INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES, PHILOSOPHY AND LANGUAGES (IJHPL)

DECLARATIVE INTONATION IN MALAYSIAN MANDARIN: AN EXPLORATORY ACOUSTIC STUDY

Chenglin Nong — 2026-06-08

This study adopts an experimental-phonetic approach to conduct a small-scale exploratory acoustic comparison of declarative intonation in Malaysian Mandarin and Mainland Mandarin. The participants consisted of two male Malaysian Chinese speakers and two male Mainland Chinese speakers. Four declarative sentences with controlled focus positions were used as speech materials, each representing one of the four Mandarin lexical tones. The analysis examined sentence pitch range, prosodic-word pitch range, syllable-level pitch range, and the in-sentence realization of lexical tones. Fundamental frequency data were extracted using Mini-Speech-Lab and converted from hertz into semitones and normalized percentage values. The results show that, in the present sample, the Malaysian Chinese speakers display a relatively narrower overall pitch range than the Mainland Chinese speakers, mainly due to a lower upper pitch limit, while the lower pitch limit differs less between the two groups. The two groups pattern similarly in the location of the lower pitch limit, but differ in upper pitch alignment and pitch fluctuation patterns. Malaysian Chinese speakers generally preserve the basic characteristics of the four lexical tones, although some tonal weakening and local deviation can be observed in connected speech. These findings should be interpreted as preliminary observations based on a small, controlled dataset.

LECTURERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF CHATGPT USE IN MALAYSIAN POLYTECHNIC ESL CLASSROOMS: AN EXPLORATORY DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Radika Subramaniam — 2026-06-30

Studies exploring perceptions on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education have increased significantly in recent years. However, less attention has been given to lecturers’ own use of ChatGPT within Malaysian TVET institutions, particularly among English as a Second Language (ESL) lecturers whose teaching practices involve communicative and workplace-oriented language instruction. This study explores Malaysian polytechnic ESL lecturers’ perceptions of the integration of ChatGPT into classroom teaching. Adopting an exploratory descriptive design, the study employs the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model developed by Venkatesh et al. (2012), extended with Trust, Perceived Risks, and Attitude towards ChatGPT. Since ChatGPT also introduces concerns about reliability, integrity, and trustworthiness, extending UTAUT2 with constructs such as 'trust' and 'perceived risk' is necessary. A total of 40 ESL lecturers nationwide participated in the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising 32 five-point Likert-scale items and an open-ended response section distributed online. The constructs measuring perceptions were analysed using descriptive statistics, while thematic analysis was applied to qualitative feedback. The findings generally reveal a high level of acceptance of ChatGPT as a pedagogical support tool in ESL classrooms, particularly for lesson preparation and the development of instructional materials. Effort expectancy and facilitating conditions emerged as strong factors, indicating that lecturers perceive ChatGPT as easy to use and accessible. Nevertheless, lecturers expressed concerns regarding academic integrity and overdependence, particularly in relation to its potential effects on teaching practices and critical thinking skills. Qualitative insights further highlight that lecturer’s position ChatGPT as a supportive instructional tool rather than a replacement for pedagogical expertise. Overall, the study provides early educator-focused insights into AI-assisted language teaching and underlines the need for responsible pedagogical integration of generative AI in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ESL contexts.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OCCUPATIONAL STRESS, WORKING ENVIRONMENT, WORKLOAD AND JOB PERFORMANCE AMONG PALM OIL WORKERS IN KOTA TINGGI, JOHOR

Nur Shazwani Samsudin — 2026-06-08

Palm oil workers are operating in physically demanding tasks, challenging working conditions, and high job demands, which may influence their job performance. Occupational stress, working environment, and excessive workload are among the key factors that influence workers’ ability to perform effectively in labour-intensive plantation settings. This study examines the relationships among occupational stress, the working environment, and workload and job performance among palm oil workers in Kota Tinggi, Johor. A quantitative research approach, data were collected from 113 palm oil workers employed under the Federal Land Development Authority Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) through structured questionnaires. The findings revealed that occupational stress has a significant positive relationship with job performance (r = 0.764, p = 0.001), indicating that manageable levels of stress may enhance workers’ focus and performance. Similarly, workload is positively and significantly associated with job performance (r = 0.752, p = 0.001), suggesting that an appropriate workload level can motivate workers to perform effectively. Moreover, the working environment demonstrates a significant positive relationship with job performance (r = 0.778, p = 0.001). Collectively, occupational stress, working environment, and workload explain a substantial proportion of the variance in job performance (R2 = 0.663). The findings highlight the importance of maintaining a supportive working environment, appropriately managing occupational stress, and regulating workload levels to enhance job performance. This study provides practical insights for plantation managers and policymakers on developing effective strategies to improve workers’ performance, safety, and well-being.