Journal of Language and Pragmatics Studies

Politeness strategies and power relations in Zendaya and Nicole Kidman youtube channel interviews

Daniah Farah, Hilmi Akmal, Muhammad Agus Suriadi — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This research was conducted to examine the politeness strategies and power relations found in the “Actors on Actors” interview between Zendaya and Nicole Kidman on the Variety YouTube channel. The analysis was based on Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness strategies theory and Brown and Gilman’s (1960) power and solidarity theory. The objectives of the study were: (1) To identify the politeness strategies employed by Zendaya and Nicole Kidman in interviews on the Variety YouTube channel (2) To analyze how the power relations influenced politeness strategies in interviews with Zendaya and Nicole Kidman on the Variety YouTube channel. A qualitative method was applied, with data collected through purposive sampling. A total of 47 politeness strategies were identified in the interview between Nicole Kidman and Zendaya. Positive politeness appeared most frequently (34 times), followed by negative politeness (7), bald on-record (4), and off-record strategies (2), with no instances of don’t do the FTA. The dominance of positive politeness indicates that the interaction is primarily characterized by solidarity, warmth, and mutual respect. Despite differences in age and experience, both speakers maintained an equal and friendly atmosphere. Their shared identity as professional actors enabled them to connect through a mutual understanding of the industry, the artistic process, and the emotional demands of their work, which in turn strengthened the solidarity expressed throughout the interaction.

The pragmatics of celebrity fan wars: A case study of Wizkid and Davido fans on X

David Oluwatobi Esuola, Tayo Adebayo, Temitope Michael Ajayi — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Celebrity rivalry refers to a situation in which two or more well-known public figures, typically from the entertainment, sports, or fashion industries, are perceived to be in conflict or competition with one another. Even though scholars have explored the celebrity rivalry between Wizkid and Davido, studies on the rivalry among their fans remain underexplored. Thus, from a qualitative research perspective, this study is a pragma-discursive analysis of the online interactions between the fans of Wizkid known as (FC) and fans of Davido known as (30BG). The data were examined using Henry Jenkins (1992) Fandom theory. Findings show that fans of both artists deploy impoliteness to foreground their celebrity’s industry, how their fans project the industry’s success over the other artist and financial supremacy over the other celebrity, and how their favorite celebrity is projected as richer than the other celebrity. Further studies can be done on comparing artists of different countries.

Language in conflict debates: Impoliteness strategies in the open to debate youtube channel ‘were Israel’s actions in the Gaza war justified?’

Intan Nur'aini, Hilmi Akmal — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This study analyzes the strategies of impoliteness in the debate ‘Were Israel’s Actions in the Gaza War Justified?’ on the Open to Debate YouTube channel. Using Jonathan Culpeper’s theory of impoliteness, this research aims to identify and analyze the impoliteness strategies employed by speakers and their functions in the context of conflict debates. This qualitative study utilizes documentation techniques and data cards to collect and analyze data. The results show that there are 4 instances of bald on record, 2 instances of sarcasm or mock politeness, and 1 instance of negative impoliteness, and 1 instance of positive impoliteness. Further analysis reveals that these impoliteness strategies can be categorized into two primary functions: coercive impoliteness (pressuring the opponent) and affective impoliteness (expressing strong emotions). This study also demonstrates that impoliteness in debates about conflict does not only carry negative connotations, but also can serve as a form of strong concern for defending humanity and as an effort to voice concerns for the conflict resolution. In conclusion, this study shows that the three speakers (Eylon Levy and Mehdi Hasan) employ impoliteness strategies with different objectives: Eylon Levy tends to prioritize Israel’s security, while Mehdi Hasan uses impoliteness to defend all victims, both in Palestine and Israel, and to support conflict resolution.

Understanding EFL learners’ academic writing problems and the benefits of artificial intelligence tools: A descriptive review

Zanyar Nathir Ghafar, Bareq Raad Raheem — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Artificial Intelligence (AI) today represents not only technological advancement but also a powerful tool that is rapidly transforming the process of learning English. EFL learners increasingly use AI-based applications to enhance their language skills and academic writing performance. This study aims to identify the major challenges EFL learners face in academic writing and to highlight the significance of AI tools in addressing these issues. A qualitative descriptive review was conducted to achieve the study objectives. Relevant literature published over the last ten years was selected from open-access sources and academic databases. The findings indicate that learners encounter persistent problems in grammar, punctuation, coherence, and the organization of ideas. The review also shows that AI tools play a supportive role in helping learners improve their grammatical accuracy, expand their vocabulary, and develop better writing structure and coherence.

Enhancing English proficiency enjoyably: Improving language skills through watching engaging and educational English movies

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

The purpose of this paper is to explain the benefits of watching English movies as an effective way to improve language skills. This method offers learners a practical and enjoyable way to enhance their English proficiency, including listening, speaking, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Watching movies allows learners to experience real conversations, different accents, and the correct use of English in daily life, making learning more meaningful and engaging. Using subtitles can help learners connect spoken words with their written forms. Beginners can start with subtitles in their native language and gradually switch to English subtitles to improve grammar and vocabulary. Movies with different accents, like American, British, or Australian, also help learners understand various ways of speaking English. Research supports the benefits of watching English movies for language learning. Studies show that movies help learners understand words in context, improve listening skills, and learn proper pronunciation. Repeating scenes, writing down new vocabulary, and practicing speaking based on movies enhance retention and usage. Moreover, movies introduce learners to different cultures, making learning more interesting and informative. This method is suitable for learners at all levels. Beginners can watch simple movies like animations, while advanced learners can explore movies with more complex dialogues. Rewatching movies helps learners notice new details, such as sentence structures and pronunciation, that they might have missed before. Discussing movies with others is also a fun way to practice speaking and critical thinking. In conclusion, watching English movies combines education and entertainment, providing learners with an enjoyable way to improve their English skills. It motivates learners, helps them understand authentic language use, and enriches their cultural knowledge, making it a valuable tool for language learning.

Symbolic power in caricature of Nigerian academia in selected videos of Sagacious Prof

Temitope Michael Ajayi, Tayo Adebayo, David Oluwatobi Esuola — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Caricature, often visual, involves exaggerations for satirical, critical, or comic effect. Scholarly probes on caricature have focused on political and legal contexts with less attention to academia. Particularly, there is a dearth of symbolic power studies detailing the power relations between participants in Nigerian academia. The present study, therefore, explores how Facebook content creator, Sagacious Prof, depicts systemic issues in academia, with reference to the Nigerian context, examining how academics deploy linguistic choices to negotiate unethical goals in student-lecturer interactions. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study analysed ten purposively sampled videos of Sagacious Prof, whose content primarily depicts activities within the Nigerian academic context. The data analysis is guided by Norman Fairclough’s (1995) Critical Discourse Analysis. The findings showcased two negative systemic issues in Nigerian academia: transactional grading and transactional sex. By implication, Nigerian academics are largely constructed as being unethical in their engagements with students in the skits of Sagacious Prof.