درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The study investigates the popularity, language use, and food menu naming of Thai cuisine on international social media by analyzing 210 Thai food dishes from Allrecipes, a leading cooking and recipe website. Data were categorized to identify popular dishes and the top six food groups were found: curry, Pad Thai, soup, sauce, rice, and noodles. Curry dishes, particularly green and red curry, are the most popular followed by Pad Thai and soups like Tom Kha Gai and Tom Yum. Thai food names are predominantly translated into English with additional descriptors. English transliterations are used for iconic and national dishes like Pad Thai and Tom Yum, reflecting a global preference for accessible names. A free program called HK Coder was employed to analyze the data, determine word frequency, and identify keywords. The linguistic analysis revealed frequent terms such as "Thai", "chicken", and "curry" highlighting the significance of national identity and key ingredients of Thai cuisine. Remarkably, a less traditional dish ‘Peanut Butter Noodles’ also received high ratings as a popular dish, indicating a blending of Thai flavors with Western preferences. The study provides insights into how Thai food is perceived and adapted internationally, contributing to the understanding of cross-cultural culinary exchanges.

Despite extensive research on teacher qualities, a significant knowledge gap persists regarding the interplay among psychological and professional factors influencing Iranian EFL teachers' performance, particularly concerning teacher stroke. This study aims to address this gap by examining the predictive power of teacher identity, immunity, and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) on teacher stroke, within the Iranian EFL context. Participants included 124 Iranian EFL teachers, randomly selected from various regions across Iran, who completed a set of validated questionnaires. Data were collected using the Teacher Immunity Questionnaire, TPACK Questionnaire, Teacher’s Identity Questionnaire, and Teachers’ Stroke Scale. Statistical analysis involved Multiple Regression Analysis to explore the predictive capacity of teacher identity, immunity, and TPACK on stroke. Results revealed a statistically significant relationship among these variables, indicating that teacher identity, immunity, and TPACK collectively explain 46% of the variance in teacher stroke. These findings underscore the importance of integrating these factors into frameworks for supporting teachers' well-being and enhancing teaching effectiveness. The implications extend to stakeholders in EFL education, suggesting targeted interventions to bolster teacher development and instructional quality.

Various articles have addressed the field of audiovisual translation and its related issues, but the pragmatic aspects of this area have not been addressed as they should be. As pragmatic issues are mainly covert in dialogues, and films are dialogue-oriented, it is crucial to consider these aspects in this area. Implicature is one of these hidden aspects of meaning which challenges the translators’ knowledge and competency. Sometimes ignoring this pragmatic aspect results in misinterpreting the intended meaning of the original version, whether it is a text or a film. Therefore, the present study intends to examine the translation of implicatures and their intricacies in Persian dubbing. To this end, four American films (Notting hill, The bucket list, The ultimate gift and Still Alice) were selected, all of which had been dubbed into Persian. All parts of these films were analyzed to determine whether there is any mismatch between original and dubbed versions in terms of this pragmatic aspect. The translation techniques and their frequency of occurrences which were applied to translate this pragmatic aspect are illustrated too. The results indicate that there are mismatches between the original and dubbed versions in terms of implicature, and the most frequent number of mismatches refers to scalar implicatures. Conventional and conversational implicatures follow it respectively. Moreover, deletion is the most frequent translation strategy which was applied to render this pragmatic aspect.

This empirical investigation examines the repair strategies used by trainee interpreters in English-Persian simultaneous (SI) and consecutive interpreting (CI) modes. The research seeks to investigate two main questions: whether there are differences in the frequency of repairs between SI and CI, and whether there are variations in the sorts of repair strategies employed in both modes. The study involved nine trainees from Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman who were learning interpreting. The study employed a 4-minute speech from Voice of America English News, which discussed the influence of vitamins on preventing the advancement of AIDS in women. Occurrences of self-repairs were detected using Tang’s (2020c) framework. The findings revealed a notable disparity in the frequency of repair strategies between CI and SI modes, with CI trainees utilizing a greater number of repairs. In addition, the trainees in the CI mode achieved superior scores in explicitation and synonym techniques. The results emphasize the unique patterns of repair strategies in both consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, reflecting the importance of focused training to improve interpreters’ abilities in both modes. Interpreter training programs may consider including explicit instruction on repair procedures and placing emphasis on evaluating their use in performance assessments.

The present study explored the effectiveness of Google Docs as a cloud-based technology in enhancing the complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) facets of writing competence. Forty-nine Iranian EFL learners, majoring in English, from two intact classes participated in the study. The classes were randomly assigned to the Google Docs (GD) group and the Conventional Teaching group (CT) after their proficiency levels were identified. The GD group (n=25) used the Google Docs writing instruction platform, while the CT group (n=24) received traditional writing instruction. Furthermore, ten students from the Google Docs group participated in semi-structured interviews to express their perceptions of the treatment they received. A mixed-methods design, incorporating Multiple Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and theme-based analysis, was employed to assess quantitative and qualitative outcomes. The findings indicated that the GD group demonstrated a significantly improved ability in CAF writing compared to the CT group. The interviews revealed several important themes, including the positive experiences associated with collaborative writing through Google Docs, the convenience and flexibility of real-time collaboration, and the effectiveness of peer support in enhancing writing competence. Additionally, the teacher’s role as a facilitator was found to be crucial. Overall, the results suggested that the interactive attribute of Google Docs, combined with peer correction and editing, noticeably supports more sophisticated and accurate writing skills.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant transformations in education systems globally. Consequently, this qualitative ethnographic study aimed to analyze the evolution of attitudes among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners through the lens of language socialization (LS). Additionally, the study explored the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic on the LS of Iranian EFL learners within cyberspace through prolonged engagement and triangulated data collection, including classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, researcher field notes, audio recordings, and student journals. This approach allowed for a holistic understanding of the Iranian culture from participants' perspectives. A triangulation of data was collected, comprising class observations, semi-structured interviews, researcher notes, audio recordings, and student journals. The Data analysis was conducted using MAXQDA Analytic Pro 2020. Based on the seven principles of LS, the results identified eight categories: cultural familiarity, cultural differences, the influence of foreign culture, changes in identity and behavior, online class recording, online learning, self-efficacy, and participation in virtual groups. Ultimately, this study concluded that language and culture are intrinsically intertwined and that learners' engagement with language and culture adversely impacts their socialization within the English language and culture. Furthermore, online classes were found to enhance learners' self-efficacy while reducing anxiety levels. The findings equip EFL educators with strategies for fostering adaptive language socialization during crises, while offering learners tools to navigate disruptions through reflection and virtual communities. Additionally, they guide researchers in studying attitude evolution ethnographically and urge material developers to integrate psychosocial elements into language resources for volatile environments.

The present study investigates the challenges of learning English grammar with a focus on the syntactic analysis of relative clauses (RCs) in Persian in contrast to English to identify the most common errors made by Persian learners of English. In addition, it aims to enhance L2 grammar learning and overcome challenges using AI-assisted tools such as Wordtune, Instatext, and ChatGPT in classroom activities. The quantitative data were collected through the RC tests adapted from the models used by Izumi (2003), comprising three test types: sentence combination, interpretation, and grammaticality judgment. These tests were administered before and after the implementation of AI-powered strategies. The result of the tests in intermediate learners revealed that the most recurrent interlingual error was “the use of object pronouns” instead of gaps, while the challenges in “RC reduction” were among the most common intralingual errors. The findings highlight not only the major differences in RC structures between the two languages but also present an innovative approach that uses AI to address these challenges, offering insights for teachers and instructors. Addressing such errors and utilizing technological advances can pave the way for learners and teachers to have more effective learning and teaching strategies.

Cette étude a examiné l'amélioration de la production écrite des étudiants en langue française et son lien avec leurs attitudes et stratégies d’apprentissage. L'objectif principal est d’évaluer les attitudes positives et les stratégies d’apprentissage efficaces influençant directement le développement des compétences rédactionnelles. Les données ont été recueillies auprès de 47 étudiants à travers des enquêtes et des productions écrites collectées sous forme de pré-test et post-test. Les résultats montrent que la motivation seule ne suffit pas pour améliorer la production écrite. Ce sont les stratégies d’apprentissage variées notamment la lecture régulière et la pratique de l’écriture qui ont eu l’impact le plus significatif. L’analyse des données montre que la lecture a favorisé l’enrichissement du vocabulaire (+0.75) et l’expression des idées (+0.78), tandis que la pratique de l’écriture a amélioré la précision grammaticale (+0.41). En revanche, l’utilisation des ressources en ligne, bien qu’utile pour l’apprentissage du vocabulaire, a eu un impact plus limité sur la précision grammaticale (+0.30). Ces résultats mettent en évidence l’importance des stratégies d’apprentissage actives et diversifiées dans l’amélioration des compétences rédactionnelles et ouvrent des perspectives pour des recherches futures intégrant des outils pédagogiques interactifs et des approches d’apprentissage à long terme.

The current study aimed to investigate EFL teachers’ use of different corrective feedback types in face-to-face and online classes across levels of proficiency, as well as their perceptions of the use of corrective feedback (CF) in their classrooms. To this end, six teachers (three face-to-face and three online) from two language schools were selected as the participants based on convenience sampling. It’s worth noting that in terms of design, the current investigation qualifies as a case study. In an attempt to triangulate data collection, both observation and interview were used as the instruments for data collection. In so doing, each teacher’s class was observed for two sessions, and the interaction between learners and each teacher was audio-recorded. Furthermore, structured interviews were conducted with the participants following observations. The study was guided by Lyster and Ranta’s (1997) and Sheen’s (2011) framework for CF types. As the findings revealed, recast was the most commonly used CF type in elementary and intermediate levels in both classroom modes, as well as the advanced face-to-face class, with the only exception being the advanced online class in which elicitation featured as the most preferred feedback type. Furthermore, the results of the interview data revealed that all teachers had positive perceptions of using CF in EFL classrooms. The findings offer some fruitful implications for EFL teachers who are engaged with face-to-face or online modes of instruction, particularly as they highlight the importance of offering more explicit CF types to bring about more noticing and uptake.

The role of learning styles in academic performance has long been the question of many educationalists. Sensory learning styles, which categorize learners into three groups of visual, auditory, and tactile students, have been said to be likely to play parts in academic performance. The purpose of the present study is twofold. Initially, this study aimed to see what weaknesses Iranian university students have in reading comprehension task. The next step was to seek if possessing different sensory learning styles can lead to a significant difference regarding reading comprehension performance. In this study, Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment was applied to provide us with comprehensive mastery reading subskill profiles of everyone. To do so, a reading comprehension test along with a learning style questionnaire were given to 301 Iranian university students, the responses were all divided into either correct or incorrect responses, and according to examinees’ questionnaire, they were categorized into three groups of visual, auditory, and tactile learners. According to the present study, Iranian university students were found to have difficulty dealing with implicitly stated information, understanding difficult vocabulary, and summarizing the textual information. Regarding the second question of this study, visual learners performed significantly better than their auditory counterparts in four skills of Basic Linguistic Knowledge, Implicitly Stated Information, Understanding Difficult Vocabulary, and Understanding Complex Text. However, no significant difference was found between auditory and tactile participants. This result reinforces the prominent role of learning styles in academic and educational settings, to develop efficient instructions and curriculums that best meet learners’ needs.

Findings on recast as feedback on learners’ erroneous forms tend to be less than conclusive or confirmatory. Also, the conventional formulations in literature give partial accounts of recasting as an effective methodological practice. The present study proposes recast enriched by negotiation (REN) on the learners’ part as an alternative. For investigating the hypothetical effect, three all-female groups were concentrated on, namely explicit feedback, recast and REN. Summary writing task as post-test concentrated on the learners’ accuracy in terms of error-free T units, and complexity regarding word per sentence ratio as well as lexical density. One-way ANOVA for three independent samples and post hoc analyses revealed that accuracy and word per sentence ratio did not vary significantly; however, lexical density improved as a result of REN. Findings and implications of the study are discussed in the light of methodological potentials and literature.  

The present study investigated the effect of dialogue localization as a classroom activity on intermediate EFL learners’ classroom conversation. To achieve this, 60 intermediate language learners were selected as convenient sample. The participants’ proficiency levels were determined through the administration of the OPT test. The OPT test utilized in this study comprises a total of 30 questions, distributed evenly across three categories: listening, vocabulary, and grammar, with 10 questions allocated to each category. The proficiency level of the students was determined based on their scores, with a range of 0-10 indicating a pre-intermediate level, 10-20 indicating an intermediate level, and 20-30 indicating an advanced level. Then, they were divided into experimental and control groups. According to Farhady, Jafarpur, and Birjandi (1994), a pre-test of speaking consisting of 7 questions was administered to both groups, and the participants were required to respond orally. The scoring system used for evaluating the participants’ speaking skills was based on the guidelines outlined in the book "Testing Language Skills from Theory to Practice." The experimental group was then taught localized conversation while the control group was taught non-localized conversation. After ten sessions of the treatments, a post-test of speaking was administered in which the participants in both groups were involved in the same activity as the pretest. The data were analyzed through calculating independent sample t-test. The results indicated that the means of the two groups were significantly different, i.e., the experimental group outperformed the control group in the speaking achievement. This means that localization in dialogue has the potential to enhance students’ speaking abilities during classroom conversations.

The present study investigates the emotional experiences of ten English as a foreign language (EFL) female students during an English vocabulary-building course, through the lens of Barrett’s Theory of Constructed Emotion (TCE). The data were collected using a background questionnaire, reflection paragraphs, and semi-structured interviews and were analyzed primarily by applying thematic analysis methods. The TCE was used to explain the wide range of emotions experienced and the reasons for fluctuations within a single EFL vocabulary course. The results revealed a diverse spectrum of emotions, including enjoyment, confidence, pride, anxiety, boredom, embarrassment, and blame, underscoring the TCE's premise that emotions are intricately constructed and influenced by personal learning experiences, the appraisal of learning events, contextual factors, and social interactions. Moreover, the study found that emotions are not only influenced by the situational context but also shape the situational context in turn. Thus, the findings highlighted the open and interactive nature of the systems students use to construct their emotions. Importantly, the study uncovered the strategies students employ to manage their emotions, highlighting the active role students play in shaping their emotional experiences. The findings provide valuable insights for EFL teachers, suggesting the need for a supportive and empathetic teaching environment that acknowledges the emotional dimensions of EFL vocabulary learning. By understanding and addressing these emotional aspects, teachers can better assist learners in managing their emotions, thereby optimizing vocabulary acquisition and enhancing overall learning outcomes. 

This study investigated the effects of three vocabulary development strategies of keyword method, thematic clustering and developing morphological awareness on the Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary repertoire. Adopting a quasi-experimental design, sixty high-intermediate to advanced Iranian EFL learners were randomly assigned to three experimental groups and partook six online sessions of vocabulary instruction during a week. Using a pre-test and three post-tests, the vocabulary repertoire of the subjects was measured. The pre-test was administered a week before the commencement of the treatment sessions; the first post-test was administered immediately after each treatment; the second post-test was held 24 hours after each treatment and the third post-test was held one week after the end of the treatment sessions. Paribakht and Wesche (1993) model of measuring vocabulary enhancement was used to quantify the vocabulary repertoire of the subjects. Split-plot ANOVA test revealed that the subjects in the keyword group outperformed the subjects in the other two groups in all the three post-tests. Moreover, it was revealed that the thematic clustering group outperformed the developing morphological awareness group. The findings of this research may have pedagogical implications for English teachers, learners and material developers.

The e-learning integration has emerged as an alternative strategy, significantly improving teaching and learning experiences in higher education worldwide. However, it has also presented different challenges and opportunities for teachers and students. This comparative, cross-cultural study explored the perspectives of German vs. Iranian EFL teachers on e-learning integration in higher education. The data were collected utilising a mixed-methods design and based on convenient sampling through two questionnaires on challenges and opportunities, semi-structured interviews, and observations from 26 German EFL teachers and 92 Iranian EFL teachers. The study focused on the Technology Acceptance Model and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. The questionnaire findings revealed that both groups recognised significant challenges and opportunities in e-learning. German teachers appreciated organisational improvements and evaluative innovations, whereas Iranians valued stress reduction and access to materials. Both groups faced technological and administrative challenges, with Iranians reporting more severe difficulties, highlighting the need for tailored support and resources to enhance online education. Interviews indicated a preference for face-to-face instruction among Germans, with greater resistance to online formats compared to Iranians. Younger teachers in both contexts showed more positive attitudes towards e-learning, with a consensus on the future of blended learning. The observations also supported the findings. Results indicated significant differences and similarities between the two contexts, highlighting technological, academic, pedagogical, and cultural factors influencing e-learning integration. The study findings could offer practical implications for policymakers and material developers, emphasising the need for custom-made e-learning strategies for different educational contexts. This cross-cultural comparison could suggest insights for teachers interested in integrating e-learning into their teaching.