The direct method is a way of teaching language to students that has long been used and researched by many scholars. However, for at least the last five to ten years, recent studies on direct methods have been very difficult to find. Therefore, in this issue, we present a recent study on the effectiveness of the direct method in teaching English, particularly to improve the speaking skills of university students in the Indonesian context. In this issue, we also present a study of students' habit of citing, especially in writing scientific papers, as well as common errors in citing that are often found in scholarly works of undergraduate students. Turning to linguistics, we also present a study on the effect of gender differences in communication, especially in taking turns to speak. Meanwhile, in the field of literature, an analysis of a novel is also available in this issue. We hope that this publication can broaden our horizons in terms of linguistics, literature, and language education.