This study investigates the realizations of interpersonal meaning in newsletters offering online courses by general and Islamic educational institutions, and whether or not the realization of this strand of meaning by the two groups of institutions is similar. Twelve newsletters from six educational institutions (three general and three Islamic) offering online courses were used as the data. Using Halliday and Matthiessen's (2004) grammar of interaction, the study found some similarities and differences in the realization of interpersonal meanings in the two groups of newsletters. Regarding the mood types, both institutions mostly use declaratives realizing the speech function of statement. Following this is imperative that is frequently employed to make offer and, in fewer frequency, command. The study also found that modalities and modulation are only used sparingly by both institutions. The dominant use of declaratives suggests that most of the writers of these newsletters provide information without creating an imagined dialogue with their readers. The relatively high use of offer in the data is hardly surprising due to the nature of the genres of newsletters. In addition, the small number of modality used in the newsletters demonstrates that the text producers prefer to present their propositions and proposals as facts.

This study aims to identify strategies in condolence expressions and explain the effect of power and distance on the choice of condolences strategies used by 20 Indonesian adolescents at the age of 11 to 19 years old. The study was employed by using a qualitative descriptive method. In the form of discourse completion task (DCT), the data were analyzed using Elwood's (2004) classification of condolences strategies and Brown and Levinson's (1987) theory of politeness. Based on 20 condolence expressions for each given situation, the findings reveal first, seeking absolution from God and expression of sympathy appears as the dominant strategy used by the respondents with 27.3% and 26.9% occurrences respectively, followed by future-oriented remarks (18.1%), an offer of assistance (12.3%), expression of concern (7.5%), related question (6.6%), and acknowledgment of the death (1.3%). Moreover, the finding also shows that variation in strategies of condolence expression appears to be motivated by the factors of the relationship. In more distant relationships, the respondents use lower risk strategies, while those who involve in a closer relationship would choose strategies of higher risk. The findings of the study indicate that the collectivistic norms and religious background of respondents can strongly affect their strategies choices in expressing condolences.

Critical thinking (CT) has generally been known as one of the core competencies of the 21st-century skills that students need to acquire to succeed in today’s world. To attain this goal, teachers undoubtedly have a critical role to play. Involving a group of Indonesian teachers of English, this study aims to explore the teachers’ initial conceptions of critical thinking as reflected in their planned classroom activities. Specifically, the data collected were in the form of written instructional activities that  used literary works as learning materials. These data were obtained following the teachers’ participation in an online workshop on promoting critical thinking through literature  held for English teachers from MGMP (i.e., English Teachers Working Group) in Bandung Regency. The workshop introduced a model of teaching critical thinking skills using literary works  and required the teachers to design their own instructional activities based on the proposed CT model. Adopting content analysis as the methodological tool to scrutinize the teachers’ prepared materials,  our initial findings indicate that, in general, the teachers had inadequate knowledge of how to incorporate  critical thinking skills into their teaching. Literature was seen merely as a tool to develop students’ linguistic abilities rather than as a way to explore humans’ experiences and to connect ‘the word and the world’. This study recommends that the teachers be given more time to better explore the concepts surrounding  critical literacy  pedagogy  as well as be given more opportunities  for practical application of the promoted instructional model.

Abstrak Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap bagaimana sikap mahasiswa Indonesia terhadap penggunaan materi dengan muatan budaya lokal maupun budaya target dalam teks bahasa Inggris di kelas Membaca (Reading) Kata-Kata Kunci: EIL, ELF, materi budaya lokal, materi budaya target, sikap mahasiswa Abstract This paper aims at portraying Indonesian tertiary students' attitudes towards the use of local and target culture reading texts in English reading classes with regard to today's role of English. It has been widely recognized that today's role of English is as an international language (EIL) and as a lingua franca (ELF). Regarding this international role of English language, ideally teaching and learning

To increase global recognition and quality education, universities in Indonesia establish English-mediated International University Programs (IUPs). Within different capacities and resources, however, internationalisation sometimes preserves inequalities among Indonesian higher education institutions (IHEIs). This study investigates how the practice of English-mediated internationalisation may not only support global recognition and quality education but also perpetuate linguistic hegemony. Framed by Canagarajah’s (1999b) Linguistic Imperialism (LI) and Pennycook’s (2017) critical perspective of English as an international language, government document analysis and semi-structured interviews with lecturers and students reveal different international programs, ranging from deliberation to initial emergence. Most IUPs are deliberately designed to cater for international students by providing high-standard infrastructure, international curriculum and quality human resources in order to increase international admissions and partnerships which are essential for international recognition. Despite these attempts, several have not been successful in attracting international enrolments and recognition. In contrast, other programs are not deliberate but are initially emerging to become international and attract overseas students. The study also discusses some emerging linguistic hegemony between English and maintenance of national language in the internationalisation of the Indonesian tertiary sector.