علی بیکیان

Today technology is an integral part of professional translation; and it is generally assumed that translators’ attitudes toward translation technology tools influence their interaction with technology (Bundgaard, 2017). Therefore, the present two-phase study seeks to shed some light on what translation technology tools are and how professional translators feel toward them. The research method used is exploratory in nature, as it tends to discuss issues on which little research has been done and relies on secondary research for its data. The data required for answering the first question have been mined utilizing document analysis from language service providers’ (LSPs) websites, while the data for working out the answer to the second question have been obtained from ProZ.com Quick Polls. Based on our findings, translation technology tools fall into eight broad categories, of which the most commonly used are translation memory (TM) or computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools. In addition, it was found that most translators either do not have a love-hate relationship with technology or love it. This research is envisaged to form the basis of more detailed and conclusive studies.

There is growing agreement among researchers on the advantages of using automated feedback programs (AFPs), but most of the previous studies have evaluated more well-known AFPs like Grammarly, Ginger, etc. in English writing classes. None of the previous studies on AFPs evaluated the effectiveness of and users' perception of InstaText. Thus, this study was aimed at examining the effects of InstaText on improving the language quality (i.e., grammar, spelling, and style) of Persian-English freelance translators using InstaText for editing their English translations of Persian academic papers, which are considered technical translations. In addition, it was conducted to investigate how the said users perceived this InstaText. This quantitative study was conducted in two phases: a one-group pretest-posttest phase, where the effect of using InstaText on improving the language quality of translated technical texts was examined with 75 participants; and a survey phase, where the participants' perception toward InstaText was measured using Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of Use (USE) questionnaire. InstaText did not help the participants make significant progress in grammar and spelling, but its effect on improving their style was significant. Further, the participants perceived the tool as intuitive, user-friendly, efficient, time-saving, and satisfactory.

Limiting the scope of Maritime English (ME) courses to nautical subject matters, due to the conventional views who define ME as the global language used at sea, may not be based on a real needs analysis of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses in ports and maritime related organizations. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study aimed to challenge this traditional perception through conducting an ESP needs analysis in Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) of Iran. All the 17 departments’ managers and/or their delegates were interviewed, then a researcher-made questionnaire which was developed according to the interviews was distributed among the experts (70 respondents). The deductive content analysis was used for analyzing the qualitative part, and the quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. It was revealed that the overall needs of PMO in terms of ESP does not concord with conventional nautical-based Maritime English courses, and it in fact encompasses a much wider variety of content areas such as “port economic, marketing and investment, legal, tariffs, agreements and contracts, education, research, strategic port administration, logistics” etc.

Teacher professional development plays a critical role in enhancing educational outcomes, with Teacher Training Courses (TTCs) serving as a primary avenue for improving teaching quality. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an English TTC conducted at the Iran Language Institute (ILI) by employing a concurrent mixed-methods approach. Data were gathered from TTC candidates, attendees, and ILI teachers to assess their expectations, immediate evaluation, and delayed evaluation of the TTC. Seven interviews with TTC candidates were conducted to capture expectations, while 69 questionnaires from attendees and 85 from ILI teachers provided immediate and delayed evaluations respectively. Both interviews and questionnaires were structured around the five standards of the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP), and the data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that candidates expected the TTC to focus on modern teaching techniques, syllabus design, classroom management, and supporting diverse learners. Besides, satisfaction levels were higher among female teachers and TTC attendees compared to male teachers and ILI teachers respectively. All in all, areas such as supporting diverse learners and professional development emerged with the lowest levels of satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring TTCs to address specific needs, particularly in areas where satisfaction levels are suboptimal, to ensure the continued improvement of teaching quality and student outcomes.

Lexical bundles crucially shape the discourse of specialized registers  such as religious scriptures, yet research on bundles that characterize Islamic sacred texts such as the Qur'an remains scarce. This study conducts a comprehensive corpus analysis to identify prevalent lexical bundles in an English translation of the Qur'an, illuminating their structural forms and functional roles in encoding Islamic theology. A specialized corpus of 166,807 words spanning 114 suras was constructed, with frequent bundles extracted using software and filtering based on predetermined frequency/distribution thresholds. Identified bundles were qualitatively coded for structural realizations and functional types by multiple researchers. Findings revealed a marked predominance of nominal and prepositional phrase bundles systematically lexicalizing and reinforcing core religious concepts and metaphysical tenets. The quantitative prevalence of research-oriented bundles contextualizing theological subject matter over participant-oriented ones projecting stances and experiences, suggests that the Qur’an upholds an epistemological tradition regarding itself as an inviolable corpus encoding divinely revealed spiritual verities. These findings yield profound pedagogical implications since instructional approaches elucidating prevalent bundles as linguistic "building blocks" can foster holistic mastery of authentic Qur’anic expressions among diverse learners while preserving spiritual sanctity. Furthermore, bundle-focused activities cultivate integrated literacies surrounding comprehension, rhetorical articulation, and critical analysis of the linguistic and cultural dimensions of religious texts.

English language education in Baluchistan, Iran, faces unique challenges due to the region's socio-economic conditions and limited access to resources. This study investigates the specific teaching and learning difficulties within secondary schools in this region. A mixed-methods approach was employed, gathering quantitative data from 80 teachers through a questionnaire and qualitative insights from 57 students via semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that teachers encounter obstacles such as unclear course objectives, inadequate instructional methods, time constraints, and insufficient administrative support. Students, on the other hand, struggle with curriculum disengagement, a lack of authentic language practice opportunities, low motivation, and emotional barriers like anxiety and fear of judgment. Additionally, the limited integration of technological resources hampers effective language learning. These insights challenge the assumption that resource availability alone can improve language teaching, underscoring the importance of proper resource utilization and teacher training. The study advocates for a localized approach to curriculum design that aligns global language learning goals with Baluchistan’s socio-cultural context. Practical recommendations include modernizing teacher training, addressing emotional barriers, and creating a more supportive environment for teachers and students alike.

The flipped classroom model has gained traction in language education; however, its application within English for Specific Purposes (ESP) remains underexplored. The present study investigates the impact of flipped classroom instruction on ESP students’ reading comprehension with a focus on their attitudes toward the model. Adopting a quasi-experimental methodology, the study utilized pretest and posttest assessments alongside a 15-item Likert-scale questionnaire to gather data. The research sample comprised 21 second-semester ESP students from Guilan University majoring in Cellular and Molecular Biology, who engaged in a 10-week intervention. Pre-class preparation included instructional videos and reading materials, while classroom activities centered on group discussions and practical problem-solving tasks. Findings demonstrated a substantial enhancement in posttest scores, validating the approach as effective for improving reading comprehension. The survey results revealed highly positive student attitudes, particularly in terms of engagement, autonomy, and collaborative learning. These findings highlight the potential of the flipped classroom model to address the unique academic requirements of ESP students by blending discipline-specific resources with interactive learning strategies.

In order to cater for the ever-increasing demand for learning English, private language institutes have mushroomed across Iran. These institutes adopt different policies such as designing their own Teacher Training Course (TTC), following the syllabus of Certificate for Teaching English to Adults (CELTA), or localizing it for the Iranian context to train competent English teachers. Surprisingly, there exists little research evaluating these TTC's or investigating if localizing CELTA is an effective strategy for the Iranian context. This study aimed to fill this gap by delineating the steps taken by a widely-known Iranian language institute in localizing CELTA for the Iranian context, and secondly to determine if the teachers were satisfied with this localized TTC. Data collected through the websites and interviews were subjected to conceptual content analysis; while the data mined through evaluation questionnaires were analysed through quantitative descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that the Iranianized TTC suffered from discrepancies such as unreliable selection of the participants, lack of opportunities for teaching practices, not observing experienced teachers' classes, and focusing on received rather than experiential knowledge. These findings are discussed, and a number of practical suggestions are offered to improve the Iranian TTC.

Machine translation (MT) of literary texts presents unique challenges due to their stylistic complexity and cultural nuances. This study evaluated the performance of Google Translate (GT) and Microsoft Bing Translator (MBT) in translating Camus’s The Stranger from English to Persian. Data collection for this study involved automated evaluation using the Bilingual Evaluation Understudy (BLEU) metric and human evaluation conducted by three experts using the Localization Industry Standards Association (LISA) rubric. The results showed that GT significantly outperformed MBT across nearly all dimensions. GT achieved a BLEU score of 21.57 compared to MBT’s 6.36, with superior n-gram precision at all levels. The human evaluation phase also revealed GT’s fewer critical and major errors in almost all categories compared to MBT. However, both systems struggled to preserve the aesthetic and philosophical richness of The Stranger . These findings highlight the persistent limitations of MT in literary translation, particularly for linguistically distant pairs like English and Persian. While MT shows potential as a supplementary tool, it remains unsuitable as a replacement for human translators in capturing the depth and artistry of literary works.