Vox Batauli

Effect of Nonverbal Communication in English Classes

Arun Kumar Kshetree — 2023-05-12

This paper has been prepared on the basis of the study to find out the different kinds of nonverbal communications in English classes of secondary level students. It was prepared with the aim of investigating the effect of nonverbal clues of the teachers in teaching English. Forty students of grade ten from four different schools of Butwal Sub-metropolitan city were asked some questions related to the nonverbal communication and nonverbal behaviours of the teachers and their impact on the students specially focusing on the English teachers and their classes. From the data gathered it was found out that the non verbal communication is very common and important in English classes and in many cases it supports the students in getting meanings of different expressions of the teachers and helps them to get motivated in learning English. One thing of caution is that the non verbal behaviours are much culture bound and the teachers need to be aware of the cultural background of the students. The findings and conclusions of this study will help the teachers improve their teaching by being conscious to their non verbal signals while teaching and reacting to the students' behaviours in the class and in the school.

English Language Teachers' Experiences of Using ICT in Online Teaching

Bhimlal Bhandari — 2023-05-12

After COVID-19 pandemic, online learning has predominated over traditional face-to-face instruction. Education was one of the most affected areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims at investigating university level English language teachers' experiences of using ICT in online teaching. The study intends to examine teachers’ perceived benefits and challenges of using ICT tools in online mode of teaching. For this purpose, I selected 80 English language teachers from sixteen campuses of Rupandehi. I used quantitative survey research design for the study. I collected data through closed-ended questionnaire only. This investigation demonstrates the satisfactory experiences of English language teachers in using ICT in online teaching. Use of ICT can facilitate and make teaching easier maximizing the learner autonomy, transferring traditional mode of teaching in learning English. Lack of basic ICT knowledge and skills, the digital divide, and students' laziness were some of the challenges of using ICT. Moreover, ICT use in online teaching can contribute learners to work in their own pace; provide a new platform of learning by expanding the access of resources in learning system.

Resistance through Solidarity of Sisterhood in Anne Bronte’s Agnes Grey

Damodar Bhusal — 2023-05-12

The paper attempts to examine the resistance against cruel patriarchy through the solidarity of sisterhood in Anne Bronte’s Agnes Grey. The major character, Agnes, faces many obstacles while she works as governess especially in Mr. Bloomfield’s house. The paper concerns itself how the female characters such as Agnes, Miss Murray, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Agnes and Mary are united with their female bonding and solidarity and resist the male prejudice. In doing so, it specifically utilizes the idea of Ann Jefferson’s (2022) idea of female friendship, female bonding and solidarity through sisterhood and of course the major premises of feminism in general. The paper is divided into four parts. In the first part introduces the issue and reviews major works on sisterhood and feminism. The second part presents its methodology. As its methodology, it utilizes the third part presents results and the final part presents discussion. The paper concludes that the male brutalities against women can be prevented if women remain united. The purpose of female bonding, moreover, is not to replace the patriarchy with matriarchy but to establish equality.

Empowering the Marginalized in Tripathi's "Shiva Trilogy": A Foucauldian Perspective

Krishna Prasad Bhattarai — 2023-05-12

The present paper elucidates the portrayal of some Hindu deities in the literary creations of Amish Tripathi. In The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, and The Oath of Vyauputras, Tripathi portrays the wretched condition of some Hindu gods and goddesses. The study explores the causes behind the subordination of Hindu deities. Replacing the canonical thinking of highlighting the supernatural qualities of deities, those texts expose the hidden realities behind the marginalization of some Hindu deities like, Ganesh, Kali, Sati, and all the Nagas, whose real identity was lying behind the curtain. The spotlight of the present research is to answer the causes of the subordination of major Hindu deities in Tripathi's "Trilogy." This issue is explored with the theoretical parameter of the Foucauldian perspective of power, knowledge, and resistance.

Apollonian and Dionysian Elements in the Folk Music of Arghakhanchi and Gulmi

Ram Prasad Ghimire — 2023-05-12

This article argues that most of the Nepali folk music has a provision of combining both the Apollonian and Dionysian virtues. This kind of integration in Nepali folk music can play a vital role in settling the crude emotional force that is produced by the modern music rooted in the Western way of life. The article also presents some evidence and examples of how the ancient peoples of Nepal managed their cultural music and maintained a balance between the Apollonian and Dionysian aspects of the human mind. Of course, an unsettled emotion produced by Western culture and music is a problem. Nepali folk music remains to be a solution to such a problem.

Voices of Unheard People in The Good Shopkeeper: A Contrapuntal Reading

Rom Nath Sharma — 2023-05-12

This paper analyzes Samrat Upadhyay’s short story, “The Good Shopkeeper” as a literary writing of postcolonial era using Edward Said’s contrapuntal reading strategy. This study aims to explore and assess the dark spots of the story, give voice to the unheard characters, and uncover new meanings and new aspects of the story. This study also explores how in the voices of the unheard people pertain the power and influence the decision. Moreover, this research paper investigates the inner incidents that took place in the story. It becomes clear that story is a manifestation of realism in the context of Nepal. Simultaneously, the study also reveals that it can be connected to the colonizers and colonized mindset in the post-colonial era and also how colonialism is ongoing process in the contemporary time.

Language Teachers’ Autonomy in EFL Classroom: A Narrative Inquiry

Shiva Kumar Gyawali — 2023-05-12

The study aims to find out practices undertaken by English language teachers for their autonomous development in EFL classrooms. Autonomy has become one of the most problematic and significant issues to be discussed in the field of teacher education in the recent era. This paper deals with the ways to support teachers in their classroom practices, as well as a way of improving professional practices and career development. It is based on qualitative research in general and narrative inquiry in particular. The information is based on four teachers from the community as well as institutional schools. It mainly discusses the perceptions and practices of teachers towards teacher autonomy. From the obtained information, the study found positive feelings of teachers towards employing initiatives taken regarding autonomy, and they note that other stakeholders must encourage the teachers’ efforts for successful implementation. It reveals that most schools have strong and self-empowered human resources but proper encouragement and application parts seem to be weak.

Voice of Dissent: Negation of Heterosexuality in Adrienne Rich's Poetry

Tilak Bhusal — 2023-05-12

This article explores the opposition of heterosexuality in Adrienne Rich’s poems. Rich has questioned the heterosexual institutions in her poetry and has consciously worked to re-create women’s identity taking an oppositional stance towards heterosexuality and trying to establish women's positional stance. Heterosexuality as a political institution is so pervasive that it has not only controlled women's bodies by various means but also has controlled their consciousness. It proved that women should seek their primary emotional and erotic ties in themselves to have women-identified experiences and freedom. Rich’s poems; “Rape”, “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”, “Twenty-one Love Poems I” and “Diving into the Wreck” are examined through radical feminism and lesbian perspectives.

BBS First Year Students' Expectations in Learning English

Umapati Neupane — 2023-05-12

This research paper article aims at identifying and analyzing BBS first year students' expectations in learning English (foreign language). The researcher assumes that foreign language learners have expectation in learning English. Such expectations have a great influence in the learners’ learning goals as well as motivation. Apart from this, it aims to find out the students' attitude towards learning English. The present study was conducted on 54 students of BBS I years students selected randomly from constituent affiliated campus of TU in Rupandehi district. The study sets out to investigate the expectations that BBS first year students have for learning English as a foreign language in context of Nepal. Many of the learners study foreign language mainly for jobs either in the native country or in the foreign countries. The researcher wants to find out the reason for migrating in the foreign countries. Many students are migrating to the foreign countries after studying business English to get jobs. The reason of this massive migrating to the foreign countries is to get jobs which they think to get after studying business English so that they can be able to deal with foreigners effectively. As a result, the country is facing brain drain problem. The results that the study revealed have thematically been grouped and presented under five broad headings. Normally, English for employability, internal and external business communication and diplomatic relation, academic success, self improvement and social status and professional skills. This article depicts learner's expectation in learning second language. Moreover, this research article presents some future directions for further investigations in the area.

Editorial Vol.8

Khimananda Neupane — 2023-05-12

Academic life stirs and gets renewed with every movement of creation that takes place with the rebirth of Vox Batauli: A Peer-Reviewed Journal. Its continuity since last seven years has proved its inexhaustible stamina and this time with its extra vigor of eighth volume it has successfully captured the momentum of Online-Intellectual Life in the form of NEPJOL. As the beauty of intellectual life lies in critical and creative thoughts and practices, the present volume shows the same with its creative writers and their different ways of dealing with various academic issues and interests. Of course, history of humanity cannot go ahead without critical and creative dialogue with new steps of time. In this regard, the present issue of Vox Batauli is bound to enrich and enhance humanity in true sense by the renewal of academic discourse. The journal has used both APA and MLA formats to accommodate the articles of different disciplines. We always regard the constructive suggestions as our guidelines. Finally, we would like to express our deep gratitude to all the contributors and reviewers for their active and sincere cooperation without which the journal would not come to this form.