PALIMPSEST / ПАЛИМПСЕСТ

FOREWORD

Astrid Simone Hlubik — 2024-12-25

Those who have been with us throughout this journey know that our literary path has not always been smooth. However, with the support of our editorial team, our reviewers and, most importantly, the authors who have placed their trust in us, we have overcome numerous challenges. Now Palimpsest is an internationally recognized and well-established scientific journal. Evidence of this achievement is our continued indexing in three relevant international scientific journal databases: CEEOL, Index Copernicus and Scopus. The dedication and hard work of our editors in developing and enhancing Palimpsest has yielded remarkable results and we are now truly authentic international scientific publication. We would like to extend our gratitude to all our authors for their contributions to previous issues of the journal. As for our newest issue, it features 22 papers by 32 authors and co-authors. The contributors to this issue are: in Language- Jan Holeš, Nadica Negrievska, Doris Sava, Ferdi Güzel, Violeta Janusheva, Marija Stojanoska, Erëza Rushiti; in Literature- Marija Gjorgjieva-Dimova, Vesna Kozhinkova, Sofija Ivanova, Ranko Mladenoski, Şerife Seher Erol Çalışkan, Müge Bayraktar, Petek Ersoy İnci, Luisa Emanuele, Valbona Kalo; in Culture- Ekaterina Namicheva-Todorovska, Petar Namichev, Aleksandra Jovanovska Hnida; in Teaching Methodology- Blagojka Zdravkovska-Adamova, Suada A. Dzogovic, Aleksandra P. Taneska, Branka Grivčevska, Afrim Aliti, Brikena Xhaferi, Marisa Janku, Livia Xhango, Admira Nushi, Daniel Leka and in Reviews- Marija Grkova-Beader, Kalina Maleska.

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON FRENCH TERMINOLOGICAL NEOLOGISMS CONTAINING CYBER-

Jan Holeš — 2024-12-25

The article contains an analysis of 36 terminological neologisms proposed by the official terminology bank FranceTerme, containing cyber- either in the headword, or among its foreign equivalents. Three cases may arise if we compare English and French terms: (a) both terms contain cyber- (16 terms, e.g. cyberactiviste, cyberattaque, cybercriminalité), (b) cyber- is present in the French term, but it is absent in English (14 terms in which it replaces various English formants, e.g. cybercaméra, cyberconférence, cybermonnaie), and, finally, (c) cyber- is rendered differently in French (4 terms, diplomatie en ligne, dissident, -e en ligne, internaute, and mercatique électronique). Two terms containing cyber- have no English equivalents. Cyber- maintains its productivity in French terminology, even if there is no exact symmetry between the English and French terms and only 16 out of 36 terms correspond on this point in both languages.

Keywords: term; terminology; cyber; neology; FranceTerme.

AN OVERVIEW OF ITALIAN FOOTBALL LEXICON AND ITS ROLE IN TEACHING ITALIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Nadica Negrievska — 2024-12-25

The Italian football represents a social, economic and linguistic phenomenon: it has its own specialized lexicon used even by those who do not show a particular interest in this game because they live in such an environment where it is constantly talked about football. Experiences demonstrate that knowing and learning a foreign language means above all learning to use the different registers of that language appropriately, developing communication skills in the sociolinguistic and pragmatic fields. Football language is a truly special language and as such has some of its own characteristics. The topic of study of this article is to identify and analyze the Italian football lexicon and to see how it can be applied in the teaching of Italian as a foreign language. The goal in choosing this topic is to produce an article with scientific and practical content and to get a clear idea regarding modern trends in linguistic research on functional languages.

Keywords: football lexicon; functional languages; teaching; Italian language.

AGITATION AGAINST VACCINATION. METAPHORICAL CONCEPTUALIZATIONS OF VACCINE HOSTILITY IN BLOG COMMENTS FROM THE STANDARD (2021)

Doris Sava — 2024-12-25

The SARS-CoV pandemic has increased the influence of (social) media in spreading (mis)information about vaccines and side effects. After the coronavirus outbreak, many people obtained their information primarily via online news portals and social media and were suspicious of official announcements in the “reputable” media. The article therefore takes anti-vaccine propaganda in public discourse during the Corona crisis (2021) as a starting point and illustrates how the refusal to vaccinate is metaphorically conceptualized in selected comments on a blog entry in the Austrian daily newspaper Der Standard, which was followed by over a thousand postings. Metaphor models in the context of the global corona infection not only demonstrate how abstract concepts are linguized through metaphorical expressions and thus made tangible, but also which conceptualizations dominate and can thus claim collective relevance.

Keywords: Corona crisis; vaccine hostility; infodemic; blog comments; conceptual metaphor theory; metaphor models.

NOTES ON THE OLD TURKISH VERB ARKA- “TO SEEK…” AND ITS SEMANTIC FIELD

Ferdi Güzel — 2024-12-25

The verb arka-, whose meaning was only recorded in Old Turkish as "to search, to investigate", has many unrecorded meanings. Some of these meanings are recorded in later historical and contemporary dialects. Some of them can be identified thanks to the derivatives of the verb. Although the connection between some derivatives of the verb arka- has been mentioned in a few studies, these words have not been associated with each other in most of the studies. According to the data in historical and contemporary dialects, it is understood that the verb arka- has the following meanings: 1. to pass through. 2. to pass between, to extend or place an object between two things. 3. to support, help. 4. to lie diagonally or transversely between two things. 5. to line up in a row. 6. to thread, weave. 7. to send. 8. to follow. 9. to seek, to investigate. The verb arka- is derived from the verb Old Turkish *ar- “to pass through”, with the suffix -kA-, which carries an intensifying function. The core meaning of the verb *ar- and arka- is the same. All meanings of the verb have emerged from the meaning of "to pass through". It has not been clarified whether the verb ara-, which survives in the Oghuz group Turkish dialects today, and the verb arka- which is recorded as Oghuz in DLT, are the same verb, due to the fact that the *arga- intermediate form in the development of arka- > *arga- > ara- has not been detected in any Turkish dialect to date. In addition, in dialects that preserve long vowels, the first vowel of the verb ara- is long, while in derivatives of the verb arka- such as arkış, argaç, the first vowel is short. For these reasons, it does not seem possible to determine with certainty whether the verbs arka- and ara- are the same verb.

Keywords: Old Turkish; Oghuz Turkish; arka-; ara-.

ADDRESSING AND MACEDONIAN GENDER SENSITIVE LANGUAGE

Violeta Janusheva — 2024-12-25

In the recent years, the gender sensitive language (GSL) issues become an interest topic in substantial amount of domestic and foreign research, which indicates that its usage reduces the gender stereotypes and increases the gender equality between man and women. In this sense, the role of the media is especially important. This qualitative research is oriented toward the use of the forms for addressing with nouns that denotes profession/function towards females, with the aim to perceive the way the contact with a female interlocutor is established, i.e. the use of these nouns when address a females. The sample consists of 10 video interviews with public females (doctors, professors, politicians) which are available on Youtube, and the analysis rests upon the coding and the qualitative-interpretative method. The results showcase that there are forms for addressing females with nouns denoting profession/function, both in feminine and masculine with the vocative form or without it. Therefore, it may be concluded that the awareness for the need of the gender sensitive language is enlarged in order to increase the women’s visibility in the society and in the same time the use of the vocative forms is actualized.

Keywords: GSL; addrressing; video interviews.

AMERICAN VS. BRITISH ENGLISH: A STUDY OF GRAMMATICAL, VOCABULARY, AND SPELLING DIFFERENCES

Erëza Rushiti — 2024-12-25

Learners frequently encounter challenges distinguishing between American and British English due to subtle yet significant linguistic differences. Although both varieties are mutually intelligible, adopting American or British English becomes increasingly relevant as learners advance. This paper systematically analyses the distinctions between these varieties, focusing on grammar, vocabulary, and spelling, and illustrates these aspects through examples, particularly those that highlight unique British expressions. The study explores how consistency in using a single variety can enhance clarity, especially for language learners, and discusses implications for both native speakers and English learners. Additionally, this research examines the historical evolution of American and British English, tracing their development and divergences. Through a comprehensive comparison, this study offers insights into the linguistic, cultural, and practical considerations surrounding American and British English, contributing valuable guidance for educators and learners.

Keywords: American English, British English, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, differences.

THROUGH THE FORESTS OF HISTORY WITH THE BINOCULARS OF FICTION

Marija Gjorgjieva-Dimova — 2024-12-25

Starting from the premise about the actuality of the interdiscursive relations between literature and history in the contemporary Macedonian novel, the purpose of this text is to elaborate and confirm that thesis through the interpretation of the novel Marko Krale by the Macedonian author Slobodan Mickovic. The theoretical framework of the research is related to the concepts of Brian McHale's postmodernist revisionist historical novel that will be interpretatively applied to Mickovic's novel. The interpretive focus is placed on the epistemological and ontological themes and the narrative procedures (intertextuality as dominant) through which those themes are articulated in the novel.

Кеywords: postmodernist revisionist historical novel; intertextuality; Macedonian novel; Slobodan Mickovik.

THE ABSENT AND THE OTHER IN THE LAND OF THE REFUGEES

Vesna Kozhinkova — 2024-12-25

The theme of exile and displacement is increasingly present in contemporary world literature. The reason for that is due to the political developments due to which homelessness became a general phenomenon from the 20th century onwards. A proof of this is the histories of some communities where collective traumas have led to expatriation, leaving members of those communities stateless. In the Macedonian case, such a collective trauma from recent Macedonian history is the forced exile and displacement of Macedonians from Aegean Macedonia, who were forcibly exiled and displaced during the Civil War in Greece. This historical reality created a special thematic entity in contemporary Macedonian literature known as the Aegean theme. The novel “Land of Refugees” (2018) by Kitsa Kolbe is the literary testament of the Aegean refugees, the literary testament of all refugees around the world, who have been persecuted, rejected, defected, and humiliated. The specificity of this novel is that the world of refugees is given from the perspective of children's eyes, through the children's understanding of the world of adults and all the challenges, trials and problems they go through. It is Frose, the first child born after the escape, the little pup that grew up prematurely and from a very young age became aware that if only one remembers, nothing is lost. In this way, through a post-memory appropriation of the memory, she makes a transgenerational connection. Her memory of the joyous childhood serves as a form of catharsis, enabling her to decipher the Absent, and ultimately overcome the fear of the Stranger.

Keywords: exile; persecution; home; housing; foreign; absent.

THE SYNONYMOUS CHARACTERS WITH THE ACTING FUNCTION OF HELPERS IN THE MACEDONIAN DRAMA FROM THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Sofija Ivanova — 2024-12-25

This paper titled "Synonymous characters with an actant function of assistants in the Macedonian drama of the first half of the 20th century" presents a semiological analysis of the synonymous characters in selected plays. It presents a semiological analysis of the synonymous characters with an actant function of assistants in the plays of Vojdan Chernodrinski: Macedonian bloody wedding, Masters, Spirit of Liberty; the drama in five acts by Nikola Kirov Majski, Ilinden; Vasil Iljoski's plays: Begalka, Chorbaji Teodos and Chest; Anton Panov's most famous play, Pechalbari; and Risto Krle's plays: Money is numbing, Antica and Million Martyrs. The analysis will be carried out using the techniques of character integration and the actant model by Algeridas Julien Greimas. Through the analysis of character synonymy, the paper ultimately identifies the synonymous characters with an actant function as assistants in some of the most prominent Macedonian dramas from the first half of the 20th century.

Keywords: drama; character; signs; integration; synonyms.

EXTRAORDINARY BELIEFS IN THE TURKS OF NORTH MACEDONIA AND THE PRACTICES THAT ARISE RELATED TO THEM

Şerife Seher Erol Çalışkan — 2024-12-25

In almost every period of history, Turkish living spaces have witnessed many beliefs and these beliefs have brought about many practices. These practices and rituals, which are considered cultural values, were and still are considered the most important treasure that forms the basis of Turkish heritage. This study reveals some extraordinary beliefs that two neighbouring people living in Anatolia and the Balkans maintain with the help of similar cultural elements from the past, and some practices around these beliefs, with the help of compilations made with source persons from the North Macedonian Turks. As a result of the compilation studies conducted with Turks from North Macedonia, information obtained from oral and written sources is used to discuss how the extraordinary beliefs in North Macedonian Turkish culture and the resulting practices are continued among the North Macedonian Turks. The aim is to determine the unifying features of Turkish culture and to reveal where the differences lie by examining the extraordinary beliefs of the North Macedonian T urks, along with some practices and rituals that continue to be kept alive in parallel.

Keywords: Extraordinary beliefs; North Macedonia; Anatolia; culture; ritual; practice.

BARTIN EPÇİLER VILLAGE “SU KIZI” MEMORAT’S INFLUENCE ON THE LOCAL WAY OF LİFE

Müge Bayraktar — 2024-12-25

People have felt the need to explain and make sense of supernatural events they witnessed or heard from others. This desire for explanation also paves the way for people to come together around common values. Folk narratives are important for ensuring the continuation of this unity around common values. Folk narratives have contributed to the formation of cultural dynamics. They reflect the way of life and beliefs of the people, as well as ensuring cultural continuity. This unity and continuity create a layered cultural fabric on local, regional, and national levels. Because these layers interweave, regional narratives often exhibit similarities. One reason for this similarity is that folk narratives can provide both individual and collective relief in explaining complex and unexplainable situations. Memorats are one of the folk narratives that provide this relief. Memorats explain extraordinary situations in line with the beliefs of the people and are stories that captivate the listener with emotions like fear, anxiety, and excitement when heard for the first time. These orally transmitted narratives, handed down from generation to generation, form the foundation of a regional or national belief system. This study focuses on an example of narrative tradition within a regional context. It provides information about the emergence of the "Su Kızı" narrative in Epçiler Village, located in Bartın Province, as a basis for the hesitation of the villagers to go down to the riverbank. Based on face-to-face interviews with eleven residents of the village, the impact of this narrative on the villagers' hesitation to go down to the riverbank will be discussed. The study also covers the influence of the "Su Kızı" narrative on the culture of living together from the past to the present, and a comparison of the local-regional narrative with national-universal narratives. The importance of documenting the "Su Kızı" memorat for Epçiler Village in Bartın is highlighted in this study.

Keywords: Folk Narrative; Memorat; Culture; Fear; Way of Life.

DOWRY TRADİTİON AND TRANSFORMATİON İN MACEDONİAN IMMİGRANTS LİVİNG İN IZMİR

Petek Ersoy Inci — 2024-12-25

This study analyzes the dowry cultures of individuals who migrated to Izmir, Turkey, through "free migration" from various settlements (Zivegor, Dırjılova, Rostuşa) in Yugoslavia—now North Macedonia—between 1950 and 1960. The analysis highlights the intergenerational changes in dowry practices. The author conducted a field research document dowry elements, with visits to Izmir at different intervals. This approach was chosen in order to provide a detailed and consistent examination of dowry elements, as well as interpretations shaped by migrants' memories over time. The study focused on the Çamdibi and Altındağ neighborhoods in the Bornova district of Izmir, where 17 informants were interviewed. The subject of research of this study is the dowry culture of migrant women living in these two neighbourhoods. A review of the literature revealed that there are no prior studies on these areas and the findings emphasize that dowry serves both, memory-related and identity roles for this community. In the light of the data obtained from the field research revealed that sewing machines and looms, known as razboys, were brought along during the migration. These tools played a significant role in preserving the dowry tradition, enabling its transmission from the first generation of migrants to the second through the memory-related practices of women after migration.

Keywords: İzmir; Macedonian immigrants; dowry; memory; migration.

CHRISTIANA DE CALDAS BRITO: BETWEEN SAUDADE AND REVERSE ART

Luisa Emanuele — 2024-12-25

The contribution aims to investigate saudade and reverse art in the Christiana de Caldas Brito’s literary production, a Brazilian writer living in Italy. Saudade, a concept dense of semantic layers, represents a cross-cutting thread, defining a ‘suspended’ existential condition between the memory of a lost past, the tension toward an imaginary future and a present steeped in incompleteness. In the writer's works, the characters embody a condition of perpetual oscillation, carrying with them a sense of lack that is not only deprivation, but also a space of potential transformation. Saudade manifests itself in their experiences as a constructive melancholy, paving the way for the discovery of a more authentic dimension of their existence. The mirror, a key element in the novel The Impatients, becomes a place of access to the unconscious and the ‘reverse’ of reality, an enigmatic territory where a process of identity recomposition takes place. The theme of mending serves as a paradigm for the recovery and reworking of inner lacerations, in a path that recalls the practice of tailoring as a metaphor of the psychological repair. Ecìla discovers herself only after crossing the mirror, a symbol of the boundary between conscious and unconscious, to access the ‘reverse’ of reality, a dimension where the sense of self is revealed in its complexity and depth. Writing, a Bergsonian space of duration, becomes the way of giving voice to a polysemic emotional experience, in which the past, present and future intertwine and blur, creating a plural and dynamic identity.

Keywords: border; crossing; identity; mirror; reverse; saudade.

DIALOGUE THROUGH BALLADS: CONSTRUCTING MEANING IN BALKAN ORAL TRADITION

Valbona Kalo — 2024-12-25

This research examines the role of ballads as powerful instruments for dialogue and meaning-making across various cultural contexts. Ballads are viewed as dynamic narrative forms that serve a dual purpose: preserving cultural heritage and facilitating the transmission of universal values such as love, sacrifice, and heroism. By employing a comparative literary approach, this study highlights how these recurring themes in ballads act as bridges for cross-cultural empathy, promoting mutual understanding across different societies. The analysis also emphasizes the ability of ballads to transcend geographical and cultural boundaries, uniting diverse populations through shared emotional and experiential connections. The research findings suggest that ballads foster a collective human experience and function as effective mediums for intercultural communication. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from anthropology and cultural studies, the paper argues that integrating ballads into educational and intercultural initiatives could significantly enhance mutual respect and understanding among diverse groups. Such integration would provide a powerful tool for promoting cultural exchange and fostering deeper connections between individuals and communities from various backgrounds.

Keywords: ballads; intercultural communication; narrative analysis; cultural heritage; universal themes; dialogue.

RETEX AND GUERILLA DESIGN AS PROMOTERS OF SUSTAINABILITY

Ekaterina Namicheva-Todorovska — 2024-12-25

Furniture design is a complex triangulation, balancing ergonomics, structure, and form. Guerilla furniture design builds upon these fundamental principles, layering in the use of salvaged materials and unconventional building techniques in the pursuit of inexpensive, sustainable solutions. The city is a fertile environment for the design guerilla, offering visual inspiration, cultural resources, and abundant foraging grounds. Like the reuse of existing buildings, guerilla design also uses existing materials for its designs. It's fascinating to see how guerilla furniture design incorporates salvaged materials and unconventional techniques to create sustainable and affordable solutions. This paper focuses on the results by the project ReTex, European project by the architect Ekaterina Namicheva Todorovska and fashion designer Aleksandra Jovanovska which are reusing existing materials and focusing on energy efficiency while promoting sustainability. Overall, ReTex stands as a testament to the power of design to create positive change and promote sustainability in everyday practices. By reimagining the potential of existing materials and transforming them into something new and innovative, we demonstrate the value of conscious design choices in fostering a more sustainable future.

Keywords: guerilla design; textile reuse; furniture design; chair redesign; sustainability; salvaged materials.

APPLICATION OF STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENT FOR CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS DURING LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Blagojka Zdravkovska-Adamova — 2024-12-25

Critical thinking, a fundamental cognitive process, is recognized as pivotal across various domains of human endeavor. Employers prioritize this competency due to its indispensable role in comprehending challenges, exploring opportunities, and making informed decisions within contemporary competitive environments. Consequently, this study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies to underscore the necessity of integrating standards-based assessment methodologies to evaluate critical thinking skills within language acquisition. Emphasizing this imperative during curriculum design and implementation is crucial, necessitating delineating effective strategies to incentivize students to enhance these proficiencies. As seasoned educators, we recognize the profound significance and applicability of critical thinking across disciplines, hence integrating activities to foster diverse facets of critical thinking within our instructional frameworks. This paper presents the outcomes of analyzing standards-based assessments about critical thinking skills in the domain of the Macedonian language for professional purposes during the academic year 2022/2023 at the South East European University in the Republic of Macedonia. Mastery of these skills is imperative for students to grasp the conceptual underpinnings of their academic pursuits, thereby equipping them for their forthcoming professional endeavors. However, educators consistently grapple with students' deficiencies in these competencies, with fostering critical thinking emerging as a primary pedagogical challenge. Our research findings affirm a significant correlation that is heightened awareness among students regarding the significance of critical thinking correlates positively with increased dedication toward solving pertinent tasks conducive to advancing these cognitive abilities.

Keywords: critical thinking skills; standards-based assessment; language acquisition; Macedonian language.

GRAMMATICAL ASPECTS IN ITALIAN L2 TEXTBOOKS, LEVEL B1, USED IN HIGH SCHOOLS IN NORTH MACEDONIA

Branka Grivčevska — 2024-12-25

This paper aims to analyze the grammatical aspects present in the Italian L2 Textbooks Spazio Italia3 by Mimma Flavia Diaco and Maria Gloria Tommasini, published by Loescher, and Ragazzi in rete by Marco Mezzadri and Paolo E. Balboni, published by Guerra Edizioni. Both textbooks correspond to the B1 level and are used in high schools in North Macedonia, where Italian is studied as a second foreign language. This paper will try to answer the following questions: (a) What is the approach adopted by the authors? (b) What is the type of activities and exercises proposed? (d) To what extent do the elements included in the program of the textbooks correspond to the list of grammatical descriptors of level B1 of the CEFR?

Keywords: grammar; metalinguistics; Italian L2 textbook; approach; teaching technique; CEFR; curricula.

EFL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD THE USE OF PODCASTS AS A LANGUAGE LEARNING MEDIUM TO INCREASE LEARNING INTEREST

Afrim Aliti — 2024-12-25

Podcasts offer a free and entertaining way of acquiring content that cuts across every discipline, including language acquisition. Thus, they can be used in classrooms worldwide to foster student engagement and increase access to target languages. This study evaluated the potential of podcasts to elicit interest in learning among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. The authors employed a mixed-methods approach to provide a holistic view of students' podcast use, perceived usefulness, and challenges faced. Data were collected by administering a structured questionnaire to 42 EFL students representing various educational backgrounds. The descriptive data collected demographic information, current podcast usage, perceptions about podcasts always, and estimated impact on learning interest. Attitudes toward podcasts with different demographic variables were compared with independent t-tests. Results suggest that students positively perceive the use of podcasts for learning. Moreover, there is a significant positive relationship between the use of podcasting media and its perceived impact on learning.

Keywords: EFL; podcast; language; learning attitudes; learning interest.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN GERMAN LESSON: EVALUATION AND SELF-REFLECTION ON AN INTERCULTURAL TEACHING SEQUENCE

Marisa Janku — 2024-12-25

In addition to acquiring the ability to communicate in a foreign language, acquiring an open and tolerant attitude towards the country and people of the language being taught has long been a natural and integrated learning goal of foreign language teaching. In order to integrate this learning goal, it is important to know how specific cultural and intercultural values can be conveyed. This can now be treated from different scientific perspectives. Nevertheless, especially in foreign language teaching, it is interesting and important to look at cross-cultural topics from a didactic perspective. As part of this work, the terms intercultural learning, intercultural competence, intercultural communication and culturally reflective learning were examined and discussed based on the relevant specialist literature. In this regard, a teaching proposal on the topic of “food” was implemented in the Albanian context at the Goethe Center Tirana with the aim of promoting intercultural learning. The teaching suggestion on the topic of “Food” is intended to give teachers systematic and didactic suggestions for the use of culturally reflective learning in foreign language lessons. Intercultural learning has long been a topic in the fields of foreign and second language teaching research, and there is interest beyond it. This work therefore aims to provide a coherent overview that can be used for the development of intercultural language teaching. In addition, it takes into account the aspect of intercultural learning that can no longer be neglected in intercultural foreign language teaching in Albania.

Keywords: intercultural communication; culturally reflective learning; GFL lessons; self-reflection.

INTERCULTURAL DIDACTICS IN THE POETRY OF FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA: PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN THE CLASSROOM

Admira Nushi — 2024-12-25

The present study investigates the integration of poetry into education though application of active and communicative methods. The approach commences with individual text reading and progresses to group discussions and didactic activities aimed at fostering comprehension of cultural aspects within literary texts. Federico García Lorca, a distinguished Spanish poet of the early 20th century, is renowned for introducing neopopular and surrealist literature during the Silver Age of Spanish literature. This article aims to present the cultural element of The Ballad of the Moon, Moon, as a didactic tool in teaching culture within the B language. This didactic proposal enhances reading competence and encourages analytical, reflective, and critical competence regarding literary texts. The focus includes a comparison of gypsy culture in Albania and Spain through a literary and intercultural approach. Students engage in motivational didactic activities crucial for their literary and cultural education.

Keywords: literature; poetry; didactic proposal; Lorca; intercultural communication.

VOCABULARY – THE MOST IMPORTANT AND MOST DIFFICULT TASK IN LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Marija Grkova-Beader — 2024-12-25

The author, Prof. Dr. Nina Daskalovska, published the work “Vocabulary Acquisition - Poems, Processes and Strategies” in 2021. From the preface to the book, we learn that it is intended primarily for undergraduate and postgraduate students of foreign language and literature who are preparing to be foreign language teachers, as it will serve as additional literature for subjects in the field of foreign language and literature teaching methodology and will enable them to gain a deeper understanding of this issue and successfully apply the acquired knowledge in practice. In addition, the monograph can also serve teachers who are already working in education to refresh their knowledge and encourage greater application of vocabulary learning techniques and strategies in teaching.

Keywords: textbook; vocabulary; methodology; foreign language; students; preparation of future teachers.

ECOCRITICISM: EXPLORING THE NON-HUMAN WORLD IN AVRAMOVSKA’S NOVEL ВОДНИ ТЕЛА

Kalina Maleska — 2024-12-25

This article explores how a small-scale utopia can be envisioned and constructed within a dystopian world affected by a gradual environmental catastrophe. The novel that depicts this dystopian setting is Водни тела (Water Bodies) by the Macedonian diasporic writer Ana Avramovska. The novel is focused on a woman coming back from Australia to her native town of Kumanovo, after many years abroad, to encounter how the town has changed as a result of the long-lasting effects of pollution. Searching for various unconventional ways to mitigate the pollution and find the sources of a river bank that has existed long ago, according to the grandmother’s stories, the narrator and her friends unconsciously search for their own beginnings. In line with previous research of ecofeminist fiction and dystopic perspectives, the novel explores and even insists on the possibility of enacting a utopian vision of a better world even in the middle of the environmental calamity. The main thesis explored in this research is that Water Bodies is an eco-critical novel, in accordance with Lawrence Buell’s criteria for evaluating a text as embodying environmental consciousness. All elements discussed in the article, such as the environmental problems, the importance of the nonhuman environment, and the search for an eco-utopia are arguments that support such thesis.

Keywords: ecocriticism; eco-utopia; ecofeminism; nonhuman; Avramovska; Водни тела.