Journal of Education and Humanities

3-16

Authors: Damir Kahrić

This work presents an overview of the style and technique which William Shakespeare used in order to create his own form of sonnet sequence. In other words, this article presents a detailed analysis of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 66 through the lens of the American New Critical approach. It means that the precise fourteen-line structure of the sonnet is examined, and such a structure reflects the Bard’s themes and ideas inside of the sonnet. The article gives an analysis of particular features of the American New Criticism and the people who contributed to the creation of such a literary criticism. Furthermore, the article explains the notion of how the language used reflects the meaning behind Sonnet 66. Also, the article explains the ways in which the Bard influenced other poetry writers, such as Laza Kostić, as well as the manner through which he was able to insert elements of his poetic craft into the famous Shakespearean dramas.

29-50

Authors: Christian Ameseder

Ideally, journalism makes current information public and facilitates democracy therewith. For accomplishing this task, comprehension as well as interest in the sense of engagement and in the sense of selecting a message are the most important effects of a journalistic message. As these effects are attributed to narratives, 15 experiments from 13 publications, which investigate the differences between traditional and narrative news writing style, were analysed. While the studies reported positive effects of narrative news on narrative engagement, news selection was not part of the investigation. The results for comprehension were intermediate except for a favourable effect of narratives on information recognition. Implications for further research are discussed.

65 - 75

Authors: Amila Dautbašić, Jasna Saračević

In schools where the English language is taught, it might be challenging to treat and teach students equally, if they are of diverse cultures. Potential problems may occur because students have different understanding, background knowledge, learning abilities and cognitive skills, as well as challenges related to comprehension, pronunciation, and vocabulary and language acquisition in general. The paper investigates teaching English to students of diverse cultures in schools. The results showed large differences in terms of learning and acquiring English evident in: difficulty acquiring vocabulary, frequent occurrence of code switching, and cognitive challenges.. The results showed a relationship between learners’ motivation and attitudes towards learning. The evidence indicated that culturally diverse students in elementary school are more active and verbal in English learning classes while those in high school face more difficulties related to pronunciation, speaking in large groups and motivation. Culturally different students at the university level develop into introverted students with less cognitive skills. With proper methods applied by the teachers, students’ achievements can be upgraded which would eventually influence students’ skills of mastering the English language.

3-15

Authors: Edda Polz

This study investigates criteria that influence the development of students’ mobility at the University College of Teacher Education in Lower Austria over the last 12 years. Generally, there is an increase on the number of incoming students while there is a decrease on the number of outgoing students. To identify reasons for this development, a total of 223 learning agreements have been analysed. In order to help interpret results, interviews with students engaging in an Erasmus programme aiming at spending a term studying abroad and a person in charge of coordinating Erasmus programmes have been held. In accordance with other studies on student mobility, this research identifies aspects that are generally conducive and others which are unfavourable for study abroad. The analyses of the outcomes show that the prospect of gaining intercultural experience, the interest in further developing soft skills, the language of instruction at the university and country of destination on the one hand, and the conditions at the home university including the amount of credits recognised by the sending institution on students’ return, as well as the probability of time loss on the other hand are the main criteria that are influential on a teacher trainee’s decision whether to spend a semester studying in a foreign country. Moreover, strategies for encouraging student mobility such as the organisation of information events, the provision of language courses, and a more extensive credit transfer system for outgoing students are identified.

39-48

Authors: Armela Ćeman, Vildana Dubravac

The aim of this paper is to discuss the importance of feedback in the learning process. It focuses particularly on the relation between different types of feedback and language development. The definition of feedback is given in the introductory part, and the importance of differentiation between error, mistake and attempt is highlighted. The roles of input and output are being argued in the chapter that follows, with emphasis on the significance of output. The theory of corrective feedback focuses on the types of negative feedback, the role of implicit and explicit negative feedback in the second language classroom, and the importance of interaction in order to increase the knowledge and acquisition of the target language. The aim of this paper is to review different approaches and provide a conclusion accordingly.

64-72

Authors: Sead Zolota

The world has become a huge marketplace wherein trade between various cultures and nations is taking place, thus leading to an overwhelming need for one common language used worldwide among speakers of various native languages. Historically, this role has been occupied by different languages, even though the use of none of them can be compared to the current omnipresence of English. Thus, the aim of the present paper is to discuss the notion of English as a global language, global lingua franca with a major focus on the development of Business English as lingua franca (BELF), which has been embraced as a common language in multilingual and multicultural companies. Furthermore, this paper examines general characteristics of BELF and compares it to other similar concepts such as Business English (BE) and English as Lingua Franca (ELF). With the growing importance and presence of BELF worldwide, the teaching aspect has arisen as an important issue, so this paper touches upon it as well.

53-64

Authors: Haris Delić, Senad Bećirović

A variety of different factors seem to have an influence on both second language learning difficulties as well as learning strategies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of different socio-economic status and grade point average on learning strategies and learning difficulties in second language acquisition (SLA) process. A 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to gather data, i.e. a survey method was applied. The research sample included 206 high school participants. The results showed that a socioeconomic status did not have a significant influence on the students’ second language acquisition difficulties. However, the students’ grade point average significantly affected second language acquisition difficulties and also language learning strategies. The results of this study may help instructors to tailor instructions and content to students’ needs and their preferable styles of learning. Taking into consideration students’ learning difficulties and learning strategies in designing and implementing classes may significantly improve teaching and learning outcomes.

89-98

Authors: Melika Muhanović, Nejla Babić, Esma Latić

The question of gender differences in language use has been repeatedly explored and claims about these distinctions that were once considered invariable have been questioned and refuted. One of the less explored areas within this issue, however, is the phenomenon of swearing. This paper aimed to explore how and why men and women swear on one of the most popular social media sites, Facebook, and how the context in which such utterances are produced modulates their frequency and form. The study found that both men and women are more likely to swear when commenting on the content produced by the same gender and also when surrounded by other males and females, respectively. Furthermore, the research confirmed some previous studies in which men were found to swear more out of aggressiveness, while women do so to exaggerate their words.

110-125

Authors: Amna Brdarević Čeljo, Sead Zolota

This paper examined the linguistic landscape of the Governorate of Farwaniya, the biggest governorate in the State of Kuwait, by means of public and private signs displayed in the city center and side streets. A corpus of 150 photos of diverse signs, both official and non-official, was collected, categorized, analyzed and discussed. The results point to an undeniable representation of the Arabic language in both public and private spheres of life as well as to a substantial presence of the English language on a wide range of signage therefore confirming the imprint the process of globalization has made on this EFL context. The findings also indicate that some other world languages, namely Bengali, Hindi, and Chinese, are represented in the linguistic landscape of Kuwait but rather poorly.

3-11

Authors: Shahab Yar Khan

Shakespeare’s universality places him beyond all ages. He is the only author, not born in our age but whose works guarantee on regular basis financial prospects. Shakespeare's success story as a writer is unprecedented in human history. Apart from the prophets of the Holy Scriptures and the philosophers of antiquity, no one else but Shakespeare can claim an impact on human mind and heart of a mega scale that goes beyond any age, any religion, any language and any geography. Uncertainty of the political systems, ruthless growth of violence, sexual anxiety, dismemberment of filial bond and the essential spirit of improvisation in times chaotic, the very hallmark of our culture as well as of his drama, force us to see him in a post-colonial contemporary context to find a direction, a resolve and an asylum from the ‘neo-colonial’ disaster of the 21st century. Shakespeare’s treatment of the word imagery, giving word a graphic texture, does not allow his modern audience to approach his works dealing with the concept of ‘conflict’ in the Greek classical sense of the word. Conflict is not the soul of Shakespearean tragedy. Shakespearean tragedy transforms it into the ‘illumnationist’ principle of ‘diversity’. Shakespeare’s art is the ‘quintessence’ of mankind. Whenever justice is violated, his drama speaks for those who stand bewildered, lost and wronged. KingLear, arguably, is the greatest specimen of poetic art on earth. The play is gradual defining of a new sensibility where life is regarded as culmination of a process of transformation. A play where, ‘Najasa’ (a term to describe the fallen women; from Arabic Najas: the impure, unwholesome, filthy) the faithless-faceless-shameless ‘whore, the bawd’, introduces in the name of progressive disciplines its filth and corruption as normal walk of life. These fashionable the ‘gilded butterflies’, the worldly wise ‘court rogues’, if remain the role models, human civilizations stand no chance to grow intellectually and spiritually. These people represent a mindset, the mind of the outdated patriarchal system of cheap compromises, disloyalty, lack of dignity, competition for power play and possession of wealth. Shakespeare suggests a solution; matriarchal system.

21-29

Authors: Adisa Ahmetspahić, Rumejsa Ribo

This paper aims to offer a new understanding of the Byronic hero through the character of Jane Eyre. By definition, the Byronic hero presents a potent individual who defiantly breaks the social norms of his time as they oppose his own moral philosophy. Ever since the archetype of the Byronic hero was created, prevalently male characters in literature have been characterized as such, from Byron’s Childe Harold, Emily Brontë’s Heathcliff, to Dumas’ Dantes. Even though she was a female, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë’s title character, displayed behavior resembling that of the previously mentioned male characters. This indicates that Jane Eyre did not only break the social norms of her time but also the mold of the Byronic hero. On her journey from childhood to adulthood, many tried to suppress her wayward behavior. However, she always managed to rise above such plights and continued going off the beaten track, just like other Byronic heroes. Relying on the close-reading method, this paper follows Jane Eyre through different stages of her life in which she reveals her Byronic nature.

43-52

Authors: Senaid Fejzić, Aida Tarabar

In the modern technology era it is necessary to find the best ways of utilizing its results and products for educational purposes, i.e. for enhancing teaching and learning processes. The paper presents a research conducted in the secondary schools of the Zenica-Doboj Canton. The aim of the research was to identify the extent to which these B&H schools use modern teaching aids in their foreign language classroom.