Literal Meaning Research Articles

Implementing AI Replika in higher education speaking classes: Benefits and challenges

The demand from students for native English speakers as interlocutors justifies the importance of this research. Because of the nation's location and financial constraints, speaking course participants are said to lack experience speaking with native speakers. Gaining a tangible understanding of how AI Replika can be used to replace native speakers’ role in becoming students’ source of native speaker is the anticipated outcome of this project. This study investigates the benefits and difficulties of using AI Replika in speaking classes. With the help of AI Replika, students may practice speaking English in real time or directly with the use of artificial intelligence. The features used by students can be either chatbot or speaking robot. This study used a descriptive qualitative methodology. A case study methodology is applied. Interviewing and participant observation were employed as data collection methods. Three basic types of triangulations are used in data validity techniques: theoretical, methodological, and source data triangulation. Based on the results, it shows that AI replica can be used as the alternative on the absence of native speaker in practicing speaking. However, the role of teachers in the classroom still cannot be replaced by the AI. Students feel that although AI Replika brings benefit for them to practice speaking before class, however, they still need teachers to explain the context of the speaking content. Students also feel that the AI Replika brings more literal meaning of an idea rather than able to understand the cultural meaning behind the talk. In the end, AI technology can improve language acquisition with a well-balanced approach, but real native speaker presence for more humanist approach is still needed.

The Implications of Utilizing Artificial Intelligence-Based Parenting Technology on Children's Mental Health: A Literature Review

The study aims to look at the development of artificial intelligence to support positive parenting and help improve children's mental health. This research method uses the PRISMA approach through a search process using the keywords "Parenting, Child Mental Health, Artificial Intelligence, Communication, and Discipline Enforcement on the Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Pubmed databases in the period 2018 to 2023 with a five-step process to obtain data. After elimination, 1,223 journal articles were obtained that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of 11 journal articles. Based on the results of the literature review, information was identified regarding the history of the development of artificial intelligence technology, artificial intelligence significantly has a positive impact on children's mental health, through the use of artificial intelligence parents gain meaningful literacy in providing positive care for children. However, the use of artificial intelligence can lead to parents' dependence on artificial intelligence, which is feared to replace human figures. In conclusion, studying the development and adequate use of artificial intelligence technology is urgently needed to improve the ability and quality of parenting to support the optimization of children's mental health.

Semantics Tammām Ḥassān on Waqf Lāzim Verses in Surah al-Mā’idaṯ

Semantics of Tammām also known as ilm al-dalālaṯ is the discussion of the strong relationship between meaning and three items by integrating syntax and ilm al-ma‘ānī (the science of meaning). There are two pillars of meaning, namely ma‘nā maqālī (literal meaning) and ma‘nā maqāmī (contextual meaning) that uphold semantics. This study found any uncertainty regarding the semantic components can call into question the analysis’s efforts and the veracity of the results. This is as mentioned by Iftikhar Muhammad (2004) in his master’s thesis when talking about the uncertainty of niẓām al-jumlaṯ (verse system aspect) from Ibrāhīm Anīs. From that, this study has decided to explain the semantic functions of the waqf lāzim that is present in the Surah al-Mā’idaṯ. The selection of this Surah is based on the existence of three different waqf ikhtiyari laws, there are law of tām, kāfī and ḥasan. This existence sheds light on the purpose and semantic significance of Tammam in the waqf lāzim verses with its several laws. In an effort to achieve the research objective, this study uses a qualitative method, covering only the literature review. By this method, the study has room to use a non-prominent method, where data is obtained from written records only. The collected data will then be analysed using the content analysis method. It includes three steps: mind mapping of the waqf lāzim verse, verse description, and interpretation and evidence. Next, by using the research methodology earlier, this study found that two waqf lāzim verses in Surah al-Mā’idaṯ have the same waqf law, while the other two verses are different. Two verses that have the same waqf law are Surah al-Mā’idaṯ, 5: 51 and Surah al-Mā’idaṯ, 5: 64, that is, with the rule of kāfī. Two more verses are Surah al-Mā’idaṯ, 5: 2, which is with the law of tām, and Surah al-Mā’idaṯ, 5: 73, which is with the law of ḥasan. In the end, this study provided a simple semantic framework to understand its function in the verses of waqf lāzim as shown in Figure 1. This study also contributed in solving the ambiguity found in semantic theory such as Ibrāhīm Anīs in studying the verses of waqf lāzim. The most interesting contribution from this study is revealing the semantic correlation between the four verses of waqf lāzim with signalling techniques.

A Corpus Linguistic Analysis of Characterisation in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah

Research in Corpus Linguistics has provided insights into the literary meanings of texts over the past few decades. Building on this foundation, this study aims to enhance the understanding of literary texts by employing corpus tools to analyze the methods of characterisation in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel, Americanah (2013). Specifically, it uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the themes and characters in the novel, illuminating the author’s ideas and style. Through a corpus-based approach, this research examines the keywords and clusters that define the novel’s narrative structure, revealing the ideologies and literary techniques Adichie uses to craft characters and impart meaning about their experiences. The characterisation analysis uncovers recurring themes, rhetorical strategies, and linguistic patterns that enrich the portrayal of characters and narrative progression. The findings provide insights valuable for educational contexts, allowing students and readers to gain a thorough understanding of the text prior to delving into its more complex aspects.

Refund of mistakenly paid and/or overpaid customs duties: ways to improve the effectiveness of the protection of the rights of economic operators

The article draws attention to the fact that, at the moment, there is significant support among administrative courts for the opinion according to which the measure of judicial response to the fact that the customs authority did not prepare a conclusion on the recovery of mistakenly paid and/ or overpaid customs duties from the budget is to recognize this inaction as unlawful and placing the respective customs authority under obligation to prepare such a conclusion and submit it to the state treasury. In contrast to this, according to the provisions of the doctrine of effective judicial protection, which is approved in the literal meaning of the provisions of the legislation on administrative proceedings and is developed and specified in the practice of its interpretation and application, optimal ways of influencing the court on disputed legal relations in cases of illegality of decisions, actions and inactions of sub In many cases, the subject of power has a direct obligation to restore violated rights. In light of this, it is justified that an effective method of judicial protection of the rights of declarants against the inaction of customs authorities in the framework of the procedure for the return of mistakenly and/or excessively paid amounts of customs payments, which would fully and definitively restore their rights, excluding the need for repeated appeals to the court by ensuring the possibility of enforcement of a court decision, there is a collection from the state budget through the state treasury of mistakenly and/or excessively paid amounts of customs payments. It is noted that for the possibility of forced recovery of erroneously and/or excessively paid amounts of customs payments by the administrative court, the declarant must confirm that he has fulfilled all the requirements of the law for this, in particular, that he has no tax debt. It is noted that the further perspective of increasing the effectiveness of the protection of the rights of declarants in legal relations regarding the return of mistakenly and/or excessively paid amounts of customs payments is the introduction of the possibility of administrative courts to collect these funds based on the results of consideration not only of cases about the return of mistakenly and/or excessively paid amounts of customs payments, but and by satisfying the requirement for this in cases in which the illegality of the decisions of the customs authorities is established, which led to the groundless accrual or additional accrual of the amounts of customs payments (in particular, in the cases of recognition as illegal and cancellation of the decision on the adjustment of the customs value of goods). This should optimize the organizational and economic losses of declarants and customs authorities, caused by the need to apply for formal confirmation of the existence of grounds for the return of mistakenly and/or excessively paid amounts of customs payments under a special procedure.

Las locuciones hiperbólicas

Abstract In contrast to the case of metaphorical and metonymical idioms, there is no research specifically concerned with Spanish hyperbolic idioms. This article shows that it is possible to apply different definitions and characterizations of hyperbole to idioms that should be considered hyperbolic. The analysis is based on idiomaticity and is supported by the distinction between the literal and idiomatic meanings of these fixed expressions. In the conclusions, seven criteria are established to identify hyperbolic idioms, and the types are differentiated according to: 1) the conceptual mechanisms of metaphor and metonymy that explain their formation, 2) the form and meaning of their constituent parts, and 3) the semantic fields in which they are included. Finally, we point out the need to continue analyzing these types of idioms from both a theoretical and an applied perspective, in the latter case with a possible view to marking them as hyperbolic in dictionaries.

From Textuality To Discursity; The Hermeneutics of Quran Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd

The agenda of Islamic renewal has declined due to the stagnation of the Al-Qur'an reading model that has occurred for thousands of years. Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, an Egyptian intellectual, sees this happening because of the overlap between text and meaning as a consequence of the sanctification of the verses of the Qur'an as the word of God which contains absolute truth and creates the impossibility of interpretation beyond the literal meaning of the text. Responding to these conditions, Abu Zayd presents a thesis regarding the textuality of the Qur'an or that the Muslim holy book is a cultural product that contains objective meaning which must be revealed through an understanding of horizontal interactions with the socio-historical world. The implication is that the Qur'an is a textus receptus (received text/mushaf) which must be approached by borrowing various methodologies such as hermeneutics, semiotics and language. Only then, according to Abu Zayd, can the objective meaning of the text free from ideology and subjectivism be achieved. This paper will elaborate on the phenomenon of impasse in the meaning of the Qur'an along with Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd's methodological-hermeneutical proposal regarding both the textuality and the discoursiveness of the Qur'an. Next, some application of Abu Zayd's hermeneutics in usury, polygamy and hakimiyat will be elaborated.

Cross-modal incongruity aligning and collaborating for multi-modal sarcasm detection

Sarcasm embodies a linguistic phenomenon that highlights a significant incongruity between the literal meanings of words and intended attitudes. With the proliferation of image–text content on social media, the task of multi-modal sarcasm detection (MSD) has gained considerable attention recently. Tremendous progress have been made in developing better MSD models, primarily relying on a straightforward extract-then-fuse paradigm. However, such a setting encounters two potential challenges. First, the utilization of separately pre-trained unimodal models for extracting visual and textual features frequently lacks the fundamental alignment capabilities required for effective multimodal data integration. Second, the detrimental modality gaps between vision and language make it challenging to comprehensively integrate multi-modal information solely via diverse cross-modal fusion techniques. Consequently, this poses a prominent challenge in further capturing cross-modal incongruity and improving the effectiveness of MSD. In this paper, we propose a Multi-modal Mutual Learning (MuMu) network to tackle these issues. Specifically, we initialize the MuMu network with image and text encoders from the large-scale Contrastive Language-Image Pretraining model to enhance the underlying image–text correspondence. Moreover, to improve the capability of capturing cross-modal inconsistency during the fusion process, we design an align-fuse-collaborate mechanism to align disparate modalities before fusion and enhance the collaborative modeling ability between the two modalities with mutual learning after fusion. The proposed MuMu achieves new state-of-the-art results on a public dataset, demonstrating a substantial improvement of approximately 3% to 9% in terms of accuracy, micro-F1, and macro-F1 scores.

From lack of understanding to heightened engagement: A multimodal study of Hebrew ′ATA LO MEVIN ‘You don’t understand’

Abstract This study explores the Hebrew ′ATA LO MEVIN (‘you don’t understand’) construction in a corpus of casual conversation. Employing the methodology of Interactional Linguistics and Multimodal Conversation Analysis, we show that deployment of this construction is fixed and formulaic and only rarely denotes the recipient’s lack of understanding. Based on a mostly synchronic analysis, we suggest a grammaticization path followed by this construction from a negative epistemic subject-predicate construction denoting literal lack of understanding to a discourse marker signaling the opening of a new narrative, while seeking recipient alignment with the speaker’s intensified affective stance. The path described reveals that embodied conduct, as well as prosodic, morphophonological, and syntactic features of the construction correlate with the weakening of its literal meaning. This sheds light on the uses speakers make of the construction, on how heightened engagement may be achieved in discourse, and on the dialogic nature of interaction and grammar.

Study on the Translation of the Key Terms of Chinese Culture in Insights into Chinese Culture

Insights into Chinese Culture, a book which systematically and comprehensively introduces the Chinese culture from four aspects, that is, wisdom and beliefs, creativity and exchange, art and aesthetics and folk customs, has played a pivotal role in spreading the brilliant Chinese culture to Western countries since its publication in 2008. The 21st century has witnessed the “going global” of the Chinese culture gradually developing into a national strategy. Under this overall background, this book has been studied from various perspectives such as Western rhetoric theory, audience awareness, the image of China it presents, the strategy of translating culture-loaded words involved and the complex philosophical thoughts explained within and so on, among which, however, a systematic study on the translation of its key terms of Chinese culture is in dire need currently in translation community since it is a book that aims to deliver the great and profound Chinese culture to Western readers. Therefore, following Susan Bassnett’s Cultural Translation Theory, from the perspective of cultural fidelity and the acceptability of English readers, this thesis discusses and analyzes the translations of the representative terms of Chinese culture, such as “仁(ren)”, “礼(li)”, “自然(zi-ran)”, “无为(wu-wei)”, “天(tian)” and “龙(long)”, to examine whether they accurately convey the cultural connotations or to some extent may lead to cultural misunderstandings. This study suggests that the accurate translation of key terms of Chinese culture, which is of great significance in promoting Chinese culture to go global, requires translators’ full and deep grasp of their philosophical connotations and cultural backgrounds instead of the superficial interpretation of their literal meanings.

Systematic review of multiliteracies skills, multimodal tools to facilitate learning in early childhood classroom

This systematic review of literature investigates the use of multimodal tools and acquisition of multiliteracies skills to facilitate effective learning in early childhood educational settings. The review covered a total of 15 relevant articles obtained from databases such as ERIC, Education Full Text, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Having analyzed and synthesized the current evidence, the review provides a significant and valuable insight into the use and acquisition of multiliteracies skills and tools to facilitate learning in early childhood settings. The sole purpose of this review is to add to the body of existing literature in multiliteracies. The study also provides answer to the only research question of the review which was what are the most effective ways to implement multiliteracies and multimodal techniques in the classroom and how early childhood education can benefit from the systematic application of multiliteracies and multimodal learning. The result of the review revealed that, teachers are facing greater challenges than ever in choosing and designing a pedagogy that can engage students in meaningful literacy practices due to the changing literacy needs in the multimedia environment, the changing lifeworld’s of the learners, and the changing dimensions of school literacies. Therefore, the review recommended that policymakers must work to incorporate all multimodal tools and technology into the curriculum, especially for early childhood education. Also, schools and learning centers should provide limitless opportunities in early childhood classrooms and environment to assist, direct, and motivate students to learn.

Проза Г. Яхиной как опыт художественной реконструкции исторического прошлого и создания персональной мифологии

Guzel Yakhina’s prose is explored in the discourse of “new historicism”, the essence of which is not limited by presenting historical events, but expresses interest in the fate of people in the flow of historical time. The focus of the writer’s attention in the novels “Zuleikha opens her eyes” (2016) and “Echelon to Samarkand” (2021) is the Soviet past, tragic episodes of Russian history of the late 1910s–1940s: the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War, devastation and total famine of the early 1920s, dispossession and repression of the 1930s. The purpose of the analysis: to consider the interpretation of the historical past, to reveal the Soviet chronotope in the novels of the writer, to reveal the artistic concept based on the author’s personal mythology. In the analyzed texts, the themes of the “great famine”, dispossession and repression revealed as a collective trauma. The author contrasts death and destruction with the humanistic idea of faith in man and the assertion of traditional values: fraternal unity and mutual assistance, caring for children, the victory of good over evil. The historical material to which Yakhina refers, allows her to correlate the low and the high in man, the false and the true, the topical and the timeless, to contrast her personal mythology with the consequences of a historical catastrophe and non-existence. The study of literary texts in the discourse of “new historicism”, according to A. Etkind, requires solving the problem, which “consists in distinguishing the literal and metaphorical meanings of the text, paying tribute to both and combining them in a new historicizing reading”. The experience of such a “historicizing reading” determined the concept of this article.

Illocutionary Acts in “Di Timur Matahari Movie”

The phenomenon that happens in communication, especially in terms of speech acts often becomes an issue in society. The function of a language or utterance that does not only contain literal meaning but has a certain intended meaning often causes misunderstanding in communication. Since the development of technology, speech acts also can be found in a movie. Since, in the movie, the producer sometimes raises a story of a certain social life, Di Timur Matahari's movie was chosen to be the object of the study. This movie raised the culture of north Indonesia (Papua). A descriptive qualitative method was applied in this study. From collected data, some types of illocutionary acts were found. Those were expressive, assertive, and directive. The most dominant type of illocutionary acts found in the utterance was directives. The result of this study is essential because it shows what type of illocutionary act that was mostly used in the movie.

When It Pays to Be Insincere: On the Benefits of Verbal Irony

Verbal irony is pervasive in social interaction, presumably because it can be used to achieve a number of communicative goals and effects. In general, verbal irony has a reputation for having negative effects, but in this article we present evidence for the cognitive, social, and emotional benefits of verbal irony and demonstrate the potential of this form of language to provide crucial psychological insights. The power of irony lies in its ability to create meaning that is in conflict with the literal meaning—thus altering our understanding of it and by doing so enhancing cognition, mediating emotions, or shaping social relationships.

Processes of Emotion Idioms Comprehension of Turkish-Speaking People with Wernicke’s Aphasia

Introduction: Idioms are commonly used in everyday language to convey emotions figuratively. The ability to comprehend and use idioms that incorporate emotional elements is crucial for effective communication in daily life, particularly among people with aphasia (PwA). Despite the interest in understanding the process of emotion idiom comprehension in PwA, limited information is available in the literature. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the process of emotion idiom comprehension in people with Wernicke’s aphasia (PwWA) and compare it with that of neurotypical individuals. Methods: Sixty idioms were selected based on their syntactic and semantic features, and participants evaluated their imageability. Sixteen idioms were chosen for the study, and two types of tasks were prepared: written idiom-picture matching and written idiom-written text matching. These tasks were administered to two groups: 11 PwWA and 11 neurotypical individuals. The results were analysed in terms of task performance, response type, syntactic and semantic features, and emotional content. Results: The emotion idiom comprehension scores of the PwWA group were significantly lower than those of the neurotypical participants. PwWA had greater difficulty with the written idiom-picture matching task and tended to rely on the literal meanings of the idioms. There were differences in the semantic features between the two groups. Among the emotion idioms, PwWA showed significant differences in the types of emotions they were able to comprehend. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that regardless of the syntactic content of idioms, PwWA’s ability to comprehend emotion idioms is impaired, and they tend to interpret them more literally. This study provides a useful method for assessing emotional idiom comprehension in PwA.

Semiotika Al-Qur'an: Pembacaan Heuristic Dan Heurmenetic Michael Riffaterre Dalam Dialog Nabi Ibrahim Q.S Al-Anbiya’ 59-62

This article discusses the semiotic study of the Quran using the heuristic and hermeneutic approaches developed by Michael Camille Riffaterre. The focus of the analysis is on Surah Al-Anbiya' verses 59-62, which narrate the story of Prophet Ibrahim and his struggle against idol worshipers. In the heuristic analysis, the research centers on understanding the surface text of the Quran, such as the dialogues and actions of Prophet Ibrahim and the reactions of the idol worshipers. This heuristic analysis reveals the chronology of events and actions of Prophet Ibrahim and underscores the importance of understanding the literal meaning of the Quranic text.Meanwhile, Riffaterre's hermeneutic analysis delves deeper into the hidden meanings and implications of this story. In these verses, there is symbolism that reflects a shift in the mindset of the idol worshipers as they come to realize their error. The consequences of misguided beliefs and the wisdom of worshiping Allah as the One and Only God become the moral message highlighted in this hermeneutic analysis.This semiotic study of the Quran provides a more comprehensive understanding of the story of Prophet Ibrahim and idol worship in the cultural and religious context of that time. The heuristic and hermeneutic approaches used by Riffaterre help unearth deeper meanings and relevant moral messages that can be applied in everyday life. Thus, this semiotic study strengthens the understanding of wisdom and truth in worshiping Allah as the one and only God

The Role of the Author in Literary Understanding

Abstract: The prevailing anti-authorial trend in contemporary mainstream literary theory and aesthetic anti-intentionalism produces different versions of "the death of the author" concept. Conversely, different forms of intentionalism in the analytic tradition strongly defend the relevance of authorial intentions. Although I agree with classic intentionalism on some key points, I find it untenable to believe that the meaning of a literary work is wholly dependent on the intentions of its creator. Rather I consider authorial meaning as one variety of literary meaning. My explanation of the part the author plays in literary understanding is consistent with Anders Pettersson's theory.

Dramatism of Cossack life in the works of F. Kryukov

The research is aimed at analyzing the works of Fyodor Kryukov, in which he describes Cossack life. We explore the dramatic aspects of this topic, including the internal conflicts of the characters, the sociocultural aspects of Cossack life and its influence on the fate of the heroes. The Cossacks have unique values and traditions, which shape the characteristics of dramatic events. The works of F. Kryukov are deeply concerned with the psychology of the characters, which makes the drama more intense. The structure of the works, the author's style and the use of literary means to convey the drama of Cossack life will also be considered. The works of F. Kryukov leave a significant mark on literary history. This study is original in that it attempts a deep analysis of the drama of Cossack life and its expression in the works of F. Kryukov. Previous studies of Cossack folklore and literature have focused on the general features of Cossack culture, but our study focuses on moments of dramatic tension and personal conflict, which represents a new research approach to the work of F. Kryukov and Cossack themes in literature in general. By analyzing specific aspects of drama, we are able to more deeply understand how Kryukov conveyed the complex emotional and moral aspects of Cossack life in his works. In a study on the drama of Cossack life in the works of F. Kryukov, the following conclusions were found: drama occupies a central position in the works.

Early Birds Can Fly: Awakening the Literal Meaning of Conventional Metaphors Further Downstream

ABSTRACT Conventional metaphors such as early bird are interpreted rather fast and efficiently. This is so because they might be stored as lexicalized, non-compositional expressions. In a previous study, employing a maze task, we showed that, after reading metaphors (John is an early bird so he can …), participants took longer and were less accurate in selecting the appropriate word (attend) when it was paired with a literally-related distractor (fly) rather than an unrelated one (cry). This suggests that the literal meaning of conventional metaphors is awakened or made available immediately after their metaphorical interpretation. But does the literal meaning remain available further downstream during sentence comprehension? In two experiments also employing a maze task, we examined whether the awakening effect can be obtained when there is a medium (6 to 8 words) and a large (11 to 13 words) distance between the metaphor and lexical choice. Results indicated that the metaphor awakening effect persists but decreases as word distance increases. An analysis of our data based on a GPT model showed that our maze effects could not be attributed to target predictability. Overall, our results suggest that the literal meaning of a metaphor is accessed and remains available for about three seconds, fading as the sentence unfolds over time. The results support a model of metaphor comprehension that postulates the availability of both literal and metaphoric content in the course of sentence processing.

Beyond content: exploring the neglected dimensions of mathematics literacy

Abstract Becoming mathematically literate means not only knowledge of the content of mathematics but also understanding of the nature of mathematics and the literate practices involved in the creation, communication, and consumption of its content. This case study examined one mathematician’s view of the nature of mathematics and his literate practices. Data collected include semi-structured interviews with the mathematician, observations of his daily work routines, and his think-alouds during the reading of a disciplinary text. These data were analyzed qualitatively through an iterative process involving multiple readings and identification and refinement of codes. The analysis revealed that the mathematician (a) viewed mathematics as rigorous and demanding, both theoretical and practical, relatively stable but highly rewarding, interconnected with other disciplines, and involving discipline-legitimated discursive practices; (b) engaged in extensive reading/viewing and writing, valued learning from repeated trials and errors, and collaborated with an international network of peers in research; (c) used a range of reading strategies (e.g. close reading, summarizing, questioning, storying, evaluating, annotating) to help him make sense of the disciplinary text; and (d) marshaled both verbal and visual resources to create specialized knowledge, engage in rigorous reasoning, develop logical argument, and construct professional identity. These findings provide important insights that can help teachers design activities that are authentic to mathematics practices and effective for promoting mathematics literacy.