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Online classes, among other things, may require confidence, persistence, use of effective strategies, managing distractions, and maintaining focus on the part of the learners. Due to the prevalence and unique nature of this mode of instruction, it seems necessary to examine the factors that contribute to successful learning outcomes. This study examined the function of internet self-efficacy and online self-regulated learning in an online reading course. 264 university students completed the Persian versions of the Online Self-regulation Questionnaire (Cho & Cho, 2017) and the Online Learning Self-Efficacy Scale (Zimmerman & Kulikovich, 2016). Their reading performance was evaluated by the reading section of the TOEFL. The results, analyzed by a bivariate correlation, showed a significant correlation between internet self-efficacy and reading comprehension. Also, a significant positive connection was found between reading comprehension and self-regulated learning. Learners confident in using online environments and active in regulating their cognitive processes during reading tasks showed better comprehension outcomes. The regression analysis findings, however, show that self-efficacy (β = 0.47, t = 8.15, p < 0.00) is a stronger predictor of reading performance than self-regulation (β = 0.16, t = 2.89, p < 0.00). The findings highlight the importance of promoting self-regulation and internet self-efficacy to improve reading comprehension. Further research should explore other factors, such as cultural perspectives, teaching methods, cognitive abilities, and technological advancements.

The pluricentricity of English language has led to the appearance of new trends in English language education. This is especially important in Expanding Circle (EC) countries to develop intercultural communication among learners. The current study attempted to investigate the views of Iranian Englishteachers towards the relevancy of English as an international language (EIL) to their practice of English language teaching and the influence of teacher education on shaping their attitudes. To this end, a mixed method sequential research design was used to collect data, sing a questionnaire delivered to115 EC teachers who, at the time, were taking an online teacher education workshop held in a Language Institute in Tehran regarding EIL and varieties of English. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 34 teachers who had expressed their agreement to be interviewed. The analysis of the data showed that although the EC teachers had mostly expressed positive perceptions about EIL and varieties of English, their perceptions misaligned with their practices in ELT classes. The mismatch between teachers’ conception of EIL and its relevance to their context of teaching seemed to have undermined their self-confidence in applying this concept to practice. They seemed to have taken it for granted that American English is the sole variety to be practiced in Iran, as it is considered the most desirable target language variety. Implications of the results for educators and policy-makers on bridging the gap between theory and practice in ELT classes are presented.

In Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation, the way the Anthropocenic set of circumstances is narrated could not be easily explained away through giving precedence to either materialist or structuralist narratologists. In this sense, neither the materiality of the environment nor the arbitrary categories and models of structuralists such as Greimas could determine the ultimate narratological scheme with which one could make sense out of such set of circumstances. Only through modifying the extant narratological categories and models and exposing their arbitrariness via indicating their incapability to contain the formidable materiality of the environment, one could reach a workable semiotic framework for devising a narrative out of the anthropocenic set of circumstances. Reaching this framework would be the present study’s research objective. As its findings, the study recognizes that such a framework would not give the agency of devising narration to either non-human/environmental or human entities in the anthropocene, and at the same time will be the result of the uneasy, yet workable, coupling of these entities. This framework would also acknowledge the uncontainable nature of the environment in the anthropocene, and turn both human and non-human entities into mere actants that have no particular motivation. The study uses the modified narratological models of Algirdas Greimas and Amitav Gosh proposed by critics like Hanes Bergthaller, Marco Caracciolo and Jean Paul Petitimbert to reach this semiotic framework.  

Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory (SCT) emphasizes the crucial role of social interaction in cognitive development, including second language acquisition (Vygotsky & Cole, 1978). Grounded in this theory, the present quasi-experimental study investigates the effectiveness of the Blended Feedback Approach in enhancing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' essay-writing skills. Sixty university students were divided into two groups: an experimental group receiving BFA, which integrated online peer reviews, teacher feedback, and iterative revisions, and a control group receiving traditional teacher feedback. Pre-test and post-test assessments were conducted to evaluate improvements in coherence, grammatical accuracy, vocabulary, and overall structure. Additionally, end-of-semester interviews captured learners' perceptions of the feedback approach. Results indicated that the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in writing proficiency, critical thinking, and collaboration skills than the control group. Moreover, BFA was found to reduce writing anxiety and foster student engagement. These findings suggest that BFA offers valuable enhancements to feedback methods, reinforcing the role of integrated feedback in language education and providing insights for future pedagogical practices.

Concern about the Iranian EFL learners’ dissatisfaction with their learning achievement motivated this qualitative study. While the importance of teacher feedback in English as a foreign language (EFL) and its correlation with self-directed learning (SDL) of EFL learners is recognized in the literature, there seems to be a gap specifically regarding the role of Iranian EFL teachers' productive feedback features in fostering EFL learners' SDL. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the teachers' self-reported productive feedback perception and practices in support of Iranian EFL learners’ SDL to fill in the gap. For this aim, fourteen Iranian EFL teachers were interviewed, and the data obtained from the semi-structured individual interviews were analysed through content analysis. According to the findings, the participating EFL teachers unanimously comprehended the benefits of productive feedback in the classroom in support of learners’ SDL. These benefits, emerging from the analyzed data based on teachers’ insights, may contribute to learners’ self-awareness, freedom, effective learning, and a stress-free learning environment. However, the presence of lack of time, teachers’ shortage of knowledge, and the top-down approach to the education system of Iran prevented Iranian EFL teachers from actually implementing these productive feedback features supporting learners’ SDL.

Objective: The effectiveness of Lexical Bundle (LBs) instruction for facilitating writing skill development has been a controversial issue in language teaching. This study examined the impact of LBs instruction on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) learners’ performance on IELTS writing task 2. Methods: To this end, first, 60 male and female ESP learners were randomly selected from among 150 ESP learners of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences as participants. Second, these participants were assigned to the experimental group and the control group, each with 30 learners. Both groups were then administered IELTS writing task 2 as a pretest. The experimental group was provided with ten sessions of IELTS-Task 2-related LB instruction.  The control group, however, did not receive this kind of instruction. Finally, the researchers administered IELTS writing task 2 to both of the groups anew as a posttest. Results: The results suggest that teaching the relevant bundles had significant positive impacts on ESP learners’ general performance of the relevant writing tasks, task achievement grammatical range and accuracy, vocabulary knowledge, as well as observing cohesive ties and coherence in their writing. Conclusions: The results may provide some useful insights regarding the instruction of LBs in IELTS preparation courses for the ESP learners.

As teaching approaches have advanced, the role of technology and tools in learning has increased. Moreover, pupils’ Satisfaction with the implementation of these tools and technology should be considered too. To this end, the purpose of this inquiry was to examine the Iranian EFL learners’ Retention of Grammar knowledge and their Course Satisfaction based on Flipped classroom strategies. This quasi-experimental research had been carried out in the twelfth grade of Alvand private school in Tabriz city, East Azerbaijan, Iran. Forty high school learners were chosen as participants, and the homogeneity of the classes was checked through Oxford Quick Placement Test. Subsequently, participants were divided to groups in a random manner either the experimental group (n = 20) and the control group (n = 20). The pre-, post- and delayed post-tests of this research were from the Grammar in Use book, to check the initial knowledge, possible gained knowledge, and retention of acquired knowledge, as well as a questionnaire to investigate the level of their Satisfaction with their course. The independent-samples t-test revealed that the experimental group illustrated considerably higher proficiency than the control group in both post-test and ANCOVA scores. Moreover, the result of the questionnaire's descriptive statistics showed a high level of Satisfaction among learners. The study presents practical implications for teachers, researchers, and learners.

The success of language teachers and learners is definitively pertinent to the emotions they experience in academic environments. Accordingly, the factors impacting language teachers’ and learners’ emotions must be recognized. Many scholars have scrutinized emotional variables in response to this necessity through various methodological approaches. The present study aims to evaluate some of the innovative approaches to assessing emotional factors to see how innovative they are and review their positive points and shortcomings. To do so, Q Methodology (Q), idiodynamic method, Latent Growth Curve Modeling (LGCM), Process Tracing Approach (PTA), Social Network Analysis (SNA), Nested Ecosystem Model (Ecological approach), and Retrodictive Qualitative Modeling (RQM) methods have been selected to be reviewed in this research. The findings highlight several strengths and weaknesses of each of the methodological approaches. It has also been reported that these approaches need to be context-specific and person-sensitive to generate more accurate data. Among the approaches, PTA and SNA have received scant attention in the investigation of emotional factors since the data in these two approaches cannot be reported precisely in narrative form. Our study would be conducive for all researchers, notably those working in the field of language teachers’ and learners’ psychology.  

The rapid advancement of technology has opened up new avenues for language learning, and understanding the factors that impact students' behavioural intentions is crucial for the effective integration of technology in EFL classrooms. The present study investigates the influence of risk-taking behaviour and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in enhancing the behavioural intention of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students through the integration of technology. The study utilized a quantitative research approach, employing surveys and data analysis techniques to test reliability using the PLS-SEM program tool to gather and analyze data from a sample of 75 EFL college students. The participants were assessed during the continuous assessment of the course based on their risk-taking tendencies, as well as their perceptions and attitudes towards technology acceptance according to the TAM framework. The study's findings are intended to offer important new understandings of the correlation between risk-taking behaviour and TAM characteristics (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use), and EFL college students' behavioural intention. Additionally, the research aims to identify the factors that positively influence students' intention to adopt and utilize technology in their language learning process. The implications of this study can contribute to the development of effective strategies for educators and institutions to enhance EFL college students' behavioural intention through technology integration. By understanding the role of risk-taking behaviour and TAM variables, educators can design instructional approaches that align with students' preferences and promote active engagement in the learning process.