1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Farshad Naseri; Ali Roohani; Azizullah Mirzaei
Abstract
While second/foreign language (L2) speaking fluency is essential for effective communication, fostering it in distance online education settings continues to pose substantial challenges. This study sought to examine the effectiveness of two motivation-based instructional frameworks/models, namely the ...
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While second/foreign language (L2) speaking fluency is essential for effective communication, fostering it in distance online education settings continues to pose substantial challenges. This study sought to examine the effectiveness of two motivation-based instructional frameworks/models, namely the ARCS-based and L2MSS vision-inspired models, in promoting L2 speaking fluency in an online learning context. In doing so, 61 upper-intermediate L2 (English) learners in three intact classes, chosen based on convenience sampling, were divided into two experimental groups and one control group. The experimental groups received instruction based on the ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction) and L2MSS (Second Language Motivational Self System) frameworks, while the control group received conventional teaching. The three groups were pretested and posttested through structured interviews, with the resulting data imported into PRAAT software. The non-parametric test results revealed significant differences, with the ARCS and L2MSS groups outperforming the control group on speaking fluency measures such as the number of silent pauses and articulation rate. The findings underscore the importance of motivation-oriented interventions in the development of speaking fluency in distance learning.
2. Applied Linguistics (Inspirations from neighbor disciplines)
Ali Roohani; Mohsen Hosseini
Abstract
Culture is regarded as a part of English language teaching (ELT). Also, ELT textbooks are a main source of intercultural teaching / learning in most English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning contexts. Thus, representation of cultural content and development of (inter)cultural aspects are important ...
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Culture is regarded as a part of English language teaching (ELT). Also, ELT textbooks are a main source of intercultural teaching / learning in most English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning contexts. Thus, representation of cultural content and development of (inter)cultural aspects are important issues in ELT textbooks, particularly in EFL contexts. This study analyzed the representation of culture in the Vision series, a recently developed ELT series used nationwide in Iranian high schools, and examined how multimodality in these local textbooks would provide context to develop (inter)cultural aspects. To collect the data, an adapted version of Cortazzi and Jin’s (1999) classification of culture (source, target, international, and globally-shared) was used to analyze the content of the Vision series to see which culture was reflected in these high school textbooks. Additionally, the Wenninger and Kiss’s (2013) semiotic framework was used to examine how multimodality would serve cultural contents through analyzing image-text relationship. The content analysis demonstrated the domination of source (i.e., Iranian) and globally-shared cultural elements with less attention to the target and international cultures. Furthermore, the results showed that multimodality in these textbooks could provide the opportunity for critical cultural reflection, though it was limited to source and globally-shared cultures. By implication, ELT material developers in Iran should incorporate more appropriate materials and culturally engaging visuals associated with diverse cultures into local ELT textbooks to promote Iranian EFL students’ cultural reflection, and, subsequently, their intercultural competence.
