1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Fahimeh Sadat Torabi; Ali Akbar Jabbari
Abstract
Learning the third language is one of the issues that has attracted much attention in recent years. In this research the influence of Persian language as a mother tongue and English as a second language on the correct orthography of French as a third language is studied. This study investigates three ...
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Learning the third language is one of the issues that has attracted much attention in recent years. In this research the influence of Persian language as a mother tongue and English as a second language on the correct orthography of French as a third language is studied. This study investigates three hypotheses of transfer, L1 Transfer Hypothesis, L2 Status Factor, and Cumulative Enhancement Model. We examined the role of voice and text in correct orthography of the third language. This study accounts for the acquisition of coda consonant clusters of French by Persian EFL learners. Twenty-two participants of two levels of pre and upper-intermediate of English proficiency and beginner level French proficiency were selected. In this study, first we measured the level of learners' English knowledge by the Oxford Quick Placement Test and then we studied the effectiveness of the first and second languages on the third language learning by the Production test, and the Grammatically Judgment Test. Results of the transfer effect provided a major role for the ‘CEM’. The overall results of the two groups’ performance were not significant which in turn reflected the fact that L2 proficiency had no effect on the acquisition of French orthography.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Sajjad Sherafati; Narjes Ghafournia
Abstract
The current study was an attempt to investigate the relationship among L2 Motivational Self-System, Reading Comprehension Ability, and Gender of Iranian EFL Learners. 70 participants of both male and female at intermediate level at Shokooh Institute in Kashmar-Iran were randomly selected. The instruments ...
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The current study was an attempt to investigate the relationship among L2 Motivational Self-System, Reading Comprehension Ability, and Gender of Iranian EFL Learners. 70 participants of both male and female at intermediate level at Shokooh Institute in Kashmar-Iran were randomly selected. The instruments of the study were a L2 motivational self-system questionnaire by Yan(2011), and a reading comprehension test. The questionnaire consists of 61 questions, based on six-point scale from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree". The reading comprehension test was extracted from the texts in VOA special English website. The obtained data were analyzed through descriptive analysis and Pearson Correlation coefficient. The data were fed into SPSS 22, followed by employing T-test, Shapiro-Wilk and Levene's test. The findings revealed a positive relationship between L2 motivational self-system and reading comprehension ability and also a negative relationship between L2 Motivational self-system and the gender of EFL learners. The findings have some useful pedagogical implications for language teachers and syllabus designers that can be taken into account in teacher-training programs.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Mohammad Hossein Yousefi; Farzad Rostami; Davoud Amini
Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of cognitive complexity of pedagogical tasks on the learners’ uptake of salient features in the input. For the purpose of data collection, three versions of a decision-making task (simple, mid, and complex) were employed. Three intact classes (each 20 ...
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The present study investigated the effects of cognitive complexity of pedagogical tasks on the learners’ uptake of salient features in the input. For the purpose of data collection, three versions of a decision-making task (simple, mid, and complex) were employed. Three intact classes (each 20 language learners) were randomly assigned to three groups. Each group transacted a version of a decision-making task in dyadic condition. The results of the statistical analysis (one-way ANOVA) revealed significant differences among the groups. The participants in complex group tended to produce more uptakes. The results of the present study revealed that manipulating cognitive complexity of pedagogical tasks led to more uptake of the linguistic items made salient by the teacher and triggered much interaction between the participants. The study, also, has a number of theoretical and pedagogical implications for SLA researchers and syllabus designers.
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)
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)
Masoumeh Azma
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of visual aids on elementary Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. To achieve the aim of the study, 60 elementary EFL learners were selected based on their performance on proficiency test. After administering the pretest, the participants of the experimental ...
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This study aimed to investigate the effect of visual aids on elementary Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. To achieve the aim of the study, 60 elementary EFL learners were selected based on their performance on proficiency test. After administering the pretest, the participants of the experimental group received vocabulary visually. The teacher used different kinds of strategies such as: physical demonstration, creating a visual memory for the word, etc. Control group received vocabulary instruction through the conventional method, which was popular in similar courses by means of using dictionaries, definitions, synonyms, translation, etc. Finally, both groups took posttest. The results of independent sample t-test showed that visual aids were more effective to help elementary EFL learners to learn vocabulary. Accordingly, it was recommended that all the EFL teachers should feel responsible and use various types of visual aids as much as possible effectively.Key words: Teaching aids; visual Aids; educational technology; teaching; learning; English language learners (ELLs)
Dr. Mansour Amini; Dr. ٍSeyed Saber Alavi Hosseini; Dr. Ali Zahabi
Abstract
Style and strategies in EFL learning contexts and the effects of task types were explored to enhance language learning strategies. Using a quantitative pre-test, post-test design and interviews, this study investigated the effects of procedural and declarative learning strategies on EFL learners’ ...
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Style and strategies in EFL learning contexts and the effects of task types were explored to enhance language learning strategies. Using a quantitative pre-test, post-test design and interviews, this study investigated the effects of procedural and declarative learning strategies on EFL learners’ acquisition of English past tense performing narrative tasks. The participants were 396 male and female Thai students enrolled in a general English course (intermediate level) in Walailak University in Thailand. The main data was the interview which took 12 weeks of total 24 hours. Participants completed a timed and untimed grammaticality judgement test (GJT) as a pre-test, and were then randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions of dictation, individual reconstruction, or collaborative reconstruction activity. Analysis of performance in the oral test indicated that learners who applied procedural strategy benefited more than those who carried out the oral test with declarative one. This study may contribute to a deeper insight in teaching and evaluation of learning strategies, performing narrative tasks, and highlighting careful selection of tasks. The focus on procedural and declarative strategies for one task could lead to the learners’ use of appropriate learning strategies, enabling the learners to become more independent, creative, and dynamic. amic.
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.
Fatemeh Mahdavirad; Mohammad Ghane
Abstract
Employing the appraisal framework in discovering the way ideology is crystalized through discourse, the present study attempts to investigate how journalistic ideologies and political positions are manifested through attitudinal terms. Referring to White’s (2012) distinction of attitude types, ...
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Employing the appraisal framework in discovering the way ideology is crystalized through discourse, the present study attempts to investigate how journalistic ideologies and political positions are manifested through attitudinal terms. Referring to White’s (2012) distinction of attitude types, inscribed vs. invoked, based on Martin and White’s (2005) appraisal theory, journalistic ideology together with the positivity and negativity they offer with regard to the Iranian nuclear issue was investigated. The study also refers to the selection and omission of certain aspects in this regard by the media. The study reveals an ideological bias towards portraying a negative presentation of Iranian nuclear policy in the western media. Iranian journalists, however, tend to highlight the positive dimension of the Iranian nuclear program.
Davud Kuhi; Parisa Tajahmad
Abstract
Writing academic texts by novice researchers requires a framework and support by learning how to cite the works of others. However, compared to the studies on other academic writings, studying citations by considering certainty markers has received little attention. The main purpose of this study was ...
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Writing academic texts by novice researchers requires a framework and support by learning how to cite the works of others. However, compared to the studies on other academic writings, studying citations by considering certainty markers has received little attention. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the shifts of certainty markers (hedges and boosters) in pre- and post-citation pieces of arguments in Applied Linguistic Textbooks. To this end, representative samples of about 50 Applied Linguistic Textbooks in 18 different topic areas were selected randomly from among 100 Textbooks and were analyzed on the basis of Hyland’s (2005) model. The researchers studied both direct/indirect and integral/non-integral citations and examined their pre- and post-citation parts in order to identify shifts of certainty that occurs in pre- and post-citation arguments. The analysis of the citations resulted in identification of nine different patterns. The study concludes with some implications for post-graduate students, novice researchers, academic writers and readers to equip themselves with discoursal properties required for writing academic textbooks.
Mehdi Nowruzi; Elmira Vahedi
Abstract
A review of previous research on receptive skills among EFL learners reveals that in contrast to extensive research in reading, fewer studies have focused on the process of listening comprehension in EFL contexts. The current study examines the effects of discourse signaling ...
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A review of previous research on receptive skills among EFL learners reveals that in contrast to extensive research in reading, fewer studies have focused on the process of listening comprehension in EFL contexts. The current study examines the effects of discourse signaling cues on Iranian EFL students' listening comprehension in academic lectures and also investigates the effect of teaching Iranian EFL students about the role and function of discourse signaling cues on successful listening comprehension of lectures. A total of 77 Iranian EFL students were divided into three groups. The first group did not receive any training on the role of discourse signaling cues and only listened to signaled lectures. The second group listened to the non-signaled text and did not get any training on the role of discourse cues. The third group, however, listened to the signaled text and also received training on the role of discourse cues. The analysis of data on recall tasks shows that discourse signaling cues play an important role in EFL students’ listening comprehension. The findings also indicate that training the students about the role and function of discourse signaling cues has significant effect on the students' EFL listening comprehension.
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.
Hadi Farjami; Esmaeel Noroozi
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between behavioral and emotional engagement of Iranian EFL learners and their attachment to their teachers. Both teachers’ and students’ perceptions of their relationships and students’ engagement have been taken into account. ...
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The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between behavioral and emotional engagement of Iranian EFL learners and their attachment to their teachers. Both teachers’ and students’ perceptions of their relationships and students’ engagement have been taken into account. Questionnaire data provided by 311 EFL students and 70 EFL teachers was used to investigate the relation between (a) teacher-student attachment and EFL learners’ engagement, (b) teacher-student secure attachment and EFL learners’ engagement, (c) teacher-student insecure attachment and EFL learners’ engagement, (d) teacher-student secure attachment and EFL learners’ behavioral engagement, (e) teacher-student insecure attachment and EFL learners’ behavioral engagement, (f) teacher-student secure attachment and EFL learners’ emotional engagement, and (g) teacher-student insecure attachment and EFL learners’ emotional engagement. The analysis of teachers and students’ questionnaire data showed that teacher-student attachment was correlated with learners’ engagement. The student participants reported that secure attachment positively affected behavioral and emotional engagement while insecure attachment had a negative effect. The teacher participants reported that attachment with students had weak and non-significant relationship with their students’ behavioral and emotional engagement. These findings and their major pedagogical implications are discussed.
3. Applied Literature
Amir Hamed Dolatabadi Farahany; Dr. Mojgan Eyvazi; Dr. Mohsen Momen
Abstract
The present study is conducted to compare 'From 7 o`clock to 9:30' by Abbas Na-albandian and 'Erostratus' by Jean-Paul Sartre based on Bakhtin’s intertextual approach with an eye on Bakhtin’s notion of dialogic imagination. Bakhtin in his approach focuses on the text, rather than the author, ...
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The present study is conducted to compare 'From 7 o`clock to 9:30' by Abbas Na-albandian and 'Erostratus' by Jean-Paul Sartre based on Bakhtin’s intertextual approach with an eye on Bakhtin’s notion of dialogic imagination. Bakhtin in his approach focuses on the text, rather than the author, and that is why the approach is so demanding at present time. Also his dialogism refers to the fact that the various languages which stratify any single language are in dialogue with one another. So that a work of art is in relationship with other works of art. The aim here is to see if there is this kind relationship between the mentioned works which are from two different cultures and languages as the major components of culture, namely Persian and French. The co-relational analysis of the short stories indicates a significant relationship between them in the realms of plot, setting, characteristics, theme, etc. Therefore, the applicability of Bakhtin approach is emphasized through the resulted similarities which do exist in the mentioned works.
Mohammad Reza Khodadust
Abstract
With recently widespread use of mobile phones and SMS communication in Iran and reformulation of conventional communication practices, short message advertisements have recently started to gain prominence in the world of advertisement as a quick, less costly, available and reliable means of introducing ...
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With recently widespread use of mobile phones and SMS communication in Iran and reformulation of conventional communication practices, short message advertisements have recently started to gain prominence in the world of advertisement as a quick, less costly, available and reliable means of introducing the products and services offered by the companies and institutions. With this in mind, the present study focuses on a qualitative /quantitative sociolinguistic study of 100 SMS advertisements in Iran. Having divided the messages into four categories according to message senders, it has tried to highlight statistically the effect of message type on message length, the role of semiotics, the lexicogrammatical tools of nominalization, intensifiers, and connotatively-loaded consumerism discourse as well as foregrounding, intertextuality and the type of address terms in persuading the message receivers to buy or use the products and services advertised and impose them on the recipients in addition to a reference to the effect of prevalent ideology on the contents of the message.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Benjamin White; Kyoko Masuda
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in bringing together Vygotskian sociocultural theory and cognitive linguistics for research on second language (L2) instruction. This paper explores the compatibility of the two theoretical orientations and finds that certain key assumptions within cognitive ...
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In recent years, there has been a growing interest in bringing together Vygotskian sociocultural theory and cognitive linguistics for research on second language (L2) instruction. This paper explores the compatibility of the two theoretical orientations and finds that certain key assumptions within cognitive linguistics align well with sociocultural theory. Importantly, both theories hold similar positions on the relationship between language and cognition and on the influence of culture and the external physical world on language. Possible tension between the theories lies namely in their application to L2 pedagogy and research methodology for the classroom. In order to examine how sociocultural theory and cognitive linguistics are being integrated in L2 pedagogy, we review six recent empirical studies that are informed by both theories and that target the instruction of lexicogrammar in four different languages. We identify common themes and note challenges for future research. Finally, we make recommendations for the continued integration of sociocultural theory and cognitive linguistics for L2 instruction.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Rogayeh Eslami; Mahnaz Saeidi; Touran Ahour
Abstract
Collaborative content learning (CCL), as a process of learning that contributes to effective learning of the content of the courses in EFL contexts, has recently gained prominence in the research literature; however, the male and female students’ perceptions regarding CCL’s efficacy and their ...
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Collaborative content learning (CCL), as a process of learning that contributes to effective learning of the content of the courses in EFL contexts, has recently gained prominence in the research literature; however, the male and female students’ perceptions regarding CCL’s efficacy and their challenges in experiencing it are open questions. Thus, this mixed methods research investigated the contribution of CCL to Iranian TEFL students’ learning of the content. It focused on their perceptions and challenges across gender. Sixty male and female participants in the master’s program participated in the study. To collect the data, a questionnaire and interviews were used. The findings of the study, using quantitative data analysis, showed that more than half of the learners believed that CCL is effective in EFL teaching and learning context, especially, in terms of negotiation and problem-solving. Moreover, the results showed no statistically significant difference between male and female students’ perceptions of the efficacy of CCL. Finally, the analysis of the interviews’ data qualitatively revealed that male learners had methodological challenges in CCL, while female learners had communication challenges. The findings of the study suggest the beneficial role of CCL in raising students’ awareness of skillful collaboration for maximum learning of the content.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Moloud Kashiri; Mahboubeh Taghizadeh
Abstract
This study explored the styles and strategies used by online MA students of TEFL and investigated the relationship among their learning styles, learning strategies, and learning achievement. The participants were 87 online graduate students of TEFL at Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST). ...
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This study explored the styles and strategies used by online MA students of TEFL and investigated the relationship among their learning styles, learning strategies, and learning achievement. The participants were 87 online graduate students of TEFL at Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST). The instruments consisted of questionnaires on learning styles and strategies and average scores of online students. The results showed that the most learning style preferences were obtained by synthesizing, field-independent, closure-oriented, random-intuitive, and visual, while the lowest ones were related to field-dependent, auditory, tactile / kinesthetic, and open styles. Online students’ highest tendency was related to handling possibilities, while their lowest tendency was concerned with using physical senses. With regard to learning strategies, goal setting strategies received the highest mean, whereas task-strategies received the lowest mean. The results of binary logistic regression also revealed that high achievers were mostly grouped into visual, tactile, inclusive, closure, and open learning styles. However, there was no difference between high and low achieving students in learning strategy use. Online instructors are recommended to consider styles and strategies of online students and choose appropriate materials and methods based on their styles and strategies.
2. Applied Linguistics (Inspirations from neighbor disciplines)
Mohammad Hossein Yousefi; Farzad Rostami
Abstract
AbstractPrint advertisements not only directly try to persuade buyers but also indirectly play a role in shaping their social attitude. An interesting area of research that as yet has received little or no attention is the study of the representations of females in magazines that their readers are mostly ...
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AbstractPrint advertisements not only directly try to persuade buyers but also indirectly play a role in shaping their social attitude. An interesting area of research that as yet has received little or no attention is the study of the representations of females in magazines that their readers are mostly women. This study examined print advertisements in local family and health magazine from a Critical Discourse Analysis perspective. It mainly focused on the use of women in advertisements and strategies employed by advertisers to manipulate and influence their customers. The analysis is based on Fairclough’s three -dimensional framework. It demonstrates how the ideology of ‘women's portrait’ is produced and reproduced through advertisements in popular local women’s magazines. The findings indicated that advertisers used various strategies to take advantages of women. The advertisements promote an idealized lifestyle and direct readers to a certain extent into believing whatever that is advertised is indeed true. This study revealed how the ideologies of beauty and health are constructed and reconstructed through magazines by stereotyping how advertised products are synonymous with a better life. Advertising language is used to control people’s minds. Thus people in power (advertisers) use language as a means to exercise control over others.Keywords: critical discourse analyses, gender role, advertisement, magazine
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)
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)
Saeed Safdari
Abstract
Teacher Enthusiasm (TE) and Learner Engagement (LE) have recently appealed to educational researchers. Nonetheless, their association and potential impacts have not been sufficiently dealt with in the field of second language (L2) research. The present mixed methods study sought to explore the intersection ...
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Teacher Enthusiasm (TE) and Learner Engagement (LE) have recently appealed to educational researchers. Nonetheless, their association and potential impacts have not been sufficiently dealt with in the field of second language (L2) research. The present mixed methods study sought to explore the intersection of perceived TE and LE in L2 classroom. To this end, 87 Iranian intermediate L2 learners completed a self-report questionnaire on perceived TE and their own engagement. Next, two focus-group interviews were conducted with a total of 12 respondents. The quantitative data were used in a correlational analysis to see if any relationship exists between perceived TE and LE. The qualitative interview data were analyzed through thematic coding analysis to extract the significant themes regarding how perceived TE may affect L2 learners’ engagement. Results demonstrated that the two variables are significantly correlated. Moreover, the qualitative data yielded three main themes indicating that perceived TE led to L2 learners’ enjoyment and excitement, positive appraisal of teacher quality, and feelings of security and confidence. Thus, emotional consequences seem to be dominant links between the two variables. Additionally, it was found that personal vision and self-set goals are significant antecedents of engagement that may even outdo perceived TE.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Elham Sarvandy; Jane Ekstam
Abstract
AbstractThe last thirty five years have created a challenging situation for Iran and its people: on the one hand, the discriminatory British and American policies towards the country have given rise to considerable bitterness; on the other, we continue to teach both British and American English. If Iranian ...
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AbstractThe last thirty five years have created a challenging situation for Iran and its people: on the one hand, the discriminatory British and American policies towards the country have given rise to considerable bitterness; on the other, we continue to teach both British and American English. If Iranian people wish to play a more active role internationally, it is time to review our English language teaching policy, practices and pedagogy. This paper focuses on one particularly effective approach, namely English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). It addresses six important principles of ELF and their potential in relation to the present cultural and teaching situation in Iran, focusing on the position of the native speaker and the importance of mutual intelligibility, intercultural competence, the importance of training local multilinguals, the value of lingua franca contexts as learning environments, the difference between spoken and written English, and the adaptation to the Iranian context of assessment procedures. Our paper ends with a brief discussion of the implications for pedagogical practice of the use of the Internet, including the use of blogs in the ELF classroom.Keywords: ELF, ELF principles, Elf in Iranian context, the Internet
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Mahnaz Moayeri; Davood Mashhadi Heidar
Abstract
The present review article discusses the significant role of technology, particularly blogging, in the development of the writing skill. Similar to the conventional classroom teaching, practitioners and researchers view blogs as tools for constructing grammar and writing skills and dispersing knowledge. ...
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The present review article discusses the significant role of technology, particularly blogging, in the development of the writing skill. Similar to the conventional classroom teaching, practitioners and researchers view blogs as tools for constructing grammar and writing skills and dispersing knowledge. In spite of the fact that learning through blogs can advance higher development of identity and bring about collaboration and social interaction, it can offer higher opportunities for learners to represent and express themselves, fostering the skills to develop and build their own community(Love, 2004; Spangenberg, 2004). Blogging is not presumed to be a substitution for conventional classroom writing pedagogy, neither just an issue of delivering classroom writing into digital space of the 21st Century, but,instead, it is writing in an innovative way that cultivates, among learner bloggers, a strong interest to write for the aim of communication and expression. Theadvantages of blogs, specifically in comparison to other technological advances such as discussion boards, are overviewed in this article. Besides, the relevant empirical investigations that have endeavored to explore the role of blogging in the cultivation of writing and learners’ attitudes towards it are presented. Considering that the majority of research studies have pinpointed the potential of blogging in writing development, it is suggested that teachers use models to familiarize their learners with blogging prior to actively using it in their writing classes.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Mina Babapour; Davud Kuhi
Abstract
By the force of our social constructivist gyrations, we have developed glimpses of a social, cultural and historical dimension in which the discourse of science operates. These glimpses indicate us how much the discourse of science is part of complex webs of human’s social interaction. Recognizing ...
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By the force of our social constructivist gyrations, we have developed glimpses of a social, cultural and historical dimension in which the discourse of science operates. These glimpses indicate us how much the discourse of science is part of complex webs of human’s social interaction. Recognizing this social, cultural and historical nature, the present paper looks at the way informal elements are penetrating into the discourse of science. Working on a corpus of scientific journal articles, scientific magazine articles and scientific newspaper articles, the present article shows that regardless of their generic qualities, communicative purposes and the target audience, all scientific texts included in the three corpora are vulnerable to the penetration of informal elements. However, the differences in terms of communicative purposes and target audiences affect the way informal elements are distributed in the three corpora. Providing a deeper sociolinguistic explanation on the observed variations, the paper is concluded with some implications of the findings for ESP pedagogy.
