Manar Elsharq Journal for Literature and Language Studies

A critical Stylistic Analysis of Humiliation in “The Merchant of Venice”

Tamadhur Khudhair Al-Qayyim — 2026-05-09

Critical stylistics is a linguistic field which provides crucial tools to examine, and analyze how linguistic patterns and structures are used to enhance ideologies. By using critical stylistic tools, this study, with particular focus on the character Shylock, aims to uncover how Shakespeare’s language reflects, constructs, and communicates the act of humiliation in the play “The Merchant of Venice”. Humiliation is viewed as a deeply social emotion including degradation, put down, and loss dignity. It is imposed externally, usually publically, and carries long-lasting effect. The study explores how stylistic choices contribute to character humiliation. It sheds light on humiliation as a distinct discursive and stylistic phenomenon by identifying linguistic features which depict humiliation in “The Merchant of Venice”. Through selected excerpts from Shylock’s dialogues, and the language used towards him, the analyses reveal the effectiveness of stylistic choices such as lexical selection, transitivity, and modality in the contribution to constructing his margin-alized identity and humiliated character. The study demonstrates that “The Merchant of Venice” both critiques and reflects social hierarchies, providing a clear framework for examining the linguistic strategies of humiliation. The results contribute to understand the role of language in literary texts to sustain or challenge power relations.

Enheduanna’s Hymns (Cultural and Religious Features)

Lect. Muyassar Qasim Al-Khashab — 2026-05-09

The study sheds light historically on Sarjon Akadi’s daughter Enheduana (2285-2250 BCE), the female Akadian poet, princess, and high priestess. The study shows the Akadian and Sumerian social and religious relations with the temple, deities, and priestess Enheduana, who composed many effective hymns and poems for goddess Inanna. She faced many troubles when she was banished from the temple after the death of her father. Some examples of her hymns are also included and analyzed.

The Effects of Using AI on Iraqi EFL University Students' Performance

Lect. Abdullah Muhammad Naif (Ph. D.) — 2026-05-09

This paper is concerned with investigating the role of artificial intelligence tools in enhancing English language teaching for Iraqi university students. AI refers to computer systems that can perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence. This study tackles the problems that many Iraqi university students believe that AI always provides correct answers. It tries to pinpoint the advantages and disadvantages AI brings to the teaching and learning process and it tries to find out to what extent can AI tools increase Iraqi students' motivation in the learning process. The paper is based on the hypotheses that (1) AI tools consistently deliver accurate and reliable information to university students who are learning English as a second language, (2) integrating AI into the teaching process positively enhances EFL students' performance. This study has come up with the conclusion that AI tools can increase the Iraqi EFL students' motivation making them feel more engaged and confident since they can get direct feedback, support and explanations according to their own individual needs.

NLP and Computational Stylistics for Iraqi Literature and Media: Evidence Map (2023–2026; includes one diachronic study covering 1980–2025), Methodological Standards, and a Responsible Roadmap

Abdulmalek Marwan Ali — 2026-05-09

This review synthesizes how Natural Language Processing (NLP) and computational stylistics are being used to analyze Iraqi literature, media, and culturally salient text streams. Because Iraqi Arabic is low-resource and highly variable, the paper emphasizes evaluation rigor, dataset governance, and interpretability for humanities-facing claims. We combine (i) a structured task taxonomy (sentiment/affect, topic discovery, stylometry, censorship detection, diachronic semantic change, dialect translation, and ancient text processing) with (ii) a title-coded evidence map of a curated seed corpus (N=35) drawn from Iraqi Literary and Cultural Review (ILCR) and Alnoor Journal for Humanities (JNH). The synthesis highlights recurring technical risks (OCR noise, code-switching, domain shift, small-sample instability) and proposes a practical roadmap: shared benchmarks for Iraqi dialect and genre coverage, transparent annotation protocols, robust metrics with uncertainty reporting, and privacy-preserving release strategies for sensitive political data.

Analysis of Noun Phrase and Verb Phrase Structures in Modern Standard Arabic by using X-bar Approach

Khamael Sabeeh Abedalemmam — 2026-05-09

This research demonstrates the existence of nominal and verbal phrases in Arabic. The presence of nominal phrases is revealed through grammatical evidence. The Arabic form considered is Modern Standard Arabic, and X-bar theory is used to explore these phrases. Arabic structures are presented in phonetic transcripts, assigned morpho-syntactic features, and given English translations. The analysis covers NP and VP, verb features, VP ellipsis, and the application of X-bar theory to Arabic. It has been shown that complements and adjuncts stand in different syntactic relations to the head noun within the NP. A complement constituent in Arabic is a sister of the head noun and must be adjacent to the head and precede the adjunct category. The complement and adjunct positions spell out syntactic processes such as preposing, postposing, questioning, and pronominalisation. These processes provide empirical evidence for the complement/adjunct distinction, leading to the conclusion that Arabic has a hierarchical three-level phrase structure and an intermediate X′ level. This study shows that NP and VP categories in Arabic fit into the X′ schema proposed for universal syntactic structure. Arabic data also show that head words are projected into phrases, which are projected into sentences. Sentences in Arabic, as in other languages, are structured from phrases, and phrases are grammatical categories filling syntactic positions within sentences.

The Morphological Dynamism of Digital Discourse: A Mixed-Methods Study on Derivational Productivity in the AI Era

Assistant Lecturer: Salman Amer Mohsen — 2026-05-09

We also checked out the process by which words are always evolving in the digital world—like how we’re creating new words with internet slang and AI. So, we’re all about speed and creativity in the digital world today, and Gen Alpha and Gen Z are essentially rewriting the rules of the past when it comes to language and words. So, to really understand the process by which language and words are evolving today, we actually looked at a massive digital database of 1.2 million words to see just how often people use tags like “-core” or “cyber-” and even interviewed people to get the real story behind it all. So, it turns out that social media sites like TikTok, X, and Reddit essentially act like a pressure cooker for language and words—making brand new words feel "normal" quicker than ever before. To be honest, the process by which language and words are evolving today isn’t "ruining" the language so much as it’s actually a really cool testament to just how logical the language is today.

Semiotic and symbolic order in Shakespeare ‘s All’s Well That Ends Well (1623) and Webster ‘s The Duchess of Malfi (1613)

Asst.Lect. Sura Mohammed Abdul-Rehamn — 2026-05-09

This paper examines the portrayal of powerful female characters in Webster ‘s The Duchess of Malfi (1613) and Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well (1623) through the lens of feminist theory. It demonstrates the strategies that Helen and the Duchess employ to challenge patriarchal norms, positioning them as nonconformist women who pave the way for other women to assert their identities. This paper will show clearly the interplay between the semiotic and the symbolic in the text and how subjectivity is revealed through language. In each play, the struggle between these two aspects shows how the Duchess portrays the triumph of the symbolic, which represents patriarchal society, over the Duchess's strategies, while Helen shows the victory of the semiotic, which represents personal drives and desires dominating the symbolic. Furthermore, the paper will explore the strategies that these women use to achieve their goals, highlighting their intelligence and their management of the people around them.

Teacher Mentorship and Inclusive Practices in English Language Teaching: A Case Study of the Atbara Locality – Sudan

Dr. Amel Zulfukar Hassan Adlan — 2026-05-09

This study explores the impact of structured teacher mentorship and inclusive practices within English Language Teaching (ELT) at secondary schools in the Atbara Locality, Sudan. Amidst regional educational disruptions, the research addresses the critical need for sustainable pedagogical frameworks that bolster teacher resilience and accommodate learner diversity. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed, involving a sample of 120 English language teachers (male and female, aged 27–50). Quantitative data obtained from Likert-scale questionnaires were triangulated with qualitative insights derived from semi-structured interviews and systematic classroom observations. The results of the mixed-methods analysis indicate a high degree of convergence between data strands. Quantitatively, the $N=120$ cohort reported a 35% increase in pedagogical confidence and a 28% improvement in classroom management efficiency following mentorship intervention. Qualitatively, thematic coding revealed that mentorship significantly reduced professional isolation, providing a "psychological and professional safety net" vital for educators in high-stress environments. Furthermore, the integration of mentor-guided inclusive practices—supported by scaffolding and Generative AI for differentiated instruction—yielded a 42% rise in student engagement and a 30% improvement in vocabulary retention among diverse learners. The findings underscore that the synergy between mentorship and inclusivity enables educators to adapt effectively to resource-constrained and fragile environments. The study recommends institutionalizing mentorship within the Atbara Locality to elevate ELT standards and promote educational equity. These results offer significant implications for policy and practice in post-conflict Sudanese contexts and similar global educational settings facing systemic instability.

The Persistence of Fossilization in English Language Learning and Acquisition

Asst. Lect. Abid Ali Muhannah Jebur — 2026-05-09

Fossilization is widely recognized as one of the most persistent and complex difficulties in learning and acquiring the English language, especially within the domain of second language acquisition (SLA). This study explores the characteristics and durability of fossilization in learners’ interlanguage through three key research questions: (1) Which cognitive, linguistic, and affective variables lead to the development of fossilization in English language learning? (2) Is fossilization a permanent condition, or can it be reversed during second language development? (3) What types of pedagogical interventions can reduce or overcome fossilization in formal educational settings? The study is theoretically grounded in Interlanguage Theory, the Critical Period Hypothesis, and cognitive-interactionist approaches. It employs a qualitative descriptive method based on a critical examination and synthesis of both foundational and recent literature in SLA. The analysis demonstrates that fossilization emerges from a multifaceted interaction between internal elements—such as first language interference, restricted attentional capacity, and the automatization of incorrect linguistic forms—and external influences, including teaching methods, the nature of feedback, and sociocultural exposure. The results also suggest that although certain fossilized forms are highly resistant to modification, carefully designed instructional techniques and continuous learner awareness may support partial defossilization. The study concludes that fossilization should not be interpreted as a deficiency on the part of learners, but rather as a natural outcome of language development influenced by cognitive limitations and learning conditions. A thorough understanding of its persistent nature is therefore crucial for developing effective pedagogical strategies that promote linguistic accuracy and sustained language growth among English learners.

Machine Translation and Its Effects on Professional Translators

Assist.Lec. SUHA SAAD ABDULLAH — 2026-05-09

This study examines the concept of translation as a fundamental process in language learning and cross-cultural communication, with particular emphasis on both human and machine translation. , the research provides a comparative analysis between human and machine translation. Human translation is shown to offer higher accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and contextual understanding, while machine translation is characterized by speed, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness. However, machine translation systems face limitations such as lack of contextual awareness, reduced fluency, and difficulty handling idiomatic expressions. In addition, the study discusses the significance of machine translation in a globalized world, particularly in enhancing cross-cultural communication, international business, diplomacy, and accessibility. It also examines different types of machine translation systems, including rule-based, statistical, hybrid, and neural machine translation, highlighting their development, advantages, and challenges. The study concludes that while machine translation continues to evolve and improve, human translation remains indispensable for ensuring accuracy and cultural appropriateness. A balanced integration of both approaches is recommended to achieve effective and reliable translation in various contexts.

The Event in Qur'anic Stories Surah Yunus as an Example

Assist.Lect. Samer Rahim Fazea — 2026-05-09

The stories in the Qur'an are characterised by their sacred realism, where historical events are recounted not for entertainment, but to achieve lofty doctrinal and educational goals. This is clearly evident in Surah Yunus, which is a prominent example. As a Meccan surah, Surah Yunus focuses on the fundamentals of faith, such as monotheism and the proof of resurrection and prophecy. The narrative events in the surah are presented according to a sophisticated artistic approach, in which a single scene (the story of the Prophet Yunus, peace be upon him) is repeated in multiple places in the Qur'an, each time with details and implications that serve the context and overall theme of the surah, revealing an "unparalleled semantic density" and eloquence in linguistic composition. This diversity in the presentation of a single scene aims to achieve persuasion, dispel doubts, and prove the truth. The story of the people of Jonah (in verse 98) stands out as the axis around which the events of the surah revolve, confirming the main function of the event: to remind and admonish before it is too late. The story presents a unique model of the response of a people who believed in sincere repentance, so the torment was lifted from them, establishing the centrality of God's mercy and His acceptance of repentance when it is sincere.

Place formations in the Iraqi novel taking Shalal Anouz’s novel (Yamama Baghdad as an example)

Assist. Lect. Riyam Shalal Abbas — 2026-05-09

In this study, however, place in the novel is not regarded from an uncritical view as a neutral context where action kertaa merely take place; rather, it is viewed as a significant structure that aids in meaning making and expresses the psychological and social dimensions of the text. This perspective gives a new approach using the novel Yamama Baghdad by the novelist Shalal Anouz as a case study to analyze spatial structures in the Iraqi novel. Using the descriptive-analytical method and a narrative orientation, this research traces the sense of place in hidden and revealed senses and its artistic and symbolic status in the general texture of the novel. The research problem is formulated into one main question which araise due to the nature of the novel and its which is "How does spatial formations appears through the novel and what role does play in terms of shaping the plot and characters and further reflects the changes in Iraq society." This begs deeper questions about spatial patterns and the relationship between place and character, what distance there is between these and social and political changes. The research determines the home, the bedroom, the courtroom and the hotel as enclosed spaces that work psychologically, evoking notions of anxiety, memory and fragmentation. On the other hand, open spaces like the street, the university, the river, and the cemetery function as paths of mobility, transformation, and re-signification. The results also uncover that place is not just descriptive in the novel but an active structural element that guides the action. And Baghdad itself is a kind of collective memory, containing loss and change all at once.

Similarities and Differences of Morphological Productivity in English and Arabic

Eman Majeeed Kadhim, MA — 2026-05-10

The study addresses the investigation of morphological productivity in both Arabic and English. Morphological productivity refers to the ability of morphological rules to generate new words in a language. The study begins by defining the concept of morphological productivity and reviewing a number of previous studies related to word formation. It then proceeds to analyze the main mechanisms of word formation in both English and Arabic and also sheds light on several morphological processes, such as acronym, blending, borrowing, conversion, derivation, among others. Finally, the study provides a comparative analysis of word formation strategies in English and Arabic, emphasizing the similarities and differences in the productivity of morphological rules, reaffirming the importance of morphological productivity as an integral part of linguistic competence, and suggesting future directions for research in the field of contrastive studies on word formation.

An Analysis of Translating Figurative Expressions from Arabic into English Using Newmark’s Theory

Assist.Lec. Tiba faris kadhim Al_mafrachi — 2026-05-10

This study explores the challenges of translating figurative language, particularly metaphors and similes, from English into Arabic. It examines how cultural differences and the lack of direct equivalents affect translation and evaluates the effectiveness of semantic and communicative approaches. Findings show that figurative expressions pose significant difficulties due to their cultural specificity and implicit meanings, often leading to misinterpretation if translators lack cultural awareness. Semantic translation preserves the original meaning and style, while communicative translation ensures clarity and naturalness for the target audience. The research concludes that effective translation requires a balanced use of both approaches, tailored to the text and context. These insights provide practical guidance for translators and students in overcoming linguistic and cultural challenges in figurative language translation.

Enhancing Iraqi EFL Learners' Writing Skills by Using Cooperative Language Teaching Approach at Open Educational College

Lecturer. Sameerah Mohsin Rawdhan — 2026-05-10

In order to help second-year university students at Open Educational College improve their writing abilities, a cooperative language learning (CLL) strategy was adopted to enhance peer learning. Students in CLL-based groups were taught to take more ownership of their education by honing both their interpersonal and language skills in a more laid-back social setting. Students enrolled in the first course of the 2023 academic year's first semester received this therapy. A pre-post writing test and an attitude questionnaire were the two instruments employed in this investigation. A Wilcoxon test was used to compare the pre- and post-test results using descriptive statistics.

Examining students' work for errors in spelling, vocabulary use, grammar, punctuation, and coherence was a major focus of the evaluation process. The results showed that, at the significance level of.001, the students' writing scores were higher for the post-test than the pre-test following this type of intervention. The results of the attitude scale showed that the students had positive attitudes regarding using the cooperative learning strategy to improve their language proficiency in general and their writing proficiency in particular.

Translation of Literary Language with Special Focus on Idioms

Dr Afif Othman Abdulrazzaq — 2026-05-10

This research addresses problems of translating literary language, i.e., of idioms, and figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, personifications, and alliterations with special focus on idioms from English into Arabic. Those problems result from many factors which can be objective, generic, and even affective factors. What is important here is the translator’s education background and experience in translating, first, then the affective factor which is the readers’ responses on the idiom’s translation quality, second. Through this evaluative qualitative research, it is found that idioms were translated by using idiomatic translation method while metaphors, similes, personifications, and alliterations were translated by using literal translation method. Idioms were translated accurately, whereas the translation of metaphors, similes, personifications, alliterations have not been very accurate. Based on the naturalness level, the translation of idioms is natural, while metaphors, similes, personifications, and alliterations are not yet natural.

Challenges Facing Translating Arabic-TV news into English

Asst. Instr. Taha Yaseen Shaghati — 2026-05-10

This study examines the linguistic, cultural, and technical challenges of translating Arabic television news into English, a process that extends far beyond direct lexical substitution. Arabic news discourse, shaped by ideology, audience expectations, and sociopolitical context, presents complex constraints affecting both accuracy and reception. Structural differences between Arabic and English particularly in syntax, morphology, and rhetorical style complicate efforts to produce clear and idiomatically appropriate English texts. Arabic often employs high stylistic density, nominalization, and extended sentences, whereas English favors brevity, directness, and linear information flow, requiring translators to restructure content while preserving meaning. Cultural references add further difficulty. Arabic news frequently includes regional political terminology, historical allusions, and culturally embedded metaphors that may be unfamiliar to international audiences. Translators must decide whether to retain, adapt, or contextualize these elements, balancing clarity, neutrality, and audience understanding. Political sensitivity in Arabic media is pronounced, and translators must remain aware of potential ideological weight to avoid bias or misrepresentation. Technical constraints in television broadcasting intensify these challenges. Translators work under strict time pressure, often in live or near-live contexts, facing overlapping speech, regional dialects, and audiovisual synchronization requirements. Subtitles and voice-over formats impose spatial and temporal limits, forcing condensation without distortion. Specialized terminology in politics, economics, and military reporting further demands up-to-date knowledge and bilingual familiarity. The study concludes that translating Arabic TV news into English is a multidimensional task combining linguistic competence, cultural literacy, and technical expertise. Effective translation balances accuracy, accessibility, and ideological sensitivity while maintaining journalistic integrity. The research recommends enhanced translator training integrating media studies, political knowledge, and real-time translation skills, alongside closer collaboration between journalists and translators to ensure more reliable cross-linguistic news communication and a deeper understanding of Arabic-speaking societies in global media contexts.

Morphological Structures in the Poetry of Abu al-Atahiyah

Assist. Lect. Maitham Abbas Ali al-Ghazali — 2026-05-18

This study analyses the morphological structures in the poetry collection of Abu al-Atahiyah as a model of ascetic poetry in the early Abbasid period. It aims to reveal the morphological characteristics that distinguished his poetic language and how he employed them to convey ascetic meanings and express aspects of the human psyche. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach examining prominent morphological phenomena such as verb and noun conjugations augment forms derivatives pronouns defective verbs and genitive constructions. The study concluded that Abu al-Atahiyah tended to use hyperbole and present tense verbs to suggest continuity and repetition and frequently employed the active and passive participles in his poetry to achieve semantic intensification. The presence of imperative and supplicative forms is notable reflecting the nature of the homiletic discourse. Furthermore the phenomena of substitution and elision appear as stylistic features that influenced the internal rhythm. The poet makes extensive use of the tafaul and tafaul forms to express spiritual and psychological transformations whilst separate and attached pronouns are employed to establish the first-person speaker for self-expression and the second-person addressee to create a dialogue with the reader. His poetry is not devoid of certain rare morphological phenomena such as the construction of what is not normally constructed reflecting his occasional influence from colloquial dialects or the demands of metre. The study concludes that the morphological structures in Abu al-Atahiyahs poetry were not neutral but rather served the ascetic visioni they were simple for the most part yet capable of conveying profound moral implications.

Digital Storytelling and the New Iraqi Narrative: Blogs, Social Media, and Literary Identity in Contemporary Iraq

Abdali D. Jasim — 2026-05-19

This paper examines the emergence and significance of digital storytelling as a transformative literary phenomenon in contemporary Iraq. Focusing on the period from 2003 to the present, it investigates how Iraqi writers, poets, and intellectuals have appropriated blogs, social media platforms, and online literary journals as alternative spaces for cultural expression, political dissent, and national identity construction. Drawing on theories of digital narratology, postcolonial literary criticism, and cultural memory studies, the paper argues that Iraqi digital literature constitutes a new literary genre with distinct aesthetic, rhetorical, and political characteristics — one that supplements, challenges, and at times surpasses the authority of print-based literary tradition. By analyzing prominent Iraqi blogs and social media literary communities, the paper identifies recurring themes of trauma, exile, resistance, and reconstruction that organize the new Iraqi digital narrative. It further situates this phenomenon within the broader Arabic digital literary movement while arguing for its unique Iraqi specificity. The paper concludes by foregrounding the implications of this shift for archival practices, literary canon formation, and the future of Arabic literary studies in the digital age.

Iraqi EFL University Students and the Communicative Approach

Asst. Lect. Entidhar Khaleel — 2026-05-21

The communicative approach, also known as Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), has become one of the most influential approaches in English language teaching worldwide. In Iraq, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students often face difficulties in developing communicative competence despite years of studying English. Traditional teaching methods focusing on grammar translation and memorization continue to dominate many Iraqi classrooms, limiting students’ opportunities for authentic communication. This research examines the communicative approach and its impact on Iraqi EFL university students. It discusses the historical development of CLT, its principles, characteristics, classroom activities, advantages, challenges, and its implementation in Iraqi universities. Furthermore, the study highlights communicative competence, student motivation, classroom interaction, and the role of teachers within communicative classrooms. The paper also reviews recent Iraqi and international studies related to communicative language teaching and Iraqi EFL learners. The findings indicate that the communicative approach positively affects students’ speaking abilities, interaction, confidence, motivation, and language proficiency. However, several obstacles hinder effective implementation, including overcrowded classrooms, limited teacher training, lack of resources, examination systems, and students’ anxiety. The study concludes with pedagogical recommendations for improving communicative teaching practices in Iraqi universities.

The Impact of Motivation on Iraqi EFL University Students’ Retention in Grammatical Structures

Kumail Muslim Kadhim Ibrahim — 2026-05-21

Motivation is widely recognized as a key factor, in second language learning, especially in supporting learners’ ability to retain grammatical knowledge over time. In the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), it influences not only how students engage with learning materials but also how effectively they store and recall grammatical structures. This study explores, how both intrinsic motivation, which arises from personal interest, and extrinsic motivation, which is driven by external rewards, affect Iraqi university students’ retention of English grammar.

To examine this relationship, the research employs a quantitative method, using a quasi-experimental design. Two groups of students participated in the study: an experimental group exposed to motivational teaching strategies and a control group taught through conventional methods. The purpose of this design was to compare the outcomes of motivated and less-motivated learners in a controlled academic setting.

Data collection was carried out through a series of assessments, including pre-tests to determine initial proficiency, post-tests to evaluate immediate learning outcomes, and delayed tests to measure long-term retention. This multi-stage assessment approach allowed the researcher to track changes in students’ grammatical knowledge over time and to assess the durability of learning.

The results demonstrate a clear advantage, for students who were exposed to motivational strategies. These learners showed higher levels of achievement not only in immediate post-test performance but also in delayed assessments, indicating stronger retention of grammatical concepts. In contrast, students in the control group exhibited lower levels of retention, suggesting that traditional teaching methods may not sufficiently support long-term learning.

Based on these findings, the study conclude,s that motivation is a significant factor influencing the retention of grammatical knowledge. It highlights the importance of incorporating motivational techniques into EFL instruction to enhance both learning outcomes and long-term retention. Accordingly, educators are encouraged to adopt teaching practices that foster student motivation, as this can lead to more effective and sustainable language learning.