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All Journal JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching Studies in English Language and Education
Noor Raha Mohd Radzuan
Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah
Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

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Modal verbs in Indonesian and Malaysian English textbooks for secondary schools: A corpus-driven study Ikmi Nur Oktavianti; Noor Raha Mohd Radzuan; Bambang Widi Pratolo; Surono Surono; Tri Rina Budiwati; Shifak Aisyah
Studies in English Language and Education Vol 12, No 1 (2025)
Publisher : Universitas Syiah Kuala

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.24815/siele.v12i1.35258

Abstract

Modality is a salient notion in language, manifested through modal verbs. However, modal verbs are complex grammatical units since they have multiple functions and meanings. Previous studies have shown mismatches between actual language use and its presentation in textbooks, including modal verb representation in both EFL and ESL contexts. This study explored the distributional frequencies of modal verbs in Indonesian EFL textbooks compared to those in Malaysian ESL textbooks. It compiled the textbook conversation corpora from secondary education levels in Indonesia and Malaysia: two Indonesian EFL textbooks (IET) and two Malaysian ESL textbooks (MET), which are nationally endorsed. The corpora comprised 4,548 tokens collected from the conversations in the textbooks. Data collection involved corpus queries focusing on nine core/central modal verbs: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, and must. The results show that Indonesian and Malaysian textbooks shared the same most frequent modal verb distribution; however, other distributions differed. Besides, English modal verbs in Indonesian textbooks are more static with one-to-one correspondence, while Malaysian textbooks present more dynamic modal verb meanings. Notably, Indonesian EFL textbooks have complete modal meaning representation, which is absent in Malaysian textbooks. Interestingly, the modal verb distributions in both textbooks differ from those in a native corpus, representing actual English use. These results highlight the need for more careful consideration when designing and developing teaching materials, especially in ESL and EFL contexts.
Exploring Politeness Through Modality: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Modal Verbs in Indonesian EFL Textbooks Ikmi Nur Oktavianti; Enggar Bagas Dewantara; Noor Raha Mohd Radzuan; Wan Jumani Binti Fauzi
JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching Vol. 14 No. 2 (2026): April
Publisher : Universitas Pendidikan Mandalika

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.33394/jollt.v14i2.18131

Abstract

Politeness is a core aspect of language use and is frequently realized through modality, particularly modal verbs expressing permission and indirectness. In EFL contexts, textbooks play a crucial role in shaping learners’ pragmatic competence by modeling how modal verbs encode culturally appropriate politeness strategies. This study aims to explore modal verbs expressing politeness in English textbooks for grades 10, 11, and 12. A corpus-assisted approach was employed and the primary data consisted of reading and instructional texts from the three English textbooks constructed as a corpus. The texts were converted into txt format and processed using AntConc to analyze six modal verbs associated with politeness: may, might, can, could, will, and would. The analysis focused on frequency counts and contextual usage identification to determine how each modal conveyed politeness in different topics and tasks. The results showed an increasing frequency of modal verbs across grade levels, with 183 occurrences in Grade 10, 329 in Grade 11, and 343 in Grade 12. Across all grades, the modal verb can was the most frequently used, while modal verbs might and could were rarely used. Modal verbs like may, can, might, could, will, and would in the textbooks reflect Indonesian social norms of politeness. Among them, modal verbs can, will, and may are used most often, showing common expressions of permission and polite requests in formal and everyday contexts. The findings suggest that modal verb usage in the textbooks reflects Indonesian cultural values, particularly the preference for polite, indirect communication in formal and educational settings.
Co-Authors Bambang Widi Pratolo Enggar Bagas Dewantara Ikmi Nur Oktavianti Shifak Aisyah Surono Surono Tri Rina Budiwati Wan Jumani Binti Fauzi