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Code-switching (CS) is one of the communicative strategies used in defining and structuring social relationships of speakers. In this study, we demonstrate how teachers perceive and employ CS in a Malaysian Chinese Independent School (MCIS) English classrooms to achieve communicative intents and to create a sense of belonging among students. Ethnography recording of classroom discourse and semi-structured interviews with seven English teachers were employed. The analysis reveals a noteworthy commitment that CS does not only act as a pedagogical tool but also as a means of facilitating interpersonal communication in class.

Because of its gambling nature, lottery gaming has been associated with bankruptcy, the destruction of families, crime and gambling addiction. Despite these stigmas, a Malaysian lottery company has managed to brand itself, especially its gambling activities, in a positive way. Using Fairclough’s framework of analysis, the methods used to present this lottery company and its activities in a positive light are deconstructed by examining its contents in an influential daily newspaper. The false positive associations of the lottery company revealed in the analysis suggest that the lottery company is likely using the newspaper as a subliminal messaging media to promote its activities, thus indicating a possible compromise in journalistic and editorial integrity.

The interaction that takes place in a police interrogation room follows certain conventions which are not evident in other settings like the school or home domains. This study which uses data derived from the questioning the Australian police conducted with Dr Mohamed Haneef — a terrorist accomplice suspect — aims to show how the norms of interaction in the Australian police interrogation room are established through protocols and codes of conduct. Another aspect of norms of interaction analysed in this article is the way power relations are created and maintained by looking at recurring discourse markers like the use of address and referent terms, interruptions, topic switching and latching. By identifying these linguistic devices, we are able to see the patterns of interaction conducted by the Australian police with persons of interest.

Being one of the highest public offices, parliamentary businesses are governed by rules and protocols that severely limit the behavioral conduct of Members of Parliament (MPs). MPs must modulate their behavior to the expectations of parliamentary practices. Hence, they cannot behave as they would in informal settings when parliament is in session. Based on his or her discretion, the Chair may subject MPs who violate these written (and unwritten) rules and protocols to censure and punishments. Since MPs are expected to behave formally and avoid being emotional in order to create an impression of objectivity and distinguished professionalism, it is worth asking whether humor is a form of disorderly practice in parliaments. In this paper, I argue that it is, and that the disorderliness of humor may either be acceptable or unacceptable depending on certain parameters. Analyzing instances of humor in the Malaysian House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat) during Question Time, this paper sets out to explain the conditions that make humor acceptable or unacceptable forms of disorderliness.

The fear of academic failure can compound other challenges that students are already facing in their lives, and this can take a toll on their mental and emotional states, their relationships with others, and their learning capacities. This article presents findings of an action research that was carried out with 35 postgraduate students from two classes, with aims to reframe their conception of fear of failure as valuable lesson opportunities, by means of getting them to participate in experiential and purposeful activities in a safe learning space. It aims to see if these students would have become less fearful of failures by Week 15. In addition to sharing personal anecdotes of failure, students were given challenging class work, reminded of failure-success catch-phrases, given honest and critical (but compassionate) feedback of their performance. The collected data include students’ fear of failure index scores, pre (Week 1) and post (Week 15) intervention course feedback of their fear of failure. The analysis shows that the methods seem to have a positive effect in mitigating fears of failure, however, the research also shows some caveats and variables that can inhibit the facilitation and the effectiveness of the pedagogical methods. It is hoped this research can also aid other educators in improving and innovating their pedagogy practices, in order to help students reframe their conceptions of failure.   Keywords: Action research, experiential learning, fear of failure, reframing beliefs, safe learning space   Cite as: Yoong, D., & Saffari, N. (2019).  Reframing students’ negative conceptions of failure: An action research.  Journal of Nusantara Studies, 4(2), 126-143. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol4iss2pp126-143

The article explores how the Malaysian Form 3 history textbook portrays Singapore's merger and separation. The portrayal can influence the perception of Singapore among Malaysians. Singapore was part of Malaysia for about two years (1963-1965) and its brief union represents a crucial historical episode. The episode is analysed using Toulmin's argument structures. The analysis identifies the claims, grounds and warrants for the arguments, and it also examines the use of lexicogrammatical and intertextual features. Certain arguments articulate the benefits of the merger and it is endorsed by foreign and local leaders, and the general population. Subsequently, other arguments articulate the threats which Singapore posed and its separation is made to seem inevitable. The textbook portrays Singapore as an enthusiastic partner and later a distrusted partner of the Malaysian Federal Government. Its arguments validate the state-sanctioned version of history. The article also provides four proposals to improve history textbooks.

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