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Medical tourism has been seriously affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has become a huge threat to global economy. In mitigating this issue, attention needs to be given to the online promotional message strategy to boost medical tourism. However, there is a scarcity of work on medical tourism promotional discourse from the textual function perspective despite the considerable number of studies in other types of discourse. This study, therefore, aims to examine and compare the promotional discourse message strategies in Malaysia and Thailand’s private hospital websites. The analysis was based on Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) perspective, using Halliday & Matthiessen’s model of textual analysis (2004) and Danes’ classification of thematic patterns (1974). A total of six webpages with three webpages of one Malaysian website and one Thai website were analysed in relation to theme type and thematic progression. The findings show that texts derived from the hospital websites in Malaysia and Thailand display similarities and differences pertaining to how the texts are organised in relation to their theme types and thematic patterns. Both websites from Malaysia and Thailand combined objectivity with subjectivity in choosing their themes and thematic progression since they have a preference for unmarked themes in combination with marked theme to inform and persuade readers. However, the Prince Court Medical Centre (PCMC, Malaysia) website was direct and cohesive with its short texts and use of textual themes, while the message in Samitivej Hospital (SH, Thailand) website was more indirect, less compact, and less cohesive as the texts were rather lengthy and interspersed with interpersonal themes. The findings can be a guide for copywriters, website designers or medical tourism stakeholders to be aware of meaning-making strategies in promoting medical websites for medical tourism purpose. Keywords: Textual Analysis; Theme and Thematic Progression; Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL); online promotional discourse; Medical Tourism

Removal of stop words is essential in Natural Language Processing and text-related analysis. Existing works on Malay stop words are based on standard Malay and Quranic/Arabic translations into Malay. Thus, there is a lack of domain-specific stop word list, making it discordant for processing of Malay parliamentary discourse. In this paper, we propose a semantic approach towards identifying and removing Malay, conventional Malay spelling and English functional words in analysing a time-series corpus, namely the Malaysian Hansard Corpus (MHC), to extract a Malay specific-domain stop word list. The study utilised a combination of Z-method of most frequently occurring words, words that appear once, and the classic method. The dataset of the corpus evaluated comprised Parliament 1 (year 1959) to Parliament 13 (year 2018). The study then categorised the stop word list according to domain-specific related words. The resulting list comprised 587 stop words. New stop words that emerged from the MHC include parliamentary-related words like ‘ Berhormat’ (salutation to the members of the Parliament), ‘ Pertua’ (salutation to the Speaker of the House), ‘ ketawa’ (laugh) and ‘ tepuk’ (clap). Other than typical English stop words like ‘and’ and ‘the’, there are also words like ‘hon’ble’ (short for ‘Honourable’) and ‘honourable’. The list also includes stop words in conventional Malay spelling like ‘ untok ’ (for), ‘ lebeh ’ (more), and ‘ kapada ’ (to). The proposed set of stop words can be further utilised to assist natural language processing and text analysis.

Internet application advancement has enabled Korean pop culture (K-Pop) to rapidly spread worldwide. However, technology alone is insufficient in delivering k-pop content to K-Pop fans because of language barriers. Hence, the translator's role is pivotal in decoding these data. Realising this crucial need, fans have acted as translators in interpreting enormous data file that have been improperly translated or unavailable in the original file. This research examined the translation process occurring in Twitter microblogging environment which is rarely analysed among linguistic scholars. the translation style of fan translators was identified, and the translational action involved discussed. K-Pop group, Bangtan Sonyeondan's (BTS) twitter account was selected as the main data source and Korean-English fan translation of the content distributed in the account was collected. The microblogging interface is equipped with the latest technology that supports multimedia data form, resulting in more dynamic translation work which needs to be highlighted in translation studies.

Patent abstracts function as an essential part of patents, in which drafters summarize their invention and try to persuade the evaluators to accept their invention. These abstracts also have a crucial function as a useful alternative tool for effective and quick information retrieval. However, there is a scarcity of work on how these abstracts are constructed in Arabic context despite a considerable number of studies in different languages. This study, therefore, examines the rhetorical structure of 60 patent abstracts written in Arabic by Arabic-speaking drafters in the field of Human Necessity (HN) _ one of the eight classifications that includes patents related to social life_following Swales' (1990) Create a Research Space (CARS) model. The results revealed that Arabic patent abstract section consists of five obligatory moves and an optional one. Based on the genre analysis conducted, a proposed rhetorical move/step model which may be useful for patent drafters is developed. These findings are useful for Arabic-speaking drafters and novice inventors for a better understanding of the rhetorical structure commonly applied in their drafting of patent abstracts. A better understanding of how patent abstracts are drafted can improve not only their drafting skills to meet the expectations of the target discourse community, but also the chance for successful patent grants.

Internet application advancement has enabled Korean pop culture (K-Pop) to rapidly spread worldwide. However, technology alone is insufficient in delivering k-pop content to K-Pop fans because of language barriers. Hence, the translator's role is pivotal in decoding these data. Realising this crucial need, fans have acted as translators in interpreting enormous data file that have been improperly translated or unavailable in the original file. This research examined the translation process occurring in Twitter microblogging environment which is rarely analysed among linguistic scholars. the translation style of fan translators was identified, and the translational action involved discussed. K-Pop group, Bangtan Sonyeondan's (BTS) twitter account was selected as the main data source and Korean-English fan translation of the content distributed in the account was collected. The microblogging interface is equipped with the latest technology that supports multimedia data form, resulting in more dynamic translation work which needs to be highlighted in translation studies.

This study aims to investigate interactional metadiscourse markers (IMDMs) in 60 patent abstracts written in Arabic by Arabic-native drafters within the field of human necessity. Specifically, the objectives are to identify which categories of IMDMs are predominant in Arabic patent abstract and to explain how metadiscourse markers function in these abstracts. To achieve these objectives, data were analyzed quantitatively to count the frequency of IMDMs, and qualitatively to examine the functions of these markers within Arabic patent abstracts based on Hyland’s model (2005). The results indicate that boosters, hedges and attitude markers are the most frequently employed markers while the remaining categories show a low frequency of occurrence. Moreover, the analysis also reveals that IMDMs fulfill different functions, such as providing data in a truthful manner, avoiding commitment to precise figures and persuasion among others. The findings of this research are useful for Arabic-speaking drafters and novice inventors for a better understanding of IMDMs commonly applied in their patent abstracts. A better understanding of the pragmatic functions of IMDMs can improve not only patent drafting skills, but also the chance for successful patent grants. It is recommended that future research investigate IMDMs within other patent sections such as claims, description, and background among different disciplines in order to achieve better insights of the use of such rhetorical metadiscourse features.

This study investigates the meanings of the near-synonyms al-asfār and alkutub (the books) and their English translations. It aims at identifying the contextual meanings of the Qur'ānic near-synonyms based on different exegeses of the Holy Qur'ān. Then, it explains the semantic differences that exist between the Qur'ānic pair and how such semantic differences are reflected in two English translations of the Holy Qur'ān. Besides, it highlights the meanings of the polysemous lexical item alkutub (the books) in different Qur'ānic contexts and how the various senses of this lexical item are transferred to English. The study adopts the RC-S approach as a theoretical framework for data analysis. It also employs the qualitative approach for collecting and analyzing the data of the study. The exegeses of the Holy Qur'ān are consulted to identify the semantic differences between the Qur'ānic near-synonyms as well as the meanings of the polysemous lexical item alkutub (the books). The findings reveal that there are some semantic differences between the selected Qur'ānic near-synonyms and that such semantic differences are not reflected in the English translations. The findings also show that the polysemous lexical item alkutub (the books) and its singular formal-kitāb (the book) are literally translated in some Qur'ānic contexts. The study provides recommendations for readers as well as translators especially the translators of the Holy Qur'ān. Keywords: contextual meaning; denotative meaning; near-synonyms; polysemy; synonymy; translation.

The Holy Qur'ān includes near-synonyms which have seemingly similar meanings but convey different meanings upon deeper analysis of the semantic constituents of these words. Such near-synonyms usually pose a challenge that often presents itself to the translators of the Holy Qur'ān. This study investigates the meanings of near-synonyms and their translation issues in the Qur'ān. It aims to identify the contextual meanings of Qur'ānic near-synonyms based on different exegeses of the Qur'ān. Then, it explains the nuances that exist between the pairs of Qur'ānic near-synonyms and how such nuances are reflected in two English translations of the Qur'ān. The study adopts the Relation by Contrast Approach to Synonyms (RC-S) as a theoretical framework for data analysis. It also employs the qualitative approach for collecting and analyzing the data of the study. Besides, it makes use of different exegeses of the Qur'ān to identify the differences in meaning between each pair of the Qur'ānic near-synonyms. The analysis of the data reveals that there exist some nuances between the pairs of Qur'ānic near-synonyms in terms of denotative and expressive meaning. The findings also show that the differences in meaning between the pairs of near-synonyms are not reflected in the English translations. Therefore, the study recommends that readers as well as translators should look for nuances between Qur'ānic near-synonyms whenever they find two words with similar meanings in order to perceive the Qur'ānic text appropriately and translators should make an effort to reflect the nuances between the pairs of near-synonyms in their translation.

This paper attempts to relate lifelong learning with the understanding of an aboriginal community in Malaysia with specific focus on building a dictionary of one aboriginal language. Obviously, a combination of field research and knowledge of compiling a dictionary provide a method toward useful insights into an aboriginal people's language. In addition to the language of the aboriginal people, we are exposed to their intellectual, economic, social, and personal contexts from which their language and values arise. Therefore, this compilation is a two-way learning: on the one hand, new information is disclosed in the process of fieldwork gathering; and on the other, new insights about aboriginal world views are revealed.

One of the remarkable styles in the Arabic language especially in Qur?ānic discourse is reference switching (iltifāt). There are many types of reference switching (iltifāt) such as tense, number, gender, and case. However, the focus of this paper is on one personal reference switching which is the switch from the third person pronoun to the second person pronoun. The data is taken from sūrah al-Baqarah as the source text and its English translation by Ali (2008). This paper is concerned with applying the textual analysis approach which can provide valuable insights on reference switching (iltifāt) in the Qur?ānic discourse, its meaning and its translation into English by Ali. The paper will explore the strategies Ali used in his translation for reference switching from the third to the second person pronoun. In this study, it was found that the English translation is bound to miss important elements of meaning. The study also reveals that intertexuality helps translators identify and derive meaning from the surface features of the text in question by reference to other texts or text features they have previously come across. So in order to fully understand the Qur?ānic verse containing reference switching and render it accurately as possible into English, it is necessary to go through intertextual texts namely, exegeses that refer back to these reference switches like those by Al-Zamakhsharī , Abū-Sucūd , Al-Alūsī and others.

The ability to choose the correct translation technique is an indispensable skill; therefore it is essential for translation students to be aware of why a particular technique is used. This research focuses on the teaching of translation techniques in a translation classroom from the cooperative learning perspective. Preliminary observations discovered that students tend to use wrong translation techniques when translating from English into Malay. As an intervention, a methodology that is called ‘Cooperative Work Procedure’ ( Gerding-Salas, 2000 ) is adopted in the teaching of translation in a translation course offered by the School of Language Studies and Linguistics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

The intended learning objectives of SKBL3113 Psikolinguistik includes possessing a firm understanding of psycholinguistic knowledge and applying the knowledge in other linguistic disciplines. Unfortunately, learners have difficulties in achieving these goals. Thus, this paper presents the intervention the course instructor made through topical presentations and reflective diary writing to assist undergraduates recall what they learned previously and remember what they were learning in SKBL3113 Psikolinguistik longer. Results show that learners who scored high marks in the topical presentations and reflective diary writing eventually did well in their quiz – an indication that decompartmentalised learning have begun to place.

Translation is an activity of mediating meaning from a source language into a target language. The ability to choose the correct translation technique is an indispensable skill to translators; therefore it is essential for translation students to be aware of why a particular technique is used. Past literatures in translation studies have shown that although much has been written about the translation process and product, there is very little research done on class dynamics in a translation classroom (Gonzales Davis 2004). This research focuses on the teaching of translation techniques in a translation classroom from the cooperative learning perspective. Preliminary observations discovered that students tend to use the wrong translation techniques when translating from English into Malay. As an intervention, a methodology that is called ‘Cooperative Work Procedure’ ( Gerding-Salas, 2000 ) is adopted in the teaching of translation in a basic translation course offered by the School of Language Studies and Linguistics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The ‘Cooperative Work Procedure’ promotes positive team work from students and it consists of workshop activities that help translation students to acquire appropriate translation techniques when translating a variety type of texts.

SKBL3113 Psikolinguistik is a BA Linguistics (Hons.) final-year course in UKM; hence, learners are expected to apply previous linguistic knowledge to this course. However, learners had difficulties in relating previous knowledge to what they were learning. This paper presents the intervention made to assist learners recall what they have learned and to not compartmentalise their knowledge. Results indicate that learners who reflected meaningfully in their reflective diary writing can relate the knowledge they were acquiring to their previous knowledge better than those who did not. This suggests reflective diary writing can help learners decompartmentalise their learning.

Reference switching (Iltifat) is a unique style found in the holy Qur’an. It is a rhetorical device in Arabic language. Nonetheless, it is used in an extensive and complex manner in Qur’an. Reference switching is defined as the change of speech from one mode to another. However, reference switching constitutes a problem for translators while transferring reference switches from one language to another, particularly in the Qur’anic discourse. This paper looks at the translation of reference switching in surah al-Baqarah specifically focusing on the translation strategies employed by the translator Yusuf Ali to transfer reference switching that is obvious in the Qur’an to English language. Personal reference switching has been classified into five categories: namely the switch from third to first person pronoun; the switch from first to third person pronoun; the switch from third to second person pronoun; the switch from second to third person pronoun and the switch from first to second person pronoun. Newmark’s translation strategies are used as a basis to explore the translation strategies applied by Yusuf Ali. The study reveals that Yusuf Ali opted for five strategies in translating reference switching in surah al-Baqarah. They are literal, expansion, free translation, compensation and a dual strategy of transposition and footnote. However, the study reveals that these translation strategies are inapplicable in conveying the meaning of iltifat. The findings of this study will hopefully pave the way for more investigations into the translatability of reference switching in other surahs of the holy Qur’an. Additionally, the findings of this study will be a step forward toward improving reference switching translation in future interpretations of meanings in the holy Qur’an.

Translating English phrasal verbs into Malay is a challenge as the English phrasal verbs are made up of verb plus a preposition or an adverb whereas in Malay its equivalent is almost always a single verb which may have different nuance than the combined words. This study presents the strategies employed by students in translating phrasal verbs and the categories of its Malay equivalents. As an intervention, students are then introduced to a set of parallel corpus of English-Malay company annual reports as their reference because using corpus in translation classroom enables students to gain access to large information on language usage which will help students in choosing the right or appropriate equivalents in translation process. Based on the reports from the students, they are very positive towards the use of corpus as a tool in translation exercise as they are exposed to a wide range of language use that is beneficial in translating.

In a lexicography class, linguistics students are taught the principles of arranging dictionary entries with the application of theories. There is also a need for the students to evaluate existing dictionary entries as well. Due to the importance of corpus use in a lexicography work (Atkins & Rundell, 2008), students were introduced to a Malay corpus and the Frame Semantics (Fillmore et al., 2003). Students were taught how to analyse the meaning of a word based on the frames and frame elements. The use of DBP-UKM 5 million Malay corpus and the framework of Frame Semantics were found to be beneficial in assisting students to evaluate the verb entries of memerlukan and mencari, two highly frequent verbs in Malay. Students were able to evaluate the two verb entries from the Kamus Dewan 4th Edition (KD4), a monolingual dictionary, and the bilingual Intelek Malay-English Dictionary (IMED). Students’ analysis findings will be presented and a few recommendations on teaching lexicography will be discussed in this paper.