1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Haniyeh Shirazifard; Gholam-Reza Abbasian; Ahmad Mohseni
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of TBLT-synthesized collaborative dialogue in teaching writing skills to Iranian EFL learners and also to explore their teachers’ attitudes towards such an approach. Regarding the essence of the questions of the study, an explanatory sequential ...
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The present study aimed to investigate the effects of TBLT-synthesized collaborative dialogue in teaching writing skills to Iranian EFL learners and also to explore their teachers’ attitudes towards such an approach. Regarding the essence of the questions of the study, an explanatory sequential mixed-methods research design was employed. To this end, 100 conveniently sampled Iranian B.A. TEFL and Translation Studies students were identified as relatively homogeneous in terms of their language proficiency through administering Oxford Placement Test (OPT), and ten Iranian EFL teachers attended as the participants. The experimental group students were exposed to the synthetic approach of teaching writing. In contrast, the control group experienced conventional mainstream in the quantitative phase of the study lasting for 16-session treatments. As to the qualitative phase, a semi-structured individual interview was conducted with the participant teachers. The quantitative phase revealed that the synthetic initiative had comparatively significant impacts on the EFL students’ writing performance, and the qualitative phase showed that the teachers adopted some positive views toward the implementation of the applied synthetic approach to TBLT and CD in writing instruction. The findings offer some pedagogical implications for the stakeholders, including syllabus designers, EFL learners, and teachers, to include task-based collaborative dialogues in EFL instruction.
Rahim Najjari; Karim Sadeghi
Abstract
This paper presents the findings of a study on Iranian English language teachers’ understanding of Task-based language teaching (TBLT) principles and perceived challenges of TBLT implementation in Iran. The data obtained from 100 respondents on a 39-item survey instrument and ...
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This paper presents the findings of a study on Iranian English language teachers’ understanding of Task-based language teaching (TBLT) principles and perceived challenges of TBLT implementation in Iran. The data obtained from 100 respondents on a 39-item survey instrument and four essay questions analyzed through frequency statistics revealed that nearly 70 percent of teachers are cognizant of TBLT related principles. The study showed that in comparison with institutional and learner factors, teacher-related factors including teacher proficiency, experience, training, ability/skill, satisfaction and fidelity to tradition, inadequate income, and assumed roles were top challenges in the implementation of TBLT. This finding is a further confirmation of the extraordinary role put down to teacher variables by Deng and Carless((2009), Jeon and Hahn ( 2006) Chang and Goswami (2011), Li (1998) and Richard (2011). The study also found that factors like teachers’ being aware of TBLT advantages, their willingness to do TBLT, compatibility of their understanding with TBLT, their ability to change student attitudes towards TBLT, their access to authenticity, and student motivation can be viewed as assets in TBLT implementation. Further findings and implications are discussed in the paper.
