Manar Elsharq Journal for Literature and Language Studies

Phonostylistic Study of Broadcaster Abbas Hamza in the Iraqi Program Al-Tareeq

2025-08-19T12:42:21+00:00

This study examines the phonostylistic characteristics present in the speech of Iraqi broadcaster Abbas Hamza in the television program Al-Tareeq. Despite the growing body of research on phonetic aspects in English-language news delivery, there remains a significant gap concerning Arabic phonostylistics—particularly within Iraqi media. To date, no in-depth analysis has explored how Hamza’s vocal techniques contribute to the emotional depth and communicative strength of the program. This research seeks to answer key questions: How does Abbas Hamza employ phonostylistic features in his broadcasts? What are the dominant features used? In what ways do these elements enhance the rhetorical, persuasive, and emotional dimensions of his message? Furthermore, how do these vocal strategies shape his media persona? The primary objectives are to identify and analyze the phonostylistic features in Hamza’s speech, explore how intonation, pitch, rhythm, stress, and pauses fulfill various communicative functions in Al-Tareeq, and examine the interplay between vocal performance, identity construction, and message effectiveness within the context of Iraqi broadcasting. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study analyzes selected episodes of the program, focusing on recurring vocal patterns and stylistic strategies. The findings demonstrate that Hamza’s voice serves not only as a tool for information delivery but also as a performative medium that constructs his media identity and resonates with audiences on an emotional level. His style reflects a distinctive synthesis of classical Arabic oratorical traditions and modern broadcasting techniques. This study contributes to the emerging field of Arabic phonostylistics and offers valuable insights for linguists, media professionals, and speech trainers interested in the dynamic relationship between voice and communicative impact.

Hedging and Boosting in Political Press Briefings: A Critical Discourse Analysis of U.S., U.K., and Iraqi Political Discourse with an Introduction to Cultural-Ideological Linguistic Model

2025-08-19T12:57:58+00:00

This study develops and validates the Cultural-Ideological Linguistic Model (CILM), a framework for analyzing political discourse strategies across diverse cultural and political contexts. Combining macro-level sociopolitical factors (political systems, conflict involvement, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions) with micro-level linguistic analysis (hedging and boosting strategies), the model examines how power dynamics shape diplomatic communication and how these linguistic choices are filtered through media reception. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research compared U.S., U.K., and Iraqi political briefings, revealing distinct discourse patterns: U.S. officials employ boosting for dominance (18.7/1k words) and hedging for flexibility (12.4/1k words); Iraqi discourse favors hedging (22.1/1k words) for conflict mitigation, while U.K. communication balances both for consensus-building. The study identifies cultural-linguistic interfaces, showing that individualist cultures correlate with directness, while high power distance predicts hedging frequency. Empirical validation demonstrates how macro-context (e.g., unipolar power position) shapes micro-linguistic choices (e.g., U.S. “unequivocally” vs. Iraqi “possibly”), mediated by journalistic reception norms (media-political relationships, conflict proximity). The findings challenge universalist assumptions in political discourse analysis, highlighting culture-specific risk management in international relations. The CILM advances theoretical debates in critical discourse analysis, pragmatics, and cross-cultural communication, offering practical tools for diplomacy, media analysis, and conflict resolution.

Exploring the Combined Impact of Electronic Dictionary Use and Mobile-Assisted Vocabulary Apps on Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge among EFL Learners

2025-08-19T13:07:03+00:00

This research examines how Iraqi EFL learners' depth of vocabulary knowledge is affected by using electronic dictionaries, mobile-assisted vocabulary applications, and their combination use. Based on their placement exam results, 116 intermediate-level Babylon University students in all were chosen and divided into four groups: electronic dictionary, mobile-assisted vocabulary applications, integrated tools, and a control group. Participants in an intervention spanning four weeks interacted with either Merriam-Webster's Dictionary app, Memrise, both tools, or conventional education. Using the Word Associates Test, pre- and post-tests were given to gauge vocabulary depth changes. All three experimental groups demonstrated statistically significant increases in depth of vocabulary knowledge when compared to the control group, the findings indicated. Furthermore, the group using both instruments exceeded all others, suggesting a synergistic impact. These results imply that including many digital tools will help lexical development in EFL environments more successfully. The research emphasizes the pedagogical worth of vocabulary training improved by technology and suggests mixed digital methods to develop stronger lexical competency.

Imagery in Ezra Pound’s Poetry: A Study of Selected Poems

2025-08-19T15:34:19+00:00

This study examines Imagism as a foundational aspect of modern poetry, focusing on the works of Ezra Pound, a pivotal figure in the development of modernist literature. Pound’s exhortation to “make it new” serves as a guiding principle for poets seeking to revitalize poetic tradition while acknowledging their influences. Through an analysis of selected poems—including “In a Station of the Metro,” “The Return,” “A Pact,” and “A Virginal”—this study highlights how Pound employs literary elements such as style, syntax, figures of speech, and poetic diction to evoke both concrete and abstract imagery. Imagism emerged in the early 20th century as a response to Romantic and Victorian poetic conventions, positioning itself as an Anglo-American literary movement. The founding members of Imagism articulated principles that suggest poets, akin to painters, can create vivid imagery through language. This exploration aims to illuminate the significance of imagery in Pound’s poetry and its broader implications for the evolution of modernist literature.

Ecocriticism: Associating Literature and Ecology to Raise Environmental Consciousness

2025-08-19T15:41:36+00:00

Ecocriticism explores the relationship between literature and the environment through an in disciplinary lens, integrating insights from diverse fields to analyze ecological challenges and propose solutions to pressing environmental crises. Emerging in the mid-1990s with foundational texts such as The Ecocriticism Reader by Cheryll Glotfelty and Harold Fromm, and Lawrence Buell’s The Environmental Imagination, this field examines how literature reflects environmental issues, cultural perceptions of nature, and human attitudes toward the natural world. Ecocriticism emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity and nature, advocating for sustainable interactions and critiquing anthropocentric ideologies. Concepts like Deep Ecology and Ecofeminism challenge traditional paradigms of development and underscore the need for ethical and ecological awareness. This article delves into the evolution of ecocriticism, its methodologies, and its influence on literature and culture, emphasizing its significance in addressing ecological and social crises through a multidisciplinary approach.

The Influence of Popular Culture on English Language Usage

2025-08-19T15:47:31+00:00

This research investigates the impact of popular culture, particularly films and music, on the acquisition of the English language by university students. In the contemporary globalized environment, conventional classroom techniques are no longer the exclusive avenue for developing English language proficiency. Films and music, integral components of everyday life and leisure, provide organic and captivating avenues to improve listening skills, vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation, and cultural comprehension. Notwithstanding the extensive research on grammar and vocabulary instruction, there remains a notable deficiency in studies that specifically investigate the influence of these media on language acquisition and learner motivation. Employing a qualitative descriptive methodology, this study included 40 undergraduate English language learners who were routinely exposed to specific films (e.g., Forrest Gump, Harry Potter) and songs (e.g., by Ed Sheeran, Adele). Data were collected via media analysis and learner feedback to ascertain themes including vocabulary retention, motivation, and pronunciation enhancement. Evidence suggests that films offer genuine linguistic contexts that facilitate learners' comprehension of real-world communication patterns and cultural subtleties. Music aids in the retention of memory through the utilization of rhythm and repetition, while simultaneously improving pronunciation and fostering an emotional connection to language. Students indicated enhanced motivation and satisfaction when incorporating these media into their study practices. Nevertheless, the research recognizes constraints associated with the sample size and the range of media examined. The study concludes that films and music act as significant supplements to formal English education, facilitating more effective, engaging, and authentic language learning experiences. It suggests that educators deliberately integrate elements of popular culture into curricula to improve learner engagement and competence

Terrorism as the Weapon of the Weak in Yasmina Khadra's Novel the Sirens of Baghdad

2025-08-19T15:52:32+00:00

Terrorism emerges in Yasmina Khadra’s The Sirens of Baghdad not as a calculated political strategy, but as a last, anguished cry of the powerless· Through the intimate and psychologically charged narrative of a young Iraqi man’s descent into radicalism, the novel challenges reductive portrayals of extremism by foregrounding the emotional devastation wrought by occupation, humiliation, and cultural erasure· What begins as a quiet life in a rural village unravels into a profound crisis of identity, masculinity, and belonging, culminating in the protagonist’s tragic embrace of violence· Drawing on postcolonial theory, trauma studies, and masculinity discourse, this analysis traces how Khadra reframes terrorism as a consequence of violated dignity and sustained invisibility· Through introspective monologues and vivid depictions of psychological collapse, The Sirens of Baghdad offers a haunting meditation on the emotional costs of war, ultimately positioning terrorism as a weapon of the weak a desperate assertion of selfhood in a world that has rendered the protagonist voiceless and expendable·