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As a formative assessment procedure, self-assessment aims to converge learners’ and teachers’ views in assessment. Hence, reducing the perceptual mismatches between the learners’ and the teachers’ assessment would positively affect the learning process. For this aim, the present study investigated to what extent the learners’ assessment of their writing before and after being provided with a list of rating criteria, agrees that of their teachers. Therefore, a body of 6 EFL writing teachers and 27 EFL learners participated in this study. The learners were asked to rate their writing before and after being provided with rating criteria developed by the researchers. The teachers also rated the students’ writings following the same criteria. The obtained results showed a significant difference between the students' scores on the first and second assessment occasions. The teachers’ and the students’ assessment on the second time also were found to significantly correlate. Moreover, the analysis of the students’ comments showed that while they rated their writing on some limited aspects of writing in the first rating occasion, they assessed their essays using more components in the second assessment phase. Overall, the findings revealed that providing the learners with rating criteria would not only reduce the perceptual mistaches between the students’ and the teachers’ assessment but through involving the students’ voices in their assessment would promote democratic classroom assessment. Pedagogical implications of the study are discussed.

With the emergence of new online technologies and computer-mediated language teaching, many recent studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of online peer assessment. The present mixed methods study examined the effect of online peer assessment on Iranian intermediate-level EFL students` writing accuracy. In the quantitative phase of the study, 28 EFL learners studying in an English institute were randomly assigned to two groups and were taught for 14 sessions. The experimental group attended online peer assessment on Wiki as a forum for out-of-classroom discussions regarding English writing, and the control group attended face-to-face peer assessment. To analyze the numerical data collected through a pretest and a posttest, an independent sample t-test was used to investigate the difference between the two group scores before and after the assessments. The results showed that the difference between the posttest means of the experimental group and the control group was significant. Moreover, the results of analyzing the qualitative data, gathered through focus-group interviews, also confirmed the quantitative results, revealing the positive opinions of the interviewees about the role of technology in language learning. Therefore, online peer assessment seems to have benefits that make it worthwhile despite all the difficulties and extra effort of introducing and teaching it to students. The findings may have implications for material designers, language teachers, and language learners.

This research aims to explore how the cognitive demands of tasks affect the acquisition of English verb tenses and their association with grammatical metacognitive awareness among language learners. The study addresses two key questions: 1) Differential impacts of tasks varying in cognitive load on the acquisition of verb tenses, 2) The predictive role of learners' metacognitive strategies in task conditions. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the study involved 120 first-semester Bachelor of Arts students from Azad University South Branch in Tehran, Iran. Participants were assigned to four groups exposed to different task conditions: reading, reading with textual enhancement, cloze exercises, and reading with writing tasks. Instruments included Grammar Judgment and Editing Tests, Pawlak's (2018) Grammar Learning Metacognitive Strategies Inventory, and the Oxford Placement Test. The analysis involved the learners’ performances on the Grammar Judgment and Editing Test, which were compared from the pretest to the posttest. One-way ANOVA was utilized. Additionally, comparisons among different task conditions in the posttest revealed which tasks resulted in higher learner performance. Results indicated significant improvements in tense structure proficiency associated with higher involvement tasks. This study bridges gaps in understanding optimal task designs for language learning and underscores the importance of metacognitive strategies in the Iranian EFL context.

Listening anxiety is the feeling of apprehension that learners might experience when trying to comprehend information from others. This anxiety associated with listening comprehension has been a significant focus of academic research for the past few decades. Foreign language listening anxiety (FLLA) can be triggered by different factors, including affective pressure, cognitive load, or communication disorders. However, there is a lack of appropriate conceptual models to accurately pinpoint the sources of anxiety related to listening. This research introduces a novel model in a non-experimental correlation research design to scrutinize the efficacy of cultural intelligence (CQ) and reflective thinking (RT) in predicting the source of FLLA among EFL learners. To accomplish this, a sample of 250 EFL students was administered the three scales for the constructs under study. In terms of the statistical analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM) was run to examine the fit of the conceptual model. The findings showed that both CQ and RT affect FLLA. However, RT was a stronger predictor of FLLA than CQ. Notably, critical reflection was found to be the strongest predictor of FLLA in the RT. Besides, both cognitive and behavioral dimensions equally influenced FLLA for CQ. Lastly, the results and implications for reducing FLLA are discussed.

This is a systematic review of Translator Translation Styles from 2013 to 2023, based on 16 highly relevant articles, which are included after searching a total of 193 articles in three databases using specific keywords. This review aims to investigate the current trends and development of the four core research elements, namely, the research topics, research approaches/tools, research objects, and research trends of Translator Translation Styles. Corpus-based research and computing technology have become the core research trends in this field. By taking the translated texts as the research objects and using a variety of research approaches to analyze and compile statistics on a large number of texts, researchers can accurately identify and compare the different emphases of their respective studies on Translator Translation Styles. At present, it seems that the research on Translator Translation Styles has established a system framework. However, it still needs to be optimized and improved in some aspects (e.g., the research objects are too limited and lack innovation in types), and future research can further explore those aspects. The present paper ends with some suggestions and recommendations for future researchers in academic contexts.

This study endeavored to explore the beliefs that Iranian English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teachers held and scrutinize the extent to which their beliefs can correspond to their actual practices in EAP context. To these ends, a mixed mehod study was conducted in which 40 EAP teachers (20 English teachers & 20 subject-area teachers) teaching EAP courses in Universities of Medical Sciences in Iran participated in this nationwide study. The quantitative data gathered through a belief questionnaire was analyzed by SPSS software and the qualitative data collected through interview and observation of EAP courses was analyzed through content analysis. Analyses of the gathered data disclosed that the participants held different beliefs in terms of teaching strategies so that they did differently in their reading-based performances as well as the teaching and learning strategies. Besides, it was revealed that unlike subject-area teachers whose beliefs and performance were derived from their content-related concerns, English teachers’ beliefs and performance were presided by the students’ real needs, interest, and what is substantiated in the current literature. Within the EAP community of teachers and teacher educators, not only novice teachers who aim to enter into the EAP teaching mainstream can benefit from the findings, but also EAP teachers currently teaching such courses can gain the advantage of reflecting upon the beliefs and their actual practices. In addition, the findings may have implications for all EAP teachers to verbalize tacitly held beliefs, think consciously about them, and be aware of existing challenges and critical areas in EAP teaching.

The present research aimed to determine the possible effect of multimedia use in English classes on the development of EFL learners’ self-concept. For this purpose, 80 EFL students were selected through covariance sampling from among all the male high school English students in Ahvaz and were equally divided into an experimental group (n=40) and a control group (n= 40). To collect the needed data for the aims of the study, Chen & Thompson (2004) self-concept questionnaire was employed. Then, based on the quasi-experimental, pre-test, and post-test methods of the study, the elicited data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and covariance analysis. The obtained results showed that using multimedia in instruction has a significant impact on EFL learners’ self-concept. These findings have some implications for teaching English as a foreign language. First, the use of up-to-date multimedia technology needs to be encouraged more than before in schools, language institutes, and universities. Second, teachers’ interest, readiness, and expertise to use multimedia facilities need to be evaluated before appointing them as English language instructors. Finally, suitable grounds for the implementation of multimedia technology should be provided in educational setting.

This article performs a CDA on White House press briefings and is especial in its focus on how gendered language impacts relations of power. Adopting a mixed-method approach, this study will examine linguistic strategies and deictic expressions used by male and female spokespersons articulating ideologies and constructing authority. The latter is based on Fairclough's three-dimensional CDA model, whereby text analysis is involved, together with discourse practices and social context in explaining how language reflects and constructs political realities. The research questions were as follows: (1) How are deictic expressions used by spokesmen and spokeswomen in the White House press briefings? (2) What is the inter-relationship between power and language through the usage of modal verbs, and is there a gender-based difference herein? (3) How do women spokespersons, through language, claim ideologies and power? It is a contribution to applied linguistics and presents evidence of subtle linguistic mechanisms that shape public perception of gendered language in political discourse. The research questions were as follows: (1) How are deictic expressions used by spokesmen and spokeswomen in the White House press briefings? (2) What is the inter-relationship between power and language through the usage of modal verbs, and is there a gender-based difference herein? (3) How do women spokespersons, through language, claim ideologies and power? It is a contribution to applied linguistics and presents evidence of subtle linguistic mechanisms that shape public perception of gendered language in political discourse.

The advent of AI technologies has been influential on the quality of language learning in EFL contexts. A plethora of studies have explored the employment of AI bots in academic writing. Yet, exploring the strategies employed by Iranian EFL learners while using an AI bot to complete academic IELTS writing task 2 has been underestimated. To address the lacuna, this qualitative study computer-recorded eleven participants’ interactions with AI bot to identify the strategies they employed to complete academic IELTS writing task 2. The researchers intended to clarify the intricacies of the human-AI interactions and infer the potential contributions of AI bots for academic writing in EFL settings. The findings revealed that despite the employment of several strategies by the participants to compose high-quality writing tasks, none of them fully trusted the AI outputs to use them without post-editing. They considered the AI bot as a writing assistant, used some revised segments of AI responses and added their own words respectively. The pedagogical implications for language teaching in general, and IELTS-oriented practices in particular to take advantage of the emerging AI technologies for better educational outcomes are provided. Moreover, avenues for future research on AI-assisted Language Learning (AILL) are suggested.

This study seeks to investigate the role and impact of translators in the (anthropological) field during research conducted by foreign anthropologists in Iran. To achieve this, a questionnaire, an apparent open-ended one with six items, was distributed to 30 anthropologists who conducted field research in Iran, aiming to identify invisible interpreters/translators, including local informants, who assisted researchers in overcoming language barriers and communicating with participants during anthropological fieldwork. Given that anthropologists are typically trained to work independently without the aid of translators, certain participants displayed hesitancy in discussing the subject matter. Anthropologists who completed the questionnaire and said they conducted the research without utilizing translators in the field cited their fluency in the local language, perceiving translators as impediments, and their accessibility as the main reasons for their approach. Nevertheless, some of these researchers emphasized the potential benefits of using translators, particularly in terms of enhancing comprehension. Conversely, there were anthropologists who found value in engaging both formal and informal translators, as they served as gateways to communication. As an interdisciplinary study, this article endeavors to shed light on a relatively unexplored aspect of anthropology, namely translation. It is crucial to acknowledge and engage in further discussion regarding the collaboration between professionals from different disciplines, including Translation Studies and anthropology, within various scientific journals and conferences.

This paper investigates the payment's impact on the quality of translated products, an area that has been largely overlooked in translation sociology. Drawing on Actor-Network-Theory, the study analyzed recent translations by 10 Iranian freelance and agency translators with over five years of translation experience in the market. Participants provided the researchers with translations completed for low and good payments, which were evaluated using the Waddington (2001) model. Interviews were conducted to gather the participants’ opinions with regard to the Iranian translation market. Despite dissatisfaction with low payment and the unjust translation market, most translators produced high-quality translations. However, the unjust market frustrated translators and led many to leave their jobs. The findings suggest that while low payment does not necessarily negatively affect translation quality, it can significantly impact the job satisfaction and retention of translators. This study sheds light on the economic aspect of translation and has important implications for the translation industry.

In the aftermath of conflict, the role of translation extends into the realm of conflict resolution. This study examines how translation prefaces address conflict resolution in the context of post-revolutionary Iran following the Iran-Iraq War, focusing on the resolution strategies employed. To achieve this, criterion sampling was used to select three English books on the Iran-Iraq War, originally written from Iraqi or Other perspectives and translated into Persian by Marz-o-Boom Publications. Data were collected from the prefaces of these translations, emphasizing their treatment of the war and the contentious themes in the source texts. Using Salama-Carr’s (2007) and Webne Behrman’s (1998) definitions of conflict, conflict cases were identified and categorized based on Thomas and Kilmann’s (1974) conflict resolution model. The findings indicate that the competing strategy was predominantly employed (44.4%–54.6%), reflecting strong assertiveness in promoting Iranian state perspectives. The compromising strategy was used to a moderate extent (18.6%–34.4%), indicating some engagement in negotiation, while the collaborating strategy ranged from 18.1% to 33.4%, reflecting fluctuating openness to diverse viewpoints. The accommodating strategy appeared only once (2.3%), highlighting a reluctance to embrace alternative perspectives, while the avoiding strategy was entirely absent, suggesting a deliberate effort to confront the complexities of the conflict. Overall, the findings reveal a pattern of using collaboration within a competitive framework as a nuanced approach to conflict resolution in sensitive translation contexts. This strategy demonstrates a strong commitment to constructive dialogue, enriches the discourse on the conflict, and enhances readers’ understanding of its multifaceted nature.

Writing is a crucial means of communication. Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners face a difficult problem in becoming proficient writers. Employing various methodologies and incorporating diverse exercises yield distinct effects on writing proficiency. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of cloze-elide and grammaticality judgment tasks on the paragraph writing proficiency of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. In order to achieve this objective, a total of 90 intermediate EFL learners who were enrolled in a private language institute in Guilan province were chosen using the availability sampling method. These learners were then divided into three groups. Initially, OPT served as the placement test. Subsequently, a preliminary assessment of writing skills was conducted among all research groups. Subsequently, experimental group 1 underwent 10 sessions of English paragraph writing using cloze-elide tasks, experimental group 2 underwent 10 sessions of English paragraph writing using grammaticality judgment tasks, and the control group received a placebo in the form of English paragraph writing using the existing method. Finally, a posttest of writing was given to the three groups in the study. The findings of a repeated-measures two-way ANOVA indicate that introducing a new task, either cloze-elide or grammaticality judgment, can enhance the performance of EFL learners in paragraph writing abilities.

Ce présent article a pour but de mettre en évidence l’importance de la poésie francophile de  Mohammad- Ali Eslâmi-e Nodouchane (1924-2022) à travers ses poèmes Le « Péché » et la « Source » étant le pivot de la nouveauté poétique en Iran. De plus, la traduction des Fleurs du Mal et du Spleen de Paris de Charles Baudelaire fut le motif du parcours littéraire de Nodouchane en France, car il considérait Baudelaire comme le maître de sa création artistique. En outre, la « mélancolie » et la « désillusion » sont deux termes essentiels pour trouver les origines de la poésie francophile où le poète persan s’enthousiasme pour le pessimisme et l’imagination de Baudelaire afin d’être un poète visionnaire vis-à-vis de la destinée humaine. En fait, la francophilie dans sa dimension poétique sera examinée par les différents critères dont la solitude et l’angoisse constituent la trame de l’apport littéraire de Nodouchane en Iran.