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.
2. Applied Linguistics (Inspirations from neighbor disciplines)
Davud Kuhi; Mahya Esmailzad; Shirin Rezaei
Abstract
The term metadiscourse rarely appears in translation studies despite the continuously growing body of research on discourse markers in different genres and through various perspectives. Translation as a product that needs to observe such markers for their communicative power and contribution to the overall ...
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The term metadiscourse rarely appears in translation studies despite the continuously growing body of research on discourse markers in different genres and through various perspectives. Translation as a product that needs to observe such markers for their communicative power and contribution to the overall coherence of a text within a context has not been satisfactorily studied. Motivated by such an ambition, this study focused on the third American presidential debate of 2016 and its two online translations by IRIB (The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) and BBC News (The British Broadcasting Corporation). This research aimed to investigate similarities and differences between the use of interpersonal metadiscourse markers in the American presidential debate and its two online translations. Overall, the findings revealed a statistically significant difference in the amount of metadiscourse items employed in English original text and its Persian translations. Translated texts into Persian employed fewer metadiscourse markers than the English text. The findings identified several pedagogical challenges that need to be addressed in translator training, including trainee translators’ familiarity with the social and discursive practices of the academic community, and their awareness of rhetorical elements used in academic texts.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Rasa Faramarzzadeh; Davoud Amini
Abstract
The crucial role of affective factors like anxiety, inhibition, motivation and self-esteem have long been of interest in the field of language learning due to their enormous association with the cognitive processes involved in performance in a second or foreign language. This study aimed at investigating ...
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The crucial role of affective factors like anxiety, inhibition, motivation and self-esteem have long been of interest in the field of language learning due to their enormous association with the cognitive processes involved in performance in a second or foreign language. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between Iranian EFL learners’ self-esteem and conversational dominance in terms of total spoken words, total spoken turns and interruptions in mixed groups (advanced and intermediate levels). The participants were EFL advanced and intermediate female learners in Iran Language Institute (ILI) Tabriz, Iran. The data was collected by administering Coppersmith self-esteem questionnaire and recording and transcribing oral data. Pearson coefficient was used to examine the significance of correlation between self-esteem measures and the components of conversational dominance in speaking performance. The results showed a positive correlation between self-esteem and conversational dominance in terms of total spoken words, total spoken turns and interruptions among the learners. The foundational role of affective variables in cognitive performance is emphasized as a result.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Davud Kuhi
Abstract
In light of a large number of admirable attempts which look at scientific discourse from social, dialogic and interpersonal points of view, the propositions which consider scientific discourse as an interactive endeavor are now well-established. By the force of our social constructivist gyrations, we ...
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In light of a large number of admirable attempts which look at scientific discourse from social, dialogic and interpersonal points of view, the propositions which consider scientific discourse as an interactive endeavor are now well-established. 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 attempts to highlight the heterogeneity and hybridity of scientific discourse and indicate a number of ways scientific discourse is influenced by non-scientific discourses. Recognition of this hybridity helps the author develop a preliminary framework based on the concept of vertical intertextuality and reveal how modern scientific discourses borrow generic, stylistic and rhetorical conventions of non-scientific discourses. The paper is concluded with some of the implications of the developed perspective for ESP pedagogy and suggesting a number of genre-related, style-related and register-related pedagogic tasks.
2. Applied Linguistics (Inspirations from neighbor disciplines)
Amin Karimnia; Pardis Rahimi
Abstract
This study draws on a comparative framework to evaluate the translation of political implications in three Persian translations of the novellaAnimal Farm (by George Orwell), using Fairclough’scritical discourse analysis (CDA) model. The study regards political implications and ideologies ...
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This study draws on a comparative framework to evaluate the translation of political implications in three Persian translations of the novellaAnimal Farm (by George Orwell), using Fairclough’scritical discourse analysis (CDA) model. The study regards political implications and ideologies as a mode of background knowledge shared by writers and audiences in the source language. Fairclough’s model involves three qualitative stages (interpretation, explanation, reproduction) and takes into account ideological stances. Political allusions in novels, if not sufficiently translated, could downgrade the implicit purposes and even the meaningfulness of the text. Given this significant function, the study specifically focuses on linguistic items that play an extra-textual role in meaning formation and the way they are translated into Persian. Hidden ideologies may appear in the form of assumptions, presuppositions, interactional history, or cultural references. This study emphasizes that translators must not take at face value what Fairclough calls “members resources” and must examine their choices against other sources.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Dr. Amin Karimnia; Mohammad Reza Khodashenas
Abstract
Euphemism is a communicative strategy used to frame a polite or less offensive language and to save people’s public face in communication. This study investigated the euphemistic strategies used by Persian speakers in situations associated with death and lying. Warren’s model of euphemism ...
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Euphemism is a communicative strategy used to frame a polite or less offensive language and to save people’s public face in communication. This study investigated the euphemistic strategies used by Persian speakers in situations associated with death and lying. Warren’s model of euphemism was drawn on as the analytic model guiding the study. To conduct the study, 60 male and female university students were randomly selected. The data were gathered through copies of an open-ended questionnaire and then analyzed. It was found that “figurative expression”, “implication”, “overstatement”, “understatement”, and “particularization” were the most frequently used euphemistic strategies among the participants in the contexts of death and lying. The study also revealed that there was no relationship between gender and the choice of euphemistic strategies. The findings implied that euphemistic strategies might reflect cultural and religious values.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Roghaiyeh 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)
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.
Faramarz Pourmusa
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)
Samira Farahani; Mohammad Ali Heidari Shahreza; Mohsen Shahrokhi
Abstract
Mobile-mediated flipped scaffolding strategies have been documented as effective for language acquisition in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. This study employed a mixed-methods research design, collecting data through both quantitative and qualitative methods, to investigate the effectiveness ...
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Mobile-mediated flipped scaffolding strategies have been documented as effective for language acquisition in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. This study employed a mixed-methods research design, collecting data through both quantitative and qualitative methods, to investigate the effectiveness of a flipped classroom model in enhancing upper-intermediate EFL learners' grammatical writing skills and self-regulation. Additionally, the study explored the treatment group's attitudes towards the strategy. The Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) was completed by 74 female upper-intermediate English language learners. 58 subjects (one standard deviation above and below the mean) were selected for the experimental and control groups. The study used a semi-structured interview, the Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ) by Brown et al. (1999), and pre- and post-tests in grammar. The results showed that the treatment group did better than the control group in terms of self-regulation and grammar writing abilities. The interview results corroborated these findings, suggesting that students appreciated the strategy's engaging and educational elements. The study offers insightful proof for the effectiveness of flipped classrooms in addressing challenges faced by EFL learners in Iran. The mobile-mediated flipped scaffolding strategy demonstrates promise for improving grammatical writing skills and self-regulation. The study's implications highlight the importance of equipping learning environments with new resources and Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) guidance, enabling learners to develop autonomy and accountability in their learning.
Karim Sadeghi; Zainab Abolfazli Khonbi; Fatemeh Gheytaranzadeh
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of gender and type of written corrective feedback (WCF) on Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners’ writing. Four intact classes were assigned to experimental and two intact classes to control groups. The learners were homogenized using a pre-test which was ...
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This study investigated the effect of gender and type of written corrective feedback (WCF) on Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners’ writing. Four intact classes were assigned to experimental and two intact classes to control groups. The learners were homogenized using a pre-test which was followed by sixteen sessions lasting one hour and forty five minutes. After receiving instruction on how to write a standard short essay, while the participants in the experimental group one (n = 36) received Direct Corrective Feedback and the participants in the experimental group two (n = 33) received Indirect Corrective Feedback, the learners in the control group (n = 38) received no feedback on their writing except for an overall grade. The statistical analysis tools of t-test and two-way ANOVA on the post-test and a final exam, were used to check whether there were any significant differences in the participants' writing ability. Statistically significant differences were found between control and experimental groups on the dependent variable of writing ability. The students who received direct WCF performed significantly better than those who received indirect WCF and those in control groups, gender had also a significant impact on the learners' writing ability with females performing better than males.
Shabnam Kurosh Khanshan; Mohammad Hossein Yousefi
Abstract
Teacher self-efficacy has been identified as an important characteristic of teachers that can positively influence both teacher and student outcomes. The relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and their linguistic proficiency, however, is yet to be investigated. The present study was an attempt ...
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Teacher self-efficacy has been identified as an important characteristic of teachers that can positively influence both teacher and student outcomes. The relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and their linguistic proficiency, however, is yet to be investigated. The present study was an attempt to examine the rather under-researched issue of teachers’ level of linguistic competence in their efficacy perceptions. For this purpose, 50 teachers from different universities in Iran with varying demographic characteristics took part in the study. Respondents were asked to provide answers to the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) and the perceived linguistic proficiency self-rating. The results of statistical analysis using Spearman correlation and Regression analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and their level of proficiency. The results of regression, too, confirmed the predictability of the level of the proficiency of the self-efficacy beliefs of teachers in their classroom practices. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research and implications are provided for future investigations.
Mohammadreza Negahi; Naser Nouri
Abstract
The present study attempted the relative effect of explicit teaching of textual metadiscourse markers on ESAP reading comprehension performance of Iranian university students through an awareness raising experiment. A sixty-item multiple choice ESAP reading comprehension test of accounting was developed ...
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The present study attempted the relative effect of explicit teaching of textual metadiscourse markers on ESAP reading comprehension performance of Iranian university students through an awareness raising experiment. A sixty-item multiple choice ESAP reading comprehension test of accounting was developed and validated to act as the pre-test and post-test. The test included items for assessing specific comprehension of students in their specialist subject. The test was administered to 80 undergraduate intermediate and upper-intermediate students randomly assigned to experimental and control groups as the pre-test. After the treatment was over, the English for Specific Academic Purposes test was again given to the same students as the post-test. The results of the two-way ANOVA indicated that the experimental group benefited from the explicit teaching of textual metadiscourse markers and the treatment had a facilitative effect on ESAP reading comprehension of students. Moreover, the results of the two-way ANOVA showed that the proficiency level had an effect on ESAP reading comprehension of the students, that is upper-intermediate level students in the experimental group benefited more from the explicit teaching of textual metadiscourse markers. The overall results of the study provide empirical support for the facilitative effect of explicit teaching of textual metadiscourse markers on ESAP reading comprehension of students.
Mohammad Reza Khodadust
Abstract
Ideology, power, and identity are truly reflected in people’s daily discourse including mark negotiation discourse of students. Peculiar power relations in Iranian academic settings and the unique features of politeness in Farsi extending up to Ta’arof motivated the researcher to statistically ...
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Ideology, power, and identity are truly reflected in people’s daily discourse including mark negotiation discourse of students. Peculiar power relations in Iranian academic settings and the unique features of politeness in Farsi extending up to Ta’arof motivated the researcher to statistically analyze a total of 50 mark negotiation discourse samples of Iranian university students from diverse disciplines. Data analysis revealed patterns of initiating and closing, persuading through lexical items, using politeness markers, intensifying, and consequencing. The goal is finding out how both male and female students from various disciplines buy their respective professors’ favors in their online mark reconsideration appeal to increase their mark and avoid failure.
Dr. Ali Mohammad Fazilatfar; Hossein Kargar Behbahani
Abstract
One of the most important language skills affecting students' success in academic settings is reading comprehension and the ability to read fluently in a second language. Japanese EFL learners' less than satisfactory performance in standard English tests led Shinozuka, Mizusawa, and Shibata (2014) to ...
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One of the most important language skills affecting students' success in academic settings is reading comprehension and the ability to read fluently in a second language. Japanese EFL learners' less than satisfactory performance in standard English tests led Shinozuka, Mizusawa, and Shibata (2014) to design the read-aloud method. This study investigated the effectiveness of this newly designed method on Iranian EFL Learners' reading comprehension. The aforementioned method with its high priority on reading aloud enjoy four main activities: chunked reading practice, read-aloud practice, cloze test, and concurrent read-aloud and summarization. Participants of this study, selected through convenience sampling, were 140 undergraduate students whose English reading comprehension was considered poor based on the pretest. Then, the subjects were assigned in two groups of control (N=40) and experimental (N=100). The subjects in experimental group received 8 teaching sessions, while the control group received no specific training. Using a pretest-posttest design we attempted to see if read-aloud method turns of to affect our subjects' reading ability level. Therefore, some T-tests were run. The results of the statistical analyses demarcated that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in the posttest. The pedagogical implication of this study is that ESL/EFL instructors can implement the read-aloud method in their classes to promote their students' reading comprehension.
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.
2. Applied Linguistics (Inspirations from neighbor disciplines)
Ali Alizadeh; Davud Kuhi; Yaser Hadidi
Abstract
Lexical bundles, recurrent word combinations serving essential discourse functions, have gained prominence in the realm of academic writing. A novel perspective that bridges their functional significance and formulaic nature is promising for uncovering intricate features within these recurring language ...
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Lexical bundles, recurrent word combinations serving essential discourse functions, have gained prominence in the realm of academic writing. A novel perspective that bridges their functional significance and formulaic nature is promising for uncovering intricate features within these recurring language patterns. Drawing from the structural and functional taxonomy introduced by Biber et al. (1999) and Hyland (2008), this comprehensive study aims to find the existence of any significant difference in the frequency and use of lexical bundles from both structural and functional perspectives between research articles authored by individuals in soft and hard science disciplines. The corpus, rich in academic content, encompasses a total of 954,615 words, featuring 90 research articles in each sub-corpus. The investigation extends beyond mere structural classification to encompass functional analysis, unveiling insightful findings. The findings indicate while structural distinctions between authors in hard and soft sciences appear negligible, substantial variations emerge in the pragmatic deployment of lexical bundles. Authors in soft sciences exhibit a predilection for noun phrases combined with of-phrase fragments. In stark contrast, authors in hard sciences predominantly employ passive verb + prepositional phrase fragments. Additionally, the divergence in the functional classification of lexical bundles is noteworthy. In the realm of soft sciences, authors heavily emphasize the use of framing signals, underscoring the discursive significance of these elements. In contrast, hard science authors gravitate towards transition signals as the most frequently employed function of lexical bundles. These findings carry substantial implications for researchers, highlighting the importance of embracing lexical bundles as a fundamental aspect of scholarly writing within their specific domains.
Davud Kuhi
Abstract
The absolute hegemony of international code of (academic) communication has resulted in the development and spread of the discoursal voice of the culture form which historical English has emerged, and, as a consequence, any violation from the generic conventions and thinking patterns born out of such ...
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The absolute hegemony of international code of (academic) communication has resulted in the development and spread of the discoursal voice of the culture form which historical English has emerged, and, as a consequence, any violation from the generic conventions and thinking patterns born out of such a discourse has resulted in the deprivation of non-native thinkers form active participation in production, publication and distribution of their academic findings. The argument in this paper is based on the proposal that if some of the formulated, standardized patterns of the production of academic knowledge are to be challenged and a new movement towards scientific, academic pluralism is to begin, development of a wider atmosphere for a better treatment and acknowledgment of cultural-historical voices of thinkers of different ethnic, cultural backgrounds seems inevitable. This approach necessitates some different, non-conventional ways of defining the role of language in general and English in particular in academic communication. Our conception of 'international' in this proposal is the development of a virtual code which possesses the capacity of reflecting and encoding various national-cultural discourses within international academic communication. This multi-voiced English would encourage alternative ways of thinking about and understanding the realities of the world, discourage its users from non-critical reading of the superficial patterns of texts, and develop the understanding of its users about the underlying ideologies of discourses shaping and constructing the realities of our world.
