belonging, and cultural hybridity. The play revolves around a meet-up that is filled with downsizing fresh comers to America leaving the characters in limbo which is between either settling for the host culture or maintaining their previous culture, a battle between acceptance and resistance that is full of symbolic meanings. The analysis focuses on how the play's title, character names, dialogue, stage directions, and symbolic props function as semiotic signs that convey deeper sociocultural meanings. It analyzes how these theatrical elements either reinforce or subvert stereotypical representations of Asian Americans, highlighting the characters' struggles to navigate their bicultural identities.
Keywords: Barthes, symbols, semiology, Fresh of the boat (FOB), code switching, Hwang