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)
Behnaz Rastegar; Abbas Ali Zarei; Rajab Esfandiari
Abstract
Substantial research has been done on assessment literacy (AL), and several questionnaires have been developed to measure AL. However, little (if any) research has attempted to provide a comprehensive assessment literacy questionnaire. To fill this gap, the present study attempted to develop an assessment ...
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Substantial research has been done on assessment literacy (AL), and several questionnaires have been developed to measure AL. However, little (if any) research has attempted to provide a comprehensive assessment literacy questionnaire. To fill this gap, the present study attempted to develop an assessment literacy questionnaire which encompasses not only the areas identified by previous research, but also those not identified by those studies. Moreover, attempt was made to identify the components that were better predictors of Iranian EFL teachers’ assessment literacy. To this end, first previous AL questionnaires were explored and their main items were identified. Then, researchers-made items were added. Meanwhile, interviews were conducted with experts, who suggested some additional items. Then, 386 Iranian teachers of English were selected through convenience sampling on the basis of availability to fill in the first draft of the questionnaires that assessed different aspects of assessment literacy in order to validate it. Finally, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted, and a questionnaire with 35 items which evaluated nine components of assessment literacy was developed. In addition, the validated, final version of the AL questionnaire was distributed among 146 EFL teachers to identify the better predictor components of AL among Iranian EFL teachers. Multiple regression analysis revealed that “administering, rating, and interpreting test” was the best predictor of teachers’ AL in comparison to other components. The theoretical as well as practical implications of the findings are also discussed.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Sasan Baleghizadeh; Hamidreza Zakervafaei
Abstract
Given the long-lasting debates over L1 use in language teaching and learning, this study adopted a mixed methods design to investigate the role of Iranian EFL learners’ L2 proficiency in their attitudes toward using L1. A questionnaire originally developed by Scheffler et al. (2017) was modified ...
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Given the long-lasting debates over L1 use in language teaching and learning, this study adopted a mixed methods design to investigate the role of Iranian EFL learners’ L2 proficiency in their attitudes toward using L1. A questionnaire originally developed by Scheffler et al. (2017) was modified and distributed among 180 elementary, intermediate, and advanced learners in four private language institutes in Karaj, Iran. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with 18 participants to support and supplement the findings of the quantitative phase. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS and the interviews were transcribed to find common themes. Quantitative data showed that the elementary learners held positive attitudes toward L1 use, while the intermediate and advanced learners held negative attitudes. It was also revealed that the elementary learners held positive attitudes toward all functions of L1 use. The intermediate learners held positive attitudes toward using L1 only for vocabulary and grammar points, while advanced learners held negative attitudes toward all dimensions of L1 use. The findings are likely to help EFL teachers to hear learners’ voices and decide when and at which level it is appropriate to use or limit L1.
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.
3. Applied Literature
Bahram Behin
Abstract
Applied literature is a term that is the outcome of a need to put literature to tangible uses in the “real” world. A medical practitioner looking for a definition of life, for instance, finds literature a useful source for the answer. With paradigm shifts in scientific studies, interdisciplinarity ...
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Applied literature is a term that is the outcome of a need to put literature to tangible uses in the “real” world. A medical practitioner looking for a definition of life, for instance, finds literature a useful source for the answer. With paradigm shifts in scientific studies, interdisciplinarity has been a method to overcome the alienations that resulted from the isolation of disciplines from one another. Some would go even further to problematize the concept of being solely confined to the limits of disciplines or the textuality of literature because they are still hindrances to coming into direct contact with the “real” world. Arguing that tangible real world should lie at the core of applied literary studies, this paper is an attempt to show how a path may be opened up towards the diverse nature of reality in literary studies through a critical review of relevant aspects of literary theory and by drawing upon studies of cultures.
2. Applied Linguistics (Inspirations from neighbor disciplines)
Cosmas Rai Amenorvi
Abstract
This paper unearths the contribution of lexical cohesion to the textuality and overall meaning of Malcolm X’s speech 'The Ballot or the Bullet'. Drawing on Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) and Hoey’s (1991) theory of cohesion, specifically lexical cohesion, whose main thrust ...
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This paper unearths the contribution of lexical cohesion to the textuality and overall meaning of Malcolm X’s speech 'The Ballot or the Bullet'. Drawing on Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) and Hoey’s (1991) theory of cohesion, specifically lexical cohesion, whose main thrust is the role of lexical items in not only contributing to meaning but also serving as cohesive ties, the paper discusses how Malcolm employs words in serving a dual role of contributing to meaning by serving as cohesive ties and their literary use for an aesthetic touch to his The Ballot or the Bullet. Discussions show that Malcolm X employs both simple and complex lexical structures to achieve cohesion in 'The Ballot or the Bullet'. The same lexical structures espouse the literary device of repetition, for emphasis and rhythm. Malcolm, therefore, combines linguistic and literary phenomena by his employment of lexical items in not only conveying meaning or passing information to his audience but also doing that with artistic beauty.
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)
Farahman Farrokhi; Yaser Hadidi; Parya Tadayyon
Abstract
Considering the overwhelming nature of Pre-Task Planning (PTP) in writing for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of a factor of PTP called Strategic Planning (SP) on lexical complexity of Iranian EFL learners. The data collection procedure ...
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Considering the overwhelming nature of Pre-Task Planning (PTP) in writing for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of a factor of PTP called Strategic Planning (SP) on lexical complexity of Iranian EFL learners. The data collection procedure in this mixed-method research, which took 5 weeks, utilized the Oxford Quick Placement test (OQPT) to separate the sample of upper-intermediate learners. Following OQPT, the participants with a high working memory capacity (WMC), measured by the Operation Span Test (OST), were selected as the members of the final sample. They were categorized into three SP groups: form-focused (FF), content-focused (CF), and no planning (NP). After administrating the pre-tests of descriptive and argumentative tasks, each group received a different form of SP guidance, either FF or CF, in two different writing tasks for 4 sessions, whereas the NP group acted as the control group without any intervention. Then the post-tests were run in all three groups. The lexical sophistication of the post-tests was analyzed using the CELEX data center on the Coh-Metrix website. Based on ANOVA tests, FF instruction led to better and highly sophisticated writings in terms of lexis in both descriptive and argumentative tasks. The results can be helpful for syllabus designers, educators, and EFL learners to consider the type of SP in the PTP stage according to the WMC, in the case of different task types.
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.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Ali Akbar Ansarin; Masoud Yaghoubi Notash; shalaleh Javadi
Abstract
Syntactic priming has been suggested to be an efficient paradigm in studying mental language representations. However, further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms. Recently it is suggested that argument-based constructions are present at both the syntactic and discourse levels of ...
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Syntactic priming has been suggested to be an efficient paradigm in studying mental language representations. However, further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms. Recently it is suggested that argument-based constructions are present at both the syntactic and discourse levels of representation predicting that priming effect does not occur in the absence of shared semantic content. The study used a pre-test and post-test approach within a quasi-experimental design to investigate whether sentences with no shared semantic content, but similar syntactic structure, could prime one another in L2 written production tasks. Ninety students at the University of Tabriz participated in the study and were divided into intermediate or upper-intermediate groups based on their proficiency test performance. Both groups narrated a silent movie in the pre-treatment phase. In the treatment phase, the participants were primed with motion phrasal verbs by reading and rating a booklet including pictures followed by phrasal motion verbs describing them. Immediately afterward, they were required to narrate a silent movie. It was hypothesized that if semantically unrelated structures could prime one another as is supported by some reported findings, priming participants with motion phrasal verbs would boost non-motion phrasal verb usage in the treatment phase. However, the authors failed to find a significant difference between the performance of participants in the pre-treatment vs. post-treatment phase. The findings support the claim that syntactic similarity is not sufficient to trigger structural priming, and shared semantics seems to be required, and are justified with regard to semantic roles and compositional vs. non-compositional meaning.
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.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Parviz Ajideh; Mohammad Zohrabi; Roqayeh Mohammad Pour
Abstract
Misuse of technology and lack of enough skill and knowledge about using technological devices may lead to several complications; thus, it could appear mandatory to offer citizenship education and digital knowledge. Hence, individuals are expected to gain the knowledge about their position in the world ...
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Misuse of technology and lack of enough skill and knowledge about using technological devices may lead to several complications; thus, it could appear mandatory to offer citizenship education and digital knowledge. Hence, individuals are expected to gain the knowledge about their position in the world as global citizens and be able to understand intercultural issues. The aim of the current study is to inspect the effect of global digital citizenship on EFL learner’s intercultural communicative competence and examine their perceptions toward the applicability of global digital citizenship. The participants of the quantitative phase comprised 60 female EFL learners classified randomly into one experimental group and one control group. For the qualitative phase, 20 learners were interviewed. The instruments included the Oxford Quick Placement Test to ensure the homogeneity, Intercultural Communicative Competence questionnaire, and a researcher-made questionnaire to provide qualitative data. Cronbach’s alpha was used ensure the reliability. The validity of the questionnaires was ensured through content validity. The quantitative data was analyzed through MANCOVA test. The results revealed that global digital citizenship has significant effect on EFL learner’s intercultural communicative competence. The results of semi-structured interview revealed five main themes including the most important qualities of global digital citizenship, the general advantages and disadvantages of global digital citizenship, the benefits and shortcomings of digital literacy, strategies to stay safe in social media environments, and the popular applications used for learning English. The findings have significant theoretical and practical significance for teachers, teacher educators, curriculum designers and researchers.
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.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Elizabeth Maria Kissling
Abstract
Concept-Based Language Instruction (C-BLI) is rooted in Vygotskian sociocultural theories (SCT) of learning and modeled after Systemic Theoretical Instruction. Investigations of C-BLI have reported positive instructional outcomes such as increased conceptual awareness and control for a variety of targeted ...
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Concept-Based Language Instruction (C-BLI) is rooted in Vygotskian sociocultural theories (SCT) of learning and modeled after Systemic Theoretical Instruction. Investigations of C-BLI have reported positive instructional outcomes such as increased conceptual awareness and control for a variety of targeted concepts in a variety of languages, including aspect in Spanish. This study followed suit, by exposing novice Spanish learners (n = 26) to the concept of viewpoint aspect as a matter of boundedness. It also directly tested the learners’ ability to form nonprototypical associations between preterite-imperfect morphology and lexical aspectual categories, which is the kind of learner development most of interest to scholars working in semantic theoretical perspectives outside of SCT such as the Aspect Hypothesis (AH). Comparisons with corpus data (n = 75) suggested that the C-BLI learners were able to use the Spanish preterite and imperfect non-prototypically, more like advanced learners than novices. The results suggest that C-BLI can facilitate aspectual development applied to disassociating viewpoint aspect from lexical aspect. It is argued that C-BLI and other approaches rooted in SCT principles could be enriched by engaging with new ways of examining learner development, and thereby perhaps garner the interest of scholars working outside of SCT. It is further argued that research on the AH could be enriched by considering data that elucidates effects of specific instructional approaches.
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.
