Volume 16, issue 2

Introduction

This volume of in esse: English Studies in Albania collects articles from four different subject areas, grouped into four sections in this issue: Children’s Literature in Translation, Comparative Literature, Discourse Analysis, and English Language Teaching.

The first section, Children’s Literature in Translation, contains two contributions, “Translation of functional styles in children’s literature from English into Albanian: The case of Harry Potter,” by Aida Alla and Venera Llunji from AAB College, Kosovo, and “Stylistic analysis of death-related language in the Slovak translation of Matilda Woods’ The Boy, the Bird and the Coffin Maker” by Adriana Laputková from the University of Prešov, Slovakia.

In their article, Alla and Llunji discuss the translation of different functional styles in children’s literature from English into Albanian. They analyse three embedded texts from the Harry Potter series, written in three different styles, namely, a formal official letter, a mock-formal sarcastic letter and a humorous rhyming poem, applying Galperin’s stylistic analysis framework and Newmark’s V diagram of translation methods to establish a clear correlation between functional style and translation approach. The study showed that in the case of the official letter, with an informative bureaucratic function, the translation was made on a semantic basis (source-oriented), preserving the formal register and technical vocabulary. The poem of the Sorting Hat, with an aesthetic and performative function, was translated in a communicative and free (target-oriented) manner, considering rhythm, rhyme and cultural adaptation. For the mock-formal letter to Snape, semantic translation was used to maintain the juxtaposition of formal openings and colloquial insults. Importantly, the translator always chose to keep the functional style of the source text rather than adjusting to what are considered conventions of children’s literature. Formal bureaucratic language and even offensive vocabulary were maintained when these features were an integral part of the communicative purpose of the text. This shows that functional style has more influence on translation decisions than the considerations of the age of the audience.

 Adriana Laputková also tackles stylistic aspects in translated children’s literature. Laputková’s article is concerned with the translation of the language and stylistic devices related to death from the English original of Matilda Woods’ The Boy, the Bird and the Coffin Maker into Slovak. The analysis is carried out on 16 selected passages from the text by means of text and stylistic analysis on phonological, graphological, lexical, semantic and syntactic levels. The study examines the extent to which stylistic features such as metaphors, humour, irony, repetition, assonance, rhyme, colloquialisms and syntactic devices such as inversion and minor sentences are successfully transferred from the source text to the target text and whether they produce similar aesthetic and emotional effects on the young readers. The findings show that the Slovak translation mostly retains the informational and educational functions; many stylistic devices are left out or altered: linguistic constraints do not allow the transfer of colloquial speech markers such as contractions; lexical and syntactic repetitions used for emphasis are frequently lost; graphological markers like italics and capitalisation are taken away; and phonological features, including assonance and rhyme, are inconsistently retained. At times the translator compensates with poetic language or Slovak-specific stylistic elements, but the overall aesthetic effect and the reader’s experience are not the same as in the original. This suggests that a successful literary translation requires not only linguistic competence but also a profound awareness of stylistics and the ability to identify and reproduce the author’s purposeful language use to create meaning and emotional impact.

The second section, Comparative Literature, includes one article that focuses on reader-response criticism, titled “The interlingual reader as a semiotic pendulum: A reader-response approach to Kongoli and Roth” by Ermir Xhindi from the University of Vlora “Ismail Qemali,” Albania. In this article, Xhindi proposes a “semiotic pendulum” model for theorising interlingual reading by comparing Fatos Kongoli’s Lëkura e qenit (“The Dog’s Skin”) and Philip Roth’s The Human Stain to look into the production of a dynamic set of interpretive correspondences between the two texts by an Albanian reader who switches between languages. The study claims that the interlingual reader becomes a semiotic mediator, who produces partial and asymmetrical correspondences between literary systems. Kongoli’s novel offers a first repertoire that allows Roth’s treatment of hidden identity, temporal memory, social control, anonymous denunciation and erotic agency to be recognised, while Roth’s novel recontextualises and transforms the reader’s perception of Kongoli’s novel. The recursive interpretive move—reading Roth through Kongoli, then rereading Kongoli through Roth—reveals productive but incomplete parallels between Coleman Silk’s racial passing and Krist Tarapi’s post-communist condition, between Faunia Farley and Dolora Morava as loci of desire and vulnerability, and between the Albanian idiom lëkura e qenit (something valuable in an unworthy exterior) and Roth’s concept of the “human stain” as intrinsic impurity. The study concludes that literary globalisation is not merely textual circulation but a mutually constitutive reading process, whereby local repertoires actively shape the reception of world literature. It offers the interlingual reader as a site of literary contact, negotiating between preserving, enriching and transforming local cultural identity.

The third section, Discourse Analysis, has one article, titled “Justice reform in Albania through metaphor: A comparative critical discourse analysis of political speeches in Albanian and English,” written by Arta Sakja from the Office of the President of the Republic of Albania, and Etleva Koni from the University of Tirana, Albania. The authors analyse the use of metaphors in political speeches about justice reform in Albania. The study uses the Conceptual Metaphor Theory and the Critical Discourse Analysis in an effort to classify 166 metaphors from 10 speeches, 5 in Albanian and 5 in English, as positive, negative or neutral/descriptive based on their semantic and emotional functions. The results show interesting differences between the two subcorpora. The Albanian-language speeches contain a large proportion of negative metaphors (45.2% out of a total of 95 metaphors, with an average of 6.02 metaphors per 1,000 words) that express strong feelings of fear, pain, uncertainty and disappointment, depicting the justice system prior to the reform as “utterly rotten,” using vivid and emotionally charged imagery. In contrast, the English-language speeches are characterised by a predominance of positive metaphors (69% out of a total of 71 metaphors, with an average of 13.24 metaphors per 1,000 words) that depict the reform as a hopeful, transformative “journey,” using balanced and diplomatic language, with only selective use of restrained negative metaphors such as “broken system.” The differences in metaphor use correspond to context factors such as the institutional role of the speaker (national politicians seeking to mobilise versus international diplomats acting as neutral mediators), the communication context (parliament, press conference or public forum) and the stage of reform (early crisis framing versus subsequent institutional consolidation). This demonstrates the use of metaphors as powerful cognitive and emotional devices that influence public perception, construct political narratives and legitimise institutional change in transitional democracies.

The fourth section, English Language Teaching, includes two articles, “Students’ most frequently used strategies in English language learning” by Anisa Trifoni from “Aleksandër Moisiu” University of Durrës, Albania, and Miranda Enesi from Polytechnic University of Tirana, Albania, and “Arts-based practices in English language teaching: A content analysis” by Artemida Luçaj and Etjona Hoxha from the University of Vlora “Ismail Qemali,” Albania.

In their article, Trifoni and Enesi investigate the language learning strategies (LLSs) employed by 100 first-year students from the Department of Foreign Languages at “Aleksandër Moisiu” University of Durrës, Albania. By means of Oxford’s Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) questionnaire, the frequency and variation of strategy use based on students’ previous years of English language study is examined. Drawing on Oxford’s taxonomy of direct strategies (memory, cognitive, compensation) and indirect strategies (metacognitive, affective, social), the study found 166 metaphorical expressions and showed that metacognitive strategies were the most common (M = 4.05), especially paying attention when someone speaks English (M = 4.59), followed by social strategies (M = 3.69), and the least preferred were affective strategies (M = 3.32), especially writing feelings in a language-learning diary (M = 1.91). The analysis showed that students with 1-3 years of English study used more of most learning strategies (except memory strategies) than those with longer years of study. This finding suggests that less proficient learners use more conscious strategic effort to compensate for knowledge gaps. However, those with 9+ years of study reported less use of memory, metacognitive, affective and social strategies. The findings corroborate previous research highlighting the significance of metacognitive strategies for successful language acquisition and challenge some earlier research that linked higher proficiency to a greater use of strategies, perhaps due to early curricular emphasis on explicit strategy instruction or self-report bias. This research finds that focusing on students’ metacognitive and social strategies and developing a plan to improve the use of affective and compensation strategies that have been underused through specific strategies such as reflective journals and circumlocution exercises could increase emotional regulation and fluency in communication.

Artemida Luçaj and Etjona Hoxha offer a systematic review of the theoretical basis of English language teaching (ELT) to assess the pedagogical potential of arts-based approaches, i.e., visual arts, drama and music, within the framework of competence-oriented frameworks. The study addresses the research gap that arts-oriented methodologies are under-theorised in comparison to well-established competence models and that arts-based approaches are not empirically validated in higher-education contexts. Through content analysis of academic publications, policy documents (including the CEFR), and university programme materials, combined with theoretical synthesis drawing on communicative language teaching, task-based learning, and student-centred approaches, the study establishes ELT as an interdisciplinary field integrating linguistic, pedagogical, psychological, and communicative components while mapping specific arts modalities to observable sub-competences: visual arts (via Visual Thinking Strategies) develop pragmatic/discourse competence through sustained observation, vocabulary retrieval, and stance-taking in art interpretation; drama fosters pragmatic, sociolinguistic, and strategic competence through role-play, improvisation, real-time interaction, turn-taking, repair strategies, and register negotiation under authentic communicative pressure; and music enhances prosodic fluency, segmental accuracy, and formulaic language acquisition through rhythmic entrainment, shadowing, and multimodal encoding of vocabulary in emotionally resonant contexts.  Based on the models of Council of Europe (2020), Canale and Swain (1980), and Bachman and Palmer (1996), the results show that arts-based practices conceptually match CEFR competence descriptors, especially pragmatic/discourse, sociolinguistic, strategic, and intercultural dimensions, but their integration requires rigorous empirical validation through mixed-methods classroom experiments, CEFR-aligned assessment rubrics, technology-supported pronunciation measurement (CAPT systems), multimodal classroom analytics, teacher logs, and learner portfolios, with ethical safeguards for video-based observation data. The study ends with recommendations for research designs that include randomised/quasi-experimental comparisons, crossover designs for small samples and longitudinal assessments of retention and transfer. While acknowledging its limitations, the study ultimately calls for the transition of arts-based ELT from supplementary techniques to evidence-informed, standards-aligned pedagogical approaches that promote communicative competence, learner autonomy and intercultural sensitivity in contemporary higher-education language instruction.

Lastly, we would like to thank each and every one of our authors for sharing their thoughts and viewpoints with us in this issue of in esse. We would also like to thank our reviewers for their tireless work on reviewing the articles in this collection and their insightful comments.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Armela Panajoti, general editor

Translation of functional styles in children’s literature from English into Albanian: The case of Harry Potter  

Aida ALLA, Venera LLUNJI,

AAB College

email: aida.alla@universitetiaab.com

Abstract 

This study investigates the translation methods of the linguistic features of various functional styles in children’s literature from English into Albanian. The analysis is based on a corpus that consists of three embedded texts extracted from two of the books of the Harry Potter series, which exemplify distinct functional styles such as (1) a formal official letter issued by official authorities, (2) a mock-formal letter imbued with sarcasm and mockery, and (3) a humorous rhyming poem. We compare source and target texts using a dual framework of analysis: a) stylistic analysis to identify linguistic features in the selected texts and b) translation analysis to examine how stylistic differences determine translation methods. From a stylistic perspective, the results reveal that the source text blends various stylistic elements, both lexical and grammatical, to reflect diverse contextual situations governed by the respective functions of the texts in question. From a translation perspective, the results confirm a relation between functional styles and translation methods: the official, informative letter aligns with a semantic translation approach, whereas the poetic and figurative texts are more suited to a communicative translation method. Moreover, the fact that the corpus belongs to children’s literature does not influence the translation methods.

Keywords: children’s literature, embedded text, functional styles, translation methods

Stylistic analysis of death-related language in the Slovak translation of Matilda Woods’ The Boy, the Bird and the Coffin Maker  

Adriana LAPUTKOVÁ,

University of Prešov

email: adriana.laputkova@unipo.sk

Abstract 

This article examines references to death in Matilda Woods’ translation of The Boy, the Bird and the Coffin Maker from English into Slovak while taking into consideration the stylistic features. The informational, educational, and aesthetic functions that the story fulfils are reflected in its language, as Woods employs various stylistic devices, such as metaphors, humour, and irony, to present the topic of death and various aspects connected with it explicitly, directly, and comprehensibly to young readers, potentially evoking positive emotions or alleviating the burden of the theme and the process of overcoming grief. Using text and stylistic analysis, the application of which is essential for any translator who intends to mediate information from one culture/language to another successfully, this research aims to assess whether the stylistic devices used in the English original are transferred into Slovak, whether their effect is identical in both languages, and if not, how it changes and what its impact might be on the target audience’s perception or experience.

Keywords: children’s literature, death, English, stylistic analysis, translation, Slovak, stylistic analysis

The interlingual reader as a semiotic pendulum: A Reader-response approach to Kongoli and Roth  

Ermir XHINDI,

University “Ismail Qemali” of Vlora

email: exhindi@gmail.com

Abstract 

This study proposes a recursive interpretive movement, referred to as the “semiotic pendulum,” for reading Lëkura e qenit (“The dog’s skin”) by Fatos Kongoli and The Human Stain by Philip Roth from an interlingual reading perspective. Rather than merely comparing the novels as textual objects, the article looks into how reading across Albanian and English reorganises the reader’s understanding of both works. Kongoli’s novel provides a first semiotic repertoire in which Roth’s treatment of temporal memory, veiled identity, social regulation, anonymous denunciation, and erotic agency is partially recognised. Thus, Roth’s novel recontextualises Kongoli’s novel, leading to changes in the reader’s perception of characters, symbols and narrative structures. There is no translation relationship between these two novels, and their historical contexts are distinct: Kongoli’s fictional universe is grounded in the Albanian communist and post-communist experience; Roth’s novel deals with American racial identity, passing, institutional conflict, and late-twentieth-century moral judgement. Their correspondence is therefore partial and asymmetrical. The interlingual reader is a semiotic mediator who creates, tests and adjusts links between literary systems without losing a local cultural identity. The study contends that literary globalisation is not merely the circulation of texts but a mutually constitutive process of reading in which local repertoires actively shape the reception of world literature.

Keywords: Albanian literature; American literature; interlingual reader; reader-response criticism; semiotic pendulum; world literature 

Justice reform in Albania through metaphor: A comparative critical discourse analysis of political speeches in Albanian and English

Arta SAKJA,

Office of the President of the Republic of Albania

Etleva KONI,

University of Tirana

email: arta.sakja@president.al

Abstract

This study analyses the use of metaphors in political speeches on justice reform delivered in Albanian and English, focusing on their semantic, emotional and persuasive functions. 166 metaphors were identified from a corpus of ten speeches delivered between 2016 and 2024, five of which were in Albanian delivered by Socialist Party representatives and five in English delivered by international actors, such as representatives of the European Union and the United States. The study is based on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff and Johnson 1980) and Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough 1995; van Dijk 2006). These metaphors are classified according to valence as positive, descriptive or neutral, and negative, each indicating different rhetorical purposes. Negative metaphors dominate in Albanian language speeches, often expressing strong feelings of pain, uncertainty, and distrust. In English-language speeches, negative metaphors are used more selectively and strategically to maintain diplomatic neutrality. Positive metaphors prevail in these speeches, framing justice reform as a hopeful, necessary and transformative process. Findings demonstrate that metaphors shape public perception and guide their emotional responses towards reform. In addition, the comparative analysis employed in this research demonstrates that variation in the use of metaphors across speeches depends on contextual factors like the speech setting, the speaker’s role, and the reform stage, revealing their discourse function in constructing public narratives of transitional democracies.

Keywords: critical and comparative analysis, emotional engagement, justice reform, metaphor, political discourse, public perception 

Students’ most frequently used strategies in English language learning

Anisa TRIFONI,

“Aleksandër Moisiu” University of Durrës

Miranda ENESI,

Polytechnic University of Tirana

email: m.enesi@fimif.edu.al

Abstract

Research into foreign language (FL), second language (SL), and English as a second language (ESL) has seen a significant increase in interest, particularly regarding the strategies employed in language learning environments. English language teachers frequently encounter students who struggle because they do not use effective foreign language learning strategies or do not know how to learn a foreign language. Applying the right strategies facilitates the whole process of learning a foreign language and makes students more motivated when they come to class. Since students use different strategies to achieve success, it is essential for English teachers to help them to choose wisely, bearing in mind the type of learners they are and their preferred learning styles.

In this study, we look into the strategies students from the Department of Foreign Languages, “Aleksander Moisiu” University of Durrës used to learn English and how strategy use varies with the number of years students studied English before university. Data analysis and interpretation revealed that the most frequently used strategies were the metacognitive and social strategies, while the least preferred strategy was the affective strategy. The data provided us with a clearer understanding of the roles that various strategies play in the learning process. Another interesting finding was that the students who had been studying English for a period of 1-3 years relied more on learning strategies than those who had been studying English for a longer period, with the exception of memory strategies.

Keywords: Foreign language, learning strategy, University students 

Arts-based practices in English language teaching: A content analysis

Artemida LUÇAJ, Etjona HOXHA,

University of Vlora “Ismail Qemali”

email: artemida.lucaj@univlora.edu.al

Abstract

This study aims to systematise the foundations of English language teaching to examine the pedagogical potential of arts-based approaches in a competence-oriented framework. The research brings together communicative teaching, task-based learning, student-centred learning, visual arts, drama and music through theoretical analysis, systematic document review with explicit inclusion/exclusion criteria, and comparative synthesis. The findings establish language teaching as an interdisciplinary field combining linguistic, pedagogical, psychological and communicative components with particular regard to pragmatic/discourse, sociolinguistic and strategic competences as defined by well-known models (CoE 2020; Canale and Swain 1980; Bachman and Palmer 1996). The study proposes developing theoretical frameworks that link art modalities to observable sub-competences and suggests empirical validation pathways in higher-education ELT contexts, which include mixed-methods classroom experiments, CEFR-aligned assessment rubrics and formative feedback systems.

Keywords: communicative competence, learner autonomy, student-centred approach, task-based learning, visual arts