PrePages and Content
Volume 14, Issue 2 , October 2026
Abstract
Please download the attached file to see the front materials and table of contents of Volume 14, Issue 2.
Read More
Please download the attached file to see the front materials and table of contents of Volume 14, Issue 2.
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 ...
Read More
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 ...
Read More
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
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Ali Bahremand; Neda Fatehi Rad; vale Jalali
Abstract
Recent research has examined artificial intelligence (AI) and microlearning as separate instructional approaches. However, their combined effect on the development of core language systems remains underexplored. This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of AI-supported microlearning on Iranian ...
Read More
Recent research has examined artificial intelligence (AI) and microlearning as separate instructional approaches. However, their combined effect on the development of core language systems remains underexplored. This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of AI-supported microlearning on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary, grammatical, and discourse competence. Accordingly, a total of 60 intermediate learners recruited from Tanin Language Institute in Kerman, Iran, participated in the study and were assigned to an experimental (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30). Over an eight-week instructional period, the experimental group engaged in AI-supported microlearning activities, while the control group received conventional instruction. Data were collected using vocabulary and grammar achievement tests, as well as a discourse production task administered at both pre-test and post-test stages. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed in order to control for initial differences between the groups. The results indicated that learners in the experimental group significantly outperformed those in the control group across all three variables, with large effect sizes. These results suggest that integrating adaptive AI-based feedback with microlearning may support the development of multiple language systems in EFL contexts. Pedagogical implications for integrating AI-supported microlearning into EFL instruction, as well as directions for future research, are presented.
Research Article
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Eyad Ahmad Almithqal
Abstract
Project-based language learning research has linked authentic media-production tasks to perceived improvements in language and professional competencies, yet limited understanding exists of how and why students perceive these improvements. This qualitative study explored EFL university students' perceptions ...
Read More
Project-based language learning research has linked authentic media-production tasks to perceived improvements in language and professional competencies, yet limited understanding exists of how and why students perceive these improvements. This qualitative study explored EFL university students' perceptions of language learning, motivation, and professional-skill development following an authentic media-production project. The study was conducted at Philadelphia University, Amman, Jordan, in an English for Media and Journalism course during the second semester of the 2025/2026 academic year. Sixty intermediate-to-advanced students, as a full class, completed a semester-long project producing a video news report or interview accompanied by a written reflective report. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and written reflective reports and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three broad patterns emerged. First, students described holistic, multi-skill language gains rather than development confined to a single skill, with confidence-building identified as an outcome of iterative, low-stakes rehearsal rather than of the final performance itself. Second, engagement was often linked to the substantive, human dimension of the interview exchange, consistent with the construct of investment, rather than to the language task alone, with some students reporting that the experience reshaped their academic or career outlook. Third, the project elicited a wider range of professional and media-related competencies than typically expected of a conventional speaking task, including interview pragmatics, genre and register awareness, and, in later-emerging cases, translation sensitivity and audio-visual production skill. These findings indicate that authentic, project-based media tasks can facilitate integrated language and professional-identity development in EFL settings, with implications for syllabus design in English for Media and Journalism and similar content-integrated language programs.
Research Article
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Pronema Bagchi; Nisha Navare
Abstract
Despite growing interest in the field of digital andragogy as a framework to support self-paced learning of adult learners, its implications in India remain unexplored. There have been many scholarly articles published with regard to the examination of human-AI collaboration as a helpful tool to teach ...
Read More
Despite growing interest in the field of digital andragogy as a framework to support self-paced learning of adult learners, its implications in India remain unexplored. There have been many scholarly articles published with regard to the examination of human-AI collaboration as a helpful tool to teach and learn a language. But in the context of India, similar studies cannot be applied with a unidirectional approach, given the multilinguistic population of the nation. Research shows that what dominates in the Indian classrooms of undergraduate degree programs is the soft skills training that tries to use the bilingual method of instruction wherever necessary. Therefore, with regard to the young adults pursuing professional studies in India, there has been an attempt to create an AI-infused space with adaptive technology to cater to the needs of a multivocal audience has manifested in the form of Anuvadini AI. Anuvadini AI is an initiative of the Ministry of Education (MoE) to create an artificially intelligent platform with a human in the loop. In this study, the offerings of Anuvadini AI platform will be examined to further investigate its applicability in the field of soft skills training imparted to young adults. The thrust of the study’s methodology will be on design-based research that will propose a framework for developing autonomous learning styles of the target group through conceptualizing and iteratively refining the andragogical recommendations. The current research will serve to be pioneering work on studying the implications of Anuvadini AI for delivering quality digital education for all.
Research Article
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Joffrey Caron
Abstract
This study examines how non-controlling participants mediate access to and use of French as an L2 during classroom-based gameplay with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) video games. It specifically investigates how spectators’ contributions shape shared understanding, collective decision-making, ...
Read More
This study examines how non-controlling participants mediate access to and use of French as an L2 during classroom-based gameplay with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) video games. It specifically investigates how spectators’ contributions shape shared understanding, collective decision-making, and subsequent in-game action. The data comprise 13 video-recorded gameplay sessions, totaling 8 hours and 40 minutes, involving 24 Spanish university students with French proficiency levels ranging from A1 to B1+. The corpus included cooperative and solo gameplay, with the analysis focusing primarily on episodes from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Using a collection-based multimodal conversation-analytic approach, 60 episodes of peer linguistic and communicative assistance were identified and compared. The analysis shows that spectators participate by providing access to written text, translating or reformulating game language, converting interpretations into action, and temporarily assuming interactional leadership. Through these practices, non-controlling participants transform written, spoken, and visual game resources into actionable knowledge for the player and the wider group. The findings distinguish technical control from interactional agency: controller possession determines who can execute an in-game action, but not who organizes interpretation, decision-making, or strategic guidance. The study therefore shows how pedagogically organized solo gameplay can create situated opportunities for collaborative meaning-making and language-focused interaction.
Research Article
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Saber Alavi
Abstract
Academic writing methods have changed as a result of the quick adoption of artificial intelligence writing tools in higher education, especially in the setting of English as a Foreign Language. However, a lack of AI literacy, ethical concerns, and low writing self-efficacy make it difficult for many ...
Read More
Academic writing methods have changed as a result of the quick adoption of artificial intelligence writing tools in higher education, especially in the setting of English as a Foreign Language. However, a lack of AI literacy, ethical concerns, and low writing self-efficacy make it difficult for many Thai EFL undergraduates to use these tools effectively. This study investigates the relationships of AI literacy and ethical AI use with perceived academic writing performance, with self-efficacy examined as a mediator and ethical AI use as a moderator. It draws on Bandura's (1997) Social Cognitive Theory, contemporary AI literacy frameworks, and international AI ethics standards. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed with 401 EFL undergraduates from four Thai universities. A questionnaire measuring perceived academic writing performance, self-efficacy, ethical AI use, and AI literacy was used to gather data. Direct, mediating, and moderating associations between variables were tested using structural equation modeling. The findings showed that both AI literacy and ethical AI use were significantly and positively associated with perceived academic writing performance. Self-efficacy partially mediates the effects of ethical AI use and AI literacy on writing performance. Additionally, ethical AI use strengthens the relationship between AI literacy and writing performance. Supplementary sub-dimensional analyses further indicated the importance of application skills and adaptive confidence, critical engagement and transparent behavior, and core writing confidence. These results show that successful AI-supported writing requires integrating technical proficiency, ethical engagement, and learner confidence. The study provides critical pedagogical and empirical insights for ethical AI integration in EFL higher education.
Research Article
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Davoud Amini; Reza Yalsharzeh; Murtadha Hameed Abdulridha Al-Khafaji
Abstract
Intercultural communicative competence (ICC) is widely held to underpin effective English language teaching, yet little is known about whether its association with preservice EFL teachers’ own English proficiency depends on their emotional intelligence (EI). This exploratory study examined whether ...
Read More
Intercultural communicative competence (ICC) is widely held to underpin effective English language teaching, yet little is known about whether its association with preservice EFL teachers’ own English proficiency depends on their emotional intelligence (EI). This exploratory study examined whether EI, treated both as a composite construct and through its five competency-based components, moderates this association among Iraqi preservice EFL teachers. A convenience sample of 163 student teachers at the University of Baghdad completed self-report ICC and a teacher-focused EI scale assessing self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, empathy, and social skills, alongside a free 25-item Cambridge English online general English test. Six simple moderation models were estimated using PROCESS Model 1, with inferences based on heteroscedasticity-consistent (HC3) standard errors and Holm adjustment across the six interaction tests. Participants reported moderate ICC and EI, and ICC was positively associated with proficiency in all models. Composite EI was associated with proficiency additively but did not moderate the ICC–proficiency association. Among the components, only empathy showed a robust interaction, with a stronger ICC–proficiency association among participants reporting higher empathy. A negative interaction for managing emotions did not survive the multiplicity adjustment, the negative interaction for social skills was not significant under robust estimation, and self-awareness and motivating oneself showed no moderating effect. The findings suggest that composite EI scores may mask differences among components and that the role of empathy merits confirmatory, longitudinal research using proctored proficiency measures.
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. ...
Read More
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.
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 ...
Read More
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
3. Applied Literature
Dat Thanh Huynh; Cuong Huy Pham
Abstract
This study examines discursive constructions of freedom and the ways in which they shape representations of female identity in selected American and Vietnamese literary texts during the 1960s and 1980s. Drawing on Critical Discourse Analysis, Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis, and Systemic Functional ...
Read More
This study examines discursive constructions of freedom and the ways in which they shape representations of female identity in selected American and Vietnamese literary texts during the 1960s and 1980s. Drawing on Critical Discourse Analysis, Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis, and Systemic Functional Linguistics, this study analyzes four typical works of this period, including The Bell Jar (1963), Beloved (1987), Paradise of the Blind (1988, original in Vietnamese), and The General Retires (1987, original in Vietnamese). Key theoretical concepts underpinning the deductive thematic analysis comprise metaphor, modality, transitivity, evaluation, silence, temporality, and conditionality. Findings show that freedom is not conceived of as a stable or fully realized condition but rather something constrained, negotiated, and often deferred. In the American texts, limitations on freedom are more often expressed through psychological instability and institutional control, whereas they are more frequently naturalized through moral duties, social expectations, and collective obligations in the Vietnamese texts. These constructions contribute to shaping female identity by weakening agency, restricting voice, and reinforcing emotional labor and sacrifice. This study is significant for discourse analysis, feminist literary studies, and cross-cultural literary research in showing that freedom and female identity are intrinsically and dynamically constructed and negotiated through language.
Research Article
4. Dynamics between Applied Studies on Language and Literature
Mohadeseh Saqafi; Seyedeh Elham Elhambakhsh
Abstract
The present research investigates the role of modality in establishing shading within Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See (2014), applying Simpson’s (2004) stylistic framework. In this context, shading denotes the tonal trajectory of a narrative, ranging from positive to negative, ...
Read More
The present research investigates the role of modality in establishing shading within Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See (2014), applying Simpson’s (2004) stylistic framework. In this context, shading denotes the tonal trajectory of a narrative, ranging from positive to negative, which is articulated through specific linguistic patterns, notably modal verbs. Although shading has been extensively studied in classic literature and short stories, its application in contemporary novels remains underexplored. To bridge this gap, this study employs a methodology that synthesizes corpus linguistics with detailed stylistic analysis. A dataset comprising 1,378 instances of core modal auxiliaries (can, could, will, would, should, may, might, must) alongside the lexical verb think was extracted from the novel's complete text. Each instance was categorized based on modality type (epistemic, deontic, boulomaic, perception) and correlated with specific shading classifications. Quantitative results indicated a distinct polarization: 67.7% of the instances were associated with negative shading (primarily epistemic and perception), whereas 32.3% contributed to positive shading (deontic and boulomaic). Instances of neutral shading were negligible. A chi-square test validated a significant correlation between modality types and shading (χ² (2, N = 1,378) = 724.51, p < .001). Furthermore, these findings broadened the application of Simpson’s model to contemporary fiction and offered new insight into Doerr’s stylistic construction of wartime experience. They showed how patterns of modality contributed to the novel’s persistent tension between uncertainty and hope. The study also illustrated the value of modality-based shading analysis for supporting interpretive and critical reading practices.
Persian Abstracts
Volume 14, Issue 2 , October 2026, Pages 275-274
Abstract
Please download the attached file to see the Persian Abstracts of Volume 14, Issue 2.
Read More
Please download the attached file to see the Persian Abstracts of Volume 14, Issue 2.
