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Previous studies have focused mostly on the syntactic features of the linking particle (Ezafe) in simple noun phrases with little attention paid to its semantic representations and functions specifically within the context of deverbal noun phrases. The present study aims to analyze semantic functions of the linking particle as it appears between a deverbal noun and its various modifiers, and compare them with their corresponding elements in sentences in a Distributed Morphology framework (DM) in Hawrami. This study shows this ancient linker's trace in most Kurdish dialects exhibits agentive semantic functions in addition to expressing possession and modification. Furthermore, the subject of unaccusative verbs at the sentential level is realized as the patient/possessor or as the theme/possessor of their corresponding deverbal noun phrases. However, the subject of unergative verbs assumes the agentive/possessor role in their corresponding noun phrases. Moreover, the object of transitive and ditransitive verbs is represented as a patient or theme, and also as a possessed entity before the subject is realized as the possessor in the corresponding deverbal noun phrases. Results indicate that the representation of both sentences and their corresponding deverbal noun phrases within DM framework provides stronger support for a syntactic movement account of deverbal noun phrases, their semantic functions, and properties in Hawrami.

Research article (RA) titles are one of the most important elements of a manuscript, influencing the reviewers’ decision and editors’ judgment, attracting the readers, and conveying the main idea of the article. Investigating 3197 RA titles published in 16 approved Iranian linguistic journals, this study aimed to map their pattern and portray their features of form and content. To this end, all the RA titles of the 16 Iranian journals publishing articles in applied linguistics up to 2022 (3197 titles) were collected. Then, they were analyzed for their length, presence of non-alphanumeric characters, syntactic structure, lexical diversity, as well as type and trend of information encoded.  Results show that RA titles in Iranian linguistic journals tend to be pretty long (average of 13.88) but mostly consist of non-repetitive words with high lexical diversity (.94). Authors mainly used colons (average of 82), hyphens (average of 79), and commas (average of 37) to form titles by nominal (average of 94) and compound (average of 82) grammatical structures. These titles mostly tended to embed information about the method, data, and results of the works and appeared to be highly informative. Interrelationships between features resulted in a checklist for RA title features that can be used by prospective researchers, academic writing instructors, and reviewers.

Local item dependence (LID) refers to the situation where responses to items in a test or questionnaire are influenced by responses to other items in the test. This could be due to shared prompts, item content similarity, and deficiencies in item construction. LID due to a shared prompt is highly probable in cloze tests where items are nested within a passage. The purpose of this research is to examine the occurrence and magnitude of LID in a cloze test. A cloze test was analyzed with the Rasch model and locally dependent items were identified with the residual correlations. Findings showed that three pairs of items were locally dependent. When these items were removed from the analysis, test reliability dropped but item fit and unidimensionality improved. Removing the three locally dependent items did not affect person ability mean and standard deviation, though. The findings are discussed in terms of LID detection and modeling in the context of cloze test and language testing.

The significance of assessment as a learning component has led to the development of a sound assessment system that supports the teaching and learning objectives. Achievement of learning assessment should prioritize assessment as learning (AaL) and assessment for learning (AfL) rather than the assessment of learning (AoL). The appropriate AaL and AfL have influenced the process of AoL. Almost all teachers in Indonesia have faced the challenge of implementing Aal and AfL. This study used a qualitative study to report English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' perceptions and challenges regarding technology-based AfL and AaL. The design of the study was content analysis using the coding procedure and the grounded theory framework as the analytical foundation. Data gathered involved conducting structured interviews with 60 EFL teachers from three central provinces within Indonesia. The findings revealed that EFL teachers in Indonesia had different perspectives about technology-based AfL and AaL as flourishing assessment approaches. Most of the EFL teachers' perceptions said that due to a lack of time, large classes, and lack of knowledge and training on technology-based AfL and AaL principles and practices in EFL contexts, implementation of technology-based AfL and AaL was viewed as challenging. The study has implications for EFL teachers and trainers in developing an instructional model of technology-based AfL and AaL.

Textbook evaluation is of paramount importance in ensuring that textbooks are of high quality and aligned with educational goals. This study evaluated two common English language textbooks in Iran (i.e., American English File [private schools] and Vision series [state schools]) based on the brainling (brain+ language) model, heeding EFL learners’ cognition, senses, emotions, and culture. To this end, a brainling-based scale was validated based on “cogling”, “emoling”, “sensoling”, and “cultuling” components of the brainling model and distributed among Iranian teachers (N=218) and EFL learners (N=236). It was found that there were significant differences in the brainling components present in English textbooks used in state and private schools. Moreover, the independent samples t-tests revealed that there were significant differences in mean scores for brainling components between the two types of textbooks for students. However, it is worth noting that such differences were not observed among teachers’ ratings of these components.  The results could assist content developers in incorporating brainling as a worthwhile scale for evaluating English language textbooks.

This study provides a comparative analysis of the rhetorical, pragmatic, and semantic strategies used by English-speaking and Arabic-speaking politicians to manipulate their audiences. By examining political speeches from both linguistic contexts, the research reveals distinct cultural patterns in manipulation. English-speaking politicians often employ direct, fact-based appeals (logos), while Arabic-speaking politicians rely more on emotional and collective identity appeals (pathos). These strategies reflect the cultural and linguistic norms of each group. Additionally, the study highlights the evolving impact of digital media on political communication, showing how manipulative strategies have adapted to new technological platforms. The findings have important implications for political communication strategists, media professionals, and educators. They underscore the need for culturally nuanced communication strategies in cross-cultural political discourse, offer insights for enhancing public media literacy to combat manipulation, and provide a framework for further research into the role of digital platforms in shaping political rhetoric. Additionally, the study highlights the evolving impact of digital media on political communication, showing how manipulative strategies have adapted to new technological platforms. The findings have important implications for political communication strategists, media professionals, and educators. They underscore the need for culturally nuanced communication strategies in cross-cultural political discourse, offer insights for enhancing public media literacy to combat manipulation, and provide a framework for further research into the role of digital platforms in shaping political rhetoric.

The studies on L2 argumentative writing have surveyed different dimensions of learners’ argumentative behavior and performance. However, less attention has been given to the strategies and techniques enhancing students’ argumentative repertoire. As such, the current study, taking a pedagogy-based perspective, examined the argumentative writing behavior of 30 Iranian IELTS candidates before and after the instruction in both English and Persian languages. The sample questions were of the previous IELTS Writing part 2 essays from a real test by Cambridge University Press, chosen by 3 IELTS instructors in the Institute to meet the research objectives. To this end, 180 IELTS Task 2 argumentative essays were analyzed by 30 volunteers, each having 6 essays, at least 250 words, (Persian and English). As for the students’ English and Persian argumentative writing performance, the results indicated that there were significant differences between the EFL learners’ overall means on English argumentative tests. Furthermore, the candidates chiefly applied ‘data’ and ‘claim’ most frequently in both languages with secondary elements of argument (i.e., counterargument claim, counterargument data, rebuttal claim, and rebuttal data) as the least produced elements detected in the essays. The results demonstrate that a sound pedagogy in argumentation can both influence the use of argumentation elements in both English and Persian written texts. The pedagogical implications for writing instruction and argumentative writing are discussed.

This comparative study examines the works of two prominent novelists, Ernest Hemingway and Ahmad Mahmoud, through the lens of Existentialism. Both authors are renowned for their unique styles and themes that probe the human condition and the quest for meaning in life. This research compares their works, including Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms and The Sun Also Rises and Mahmoud’s The Neighbors and The Scorched Earth to differentiate the similarities and differences in their approaches to Existentialism. Based on an existential perspective, the study aims to examine how characters in the novels of Hemingway and Mahmoud grapple with existential crises, confront the absurdity of life, navigate concepts of freedom and authenticity, and cope with existential anxiety. Results show that while Hemingway's characters often exhibit a stoic acceptance of the absurdity of life and adopt a sense of freedom in their choices, Mahmoud's characters tend to struggle more intensely with existential anxiety and undergo profound existential crises as they confront the complexities of their existence. Moreover, Hemingway's characters typically fail to stick to their true selves and what they believe in, while Mahmoud's characters might struggle more with being true to themselves and finding their own identity

This mixed-methods study was an attempt to ascertain if experienced EFL teachers’ classroom management is related to their burnout and organizational commitment. It was also intended to unveil their perceptions and attitudes regarding the sources of their burnout and organizational commitment. For this purpose, 50 male and female experienced teachers were chosen from three English institutes in Tehran and were asked to fill up the three questionnaires: Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Organizational Commitment Scale, and Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control (ABCC) Inventory. They were further interviewed and observed in their actual classes. According to the obtained findings and results, the perceived classroom management of teachers did not significantly correlate with their actual management practice. Furthermore, there was a negative but statistically non-significant correlation between EFL teachers’ organizational commitment and classroom management. The correlation between teachers’ burnout and classroom management turned out to be positive but statistically non-significant as well. Considering the point that the correlations between the variables were non-significant, the predictability analyses were not conducted as the results would logically be non-significant too. Conducting the interviews, the majority of the teachers strongly believed that low commitment and burnout have nothing to do with their performance in classroom since there is something beyond the obligation to the organization, which is responsibility to learners, and no other external factors could interfere.

The integration of technology in second language education has made online collaborative writing (OCW) a valuable method for enhancing writing skills. Despite this, its effects on writing skills and technological self-perception in Ethiopia have not been thoroughly explored. This study aims to fill this gap by assessing the impact of OCW, through the use of Wiki and Telegram applications, on writing skills and technological self-perception within Ethiopia's English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting. Forty-five intermediate IELTS candidates from a language school in Utopia were randomly divided into three groups: the Wiki group (n = 15), the Telegram group (n = 15), and a control group (n = 15). They participated in pre-tests, interventions, post-tests, and completed a technology self-perception survey both before and after the intervention. The one-way ANOVA results showed that the Wiki and Telegram groups outperformed the control group in post-test writing skills. However, no significant difference was found between the Wiki and Telegram groups' post-test writing skills. Moreover, both groups reported a more positive view of technology following the intervention. These outcomes hold significant implications for EFL stakeholders in Ethiopia and pave the way for further research.

English proficiency as the content knowledge for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers determines their instructional quality. However, previous studies have not focused on the significance of this knowledge in support of Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) on technology adoption in teaching. Therefore, this study aims at finding out the correlation between TPACK and technology applications, and how technology applications link to teachers’ English proficiency levels. The study adopted a quantitative method, and the data were collected using two questionnaires in Likert scale, one for TPACK and another for technology application. Teachers’ English proficiency levels are determined using the content knowledge dimension of TPACK. The questionnaires were completed online by 74 English pre-service teacher graduates who had participated in a national teacher certification program involving real teaching practice. The data were analyzed using the Spearman correlation coefficient to determine the correlation between TPACK dimensions and technology adoption and ordinal logistic regression analysis to find out the effect of teachers’ English proficiency levels on technology applications. The results show that most TPACK dimensions correlate to technology applications with the level of correlations between 0.26 (weak) and 0.47 (moderate). English proficiency has been found to affect technology applications only among teachers who regularly used technology in teaching. Teachers with high English proficiency used technology in teaching 3.06 times more frequently than those whose English proficiency was low. Therefore, it is recommended that English proficiency development be inscluded in teacher professional development to ensure that teachers use technology in teaching 

This research synthesized the methodological issues of studies published in English for Specific Purposes from its debut in 1980 up to 2020, from both an overall perspective and also periodically in four decades. To this aim, we examined 617 empirical articles with regard to two themes: (a) research methodology, and (b) data sources. More specifically, we probed into the methodological designs, how they were integrated and the points of departure in qualitative research. Our results brought to the fore that the majority of ESP articles were framed as combined methods studies, most frequently concurrent designs, dominated by qualitative data and data collection. As well, about half of qualitative studies did not specify their approach and the majority of quantitative works utilized descriptive statistics and combinations of different tests. Pertaining to data sources, text samples as well as an amalgamation of different data collection techniques were the most prominent ones. Based on these results and discussion, we provided empirically–grounded recommendations and suggestions for promoting methodological transparency and rigor for the prospective studies for the field of ESP and applied linguistics in general.