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Seyed Javad Ghazi Mirsaeed, Homa Jafarpour Mamaghani, Zohreh Mohammadi,
Volume 26, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
Problem-based language learning approaches can prove advantageous in fostering meaningful language learning and enhancing language proficiency. The present sequential explanatory mixed-methods study aimed to explore the perspectives of Iranian EFL teachers regarding problem-based learning (PBL), and the challenges they confronted in its application. To this end, forty male and female Iranian EFL teachers from high schools and language institutes in Alborz province were selected using convenience sampling. In the course of the study first, a questionnaire was employed to gauge teachers' perceptions of problem-based language learning. To collect the required data, the Teachers' Perceptions of Problem-Based Learning (TPPBL)questionnaire was developed and validated. Afterwards, an interview was conducted to triangulate the data and provide nuanced insights into the challenges faced in implementing PBL. The gathered data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings unveiled that the participants held positive perceptions regarding PBL implementation in language classes. However, they addressed various challenges including role adjustment, inadequate training and experience, lack of suitable instructional materials, and time constraints while implementing PBL techniques. The implications of these findings extend to EFL teacher educators, teachers, learners, and researchers, offering valuable insights for enhancing language teaching practices and addressing challenges associated with PBL implementation.
Somayyeh Modiri, Adnan Eshkevari, Isa Motaghizadeh,
Volume 26, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
"Lexical Chains" is one of the newest branches of statistical semantics, which is defiend as the process of identifying words that have semantic relationship with each other, and help us to identify the topic and main content of the text. In this research, we aim to determine lexical chains of sermons No. 87 and 191 of Nahj al-Balaghah, based on the theory of "Saxena", as well as "Barzilay" and "Elhadad", using the descriptive-analytical and statistical method. The results show that in both sermons, the semantic relation "Antonym" has the most frequency. In sermons No. 87 and 191, respectively, 8% and 5% of the chains are "strong chains", and play the main role in determining the main themes of the sermons. According to the data, choosing the title "religious, ethical, scientific" for the sermon No. 87, and "moral, ethical, social, intellectual" for the sermon No. 191 -contrary to what "Mohammad Dashti" mentioned for them- seems more appropriate.
Mehdi Bazyar ,
Volume 26, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
This research explores the verbs used in aphasic spoken data by using Hallidayan systemic functional linguistic framework and compares them with the type of verbs used by healthy subjects. Persian aphasia test was used to recruit eight right-handed aphasic patients (mean age of 57.5 years) based on convenient sampling, and there was also another control group of six healthy participants (mean age of 52.2±2.04 years). They were interviewed orally and the process types in each group were determined and compared. These processes were compared to each other by using descriptive statistics characteristics such as the mean and standard deviations of the processes. In order to study descriptive results more precisely, statistical inference was used and ‘test for comparing two binominal populations’ was implemented to analyze differences of the process proportions between two groups. Results showed that aphasics significantly used more material processes than normal individuals (p=0.021); on the other hand, aphasics significantly used less relational (p=0.012) and behavioral (p=0.018) processes than normal individuals. There could be seen no significant differences for the use of mental, verbal, and existential processes between the two groups (p>0.05). Relying more on some processes and less on some others in aphasics implies the linguistic areas where they have more problems with and suggests where they base their speech in the process of recovering linguistic abilities. These findings has implications for both linguists and language pathologists.
Naser Rashidi, Mehrnoosh Dehbozorgi,
Volume 26, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
In recent years, there has been increasing interest in understanding how cognitive skills influence second language acquisition. Cognitive control, a set of mental processes that include attention, inhibition, and working memory, has been shown to play a significant role in language learning. This study examines the impact of cognitive control skills on language development among adult Iranian English learners, comparing it both in online and in person settings. Forty adult EFL learners were divided into two groups and underwent a 9-week instructional period, with cognitive control skills assessed using the Attention Network Task (ANT), working memory tasks, and a Raven’s IQ test. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, regression, and ANCOVA to determine relationships between variables. The results of the study revealed that while aspects of cognitive control like orienting and altering do not have a significant impact on language development, the more complex, controlling aspect exhibits a positive relationship (F=4.937, p=0.033). This relationship was contingent upon controlling for differences between post-examination and primary examination of ANT results, indicating that controlling attention is a stronger predictor of language outcomes. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that the mode of instruction—online or in-person—has no significant impact on this relationship (F=0.009, p=0.925), suggesting that cognitive control operates independently of teaching mode. The study’s findings suggest that educators and curriculum developers should emphasize activities targeting the controlling component of cognitive control in language learning, as this is linked to better language development. Additionally, since the mode of instruction does not significantly impact this relationship, effective language instruction can be delivered in both online and in-person settings, providing flexibility in course design.
Faezeh Nemati, Bahram Bagheri, Gholamreza Abbasian,
Volume 26, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
Research has highlighted the essential role of teachers in facilitating effective learning, yet there remains a critical need to enhance understanding of assessment literacy, particularly within the context of learning-oriented assessment. To address this gap, the researcher conducted a comprehensive literature review to identify relevant theoretical constructs related to teachers' assessment literacy. Following this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with EFL teachers to gather insights into their perceptions of key components, including designing learning tasks, involving students in assessment, and providing effective feedback. The qualitative data from the interviews were analyzed thematically, leading to the development of the Teachers' Assessment Literacy Questionnaire (TALQ), which was then subjected to rigorous reliability and validity testing. In a subsequent phase, the TALQ was administered to a larger sample of 230 EFL teachers, in addition to being piloted with a group of 30 teachers. The questionnaire yielded a strong Cronbach's alpha of 0.791, indicating good reliability. Factor analysis revealed three primary components of assessment literacy: Involving Students in Assessment, Designing Learning Tasks, and Effectiveness of Feedback. The findings indicate that while many teachers feel they possess adequate assessment literacy, there are no significant differences across various academic backgrounds. This underscores the need for targeted professional development to enhance assessment practices among Iranian EFL teachers. Ultimately, this study contributes valuable insights into the concept of assessment literacy, equipping teachers with the necessary tools to foster more effective learning environments.
Gholamhossein Shahini, Mohammad Hakani,
Volume 26, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
Given the link between parental involvement and children’s academic outcomes, the current research set out to redress the imbalance created by the almost nonexistence of research evidence on the impacts of simultaneous presence of mothers beside their children in an EFL class. To this end, following a mixed-method approach (a quasi-experimental design and semi-structured interviews), 35 starter-level female children, aged 4-6, selected via convenience sampling were randomly assigned into an experimental group (N=18) in which mothers attended the class with their children, and a control group (N= 17) in which mothers did not. Findings unraveled that mothers’ in-class presence enhanced children’s English language vocabulary, increased their class attendance, provided a feeling of affection and safety to help them relax and get motivated, caused their in-class behaviors to be closely monitored, and created rapport and solidarity between home and school. Mothers’ in-class presence also provided a unique opportunity for mothers to co-teach with the teacher the new vocabularies to their children. The findings also suggested that teaching English to mothers prior to their children’s course of instruction assisted them in scaffolding their children in classes. The implication is that as a result of their ongoing in-class presence, mothers may become more vigilant influential agents in educational meetings and school board decision-makings. Also, stakeholders need to be encouraged to devise plans allowing them to harness more efficiently the positive impacts of mothers’ in-class presence and provoke parents’ active participation in classrooms.
Kobra Tavassoli, Naime Khedri, Maryam Rahmatollahi ,
Volume 26, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
The current study aimed to explore the impact of content and language integrated project (CLIP)-based instruction on electrical engineering students’ vocabulary knowledge. To this end, a sample of 60 electrical engineering students was selected based on their performance on the Cambridge English Objective Proficiency Practice Test (CEOPPT). The participants were subsequently divided into two groups including an experimental and a control group. The study comprised five main stages: administering the proficiency test, conducting a vocabulary pretest, implementing the treatment, administering a vocabulary posttest, and administering a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) questionnaire. Both groups received CLIP/CLIL instructions over the period of eight sessions. The experimental group, however, received their instructions enriched by the assistance of co-teachers following a team model and supplemented by video-based instructions. At the end of the treatment, the vocabulary posttest and a questionnaire were used to collect the data. The results of a repeated-measures two-way ANOVA revealed that CLIP instruction delivered through co-teaching had a substantial positive effect on the electrical engineering students’ vocabulary knowledge. This finding was further corroborated by the results obtained from the CLIL/CLIP questionnaire, showing the participants’ positive attitude toward CLIP instructions.
Ali Beikian, Mansoor Ganji,
Volume 26, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
In order to cater for the ever-increasing demand for learning English, private language institutes have mushroomed across Iran. These institutes adopt different policies such as designing their own Teacher Training Course (TTC), following the syllabus of Certificate for Teaching English to Adults (CELTA), or localizing it for the Iranian context to train competent English teachers. Surprisingly, there exists little research evaluating these TTC's or investigating if localizing CELTA is an effective strategy for the Iranian context. This study aimed to fill this gap by delineating the steps taken by a widely-known Iranian language institute in localizing CELTA for the Iranian context, and secondly to determine if the teachers were satisfied with this localized TTC. Data collected through the websites and interviews were subjected to conceptual content analysis; while the data mined through evaluation questionnaires were analysed through quantitative descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that the Iranianized TTC suffered from discrepancies such as unreliable selection of the participants, lack of opportunities for teaching practices, not observing experienced teachers' classes, and focusing on received rather than experiential knowledge. These findings are discussed, and a number of practical suggestions are offered to improve the Iranian TTC.
Mohammad Reza Oroji , Houman Bijani, Saeid Moharrami Gheydari , Rouhollah Rajabi , Mahsa Sheikhi,
Volume 26, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
This study was an attempt to investigate the relationship between test anxiety and writing performance among Iranian intermediate EFL students. To achieve this goal, 50 participants of EFL students (male and female) at Iran, Tehran, were selected on the basis of sampling convenience. The instruments used in this research consisted of the proficiency test and TAQ (Test Anxiety) questionnaire. After homogenizing the students via a proficiency test (Cambridge Placement Test, 2010), those students who were selected as upper-intermediate ones were allowed to take part in this research. Their age range was between 20 and 40. Having collected the results, the researchers recorded the scores in computer files for statistical analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.00. In order to measure the relationship between the variables (test anxiety & written performance) Pearson Correlation tests were run. The results illustrated that there were significant relationships between writing performance and text anxiety and all its sub-scales of worry and emotionality. In addition, it was proved that there was not any significant difference between male and female in respect to writing performance. It must be reiterated that a Pearson Correlation test was also run to measure the Inter-Rater Reliability. The results of this study will provide insights to help EFL learners reduce their test anxiety and increase the level of their confidence.
Katayoon Mansouri, Jaleh Hassaskhah, Esmaeel Ali Salimi,
Volume 26, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
Working memory plays a fundamental role in multiple facets of our cognitive life (Baddeley, 2017) like learning and processing first and second language. Thus, this study investigated the effect of multimodal input enhancement on working memory capacity and collocation learning across different age groups. The participants were 117 adolescents and adults randomly assigned into two experimental and two control groups. The experimental groups received textual and aural enhanced input, while the control groups received non-enhanced input. The data were collected through Preliminary English Test, n-back test, immediate and delayed posttest of collocations. The results showed that multimodal input enhancement had a positive effect on working memory capacity and recall and retention of collocations in both adolescents and adults. However, adolescents outperformed adults in immediate and delayed tests of collocations and also adolescents adjusted their working memory capacity more than adults in multimodal context. The results also indicated that there was an interaction effect between age and working memory on recall and retention of collocations. Generally, the findings highlight the role of learners’ memory resources and cognitive functioning in processing multimedia input and learning language components. The study has several implications for teachers, teacher training courses, course designers, and curriculum developers.
Mona Akhtari, Mahnaz Azad,
Volume 26, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of immediate corrective feedback and delayed corrective feedback on EFL learners’ speaking fluency and speaking anxiety. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design with two experimental and no control groups. The participants consisted of 42 intermediate Iranian EFL learners at an English Institute in Tehran who were randomly assigned to two experimental groups. The instruments of the study included: the PET, teacher-made pre- and post-tests, and a speaking anxiety questionnaire. After the pre-test, the participants went through a ten session treatment during which the first experimental group received immediate corrective feedback while the second group received delayed corrective feedback. After the treatment process, a posttest was administered to both experimental groups to examine the effect of the treatment. Moreover, the participants in both groups filled in the speaking anxiety questionnaire to identify their anxiety level during in-class activities as well as those instructor’s behaviors and characteristics which might reduce their anxiety in class. The recorded data were transcribed and analyzed. The results indicated that delayed corrective feedback has a positive effect on EFL learners’ fluency and it also decreased their anxiety level.
Sharareh Sadat Sarsarabi, Zeynab Sazegar,
Volume 26, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
In a world with globalization and communication development as its main features, arriving at a common understanding and correct transition of meaning is an unavoidable necessity. Here the responsibility and duty of the people who hold the task of translation is of great importance and one of the issues that should be considered in translation is using euphemism. The current research seeks to find the relationship between translators’ gender, education, and age and their use of euphemisms in translation. The study consists of four hypotheses, this is descriptive research and a questionnaire is used to find the relationship between translators’ gender, education, age, and their use of euphemisms in translation. It has been distributed among the research population which consists of translators who are members of the Iran Translation Association. The results show that euphemism exists at a suitable level in the translation of the translators who are members of the Iran Translation Association. Moreover, the translators’ gender affects their use of euphemisms in translation. There is a direct relationship between translators’ age and their use of euphemisms in translation. Finally, the translators’ level of education does not influence their use of euphemisms in translation.
Simin Karimi , Hossein Bahri,
Volume 26, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
This study explores translators’ (in)visibility in translating English teen and young adult novels into Persian through various analytical perspectives. Five contemporary award-winning young adult novels were chosen for analysis. The textual aspect involved assessing the translator's influence using Baker’s translation universals: explicitation, simplification, and normalization. A sample of 300 sentences was scrutinized. The results indicated that translators utilized translation universals in 193 sentences, demonstrating considerable visibility. Four translators favored explicitation, while one preferred simplification, with normalization being the least prevalent strategy. The semiotic analysis of novel covers aimed to reveal the translators’ visibility. Utilizing Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2006) framework, it was found that four covers featured smaller font sizes for translators’ names compared to the authors’, reflecting a diminished valuation of translators. None of the back covers acknowledged the translators, while authors’ names and images appeared on two, and publisher names were present on all five volumes. The paratextual analysis focused on the translators' presence in prefaces, postfaces, and footnotes. Three novels were devoid of both a preface and a postface. Translator acknowledgment was absent in the two novels with a postface, rendering them invisible. However, all five novels included footnotes, highlighting the translators' contributions and ensuring their visibility in this aspect. In conclusion, this study underscores the varying degrees of translators’ (in)visibility across different perspectives, particularly highlighting their underrepresentation in semiotic and paratextual domains.
Mohsen Shirazizadeh, Somayeh Fathali, Mahshid Kamareh,
Volume 26, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
The current study explored the status quo of L2 writing self-efficacy among Iranian English majors in light of their gender, level of education, and teaching experience. To this end, 193 learners who were students or graduates of English literature or translation at BA, MA and PhD levels and who ranged in age between 19 to 40 participated in this study. Data were collected using the Second Language Writer Self-Efficacy Scale that measures L2 learners’ linguistic self-efficacy, course performance self-efficacy, and self-regulation efficacy. Analysis of the data revealed no significant difference between males and females in terms of L2 writing self-efficacy. A significant difference was, however, found among all the three academic degree levels with the PhD group showing the highest level of L2 writing self-efficacy and the BA group showing the lowest self-efficacy. We set out to also examine whether experience in teaching English influences L2 writing efficacy. Our analyses revealed that the experienced teachers had a significantly higher L2 writing efficacy compared to the mid-experience teachers who were, in turn, less efficacious in L2 writing than low-experience participants. Implications of our findings for the writing courses and the what and how of writing instruction in the Iranian higher education curricula are discussed.
Hadi Azimi, Zeinab Jahangiri, Mohammad Barzegar Rahatlou,
Volume 26, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
The current study was conducted to examine the effect of receptive and productive types of learning medical terminology and vocabulary on medical students' reading comprehension to understand which one is more useful to improve reading comprehension of medical texts. Participants included 70 students (male= 36, female= 34) at the School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, who were assigned into control and experimental groups where medical terminologies and words were taught receptively and productively, respectively. Four standardized tests were administered to measure students' medical reading comprehension as well as receptive and productive medical terminology and vocabulary knowledge. Later, participants were asked to write a short medical report to understand the possible difference in the effects of the two productive and receptive vocabulary teaching strategies on their actual language production. The study concluded that all the participants who completed the productive and receptive tasks had higher scores on the posttest. In other words, the results of the study, following the related descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests, indicated that both receptive and productive learning can be effective methods of improving reading comprehension skill of medical texts although the productive method was observed to be slightly, but not significantly, more effective.
Kobra Tavassoli, Marjan Oskouiefar, Masoumeh Ghamoushi,
Volume 26, Issue 2 (9-2023)
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the impact of mobile-assisted learning-oriented assessment (LOA) on the writing ability of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. A total of 60 intermediate Iranian EFL learners were selected through convenience sampling and divided randomly into two groups: control and experimental. Both groups completed pretests and posttests, and the experimental group received nine 90-minute sessions focused on teaching descriptive essay writing using LOA syllabi and mobile applications related to the tasks. The control group followed a traditional writing syllabus without any LOA-related treatments. Both groups used the Adobe Connect mobile application for their online classes. Two open-ended questions were administered to the experimental group at the beginning and end of the course to measure their attitudes toward mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). The data were analyzed using a repeated-measures two-way ANOVA, revealing that mobile-assisted LOA significantly improved the EFL learners’ writing ability. The results of the two open-ended questions indicated that the learners had a positive attitude toward MALL in general but a somewhat negative attitude toward online classes. The findings have important implications for teachers, materials developers, and teacher educators.
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