Anonymized Student Data and Reflections from Discourse Completion Task (DCT), Pragmatic Awareness (PA) Experiment, and Virtual Linguistic Landscape (VLL) Site Explorations in France

This dataset comprises anonymized quantitative (Likert-scale responses, categorical background data) and qualitative (open-ended reflections primarily in Indonesian) data from approximately 36 undergraduate/graduate students enrolled in linguistics or applied linguistics courses at a university in Central Java, Indonesia. The data was collected as part of a structured pedagogical experiment combining Discourse Completion Tasks (DCT) / Pragmatic Awareness (PA) assessment with Virtual Linguistic Landscape (VLL) exploration and critical analysis of authentic French public signage.

Participants provided:
• Ethnicity Distribution: Self-reported father-mother ethnicity pairs (predominantly Jawa-Jawa and other Javanese/Sundanese/Betawi mixes), parental hometowns, and cities where they grew up since childhood (heavily Central Java: Semarang, Tegal, Ungaran, Jepara, Ngawi, Kuningan, Demak, Pemalang, Pati, etc., with some exposure to Jakarta, Bekasi, Bandung, Bogor).
• Languages Mastered: First language (mother tongue – mostly Bahasa Indonesia or Bahasa Jawa), second language (community language – Jawa or Indonesia), third language, and ordinal self-rating of French as their ... language (mostly positioned as 3rd–5th/6th language mastered).
• French Language Interaction (Likert 1–5): Agreement levels on watching French films/series that show social communication, listening to French songs containing cultural expressions/norms, and whether French-language media helps understand cultural representation and use of signs in social interactions in France.
• LL Responses (Likert 1–5, 9 items): Perceptions of noticing French cultural elements in Google Earth signage, understanding visual/typographic/symbolic meanings, formality and politeness in signs, signs as community identity symbols, comparison of government/public information conveyance between France and Indonesia, and reflectivity about how French culture represents itself through visuals and text in public space.
• LL Site Exploration 1 (Qualitative): Student reflections on the pragmatic choice of “volontaire / voluntary” (sukarela) instead of “obligatoire / mandatory” (wajib) in a toxic/hazardous waste collection point sign. Common themes: encouraging intrinsic motivation and moral responsibility without coercion or resistance; building collective environmental awareness; respecting individual freedom and avoiding perceptions of state force (contrast with Indonesian expectations of clearer rules/sanctions).
• LL Site Exploration 2 (Qualitative): Analysis of “obligatoire / mandatory” and “attention / caution” in a modified intersection (carrefour modifié) sign requiring pedestrians to cross at a specific point. Themes: clarity of obligation for safety, drawing attention to changed conditions/ hazards, balancing directive force with warning to ensure compliance and prevent accidents; perceived as necessary and non-arbitrary given the context.
• LL Site Exploration 3 (Qualitative): Critical opinions on why the advertisement slogan “Le maillot taille unique pour tous les summer bodies / One-size swimsuit for all summer bodies” might make some people uncomfortable. Themes: unrealistic assumption that one size fits all body types/shapes; potential body shaming or exclusion of non-ideal bodies; reinforcement of narrow “summer body” beauty standards; lack of genuine inclusivity despite the catchy phrasing; pressure on diverse individuals (especially those outside slim/fit norms) leading to insecurity or feeling “not normal.”

The dataset is bilingual (Indonesian for most open-ended reflections, preserving original French signage terms and some English). It provides rich material for research in interlanguage pragmatics, linguistic landscape studies, critical discourse analysis of public communication (environmental directives, traffic regulation, advertising), virtual ethnography, reflective language pedagogy, and cross-cultural comparison of how Indonesian learners interpret French modal language (voluntary vs. mandatory), politeness, identity, and body-positivity/inclusivity discourses. Responses reveal Indonesian students’ sensitivity to coercion vs. persuasion, contextual appropriateness of directives, and emerging critical awareness of body diversity vs. standardized ideals in Western advertising.

All responses are fully anonymized (no names, student IDs, or identifiable information). Data was collected voluntarily in a regular academic setting for educational purposes with informed consent. Future researchers reusing this data should handle reflections on body image, social norms, religious/cultural values, and cross-cultural critique with appropriate academic sensitivity and respect for participant positionality.

Recommended for reuse in: pragmatics, sociolinguistics, linguistic landscape, discourse analysis, applied linguistics, language teacher education, CALL/virtual field trips, Indonesian–French contrastive studies, and studies of student reflective writing on public signage and advertising discourse.