ACADEMIC WRITING WEEK 4 - MAKE OUTLINE FROM THE 5 JOURNAL

 1. Title: 

An Analysis of Denotation and Connotation in Chairil Anwar’s Poem

Daumi Rahmatika Zuhdah UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim, Malang, Indonesia P-ISSN: 2541-5514; e-ISSN: 2442-7586

 

Introduction: 

Word is a form of expressions that has meaning. People sometimes have their own words to express something special for them, they create several words with particular meaning. There are two types of word meaning, the first type is conceptual or denotative meaning and the second one is connotative meaning (Rababah, 2015). Denotative meaning is a meaning that does not contain any other meanings or values (Saifuddin, 2018), and it is based on dictionary meaning. On the other hand, connotative meaning is meaning with additional value or sense which is indirect and unreal (Saifuddin, 2018a). In addition, denotation is the literal meaning or linguistic meaning of the expression, and connotation is the contrast of denotation which means about social and affective meaning (Finegan, 2008). The main aim of this study is to analyze denotative and connotative meaning in a poem. In poetry, there are a lot of manipulation language than the others literary work (Cavanagh, Gillis, & Keown, 2011), then people sometime have some difficulties in understanding and finding the meaning. Therefore, the research objective in this analysis is explaining denotative and connotative meaning of the words (penjara, bunuh diri, bernyawa, dan menatap) from “Sebuah Kamar” poem by Chairil Anwar. 

 

Research Methods: 

This study is categorized as descriptive qualitative research because the data are analyzed descriptively, and using several document reviews (Astalin, 2013). In addition, qualitative methodology has a wide meaning regarding to the research which the result in form of descriptive data or written words (Taylor, 2016). The data was taken randomly from words (penjara, bunuh diri, bernyawa, dan menatap) in a poem. The technique of collecting the data can be described through some steps, such as comparing many famous poets in Indonesia and choose the best one.

 

Discussion: 

The discussion of this study is analyzing the denotative and connotative meaning of the words (penjara, bunuh diri, bernyawa, dan menatap) using three stages of interpretations. These three stages of interpretations are literal meaning, explicature, and implicature. In addition, denotative meaning is same with literal meaning of the word, whereas connotative meaning can be analyzed through sense relation. In this case, denotative meaning is taken from the dictionary or general meaning then most of people agree with that kind of meaning. In addition, connotative meaning is taken from the context of word which is different between one person to another, or based on everyone’s interpretation.

 

 

Conclusion:

Every word has denotative meaning that based on agreement in society or people agree with the meaning in word generally. In general, connotation comes from social beliefs related to the expression in from of word. Denotative word leads all people to have the same perspective meaning. In all cases, this literal meaning only has one point meaning, while in connotative every people may have different perspective meaning.  

 

References: 

·         Anindita, K. A., & Satoto, S. (2017). Diction in Poetry Anthology Surat Kopi by Joko Pinurbo as A Poetry Writing Teaching Material. 11.

·         Anjomshoa, L., & Sadighi, F. (2015). The Comparison of Connotative Meaning in Animal Words between English and Persian Expressions and their Translation. International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature, 3(2), 13.

·         Astalin, D. P. K. (2013). Qualitative Research Designs: A Conceptual Framework. Interdisciplinary Research, 2(1), 7.

 

2. Title:

INCREASING TOEFL SCORE USING MIND MAPPING METHOD

e-ISSN: 2580-9962; p-ISSN: 2580-8672

 

Introduction:

The use of English teaching methods, especially in learning Standard English grammar

 greatly affects the achievement of students' understanding of the material provided. English grammar teaching methods obtained by students at an earlier educational level still tend to only activate one side of their brain (Pravitasari & Fitriasih, 2014). Mind Mapping is helpful in the work process of the human brain which is divided into two, namely the left brain and the right one. Both hemispheres of the human brain have different tasks and ways of working. This study explores the mind mapping method in answering TOEFL questions because it facilitates participants to analyze the types of questions. In answering TOEFL questions, students are given TOEFL steps as the facilitator. 

 

Research Purpose: 

The purpose of this study is to improve the TOEFL scores of students of Ganesha

 Polytechnic Medan. This study also aims to help students understand the steps in answering TOEFL questions so that they could make good preparations before attending the test.

 

Literature Review:

·         TOEFL is an abbreviation of Test of English as a Foreign Language, organized by an institution in the United States called ETS (Educational Testing Service). Initially, the TOEFL was needed for students in countries whose main language was not English, but who wanted to continue their studies in countries whose official language was English.

·         Mind Mapping is a strategy for assisting students’ thinking through mental mapping of words or notions. Mind Mappings contain visual frameworks like figures, diagrams, or charts utilized to display structural knowledge. They are influential in that they assist students to communicate information because they can explain complex notions in simple, meaningful representations so that learners can expand a good comprehension of the content to be learnt.

 

Research Methods:

This research is conducted by means of a descriptive qualitative approach. (Moleong: 2000) states that qualitative research is best chosen to analyze social phenomena and regarding this, the phenomena are concerned with the difficulty of students facing the TOEFL test.

 

Discussion:

Students participating are 77 students. The time and duration of the program are from 5 May - 6 August , 2019. The duration of 40 hours is applied in 1 hour 30 minutes per day. The material provided is divided into three categories, namely the provision of general TOEFL material, discussion of TOEFL questions, and simulations. In section 1 or listening there are 50 questions and there are 3 types of questions: short conversation, long conversation and the third is a long story (Long Talk). In the second section there are two types, namely questions in the form of structure (Sentence Completion) and Written Expression (Error Identification) consisting of 40 questions. In the structure section students are required to choose the right answer to the multiple choice problem. In the structure completion section students are instructed to analyze grammar regarding tenses, prepositions, and spellings that are refined in English. And the third is Reading Comprehension of 50 questions in the forms of reading text and vocabulary 

 

Conclusion:

The use of mind mapping can improve the TOEFL scores and it is useful for students to be able to answer TOEFL questions. Students are more creative and get freedom to pour ideas or knowledge they absorb into an image so that things will be more easily absorbed and will be longer stored in their memory.

 

References:

·         Amilia, F. (2018). Pemahaman dan Habituasi untuk Membangun Kompetensi Menulis Praktis dan Ilmiah.

·         Lingua Franca: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, dan Pengajarannya, 26.

·         Budd, J. W. (2004). Employment with Human Face: Balancing Efficiency, Equity, and Voice. New York: ILR Press.

·         Buzan, T., & Buzan, B. (2000). The Mind Map Book. London: BBC Worldwide Limited. Moleong, L. (2000). Metode Penelitian Kualitatif . Bandung: Remaja Rosda Karya.

 

3. Title:

Milestones in the Journey of Phenomenology: From Socrates to Kant

ISSN 2282-7757; e-ISSN 2282-7765

 

Introduction:

Phenomenology is linked to ancient philosophers as its roots can be traced from the Socratic era. Various other philosophers have also contributed to developing this field. As Socrates’ ‘scepticism’, Plato’s ‘idealism’, Aristotle’s ‘realism’, Locke’s ‘epistemology’, Hume’s ‘positivism’, and Kant’s ‘existentialism’ are all of the respective concepts which provided the very fundamentals of phenomenology. Society is full of phenomena, and the way of exploring this phenomenon is known as phenomenology. In which, one considers the things like experience or perceive them to be contrary to the facts or reality. The inception of phenomenology can be seen back in the times of three Greek philosophers, who made tremendous history, Socrates, his brilliant student Plato and Plato’s best student, Aristotle.

Phenomenology is a school of thought that emphasises a focus on people's subjective experiences and interpretations of the world. That is, the phenomenologist wants to understand how the world appears to others. 

 

Research Methods: 

In this article, researchers have conducted a constructive analysis of the historical literature related to the field of phenomenology which is derived from philosophy by using the technique of relational analysis that refers to go into the past by investigating the association between the thoughts perceived.

 

Discussion:

1.      Socrates (469-399 B.C) was one of the most influential Greek thinkers and is often considered as the father of western philosophy. He focused on how to acquire knowledge, which is the very fundamental of phenomenology. 

2.      Plato (427-347 B.C), who was the student of Socrates and founder of the academy in Athens, known as a classical Greek philosopher, introduced the domain of ideas which can also be extracted from Socrates thinking. But, he also presented the contradictory view. 

3.      Aristotle (384-322 B.C), who was taught by Plato, is also known as a classical Greek philosopher. He argued that there is no other domain, but the only thing is reality as its properties can be seen in real objects that reflect in nature as either good or bad. 

4.      John Locke (1632-1704), an English philosopher, is known as the father of liberalism. He emphasised on epistemology, which refers to the theory of knowledge which can justify the objective world and this knowledge is based on probability as well as ideas.

5.      David Hume (1711-1776), a Scottish philosopher, best known for the system of radical philosophy, inferred that the human mind is dominated by the imagination which represents the early idea or image about something it reflects. 

6.      Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), a German philosopher, is often considered as the central figure of modern philosophy. He suggested that knowledge regarding objects possessed by a person is confirmed by the experience of that particular object. 

 

 

Conclusion:

Phenomenology is a production of a long period of reflection which includes several classical and modern philosophers, and this is the very reason that the essence of phenomenology can be found in many philosophers’ views because primarily it is derived from philosophy.

 

References: 

·         Ballard, E. G. (1965). Socratic Ignorance. Netherlands: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-94-011-9432-7

·         Dickerson, A. B. (2011). Kant on Representation and Objectivity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

·         Dunbar, R. (2005). The Human Story: A New History of Mankind’s Evolution. London: Faber.

 

4. Title:

Smartphone use and academic performance: A literature review

ISSN 0883-0355

 

Introduction:

The first systematic review of the scientific literature on smartphone use and academic success. We synthesise the theoretical mechanisms, empirical approaches, and empirical findings described in the multidisciplinary literature to date. In 2018, approximately 77 percent of America’s inhabitants owned a smartphone (Pew Research Center, 2018), defined here as a mobile phone that performs many of the functions of a computer (Alosaimi, Alyahya, Alshahwan, Al Mahyijari, & Shaik, 2016). In addition, a survey conducted in 2015 showed that 46 percent of Americans reported that they could not live without their smart- phone (Smith, 2015). In addition to the (potential) impact on people’s private life, smartphone use is also expected to interfere with individuals’ educational and professional life. In particular, it has been related to tertiary students’ academic performance. Smartphone ownership is highest among people aged 18–29 (Pew Research Center, 2018), an age group in which students are highly represented. 

 

Literature reviews:

The literature’s empirical findings on the association between general smartphone use and tertiary educational outcomes. This review is the result of a systematic search. In the first step, all 490 article abstracts indexed in Web of Science including a combination of ‘smartphone use’ with ‘educational outcome’ or ‘academic performance’ were screened for re- levance, which provided an initial list of studies for our review. In the second step, we explored (a) the articles included in the studies’ references and (b) the articles citing these studies in Web of Science. This second step was re-iterated whenever an additional relevant article was found.

Studies that examine the association between the use of specific smartphone applications and study performance, such as Jacobsen and Forste (2011) and Bun Lee (2014), were excluded. This choice was made to realise a homogeneous literature to review. Moreover, studies investigating the association between the use of particular applications and academic performance ignore the fact that the use of an electronic device for this particular application is strongly correlated with its use for other activities (Chen & Yan, 2016), potentially resulting in an omitted variable bias.

 

Discussion:

a)      Main findings: This first look at the literature provides an indication that the negative mechanisms, as discussed in the previous section, contribute more to the association between smartphone use and academic outcomes than the positive mechanisms. 

b)      Convergences in the empirical literature: The statistical and economic magnitude of the association between smartphone use and academic performance seems to be rather homogeneous by (a) the public versus private nature of tertiary education institutions, (b) the method of data analysis as well as by (c) the region and sample size of the realised data. Firstly, one could expect that the students in samples from private universities are positively selective with respect to non-observed characteristics like internal motivation and ability (Di Pietro & Cutillo, 2006; James, 1994; Ladd, 2002). For these students, several of the theoretical mechanisms supporting a negative association between smartphone use and academic performance might be less relevant. 

c)      Divergences in the empirical literature: By contrast, the association between smartphone use and academic performance seems to be heterogeneous by (a) the method of data gathering, (b) the measures of academic performance used in the analysis, and (c) the measures of smartphone use adopted in the research.

·         Firstly, all studies in Table 1 are (mainly) based on survey data: Seven rely on an online survey and another 12 rely on a paper and pencil survey. 

·         Secondly, across the reviewed studies, three measures of academic performance are used. Six studies use data on students’ actual grades received from the lecturer or from the faculty or university administration.

·         Thirdly, we distinguish a similar difference in research results depending on how smartphone use is measured. In 12 articles, the researchers investigate the association between academic performance and total smartphone use.

 

Conclusion:

In this article, we reviewed the scientific literature to date on the relationship between smartphone use and academic perfor- mance in tertiary education. Our analysis of the literature reveals a predominance of empirical results supporting a negative asso- ciation. However, this predominance is less outspoken in studies analysing data gathered by paper and pen questionnaires (compared with studies on data gathered by online surveys) and studies relying on self-reported grade point averages (compared with studies using actual grades). In general, when scholars use methods of data gathering which are more susceptible to social desirable be- haviour, a non-significant association is found more often.

The main limitation identified in the literature is that the existing studies all conduct correlational analyses and/or linear or logistic regression analyses on cross-sectional data so that their results cannot be given a causal interpretation.

A second limitation of the literature is related to the analysed data. As pointed out in the empirical findings section, 20 out of 23 reviewed articles used self-reported measures of smartphone use in their analysis. 

 

 

 

 

 

References: 

·         Supplementary material related to this article can be found, in the online version, at doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020. 101618.

·         Alosaimi, F. D., Alyahya, H., Alshahwan, H., Al Mahyijari, N., & Shaik, S. A. (2016). Smartphone addiction among university students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Medical Journal, 37, 675–683

·         Asante, R. K. B., & Hiadzi, R. A. (2018). In-lecture smartphone use and academic performance: A reflection on the sustainable development goal number four. Ghana Social Science Journal, 15, 161–178.

·         Baert, S., Verhaest, D., Vermeir, A., & Omey, E. (2015). Mister sandman, bring me good marks! On the relationship between sleep quality and academic achievement. Social Science & Medicine, 130, 91–98.

 

 

5. Title: 

The profile of the skilled reader: An investigation into the role of reading enjoyment and student characteristics

ISSN 0883-0355

 

Introduction: 

Reading skills are indispensable to successful participation in education and society. In addition to possessing cognitive abilities (i.e., reading comprehension or the ability to extract and construct meaning from text), a competent reader is also motivated to engage in the reading process. Over the past two decades, researchers have increasingly recognised the importance of students’ motivation in successful reading. Reading motivation is multifaceted and complex, implying that students can be motivated to read for different reasons. This study particularly focusses on reading enjoyment as part of reading motivation or the disposition to engage in reading activities for enjoyment and the satisfaction of curiosity. Re- searchers already demonstrated that students with poor reading comprehension performances usually experience less reading en- joyment (Wigfield, 2004; Wigfield et al., 2008).

 

Literature Review: 

1.      Reading comprehension and reading enjoyment. The ability to read competently is an important educational goal. This goal or the essence of reading transcends reading fluency and includes the construction of meaning from written material or constructing a mental text representation (Boardman et al., 2015; Gambrell, 2011; Paul & Clarke, 2016). This is also reflected in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) definition which outlines reading comprehension as “understanding, using, reflecting on and engaging in written texts, so that a person can achieve his goals, develop his knowledge and capacities and participate in society” (OECD, 2010c, p. 23). PISA consequently con- siders reading comprehension to be broader than its application in the school context only.

2.      The relationship with student characteristics.

·         The relationship with gender: A great deal of studies point to the existence of a gender gap in reading enjoyment and comprehension, emphasising that girls enjoy reading significantly more than boys.

·         The relationship with educational tracks: Even though students are generally divided into different tracks from secondary education onwards, few studies take these into account. 

·         The relationship with socio-economic status: Since the student population is increasingly diverse, it is more exigent than ever to understand the relationship between students’ socio-economic background and their reading behaviour and performance.

·         The relationship with language background: Apart from understanding the role of students’ gender, educational track, and SES in their reading enjoyment and comprehension, researchers recommend more studies investigating the role of secondary school students’ language background.

 

 

Research Methods: 

This study was based on secondary analyses of data collected by PISA (2009) in Flanders. PISA is a wide-ranging international study using a cross-sectional survey every three years to examine 15-year-olds’ reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy in OECD countries. Because the 2009 PISA study mainly focused on reading, the collected research data allowed an extensive analysis of this domain and related background characteristics and provided a large sample of students. In the current study, the PISA reading literacy test was used.

 

Discussion: 

This study investigated the relationship between secondary school students’ reading enjoyment and reading comprehension, the relationship between both variables and students’ gender, educational track, SES, and language background, and the extent to which these background characteristics moderate the relationship between students’ reading enjoyment and reading comprehension. 

·         Firstly, the results concerning the role of students’ gender confirm the existence of a gender gap in students’ reading enjoyment and reading comprehension. 

·         Secondly, regarding the role of students’ educational track, the results revealed that students in the technical and vocational track scored lower in both reading enjoyment and comprehension compared to their peers in the academic track.

·         Thirdly, concerning the role of students’ SES, our results confirm prior research showing that socio-economically advantaged students reported significantly higher scores in reading enjoyment and comprehension than their more socio-economically dis- advantaged peers.

·         Finally, in terms of students’ language background, this study demonstrated that students scored significantly lower for reading enjoyment than their Dutch speaking peers. In line with previous research, the differences found in reading enjoyment between both groups were rather small. 

 

 

Conclusion: 

Not all educational tracks in the Flemish education system were incorporated in the present study. This study explicitly focused on students attending the academic, technical, and vocational tracks in regular Flemish education. Students attending the arts track could not be included in the present study due to the restricted number of students sampled in the Flemish PISA 2009 dataset. However, future research could take this track into account by means of oversampling.

 

References: 

·         Alexander, P. A., & Fox, E. (2011). Adolescents as readers. In M. L. Kamil, P. D. Pearson, E. B. 

·         Moje, & P. P. Afflerbach (Eds.). Handbook of Reading research (pp. 157– 176). New York, NY: Routledge.

·         Alfassi, M. (2004). Reading to learn: Effects of combined strategy instruction on high school students. The Journal of Educational Research, 97(4), 171–185. Anderson, S. F., Kelley, K., &

·         Maxwell, S. E. (2017). Sample-size planning for more accurate statistical power: A method adjusting sample effect sizes for publication bias and uncertainty. Psychological Science, 28, 1547–1562.