درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

While some researchers have questioned the efficacy of corrective feedback (CF), other researchers believe that CF can be effective if implemented through new technology types, including e-portfolio (EP). However, whether EP can be used as a medium of providing CF for language learners at different levels of language proficiency is still unknown. The purpose of the present study, therefore, was twofold: (a) to examine the writing performance of EFL learners across three levels of language proficiency receiving direct corrective feedback (DCF) via EP, and (b) to investigate which language proficiency group benefits more from DCF provided via EP. For the purposes of the present study, sixty (60) Iranian EFL learners who were divided into three levels of language proficiency at Sharif language center in Tehran, Iran participated in this study. The results of data analysis showed statistically significant differences for two components of writing—content, and mechanics—between beginning and intermediate, and beginning and advanced language learners. The results also showed that the higher the language proficiency level of language learners, the more they benefit from the provision of DCF through EP. These findings suggest that EP may be a viable option to supply Iranian EFL learners across levels of language proficiency with DCF. The article concludes with a call for testing the threshold-level hypothesis that may exist for language learners to use EP.

This study sought to compare Iranian EFL novice and expert teachers regarding their procedural knowledge in Iranian language institutes and universities. A questionnaire was developed based on the literature, the theoretical framework, and the results of a qualitative study. This questionnaire was administered to the whole sample of the study who was 200 Iranian EFL teachers from different genders and educational contexts. The participants were selected conveniently as going through random sampling was not possible. Based on the results of the exploratory factor analysis, seven factors emerged under the main category of procedural knowledge for these teachers. The findings revealed that: (a) Iranian EFL expert teachers have higher levels of procedural knowledge than Iranian EFL novice teachers (b) expert teachers have higher levels of classroom management knowledge, topic management knowledge and students involved in learning knowledge than novice teachers (c) expert teachers have the knowledge to make rapport (good emotional relationship) with their students more easily and effectively than novice teachers (d) there is not a significant difference between Iranian EFL expert teachers and Iranian EFL novice teachers due to knowledge of talk management, knowledge of strategies while teaching and knowledge of teachers’ learning strategies for learners in the classroom.

Being expert in establishing cohesion and coherence in writing is not an easy task. The EFL learners are to pass through very long, uneven paths such as précis exercise to achieve this skill. The present study was launched to explore the effect of précis writing on the creation of a compact text. To this end, a true-experimental method of research with the pretest-posttest control design was employed. Via double-stage sampling, 40 female students were selected at Fatemeh-al-Zahra High School in Kabutarahang, Hamedan, Iran. The control group was taught some grammatical structures such as active and passive voices, reduced adjective clauses, and different tenses in English during twelve sessions; while the experimental group received a lesson plan consisting of twelve sessions of précis writing. To analyze the data collected via pretest and posttest, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was run. The findings of the study indicated that the participants in the experimental group performed better in producing cohesive and qualified texts than those in the control group. The conclusion drawn was that teaching précis, as a basic skill, can improve the writing ability and provide the students with more opportunities to utilize the cohesive devices and consequently produce more cohesive pieces of text.

Un certain vocabulaire politique persan a vu le jour dès l’avènement de la Révolution islamique en Iran et depuis, il n’a cessé de se multiplier et d’étendre ses champs d’application aussi bien dans les médias que les milieux et les instances politiques suite à la fondation de nouvelles institutions gouvernementales et non gouvernementales, à la création de nouveaux postes, aux événements politiques, économiques et sociaux qui ont lieu sur l’échelle nationale et internationale, sans oublier les dates phares qui ont marqué le calendrier postrévolutionnaire de notre pays. Cette néologie révolutionnaire se répercute dans le monde entier par la voix des médias, ce qui exige leur traduction en diverses langues. La présente étude s’intéresse à examiner l’origine, la fréquence et l’emploi de cette terminologie prescriptive qui s’effectue constamment dans un cadre irano-islamique : deux sources dans lesquelles est plongée la langue persane pratiquée actuellement en Iran, vu la situation sociopolitique. Dans un deuxième temps, nous cherchons à voir si tous ces vocables sont traduisibles ou non.

AbstractThis study aims to highlight the key roles played by metacognitive strategies training in the development of listening comprehension skill and self-regulation strategies of EFL learners. The participants of this study (N = 60) were female Iranian students assigned to two groups of experimental and control in Kish English Language Institute. Learners in the experimental group received 6-week instruction on the listening metacognitive strategies, while those in the control group received no strategy instruction. Four instruments were used in this study: a pretest of listening comprehension, Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ), Academic Self-Regulated Learning Scale (A-SRL-S), and a posttest on listening comprehension. The analysis of the data revealed that metacognitive listening strategies training improved the listening performance of the learners in the experimental group compared to those in the control group. It also showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the use of problem-solving, planning-evaluation, mental translation, and personal knowledge strategies. The results also showed that learning metacognitive strategies helped language learners to regulate their use of self-evaluation, organizing, goal-setting, seeking assistance, environmental structuring, and responsibility strategies. Additionally, regression analyses demonstrated that self-regulation strategies accounted for 37% of variance in the EFL learners’ listening comprehension, while metacognitive listening strategies accounted for 6 % of the variance. The findings of this study suggested that (a) listening metacognitive strategies training can have benefits on listening skill development, increase use of self-regulatory and metacognitive strategies, (b) learners who used more metacognitive strategies revealed a high level of self-regulation strategies use.

This study tried to find out what factors underline the characteristics of acquisition of English language in EFL classrooms. To this end, the Characteristics of English Language Acquisition Scale (ELAS) consisting of 41 items was designed by the researchers of this study and administered to 388 pre University Iranian EFL students at various private and public schools in Neyshabour and Zebarkhan. Factor analysis was run to determine the number of factors underlying the scale. The application of Principle Axis Factoring and rotating the extracted factors showed that the characteristics loaded acceptably on twelve factors underlying the learners’ EFL acquisition, i.e., learning boosters, facilitation, determination, voluntary, teaching methodology, affective factors, attitudes toward foreign speakers and their culture, learner engagement, adjustment, enhancement, teachers' output and individual differences. The results are discussed and suggestions are made for future research.

When constructing a test, an initial decision is choosing an appropriate item response format which can be classified as selected or constructed. In large-scale tests where time and finance are of concern, the use of response chosen known as multiple-choice items is quite widespread. This study aimed at investigating the impact of response format on the performance of structure tests. Concurrent common item equating design was used to compare multiple-choice items with their constructed response stem-equivalent in a test of grammar. The Rasch model was employed to compare item difficulties, fit statistics, ability estimates and reliabilities of the two tests. Two independent sample t-tests were also conducted to investigate whether the differences among the item difficulty estimates and ability estimates of the two tests were statistically significant.  A statistically significant difference was observed in item difficulties. However, no significant difference was detected between the ability estimates, fit statistics, and reliabilities of the two tests.

Critical cultural awareness as a component of intercultural competence (Byram, 1997, 2012) has received the extensive attention of scholars in the fields of language teaching, cultural studies, ethnic studies, gender studies, communication studies, etc. in the recent decades. However, no instrument has ever been developed to assess this construct among Iranian EFL teachers. To fill this gap, in the first phase of the present study a theoretical framework for critical cultural awareness and its components was developed through reviewing the literature and conducting interviews with ELT experts. In the second phase, a questionnaire was developed and piloted with 370 participants who were available and willing to participate in the study. More specifically, the 37 items of the newly-developed ‘CCA' scale were subjected to principal component analysis which revealed the presence of three components. These phases led to the development of a questionnaire with three components and 37 items: (1) ‘CCA in ELT Programs' including 20 items, (2) ‘CCA in ELT Textbooks and Materials' including 13 items, and (3) ‘CCA in General Terms' including four items. The findings of this study may shed some light on this fuzzy subject and help researchers assess Iranian EFL teachers' critical cultural awareness.