Research Article
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Gulnoza Salimova
Abstract
Sociopragmatic competence—the ability to use language appropriately in accordance with social, institutional, and cultural context—represents a critical yet comparatively underexplored dimension of medical professional communication. In Uzbek-medium higher education, validated structural ...
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Sociopragmatic competence—the ability to use language appropriately in accordance with social, institutional, and cultural context—represents a critical yet comparatively underexplored dimension of medical professional communication. In Uzbek-medium higher education, validated structural models and assessment frameworks for this construct appear to remain limited, particularly within the Central Asian context. This study aimed to develop a theoretically grounded structural model of sociopragmatic competence for medical higher education, articulate component-specific assessment criteria, and identify appropriate measurement methods through a systematic integrative literature review conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, PubMed Central, and Google Scholar, yielding 54 sources retained for thematic synthesis following PRISMA-ScR screening procedures and employing abductive reasoning evaluated against criteria of internal coherence, theoretical grounding, and practical applicability. The study proposes the five-component MedSPC Model, organized across two hierarchical planes. The foundational plane encompasses Sociopragmatic Knowledge and Discourse Organizational Competence, while the performative plane comprises Interactional Role Competence, Face Management Competence, and Pragmatic Adaptability. The model is accompanied by a component-specific four-level assessment rubric and a Multi-Method Assessment Battery (MMAB) consisting of four complementary instruments. All components are theoretically grounded and presented as a structured research agenda subject to empirical validation. The MedSPC Model is presented not as a set of validated claims but as an empirically generative framework that produces testable hypotheses about the structure, development, and assessment of medical sociopragmatic competence, with empirical validation constituting the essential and immediate next step in this research agenda.
Research Article
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Behnaz Rastegar; Abbas Ali Zarei; Hadi Heidari
Abstract
In the demanding context of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching, teacher burnout threatens instructional quality and retention, yet its association with job demands and resources remains underexplored. This study leverages the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model to investigate how ...
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In the demanding context of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching, teacher burnout threatens instructional quality and retention, yet its association with job demands and resources remains underexplored. This study leverages the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model to investigate how workplace factors, specifically job demands like administrative overload, emotional labor, and resources including autonomy and colleague support shape burnout among Iranian EFL teachers, while probing cultural and contextual influences such as societal expectations and educational policies. A convergent complementary mixed-methods design was used in which the quantitative phase included 146 teachers across Iran using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and the JD-R questionnaire, using Kruskal-Wallis tests and pairwise comparisons. The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews with 39 teachers, analyzed through transcendental phenomenology using MAXQDA. Quantitative findings revealed that high job demands significantly amplify burnout, with teachers in high-demand groups reporting greater emotional exhaustion and cynicism, while abundant resources markedly reduce burnout. Qualitative insights illuminated key themes: structural demands like inadequate salaries, imposed curricula, and societal pressures such as unrealistic parental expectations exacerbate burnout, whereas resources like professional development and peer support serve as protective buffers. Teachers’ coping strategies, including exercise and adaptive teaching, alongside critiques of commercialized education and policy inefficiencies, further contextualize these dynamics. This study validates the JD-R model’s predictive power in Iran’s EFL context, highlighting the critical need for targeted interventions such as workload restructuring, enhanced training, and cultural awareness campaigns to mitigate burnout, bolster teacher resilience, and elevate educational outcomes. These findings offer actionable insights for policymakers and educators, with implications for global EFL settings facing similar challenges.
Research Article
3. Applied Literature
Farah Ghaderi; Zahra Anvari Azar; Aya Akkawi
Abstract
Malabou’s concept of brain plasticity incorporates themes of fluidity and metamorphosis. It explores the dynamic relationship between human beings and the world, offering new perspectives on the boundaries of human identity. Although Porochista Khakpour’s (2014) The Last Illusion has been ...
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Malabou’s concept of brain plasticity incorporates themes of fluidity and metamorphosis. It explores the dynamic relationship between human beings and the world, offering new perspectives on the boundaries of human identity. Although Porochista Khakpour’s (2014) The Last Illusion has been examined from various perspectives, it has yet to be explored through the lens of plasticity. Thus, we aim to offer a Malabouian reading of The Last Illusion by applying the concepts of “trauma”, “reparative plasticity”, and the “neuronal self”. We argue that changes in Zal’s actions and thoughts suggest that his identity is a plastic entity—constantly changing and evolving. Zal’s display of both human and avian characteristics highlights the adaptability of the neuronal self and its influence on his identity. The findings of this study highlight the metamorphic power of trauma. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the blurring of boundaries in Zal’s brain is possible because the brain is a plastic entity, capable of delocalizing and reconfiguring neuronal connections through interaction with its environment. Zal’s acquisition of self-awareness and self-acceptance stems from the brain’s capacity to grow and change through the delocalization of neuronal networks and its flexibility in adapting to new experiences and memories. This also illustrates Zal’s exercise of agency over his own identity, reflecting a sense of indeterminism grounded in brain plasticity and a movement toward empowerment.
Research Article
2. Applied Linguistics (Inspirations from neighbor disciplines)
Mohammad Hossein Mahdavi Nejhad
Abstract
The phenomenon of implied language is an inherent element of language used in interactions while following certain purposes. The variants of this umbrella term, i.e., insinuation, innuendo, sarcastic language, etc. have more or less been previously discussed by scholars of pragmatics in English language. ...
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The phenomenon of implied language is an inherent element of language used in interactions while following certain purposes. The variants of this umbrella term, i.e., insinuation, innuendo, sarcastic language, etc. have more or less been previously discussed by scholars of pragmatics in English language. Such variants of implicatures are also used in Persian under the titles TIKKEH, MATALAK, among others. While previous research on TIKKEH has discussed the underlying components of the term in everyday conversations among Iranian interlocutors, the present article situates the term within a live broadcasting show in Sports Channel in 2020 in Iran, featuring the interview between two hosts and the president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as the comments of viewers posted on two opinion forums, reacting to the unrestrained use of implied language by the guest. The research corroborates the findings of Tayebi (2018) on TIKKEH, as it is made with the goals of humiliating the addressee, showing off one’s shrewdness, leaving the addressee in an undecided situation, taking pleasure in watching the addressee being hurt, and staining the face of the addressee. My data also revealed that interlocutors at times employ TIKKEH to evade answering questions or to distract their addressees who they find challenging. Furthermore, it is discussed that the president of FFIRI exercises abundant use of implied language to bond with those viewers whose line of thought run contrary to that of IRIB, thus guarantying his truthfulness and commitment.
