درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The timing of corrective feedback (CF) provision has been a controversial issue in SLA research. Despite widespread research, there is still disagreement on whether the erroneous structures should be addressed immediately or at a delayed time after task completion. This study investigates the comparative effects of immediate and delayed feedback on developing subject-verb (s-v) agreement by Iranian EFL learners. To this end, 28 university students were divided into immediate (n=14) and delayed (n=14) CF groups after the administration of the Oxford Placement Test. The study involved a pre-test, three treatment sessions and a post-test. The two feedback groups received treatments followed by either immediate feedback provided after task completion or delayed feedback delivered after 3 days of task completion. The tests and treatments contained various activities including multiple-choice, cloze, fill-in-the-blanks and picture description task. The results of the analysis of test scores on the pre- and post-tests were indicative of the outperformance of the immediate CF group, implying that the immediate feedback may be more beneficial for developing s-v agreement accuracy than delayed feedback. The findings of this investigation can bear efficient implications for language teachers and researchers.

Idioms and collocations are part of lexical phrases which are of high importance in lexicography. One of the criteria for distinguishing these two types of phrases from each other is the inflexibility of their constituent elements. Idioms, unlike collocations, are not flexible in terms of word order and are always used in a fixed and specific form. The purpose of the present article was to show firstly whether all Persian idioms are inflexible against syntactic changes or some are flexible; secondly, to indicate how a new lexical phrase is created as a result of converting an idiom into a collocation. To illustrate this phenomenon, a new and practical definition for idioms and collocations, based on syntactic criteria not merely semantic, was provided. According to Construction Grammar, idioms were analyzed based on four syntactic tests: ‘passivization’, ‘clefting’, ‘dislocation’, and ‘interrogation’. Two hundred idioms were collected from two of the most up-to-date and comprehensive sources, namely Farsi Amiyaneh Dictionary (Abolhassan Najafi, 2008) and the two-volume Dictionary of Kenayat-e Sokhan (Hassan Anvari, 2019). Some idioms were flexible to syntactic changes, and behaved similarly to collocations. The flexibility of idioms led to introducing a new definition of these phrases based on syntactic criteria. Thus, such phrases were considered a kind of collocation, not an idiom. The result showed that converting an idiom into a collocation always creates a lexical phrase or lexeme with a new meaning. Finally, a plan was introduced to represent such idioms practically in Persian dictionaries.

This study aimed at investigating the psychometric features of the already-developed Language Teaching Aptitude Scale for Iranian EFL teachers. A correlational survey design was used benefiting from Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The study participants consisted of 300 (126 males and 174 females) Iranian EFL teachers who were conveniently selected from different Azad and State universities and various institutes and high schools of Iran. The instrument used for data collection was the already-developed Language Teaching Aptitude Scale for Iranian EFL teachers. This scale consisted of 90 Likert-type items that measured ten subscales (i.e., Good inter-personal behavior, Making students motivated, Time management ability, Recognition of students’ needs, Positive thinking skills, Critical thinking ability, Verbal intelligence, Mastery over different teaching methods, Evaluation skills, and English language proficiency). SPSS and AMOS 26 were employed to analyze the data, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach’s Alpha test. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, along with alpha coefficients, provided evidence in support of the validity and reliability of the developed scale. Therefore, it can be concluded that the already-developed Language Teaching Aptitude Scale for Iranian EFL teachers can be used in recruiting individuals for the teaching profession so that teachers’ professional development and students’ English achievement are guaranteed.

The current study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) as a statistical technique to test a hypothesized mediating model to uncover the underlying relationship between the L2 motivational self-system, L2 anxiety, and L2 willingness to communicate (L2 WTC). This study is significant because it considers the unique experiences of English as a foreign language (EFL) learner in the era of globalization by incorporating the L2 motivational self-system. The mediating effect of L2 anxiety was also accounted for, providing a deeper understanding of how emotional factors influence L2 WTC. The data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 260 students at six public universities in China. The results showed that (a) two subcomponents of the L2 motivational self-system (ideal L2 self and L2 learning experience) were positive predictors to L2 WTC; (b) the higher the degree to which learners were motivated by their ought-to L2 self, the higher the anxiety of English learning; and (c) L2 anxiety had a suppressing effect between the L2 motivational self-system and L2 WTC. Specifically, L2 anxiety weakens the direct positive effect of the L2 motivational self-system on L2 WTC, leading to a decrease in L2 WTC. Pedagogical implications and future research directions were also addressed.

Inspired by Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) framework, this study delved into the impact of lexical cohesion training on the writing prowess of English language learners. Drawing upon an experimental design, this study investigated the effect of lexical cohesion instruction on IELTS Academic Writing Task Two performance. Over an eight-week course, a total of 60 IELTS candidates were screened based on their performance in the Quick Oxford Placement Test and these individuals were assigned to either the experimental or control group. Each participant was required to complete two writing assignments during the study. A sequence of six writing tasks was developed and put into practice. The participants’ compositions were evaluated on two instances: pre-test and post-test. A meticulous tapestry of independent-samples t-tests was woven to unveil the distinctions in performance between the cohorts. A quantitative evaluation of the learners’ written work demonstrated that instruction in lexical cohesion had a statistically significant effect on their writing scores. Possible explanations for this exceptional performance are explored, and recommendations are offered for second language (L2) writing instructors and researchers.

Utilizing graphic advance organizers before reading is to construct a mental model of the meaning of the text based on readers' formal prior knowledge of familiar rhetorical schemata, which enhances reading performance. The effectiveness of an animated matrix in improving reading comprehension was investigated in a computer-mediated reading environment. Eye-tracking was employed to examine the reading process of participants performing a German reading task. Two groups of participants (N = 21) were compared in terms of their reading performance quality, the number of main idea units recalled, and the verbatim recall memory. The use of a graphic advance organizer significantly improved reading comprehension quality (p < .05). Based on the eye-tracking results, the two groups of participants showed no significant difference, indicating equivalent exposure to the passage. There is evidence that the user-controlled sequential display of elements grants categorical reading of the matrix and provides minimal guidance to deepen the understanding of the passage, as metacognitive skills are not actively used in linking new material read to parts of the organizer.

The Regulatory Focus Theory, a classic self-regulatory approach, posits that human behavior is significantly influenced by salient standards and reference points that are either situation-dependent or chronically accessible in a person's mind. This study examined the impact of regulatory focus orientations, namely prevention and promotion, on the willingness of Iranian EFL learners to communicate in an English class. We selected 48 upper-intermediate-level students via the Oxford Placement test. These students were divided into three groups: promotion-focused, prevention-focused, and control. The promotion-focused group was encouraged through positive reinforcement of their success and accomplishments when using correct linguistic features during class. Conversely, the prevention-focused group was immediately corrected when a linguistic error occurred to avoid further mistakes, and no praise was given for correct language use. The control group received no intervention. Results derived from a one-way ANOVA demonstrated a significant relationship between the regulatory focus orientation and students' willingness to communicate. EFL learners exposed to promotion techniques demonstrated a higher willingness to communicate. The paper concludes with a discussion on the theoretical implications and pedagogical applications of the study.

The present study aimed to investigate diachronic changes in the frequency and function of marked syntactic structures, namely passive constructions, preposing, and cleft sentences that manifest information structural elements in Persian. The study examined these structures across three periods of Persian, i.e., Middle Persian, Dari, and Modern Persian. The data for Middle Persian is sourced from The Mēnōg-ī Khrad and Oshnar-I Dana, while for Dari, Tārīkh-i Bayhaqī and Safarnāma by Nasir Khusraw are used. For Modern Persian, written resources from various genres, such as short stories and scientific articles, are analyzed. The samples from each period are analyzed to determine the function and frequency of marked syntactic structures, which are then compared to identify any potential changes in their usage over time. The findings indicated that the frequency and function of these syntactic structures have changed over time. The findings suggested that passive constructions were commonly used across all three periods to present the patient as the pragmatic topic and maintain the topic-focus order. However, in modern Persian, passive construction was also used to emphasize the patient as the focus. Cleft constructions were not found in Middle Persian, but the increase in frequency of cleft constructions in Dari can be attributed to the fact that in this period, cleft sentences were used similarly to preposing, in order to observe the principle of separation of role and reference, rather than focusing on specific elements. Nonetheless, in modern Persian, cleft constructions were used to exclude other possibilities and emphasize the selected element as the focus. Preposing structures were used to present an element as the topic and provide new information about it. This study contributes to our understanding of language change and provides insights into the evolution of Persian syntax over time.