It has been more than 50 years since the initial investigation on automatic text summarization was started. Various techniques have been successfully used to extract the important contents from text document to represent document summary. In this study, we review some of the studies that have been conducted in this still-developing research area. It covers the basics of text summarization, the types of summarization, the methods that have been used and some areas in which text summarization has been applied. Furthermore, this paper also reviews the significant efforts which have been put in studies concerning sentence extraction, domain specific summarization and multi document summarization and provides the theoretical explanation and the fundamental concepts related to it. In addition, the advantages and limitations concerning the approaches commonly used for text summarization are also highlighted in this study.

The growing concern over the influx of foreign women in Malaysia as sex workers, has continually gained the attention of the local media particularly the mainstream newspapers. The media, despite playing an instrumental role in bringing about social transformation, has the ability to portray the foreign women in a positive way or to discriminate against them. This study, based on qualitative analysis, represents an attempt to study a social problem particularly in the way that foreign women in sex work have been represented in Malaysia by the mainstream English-language newspapers. The analytical tools of the discourse-historical approach (DHA) are employed in the analysis of the news articles. In particular, the argumentation strategy in the DHA demonstrates that a number of topoi (i.e., the topoi of control, number, threat, and victimisation) have been employed to represent foreign sex workers in the media. Investigation of the newspaper extracts from New Straits Times and The Star generally revealed that the media have portrayed foreign women in sex work in the offender orientation frame more so than as victims. Furthermore, foreign sex workers are also positioned negatively because of their illegal migrant status, making them doubly discriminated against. Such representations directly impact the women's lives, leading to further discrimination on the basis of their trade and illegal migrant status, denying them a voice and depriving them of their legal rights. The paper concludes by discussing the contributions of the research and emphasises the need for social justice for these marginalised women.

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The purpose of the study was to analyse the use of speech acts on the first announcements of Covid-19 Movement Control Order (MCO) by the Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Singapore. It was also to discover if there were differences in the forms of these announcements which affected the nation in their respective countries. This study employed a qualitative method of analysis. The MCO announcements were taken from the available open sources. The data was analysed based on Searle's framework of speech Acts. It was found that the Prime Minister of Malaysia used directive speech acts predominantly (n=26; 52%) as compared to the Prime Minister of Singapore (n=20; 48.8%) when they implored the nation to comply with the tighter restrictions. The findings further revealed that both Prime Ministers were not familiar with declaration speech acts as shown in their announcements due to their democratic approach in administrating their countries, they were pleading to the nation in a firmly dignified manner. There were hardly any differences between the prime ministers in using speech acts in their announcements. Nevertheless, the announcements conveyed their messages to the nation regarding the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study analyses the different types of speech acts used by the Prime Ministers as they update their country while maintaining a calm situation.

The article explores the use of technology in EFL classes to promote communicative competence. It elucidates communicative competence and explicates obstructions in communicative tasks. Moreover, it interprets the use of technology in fostering and supporting the development of communicative competence and explains how it is pragmatic in maintaining learners' level of motivation and interest in learning a foreign language. The present article identifies the significance and use of mobile phone, camera, computer and internet, tape recorder, projector, and language labs in EFL classes. Besides, it discusses the use of technology as an educational tool in language teaching and learning.

There is evidence to suggest that young children more readily absorb the subtle messages that are encoded in any type of text and talk, and what they take away from these texts contributes in helping them develop their own identity in relation to their role in society. In this paper, we examine the construction of ethnic identity in a selection of English language textbooks targeted at young Malaysian children in primary schools. Based on a content analysis of visual and verbal language in two Primary Three English language textbooks, we report on the encoded messages that are transmitted to young Malaysian children about their place in society. The findings reveal significant imbalances in the way characters of different ethnic backgrounds are represented. This imbalance is a cause for concern as the message conveyed to young Malaysian children could be potentially damaging. Keywords: textbook, ethnicity, identity construction

Web-forum discussions are widely used in business, health and education and in general discussion virtually. This practice of sharing information via Internet is also known as Computer Mediated Discourse (CMD). By focusing on language used in web-forums, this study explores the practice of collaborative information sharing in Malaysian web-forums discourse by using Speech Acts Theory. The study found that forum-members used different speech acts to share information in an interactive manner. However, speech acts such as to explain, to suggest and to question were used more extensively than other types of speech acts. The study also found that speech acts to denote politeness such as to apologise, to greet were used in the web-forum interaction to sustain collaboration and camaraderie in online information sharing practices. The discourse pattern reveals that web-forum members interacted at two phrases; Phase 1 to seek general information about the topic of discussion, and Phase II to have a deeper discussion where new information is added to the topic of discussion that leads to new knowledge being created. The findings of the study can benefit our understandings on how best to conduct online interaction, be it in the business, health or academic sectors.

Covid-19 has caused world-shaking adversity around the globe. The pandemic has not only become a global health threat and inflicted morbidity status but equally been detrimental to mental health of human civilization. In order to encompass and rein the transmission of the virus, Malaysia including other countries around the globe enforced a nationwide lockdown. The current research aims to explore psychological distress among university students residing in Malaysia during the lockdown. 300 university students from local universities both private and public were asked to complete a questionnaire. The questions were centered on dealing with symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress coupled with experiences engaging in an online learning process. The results indicated that Covid-19 outbreak has increased students' levels of stress and anxiety. This is more prevalent in both male and female students who obtained a lower GPA score. Whilst home environment in the presence of their family were seen to support students to feel safe and less anxious, it did not however contribute to coping and managing their academic performance effectively. Staying connected with friends was seen to have helped students manage their academic endeavors better. As the universities have opted to continue with remote learning and it remains uncertain when face to face learning would recommence policymakers and practitioners should be guided by mental health professionals to support students appropriately and meaningfully.