1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Roya Safari; Farid Ghaemi; Masood Siyyari
Abstract
An awareness of one's own learning processes seems not to occur without language learners, engagement in SRL strategies in terms of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, metacognitive, and environmental aspects during learning procedures, which leads to high-quality planning for learning (Krause & Coates, ...
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An awareness of one's own learning processes seems not to occur without language learners, engagement in SRL strategies in terms of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, metacognitive, and environmental aspects during learning procedures, which leads to high-quality planning for learning (Krause & Coates, 2008). This mixed method study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of self-regulated language learning in developing metacognitive awareness of grammar strategies and compared it with non-self-regulated groups. To this end, a total of 122 homogenized intermediate EFL learners were randomly allocated to one of three groups (two experimental and one control). To collect data, all groups were subjected to three different treatments. The data analysis of non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis indicated that self-regulated language learning strategies instruction (cyclical & emotional regulation) had a significant effect on the EFL participants' metacognitive awareness of grammar strategies. Also, the SRL (C & ER) model improved the learners' metacognitive awareness more than the SRL (C) model and was followed by F on F method, which showed the lowest performance. For more evidence of learners’ engagement in SRL strategies during the learning process, an SRGL questionnaire was administered to EFL learners at the pre-test and post-test phases. A paired sample t-test data analysis revealed that the participants in both SRL models outperformed in the use of self-regulatory strategies. The result of the paired t-test of emotion regulation data also represented a large effect size. Regarding learners’ attitudes towards implementing SRL models, the frequency data and chi-square analysis of both experimental groups indicated that most students significantly held a positive perception of these techniques. Therefore, this study provides implications for teachers and syllabus designers to design SRL task modeling compatible with learners’ language levels.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Masoumeh Ghamoushi; Zohre Mohammadi Zenouzagh; Mohammad Hashamdar
Abstract
Teacher engagement has been undertaken in various studies. However, most of the studies have disregarded the dearth of a practical framework to assess teachers' engagement in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. Therefore, the researchers of the present study designed and validated a questionnaire ...
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Teacher engagement has been undertaken in various studies. However, most of the studies have disregarded the dearth of a practical framework to assess teachers' engagement in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. Therefore, the researchers of the present study designed and validated a questionnaire to assess the engagement of EFL teachers. To examine the reliability and validity of the final draft of the TEQ, it was administered to 234 Iranian EFL teachers who had been selected using non-probability convenience sampling. The results of Cronbach’s alpha indicated an appropriate reliability index and the factor analysis results revealed that items were loaded on 5 factors including 1) emotional, 2) social (colleagues), 3) social (students), 4) cognitive, and 5) agentic. Moreover, TEQ has the potential to be beneficial in assessing EFL teachers' engagement, according to the results of structural equation modeling (SEM), which revealed that the model enjoyed good psychometric features.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Afsheen Rezai; Zeinab Azizi; Ehsan Namaziandost
Abstract
The present study sought out to examine the relationship between Iranian EFL teachers’ professional competence and job performance quantitatively and qualitatively. To this end, a total of 330 EFL teachers, including males (n = 185) and females (n = 145) for the quantitative part, as well as a ...
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The present study sought out to examine the relationship between Iranian EFL teachers’ professional competence and job performance quantitatively and qualitatively. To this end, a total of 330 EFL teachers, including males (n = 185) and females (n = 145) for the quantitative part, as well as a sample of 25 high school English teachers, consisting of males (n = 11) and females (n = 14) for the qualitative part were selected using a random sampling method in Khorramabad City and Borujerd City, Iran. The participants responded to an EFL Teachers’ Job performance Questionnaire, an EFL Teachers’ Professional Competence Questionnaire, and a reflective written statement. The collected data were analyzed through a Pearson correlation analysis, a multiple regression analysis, and a standard thematic coding analysis. Findings evidenced a positive correlation between the participants’ professional competence and their job performance. Additionally, the results evidenced that the participants’ job performance was mainly impacted by skills, knowledge, and attitudes factors, comprising their professional competence. The complementary qualitative findings yielded four overarching themes: “increased job effectiveness”, “improved teaching self-efficacy”, “increased teaching motivation”, and “promoted organizational acceptance”. The study concludes with offering a range of implications and avenues for further research.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Shokouh Rashvand Semiyari; Mahnaz Azad
Abstract
A great deal of individual difference with reference to learners’ beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors can be explained in terms of the learning style the individuals adopt during the learning process. These learning styles have been labeled initiating, experiencing, creating / imagining, reflecting, ...
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A great deal of individual difference with reference to learners’ beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors can be explained in terms of the learning style the individuals adopt during the learning process. These learning styles have been labeled initiating, experiencing, creating / imagining, reflecting, analyzing, thinking, deciding, acting, and balancing according to Kolb and Kolb (2013). This research was conducted to develop and validate a multidimensional structure of the Kolb learning style inventory v. 4.0 (KLSI 4.0) in an Iranian context. KLSI 4.0 which is conceptualized in Experiential Learning Theory was then developed and evaluated through a series of validation procedures. Eight hundred thirty-three EFL learners studying English as ESP in IAU East Tehran Branch participated in the main phase of this study. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) through Structural Equation Modeling validated the proposed nine types KLSI 4.0. The outcomes of the initial piloting of the KLSI 4.0 did not show an acceptable fit due to high degree of correlation between some factors under the broad construct of learning style. Three factors indicating the highest degree of correlation were thus merged and the model was run again with modified six-factor LSI. Findings confirmed that learning style is a multidimensional construct in which the six factors are conceptually related. Reliability and validity estimates were examined and provided satisfactory psychometric properties of the inventory. In fact, the six-factor-correlated model of KLSI 4.0 revealed an acceptable model fit. Pedagogical implications and suggestions for further research were also discussed. The CFA applied in the research is distinguished from the initial assumptions in the literature and is more straightforward than originally presumed. This paper might be therefore used as a starting empirical point for further cross-validation analyses and educational implications.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Sara Salehpour; Biook Behnam; Zohreh Seifoori
Abstract
To surmount the obstacles a deficient productive vocabulary retrieval places in the way of EFL teachers, the current study sought to ascertain whether or not involving trainee teachers in interactive input-output activities enhance their vocabulary retention. To this end, a convenience sample including ...
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To surmount the obstacles a deficient productive vocabulary retrieval places in the way of EFL teachers, the current study sought to ascertain whether or not involving trainee teachers in interactive input-output activities enhance their vocabulary retention. To this end, a convenience sample including 49 Iranian EFL trainee teachers were recruited to take part in a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest-delayed posttest study. Having been grouped into three comparison groups, the participants were exposed to the same literary texts; however, the differential treatment of the study entailed three different interaction modes (individual, collaborative, and collaborative-cooperative) and two types of input / output processing (non-reciprocal and reciprocal). A repeated measure analysis of covariance (RM ANCOVA) was performed on the participants’ achievements in the pre- post- and delayed posttest measures and the results revealed that the two groups involved in literature-based interactive (collaborative and collaborative-cooperative) reciprocal input-output activities showed significantly higher levels of vocabulary retention compared to the group exposed to literature-based individual non-reciprocal input-output tasks. Additionally, contributing to significantly higher levels of long-term retention, the collaborative-cooperative mode of interaction was found to be more effective than the collaborative one. The findings corroborated the need for including literature-based interactive input-output tasks in EFL teacher training curriculum.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Mehdi Mehranirad; Foad Behzadpoor
Abstract
The field of language teaching has recently witnessed a resurgent wave of interest in the value of educational research and its impact on teachers’ practice. Consequently, various strands of inquiry have commenced to investigate the relationship between research and practice. Within these discussions, ...
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The field of language teaching has recently witnessed a resurgent wave of interest in the value of educational research and its impact on teachers’ practice. Consequently, various strands of inquiry have commenced to investigate the relationship between research and practice. Within these discussions, however, the opinions of teachers are mostly ignored or reflected only circumstantially. The purpose of this study was to take teachers’ views about research on board by exploring the extent to which they use and conduct research as well as the barriers that may hinder their research engagement. To collect data, a survey questionnaire was designed and validated through soliciting experts’ opinions and conducting factor analysis. The questionnaire was then administered among a large sample of Iranian English teachers. Participants’ responses showed moderate levels of research engagement among English teachers. Results also indicated that four categories of barriers can best account for teachers’ lack of research engagement: problems related to the nature and quality of research, restrictive educational policies, lack of systematic partnership, and problems associated with the use of research in educational settings. The findings suggest that the research-practice division is the result of a complex interaction of an array of factors that cannot be simply reduced to technical matters. Thus, reconfiguration of the gap requires multidimensional strands of development in research and practice communities as well as in educational policies.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Seyed Foad Ebrahimi; Maryam Farnia
Abstract
Research article abstract acts as an important device to manage information and to let the reader decide whether it is merit to continue reading the research article. In this paper, we intend to investigate the frequencies and discourse functions of types of grammatical subject (unmarked theme) used ...
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Research article abstract acts as an important device to manage information and to let the reader decide whether it is merit to continue reading the research article. In this paper, we intend to investigate the frequencies and discourse functions of types of grammatical subject (unmarked theme) used in research article abstracts from four disciplines. To this end, 300 research article abstracts were randomly selected (75 from each discipline) from leading prestigious journals in the four disciplines namely Applied Linguistics, Economics, Agriculture, and Applied Physics, and were analyzed based on Gosden’s (1993) classifications that include 16 types of grammatical subject. The results indicated that only six types of grammatical subject were used in the corpus and the frequencies of these types varied across the four disciplines. Besides, the results reported high similarities concerning the discourse functions served using the grammatical subject types. Thus, it could be concluded that the selection and discourse functions of the grammatical subject types are imposed by conventions of writing research article abstracts. The results could add to the existing knowledge of writing research article abstract in the analyzed disciplines by increasing awareness concerning selections of grammatical subject types.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Samira Atefi Boroujeni; Mohammad Hassan Tahririan; Katayoon Afzali
Abstract
It is frequently affirmed that EFL teachers face many stressors at work. While they keep experiencing perturbations that may cause fluctuations in their efficacy, immunity acts as a buffer and allows teachers to carry on performing academically in the classroom and emotionally and psychologically over ...
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It is frequently affirmed that EFL teachers face many stressors at work. While they keep experiencing perturbations that may cause fluctuations in their efficacy, immunity acts as a buffer and allows teachers to carry on performing academically in the classroom and emotionally and psychologically over the course of their careers (Thelen, 2005). The present study adapted a mixed-method design to investigate the distribution of the participants across different immunity types and also the destabilizing events which triggers Iranian EFL teachers' immunity. To fulfill this aim, 204 English teachers from two provinces of Iran (Isfahan and Charmahal Bakhtiari) took part in the study. To collect the data, Language Teacher Immunity Questionnaire (Hiver, 2016), reflective journal, and interview were utilized. The data gathered via questionnaire were subjected to descriptive analysis and cluster analysis while the qualitative data were analyzed through the three-stage coding process of grounded theory. The results of the qualitative analysis led to the identification of three immunity types, namely, productively immunized, maladaptively immunized, and immunocompromised with maladaptively immunized teachers having the highest rate of distribution among the participants. The results of the study further identified 3 categories of educational, organizational, and personal triggers along with 14 subcategories among Iranian EFL teachers. The findings of the study can have implications for teachers, stakeholders, and policy-makers to help teachers foster their immunity against stressors and avoid fatigue and burnout.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Behrooz Marzban; Seyyed Mohammad Reza Adel; Ahmad Reza Eghtesadi; Mahmood Elyasi
Abstract
This study intended to investigate the effect of identity types on learners’ involvement, perceptions, and achievement scores using the validated L2 Quadripolar Questionnaire (Taylor, 2010), in the EFL context of Iran amongst the adult advanced learners of English in private institutions. Therefore, ...
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This study intended to investigate the effect of identity types on learners’ involvement, perceptions, and achievement scores using the validated L2 Quadripolar Questionnaire (Taylor, 2010), in the EFL context of Iran amongst the adult advanced learners of English in private institutions. Therefore, 170 participants, 69 females and 101 males were selected through convenience sampling. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance. The analysis of the relationship between the four main sub-constructs of the model and the two sub-constructs of involvement and perception showed significant mediation between the factors and achievement score of the language learners. Moreover, the finding of the study revealed that learners with strong public and imposed selves have a weak private self. Also, the other sub-constructs were determined to be affected by age and years of studying English. Females’ identity was dominantly reported to have higher ties with the sub-constructs of the L2 Quadripolar Model.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Jalil Yazdankhah; Bahram Behin; Mohammad Hossein Yousefi; Hassan Asadollahfam
Abstract
Adopting a qualitative design, the present study investigated Iranian EFL teachers’ attitudes toward critical thinking as well as its role in language teaching. To meet these objectives, 36 EFL teachers were selected through purposeful sampling as the participants of the study. For the purpose ...
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Adopting a qualitative design, the present study investigated Iranian EFL teachers’ attitudes toward critical thinking as well as its role in language teaching. To meet these objectives, 36 EFL teachers were selected through purposeful sampling as the participants of the study. For the purpose of the data collection, in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, and teachers’ narratives were utilized. To assure the trustworthiness of the data, several measures have been taken. The lead author conducted the in-depth as well as focus group interviews and elicited teachers’ narratives. The interviews were conducted in Persian language and the whole procedures were audiotaped. The data were transcribed verbatim and after member checking the data with the participants, they were translated into English. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). To assure inter coder reliability, coding the data was done by the second and third authors independently. The third and fourth authors were involved in finding the potential themes and sub-themes. Finally, five themes of efficiency, intelligence, change, success and initiation were generated as a result of the data analysis. The present study revealed that the participants emphasized some fundamental building blocks of critical thinking. The participant teachers also advocated critical thinking - focused programs in teacher education as well as its application in language teaching. The study has a number of implications for language pedagogy, teacher education and policy makers.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Ali Zangoei; Ali Derakhshan
Abstract
Pragmatic Listening Comprehension (PLC), as a complex process, is influenced by various cognitive, psychological, contextual, social, cultural, and linguistic factors. To make a stride toward understanding the role of such factors in PLC, the present study sought not only to scrutinize to what extent ...
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Pragmatic Listening Comprehension (PLC), as a complex process, is influenced by various cognitive, psychological, contextual, social, cultural, and linguistic factors. To make a stride toward understanding the role of such factors in PLC, the present study sought not only to scrutinize to what extent PLC was associated with language proficiency, Self-Regulated Learning in Listening (SRLL), and Willingness to Communicate (WTC) but also to examine an empirical path analysis model to predict PLC through language proficiency, SRLL, and WTC. To this aim, a group of 269 upper-intermediate and advanced level Iranian EFL learners, whose ages ranged from 19 to 34, participated in the study by answering the 40-item pragmatic multiple-choice discourse completion test (MDCT), as well as the valid and reliable questionnaires of SRLL and WTC. The results of correlational analyses revealed that PLC was significantly and positively associated with language proficiency, SRLL, and WTC. These findings were further approved in the path analysis model; language proficiency, SRLL, and WTC were significant positive predictors of PLC. The path model disclosed the significant prediction of PLC in terms of the three independent variables of the study. Based on these results, relevant pedagogical implications were proposed with the aim of enhancing the pedagogical knowledge and practice of key educational stakeholders.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Shiva Azizpour; Javad Gholami
Abstract
Although supervision is an integral component of EFL teacher professional development, there have not been enough studies on language teacher supervision and EFL teachers’ attitudes toward supervision. The present study investigated EFL teachers’ attitudes toward supervision in Iranian language ...
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Although supervision is an integral component of EFL teacher professional development, there have not been enough studies on language teacher supervision and EFL teachers’ attitudes toward supervision. The present study investigated EFL teachers’ attitudes toward supervision in Iranian language schools. To this end, 218 EFL teachers who received supervision were selected and asked to complete a teacher supervision questionnaire (Moradi, Sepehrifar, & Khadiv, 2014) to elicit their attitudes, feelings, and experiences toward supervision. The questionnaire consisted of five subcategories: teachers’ evaluation of supervision, their attitudes toward the mode of supervision, the contributions of teacher-supervision to their development, and the process before, during, and after supervision. The findings revealed that a great number of the participants harbored this view that the current supervision is useful for them and necessary for novice teachers. However, some held negative attitudes toward supervision as it puts them under pressure, creates anxiety, and damages their confidence and motivation. They found their supervisors’ feedback unsatisfactory mainly done for paperwork formalities. To improve the ongoing supervisory practices, they suggested the need for the development of transparent criteria and rubrics for supervision and called for discontinuation of unannounced and sudden supervisory observations.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Minoo Alemi; Mojtaba Mohammadi; Hessameddin Ghanbar; Mohadeseh Asghari; Atefeh Rezanejad; Zhila Tootoonchian
Abstract
Problem-based Learning (PBL) is considered one of the instructional models of learning with many pedagogical advantages that can bridge the current traditional learning systems’ gaps. It is a method of learning in which the students start with a problem rather than the input provided by the teacher. ...
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Problem-based Learning (PBL) is considered one of the instructional models of learning with many pedagogical advantages that can bridge the current traditional learning systems’ gaps. It is a method of learning in which the students start with a problem rather than the input provided by the teacher. The current study set out to investigate the major underlying factors of PBL from the Iranian English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students’ point of view. It also aimed at identifying their attitudes toward the different elements of PBL. The data were collected through a validated and piloted questionnaire based on Likert scale (Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.73) from among 379 Iranian EAP university students (196 male and 183 female) from soft and hard science fields of studies. The results of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EAP) showed that the students considered four different factors, namely (1) Project-Based Learning, (2) Collaborative Learning, (3) Use of Technology in Learning, and (4) Autonomous Learning. Moreover, the results of descriptive statistics also indicated that the Iranian students had a generally positive attitude toward PBL and believed that it would assist them in the process of language learning. Our findings can hold important implications for EFL teachers and materials developers and remind them to consider the students’ socio-cultural background and previous educational experiences and accordingly plan an apt curriculum based on the students’ needs and preferences.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Nadia Mahmoodi; Nasser Ghafoori; Seyed Reza Beh-Afarin
Abstract
The study attempted to investigate the relationship between male Iranian EFL learners’ international posture (IP) and willingness to communicate (WTC) across two proficiency levels. The study was carried out with 106 participants from selected universities in Tabriz and Sarab, Northwest Iran, who ...
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The study attempted to investigate the relationship between male Iranian EFL learners’ international posture (IP) and willingness to communicate (WTC) across two proficiency levels. The study was carried out with 106 participants from selected universities in Tabriz and Sarab, Northwest Iran, who were divided into two groups of high and low proficiency based on a Preliminary English Test (PET). The data were collected by the administration of WTC Scale (McCroskey & Richmond, 1990) and IP questionnaire (Yashima, 2000). The collected data were analyzed through Pearson correlation and independent samples t-test. The results showed that there was positive correlation between WTC and IP in the high-proficiency group while the correlation in the low proficiency-group was not statistically significant. It was also found that high proficiency learners had higher levels of both IP and WTC compared to their lower level counterparts. The findings of the study offer pedagogical implications for EFL learners, teachers, and syllabus designers.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Ensiye Niknahad; Zohre Mohamadi
Abstract
This study used a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental designto find out the effect of teacher-directed and collaborative reading on Iranian EFL learners' receptive skills.To start, 40 EFL intermediate female students within the age range of 15-17 were selected out of an initial 53 students, based on ...
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This study used a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental designto find out the effect of teacher-directed and collaborative reading on Iranian EFL learners' receptive skills.To start, 40 EFL intermediate female students within the age range of 15-17 were selected out of an initial 53 students, based on their performance in an OPT. Then, they were assigned into two groups of teacher-directed and collaborative reading.Both groups took a pretest at the beginning of the studyto measure their receptive skills' ability and a post-testin the endto check the amount of the effectiveness of the treatments applied.Collaborative group benefitted fromCollaborative Strategy Reading (CSR) consisting of preview, click and clunk,get the gist,and wrap up was introduced.In teacher-directed, on the other hand, direct explanation, modeling, and guided practice were used to teach the students how to use the strategies independently.Analysis of the data and the findings revealed that both teacher-directed and collaborative reading affected the learners' performance significantly. Moreover, collaborative reading was proved to be asignificantly better technique. Teachers, EFL learners, materials developers, and syllabus designers can be the beneficiaries of this inquiry's outcomes.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Khadijeh Karimi Alavijeh; Atefeh Abdollahi
Abstract
The present research is a netnographicinquiry conducted in the context of a social networking platform to explore how the rules and norms of digital citizenship are being understood and implemented among Iranian EFL learners and teachers, and how this can be improved. For this purpose, eight academic ...
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The present research is a netnographicinquiry conducted in the context of a social networking platform to explore how the rules and norms of digital citizenship are being understood and implemented among Iranian EFL learners and teachers, and how this can be improved. For this purpose, eight academic learner and teacher groups, consisting of 7235 members in total, were meticulously observed in one year. To address triangulation, the researchers used observations accompanied by field notes, memos, and semi-structured interviews. This resulted in 9000 pages of the content, including text chats and subsequent interview data, which were extensively analyzed through directed qualitative content analysis based onRibble’s(2011) digital citizenship model. Findings of the present research revealed that despite the significance of digital citizenship in the highly digitalized world of the day, and very frequent use of social networking for educational purposes, Iranian EFL learners and teachers lack the needed skills for appropriate and effective presence in technology-enhanced settings. This research has several implications for English teachers, learners, policy makers and curriculum designers, especially to include digital citizenship courses in CALL courses, teachers’ TTCs, and students’ curricula, at different levels of instruction and learning.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Ali Malmir; Parisa Mazloom
Abstract
Most foreign language (L2) learners suffer from dire deficiencies in their pragmatic comprehension partly due to the less explicit instruction they receive and the complexities and multi-layeredness inherent in L2 pragmatic comprehension. Accordingly, this study sought to scrutinize the effect of two ...
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Most foreign language (L2) learners suffer from dire deficiencies in their pragmatic comprehension partly due to the less explicit instruction they receive and the complexities and multi-layeredness inherent in L2 pragmatic comprehension. Accordingly, this study sought to scrutinize the effect of two dynamic assessment (DA) models on L2 pragmatic comprehension accuracy and speed. A convenience sample of 52 upper-intermediate female EFL learners that were randomly assigned into a dynamic assessment experimental group (GDA), a computerised dynamic assessment (C-DA), and a Non-DA control group took part in the study. A 26-item researcher-made pragmatic listening comprehension test including requests, apologies, greetings, and refusals was used as pre- and posttests, and the treatments using the aforementioned DA and non-DA conventional models were completed in 14 sessions. Data analysis using ANCOVA showed that C-DA and G-DA could significantly increase pragmatic comprehension accuracy than the conventional non-DA instruction with C-DA being significantly better than G-DA. However, only C-DA could significantly decrease learners’ pragmatic comprehension speed than G-DA and Non-DA instruction. The findings of this study suggest that implementing C-DA by teachers can promote pragmatic comprehension accuracy and speed among L2 learners.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Rajab Esfandiari
Abstract
In rater-mediated assessments, the ratings awarded to language learners’ written, or spoken, performances do not necessarily reflect their language abilities because a number of other construct-irrelevant factors may affect the knowledge they demonstrate. Rater subjectivity and rating scales are ...
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In rater-mediated assessments, the ratings awarded to language learners’ written, or spoken, performances do not necessarily reflect their language abilities because a number of other construct-irrelevant factors may affect the knowledge they demonstrate. Rater subjectivity and rating scales are among the variables possibly influencing the final results. The purpose of the present study was to examine the extent to which university students’ ratings on their essays mirrored the effect of these two factors. To that end, 150 Iranian EFL teachers rated ten five-paragraph essays BA students had written as their course requirements at Imam Khomeini International University. The raters used two rating scales to rate the essays on a number of assessment criteria. The study rested on a partial rating design, and the Rasch-based computer program, FACETS, was used to analyze the data. Results of Facets analyses showed raters differed considerably in the amounts of severity they exercised when rating the essays. The results also showed rater bias interactions with holistic rating scales. The implications of the findings for proposing procedures for reducing the effects of such extraneous variables are discussed.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Farzad Rostami; Mohammad Hossein Yousefi; Davoud Amini
Abstract
There have been some researches on the way teacher identities are (re)constructed; however, the study which investigatesthe improvement of the identity through the shift in language teaching has not been conducted. Thus the present qualitative study set out to investigate Iranian EFL teachers’ ...
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There have been some researches on the way teacher identities are (re)constructed; however, the study which investigatesthe improvement of the identity through the shift in language teaching has not been conducted. Thus the present qualitative study set out to investigate Iranian EFL teachers’ professional development who had been teaching either Arabic or Persian languages for more than six years prior to entering the English language teaching profession. Eleven Iranian in-service teachers took part in the study through purposeful sampling. For the purpose of the data collection, in-depth interviews, teachers’ narratives, and focus group interviews were used. The thematic analysis of the data through the Identity Theory (Burke & Stets, 2009) perspective revealedthree main themes: identity shift,identity development, and productive identity. The results indicate that teachers' professional learning requires rebuilding identity perception, and constructing a new identity will lead, in turn, to the professional development of teachers and their constructive learning. The present study contributes to the existing knowledge of teachers’ professional identity in that changes in the languages teachers teach will lead to reconstructing their professional identity in a positive wayand happen as a result of opportunities for professional development. The results have a number of implications for policymakers, teacher educators, and language teachers.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Davud Kuhi
Abstract
Since its introduction to EAP theory in the 1980s, the concept of genre has proven to be a rigorous theoretical construct for a deeperunderstanding of the nature of academic discourse. However, the inherent potential of this concept as a means of classifying and categorizing academic texts has also given ...
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Since its introduction to EAP theory in the 1980s, the concept of genre has proven to be a rigorous theoretical construct for a deeperunderstanding of the nature of academic discourse. However, the inherent potential of this concept as a means of classifying and categorizing academic texts has also given rise to what we have called “the misconception of homogeneity”. Criticizing this misconception and drawing on the concept of hybridity/heterogeneity of scientific/academic genres, the present paper explores some of the major implications of this view for EAP research and pedagogy. It is argued that the recognition of the concept of hybridity of academic genres would result in redefining the corpus design issues, focusing on genre networks instead of single genres, trying further possibilities of triangulation, redefining the criteria for the selection of formal/functional properties in analytic projects and development of thicker explanatory frameworks. The paper also looks at possibilities of operationalizing this concept within what is called “a hybridity-sensitive EAP pedagogy” and suggests intertextuality/interdiscursivity tracing tasks and discursive conversion tasks as means of raising EAP learners awareness.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Hamid Reza Mahboudi; Sanaz Hosseinnejad
Abstract
Immoderate smart phone usage usually makes the students addicted to it and spends less time reading lecture notes and textbooks. This study aims to determine university students' usage of smart phones and perceived rejection of paper books in an EFL context. The study collected data through a 20-item ...
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Immoderate smart phone usage usually makes the students addicted to it and spends less time reading lecture notes and textbooks. This study aims to determine university students' usage of smart phones and perceived rejection of paper books in an EFL context. The study collected data through a 20-item structured questionnaire consisting of the general characteristics, the number and hours of general smart phone usage, the daily usage of textbooks or paper books, and via the online short version of Smart phone Addiction Scale (Kwon, Kim, et al., 2013) administered to200 Iranian EFL participants aged ≥ 18 years and recruited from the Department of Humanities and Biological Sciences in Rabe Rashid Higher Education Institute (RRHEI), Tabriz, Iran. Results of the online SAS showed that the participants had a mean SAS-SV score of 47.02 (SD = 4.235), so theywereregardedasexcessivesmartphoneusers.Also,resultsofquestionnaireindicatedthatthe majority of participants were more inclined to spend an alarming amount of time on their smart phones rather than on their lecture notes and textbooks. The author concludes that students inRRHEIarestronglyaddictedtosmartphonesandthisaddictivebehaviormakesthemspendless time reading textbooks and using university library. The author ultimately gives some useful tips onhowtomitigatethenegativeeffectsofsmartphones.Theresultsofthisstudypromisepractical implications for policy-makers, parents, and academics and their students.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Hussein Meihami; Fateme Husseini
Abstract
Different aspects of identity have been investigated across various educational fields. Although many studies have been done to investigate different aspects of EFL teachers’ identity development, there is a paucity of research on identity-oriented EFL teacher education programs. Hence, the purpose ...
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Different aspects of identity have been investigated across various educational fields. Although many studies have been done to investigate different aspects of EFL teachers’ identity development, there is a paucity of research on identity-oriented EFL teacher education programs. Hence, the purpose of the current study was to investigate EFL teacher educators’ and EFL teachers’ perspectives about identity-oriented EFL teacher education programs to probe where the commonality of perspectives lies between the two groups in order to see how to run identity-oriented teacher education programs. To that end, three EFL teacher educators and five EFL teachers who were recruited based on convenience sampling were interviewed. Each participant was interviewed two times. The interviews were analyzed using grounded theory. The findings revealed that both EFL teacher educators and EFL teachers believed that an EFL teacher education program would be an identity-oriented one when 1) addressing reflective pedagogy, 2) bridging the gap between theory and practice, 3) involving EFL teachers in action research, 4) emphasizing sociocultural aspects of EFL teacher education, and 5) developing EFL teacher awareness about the varieties. Thus, it can be concluded that through including the mentioned features in the teacher education program, teacher educators can achieve identity-oriented teacher education programs.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Mehri Mokhtarzadeh; Hadi Farjami; Monireh Mokhtarzadeh
Abstract
The present study investigates the potential impact of inspirational quotes on improving English abstract vocabulary recall. To achieve this, a multiple-choice Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) of 60 items including vocabulary and grammar component was administered as the proficiency test to a sample ...
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The present study investigates the potential impact of inspirational quotes on improving English abstract vocabulary recall. To achieve this, a multiple-choice Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) of 60 items including vocabulary and grammar component was administered as the proficiency test to a sample of 63 second-semester male and female students aged 18 to 22, studying English Translation in Semnan University, Iran. The 40 upper-level language students were selected and randomly assigned into two groups of 20 as an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group was exposed to inspirational quotes for one month and the control group was instructed abstract vocabularies through plain sentences. At the end of the treatment, a cued recall achievement test was used to measure the participants’ immediate recall of the target words. Two weeks after the treatment, the same test was administered to explore the delayed recall of participants and to estimate the effect of inspirational quotes on long term recall of abstract vocabulary by the experimental group compared with that of the control group. Analysis of immediate and delayed cued recall achievement tests confirmed the hypotheses that inspirational quotes had a significant effect on both immediate and delayed recall of abstract vocabulary. Based on these findings it is concluded that inspirational quotes can be utilized not only as a supportive context for teaching and learning of abstract vocabulary but also as motivational, emotional, and meaningful pedagogical sources.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Nur Izzati Azman; Mansour Amini; Lin Siew Eng; Masoumeh Alavi
Abstract
Different types of reading strategies pose challenges to instructors and learners in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. This study aimed at identifying and comparing reading strategies used by instructors and students in dealing with literal comprehension, reorganization, and inferential ...
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Different types of reading strategies pose challenges to instructors and learners in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. This study aimed at identifying and comparing reading strategies used by instructors and students in dealing with literal comprehension, reorganization, and inferential comprehension questions. The participants werefive EFL instructors and 27 students from the English Language Proficiency Programme (ELPP) at the University of Malaya, Malaysia selected through purposive sampling. Thisqualitative study involved in-class observations and interviews with instructors, and questionnaires administered to students.The analysis of the data revealed that both instructors and students practice various reading strategies when dealing with comprehension questions, and some strategies used by the instructors are never or seldom used by the students. Strategies such as “reading questions before reading the passage”, “skimming and scanning”, “connecting prior knowledge”, and “finding context clues” were found to be used by both instructors and students. The findings indicated that instructors’ implementation of a variety of reading strategies affects students’ comprehension level over the reading materials. Therefore, the study can provide clear guidelines for the EFL instructors to seek for their students’ advancement of reading proficiency. This could ultimately result in students’ better academic achievement and learning motivation.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Maryam Ahmadi; Abbas Ali Zarei; Rajab Esfandiari
Abstract
Finding more effective ways of teaching second language idioms has been a long standing concern of many teaching practitioners and researchers. This study was an endeavorto explore the effects of three linguistic mnemonic devices (etymological elaboration, keyword method, and translation) on EFL learners’ ...
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Finding more effective ways of teaching second language idioms has been a long standing concern of many teaching practitioners and researchers. This study was an endeavorto explore the effects of three linguistic mnemonic devices (etymological elaboration, keyword method, and translation) on EFL learners’ recognition and recall of English idioms. To achieve the purpose of the study, ninety male and female EFL learnersat intermediate level of language proficiency who were preparing themselves for IELTS were selected. They were in three groups of thirty members each. Each groupwas randomly assigned to one of the treatment conditions and was taught idioms using one of the above-mentioned linguistic mnemonic devices. The one-way ANOVA procedurewas used to analyze the data. The results showed statistically significant differences between these techniques, with the etymological elaboration method being the most effective of all, on both recognition and recall of idioms. The findings of the study can have implications for textbook designers, curriculum developers, teachers, and learners.