American Research Journal of English and Literature

Danebeth Tristeza Glomo-Narzoles Ph.D.1 

This study aimed to determine the potent communication skills in the workplace as perceived by the employers. A questionnaire was distributed to 64 employer representatives of companies/institutions/ organizations where the students are working or having their practicum/ on-the-job-training (OJT). Results revealed that the top potent communication skills in the workplace are as follows: reading and understanding work instructions and standard operating procedures; reading and comprehending letters and notices, electronic data, and email; reporting factual issues or incidents to the supervisor; demonstrating ability to listen effectively; and completing pertinent office forms, report sheets, tender documentation, work plans and specifications, incident report forms and notes. No significant differences were noted between the perceived communication skills in the workplace according to the type and sector of company/institution/organization where students are working or having their practicum/OJT.

Acheoah, John Emike (PhD)1, Adeoye, Adeyinka O2, Olaleye, Joel Iyiola3

Pragmatic theories are either classical (e.g. those of Austin 1962, Searle 1969, Bach and Harnish 1979) or contemporary (e.g. those of Adegbija 1982 and Mey 2000). The contributions of Hubert Paul Grice to the literature of pragmatics remain epoch-making. This explains why most contemporary pragmatic theories make reference to Grice‟s Cooperative Principle of Conversation; hence, they are said to be neo-Gricean. In this paper, we investigate, locate and situate the place of Grice‟s pragmatic theories via a critique which hinges on the Pragma-crafting Theory. Conclusively, a major finding of this paper is that Grice‟s Cooperative Principle is indeed, not an attempt to legislate “what” and “how” human interaction should operate, but an attempt to elucidate “what” makes human interactions violate the basic principles of natural communication and “how” such violations produce meanings that can always be calculated or worked out. 

Fatimah Alzughaibi1 

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) and Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) were contemporaries who both wrote autobiographies about their experiences during a transformative time in American history. On the surface, these two men‘s autobiographies have virtually nothing in common. They are set in completely different areas of the country. Thoreau‘s Waldentakes place during a two-year, two-month, and two-day stay (compressed into a one-year narrative) in the woods near Concord, Massachusetts. On the other hand, Douglass‘ autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Written by Himself, spans several decades and is set in a variety of locations, to include a plantation in the South and the urban city of Baltimore. Moreover, Thoreau writes his narrative from the position of a free, white, privileged, formally educated (Harvard graduate) male elite; whereas, Douglass‘s narrative is told from the worldview of a black, former slave without a formal education or prestigious family background.  

Ibrahim I.I. Najjar1  

This paper is carried to find out if the translation of irony from Arabic,” the Holy Quran” into English might change the intended meaning. To tackle this problem, the study ventures into a contrastive analysis with reference to a number of linguistic and non-linguistic devices and concepts. It concentrates on the interpretation and the linguistic realization of irony in both languages. The study takes the view that ironic devices are the foundation of the structural development of the texts in question. To demonstrate this, the speech act and conversational theories have been used. The interaction between the ironic devices and the text development constitute a framework for the overall rhetorical meaning of the text. Thus, contrastive analysis and comparative stylistics analysis have been implemented. A thorough contrastive analysis is made of when translating irony from Arabic into English using two versions of translations;the translations of Mualawi Sher Ali and Yusuf Ali.It is found that the meaning of the ironic lexical words have been to a high degree maintained in the process of translation. Similarities and differences between both texts have also been found. In addition, both translators have implemented the literal translation strategy to render the examples of irony.  

Acheoah, John Emike (PhD)1, Adeoye, Adeyinka Olusola2 

The Nigerian learners study English towards acquiring discrete skills. However, the final destination of many career-driven learners of English is the Nigerian work-force. Their productivity determines the development of the country. This paper contends that “no nation develops more than its standard of education, which inevitably, is determined by the language of formal education. To aid this study, questionnaires are administered to 120 respondents from the study areas: Akoko-Edo, Etsako West, Owan East and Owan West Local Government Areas of Edo State of Nigeria. Data are analyzed using frequency and percentage. Hinging on the Projection Principle, the study finds that proper teaching and learning of English in schools, fosters social mobilization, participation in governance, national cohesion and effective performance at work places. 

Acheoah, John Emike (PhD)1, Adeoye, Adeyinka Olusola2 

The Nigerian learners study English towards acquiring discrete skills. However, the final destination of many career-driven learners of English is the Nigerian work-force. Their productivity determines the development of the country. This paper contends that “no nation develops more than its standard of education, which inevitably, is determined by the language of formal education. To aid this study, questionnaires are administered to 120 respondents from the study areas: Akoko-Edo, Etsako West, Owan East and Owan West Local Government Areas of Edo State of Nigeria. Data are analyzed using frequency and percentage. Hinging on the Projection Principle, the study finds that proper teaching and learning of English in schools, fosters social mobilization, participation in governance, national cohesion and effective performance at work places. 

Hamada Shehdeh Abid Dawood1, Dr. Ahmad Atawneh2

This paper aims at discussing the term assimilation. Assimilation is a phonological process where a sound looks like another neighboring sound. It includes progressive, regressive, coalescent, full and partial assimilation. In addition, contextual assimilation is subject to the environment of sounds where historical assimilation is resulted from the development of languages. In Arabic, it is clear that the /l/ sound in the definite article disappears if followed by coronal consonants. It is, however, concluded that the importance of assimilation is to make pronunciation of a word or speech easier.

Hamada Shehdeh Abid Dawood1 

This study aims at discussing the basic usage of the article system of the English language. It deals with the four articles a, an, the and the zero article for they seem to be problematic of Arabs since the wide range difference between the two languages. It also reveals some problems committed by the 9th grade students at Al-Bouib Mixed Basic School. Fifteen students, nine females and six males, are chosen to fill in the questionnaire paper. The study shows that nearly most of the errors are resulted from the Arabic language. 

Danebeth T. Glomo-Narzoles, Ph.D1

This study inquired on the effect of Student Team Achievement Division (STAD), a cooperative learning approach in enhancing the academic performance of the English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Fifty four students enrolled in the English Communication Skills 2 course were used as subjects of the study. STAD was used in the experimental group while the traditional teaching method was employed for the control group. This investigation utilized the Quasi-Experimental Design. The pre-test mean scores were the bases in determining the initial knowledge schema of the participants. After the conduct of the selected topics employing STAD, the students were given a post-test. Results showed the students who were exposed to STAD had enriched academic performance in the English Communication Skills 2 course. Seemingly, results on the post-test mean scores of the participants revealed that there is a significant effect on the academic performance of the experimental group in which the STAD had been introduced. As such, students exposed to STAD performed better than students who were taught in the traditional teaching method. Moreover, results exemplify that there is a significant relationship between the students’ attitudes toward English and their academic performance in the course.