Siti Zaidah Zainuddin

Writing a thesis in English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI), particularly by non-native English authors, does not merely involve overcoming linguistic difficulties but also requires negotiating academic identity. Although much of the existing research on L2 thesis writing has emphasized lexis, grammar, and genre features, limited empirical attention has been given to how postgraduate students construct their autobiographical, discoursal, and authorial selves in multilingual, postcolonial contexts such as Pakistan. After conducting a qualitative narrative inquiry with fifteen MA TESOL graduates, drawing on semi-structured interviews, written narratives, observations, and thesis Introduction chapters, this study revealed how students’ identity construction was shaped by both institutional expectations and personal agency. The results indicate that students frequently aligned with academic conventions to secure legitimacy, while at the same time attempting to assert individuality, often oscillating between cautious compliance and authorial presence. Moreover, supervisory practices and institutional gatekeeping were found to strongly influence the scope of identity options available to writers, limiting some while enabling others. Unlike prior studies that narrowly frame L2 writing as a linguistic challenge, this article combines narrative inquiry with rhetorical analysis of thesis texts in the Pakistani context. The study provides pedagogical implications for designing culturally responsive writing instruction and supervision practices.

The number of Chinese students enrolling in Malaysian universities has grown significantly in recent years. Although English is the primary medium of instruction at these institutions, the increasing presence of Chinese international students shapes their language practices and sense of identity. However, limited research explores how these students navigate their identities across the various settings of Malaysia’s multilingual and multicultural landscape. Therefore, this chapter examines the language practices and identity negotiation of Chinese international students, grounded in the assumption that identity is fluid and socially constructed. Using data from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, the findings indicate that these students maintain a strong Mainland Chinese identity, distinct from that of Malaysian Chinese. As they engage with non-Chinese nationals, their relationship with English evolves from seeing themselves primarily as language learners to positioning themselves as active users. English has become their main language for academic and social interactions, especially given their limited proficiency in Malay. By shedding light on how Chinese international students adapt linguistically and culturally, this study provides insights into their identity negotiation within a multilingual environment. It also challenges common misconceptions about their integration and highlights the complex interplay between language, identity, and mobility in transnational education.

Language Innovation on Social Media: A Case Study of Rizz on TikTok

Noticing has been regarded as an important theoretical construct in the mechanism of how corrective feedback (CF) facilitates second language acquisition. However, to date, only a paucity of CF research has examined noticing triggered by different types of CF (i.e., recasts vs. prompts). The study is intended to fill in the gap by examining the relationships between type of CF and level of noticing. To that end, 105 Malaysian ESL learners were asked to perform four communicative tasks during which recasts and prompts were provided contingent upon the encounter of past tense errors. To assess noticing, the study has employed a triangulated method using multiple elicitation procedures including diary writing, stimulated recall, and exit questionnaire. The results of the study revealed that both recasts and prompts were able to induce noticing the corrective intent, noticing the target of CF or form, noticing the gap, and noticing the rule. However, contrary to what was expected, recasts were able to promote higher levels of noticing across all noticing categories. Moreover, the greatest difference between recasts and prompts was found in noticing the gap. The study suggests that CF that provides exemplars of the target linguistic feature may promote higher levels of noticing the gap which may, in turn, increase the effectiveness of CF in L2 acquisition.

The main aim of the present study is to build knowledge and understanding regarding the linguistic use of hedging by Malaysian speakers of English in academic spoken discourse and, more specifically, doctorate students presenting their thesis in the candidature defense. It looks not only to describe the specific nature of spoken academic hedging in Malaysia but to make inroads into identifying cultural factors that shape the way this hedging takes place. To realize these aims, a corpus-based investigative case study that used both quantitative and qualitative methods was used. Transcriptions of candidature defenses and semi-structured interviews regarding the nature of doctoral candidature defense were used to gather the data. The study found that national culture and the dynamic power distance in the educational culture surrounding the defense had an effect on the interpersonal hedging used by Malaysian speakers and the gap in hedging use between panel members and candidates. Disciplinary culture was also observed to influence hedging, specifically in referencing other work and testing theory to build an argument.

The objective of the study is twofold: to investigate the effects of corrective feedback (CF) on the accuracy of past tense use, and to compare the relative effectiveness of recasts and prompts on the accuracy of past tense use. The participants of the study consisted of 105 secondary school ESL learners in Malaysia. The target structure of CF was the regular and irregular past forms. CF was provided contingent upon the occurrence of past tense errors according to the type of corrective feedback (i.e., recasts, prompts and no corrective feedback) assigned to participants. By employing a pre-post- and delayed- post-test design, learning outcomes were measured by means of an oral production test (OPT), a written production test (WPT) and an untimed grammaticality judgment test (GJT). The results revealed that participants, regardless of type of corrective feedback, showed both short-term and long-term gains in accuracy of past tense use. However, on the delayed effects of CF, the findings suggest that the effects of prompts may be more durable compared to recasts or control. It was found that the effectiveness of corrective feedback was also affected by other mediating factors, including learners’ proficiency level, prior knowledge and the morphological structure of the target linguistic feature.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the perspectives of Malaysian employers and students on the need for English language proficiency and skills for employment.Design/methodology/approach: Interviews were conducted with employers from various organisations. Additionally, questionnaires were disseminated to undergraduates at four public universities in Malaysia. These were done to ascertain the perspectives of different stakeholders on the importance of English in securing employment, the effect of a marked regional accent or dialect on employability and industry’s expectations and requirements for new employees.Findings: Employers and students agree that English plays a major role in employability. Whilst there was general agreement by both parties that good grammar and a wide range of vocabulary are important, the findings indicated several mismatches in terms of students’ perceptions and employers’ expectations. Among them is the use of the colloquial form of English at the workplace which was not favoured by employers. Employers also generally felt that knowledge of different types of writing styles could be learnt on-the-job. Furthermore, employers pointed out other essential skills for employability: the ability to communicate in other languages, confidence and a good attitude.Practical implications: Cognisant of the fact that English is essential in improving employability, initiatives to improve the level of English among Malaysian students must continue to be put in place. University students should be made aware of the different language skills sought by employers early in their university education. The mismatches between the perceptions of university students and the expectations of employers should be considered when planning English language courses and degree programmes. More structured feedback from industry on both would help to better prepare students for the world of work and to ease the transition from campus to career.Social implications: In relation to graduate employability, these English-language elite groups would have an advantage in securing employment especially in multinational companies, and this will, in a long run, create a larger gap between students from the international and public schools.Originality/value: With the standpoint of two important parties, employers and students, a more comprehensive idea of the effect of English language on employability has been obtained.