Abstract: Over the past 40 years, China has become progressively more open and integrated into globalization, including foreign-made movies and TV shows. The influence of American popular culture extends to English majors, who are among the most likely to be shaped by Hollywood’s ‘soft power.’ This research examines how their attitudes and behaviors are influenced by these depictions of American culture and values, and how this shapes their future... [...] Read more

Abstract: Dwarfism is a rare genetic condition characterised by short stature. In many countries, including Ghana and Nigeria, anecdotal evidence indicates the employment of persons with dwarfism as actors and actresses in movies. However, there are limited studies on the experiences of persons with dwarfism within an African context. The current study attempted to fill this knowledge gap by exploring the portrayal of persons with dwarfism in African... [...] Read more

Abstract: This study aimed to examine memes from a linguistic and cultural perspective, focusing on humor expressed through English and Arabic captions in memes collected from Facebook and Instagram. Using a mixed-method approach that combined quantitative and qualitative methods, corpus linguistics was employed to collect 60 memes—30 Arabic and 30 English. The study sought to highlight the similarities and differences in the methods used to express... [...] Read more

Abstract: This article explores intercultural contact as a pathway for the development of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) among EFL undergraduates in China during the post-pandemic era. Adopting an exploratory qualitative design with self-reports and focus group interviews as instruments, the challenges faced by EFL undergraduates in intercultural communication and intercultural contact pathways for ICC development were elicited with... [...] Read more

Abstract: Prior research has shown that academic reading poses a significant challenge for university students. One of the primary explanations is the lack of a positive reading culture among university students. Several studies have demonstrated the positive and negative effects of various factors on reading cultures. Notably, some studies indicate that university students do not read books regularly, and their cultural surroundings discourage them... [...] Read more

Abstract: Many adolescents are exposed to violent content in digital games due to their widespread use. Aggression among students is becoming more common throughout the world, including in Jordan. In light of this, the study explored how exposure to violent digital games influences students' aggression. Normative beliefs about aggression (NBAA) are also discussed based on the prediction that this variable mediates the relationships between violent... [...] Read more

Abstract: The domain of intercultural friendships between international and host national students represents a pivotal aspect of international higher education and intercultural communication. In response to the evident research gap within this realm, we conducted a phenomenological inquiry to explore how eight Omani students establish friendships with US host students and the factors that might either facilitate or impede these intercultural... [...] Read more

Abstract: Among the animated series that became very popular and witnessed tremendous success in the Arab world is the Japanese Detective Conan, which was first dubbed in 1998 and redubbed in 2013 to convey Islamic values. However, the re-dub did not attract wide viewership and remained infamous among the Arabic anime community. This study is an attempt to investigate the differences between the two versions with a particular emphasis on technical... [...] Read more

Abstract: Developing intercultural communicative competence among Chinese university students is essential in the era of globalization; however, disparities persist between ranked universities and general universities. While RUs benefit from extensive internationalization resources, general universities often lack structured intercultural communication instruction and opportunities due to resource disparities, prestige, or geographic constraints, and... [...] Read more

Abstract: There has been considerable interest in subtitling strategies in the translation of cultural references. However, there is a lack of studies on subtitling in the Chinese context. The purpose of this study is to compare the subtitling strategies used by fansubbers and official subtitlers when dealing with cultural references in translated Mandarin subtitles. The results showed that 228 cultural references had been found in the two films: The... [...] Read more

Abstract: Higher vocational English education places significant emphasis on intercultural understanding. However, there is a notable lack of research on the reliability and validity of blended intercultural awareness teaching methodologies in higher vocational English reading education in Henan, China. This project addresses this gap by building an Intercultural Awareness Experiential Teaching (IAET) model. A pilot study conducted in a higher... [...] Read more

Abstract: As an embodiment of the shoujo , a specific Japanese representation of 'girl', the schoolgirl often appears as a central character in Japanese popular culture. With the import, and widespread availability, of Japanese cultural products in the West (such as comics called manga , animated movies called anime , toys and games), the Japanese schoolgirl has gained a visibility in Western popular culture, and perceived as cute and shy. In this... [...] Read more

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to implement the 9E Learning and Teaching Model (9E LTM). The impact of Critical Thinking Skills (CTS), analysis, and inference on students' statistics achievement observed through constructivist theory. A population of higher secondary school statistics students and a sample from this study were drawn, from randomly selected higher secondary public schools in four native areas of Punjab province, Pakistan, in... [...] Read more

Abstract: Face negotiation theory has been an influential theory of intercultural conflict management. However, as a theory of functional approach, it has limitations in analyzing dynamic conflict management process. Using repeated episodic interviews, this paper attempts to combine this theory with Spencer-Oatey’s (2007) face and identity model as well as post-structural perspectives of identity to analyze the dynamic and complicated conflict... [...] Read more

Abstract: This study intended to propose a model of intercultural communicative competence integrating international posture, L2 motivational self-system, autonomy, and cognitive learning strategies. To do so, 180 EFL learners in the Iranian EFL context, selected by convenience sampling procedure, participated in the study. The findings, derived from structural equation modeling, showed that the model adequately fits to the data. That was discussed... [...] Read more

Abstract: This research aims to analyze how beauty brands communicate their messages through Instagram advertisements and determine whether Indonesian beauty standards have changed. This research uses a qualitative approach because it is still uncommon for a qualitative approach that analyzes how and why messages are formulated in beauty advertising. This research also uses a semiology analysis method to explore the meaning of communication messages... [...] Read more

Abstract: This article explores the experiences of Chinese postgraduate students in a UK university using the lens of rhythmanalysis. This study goes beyond intercultural interactional moments and examines how intercultural experience is organised through temporal, spatial, and emotional rhythms. The data were generated through narrative interviews with four students, and narrative rhythmanalysis was employed for analysis. Findings show that students’... [...] Read more