Weam Lateef Fenjan Alfuraiji

This research explores political and media silence as a strategic communication device in political speeches, media interviews, and online media, using a multi-dimensional research methodology involving discourse analysis, acoustic recordings, and perception surveys. Through discourse analysis of a large dataset including 300 hours of political speeches, 200 media interviews, and 50 hours of online media, the research maps silence as a strong, convincing, and ideological device. Political speeches use longer but less frequent pauses for rhetorical effect while media interviews use shorter but more frequent silences in an attempt to evade uncomfortable questions. Silence in new media is found as a means of algorithmic manipulation. Surveys in six countries show large differences in how silence is understood; American respondents identify it as strategic while Japanese respondents consider it evasive or cheating. Hiding behind conventional linguistic theories assuming silence is a communicative absence, this research posits instead that silence is an active and discourse-dependent discourse device. Implications in media literacy and internet governance are also outlined with a call for greater openness in algorithmic modulations and a rhetorical awareness of silence.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate whether or not Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are effective in improving language pragmatics training for university students in Iraq who have an intermediate level of English proficiency. The research made use of a mixed-methods approach, which combines qualitative and quantitative data in order to investigate how artificial intelligence affects the acquisition of pragmatic competence (RQ1), learner perceptions (RQ2), and the effectiveness of AI in comparison to traditional methods (RQ3). The results of the study indicated that the intervention including the AI tool resulted in a statistically significant improvement in pragmatic competence scores when compared to the conventional method of instruction. Learners who were part of the experimental group also reported having favorable impressions of the effectiveness of the artificial intelligence tool. They highlighted the program's emphasis on practical application, as well as its interactive features and individualized feedback. This research makes a contribution to the field of language instruction by demonstrating the potential of artificial intelligence to develop a more interactive and individualized learning experience for pragmatics, which will ultimately lead to improved communication skills among students.