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Writing assessments in the EFL context today have put a great concern on language acquisition and proficiency testing. However, diverse techniques and practices require a comprehensive synthesis to better understand trends, gaps, and best practices. This study reviews and synthesizes prior research on writing assessments in EFL contexts. It examines the dominant assessment approaches, their effectiveness, and their impact on EFL learners' writing skills holistically. The study employs a meta-synthesis approach. Fifty journal articles indexed by Scopus, ERIC, Crossref, Google Scholar, DOAJ, Copernicus, and other indexing databases between 2018 and 2024 were selected as the data to review in this study. The data selection was conducted to ensure the relevance and quality of the literature reviewed. The results include a variety of assessment practices such as teacher feedback, self-assessment, peer-assessment, blended or collaborative assessment, automated writing evaluation (AWE), and artificial intelligence in EFL writing settings. The study also concludes that, despite the diversity and complexity of writing assessments in EFL contexts, there is a strong need for more standardized and contextually valid assessment practices. Effective assessments align with instructional goals and offer meaningful feedback that supports student learning. The study recommends developing comprehensive assessment frameworks tailored to specific EFL contexts, providing more training for educators in assessment literacy, and conducting further research into the long-term impact of various assessment practices on the writing development of EFL learners.

Cet article présent, nous ne projetons en aucune façon d'établir ou de définir ce qu'est l'art, dont l'œuvre d'art en ontologie. Ce n'est pas notre préoccupation aujourd'hui, et non plus davantage de la plupart des artistes contemporains. À la recherche d'une ontologie bien particulière sur l’œuvre d’art contemporain, Roger Pouivet, le philosophe contemporain français, l'appelle « l'ontologie appliquée ». Il s’agit de considérer l'œuvre en tant que telle, sans se préoccuper des catégories fondamentales qui la possèdent. À ce stade, il paraît nécessaire de parler du changement de paradigme dans le champ d’arts plastiques, qui résulte de l'apparition des œuvres des textes écrits ou oraux.  En ce qui concerne le concept de « Zugganzes » de ’Heidegger, il faut bien comprendre, quoi qu'il en soit, le cumul des éléments nécessaires jusqu’à ce que l’établissement d’un système s’achève. Cela veut dire que pour un processus de créer une œuvre d'art contemporain il explique qu’à la fois chaque élément a son rôle clé, même indispensable, et une mission pour compléter le rôle des autres éléments. Au fur et à mesure de cet article, nous répondrons aux questions de recherche : 1) Comment peut-on mettre en avant un processus de détermination d'une œuvre d'art qui s'enrichit des textes écrits ou oraux, en époque contemporaine ? 2.) Pourquoi et pour quelle raison a-t-on choisi de mettre en lien les deux concepts de « Zugganzes » et de l'hypothèse de « l'ontologie appliquée » dans ce travail de recherche ? Cette recherche essaye de nous montrer que: les œuvres d'art contemporaines qui sont considérées comme des textes visuels enrichissent des textes écrits ou oraux. En effet, cet acte vise à attirer l'attention des spectateurs en tout temps et en tous lieux. À la fin, on comprendra qu’il est possible de créer visuellement des textes symboliques en pratiquant simultanément les textes écrits ou oraux comme des éléments visuels et en profitant de leurs contextes.   

Higher levels of student engagement are positively linked to higher learning achievement. However, enhancing student engagement in underprivileged and crowded educational contexts, specifically where high-tech tools are not available can cause a major challenge for teachers. The current study attempts to enhance students’ engagement in their learning by incorporating mini white-boards (MWs) as low-tech response systems. To this end, in a time-series design, an instruction-feedback cycle via mini white-boards was manipulated over a semester. Ten 10th-grade students, all from similar low socio-economic backgrounds and living in rural areas, participated in this study. Data were collected through observing students’ behaviors using engagement checklists. An attitude questionnaire was also administered to assess students' perceptions of using mini white-boards in their learning context. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize individuals’ engagement patterns across the study period. Additionally, a mixed-effects model was employed to account for individual variability and to assess the effects of the intervention on students’ engagement over time. The results indicated that using mini white-boards caused significant improvements in students’ overall engagement and attitude. The findings suggest that using low-tech solutions in low socio-economic settings can foster student engagement by allowing real-time feedback, collaborative interaction, and personalized participation.

Speech act theory is a significant issue in comprehending the intricate dynamics of human communication, acting as a guiding light in understanding how language is used to perform actions beyond the literal meanings of words. While traditional frameworks have presented valuable perceptions in classifying speech acts, the evolving nature of communication requires reconsidering and expanding these conventional approaches. The researchers of the current study proposed an innovative framework for speech act classifications, one that exceeds traditional boundaries and embraces the nuanced complexities of modern discourse. Based on seminal works by Austin (1962) and Searle (1969), and also by considering important research by Grice (1975), Levinson (1983), and emerging perspectives represented by Verschueren (1999) and Sbisa (2002), the researchers of this study critically assess current classifications, identifying essential challenges and opportunities in speech act analysis. The proposed framework introduces other categories such as Metaplocutionary Acts, Interlocutionary Acts, and Negotiation Acts, offering a more comprehensive and context-sensitive approach to understanding speech acts. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and empirical validation, the researchers of this study aim to refine and apply this framework across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts, thereby paving the way for a more nuanced and dynamic comprehension of human communication.

It is argued that in our current digital era, MALL (mobile-assisted language learning) is an indispensable mode either for independent self-learning or for integrating with the school curriculum. The present study explores the possibility of using gamification as a home assignment in English as a foreign language course for students of non-English majors at a university in Vietnam. Data was collected and analyzed using 69 questionnaire responses and 41 essays written by students in a class of General English. The questionnaire and essay topic prompt required students to provide an evaluation of their personal experience learning English with Duolingo outside the classroom, as part of the compulsory home assignments during a 15-week semester. The questionnaire items were in Vietnamese and the essays were either in Vietnamese or English for students’ convenience. The results showed detailed benefits and problems of learning English with Duolingo as perceived by the students. The key benefits include the fact that Duolingo is a valuable resource: rich and free; the limitation is mainly learners’ lack of experience with the application. It is suggested that with teachers’ guidance, Duolingo could be used as an effective and motivating tool for independent learning.  

Although Sociocultural Theory (SCT) was introduced to English Language Teaching (ELT) almost three decades ago, it has not yet started to find its way into the epistemological and practical aspects of English Language Teacher Education (LTE) programs in Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) language institutions context. Not having met the needs of English teachers, teacher educators, and academic and non-academic teaching programs and feeling a pressing need for innovative approaches in language teacher education, the time is ripe for LTE programs to present a curriculum that is globally driven and locally appropriate. To this end, this paper aimed to develop a sociocultural language teacher education (SLTE) curriculum model as an alternative to the LTE programs in the Iranian EFL context. The researchers applied Vygotskian principles and extensions of SCT pedagogy to construct a curriculum model that draws on Graves’ framework of LTE curriculum design and Richards’ model of teacher education that collectively incorporate different aspects, namely context analysis, needs analysis, approach, content, process, teacher educator’s roles, student teachers’ roles, and program evaluation. To present an  innovative LTE program, the researchers extracted and put together the tenets, extensions, and categories of SCT comprehensively and presented them through a complementary curriculum model that is a combination of Graves’ framework and Richards’ model of teacher education. This tentative but dynamic curriculum model might help teachers, teacher educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders to reconceptualize and restructure their mentalities and use the findings when designing small-scale and large-scale LTE programs.

The Elicited Imitation Test (EIT) is widely recognized for its reliability in research settings as a proficiency assessment tool. However, there exists a need to examine its predictive validity in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. This study investigates the extent to which the EIT, alongside the Oxford Placement Test (OPT), can predict students' academic achievements in an English for Academic Purposes course, including overall grade point average and scores in listening, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary. The study also examines the relationship between students' perceptions of their listening and speaking skills and their EIT performance. The study involves 41 participants, with data analysis conducted using both regression and correlation methods. Results show that the EIT significantly predicts students' grade point average and language skills. Students' self-perceived speaking and listening abilities reasonably align with their actual performance on the EIT, and it seems that factors related to comprehension weigh heavily in their considerations. These findings have significant implications for EFL research and pedagogy.

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of language assessment literacy enhancement (LALE) on Iranian high school EFL students’ assessment as learning of writing skill. It also aimed to examine if LALE affects Iranian EFL students’ attitudes toward assessment as learning. To this end, 80 intermediate-level high-school EFL learners were selected and randomly categorized into the experimental and control groups. Both groups wrote an essay in the pre-test phase. Then, The ESL Composition Scale was used to teach the students what makes good writing and what criteria and standards they are supposed to learn to be able to write and rate the essays of their own and their peers. The control group received no instructional information on assessment rubrics. The experimental and control groups wrote another essay on a specific topic in the post-test phase. In the qualitative phase of the study, ten high school EFL students from the experimental group were interviewed regarding their attitudes toward the practice of assessment as learning of the writing skill in their English classes. The findings indicated that LALE significantly affected Iranian high school EFL students’ assessment as learning of writing skill. Moreover, students believed peer and self-assessment techniques are rarely implemented in Iranian high school EFL classes. They were also uncertain and felt uncomfortable judging, evaluating, criticizing, and rating their peers. Besides, they felt that they were not knowledgeable and capable enough to play the role of an assessor.

Based on Shulman's (1986) concept of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) emerged and became a helpful framework for comprehending the objectives of using technology in pre-service teacher training programs. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate Iranian pre-service EFL teachers’ (PSEFLTs) perceptions towards their TPACK regarding their gender and academic year of study. To this aim, 254 Iranian PSEFLTs across various academic years of study filled out a 39-item EFL TPACK questionnaire developed by Baser et al. (2016). The questionnaire included seven categories: Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), Technology Knowledge (TK), PCK, Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). Based on the collected data, which were subjected to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and post-hoc analysis, it was found that PSEFLTs generally held mildly favorable perceptions towards their TPACK. Notably, the lowest mean score was observed for the TK component, while the component with the highest mean score was the CK component. In terms of the gender effect, statistically significant differences were found in the TK and TPCK dimensions, where males outscored females in both TK and TPCK and females outscored males in CK. Furthermore, an examination of the relationship between participants' TPACK and their academic years of study manifested a statistically significant difference primarily between freshmen and seniors. The results are expected to encourage curriculum planners to develop PSEFLTs’ training programs by integrating technology courses into the ELT curriculum.

The present study aimed to explore how the ELT curriculum is perceived, adopted, and implemented by EFL high school teachers. This study also shed some light on several effective factors in curriculum planning and practicing. Data for this study came from a survey and follow-up interviews with EFL teachers. The Findings revealed some critical systemic gaps between policy and practice: (1) a disconnect between policymaking processes and established ELT pedagogical theories; (2) insufficient incorporation of stakeholder voices, particularly teachers, during policy formulation; (3) neglect of teacher agency, professional needs, and motivational factors in curriculum design; and (4) an absence of foundational needs analysis research to inform policy decisions. The study underscores the imperative of prioritizing teacher autonomy, participatory policymaking, and evidence-based frameworks in curriculum development. To mitigate disparities between policy objectives and classroom practices, recommendations include decentralizing decision-making to empower educators, integrating teacher feedback into policy cycles, leveraging academic expertise, and fostering context-sensitive adaptations of global ELT methodologies. These insights contribute to broader regional discussions on educational equity, teacher professionalization, and sustainable language policy reforms in institutional settings.

The focus of prior studies has been on introducing different cultulings in Iranian culture; as a result, little attention has been given to their relationship with individual differences and language-related variables. Therefore, to address this gap, the researchers first devised a cultuling competency test to measure individuals’ ability to identify 14 culturally different contexts. They then substantiated the construct validity of the cultuling competency test through CFA, and its reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha, suggesting high reliability. Next, the researchers aimed to assess the role of cultuling in individuals’ language aptitude, verbal intelligence, cultural intelligence, and second language (L2) willingness to communicate (WTC). The results indicated that cultuling is a significant predictor of verbal intelligence. It was also found that L2 WTC and cultural intelligence are positively correlated. Finally, the findings revealed that language aptitude has a significant relationship with both cultural and verbal intelligence.

Since reflective practice is regarded as a significant professional learning tool for teachers to change, modify, and reform their educational practices, it is important for teachers to move towards a more creative use of reflection. Thus, imaginative and creative reflective practice can serve as a new approach to enhance teaching efficiency, originality, reflectivity, and practicality. Additionally, teachers can utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to implement reflective practice in creative and imaginative ways to support innovative reflections and address complex teaching challenges. Accordingly, this study employed imaginative and creative reflective practice with a Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) as a novel AI tool. This study explored how imaginative and creative AI-oriented reflective practice could contribute to the professional development of EFL teachers within a complex educational system. To this end, the perspectives of six novice and experienced EFL teachers were examined through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and post-class discussions within a qualitative case study framework. The findings indicated that teachers were able to transform and reform their belief systems by learning new concepts, reflecting on their practices, innovating knowledge and practice, and initiating change through imaginative and creative AI-oriented reflective practice. The study concludes with suggestions on how to engage language teachers in imaginative and creative AI-oriented reflective practices.