• Editorial
  Hajar Abdul Rahim
  

PDF  

• Constructing Interpersonal Meaning in Indonesian Science Classrooms through Language, Space and Gaze
  Yulizar Komarawan
  
  Abstract: Classroom communication involves the integration of various semiotic modes which is linked to particular meanings, like teacher-student relationships or interpersonal meanings. This study investigates the different semiotic resources used in an Indonesian science classroom and the power relations manifested in the classroom through the analyses of different semiotic modes. The present study employed a qualitative case study based on Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis. The data were recorded videos of a science lesson in a private school located in Lembang, West Java, Indonesia. The data were analysed using the framework of negotiation developed in Systemic Functional Linguistics to investigate language use, spatial pedagogy and gaze. The study found that the observed teacher predominantly produced speech functions in the forms of questions (40 percent), statements (28 percent) and commands (18 percent) while her students predominantly produced answers (49 percent) and questions (26 percent) during the interactions. In terms of space, the teacher occupied authoritative, personal and interactional spaces while the students mostly occupied the interactional space. With regard to gaze, the teacher’s gaze was directed at the students, the objects under discussion and the books, while her students directed their gaze at the teacher, the objects under discussion and the books. These findings reflect a dynamic pedagogy. While the observed teacher maintains her authority most of the time, she focuses on building a rapport or a certain solidarity with her students as reflected in her use of the semiotic resources.
  
  Keywords and phrases: multimodal communication, speech function, spatial pedagogy, gaze, power relation

PDF  

• Oprah Winfrey Talk Show: An Analysis of the Relationship between Positive Politeness Strategies and Speaker’s Ethnic Background
  Bayan Rabab’ah, Ghaleb Rabab’ah and Tasnim Naimi
  
  Abstract: This research paper analysed the positive politeness strategies used by Oprah Winfrey and her guests in the Oprah Winfrey Talk Show. By analysing four full interviews for each group (African-Americans and Caucasians), the study also aimed to investigate the effect of the speaker’s ethnic background on the use of positive politeness strategies in Oprah Winfrey Talk Show. Based on Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness framework, the study revealed that both Oprah and her guests employed positive politeness strategies when addressing each other to avoid face threatening or face damage. The data also revealed that Oprah and her Caucasian guests used more positive politeness strategies than with the African-Americans. In addition, it was found that the most frequently used strategies in Oprah’s talk with both groups were “Seek agreement”, “Exaggerate (interest, approval, sympathy with H)”, “Give (or ask for) reasons”, “Presuppose/raise/assert common ground” and “Assert or presuppose S’s knowledge of and concern for H’s wants”, respectively. However, the study showed that there was a difference in the use of positive politeness strategies due to the addressee’s ethnic group background (African-American and Caucasian). However it was not dominant. Based on the findings, this article concludes with some implications for foreign/second language speakers.
  
  Keywords and phrases: politeness, face-threatening, language and culture, ethnic background, Oprah talk show

PDF  

• Leksikal Qāla [ قال ] dalam Dialog Naratif al-Quran: Penelitian Makna Komunikatif Terjemahan Melayu
  Lexical Qāla [ قال ] in Qur’anic Narrative Dialogues: An Analysis of Communicative Meaning in Malay Translation
  Azman Che Mat, Azani Ismail@Yaakub and Norasmazura Muhammad
  
  Abstrak: Terjemahan merupakan wahana komunikasi yang melibatkan silang budaya dan penyampaian makna. Dalam proses penterjemahan, dua bahasa atau lebih digandingkan untuk mencapai satu makna yang disepakati. Makna yang betul sahaja secara relatifnya tidak menjamin komunikasi yang lancar dalam interaksi, khususnya dialog. Oleh itu, kajian ini memfokus pada terjemahan leksikal qāla [ قال ] dalam dialog al-Quran yang sering diterjemahkan sebagai “berkata”, “berfirman” dan “bersabda”. Kerangka teori terjemahan semantik dan teori terjemahan komunikatif oleh Newmark dan makna konteks dijadikan landasan kajian memandangkan al-Quran adalah sumber berwibawa yang sesuai dengan teori yang disebutkan. Objektif kajian ini ialah untuk mengenal pasti dan menilai terjemahan leksikal qāla dan derivasinya dalam al-Quran. Berdasarkan data yang dikutip daripada surah al-Kahf, analisis deskriptif terhadap dialog yang mengandungi 10 leksikal qāla menunjukkan terjemahan cenderung menterjemahkan leksikal qāla sebagai “berkata” dengan jumlah 48.2 peratus dan selebihnya menggunakan padanan daripada pelbagai variasi seperti “ujar”, “berfirman” dan “berdoa”. Analisis kontrastif dan penilaian terhadap terjemahan naratif dialog pula mendapati masih ada ruang untuk memantapkan terjemahan leksikal ini berdasarkan Teori Terjemahan Komunikatif agar dialog dalam al-Quran dapat dipersembahkan dalam naratif yang lebih menarik dan berkesan.
  
  Kata kunci dan frasa: leksikal qāla, terjemahan semantik, makna komunikatif, naratif al-Quran, bahasa Melayu
  
  Abstract: Translation is a communication tool that involves cross-cultural meaning. Therefore, the correct meaning of a translated linguistic form alone does not guarantee smooth communication, particularly in dialogues. This study focuses on the translation of the lexical form qāla [ قال ] in Qur’anic dialogues into Malay. The lexical form is often translated into Malay as “berkata”, “berfirman” and “bersabda” (said/has said). The study is informed by the semantic translation theory and the communicative translation theory frameworks by Newmark. The objective of this study is to identify and evaluate the translation of lexical qāla and its derivation in selected Qur’anic dialogues. Based on data extracted from surah al-Kahf, a descriptive analysis of the dialogues containing the lexical form qāla [ قال ] shows that it is translated as “berkata” (said/has said) in many instances (48.2 percent) and as “ujar”, “berfirman” and “berdoa” the rest of the time. A contrastive analysis and evaluation of the narrative translation of the dialogues suggests that there is room for strengthening these lexical translations based on the communicative translation theory. This is so that Qur’anic dialogues could be presented more interestingly and effectively.
  
  Keywords and phrases: lexical qāla, semantic translation, communicative meaning, Qur’anic narrative, Malay

PDF  

• Pemindahan Fungsi Yuqi Zhuci Tipikal dalam Terjemahan Bahasa Cina-Bahasa Melayu
  Transference of Functions of Typical Yuqi Zhuci in Chinese-Malay Translation
  Jennica Chin Ai Ai and Goh Sang Seong
  
  Abstrak: Kata abstrak “yuqi zhuci tipikal” yang lazimnya digunakan pada penghujung ujaran bahasa Cina mendukung pelbagai fungsi tatabahasa dalam bahasa Cina. Penggunaan kata abstrak seumpama ini tidak berlaku dalam bahasa Melayu. Makalah ini bertujuan mengenal pasti fungsi setiap yuqi zhuci tipikal dalam bahasa Cina seterusnya meneliti ketersampaian fungsi tersebut dalam terjemahan teks bahasa Melayu. Untuk tujuan analisis, kajian ini memanfaatkan definisi yuqi zhuci oleh Zhang Bin (2010), pengkategorian yuqi zhuci oleh Shao Jingmin (2007) dan fungsi yuqi zhuci tipikal berdasarkan jenis ayat bahasa Cina oleh Zhang Bin (2010). Sebanyak 527 ayat yang mengandungi item yuqi zhuci tipikal berjaya dikutip secara manual. Item yuqi zhuci tipikal ini dikategorikan mengikut jenis ayat kehadirannya, iaitu ayat pertanyaan (29.6 peratus), ayat imperatif (4.6 peratus), ayat kepastian (62.6 peratus), ayat interjektif (2.7 peratus) dan ayat elipsis (0.5 peratus). Bagi mengelakkan pengulangan analisis data yang serupa polanya, hanya 35 item yuqi zhuci tipikal diambil sebagai data kajian berdasarkan fungsi item tersebut yang tidak berulang dalam ayat kehadiran yang berbeza. Data dianalisis secara deskriptif dan berdasarkan konteks ayat. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa fungsi bagi keenam-enam jenis yuqi zhuci tipikal bersifat khusus berdasarkan cara penggunaannya dalam pelbagai jenis ayat bahasa Cina. Kajian juga mendapati bahawa fungsi yuqi zhuci tipikal upaya disampaikan kembali daripada teks sumber kepada teks bahasa Melayu melalui konteks ayat, manakala yuqi zhuci tipikal yang tidak upaya diungkapkan kembali ke dalam teks sasaran adalah kerana perbezaan emik antara bahasa sumber dengan bahasa sasaran serta isu salah terjemah. Secara tuntasnya, pemindahan fungsi yuqi zhuci tipikal daripada teks bahasa Cina kepada teks bahasa Melayu banyak bergantung pada faktor pengenalpastian fungsi yuqi zhuci tipikal yang hadir dalam teks sumber, konteks cerita, niat penutur dan ketepatan nada penutur. Jelas bahawa ketersampaian fungsi yuqi zhuci tipikal tidak bergantung pada padanan leksikal dalam teks sasaran.
  
  Kata kunci dan frasa: yuqi zhuci tipikal, kata abstrak, fungsi tatabahasa, pemindahan, terjemahan bahasa Cina-bahasa Melayu
  
  Abstract: Abstract words known as “typical yuqi zhuci” that are commonly used at the end of speeches in the Chinese language carry multiple grammatical functions. The use of such abstract words is not applicable in the Malay language. The current study identifies the function of each typical yuqi zhuci in the Chinese language and examines its accessibility in its translation into Malay. The study utilises the definition of yuqi zhuci by Zhang Bin (2010), the categorisation of yuqi zhuci by Shao Jingmin (2007) as well as the categorisation of typical yuqi zhuci in Chinese sentences, also by Zhang Bin (2010) in carrying out the analysis. A total of 527 sentences containing typical yuqi zhuci were extracted manually for the analysis. Each typical yuqi zhuci is categorised according to how it is employed in different types of sentences, namely, interrogative sentence (29.6 percent), imperative sentence (4.6 percent), affirmative sentence (62.6 percent), interjective sentence (2.7 percent) and ellipsis sentence (0.5 percent). To avoid duplicate analysis of data that are of similar patterns, only 35 items containing typical yuqi zhuci were used as research data. The results of the study show that the different functions of the six types of typical yuqi zhuci are specific in nature, based on how they are used in various types of Chinese sentences. The findings suggest that such functions can be delivered from the source language to Malay language via contextual consideration. And when typical yuqi zhuci cannot be fully expressed in the target language, it is due to the emic difference between the source language and the target language, as well as issues of inappropriate translation. The findings suggest that the transference of functions of typical yuqi zhuci in Chinese-Malay translation depends largely on identifying the functions of the typical yuqi zhuci present in the source text, story context, the speaker’s intention as well as the accuracy of the speaker’s tone. Evidently, the transference of functions of the typical yuqi zhuci does not rely on finding lexical equivalent from the target text.
  
  Keywords and phrases: typical yuqi zhuci, abstract word, grammatical function, transference, Chinese-Malay translation

PDF  

• Lessons in Art and Architecture from the Qur’anic Surah al-Shu’ara’ (the Poets)
  Spahic Omer
  
  Abstract: This paper discusses the lessons in art and architecture in the Qur’anic chapter, or surah, al-Shu’ara’ (the Poets). The discussion shows that poetry as an art cannot be equated with a divine revelation, nor can poets and their followers with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his followers. Architecture as a noble enterprise is likewise not to be employed as a sign of leading a life of depravity and extravagance in luxury and self-indulgence. Instead, it is to be used for cultivating virtue and for pursuing a greater and more authentic and sustainable good. Poetry and architecture should be developed and dealt with as signs (ayat), testifying to the greatness and benevolence of the Creator and Master of all creation. They are to function as such inspired and guided by the signs of revelation and amidst the innumerable signs of creation. The paper presents the cases of art and architecture as per the content of surah al-Shu’ara’, regarding them as human-made signs.
  
  Keywords and phrases: poetry, art, architecture, surah al-Shu’ara’, signs (ayat)

PDF  

• Faktor Penyumbang kepada Tekanan Perumahan di Kawasan Perumahan Kos Rendah dan Sederhana Rendah di Pulau Pinang
  Factors Contributing to Housing Stress in Low and Low-Medium Cost Housing in Pulau Pinang
  Nooriah Yusof
  
  Abstrak: Rumah sebagai tempat kediaman memainkan peranan penting dalam pembangunan lestari ke arah meningkatkan kesejahteraan hidup penduduk. Isu perumahan khususnya perumahan kos rendah dan sederhana rendah dalam bandar daripada segi penawaran-permintaan, kenaikan harga rumah dan kualiti perumahan serta tekanan perumahan telah menunjukkan bahawa perumahan merupakan satu isu kritikal yang perlu diberikan perhatian. Tekanan perumahan atau housing stress lazimnya merujuk kepada kekangan kewangan sebagai penyebab kepada ketidakmampuan pemilikan rumah dan mengurus kos perbelanjaan perumahan. Namun, didapati bebanan kewangan sematamata bukan merupakan faktor yang menyumbang kepada tekanan perumahan, sebaliknya terdapat faktor-faktor lain yang berkaitan dengan perumahan yang juga boleh membawa kepada tekanan perumahan. Tekanan perumahan terdiri daripada dua jenis, iaitu tekanan fizikal dan tekanan emosi yang boleh memberi kesan negatif terhadap kehidupan penghuni. Makalah ini membincangkan persepsi responden kajian terhadap faktor-faktor yang menyumbang kepada tekanan perumahan. Perbincangan dibuat berdasarkan hasil kajian empirikal yang telah dijalankan melalui edaran borang soal selidik kepada 400 penghuni perumahan kos rendah dan sederhana rendah dalam bandar di Pulau Pinang. Hasil dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa faktor kualiti perumahan dan kualiti persekitaran kawasan perumahan sebenarnya lebih banyak menyumbang kepada tekanan perumahan berbanding faktor ekonomi walaupun majoriti responden memperuntukkan lebih daripada 30 peratus pendapatan untuk kos perumahan.
  
  Kata kunci dan frasa: tekanan perumahan, perumahan kos rendah dan sederhana rendah, kesejahteraan hidup, kawasan bandar, Pulau Pinang
  
  Abstract: A house as a place of residence plays an important role towards sustainable development and in improving the well-being of the population. The issue of housing, especially the supply and demand of low and low-medium cost housing in cities, rising house prices, quality of housing as well as housing stress has shown that housing is a critical issue that must be addressed. Housing stress usually refers to financial constraints, the reason for the inability to manage the cost of home ownership and housing expenses. Yet financial burden is not the only factor that can contribute to housing stress. There are two types of housing stress, namely physical and emotional factors that may impact negatively on the lives of residents. This paper discusses perceptions of factors that may contribute to housing stress based on a survey of 400 residents of low and low-medium cost housing areas in Pulau Pinang. The results of the study show that although majority of the respondents allocate more than 30 percent of their income for housing, the quality of housing and the environmental quality of housing areas contribute more to their housing stress than economic factors.
  
  Keywords and phrases: housing stress, low and low-medium cost housing, well-being, urban areas, Pulau Pinang

PDF