غلامرضا عباسیان

تحقیق حاضر به منظور بررسی تاثیر آموزش مستقیم بعضی از تکنیک های تحلیل گفتمان انتقادی بر خواندن و درک مطلب زبان آموزان ایرانی صورت گرفته است. در این راستا تلاش شده است تا هر گونه تغییر مثبت در توانایی زبان آموزان در درک معنای ضمنی متن خوانشی سنجیده شود. ضمنا، هرگونه تغییردرنقطه نظرات زبان آموزان در خصوص شیوه یادگیری زبان انگلیسی پس از آموزش مهارت خوانش انتقادی از طریق تکنیک های تحلیل گفتمان انتقادی نیز مورد بررسی قرار گرفته است. بدین منظور دو مقاله خبری از منابع آنلاین در نظر گرفته شد. جامعه آماری شامل 60 دانشجوی دوره کارشناسی رشته حقوق بودند که بطور تصادفی به دو گروه 30 نفره تقسیم شدند. از گروه آزمایشی خواسته شده بود درک خود را از هر متن در قالب یک مقاله بنویسند. آنها همچنین باید به پرسشنامه ای معطوف به بررسی تغییر نگرش یا انگیزه آنها نسبت به یادگیری زبان انگلیسی پاسخ می دادند. نتایج حاکی از آن بود که گروه آزمایشی پس از آموزش خواندن از طریق تکنیک های تحلیل گفتمان انتقادی بهتر از گروه کنترل شده عمل کردند. انگیزه آنها نیز نسبت به یادگیری زبان انگلیسی پس از آشنایی با حوزه تحلیل گفتمان انتقادی افزایش یافت.

The present study investigated comparatively the impact of two types of input enhancement (i.e. textual vs. compound enhancement) on developing grammar ability in Iranian EFL setting. Sixty-five female secondary high school students were selected as a homogenous sample out of about a 100-member population based on Nelson language proficiency test. Then, their grammar ability was measured based on a researcher-made diagnostic test prior to the experiment. The sample was randomly divided into two equal groups; one group received text-enhancement-based instruction of grammar, while the other received compound-based enhancement. Finally, they received an achievement test of grammar as a posttest to measure their progress in light of two different types of input enhancement mechanisms. The pertinent statistical analyses of the results indicated that a) the effect of textual enhancement-based instruction of grammar is not significantly meaningful, while b) the compound enhancement-based instruction has significant effect on learning grammatical structures. Comparatively speaking, therefore, c) compound enhancement-based instruction of grammar is more significantly effective than that of textual in developing grammar ability. It can be safely concluded that grammar instruction and its resultant development are subject to intervention type, which, pedagogically, bears promising messages for both teachers and syllabus designers to incorporate parameters of input enhancement in both teaching and materials development, respectively.

Performance deficiencies and inconsistencies among SLA or FL learners can be attributed to variety of sources including both systemic (i.e., language issues) and individual variables. Contrary to a rich background, the literature still suffers from a gap as far as delving into the issue from language proficiency and learning style is concerned. To fill the gap, this study addressed EFL learners’ interlanguage performance (i.e., error types) in the light of their learning styles and language proficiency levels. Participants were 73 Iranian graduate EFL learners, who received the Michigan proficiency tests along with the Perceptual Learning-Style Preference Questionnaire (of Reid) in order to measure their language proficiency level and learning style types. For the purpose of the study they were divided into pre-intermediate, intermediate and upper-intermediate levels. To explore their performance inconsistencies, both oral data from an semi-structured (SST) interview and written data based on an on-the-spot piece of writing were used and then classified based on Corder’s (1971) scheme into pre-systematic, systematic and post-systematic errors. The results revealed significant relationships among the target variables, if not predictor-predicted relationships. The non-linear relationship among the variable underscores significance of an integrative approach to EFL learner’s performance inconsistencies and the importance of stylistic instruction in EFL contexts.

As an integrative component of textual structure, formulaic expressions (FEs) play a key role in communicating the message and comprehending the text. Furthermore, interlingually contrastive features of FEs add to their both significance and complexity of their instruction. Given these facts, this study was an attempt to explore a sound mechanism on how to teach FEs; whether an explicit or CA-based approach to FEs instruction could entail various achievements among EFL learners’ reading ability. To this end, three groups of Iranian EFL learners, identified as homogeneous based on Nelson Proficiency Test, were classified into one control and two experimental (i.e. explicit and CA-based instruction) ones. They were exposed to conventional, explicit and CA-based instructions of a set of selected FEs developed into and presented in the form of an instructional handout. Their Knowledge of reading was also tested based on a researcher-made diagnostic test prior to the experiment. Both quantitative and qualitative paradigms were employed to measure both the achievements and the extent of contrast between Persian and English languages in terms of FEs. The former analysis revealed significance difference among the groups in terms of instruction type effectiveness; both explicit and CA-based instruction groups outperformed the control group; on the contrary, no statistically significant difference was revealed between the experimental groups. Additionally, the latter paradigm revealed differences and mismatches between Persian and English FEs in terms of semantic, syntactic and pragmatic parameters. The findings could be insightful for EFL instructors, learners, textbook writers, and syllabus designers to take into account issues like these in their pedagogical programs.

Methodologically, vocabulary instruction has faced significant ups and downs during the history of language education; sometimes integrated with the other elements of language network, other times tackled as a separate component. Among many variables supposedly affecting vocabulary achievement, the role of teaching word history, as a schemata-building strategy, in developing reading comprehension has received the least, if not any, attention. This study was an attempt, in fact, to explore the possibility of an integration of word history and reading comprehension ability of a group (No=100) of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. To conduct the study, 60/100 participants, identified as homogeneous members based on the Comprehensive English Language Test (CELT), were randomly divided them into two groups; an experimental and a control group. They were exposed to a teacher-made pretest and a post-test to check the participants' knowledge of word history and reading comprehension ability prior and posterior to the experiment. Pertinent statistical analyses proved that teaching word history plays both statistically and affectively, through enhancing motivation and attitude, meaningful schemata-building role in developing reading ability. Pedagogically, resort to word history may then be suggested as an effective and affective mechanism as far as teaching language skills, in particular reading, is concerned.

This study، first، attempted to explore the conflict or tension between EFL teacher intuition or concepts and the conception with a composite view assembled from learner's accounts of the distinctive features of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)، and second to investigate the latter's ""hidden agenda"" (Nunan، 1998) of what ELT should be. On the other hand، role of educational context as an independent variable in determining such conflicting conceptions was also investigated. The study was carried out in the Iranian educational context conventionally categorized into three settings including; authoritarian، semi-democratic and democratic، given their varying existing educational policies and planning. Both the learner and teacher-participants (N=150، 45، respectively) answered three triangulating and already validated questionnaires (Brindly، 1984 and BALLI of Horwitz، 1987) attempting both the nature of language learning activities and their beliefs on CLT. Findings revealed that the learners hold variety of self-efficacy beliefs different from those of their teachers about learning language، many of which supported to be attributed to the educational context type and language planning and the pertinent administration policies. While both sides agreed in general on the virtues of CLT to language teaching، there were interesting differences in their perceptions mainly as to lesson purposes، classroom activities، and learning outcomes. The implications of the study would revolve around the (I) dependency of reflective teaching and learning on teacher's awareness of learner's needs، capabilities، potentials and preferences or in Richard's (1996) term of learner's"" maxims""، (II) necessity of teacher-learner cooperation in syllabus design، (III) significance of narrowing the gap between their maxims of instruction and learning، and (IV) awareness of the possible imposition of negative impacts like tension، anxiety and dissatisfaction on the learner's side resulting from any cognitive and intuitive mismatch on the teacher's side.