GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
type: channel
description: GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies is an ESCI (ISI, WoS) and Scopus indexed peer reviewed international journal published by UKM Press. The aim of the journal is to provide a venue for language researchers and practitioners to share theories, views, research results and classroom practices in areas of English language, linguistics, foreign languages and literature. Articles are published in English and Malay.
publisher: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
language: en-US
publication name: GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
issn: 1675-8021
copyright: If the article is accepted for publication, copyright of this article will be vested to UKM Press, National University of Malaysia (UKM). All articles published in this journal are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, unless otherwise stated.
items: Interacting in Multiple Languages Contributes to Cognitive Resilience in Malaysian Older Adults
items: http://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/article/view/93714
items: Relevance Theory: A Hybrid Model for Analysing Metaphor in Sūrat al-Takāthur
items: Senang vs Pleased and Takut vs Scared: Valence Perception of Emotion Words by Indonesian-speaking Adolescents
items: Ternateno as a Portuguese Creole: A History and Sociolinguistic Study in Ternate
items: A Phonological Model of Arabic Speech Acquisition in Malay Children
items: The Implications of Using Praat for Intonation-based Pronunciation Assessment of EFL Teachers in Indonesian Classrooms
items: A Corpus-Based Cross-Disciplinary Analysis of Hedging Strategies in Linguistics and Engineering Doctoral Dissertation Introductions
items: Linguistic Framing of Climate Change in Dawn: A Corpus-assisted Critical Discourse Analysis
items: A Corpus-Based Study Based on a Structural and Functional Analysis of Lexical Bundles in Online Business News
items: Tinjauan Literatur Sistematik Strategi Lakuan Bahasa Permintaan dalam kalangan Pelajar Merentas Budaya (Systematic Literature Review Request Act Strategies Across Multicultural Students)
items: Drillability & Worldbuilding: Reconstructing Joker as The Tragic Villain
items: Multigenerational Transmission Process in Tracy Letts’s August: Osage County (2008)
items: Patriarchal Failure and Maternal Power: An Ecofeminist Reading of the Thai Folktale Pla Boo Thong

Interacting in Multiple Languages Contributes to Cognitive Resilience in Malaysian Older Adults
type: item
description: Cognitive reserve in everyday problem-solving and decision-making abilities is influenced by both demographic and experiential factors. Cognitive reserve should ideally remain stable across one’s lifespan; however, ageing is often accompanied by cognitive decline for some individuals, highlighting the need to identify factors that may help preserve cognitive reserve in later life. Malaysia’s multilingual landscape provides a unique context for examining whether lifelong exposure to multiple languages contributes to cognitive resilience in older adults. Therefore, this study investigates whether or not being bilingual or plurilingual contributes to cognitive resilience among Malaysian older adults who participated in the MyAgeWell Program. 352 community-dwelling participants above 60 years old completed assessments of global cognition, everyday functional problem-solving, and decision-making tasks. Cognitive function was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), whereas everyday cognitive processing and behavioural decision-making were assessed using the Malaysian Everyday Problems Test (MEPT). Age and Number of Languages spoken were treated as primary predictors, while Gender, Ethnicity, and Religion were included as control variables. General Linear Model (GLM) analyses were conducted to examine the associations between age, number of languages, and MoCA and MEPT scores, controlling for demographic factors. Partial eta squared (η²p) was reported as a measure of effect size. The overall GLMs were significant for both MoCA and MEPT. After controlling for demographic variables, both Age and Number of Languages significantly predicted performance. These findings underscore the importance of age and language experience in cognitive and practical problem-solving functioning, contributing to a better understanding of cognitive ageing in Malaysia. Keywords: Everyday Problems Test; Older adults; language performance; Cognitive performance; decision making. AB…
creator: Khazriyati Salehuddin
creator: Fatin Nadiah Mahmud
creator: Rozainee Khairudin
creator: Annette Shamala Arokiaraj
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 1
ending page: 17

http://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/article/view/93714
type: item
title: Ciri-ciri Linguistik dalam Buku Cerita Awal Kanak-kanak: Kajian Skop Sistematik untuk Pembangunan Kerangka Awal Bahasa Melayu (Linguistic Features in Early Childen’s Storybooks: A Systematic Scoping Review for Developing an Early Malay Language Framework)
description: Buku cerita kanak-kanak berperanan penting dalam pemerolehan bahasa awal, namun bukti empirikal tentang ciri linguistik yang menyokong perkembangan bahasa masih terhad. Kajian ini memetakan ciri linguistik utama dalam buku cerita bagi kanak-kanak yang berumur dari 1 hingga 4;11 tahun (notasi umur merujuk kepada tahun;bulan, iaitu 4 tahun 11 bulan) dan mencadangkan kerangka awal dalam pembangunan buku cerita bahasa Melayu. Ulasan skop ini berpandukan PRISMA-ScR dengan carian sistematik dalam Scopus, Web of Science dan ERIC (2015–2024). Daripada 267 rekod, 38 artikel yang memenuhi kriteria umur dianalisis. Dapatan menunjukkan semantik (95%) dan pragmatik (87%) paling konsisten merentas kajian, diikuti oleh sintaksis (47%), manakala fonologi (21%) dan morfologi (8%) kurang diterokai. Analisis mengikut umur memperlihatkan trajektori progresif iaitu kosa kata konkrit dan giliran tutur asas (1–2 tahun), ledakan kosa kata dan ayat mudah (2–3 tahun), peralihan kepada kosa kata abstrak dan struktur kompleks (3–4 tahun), serta integrasi lima domain linguistik (4–4;11 tahun). Kajian ini merupakan ulasan skop pertama yang mengintegrasikan lima domain linguistik berdasarkan peringkat umur bagi membangunkan kerangka buku cerita dalam konteks bahasa Melayu. Sumbangan baharu kajian ini berasaskan sintesis lima domain linguistik khusus untuk mengaplikasikan buku cerita dalam konteks bahasa Melayu, serta pengenalpastian jurang kritikal morfologi dan fonologi yang memerlukan validasi tempatan. Kerangka empat fasa yang terhasil dapat memberikan panduan kepada penerbit, pendidik, pembuat dasar, serta pihak berkepentingan. Kata kunci: Buku cerita kanak-kanak; Ciri linguistik; Pemerolehan bahasa; Bahasa Melayu ABSTRACT Children’s storybooks are central to early language acquisition; yet, empirical evidence on the linguistic features that support their development remains limited. This scoping review maps key linguistic features in storybooks for children aged 1 to 4;11(i.e., 4 years and 1…
creator: Zuraida Ahmad Shahime
creator: Badrulzaman Abdul Hamid
creator: Hasherah Mohd Ibrahim
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 18
ending page: 44

Relevance Theory: A Hybrid Model for Analysing Metaphor in Sūrat al-Takāthur
type: item
description: This study provides a thematic analysis of metaphorical language in surat al-Takāthur and evaluates the explanatory power and limitations of Relevance Theory (RT) for interpreting Qur’anic metaphoricity. RT, grounded in cognitive pragmatics, provides a framework for understanding how readers infer meaning based on optimal relevance and minimal processing effort. However, when applied to sacred discourse, particularly Qur’anic texts imbued with doctrinal depth and rhetorical intensity, RT encounters significant limitations. Using close textual analysis, the study identifies metaphorically used lexical items across the surah’s eight verses and groups them into thematic clusters concerning material obsession, mortality, eschatological certainty, and divine accountability. The analysis involves a close, verse-by-verse reading of the Arabic text supported by the Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP) to systematically identify metaphorical lexical items, followed by thematic categorisation and inferential-pragmatic interpretation. RT usefully explains how readers derive implicatures through contextual enrichment and inferential processes; however, its core assumption, particularly cognitive economy and a human speaker-hearer model, does not fully capture the spiritual intentionality, intertextual layering, and doctrinal resonance inherent in Qur’anic metaphor. To address these limitations, the study integrates insights from classical Arabic rhetoric (balāgha) and cognitive metaphor analysis, proposing a hybrid model better suited to sacred discourse. The findings indicate that Qur’anic metaphor not only communicates meaning but also shapes moral awareness, encourages reflection (Tadabbur), and directs readers toward eschatological accountability. By proposing a hybrid framework integrating inferential pragmatics, conceptual metaphor theory, and classical Arabic rhetoric, this study offers a replicable model for future analyses of metaphor in sacred texts. Keywords: Qur’…
creator: Amal Abdelsattar Metwally
creator: Meriem Attia Bouziane
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 45
ending page: 63

Senang vs Pleased and Takut vs Scared: Valence Perception of Emotion Words by Indonesian-speaking Adolescents
type: item
description: This study explored the valence of emotion words among Indonesian adolescents who were still learning English and examined how language proficiency influenced their perception of these words. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combined quantitative data from questionnaires and qualitative insights from written interviews. Emotion words, senang and takut, were carefully selected from Indonesian written sources and paired with their English counterparts, pleased and scared. Participants were adolescents aged 14 to 19 residing in Jakarta and its surrounding areas, where Indonesian is still the dominant language in home and school environments. This study used online questionnaires (N = 433) and written interviews (N = 34) as instruments to reveal that the Indonesian emotion words senang and takut were consistently rated as having a higher emotional valence than their English counterparts. The difference was attributed to the participants’ greater familiarity and fluency in Indonesian, as their exposure to and use of English remained limited, primarily in academic settings. Language proficiency emerged as a factor shaping emotional perception, with higher ratings indicating a stronger emotional connection to words in the native language. The results indicate that the word meaning, frequency, and context of language use in daily life influence emotional responses to language. Overall, the study highlights the impact of linguistic familiarity on the emotional resonance of words, suggesting that bilingual individuals may perceive emotion words differently depending on their proficiency and exposure to each language. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of how bilingualism and language dominance affect emotional cognition. Keywords: valence; emotion words; adolescents; Indonesian; perception ABSTRAK Kajian ini menerokai valens perkataan emosi dalam kalangan remaja Indonesia yang sedang mempelajari bahasa Inggeris, serta mengkaji bagaimana tahap pen…
creator: Ricka Putri Suteja
creator: Bernadette Kushartanti
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 64
ending page: 78

Ternateno as a Portuguese Creole: A History and Sociolinguistic Study in Ternate
type: item
description: This article discusses Ternateno, a Portuguese-based creole language that developed in Ternate, North Maluku, through sustained language contact since the sixteenth century. It analyzes the creolization process, the social functions of Ternateno as a postcolonial minority language, and the ongoing language shift within its speech community. Ternateno blends Portuguese-derived vocabulary with structural influences from Malay and Ternate and functions as an identity marker for Portuguese-descendant Catholic communities. Today, the language faces serious endangerment due to declining numbers of active speakers and weakening intergenerational transmission under the dominance of Indonesian and Ternate Malay. The study aims to trace the historical creolization process, explain Ternateno’s social and symbolic roles, and evaluate current patterns of language shift. A qualitative historical-sociolinguistic design was applied using triangulated data from in-depth interviews, participant observation, and analysis of colonial and missionary documents. Participants included 15 active speakers aged 50–74 selected through purposive sampling. Findings show that Ternateno emerged from prolonged multilingual contact, retaining significant Portuguese lexicon with phonological and semantic adaptations. Its present use is largely limited to domestic, cultural, and liturgical domains. Younger generations rarely speak it, favoring Indonesian and Ternate Malay. Based on vitality indicators, Ternateno is classified as severely endangered, highlighting the urgent need for documentation and community-based revitalization efforts. Keywords: Ternateno; Creole language; Portuguese; language shift; North Maluku ABSTRAK Artikel ini membincangkan Ternateno, sebuah bahasa kreol berasaskan Portugis yang berkembang di Ternate, Maluku Utara, melalui pertembungan bahasa yang berterusan sejak abad keenam belas. Kajian ini menganalisis proses kreolisasi, fungsi sosial Ternateno sebagai bahasa minoriti pas…
creator: M. Ridha Ajam
creator: Adi F. Mahmud
creator: Irfan Ahmad
creator: Andi Tenri Pada Agustang
creator: Sasmayunita Sasmayunita
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 79
ending page: 100

A Phonological Model of Arabic Speech Acquisition in Malay Children
type: item
description: The acquisition of Arabic sounds by second language learners is crucial in language learning. This study examines the acquisition of selected Arabic consonants among Malay primary school children, particularly focusing on the most difficult Arabic sounds, thus, addressing critical knowledge gaps in existing research. Prior studies predominantly focus on separate issues either in sound perception or production, yet in the context of English, neglecting the integration of both language acquisition processes. Unlike previous research, this study proposes a reciprocal model which interplay of both Arabic sound perception and production. Using perception and production tests involving 30 children, the study reveals a mismatch between sound perception and articulation accuracy. The results demonstrated patterns of substitution, transfer, and developmental errors, providing insight into the interaction between learners’ L1 influence and their developing L2 phonological competence. Findings also reveal that sounds without counterparts in Malay, such as emphatic consonants and uvulars, are the most problematic, often leading to systematic substitution with phonetically proximate sounds. Perceptual difficulties were found to correlate strongly with production errors, highlighting the importance of auditory discrimination in successful phonological acquisition. Drawing on the Perceptual Assimilation Model (PAM), Speech Learning Model (SLM), and Source-Filter Theory (SFT), the proposed Arabic Speech Phonological Model (M-ASP) integrates mind consciousness and airflow control to explain and enhance Arabic pronunciation in Malay children. The study underscores the need for integrative teaching approaches that address both the auditory and articulatory dimensions of Arabic phonology, thereby supporting more effective and sustainable learning outcomes for L2 learners of Arabic. The model extends existing phonological theories by embedding cognitive and physiological processes into …
creator: Muhammad Ridha Ali Huddin
creator: Shahidi A Hamid
creator: Md Shafiin Shukor
creator: Siti Maryam Aj Jalilah Roslan
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 101
ending page: 118

The Implications of Using Praat for Intonation-based Pronunciation Assessment of EFL Teachers in Indonesian Classrooms
type: item
description: The intonation-based pronunciation assessment in a classroom interaction context has not been investigated in detail in terms of mutual correlation, specifically among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. This type of investigation should achieve meaningful and impactful classroom interaction through intonation usage and support EFL teachers in appropriately conveying messages and enabling EFL students to respond effectively. However, investigations in this area remain limited, particularly in Indonesia. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate EFL teachers' pronunciation in depth during English-speaking instruction, focusing on intonation, cultural classroom interaction context, human interpretative involvement, and PRAAT analysis, as well as how teachers achieved meaningful and impactful English-speaking classroom interaction. Data were collected through observation using checklists and field notes, Stimulated Recall Interview (SRI), and PRAAT-based tonic movement measurements. The results showed that PRAAT-supported analysis highlighted areas for self-corrective work. EFL teachers implied specific meanings through falling (p), rising (r+), and falling-rising (r), all with an “above” tone. Furthermore, tone usage was influenced by cultural context, particularly rising-falling (p+) with an “above” tone, while EFL students predominantly responded with affirmative and confirmatory meanings using falling (p) intonation, reflecting classroom power relations in interaction. The results could serve as potential guidance for EFL teachers in conveying specific meanings and improving classroom interaction by assigning appropriate intonation patterns and intonation stress to foster classroom involvement. Improvement in intonation usage can be achieved through intensive PRAAT-based training. This study was limited by the sole focus on statement expressions in classroom interaction contexts. Keywords: PRAAT; pronunciation assessment; discourse intonation; tonic move…
creator: Mas Darul Ihsan
creator: Slamet Setiawan
creator: Ahmad Munir
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 119
ending page: 137

A Corpus-Based Cross-Disciplinary Analysis of Hedging Strategies in Linguistics and Engineering Doctoral Dissertation Introductions
type: item
description: Hedging strategies are essential rhetorical tools in academic writing, enabling authors to express caution, manage interpersonal relationships, and conform to disciplinary conventions. This study examined the use of hedging strategies in the Introduction sections of doctoral dissertations (DDs) in Linguistics (Ling) and Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) through a cross-disciplinary lens. Using a corpus-based, mixed-method approach, the research analyzed a specialized corpus of 50 DDs from leading US universities (2019–2023), comprising approximately 165,000 words. The analysis integrated Hyland’s (1998) poly-pragmatic model of hedging and Varttala’s (1999) lexical categorization, focusing on content-oriented and reader-oriented hedges. Corpus tools and log-likelihood tests were used to identify hedges and examine cross-disciplinary differences. Results revealed that Ling dissertations exhibited higher hedge frequency and lexical diversity, reflecting their interpretative nature, while EEE prioritized precision and objectivity. Key findings indicated that Ling employed diverse reader-oriented hedges for engagement, whereas EEE favored content-oriented hedges for technical precision. These distinctions highlight the discipline-sensitive variation in hedge frequency, functional orientation, and epistemic stance. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of disciplinary writing practices, with implications for teaching and improving scholarly communication. By tailoring hedging strategies to field-specific expectations, students and researchers can enhance clarity, credibility, and audience engagement in their academic work. Keywords: hedging strategies; cross-disciplinary; doctoral dissertations; academic writing; EAP ABSTRAK Strategi hedging merupakan alat retorik yang penting dalam penulisan akademik untuk membolehkan penulis menulis dengan berhati-hati, mengurus hubungan interpersonal, dan mematuhi konvensyen disiplin. Kajian ini meneliti penggunaan …
creator: Zhujun Deng
creator: Afida Mohamad Ali
creator: Zaid Mohd Zin
creator: Zhijie Wang
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 138
ending page: 163

Linguistic Framing of Climate Change in Dawn: A Corpus-assisted Critical Discourse Analysis
type: item
description: Over the past few decades, climate change has been a mainstream concern in global discourse due to its adverse long-term impacts on the environment. The current study aims to analyse the linguistic framing of climate change through modal constructions and evaluative words by examining a corpus of opinion articles from Dawn, a widely read Pakistani English-language newspaper, using certain features of Sketch Engine software such as concordance for retrieval of collocates, word sketch for examining collocational relationship, and wordlist for extraction of semantic roles, modal verbs, adjectives, and verbs. This study uses Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Analysis (CACDA) as a methodological approach, integrating quantitative corpus linguistics approach with qualitative Fillmore’s Frame Semantics theory. After a thorough analysis of the collected corpus, it has been revealed that Dawn constructs an action-oriented frame of climate change, suggesting that the government and policymakers should protect the environment by implementing sustainable strategies and enacting concrete environmental laws. This action-oriented frame, which advocates that the government’s role is pivotal for addressing social issues, is constructed through frequent use of modal constructions and evaluative words (adjectives and verbs). This study adds to the scholarly discourse in linguistics on climate change by shedding light on the role of linguistic choices in constructing the frames on this issue. In addition, the findings can provide valuable insights and evidence-based strategies to help policymakers take the necessary steps to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Keywords: Climate Change; Corpus-Assisted Approach; Modal Constructions; Evaluative Words; Dawn ABSTRAK Sejak beberapa dekad yang lalu, perubahan iklim telah menjadi kebimbangan utama dalam wacana global yang disebabkan oleh kesan buruk jangka panjang terhadap alam sekitar. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pembingkaian …
creator: Saqlain Hassan Hassan
creator: Wong Wei Lun
creator: Riffat Nazeer
creator: Warid Mihat
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 164
ending page: 183

A Corpus-Based Study Based on a Structural and Functional Analysis of Lexical Bundles in Online Business News
type: item
description: While numerous studies have explored formulaic language in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) across genres and registers, the linguistic demands of rapid digitalization, especially in online business news, remain under-investigated. Unlike previous studies, this study analyses lexical bundles in business news articles published in 2025, capturing shifts in register driven by trade policy and tariffs. Specifically, the study’s objectives were to investigate the frequency of lexical bundles used in online business news from January to May 2025, and to examine the extent to which a functional taxonomy can characterize these bundles. A total of 450 business news articles from three news agencies, i.e., BBC, CNN, and Reuters, comprising 321,225 running-word tokens, were compiled and analyzed using the AntConc software. The analysis identified 67 four-word lexical bundles meeting the frequency and range criteria. Structurally, noun phrase-based bundles, e.g., the world’s largest and a global trade war, were the most frequent, followed by prepositional phrase-based, verb phrase-based, and clause-based bundles. Functionally, referential bundles, e.g., in the first quarter and at the same time, were predominant, particularly those indicating identification/focus and time/place/text deixis. Stance bundles and special conversational bundles, especially reporting expressions, e.g., said in a statement, were also notable. The outcomes of this study provide meaningful resources for instructors to improve students’ learning of lexical bundles, specifically in online business news. Furthermore, the findings suggest that ESP instructors should prioritize noun-phrase structures to help students master the linguistic style of modern digital reporting. Keywords: Business English; corpus linguistics; formulaic language; lexical bundles; online business news ABSTRAK Meskipun telah banyak kajian yang meneroka bahasa berformula dalam Bahasa Inggeris Untuk Tujuan Khusus (ESP) merentasi pe…
creator: Piriya Thaksanan
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 184
ending page: 200

Tinjauan Literatur Sistematik Strategi Lakuan Bahasa Permintaan dalam kalangan Pelajar Merentas Budaya (Systematic Literature Review Request Act Strategies Across Multicultural Students)
type: item
description: Kajian ini bertujuan meninjau secara sistematik strategi lakuan bahasa permintaan dalam kalangan pelajar merentas budaya melalui pendekatan Tinjauan Literatur Sistematik (SLR). Sebanyak 20 artikel terpilih dianalisis berdasarkan protokol PRISMA dengan memfokuskan kajian yang melibatkan pelajar sebagai responden serta konteks lakuan bahasa permintaan merentas budaya. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa strategi lakuan bahasa permintaan dapat dihimpunkan kepada dua bentuk utama, iaitu strategi permintaan langsung dan tidak langsung. Secara umum, pelajar penutur jati didapati lebih cenderung menggunakan strategi tidak langsung, manakala pelajar bukan penutur jati lebih kerap menggunakan strategi langsung, khususnya dalam konteks pembelajaran bahasa kedua. Dari sudut kesopanan, penggunaan strategi berlapik lebih dominan dalam interaksi yang melibatkan hubungan hierarki atau jarak sosial yang lebih tinggi, manakala dalam interaksi rakan sebaya, tahap kesopanan didapati kurang konsisten. Selain itu, latar budaya dan orientasi nilai sosial turut mempengaruhi pemilihan strategi permintaan, khususnya perbezaan antara budaya. Dari segi sumbangan, jurang kajian berkaitan strategi lakuan bahasa permintaan dalam konteks pelajar pelbagai kaum telah dikenalpasti, khususnya melibatkan penggunaan bahasa Melayu dalam lakuan bahasa permintaan. Dapatan kajian ini diharapkan dapat menyumbang kepada pengukuhan penyelidikan pragmatik dan komunikasi berkesan dalam kalangan pelajar merentas budaya. Kajian mengenai strategi lakuan bahasa permintaan dalam kalangan pelajar merentas budaya semakin berkembang di Malaysia dan luar negara. Antara isu yang dibahaskan melibatkan strategi yang digunakan oleh pelajar yang merupakan penutur jati dan bukan penutur jati dalam melaksanakan permintaan. Justeru, kajian ini memfokuskan kajian berkaitan strategi lakuan bahasa permintaan yang melibatkan pelbagai budaya di dalam mahupun luar negara. Kata kunci: literatur sistematik;strategi; lakuan bahasa ; pelaj…
creator: Nur Faizal Aznan
creator: Mohammed Azlan Mis
creator: Maslida Yusof
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 201
ending page: 217

Drillability & Worldbuilding: Reconstructing Joker as The Tragic Villain
type: item
description: This article examines how participatory fanfiction reconfigures the Joker as portrayed in Todd Phillips’s Joker (2019), transforming Arthur Fleck into a “tragic villain” whose psychological depth invites sustained reader empathy. While the film already departs from comic-book canon by presenting the Joker as a socially marginalised and mentally fragile figure, the Wattpad fanfiction Joker (2019) by artham_asylum extends this transformation through emotionally immersive storytelling. Using qualitative textual analysis, this study investigates how fan-authored narratives advance character complexity through narrative mechanisms not typically explored in canonical media. Addressing a gap in existing research, which often overlooks how fans reshape both canonical and non-canonical reimaginings, this study applies an adapted conceptual framework from Henry Jenkins’s principles of drillability and worldbuilding, extended here to include re-imagined themes and role-swapping. Drillability explores survivor’s guilt, fractured agency, and moral ambivalence, while worldbuilding reconstructs the social and emotional architecture surrounding Arthur’s descent. These mechanisms allow fans to produce original meanings and critique structural violence through character revision. The findings position fanfiction not as a derivative expression, but as a critical and creative form of participatory authorship. It challenges fixed character archetypes and contributes to broader discourses on authorship, trauma, and narrative ethics in digital storytelling. Keywords: drillability; worldbuilding; Joker; fanfiction; transmedia storytelling ABSTRAK Artikel ini meneliti bagaimana fiksyen peminat partisipatif (participatory fanfiction) mengkonfigurasi semula Joker seperti yang digambarkan dalam filem Joker (2019) arahan Todd Phillips, mengubah Arthur Fleck menjadi "penjahat tragis" yang kedalaman psikologinya mengundang empati berterusan daripada pembaca. Walaupun filem tersebut sudah pun meny…
creator: Saadah S.
creator: Raihanah M. M.
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 218
ending page: 233

Multigenerational Transmission Process in Tracy Letts’s August: Osage County (2008)
type: item
description: August: Osage County (2008) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American drama by Tracy Letts that offers a deep portrayal of family dynamics within the contemporary American cultural milieu. The literary criticism currently existing in analysing the play generally engages the themes of family deterioration, incest, trauma, child abuse, and social decay. This study, alternatively, contributes a distinct interpretive perspective of dysfunctional family patterns through the lens of American psychiatrist Dr Murray Bowen’s family system theory (FST). By situating the play within debates on the evolution of the American family drama in late postmodern literature, it employed Bowen’s concept of the multigenerational transmission process to manifest how the parental anxiety, impaired selfhood, and relational conflict are passed down through generations instead of confined to the conventional focuses of psychoanalysis. Using a qualitative approach based on close reading and the interpretive method, the analysis examines three generations of the fictional Weston family from present-day Oklahoma. FST is thus operationalised as an analytic framework to interpret different actions and expressions of the individuals in the family. The concepts of anxiety, togetherness, differentiation of self, marital conflict, and undifferentiated marriage are used comparatively to explore the multigenerational patterns within the family, shedding light on the declining family bonds in the play. This approach thus reveals how August: Osage County (2008) dramatises the complexities of life, which can lead to the erosion of family relationships marked by social instability and cultural shifts. Keywords: anxiety; FST; marital conflict; projected child; undifferentiated marriage ABSTRAK August: Osage County (2008) merupakan drama Amerika pemenang Hadiah Pulitzer karya Tracy Letts yang menawarkan gambaran mendalam tentang dinamik keluarga dalam persekitaran budaya Amerika kontemporari. Kritikan sastera sedi…
creator: Md Joynul Abedin
creator: Suzana Muhammad
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 234
ending page: 247

Patriarchal Failure and Maternal Power: An Ecofeminist Reading of the Thai Folktale Pla Boo Thong
type: item
description: Folktales in Thailand preserve communal values while reflecting social tensions, yet their gendered dynamics and ecological symbolism remain underexplored. This article examines the Thai folktale Pla Boo Thong (The Golden Goby) through an ecofeminist lens, addressing the gap in scholarship on how Southeast Asian oral traditions critique patriarchal institutions. Drawing on the poetic version Pla Boo Thong Klon Suad, the study employs ecofeminist close reading to investigate the tale’s representations of violence, absent fatherhood, and maternal resilience. The theoretical framework integrates key ecofeminist concepts—women–nature interdependence, patriarchal dualisms, sacred ecology, and maternal agency through reincarnation—together with sociological studies on absent fathers and domestic violence. Findings show that Pla Boo Thong constructs violence as systemic within polygamous households, critiques male passivity and failure to protect, and reimagines justice through maternal reincarnations in nature (golden goby, eggplant tree, Bodhi tree). These symbols highlight how natural and spiritual forms function as active agents of justice, offering female-centered alternatives to failed patriarchal authority. Unlike Western “Cinderella-type” narratives resolved by male intervention, this folktale positions nature and spirituality as culturally embedded sources of healing and balance. The article contributes to global ecofeminist discourse by foregrounding how Thai folklore encodes resistance, resilience, and non-patriarchal visions of authority rooted in sacred ecology and maternal continuity. Keywords: Thai folktale; ecofeminist literary criticism; patriarchal failure; maternal reincarnation; Southeast Asian oral literature ABSTRAK Cerita rakyat di Thailand memelihara nilai-nilai kemasyarakatan di samping mencerminkan ketegangan sosial, namun dinamik jantina dan simbolisme ekologinya masih kurang diteroka. Artikel ini meneliti cerita rakyat Thai, Pla Boo Thong (Ikan …
creator: Korrakot Kumhaeng
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies
date: 2026-02-27
publication date: 2026-02-27
volume: 26
number: 1
starting page: 248
ending page: 264