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EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF LEARNING ROMANIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Author(s): Aurora - Tatiana Dina / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

This qualitative research aims to explore the experiences of 50 international students who ran into issues like the complexity of grammar, distinction in pronunciation, and scarce chances to use the language. Many learners mentioned problems with grammar, stating that Romanian grammar is rather complicated, especially the verb conjugation and the noun declension as compared to other languages they had learned. Pronunciation and Phonetics were another area of concern to the students. They also reported problems in trying to replicate certain sounds and tonal patterns, which made them tense when they could not comprehend spoken Romanian in real life. Availability of practice out of class was seen as another important problem; a large number of learners had problems finding language partners or other ways to expose themselves to the language, which limited their accuracy when learning the language. On the other hand, the use of technology in language learning was seen as an advantage. Students liked the game-like features of language apps and online platforms and the variety of ways they could learn according to their learning preferences. Such tools also offered flexibility and convenience that helped the learners learn at their own pace, which in turn increased their participation and interest in the course. In conclusion, this study reveals the multiple and interconnected challenges and possibilities of learning Romanian as a foreign language. As such, a holistic, student-centered approach is recommended to address these challenges to make the learning process more appealing and productive for the students and also to incorporate intercultural awareness in educational practices.

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GROUP NAMES IN ETHNIC SLURS

Author(s): Ileana-Silvia Ciornei / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

The slang of ethnic abuse is a rich source of information about the collective self and cultural differences of human communities. Often derogatory, it displays the past and present of social relations in a country and sometimes its terms go to everyday speech and gain a place in the wider linguistic use. Reflecting the prejudice in cultural history, the purpose of an ethnic epithet is to insult and to control the behavior of a minority or of any other group to gain social status and influence the values of society. Manifested in hate speech, neutral mentioning, humorous and unaware uses, ethnic slurs have become a main object of applied linguistics or interdisciplinary research.Ethnic slurs are based on race, nationality, gender, cultural and social differences and occur in language in a variety of forms such as derisive nicknames for groups, metaphors or ethnicons and ethnic jokes. English-speaking nations created names and nicknames for all the groups they had contact or economic and cultural conflict and even created ethnic slurs about themselves. British English slurs based on group names are aimed most frequently at European nations or African and Asian people of the former British Empire or even at their close neighbors inside the country. American English slurs reflect the multicultural structure of American society; almost every group invented and used slurs for others although they are mainly aimed at Blacks, Mexicans, Jews, the Irish, Chinese, Italians. Among these, group names are often used in a variety of forms to express cultural, social and economic conflict among ethnic groups.

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ROMANIAN GULAG AND THE PRISON LITERATURE OF FORMER INMATES INCARCERATED IN AIUD PRISON

Author(s): Adriana Maria Călugăr (Cutean) / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 40/2025

In the article A brief history of the romanian Gulag and the prison literature of former inmates incarcerated in Aiud Prison, I provided a definition of the Gulag from Ruxandra Cesereanu's perspective, inspired by The Gulag Archipelago by Alexandr Soljenițîn, highlighting the shift of this term from a bureaucratic terminology to a symbolic one. The memories of detention possess a high degree of authenticity, and all the writings depicting the hell experienced in communist prisons, along with all the books belonging to the Romanian Gulag, have created a shock among readers. Numerous books have been written on this subject - essays, journals, prison memoirs, recollections, volumes of poetry, prose, novels, and studies. I emphasized that after the 1989 Revolution, fiction and literature were increasingly replaced by numerous memoirs, journals, autobiographical volumes, and that prison literature began to attract public interest and achieve real success. The testimonies of those who lived through the carceral experience bring forward journals and memoirs that facilitate our imaginary journey to understand the experiences endured by prisoners in communist dungeons. This type of memorialistic writing addresses a closed universe, aims to avoid fictionalization, holds testamentary value, and serves a therapeutic function, as through writing and confession, former detainees seek healing. The testimonies about the carceral experience are written in different styles, with each inmate presenting their experience through the lens of their own subjectivity. This study examines how the carceral imaginary is reflected in the works of writers imprisoned in the Aiud dungeon, as a result of the experiences lived within a space dictated by ideological, political, social, or cultural constraints.

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KLARA AND THE SUN, AN UTOPIAN UNIVERSE

Author(s): Drug Elena / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

Klara and the sun is an allegorical story that depicts the truth of our contemporary world strongly influenced by the rise of technology and by its immersion in our daily life. Klara is an AF whose major duty is to become good friend for Josie, a little child who represents her generation of children who do not receive enough care from their families because they are too busy, AFs are tutors and protectors of children who live in a much technologized society where feelings are ignored until their human condition is doomed to loneliness. What the family cannot provide must be done by an AF who must be intelligent, able to anticipate the reactions and needs of the child he cares for and capable of love. Throughout the novel, the reader will discover that Klara is more than a sophisticated robot, she learns to understand the human feelings and she reproduces them, as if the feelings gain their own shapes or identifiable concrete structures.

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REBELLION AND CONFORMITY IN JANE EYRE

Author(s): ANCA RUSU / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

The present paper explores the tension between rebellion and conformity as central themes that shape the protagonist’s development. Jane’s journey is one of self-discovery, where she frequently challenges societal norms that seek to limit her autonomy. From an early age, Jane defies the oppressive authority of her aunt and the cruel treatment at Lowood School, asserting her desire for justice and self-respect. Her resistance to the limitations imposed by her gender and social status becomes evident as she navigates her first relationship, where her internal conflict revolves around the clash between love and personal integrity. She rebels against becoming subjugated by the man’s power and chooses independence over a life of submission. Brontë also underscores the significance of conformity within a structured society. Jane learns to reconcile her individuality with her social roles, finding fulfillment through her marriage, where she can assert herself as an equal partner. Through this dual exploration, Brontë portrays the complexities of balancing rebellion with conformity in the pursuit of personal freedom, self-respect, and love. Ultimately, the paper will present Jane Eyre as a profound meditation on the role of personal autonomy within the constraints of societal expectations.

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SECOLUL AL XX-LEA, INTRE ROSU SI NEGRU: A CRITICAL REFLECTION ON THE 20TH CENTURY

Author(s): Paul-Cristian Albu / Language(s): French Issue: 40/2025

Cătălin Ghiță's Secolul al XX-lea, între roșu și negru presents an in-depth exploration of the complexities and contradictions of the 20th century, blending history, culture, and philosophy in a thought-provoking way. Ghiță's work stands out for its ability to uncover the underlying tensions between ideologies and critically examine how these ideologies have shaped the modern world. Rather than following a simplistic, linear narrative, the author offers a nuanced analysis, encouraging readers to reflect on the evolution of these ideologies and their enduring impact on contemporary societies.Ghiță emphasizes the importance of considering the intersection between art, culture, and political upheavals, showing how transformations in the 20th century were not solely political but also reflected in literary and artistic works. The examples of Duchamp's Fountain and the writings of Beckett and Chomsky illustrate the inseparable link between historical events and cultural production, emphasizing that advances or ruptures in art and thought are responses to specific political and social contexts.Additionally, the book's structure follows a postmodern approach, dismantling traditional linear narratives and instead presenting a fragmented analysis that highlights the multiplicity of perspectives within the same historical moment. This method allows readers to better grasp the ideological and social tensions of the 20th century, while encouraging a more profound reflection on the complexities of history. Ultimately, Ghiță’s work is more than just a historical retrospective; it serves as a call to remain vigilant against contemporary extremisms and the persistence of ideologies in modern conflicts. Through its depth, rigor, and multidimensional approach, Secolul al XX-lea, între roșu și negru emerges as an essential contribution to understanding the past's political and cultural dynamics and their continued relevance today.

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LOVE, FALL AND REDEMPTION: A THEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF FRANÇOIS MAURIAC’S WORKS THROUGH THE LENS OF MARIA-OTILIA OPREA

Author(s): Paul-Cristian Albu / Language(s): French Issue: 40/2025

François Mauriac, a deeply Christian writer, explores the complexities of love in his works, portraying it not just as a human emotion, but as a force tied to suffering, illusions, and, ultimately, spiritual redemption. For Mauriac, love is always entangled with the human condition and the fall from grace. In his novels, characters are often torn between earthly desires and the pursuit of divine love that can purify the soul. In François Mauriac şi fiinţa căzută în căutarea iubirii - Pentru o hermeneutică teologică a operei mauriaciene, Maria Otilia Oprea provides a theological interpretation of Mauriac's works, focusing on the interplay between human and divine love. Oprea highlights how Mauriac's characters, such as those in Thérèse Desqueyroux and Noeud de vipères, embody this search for love, marked by illusions but ultimately leading to spiritual awakening and redemption. Oprea argues that for Mauriac, love is both a source of torment and healing, and through embracing divine love, the characters find redemption and reconciliation, not just with others, but with God. Oprea’s analysis presents Mauriac's work as a reflection on the Christian concept of the fall and redemption, with human love, when disconnected from divine grace, leading to suffering. However, through accepting divine love, Mauriac’s characters experience spiritual renewal. This duality between human and divine love forms the core of Mauriac’s literary exploration of the human soul's journey toward redemption. By engaging with Oprea’s theological perspective, this study aims to deepen the understanding of Mauriac’s work, showing how love, for Mauriac, is not simply a worldly pursuit, but a spiritual journey—one that leads to redemption through divine love. Through this lens, Mauriac’s literature takes on a profound spiritual dimension that Oprea’s hermeneutic approach helps to unravel.

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NORMAN MANEA & MIHAIL SEBASTIAN -THE ISSUE OF JEWISH IDENTITY

Author(s): Dana Maria Bendriș / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

Norman Manea is a writer who lived under the sign of two dictatorships: the Antonescu dictatorship and then the Communist one. The return of the hooligan (2003) is an „autobiographical novel”, which includes the avatars of the writer’s biography, from the pre-war period, to the Second World War, the communist period, to the present. The return of the hooligan is a document with the value of testimony and confession, a book in which is evoked, in an original style, the tragedy of the Jews in Romania from the two terror regimes, illustrating the drama of lack of identity and existential uncertainty, the title and content of Norman Manea’s autobiographical novel can be put in relation to Mihail Sebastian’s book How I became hooligan. At the same time, the book can also be considered as a reaction to the conduct of some intellectuals of the interwar period who adhered to the legionary ideology (Mircea Eliade, Petre Tutea, Constantin Noica etc.). The novel can also be interpreted as a response to Nae Ionescu’s famous preface to Sebastian’s novel of two thousand years. In this context, it can be seen that the return of the hooligan represents a search for his own identity, but also an attempt to understand the inner contradictions of Jewish writers in Romanian literature (Mihail Sebastian, Norman Manea etc.).

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PLOTINIAN SYMBOLIC ELEMENTS IN SHAKESPEARE’S LAST FANCIED SONNETS IN V. VOICULESCU’S IMAGINARY TRANSLATION

Author(s): Sebastian Drăgulănescu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 40/2025

Shakespeare's imagined last sonnets in imaginary translation concentrates in an almost hermetic micro-universe all the concentric energies found throughout the volume, configuring the cosmos of love and reflecting the diffuse religiosity of most Voiculescu’s stanzas. The book is, in a larger context, a polyphonic retort to the divine Brit, an antiphonal response to William Shakespeare, a good-quality pastiche of the Shakespearean sonnets. Beyond the inherent epigonism, it also signifies a singular artistic experience in the European litterature, through the maximum ideational cisellation through the formal optimization of the verses. We can notice, above all, the infusion of the verses with Neoplatonic symbolic elements, found in Plotinus' Enneades, and the originality of the Voiculesian volume consists in the fact that death itself is conceived as a mistress, up to the point of liberation from the contingent, life being, paradoxically, a simple vehicle of transcendence to the world beyond, in which a new kalokagathos containing the necessary good, beauty and truth, becomes the supreme motto.

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THE USE OF SYNONYMS IN MEDICAL ENGLISH: ASPECTS OF THEIR TRANSLATION

Author(s): Mirela-Simona Gurău (Rusu) / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

This study explores the use of synonyms in medical English and examines their implications for translation and effective communication. Focusing on the nuanced roles that synonymous lexical units play in clarifying meaning and avoiding ambiguity, the research investigates how medical texts can be arranged to enhance clarity and stylistic variation. Through an extensive literature review, the study integrates philosophical, logical, and linguistic perspectives to categorize synonyms into various subtypes, such as sense-synonyms, near-synonyms, partial synonyms, quasi-synonyms, and absolute synonyms. The research methodology combines qualitative and quantitative approaches, including surveys, corpus-based analyses, and detailed case studies, to assess how synonym selection impacts both clinical documentation and patient education. Key findings reveal that while technical terms (e.g., “arrhythmia”, “epistaxis”, “myocardial infarction”) are preferred in formal contexts, their lay equivalents (e.g., “irregular heartbeat”, “nosebleed”, “heart attack”) are more effective for public communication. The study also underscores the importance of ethical and methodological rigor and highlights the need for standardized vocabularies and translation tools tailored to the medical field. Overall, the research demonstrates that a context-sensitive and balanced approach to synonym selection is essential for maintaining both precision and accessibility in medical communication, thereby enhancing patient safety and improving translation accuracy.

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TRANSLATION AND ADAPTATION IN THE FIELD OF DENTISTRY

Author(s): Erika Olga Szanto / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

The current situation of translations is at the confluence between the need to create an unequivocal message and the adaptation to external, extra-linguistic rigours. The field of dentistry is under the sign of the same limitations imposed by the specialized language, by balancing translation and adaptation. It is the assertion from which we start in our research. The overall objective of this study is to highlight concerns for dental terminology, both internationally and nationally. We will consider, in this sense, the relationship between the simplified side of communication in the field of research, given by the traditional terminology, from a French source, and - the current terminology, from an Anglo-Saxon and American source, which knows a special dynamic. It is an innovative vocabulary under continuous development, with the English language claiming dental names and making communication difficult. We will also consider the problem of the false friend (Mány Dániel), in the specialized translation, of the inadequate translation. We will investigate the case of wrong equivalences of the term dantură, borrowed from French (according to French denture) in the lexicon of dentistry in languages other than Romanian (the application is made in English and Hungarian). Taking the original terms from the English language, not adapted to the phonetic-phonological rules of the Romanian language, is another aspect that we have in mind in our research. The descriptive-linguistic, functional and comparative methods are just some of the research methods. The first conclusion that emerges is that translations in the field of dentistry represent a continuous challenge in the current stage of the evolution of science.

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VIOLATIONS OF SYMMETRY IN COORDINATED STRUCTURES IN ROMANIAN

Author(s): Andreea Codrina Tănase / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

This paper investigates the principle of symmetry in semantics and syntax within coordinated structures in Romanian. Although the conjoins in a coordinate complex are generally assumed to be symmetrical from both a semantic and a syntactic point of view (see Culicover and Jackendoff 1997, Mayr 2017) there are many instances of asymmetrical coordination. The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it defines the necessary conditions for symmetry, distinguishing between semantic symmetry, syntactic symmetry and substitutability. Second, the study examines instances where these symmetricity principles are not followed. In semantics, issues related to temporal and conditional clauses and pseudo-coordination are discussed and exemplified. In syntax, we discuss how agreement mismatches and selectional requirements and the coordination of different elements, can disrupt symmetry. This work attempts to clarify how symmetry operates in language and the exceptions that challenge these patterns, allowing for an overall understanding of the vastness of this phenomenon.

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DESIDERATA FOR THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHING STAFF

Author(s): Silvia Golubițchi / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 40/2025

This presents a series of aspects that reflect professional development, which constitutes a continuous training process in a given field, based on the assimilation of a system of theoretical and practical knowledge. These orientations are, respectively, professional development through the learning process and professional development through research or reflection. The aspects of professional development of the teaching staff are presented: and the new trends in teacher training are described, highlighting the constructivist teacher, who also needs knowledge from different fields, but also cognitive capacities, applicative skills, along with specific attitudes and aptitudes. Professional development for teachers is more than training or courses, because it is precisely it that is an agent of change in classroom practice. For the development of a high-quality teacher and teaching force, it is important to have a high-quality professional development program for teachers.

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THE PERMANENCE OF MODERN EDUCATION AT THE FRONTIER OF KNOWLEDGE

Author(s): Teodor Pătrăuţă / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 40/2025

Education for and in a society at the frontier of knowledge represents the current form of modern education and why not postmodern, its response to the increasingly relevant and incisive challenges of the knowledge society. Today's society is a society in which knowledge has a determining role, but it is not knowledge in itself but for itself and for society, in which knowledge is value-oriented, it is undoubtedly the society of knowledge. The value orientation of knowledge refers to the selection of the most relevant economic, political, scientific, technical, cultural values according to criteria established today by the respective communities according to common interests, in order to prosper societIn a society in which information, the penetration of AI in everyday life, knowledge at the frontier, becomes more and more important as a source of survival and as a tool for social development, education acquires the essential role of preparing the individual for an information society, of modern technology, so that he can be able to select from this new universe that manifests itself in social life what each one must acquire in order to to be able to manifest himself as a unique, creative and responsible personality.

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THE ROLE OF MINDFULNESS IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS' EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Author(s): Cristina-Dana Popescu / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

In an increasingly demanding academic environment, the development of students' emotional intelligence is essential for both educational and personal success. Mindfulness, defined as a state of present-moment and non-reactive awareness, plays a crucial role in emotional self-regulation, improving focus, and enhancing interpersonal relationships. This paper examines the impact of mindfulness on emotional intelligence, drawing on Daniel Goleman’s model and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques. Goleman’s model outlines five essential elements: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social competencies, all of which can be cultivated through mindfulness exercises. NLP techniques, such as emotional anchoring and cognitive reframing, contribute to better emotional management and improved communication. The paper also focuses on the benefits of mindfulness in higher education, including stress reduction, increased mental clarity, and enhanced academic performance. Furthermore, it supports the development of empathy and social relationships, fostering a more harmonious educational environment. Integrating mindfulness into higher education offers an effective strategy for both students and teachers. The study highlights practical ways to apply mindfulness in education while addressing the challenges of its implementation. The conclusions emphasize the importance of an approach that combines cognitive and emotional development, promoting a more conscious and balanced learning experience.

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THE FUNCTIONALITY OF METHODOLOGICAL TRANSFER IN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

Author(s): Angela Teleman / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 40/2025

The didactic problems reside in the configuration of training situations in such a way as to ensure the formation of desirable behaviors. In competence-based pedagogy, it is necessary to correlate the elements of a methodological route in order not to formally or blindly structure an instructional sequence, but to be aware of learning outcomes in order to be able to develop acquisitions or remediate them. In educational practice, deviations are found in the training process, achieving an attractive design, but the objectives of the activity are not achieved. Thus, the object of the research resides in determining the conditions of a methodological transfer of the contents to be taught to ensure behavioral transfer. The methodological route constitutes the process of qualitative configuration of the didactic design elements in order to train skills. The personalization of the purchase appropriation route depends on the process of correlating new information with pre-existing cognitive schemes in order to ensure a synergy between the qualitative, orientational - actional and relational elements.

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ZOOMING IN ON BUSINESS PHRASAL VERBS

Author(s): Andreea Iliescu / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

The paper brings forth a series of business English phrasal verbs, aimed at raising students’ awareness of how pivotal they are to business communication. Developing vocabulary skills is a never-ending task, and it may come as a challenge when sifting through endless notes of dictionary explanations. However, providing English learners with a wealth of details on both meaning and sentence formation, dictionaries are, indeed, designed to better equip them when embarked on a linguistic journey.

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THE DYNAMICS OF VOCABULARY IN THE FIELDS OF EDUCATION. TRENDS AND TRANSFORMATIONS

Author(s): Veronica Șandor / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

The discourse in the field of education is more than a mere transmission of information. It represents a complex interaction between sender and receiver, curriculum and its applicability, theory, and what is now referred to as personal development. It serves as the vehicle through which identities are formed, competencies developed, and the values of the human community consolidated. Our research aims—at a general level—for a comprehensive overview of terminological neologisms, their semantic and conceptual typology, and their sources (French and English) within the terminological framework of the field under study. Among the derived objectives, the study seeks to analyze the contemporary linguistic mechanisms by which concepts and notions are designated, enabling the receiver to perceive the world, position themselves within it, and understand the dynamics of ideas and the shaping of their own education.

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QUEBEC THEATER – A CREATOR OF NATIONAL EMOTIONS

Author(s): Roxana Voichița Bobariu / Language(s): French Issue: 40/2025

This article examines the unique capacity of Quebec theatre to evoke and sustain a profound national emotion. Focusing on Michel Tremblay’s celebrated play Les Belles-Soeurs, the study demonstrates how the authentic use of joual and themes rooted in the everyday experiences of working-class women forge a strong emotional bond with audiences. Moreover, the paper explores the reception of Michel Tremblay’s works in Romania, examining how various translations and stage adaptations have enabled local audiences to connect with Quebec’s theatrical language and cultural identity. By tracing the evolution of Quebec theatre-from its early external influences to the emergence of a distinct voice during the Quiet Revolution-this work highlights the role of theatre as both a mirror of collective social experience and a catalyst for intercultural dialogue.

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THE PAGES DEDICATED TO THE ARTS IN THE COLLECTION OF FAMILIA MAGAZINE, FIFTH SERIES (1965-1989)

Author(s): Ruxandra Gavra / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

The fifth series of „Familia” magazine, from 1965 until 1989, under the direction of Alexandru Andriţoiu, continues the tradition instated by Iosif Vulcan, offering special attention to the arts, predominantly observing the theatre and plastic arts. The reviews, along with the interviews, studies and images therein reflect national values, while also following great world personalities

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