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This paper explored the factorial validity of the Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) within a foreign language context and its relationship with educational level and academic achievement.  The BALLI was administered to 418 undergraduate and graduate university students who majored in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, English Language and Literature and English Translation at seven tertiary education centers inMashhad,Iran. The low correlation coefficients among the 34 beliefs addressed by the BALLI necessitated dispensing with Principle Component Analysis. The application of the Principle Axis Factoring to the beliefs and their rotation revealed 14 factors. One way ANOVA analysis of responses revealed that sophomore undergraduate students differ from senior undergraduate and graduate students in 11 beliefs indicating that formal education affects almost one third of learners’ belief.  The same analysis of the GPAs obtained by 86 sophomore undergraduate participants showed their academic achievement is significantly related to five beliefs. The implications of these findings are discussed within the Iranian EFL context.

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Metaphors and images, as part of the learners' belief systems, seem to play a large part in language learning (Cortazzi & Jin, 1999). So, awareness of them can be of substantial value to teachers in dealing with language learning problems. Aiming to contribute to this awareness, this study sought to explore the images/metaphors English language learners hold about grammar learning. To elicit learners' images, a questionnaire was delivered to 350 adult English learners, including both males and females, with at least one year of serious language learning experience. It demanded the respondents to provide one or more images about learning grammar of English as a foreign language. One hundred and thirty-nine completed forms were content-analyzed and specific metaphors were identified and grouped under descriptive rubrics. Next, the specific images were examined and general and conceptually oriented categories were identified. The results of the content-analysis and categorization are reported and discussed in terms of their implications for language teaching practice.

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IELTS preparation courses have gained significant popularity in Iran in the past decade. Although teachers in such an exam-oriented context have started to use formative assessment to improve their writing instruction, their knowledge and beliefs about assessment for learning are still a myth. This mixed-methods study investigated Iranian IELTS teachers’ beliefs and knowledge about the four main aspects of formative assessment of writing in preparation courses for IELTS Writing task 2. Thirty-nine IELTS teachers provided answers to a 23-item questionnaire focusing on four areas: feedback, self-assessment, peer-assessment, and using assessment results for day-to-day classes, to illustrate how frequently they use such techniques. In the next stage, six of the teachers sat for an interview to provide their reasons for using/not using such techniques. The results showed that the teachers have good feedback literacy and make use of some self-assessment techniques such as rubric orientation while they did not value or know enough about how they can involve their students in their own learning process. The teachers seemed to overestimate their role in their students’ learning process while considering the students as somewhat incapable of monitoring their own progress and achievement, which is a crucial aspect of formative assessment. These findings have implications for teacher professional development and further formative assessment programs to be conducted in Iran.
 

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