E-Structural (English Studies on Translation, Culture, Literature, and Linguistics)

Benefits and Challenges in Mastering Speaking Skills through Animated Movies: Students’ Perspective

Dimas Wijayanto, Dodi Mulyadi, Testiana Deni Wijayatinningsih — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research investigates the perspectives of eighth-grade students at SMPN 2 Semarang on the benefits and challenges of mastering English-speaking skills through animated movies. A mixed-method approach was employed in this study, integrating both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Data were collected through closed- and open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The questionnaire was distributed to 108 eighth-grade students, while nine students were selected for in-depth interviews. The quantitative data from the questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS to identify statistical trends. At the same time, the qualitative responses from interviews were examined using NVivo software to code and categorize students’ perspectives. This combination provided comprehensive insights into the benefits and challenges of using animated movies in mastering English-speaking skills. The findings revealed that animated movies provided substantial benefits, particularly in enhancing vocabulary acquisition, increasing motivation, improving pronunciation, and boosting students’ self-confidence. Most students expressed that the visual and auditory nature of animated movies made it easier for them to understand and remember new vocabulary, learn correct pronunciation, and practice speaking more enjoyably. Nevertheless, some challenges remained, particularly in mastering grammar and overcoming anxiety when speaking in front of others. Despite these challenges, the study concludes that animated movies are effective and engaging tools for developing speaking skills and recommends their use in the English language learning process. The study's results provide insights for teachers, learners, and educational institutions in selecting appropriate media to support English instruction.

Flouting of Conversational Maxims among Characters in Conclave (2024)

Tessa Sitorus, Juni Ana Gea, Angel Aulia Sari — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study analyzes the character interactions in the 2024 film Conclave with an eye on the Grice (1975) conversational maxims. Subsequently, the study intends to highlight the different varieties, i.e., types of maxim, frequency of maxim flouting, and classify using Cutting (2005), and explain the reasons behind it using Leech's (1983) Politeness Theory. The research employed a qualitative descriptive approach, which focuses on providing detailed and accurate descriptions of the data. In this study, seventy utterances drawn from the movie and its script were analyzed in depth to determine how conversational maxims were flouted. This enabled the researcher to analyze each utterance in its context straightforwardly, without recourse to cumbersome theories, thereby keeping the analysis grounded in the film's actual words. The findings indicate that all four Gricean maxims, which are the quantity maxim, quality maxim, relation maxim, and manner maxim, are violated in the film. The most frequent maxim flouting observed was the quality maxim (44.29%), in which the dialogue was often embellished, ironically. Of all the possible techniques, the most frequent was irrelevance (25.71%), followed by irony (21.43%) and hyperbole (14.29%). This film relies heavily on indirect and subtle means of communication. The dominant motivation is conflictive (54.29%), characteristic of characters differing in moral perspective and vehemently defending their positions. This study also contributes to the analysis of film by taking a pragmatic approach and demonstrating the use of indirect discourse as a strategy of counterargumentation in institutional settings.

The Rules of Big Brother and Their Parallels with Stalin’s Soviet Union

Muh Firsa Wirawan — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Literature is an artistic expression that often mirrors the social and political realities of its era. It does not exist in isolation but arises from the interaction between human consciousness and historical experience. The central problem of this research lies in the lack of comparative academic studies that examine how George Orwell’s portrayal of dictatorship in Nineteen Eighty-Four reflects and parallels the real-world totalitarian system of Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union. Both leaders—fictional and historical—constructed societies based on fear, surveillance, and ideological manipulation. This study therefore, aims to analyze the similarities and differences between Big Brother’s authoritarian control and Stalin’s political domination, revealing how literature can function as a mirror of power and oppression. This study employs a qualitative descriptive research design under the framework of Lucien Goldmann’s genetic structuralism. The primary data are drawn from Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, while the secondary data include scholarly articles, historical documents, and critical essays on Stalinism and totalitarian regimes. The method involves textual interpretation, comparative analysis, and sociological contextualization to uncover the ideological structure embedded in Orwell’s narrative. The findings reveal that both Big Brother and Stalin maintained absolute control through propaganda, censorship, historical revisionism, and psychological coercion. Big Brother’s Two Minutes Hate, Thought Police, and Room 101 reflect Stalin’s repressive tactics such as political purges, the NKVD’s surveillance, and forced confessions. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four serves not only as a dystopian fiction but also as a literary reflection of historical totalitarianism.

A Comparative Study on the Reception of AI-Generated and Human-Written Flash Fiction by the Students of the English Literature Study Program

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) fundamentally challenges traditional literary paradigms that burden the modern reader with authenticating the text's source. This study empirically investigates the reception of AI-generated flash fiction (Text A) and human-written flash fiction (Text B) by 16 4^th Semester English Literature students at Universitas Ngudi Waluyo. The research utilizes a mixed-methods approach grounded in Hans Robert Jauss’s reception theory, particularly the concept of the horizon of expectations. The core research methodology employs a "mirrored prompt" approach to ensure high internal validity, giving the human and AI authors the same core narrative and emotional task. The questionnaire analyzed the students' literary experience, Technological Horizons, and Interpretative Horizons. The results show a consistent and significant preference for Text B (Human-written) across all measured dimensions of the Interpretative Horizon, particularly in terms of emotion and stylistics, compared to Text A. Eleven out of 16 students (68.75%) accurately identified Text A as AI-generated and Text B as human-written. Qualitative data reveal that students critique text A for its lack of affective resonance, while text B has a "natural and flowing style”. This finding empirically validates that the reader’s interpretative horizon, particularly the expectation for deep emotion and unique style, is the primary factor in determining the perceived authenticity of a text, thus updating Jauss's theory to include the challenge of algorithmic works. The accuracy rate (68.75%) is significantly higher than previously reported research, suggesting that academic literary competence may increase the ability to discern AI-generated fiction.

EFL Student-Generated Symbolism towards “God Sees the Truth but Waits”

Nadya Dwiana, Syahri Indawan , Dita Rizki Anggraini — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates EFL learners’ student-generated symbolism in responding to the short story “God Sees the Truth but Waits” by Leo Tolstoy. Employing a qualitative descriptive design, the participants were 20 sixth-semester students enrolled in a Literary Appreciation course in an English Education study program. After guided classroom discussions on symbolism as a reader-response strategy, the students were asked to create their own symbolic representations of the text and provide written explanations of their interpretations. The data, consisting of students’ symbolism and written responses, were analyzed thematically. The findings showed that student-generated symbolism enabled learners to engage in personal, critical, and multimodal meaning-making, revealing higher-order interpretive thinking in response to the literary text. The study suggests that student-generated symbolism may function effectively as a multimodal reader response that can be meaningfully integrated into EFL literature classes.

Shame, Honor Culture: Women's Resistance and Double Surveillance in Short Stories by Abdullah and Jarrar

Evania Alya Camila, Hasnul Insani Djohar — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This research discusses how female characters in short stories by Shaila Abdullah and Randa Jarrar experience shame and honor culture, double surveillance, and women’s resistance. This study aims to explore how honor and shame operate as mechanisms of patriarchal control, and how women navigate social pressures both in local and diasporic contexts. Using a qualitative method, this research analyzes textual elements, including dialogue and narration to examine these issues. Patriarchy Theory by Sylvia Walby, Intersectionality Theory by Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Postcolonial Subaltern Theory by Antonio Gramsci are applied to explain how gender, culture, and social expectations shape women’s experiences. The results show that the main characters face double surveillance from family and society, creating psychological and social constraints, yet they enact subtle forms of resistance to assert autonomy and identity. In conclusion, this research highlights the persistence of honor culture as a social control mechanism and the strategies women employ to reclaim freedom and dignity.