http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/608 2026-05-08T19:10:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8316 Title: Robot-Assisted Language Learning (RALL) for Communication Skills Development in Maritime-Themed EFL Education: A Study of Secondary School Students in West Sulawesi, Indonesia Authors: Muthmainnah, Muthmainnah; Aeni, Nur; Nasir, Aco; Elyas, Tariq; Curle, Samantha; Cardoso, Luis Abstract: Obstacles to communication practice in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms are often experienced due to a lack of access to authentic, life-related learning materials, fear of peer assessment, culturally unfamiliar textbook content, and exam-related pressures. These situations often inhibit students’ willingness to speak and reduce ongoing engagement. In response to these issues, this study aims to explore whether Robotic Assisted Language Learning (RALL) supported by maritime-themed teaching materials can help improve students’ communicative interactions in a culturally relevant context. Respondents were students randomly selected from six junior high schools in Polewali Mandar, Indonesia. The schools were purposively selected based on the following three criteria: (a) coastal or semi-coastal areas, (b) implementation of the national EFL curriculum by the Ministry of Education, and (c) school availability to conduct technology-based classroom observations. Following this purposive sampling, classes within each school were randomly selected, and students who met the inclusion criteria (aged 13–14, in 7th grade) were invited to participate. A total of 238 students participated in the study. Mixed-methods design was used, with quantitative and qualitative data collection, with analysis occurring in parallel, and integrated during interpretation. Data sources included a 20-item Likert-scale survey to measure learner readiness, perceived usefulness, and affective responses to RALL, as well as semi-structured interviews inquiring about students’ lived experiences. Results indicated a strong learner preference for the use of AI-powered tools, thematically including ChatGPT, Duolingo, ELSA Speak, and Cici Bot. Quantitative findings consistently reflected positive perceptions and stable response patterns, while qualitative findings described how RALL reduced anxiety levels, encouraged repeated practice, and provided a safer and less stressful environment for communication. The results of this study have practical implications for the development of context-relevant, sustainable EFL instruction that enhances engagement, which does not rely solely on traditional, textbook-based acquisition. 2026-03-31T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8315 Title: AI-generated Shakespeare: A corpus stylistic analysis of ChatGPT-4's generated and adapted scenes Authors: Beloufa, Chahra; Curle, Samantha Abstract: Generative AI is reshaping literary production, raising critical questions about textual integrity and authenticity. The rise of generative AI challenges foundational concepts in literary theory, including authorship, stylistic integrity, and the very ontology of the canonical text. This study uses the case of Shakespearean adaptation by GPT-4 to interrogate not merely the capability of AI, but its function as a cultural agent that reframes literary heritage through the logics of accessibility, simplification, and algorithmic bias. A corpus stylistic and comparative textual analysis is conducted on key scenes from Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, The Winter's Tale, King Lear, Hamlet, and Othello. The study evaluates AI-generated adaptations of the original texts, focusing on linguistic, stylistic, thematic, and contextual fidelity. Findings indicate that while GPT-4 retains core themes and narrative structures, it systematically simplifies rhetorical devices, syntactic patterns, and metaphorical richness. The analysis contributes to debates on AI's role in literature by proposing a new typology of algorithmic adaptation ranging from faithful reproduction to generative transformation that extends existing frameworks in adaptation theory. This research demonstrates that GPT-4's stylistic simplification is not a correctable bug but a fundamental feature of its operation as a cultural agent, with profound implications for how literary heritage will be mediated in the digital age. 2026-04-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8293 Title: European Union and Azerbaijan Deepen Strategic Cooperation Authors: Huseynov, Vasif Abstract: European Council President António Costa’s March 11 meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev highlighted Baku’s growing role in the European Union’s efforts to diversify energy supplies and expand European connectivity with the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan has increased natural gas exports to Europe since 2022 and now supplies 12 European countries with gas primarily via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline. Closer cooperation with Baku helps the European Union diversify energy supplies and reinforce stability across a region increasingly central to Europe’s security and economic interests. It helps Azerbaijan expand energy exports and connectivity projects. 2026-03-24T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8292 Title: Iran’s Drone Attacks Strain Tensions between Baku and Tehran Authors: Huseynov, Vasif Abstract: Iranian drones launched from Iranian territory struck Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on March 5, damaging civilian infrastructure near the international airport and a school. Baku condemned the attack as terrorism and demanded explanations, an apology, and accountability from Tehran. Azerbaijan rejected Iran’s denial of responsibility, citing technical monitoring confirming the drones’ Iranian origin. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev placed the armed forces on heightened alert and warned that Azerbaijan is prepared to retaliate against further hostile actions. As the broader regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States continues to unfold, the crisis between Azerbaijan and Iran appears increasingly volatile and could take an unpredictable course, with the risk of further escalation remaining high. 2026-03-12T00:00:00Z