Highlighting the TOEFL prediction test, this study attempted to explore EFL learners’ strategies in dealing with the reading comprehension section of the TOEFL prediction test, both in reading the texts and tackling the questions. This study employed a qualitative research design as its approach and a semi-structured interview as the instrument to gain the data. Six participants were purposively selected from the English Language Education Department of UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh. They were interviewed concerning their reading strategies in dealing with the questions in the TOEFL Prediction test. The findings revealed five strategies used by the participants in contending with the TOEFL reading section, classified into reading strategy and test-taking strategy. The reading strategies consist of skimming and scanning the passages, using context to understand the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary, and utilizing background knowledge. Meanwhile, reviewing the questions and prioritizing easier questions are included in the test-taking strategy.  This study proposes further research to investigate the effectiveness of particular strategies in improving EFL students’ performance in facing the reading section.ABSTRAKMengangkat topik tes TOEFL Prediksi, penelitian ini mencoba menyelidiki strategi yang dilakukan oleh mahasiswa-mahasiswi Bahasa Inggris dalam menghadapi bagian Reading Comprehension di tes TOEFL, baik strategi ketika membaca teks maupun ketika menjawab soal-soal yang tersedia. Studi ini menggunakan pendekatan qualitatif dan menggunakan wawancara semi-terstruktur sebagai instrument untuk menghasilkan data. Teknik purposive sampling digunakan dalam memilih enam partisipan untuk studi ini yang keenamnya berasal dari Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ada lima strategi yang digunakan oleh partisipan dalam menyelesaikan TOEFL Reading Section. Kelima strategi tersebut dapat diklasifikasikan kepada reading strategy (strategi membaca) dan test-taking strategy (strategi dalam menghadapi tes). Reading strategies terdiri dari membaca teks dengan menggunakan teknik skimming and scanning, menggunakan konteks untuk dapat memahami makna dari kata-kata yang sukar, dan menggunakan background knowledge (pengetahuan sebelumnya) ketika membaca teks. Sementara mereview pertanyaan dan mengutamakan menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang lebih mudah termasuk dalam test-taking strategy yang dilakukan oleh partisipan ketika menghadapi tes. Studi ini mendukung penelitian lebih dalam kedepannya terkait keefektifan dari strategi-strategi ini dalam meningkatkan performa mahasiswa-mahasiswi Bahasa Inggris dalam menyelesaikan bagian reading comprehension.

Acehnese language is rich in its figurative languages such as in forms of idioms and similes. Acehnese people have been magnifying the idioms and similes over decades to soften utterances, and they are inherited from generation to generation. Consequently, this study aimed at investigating Acehnese adolescents’ understanding of Acehnese idioms and similes. Qualitative research designed was used, and data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of 10 Acehnese figurative language expressions. There were 51 respondents, aged within 18-21 years old who all are indigenous Acehnese. The result suggests that Acehnese adolescents are still knowledgeable about them. There is 72.8% of respondents who are considered to understand the idioms asked in the questionnaire set. Meanwhile, those who did not understand the expressions come from different language continuum areas. In conclusion, Acehnese adolescents are still aware of the Acehnese figurative language, and this positivity shall help in preserving the values of Acehnese language for the next generation to come.

This study focuses on analyzing and contrasting sentence pattern differences in both English and Sigulai languages. The study intends to find out the differences in sentence pattern between English and Sigulai language and how the sentence pattern of two languages are different. This current study was conducted by employing the qualitative method by using the contrastive analysis approach. Purposive sampling was used to select samples comprising two native-Simeulue students studying in Banda who speaks Sigulai. The findings show that there were contrast differences in verbal and nominal sentence patterns between English and Sigulai. Moreover, it can be concluded that Sigulai language has a non-configurational sentence pattern as many other Austronesian languages in Aceh and Indonesia in general.

This study aims to test whether using the technique named keeping-journals during the TOEFL preparation class is beneficial for the listening section part A of the test. The quantitative pretest-posttest method used in this study involves single-group design consisting of 36 fifth semester college students at Syiah Kuala University, Aceh, Indonesia. The result is considered essential since, practically, TOEFL tutors need to bring TOEFL learners to keep track on their learning rate on their own; hopefully, the result can best suit the theoretical gap since there have been only few experimental studies conducted on Listening Section of TOEFL through journal-keeping. The findings approved that the H a is accepted for the t value is 1.90 (df 34, α=0.05, -2.02 ≤ t ≥ 2.02 ). It is also significant for the sig value is 0.7 (sig value ≥ α=0.05). In conclusion, the technique does help the learners in tackling problems they face in Listening section on TOEFL part A as it enhances their listening performance, attitude, and motivation.