محمدامین مذهب

While various aspects of Group Dynamic Assessment (GDA) have been explored in previous studies, cumulative GDA in distance education is an under-researched area. This study aims to examine the effect of on teaching of cumulative GDA in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings with a focus on discourse markers. To this end, a mixed-methods design was adopted with speaking tasks of First Certificate in English (FCE) test and interviews used as the main instruments for collecting data in the quantitative and qualitative phases of this study. A total of 64 homogenized female EFL learners were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Cumulative GDA instruction of discourse markers in the experimental group was conducted by a teacher well-trained in intervention workshops. The analysis of the data based on T-test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed a positive effect of GDA on the test group. In the qualitative phase of the study, interviews were used as the tool to reveal the attitudes of ten participants in the experimental group who opted to attend interview sessions. The content analysis of the interview results revealed that they had varied attitudes towards online cumulative GDA, and dominantly favoured this teaching approach in distance learning. The results highlight the importance of Assessment for learning (AfL) over Assessment of Learning (AoL) in distance education. Findings have implications for policy, practice and research.

Poetry translation deals with many difficulties as translators need to consider socio-cultural, linguistic, dialect, and aesthetic aspects. The poetry translation involves the interpretation of the real meaning of the main text and creates a readable and enjoyable poem in target language as a literary text. Thus, to address such an important aspect, translators have to consider language standardization and signals to the audience. The <em>do-baytis</em> of Baba Tahir written in <em>Fahlavyiat, </em>have specific dialect and aesthetic features in rhyme and meter. This research analyzed the strategies used in two translations of the traditional Iranian couplets - an English prose by Heron-Allen (1902) and a back-translation of English poetry based on Heron-Allen prose by Curtis Brenton (1902). The analysis was grounded on domestication and foreignization. The results show that the dialect was standardized and foreignized through paratextual references. Upon sharing the results with a group of Iranian EFL students in a translanguaging task, it was revealed that they have limited awareness regarding the translation of literary works from Persian to English.  The findings can raise the awareness of professional translators, translator educators, translation students and teachers and those involved in literary translation. 

The present study attempted to probe into the effects of four planning time conditions (pre-task, extended task, free writing, and control) over the frequency of employing metacognitive strategies in argumentative and expository writings of 108 participants. Employing an experimental writing task design under four planning time conditions and implementing a retrospective questionnaire, both qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted. Through implementing the retrospective questionnaire, an 8-point Likert-type scale was used and the associated statistical procedures were employed. The results showed that the frequency of the use of Generation of Ideas strategy was significantly higher in the argumentative writings than in the expository writings. The use of Elaboration of Ideas strategy was significantly different from Thinking about Language Aspects strategy and Thinking about the Essay Structure strategy and it was the lowest. The highest strategy use belonged to ‘Thinking about Language Aspects strategy’, followed by Thinking about the Essay Structure, Generation of Ideas, Organization of Ideas and Elaboration of Ideas strategies respectively. The use of ‘Thinking about Language Aspects strategy’ in the extended task condition was different from the other groups, and it was the lowest. In ‘Thinking about Language Aspects strategy’ use no significant differences were observed among argumentative and expository writings. The study can help broaden the understanding of EFL writers’ metacognitive writing processes involving planning and, the results may have pedagogical implications for EFL writing instructors and theoretical implications for EFL writing researchers.