درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Teacher identity has been studied from several perspectives. However, the present study makes an attempt to investigate the process of identity formation through narrative telling from the framework of complexity theory. In a case study design semi-structured interview data and teacher-produced diaries of a novice Iranian English teacher were analyzed in order to identify attractors of identity formation. As a result, four major attractors that had the strongest effect on the process of identity formation were detected. Then the mechanisms through which these attractors exerted influence on identity formation are discussed. Finally, it has been argued that narrative construction of identity requires the individual to stress different aspects of their identity at different times; and that the phase shifts that occurred when the identity system moved in the direction of another attractor were triggered by the moment-to-moment requirements of narrative formation. The findings are followed by a discussion of pedogogical and theoretical implications.

Self-directed learning and digital literacy are the most effective issues in the process of foreign language learning. Due to the importance of digital literacy and self-directed learning in the process of foreign language learning, the present study aimed at investigating the relationship between Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ digital literacy and their self-directed learning. For the purpose of the study, 210 male and female Iranian EFL learners from Mashhad English language institutes took part in the study through using convenience sampling method. The digital literacy and self-directed learning questionnaires were distributed among intermediate EFL learners to measure their attitudes towards digital literacy and the self-directed learning process. To conduct the study, a correlational design was used. The results of Pearson Correlation analyses revealed that there was a positive relationship between the Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ digital literacy and their self-directed learning. The results of the multiple regression analyses also showed that information communication technology literacy and information literacy as the two components of the digital literacy questionnaire significantly predicted the Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ self-directed learning. It can be concluded that high levels of digital literacy and self-directed learning tend to result in better academic performance and learning motivation. It is important that educational contexts, as well as lan guage institutes administrators provide opportunities for en hancing learners’ self-directed learning and media literacy and consequently improving EFL learners’ achievement and motivation.

As the demand for online language education continues to grow, English teacherpreneurs play a significant role in shaping teaching practice and identity in virtual affinity spaces. This study examined the professional identity and practice of Iranian EFL teacherpreneurs in such spaces. The study adopted a qualitative approach and the data were collected through in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion. The findings of this research indicated that the participants as Iranian EFL teacherpreneurs in online affinity spaces possessed a wide range of positive traits and engaged in interactive and non-traditional teaching practices going beyond EFL traditional teaching practices. They also noted challenges being online English teacherpreneurs in Iran, highlighting a lack of financial support from mainstream education system and insufficient electronic facilities to create online content among others. This study has implications for different agencies in language teaching, including teachers and policy-makers in language education, raising their awareness regarding the identity and practice of online teacherpreneurs in virtual affinity spaces.  

The use of educational technology (Ed-Tech) and the Internet in acquiring foreign language skills has led to an increased interest in alternative teaching strategies such as flipped and blended learning. This study investigates the effects of flipped, blended, and traditional face-to-face teaching methods on the utilization of cohesive devices in paragraph writing among EFL learners. From a pool of 110 junior EFL students, 90 participants were selected. Afterwards, they were randomly divided into three groups: flipped, blended, or face-to-face. To evaluate their paragraph writing abilities, a pretest was conducted prior to the treatment. The first comparative group received instruction using the flipped teaching method, while the second group experienced a blended learning environment (combining face-to-face and online classes). The control group received traditional face-to-face instruction. Following the treatment sessions, all groups completed a posttest on paragraph writing. The findings indicated that both the flipped and blended groups demonstrated significantly better performance compared to the control group. These results provide valuable insights for EFL teachers, curriculum designers, and learners.

The present study aims at providing an account of the translational features of a pseudotranslational work. The case for the study is The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan by James Justinian Morier, a book presented as the translation of a manuscript presumably written by a Persian narrator, Hajji Baba. Morier’s book has ever since won a wide readership among the English as a translated text although many critics have attested to its authorial status. Following library research, this study gauged the pseudotranslationality of the book using its paratextual elements and then analyzed the text regarding its textual-linguistic makeup to highlight the elements which helped the fictitious translator to disguise the book as a translation in the English culture. The inquiry shows how Morier benefited some of the common paratextual and textual ploys in pseudotranslating, noticeable in such processes in other literary contexts as well, to manipulate his own authored book and cover it with a veil of translation. The study can help gain a broader picture of techniques used in pseudotranslating and accordingly prevalent norms of translation.

Much has been done on assessment literacy (AL) components and job demand-resources (JD-R). However, an interdisciplinary look at AL components as the predictors of JD-R and its possible consequences in the engagement and burnout of teachers’ assessment performance has been neglected. To fill this gap, the present study explored this issue in the context of Iran. To this end, through convenience sampling, 146 Iranian EFL teachers were selected to answer questionnaires on AL, JD-R, burnout and engagement. A series of multiple regression analyses were run to analyze the collected data. The results showed that some components of AL such as test construction, administering, rating, and interpreting test, psychometric properties of a test, using and interpreting statistics and authenticity were significant predictors of job demand. Moreover, the results revealed that alternative and digital-based assessment, recognizing test type, distinction and function, and authenticity were significant predictors of job resource. Furthermore, test construction, administering, rating, and interpreting test, psychometric properties of a test, and using and interpreting statistics could significantly predict teachers’ burnout. In addition, alternative and digital-based assessment, giving feedback in assessment, and ethical and cultural considerations in assessment turned out to significantly predict teachers’ engagement. These findings can have theoretical and practical implications for stakeholders.

This study investigates the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of Iraqi English teachers in public and private high schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examines the potential impact of gender and school type on participants’ TPACK perceptions. The results, derived from a TPACK survey (Baser et al., 2015), indicate significant differences between public and private school Iraqi English teachers in terms of overall TPACK scores and perceptions of individual TPACK constructs of technological knowledge, technological content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, and technological pedagogical content knowledge. However, no significant differences were observed in the constructs of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge. Additionally, the study found no significant disparities between male and female Iraqi EFL teachers in overall TPACK scores or perceptions of individual TPACK constructs. These findings offer insights into TPACK in Iraqi public and private high schools and shed light on how male and female Iraqi EFL teachers perceive their competencies when utilizing information and communication technology in English language instruction. Considering these findings, it is recommended to implement training and professional development programs to support teachers in effectively integrating technology into language education, especially within their classrooms.

The main purpose of this essay is to investigate the role of becoming through political and social factors among the main character’s changing identity in Achebe’s No Longer at Ease. The researcher intends to depict the effects of political factors on the re-territorialization and territorialization of the main character through the framework of Deleuze’s theory. The current essay focuses on No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe to discover how becoming and transformation of identity take place throughout the novel and how the main character of the novel is going through constant change and becoming which are the result of different forces. Moreover, the researcher intends to investigate the character’s desires that result in the becoming process of identity deriving from social and capitalist factors in society. Since Deleuze and Guattari’s distinctive definition of literature investigates how minor literature is produced in the dominant narratives of major literature, it can critically assist the present research to discuss that Achebe prepares the ground for indigenous, anticolonial voices in his novel No Longer at Ease. It can be concluded that the main character of Achebe’s No Longer at Ease is in flux due to different forces, and his identity goes through constant becoming.

Quantum teaching method (QTM), a student-centred model of education, which provides the possibility for the integrated use of a combination of learning theories, has not received adequate attention in EFL teaching. This study, adopting an explanatory mixed-methods design, aimed at examining the effect of QTM on EFL learners’ writing motivation. The participants comprised 78 pre-intermediate EFL learners who were placed into two groups based on convenience sampling procedures. The first group was assigned as the experimental group and another group as the control group. A writing motivation questionnaire (WMQ) was administered to both groups as pretest. Next, the experimental group was exposed to QTM for writing instruction while the control group received conventional writing instruction. After treatment, both groups took the WMQ as posttest. Moreover, 15 participants from the experimental group took part in semi-structured interviews. The results of Mann-Whitney U Test indicated the significantly positive impact of QTM on writing motivation. The results of qualitative analysis revealed five themes including satisfaction, enjoyment, engagement, personalization, and lowering anxiety as the factors improving writing motivation. Based on the results, EFL teachers are encouraged to employ QTM to enhance learners’ writing motivation.

After nearly a decade since the recognition of the importance of theticals, traditionally referred to as parenthetical constructions (see Kaltenböck et al. 2011; Heine et al. 2013), there has been a flurry of research on these linguistic elements across various languages, including but not limited to Romance languages (Schneider, 2007), Chinese (Long et al., 2019), Persian (Kazemian & Amouzadeh, 2019), and Arabic (Haddad, 2020). However, it appears that theticals still remain relatively understudied and warrant more comprehensive and fresh examination. This lack of interest in studying theticals, particularly those inherent in interaction, has prompted Bernd Heine to undertake writing a new book, “The Grammar of Interactives”, dedicated to these items and analyzing them as a distinct level called interactive grammar (IG) which works alongside sentence grammar (SG) to facilitate successful communication. The book is structured in a cohesive and organized manner, consisting of an introduction, six main chapters, and a conclusion, totaling eight chapters in all. This structure properly presents the book's content by establishing the context and scope in the introduction, delving into the subject matter in the core chapters each exploring a specific theme related to the overall subject, and providing a sense of closure and reflection in the conclusion.

Crowdsourcing Translation as a Post-Editing Method (CTPE) has emerged as a rapid and inexpensive method for translation and has drawn significant attention in recent years. This qualitative study aims to analyze and synthesize the approaches and aspects underpinning CTPE research and to identify its potential that is yet to be discovered. Through a systematic literature review focused on empirical papers, we examined the limited literature thematically and identified recurring central themes. Our review reveals that the topic of CTPE requires further attention and that its potential benefits are yet to be fully discovered. We discuss the eight core concepts that emerged during our analysis, including the purpose of CTPE, CTPE areas of application, ongoing CTPE processes, platform and crowd characteristics, motivation, CTPE domains, and future perspectives. By highlighting the strengths of CTPE, we conclude that it has the potential to be a highly effective translation method in various domains.