Over the centuries translators have faced, and continue to face, linguistic and cultural challeng... more Over the centuries translators have faced, and continue to face, linguistic and cultural challenges between different languages and cultures. Such challenges have put forth many translation theories and strategies to minimize these linguistic/cultural differences. The most debated translation strategies are Domestication and Foreignization. Recent studies have argued that in order to achieve equivalence and a successful translation, both strategies should work together. These studies have concluded that Domestication and Foriegnization complement each other. However, no study so far has discussed how both strategies can complement each other in a translated text especially from a linguistic perspective. This research examines the use of these two strategies in four English translations of one of the world's most famous cultural collections, The Arabian Nights. The study specifically investigates the use of Domestication and Foreignization in the tale of Sinbad and how the transl...
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & LITERATURE, 2019
The belief in supernatural creatures, such as the Ghoul, has existed in Arabic culture many centu... more The belief in supernatural creatures, such as the Ghoul, has existed in Arabic culture many centuries back and even survived Islam. The mythical ghoul is widely spread in Arabic folktales up to our modern time today. It is particularly depicted as a defected female monster that resides in the wilderness and lurks in the dark to prey on male travelers. In general, a ghoul in Arabic culture is an evil being, a vengeful force, a deceiving woman, and a demon used in oral tales to instill fear in children`s hearts. This devilish image is, somewhat, contradicted in Libyan folktales; the ghoul takes the form of evil forces and supernatural aids as well. This paper is an analytical discussion of the mythical ghoul in Libyan oral tales. The discussion sheds light on the different, opposite roles the mythical creature plays in the tales. The paper analyzes the role of the ghoul as a supernatural aid and its function in a larger cultural scope. This paper argues that female narrators of Libyan...
Between 1969 and 2011, Libya experienced an oppressive dictatorship that paralyzed the country`s ... more Between 1969 and 2011, Libya experienced an oppressive dictatorship that paralyzed the country`s political, economical, and social growth. Libya`s literary identity was oppressed due to the policy of censorship and authors were unable to express their opinions freely. In fear of punishment, most Libyan writers criticized the regime and discussed their struggles in the society only implicitly. Censorship has led Libyan writers to adopt different literary styles to reflect on society. In this paper, I will shed light on one of the writers` techniques by examining six Libyan short stories using a stylistics analysis approach. I analyze the lexical feature of the language focusing on adjectives. I investigate how Libyan authors discuss socioeconomic and political issues through the use of adjectives. I put the adjectives into different categories: adjectives of color, physical adjectives, personal adjectives, emotional adjectives, adjectives of nationality, etc. I look at how the denotative and connotative meanings of the adjectives reflect cultural concepts in Libyan society and the authors` perspectives. Data reveal that Libyan authors rely heavily on adjectives to help represent positive and negative images, as well as empowering and disempowering characters in the stories. Data analysis also reveals certain patterns in style such as the use of the colors black & white to create negative and positive atmospheres and to demonize and romanticize characters.
This research paper aims to investigate the effect of utilizing Twitter in a foreign language cla... more This research paper aims to investigate the effect of utilizing Twitter in a foreign language classroom and how it would affect students’ attitudes towards learning Arabic media related vocabulary. The researchers used qualitative and quantitative methods as a methodological approach to the study. The subjects of the study are American undergraduate students studying Arabic for their third semester, 11 participated in the study. The participants were asked to open Twitter accounts in order to practice reading up-to-date tweets from global news agencies. Participants took pre and post-tests, then were asked to take a questionnaire; a structured interview was also carried out along with reflections to have a better understanding of the students’ attitude towards the use of Twitter in the classroom. The data were gathered throughout the semester and analyzed qualitatively and the participants’ responses were coded for certain themes and then analyzed. The findings indicated that the students had a positive attitude towards the use of Twitter in learning vocabulary for specific topics -in this study media/political-related vocabulary- in the foreign language classroom. In addition, the quantitative data used as confirmation and showed vocabulary gains after the Twitter treatment. The study’s findings can be applied to any foreign language and can have important implications and recommendations for language teachers and educators in the field. The findings will add valuable recommendations on how to integrate social media platforms in a foreign language classroom.
The flipped classroom relies on the use of video technology to create instructional lectures deli... more The flipped classroom relies on the use of video technology to create instructional lectures delivered online and classroom meetings with in-class exercises that involve active learning. The main research method of this study consisted of a mixed methods embedded design with a quasi-experimental study. This study consisted of 22 participants enrolled in two advanced EAP writing courses in a large Southern State College and sought to measure whether the flipped model improved students' academic writing performance and understand their perceptions of the flipped instruction. Results indicated that there were statistically significant differences in students' academic learning outcomes between the control group and the treatment group. Qualitative results also indicated that students positively perceived the use of the flipped model as more effective and as a great resource of learning that helped them improve their writing skills in an interactive and collaborative environment.
Bussadiya`s House is a Libyan short story published in 2015 as part of a collection of short stor... more Bussadiya`s House is a Libyan short story published in 2015 as part of a collection of short stories titled Hadatha Alhudhud Qal by Libyan author Muhammad Al-Maghboub. Inspired by the socio-political movement of the Arab Spring in Libya, Al-Maghboub transcribes a man`s inner struggle to find his way to his dream in the midst of conflict.
Over the centuries translators have faced, and continue to face, linguistic and cultural challeng... more Over the centuries translators have faced, and continue to face, linguistic and cultural challenges between different languages and cultures. Such challenges have put forth many translation theories and strategies to minimize these linguistic/cultural differences. The most debated translation strategies are Domestication and Foreignization. Recent studies have argued that in order to achieve equivalence and a successful translation, both strategies should work together. These studies have concluded that Domestication and Foriegnization complement each other. However, no study so far has discussed how both strategies can complement each other in a translated text especially from a linguistic perspective. This research examines the use of these two strategies in four English translations of one of the world's most famous cultural collections, The Arabian Nights. The study specifically investigates the use of Domestication and Foreignization in the tale of Sinbad and how the transl...
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & LITERATURE, 2019
The belief in supernatural creatures, such as the Ghoul, has existed in Arabic culture many centu... more The belief in supernatural creatures, such as the Ghoul, has existed in Arabic culture many centuries back and even survived Islam. The mythical ghoul is widely spread in Arabic folktales up to our modern time today. It is particularly depicted as a defected female monster that resides in the wilderness and lurks in the dark to prey on male travelers. In general, a ghoul in Arabic culture is an evil being, a vengeful force, a deceiving woman, and a demon used in oral tales to instill fear in children`s hearts. This devilish image is, somewhat, contradicted in Libyan folktales; the ghoul takes the form of evil forces and supernatural aids as well. This paper is an analytical discussion of the mythical ghoul in Libyan oral tales. The discussion sheds light on the different, opposite roles the mythical creature plays in the tales. The paper analyzes the role of the ghoul as a supernatural aid and its function in a larger cultural scope. This paper argues that female narrators of Libyan...
Between 1969 and 2011, Libya experienced an oppressive dictatorship that paralyzed the country`s ... more Between 1969 and 2011, Libya experienced an oppressive dictatorship that paralyzed the country`s political, economical, and social growth. Libya`s literary identity was oppressed due to the policy of censorship and authors were unable to express their opinions freely. In fear of punishment, most Libyan writers criticized the regime and discussed their struggles in the society only implicitly. Censorship has led Libyan writers to adopt different literary styles to reflect on society. In this paper, I will shed light on one of the writers` techniques by examining six Libyan short stories using a stylistics analysis approach. I analyze the lexical feature of the language focusing on adjectives. I investigate how Libyan authors discuss socioeconomic and political issues through the use of adjectives. I put the adjectives into different categories: adjectives of color, physical adjectives, personal adjectives, emotional adjectives, adjectives of nationality, etc. I look at how the denotative and connotative meanings of the adjectives reflect cultural concepts in Libyan society and the authors` perspectives. Data reveal that Libyan authors rely heavily on adjectives to help represent positive and negative images, as well as empowering and disempowering characters in the stories. Data analysis also reveals certain patterns in style such as the use of the colors black & white to create negative and positive atmospheres and to demonize and romanticize characters.
This research paper aims to investigate the effect of utilizing Twitter in a foreign language cla... more This research paper aims to investigate the effect of utilizing Twitter in a foreign language classroom and how it would affect students’ attitudes towards learning Arabic media related vocabulary. The researchers used qualitative and quantitative methods as a methodological approach to the study. The subjects of the study are American undergraduate students studying Arabic for their third semester, 11 participated in the study. The participants were asked to open Twitter accounts in order to practice reading up-to-date tweets from global news agencies. Participants took pre and post-tests, then were asked to take a questionnaire; a structured interview was also carried out along with reflections to have a better understanding of the students’ attitude towards the use of Twitter in the classroom. The data were gathered throughout the semester and analyzed qualitatively and the participants’ responses were coded for certain themes and then analyzed. The findings indicated that the students had a positive attitude towards the use of Twitter in learning vocabulary for specific topics -in this study media/political-related vocabulary- in the foreign language classroom. In addition, the quantitative data used as confirmation and showed vocabulary gains after the Twitter treatment. The study’s findings can be applied to any foreign language and can have important implications and recommendations for language teachers and educators in the field. The findings will add valuable recommendations on how to integrate social media platforms in a foreign language classroom.
The flipped classroom relies on the use of video technology to create instructional lectures deli... more The flipped classroom relies on the use of video technology to create instructional lectures delivered online and classroom meetings with in-class exercises that involve active learning. The main research method of this study consisted of a mixed methods embedded design with a quasi-experimental study. This study consisted of 22 participants enrolled in two advanced EAP writing courses in a large Southern State College and sought to measure whether the flipped model improved students' academic writing performance and understand their perceptions of the flipped instruction. Results indicated that there were statistically significant differences in students' academic learning outcomes between the control group and the treatment group. Qualitative results also indicated that students positively perceived the use of the flipped model as more effective and as a great resource of learning that helped them improve their writing skills in an interactive and collaborative environment.
Bussadiya`s House is a Libyan short story published in 2015 as part of a collection of short stor... more Bussadiya`s House is a Libyan short story published in 2015 as part of a collection of short stories titled Hadatha Alhudhud Qal by Libyan author Muhammad Al-Maghboub. Inspired by the socio-political movement of the Arab Spring in Libya, Al-Maghboub transcribes a man`s inner struggle to find his way to his dream in the midst of conflict.
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