درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

This study aims to assess the performance of university students through the C-Test and to analyze the extent to which this test is valid in measuring language ability. A standardized C-Test has been created with four brief passages, each containing 20 gaps. The length of each passage varied from 95 to 109 words. Throughout each passage, only the first and last sentences were not changed. The test was taken by 100 students; 39 were male and 61 were female at Al-Nisour University/Department of English in Baghdad, Iraq. The sample consists of two groups. Both groups come from the same school and would receive similar educational input in both cases based on their grade level. The validity and reliability of the C-Test were investigated using various techniques. The study analyzed the performance of Stage 4 and Stage 3 students on the Common Language Proficiency Test in Iraq. The results showed that the test discriminates well between high-ability and low-ability examinees, with no significant difference between the two groups. The Rasch model separation reliability was relatively high, and the data were one-dimensional. The students faced difficulties in guessing the most appropriate words due to their limited English proficiency. The results suggest that developing and implementing this test could significantly improve students' academic achievements in basic foreign language classes in Iraq.

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) University students usually write in their native tongue and translate it into English using Artificial Intelligence programs. The study evaluated the quality of translations generated by AI in one hand and investigated the impact of Artificial Intelligence Generated Translation (AIGT) on EFL students in another. A human translator and an AI tool were used to translate two sample texts from English into Persian. The texts were given to 30 EFL teachers to examine the quality of AI translations. In addition, 152 students randomly divided into control or experimental groups were exposed to translated texts. Results from an independent t-test showed that there was a negligible difference between the two groups. The qualitative analysis of the interview data that involved 30 participants revealed that language teachers perceived omission, addition, syntax and punctuation errors in AIGT as adequately acceptable, despite their prevalence. However, a majority of the teachers were dissatisfied with AIGT’s accuracy in rendering idiomatic expressions. Based on the results, EFL educators should acknowledge the prevalence and usefulness of AI among students, and aim to incorporate it effectively in their teaching instead of prohibiting its use.

The present study aimed at investigating Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ emotional experiences that could affect their professional identity. Due to the qualitative nature of the study, seven high school teachers of Mashhad and Zabol were selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. Qualitative analysis of teachers’ interviews through open, axial and selective stages of coding resulted in the four components of 1) teachers’ sense of appreciation for teaching; 2) teachers’ sense of connectedness to other colleagues; 3) teachers’ sense of competence in teaching; and 4) teachers’ sense of commitment, which were found to influence their professional identity. The study's findings contributed to acknowledge the significance of teachers’ emotions as determining factor in their professional identity. On the practical side, teacher educators can gain insight into the importance of teachers’ emotions in shaping their identities in EFL classrooms. The study demonstrated that teachers’ emotional experiences can greatly influence the formation of their identities. Findings have significant implications for both teachers and students. When teachers are aware of their emotions and their effects on their professional identity, it can lead to better outcomes for learners. A teacher who is emotionally stable, confident, and motivated is more likely to inspire and engage students, resulting in increased student achievement, motivation, and engagement in the classroom. By equipping teachers with the necessary skills to navigate their emotions, teacher education programs can contribute to the overall improvement of teaching practices and ultimately enhance student learning outcomes.

Processability Theory (PT) is a theory of second language acquisition (SLA) developed to explain developmental sequences in SLA as well as some other phenomena. Within the framework of Processability Theory (PT) and through analyzing the written performance of Iranian EFL learners, the present research focused on the acquisition of the morpho-syntactic structures of “do- s- v (o)” across five proficiency levels, from elementary to advance and compared it with the stage-like development model of morpho-syntactic structures proposed by Pienemann (2005a). The study followed a mixed method design and the data were collected from 350 participants in five different proficiency levels from elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced; furthermore, 45 pre-intermediate to advanced students were interviewed. The participants were asked to provide samples of their written performance on different tasks such as introduction task, habitual action task, and story retelling task, picture description task, composition, and communication task; furthermore, they were interviewed on the same topics. The data in this research were analyzed both qualitatively to identify and classify the type and order of the morpho-syntactic structures in the written and oral data, and quantitatively through inferential statistics. The results of Kruskal-Wallis test revealed that “do-subject- verb was concordant with Pienemann’s (2005a) model. This finding implies that PT is valid for Iranian EFL learners, considerably. The findings of this research can be of benefit for language teachers, learners, and syllabus designers.

Autonomous learning is a study skill that may be challenging not only to learners with a dependent learning style but also to teachers used to teacher-oriented methodology. However, the considerable shift in the teaching and learning paradigm especially after the 2020 pandemic has made autonomous learning a must-gain skill. This research aimed to explore EFL teachers' perceptions of learner autonomy (LA), their actual practices, and the challenges of LA promotion at Omani secondary schools. It also investigated possible associations between teachers' beliefs about promoting LA and their academic level, gender, and years of experience. Within a convergent mixed-method parallel design, thirty Omani EFL school teachers were selected through convenience sampling to participate in the study. The instruments included teachers’ perceptions questionnaire, classroom observation data, and interviews with teachers. Frequency counts, ordinal regression analysis, and grounded theory were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data. The results revealed that although EFL teachers at Omani secondary schools practice some strategies that promote learner autonomy, these practices are not intentionally and exclusively implemented for LA purposes. Moreover, the results showed some discrepancies between teachers’ beliefs and their actual practices of LA due to some constraints and challenges such as the intensive English curriculum, teachers being overloaded with numerous school tasks besides teaching, learners' limited exposure to English outside the classroom, and teachers' inadequate professional background in the concept, principles, and practices of learner autonomy. No significant association was found between the teachers' general beliefs about LA and their particulars. It may be argued that the concept of autonomous learning and strategies to promote LA should be included as a core component of teacher training programs. By the same token, more self-study and self-assessment practices may be added to the English course materials in schools to help learners develop this essential skill for their higher education.

The effects of task-based language teaching (TBLT) on reading comprehension of EAP students has not received due attention in the literature. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research examines whether TBLT improves reading comprehension more effectively compared to traditional English for academic purposes methodologies. In this study, a sample of 100 intermediate-level Iranian university students was selected through convenience sampling and randomly divided into four groups of 25 participants each (comprising two control groups and two experimental groups). The experimental groups, one in psychology and one in accounting, were instructed using TBLT, while the control groups, also in psychology and accounting, followed traditional EAP instruction as dictated by the curriculum and course instructor. Initially, all groups completed a piloted, researcher-developed reading comprehension pretest. In the experimental groups, the syllabus was co-constructed through negotiation, reflecting the students' needs and rights. In contrast, the control groups were taught using textbooks predetermined by the curriculum. Upon the completion of the treatment sessions, all participants took a posttest. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that TBLT significantly enhanced the reading comprehension skills of Iranian university students compared to traditional EAP methods. Additionally, the study found that the field of study did not influence the effectiveness of the instructional method (TBLT or EAP). These findings provide valuable insights for English for specific purposes (ESP) teachers and material developers, emphasizing the potential benefits of incorporating TBLT into EAP instruction.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have significantly transformed the education system in recent decades, providing new opportunities for both teachers and students and improving the quality of education. The purpose of this study is to analyze the opinions of foreign language teachers regarding the impact of ICTs in the classroom, the training acquired and the challenges faced during the teaching-learning experience. A study with a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and descriptive approach was carried out using a questionnaire as a data collection instrument. The final sample consisted of 117 foreign language teachers from bilingual schools of Primary and Secondary Education in Andalusia (Spain), both public and subsidized/semi-public. Specifically, 66.6% are female and 33.4% male. The results indicate that teachers believe in the positive impact that ICTs may have on the teaching-learning process, and feel highly motivated in carrying out their work through ICTs. However, teachers continue to express the need for further and continuous training and highlight the importance of technical support and how the lack of resources can undermine the quality of foreign language teaching. 

Technology-enhanced language instruction has attracted researchers’ attention in language teaching and learning in recent decades. Accordingly, the present mixed-methods study attempts to investigate the effect of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on EFL learners’ vocabulary development and listening comprehension. In doing so, 60 intermediate EFL learners were conveniently chosen for the quantitative phase of the study and were divided into one experimental group (n=30) and one control group (n=30). The teacher-researchers taught vocabulary tasks and listening skills to both groups, using computer software for the experimental group and the traditional method for the control group for 10 sessions for 5 weeks straight. To look into the effect of CALL instruction, quantitative methodology was employed. By analyzing the mean scores of the learners’ pre-test and post-test, it was revealed that the incorporation of computer software in English Language Teaching (ELT) classes resulted in learners’ significant improvement in vocabulary learning and listening comprehension. Then, the qualitative phase of the study began and 24 learners from the same experimental group were invited to semi-structured interviews to share their experiences of CALL classes with the researchers. The qualitative analysis of learners’ data manifested two thematic categories: 1) technology is an asset to EFL learners, and 2) technology makes the input more comprehensible. The findings of the study contributed to the conscious use of technology-enhanced instruction through computer and mobile tools to provide an interactive learning atmosphere for EFL learners, and to help them develop language skills and sub-skills, which seems beneficial for both EFL learners and teachers as ubiquitous technology is becoming an inevitable member of teaching and learning community.

Discourse markers (DMs) play a significant role in both written and spoken language since they function as coherent devices, offering cues and guidance for the understanding of the reader or listener. The frequency of DMs in a language may have a substantial influence on an individual’s competency and overall English abilities. With an increased frequency of using these markers, individuals enhance their ability to form cohesive and logical sentences, hence improving their proficiency as speakers or writers.The goal of this study is to compare how the illustration-interaction-induction (III) and present-practice-produce (PPP) approaches affect the frequency of DMs in the expository writing of Iranian high school students. The study involved a sample of 30 intermediate Iranian EFL learners enrolled in state high schools in the city of Kelachay, Guilan, Iran. The research was conducted across three settings, namely pre-test, treatment, and post-test. Participants were asked to write an expository paragraph as part of the pre-test. During the treatment phase, after the instruction of the DMs using the PPP approach, the participants were asked to write a second expository paragraph. Following the implementation of the III approach as the second intervention phase in the study, the subsequent post-test was conducted, wherein participants were asked to compose one additional paragraph. The three sets of paragraphs were compiled into three learner corpora and analyzed to determine the frequency of DMs. The log-likelihood and effect size calculators demonstrated the superiority of the III approach in terms of the frequency of DMs used in the expository paragraphs of Iranian EFL learners in state high schools. The findings provided robust support for the efficacy of the III approach in the context of teaching DMs.

The present study, using a sequential mixed-methods design, mainly aims at determining the extent to which teacher stroke and teacher time perspective contribute to teacher creativity. In doing so, the participants consisted of 110 EFL students from English private institutes in the quantitative phase of the study, and a pool of eight learners were selected to participate in the qualitative phase of the study. A number of instruments were used to measure teacher stroke, time perspective and creativity. To analyze the data, the Pearson moment-to-moment correlation, multiple regression, content-based categorization, and inter-coder reliability were used. The results revealed that there was a statistically significant association between teacher stroke and teacher creativity as well as between teacher time perspective and teacher creativity. Furthermore, the results of multiple regression determined that teacher time perspective was the most possible predictor of teacher creativity since this variable provided the most robust contribution to explaining teacher creativity. The results elicited from the responses to the interviews with the students provided nine themes including: positive feelings, energizer, motivation, time management, involvement, fun, active participation, self-confidence, and trying something new. Finally, a number of practical implications are offered from EFL teachers and students and some further suggestions are made.

English textbooks can be the frontiers of Second Language (L2) and world views for English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners. This qualitative study aimed to uncover how pictures of Iranian-published English textbooks represent identities in terms of gender, race, and nation. To this end, an intersectional lens was employed for analyzing the English textbook Vision 2 taught in Iranian high school as the subject of the study. Analysis of visual data, using the models proposed by Nelson (2019) and Zarza (2018), indicated that Vision 2 failed to offer a successful and realistic representation of gender, race, and nation for EFL learners. Insufficient representations of female characters, different races, and nations were the most prominent findings of the present research. This study provided some explanations and suggestions for the following revision of EFL textbooks.

La conception classique qui préconise la non-traduction des textes sacrés, est aujourd’hui fortement mise en question. Les études récentes réalisées par les traductologues et linguistes démontrent les paradoxes dans les différentes pratiques concernant le transfert du sens des métaphores dans les textes sacrés. Dans leur ouvrage The Theory and Practice of Translation, Nida et Taber développent le concept d'« équivalence dynamique » (« dynamic equivalence »), selon lequel une traduction réussie doit, avant tout, chercher des équivalences dans la langue-culture cible afin de produire le même effet que le texte original. Dans l’étude présente, nous essayons d’identifier les choix traductifs des mots de l'arabe en français dans la traduction de Muhammad Hamidullah et de Dr. Fakhri. Nous avons choisi les dix dernières sourates du Coran comme modèle, car elles contiennent des versets riches en métaphores et des mots difficiles à traduire, ce qui pose des défis aux traducteurs.                                                                                                                           Cette comparaison est faite selon la théorie de Nida et nous cherchons à répondre à la question : quelle traduction se rapproche le plus de la théorie de Nida ?