2. Applied Linguistics (Inspirations from neighbor disciplines)
Seyyedeh Zahra Esmaeili; Davud Kuhi; Sorayya Behroozizad
Abstract
Adopting a qualitative design, the current study explored the usefulness of interculturally-laden tasks and intercultural training in improving the Iranian English learners’ intercultural competency in Anzali, Guilan province, Iran. To this objective, a group of 25 intermediate levels whose ages ...
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Adopting a qualitative design, the current study explored the usefulness of interculturally-laden tasks and intercultural training in improving the Iranian English learners’ intercultural competency in Anzali, Guilan province, Iran. To this objective, a group of 25 intermediate levels whose ages ranged from 21 to 30 participated in the study. The participants were required, initially, to complete seven intercultural tasks to assess their current level of intercultural competence. Then, they attended in eighteen sessions of intercultural training using Mirror and Window: an intercultural textbook and then completed the same seven intercultural tasks one again at the end of the course. Anchored in Byram's (1997) ICC theory, five components of the learners’ ICC enhancement, namely Savoir Comprendre, Savoire Etre, Savoire S’engager, Savoirs, and Savoire Apprendre / Faire were investigated throughout an intercultural training course. Two major sources of data were intercultural tasks, which were written by the participants per week as part of their assignments, focused-group interviews and self-report evaluation survey conducted at the end of the course to elicit the views they harbor toward the course. Drawing on the qualitative content analysis, findings indicated that interculturally-laden tasks could help the participants enhance their intercultural competence. Meanwhile, the analysis of the focused-group interviews and self-report evaluation survey revealed that learners evaluated most aspects of the tasks and textbook positively. Finally, the implications of the current study and suggestions for further research were discussed.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Kamran Janfeshan; Mohammad Mahdi Pourarian
Abstract
The present study was an attempt to investigate the impact of gender on using reading subskills and reading comprehension skill of Iranian EFL learners. To this end, four subskills involved in the reading comprehension process were selected. Then some reading passages whose comprehension questions were ...
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The present study was an attempt to investigate the impact of gender on using reading subskills and reading comprehension skill of Iranian EFL learners. To this end, four subskills involved in the reading comprehension process were selected. Then some reading passages whose comprehension questions were believed to measure the intended subskill were chosen. Eighty-eight EFL adult upper-intermediate learners forming two groups of forty-four males and females participated in the present study. At first, they were homogenized through a Nelson test and then made to sit for a reading comprehension test. The comparison of the means of the two groups in the subskills clearly showed that, in two of the subskills, i.e. making a logical inference and understanding the mood, tone, or impression of a reading passage, males and females differed significantly with males outperforming the females in the first subskill and females outperforming the males in the second one. However, no significant differences were found in the other two sub-skills, i.e. getting the main idea of a reading passage and guessing the meaning from context.
Dr. Esmaeel Nourmohammadi; Laya Tahami
Abstract
The study investigated differences in the use of multiple-choice test-taking strategies by Iranian EFL learners regarding reading comprehension ability. Reading is the most important academic language skill that receives the particular focus in second or foreign language teaching; tests are also regularly ...
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The study investigated differences in the use of multiple-choice test-taking strategies by Iranian EFL learners regarding reading comprehension ability. Reading is the most important academic language skill that receives the particular focus in second or foreign language teaching; tests are also regularly applied to assess academic performance. This paper sought to investigate differences in the use of multiple-choice test-taking strategies by Iranian EFL learners regarding reading comprehension ability. The participants comprised 122 EFL learners, 61 females and 61 males, who answered a reading comprehension test while they were answering a test-taking strategy questionnaire. A number of one-way chi-square analyses were used to analyze the data. The findings manifested that there was a statistically significant difference between participants in the use of different types of test-taking strategies in answering multiple-choice reading comprehension test. The results of this study have pedagogical implications for teaching test-taking strategies to low-proficiency EFL learners.
Karim Sadeghi; Zainab Abolfazli Khonbi; Fatemeh Gheytaranzadeh
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of gender and type of written corrective feedback (WCF) on Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners’ writing. Four intact classes were assigned to experimental and two intact classes to control groups. The learners were homogenized using a pre-test which was ...
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This study investigated the effect of gender and type of written corrective feedback (WCF) on Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners’ writing. Four intact classes were assigned to experimental and two intact classes to control groups. The learners were homogenized using a pre-test which was followed by sixteen sessions lasting one hour and forty five minutes. After receiving instruction on how to write a standard short essay, while the participants in the experimental group one (n = 36) received Direct Corrective Feedback and the participants in the experimental group two (n = 33) received Indirect Corrective Feedback, the learners in the control group (n = 38) received no feedback on their writing except for an overall grade. The statistical analysis tools of t-test and two-way ANOVA on the post-test and a final exam, were used to check whether there were any significant differences in the participants' writing ability. Statistically significant differences were found between control and experimental groups on the dependent variable of writing ability. The students who received direct WCF performed significantly better than those who received indirect WCF and those in control groups, gender had also a significant impact on the learners' writing ability with females performing better than males.
