Journal of Language and Culture

Book review: Language, culture, and society: An introduction to linguistic anthropology

Pimnara Chanon — 2024-12-25

Unveiling Cultural Dynamics: A Survey on China’s CET-4 Passage Translation in the Context of World Englishes

Luo Ling — 2024-12-25

In today’s interconnected world, the diverse manifestations of English varieties have garnered significant attention due to their relevance in the realm of World Englishes. As English continues to interact with various cultures, it gives rise to distinct linguistic variations. In China’s higher education system, significant reforms have been implemented in the evaluation of the College English Test (CET). Notably, the Chinese-English passage translation section underwent noteworthy modifications, incorporating profound Chinese cultural attributes. Against this backdrop, this thesis centers on CET-4 as a starting point to investigate students’ proficiency in Chinese culture, cultural translation competence, and intercultural communication aptitude. This study employed a comprehensive questionnaire and quiz among 164 randomly selected college students from various grades at Guangxi University of Foreign Languages, revealing the significant impact of Chinese culture aphasia on academic performance in the CET translation section. To promote English localization in China, the paper suggests reinforcing the integration and dissemination of Chinese culture within World Englishes, fostering international and cultural perspectives, and enhancing intercultural communication skills for college teachers and students. Simultaneously, these efforts will amplify the distinctiveness of China English, gaining global recognition. This research presents empirical evidence on the influence of cultural elements on language performance, contributing to the growing literature on the interplay between language, culture, and communication in World Englishes. The findings emphasize the importance of promoting cultural awareness in language education for effective intercultural communication in a diverse world.

When Bisexuality Becomes a Heteronormative Fantasy: Gender Bias in the Translation of The Trials of Apollo 1: The Hidden Oracle

Krissakorn Winnarong — 2024-12-25

While an ideal translation would be unbiased, achieving this is not always possible, as translations can reflect various biases held by translators, whether positive or negative. Translation is not a neutral process; it involves subjective choices made by translators, who may be influenced by their personal biases. Such biases, whether related to race, age, gender, or ethnicity, can appear in different forms, from subtle stereotypes and assumptions to explicit discrimination, affecting fairness and equity in both personal interactions and broader societal contexts. Against this backdrop, this article examines the gender bias present in the Thai translation of The Trials of Apollo 1: The Hidden Oracle, which centers on the main character depicted as bisexual. Through textual analysis, it will demonstrate how the main character’s bisexuality is straightwashed to align with heteronormativity in the target text. The focus will be on how the translator’s biased choices impact the portrayal of the character’s bisexuality in the Thai translation, as well as possible reasons behind this straightwashing.

Influence of Teacher and Gender Identities in EFL Classroom: A Case Study of a Filipino Transwoman in Thailand

Genesis Oculares — 2024-12-25

Thailand, renowned for its LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, still confronts societal stereotypes that affect transwomen in academia. Although the literature extensively addresses gender discrimination, inclusivity, and identity construction in educational contexts, it often overlooks the specific effects of intersecting teacher and gender identities within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) frameworks. This study aims to bridge this gap through a narrative inquiry into the lived experiences of a Filipino transwoman EFL teacher. Data were collected via Semi-structured open-ended in-depth interviews and analyzed using Stake’s (1995) four-phase framework: description, categorical aggregation, establishing patterns, and naturalistic generalization. Findings reveal that the participant’s intersecting identities positively influenced her pedagogical practices. Her dual roles as a transwoman and a non-native English speaker enhanced her instructional methods by integrating personal language learning experiences, emphasizing linguistic precision, and adapting teaching strategies aligned with her gender identity. This research highlights the significant interplay between teacher and gender identities in shaping EFL teaching practices. Notably, these identities did not negatively affect her instructional effectiveness. Future research should further explore the experiences of transgender educators across diverse cultural contexts to elucidate how their identities inform and enhance pedagogical practices in various educational settings.

Exploring Thai University Students’ Perceptions and Preferences on Culture Integration in EFL Classrooms

Reuben Esteban — 2024-12-25

This study investigates the integration of cultural content into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms and its effects on students’ perceptions and preferences. By using a Likert scale questionnaire, the research assesses students' views on the advantages of incorporating cultural elements and explores how factors such as faculty affiliation, gender, and age affect these perceptions and preferences. The findings indicate a general appreciation for cultural integration, especially for its role in enhancing cultural sensitivity, broadening perspectives, and improving various language skills. However, the impact on critical thinking and language acquisition was less pronounced. Faculty affiliation notably influences students' perceptions, with those majoring in languages, business, and information technology (IT) showing the highest agreement on the benefits of cultural content integration. Gender did not significantly impact preferences for culture-related activities, suggesting a consistent appreciation across genders. Age was positively associated with perceptions of improved communication skills. The study highlights the need for tailored approaches to integrating cultural content in EFL curricula and recommends further research on the effects of culture-related activities on critical thinking and language acquisition.

Deconstruction and reconstruction of female narrative images in Rock & Roast from the perspective of gaze theory: A case study of Yang Li’s performances

Ningtian Sun — 2024-12-25

This paper employs gaze theory as a framework to conduct an in-depth study of female narrative themes and representations in Rock & Roast (脱口秀大会), with a particular focus on Yang Li’s performances. The analysis centers on how Yang Li deconstructs and reconstructs gender stereotypes through her performance. By interpreting the textual content and context of her performances, this study explores how Yang uses humor and satire to challenge traditional gender norms and reflect on societal expectations of women. The findings reveal that the female narrative in Rock & Roast primarily revolves around gender relations, presenting female images such as mother, wife, daughter, lover, professional woman, and single woman. Furthermore, female comedians deconstruct traditional gender stereotypes through reverse gaze and self-deprecating humor, thereby empowering women with agency and voice, and fostering the awakening and expression of female self-awareness.

Impact of Use of LINE Application on Employees’ Satisfaction and Work Life Balance in Broadcasting Organization Employees in Thailand

Chidapa Polnok — 2024-12-25

This research aimed to explore how employees’ satisfaction levels are affected by their use of the LINE application in terms of efficiency and work-life balance. It also sought to compare satisfaction with LINE- efficiency, and satisfaction with Work-Life Balance among respondents who have different ages, gender, marital status, and organizational type. This study utilized a quantitative cross-sectional research approach and gathered data from 309 randomly selected employees at the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) and ONE31 Company Limited. Data collection involved using a structured survey questionnaire as the main research instrument. The statistical analysis methods included mean, standard deviation (S.D.), t-tests, One-way ANOVA tests, and Multiple Linear Regression analyses. The results revealed that activities related to knowledge sharing and social interactions were the main factors influencing employee satisfaction with the efficiency of LINE application. In addition, marital status emerged as the key factor affecting satisfaction with work-life balance among employees. The results also point out that demographic factors were not affecting satisfaction with LINE efficiency.

Adverbial particle 도 (to) and its conjoining patterns with case particles in Korean

Taeho Jang — 2024-12-25

The present paper discusses the adverbial particle 도 (to) ‘also’ in Korean and its cooccurring patterns with diverse case particles. The point of view of this study is overall descriptive. When 도 (to) is connected to the subject or object nominal, its grammatical case particle falls, and 도 (to) takes place in its position. However, 도 (to) can conjoin with dative and all types of semantic case particles without any constraint. The question of this limited conjoining pattern of 도 (to) is studied from syntactic and discourse perspectives. From the syntactic viewpoint, 도 (to) cannot be considered to be a grammatical case particle because the subject or object cannot determine it. From the discourse perspective, the function of 도 (to) is additive. Speakers can use 도 (to) only when a relevant context is stated or implied beforehand, and their motivation for using 도 (to) is to make the present information with 도 (to) dependent on the context. By contextual dependency, the information with the nominal keeping 도 (to) is added to that of the context, and the constituent marked by 도 (to) is dependent, regarding grammatical function, on the corresponding constituent in the preceding context.

Our Neighbor's Health Security Affects Our Own: A Case Study of Humanitarian Assistance Provided by Thailand to Myanmar

Sophana Srichampa — 2024-12-25

This study examines healthcare dynamics in the twin border towns of Mae Sot and Myawaddy, along with Umphang Hospital on the Thai-Myanmar border, focusing on the impact of Myanmar’s struggling healthcare system on Thailand. Myanmar’s healthcare system, which falls below WHO standards, is hindered by ethnic disparities and worsened by the 2021 military junta, leading healthcare personnel to either align with the junta or join civil disobedience. Conflict in Kayin State has intensified migration into Thailand, prompting Thailand to extend humanitarian aid and strengthen healthcare resources, particularly in border towns. Thailand’s response has included grassroots healthcare initiatives, volunteer training, and infrastructure upgrades, which proved crucial during COVID-19. However, ASEAN lacks tailored healthcare policies for border towns, leaving Thailand to manage the significant costs associated with migrant healthcare. A dedicated ASEAN fund for border-town healthcare could address this gap. Thailand's experience underscores the substantial impact of neighboring countries’ healthcare systems on safety. It is imperative for ASEAN members to prioritize the enhancement of healthcare standards for future epidemics, disasters, and conflicts, establishing sustainable health security measures under the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. ASEAN members should consider prioritizing healthcare enhancement within the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community framework.