درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The global education landscape is witnessing a rise in teacher accountability, where educators bear a heightened responsibility for demonstrably achieving student learning outcomes. In response, teachers are engaged in a continuous quest to enhance their pedagogical effectiveness, seeking strategies and methodologies to optimize their classroom practice. The present study investigates the relationship between Continuous Professional Development (CPD) practices and teacher success in the Iranian context. A sample of 364 EFL teachers from junior and senior high schools self-reported on their CPD engagement, while 422 of their students provided their perceptions of teacher success. Findings revealed the substantial potential of CPD to elevate teacher success through interconnected processes of knowledge updating, reflective practice, collaborative learning, and refined decision-making skills. Notably, updating knowledge strongly influenced both collaboration and reflection, while reflection moderately stimulated collaboration, and collaboration exerted a robust influence on effective decision-making. However, the study unexpectedly uncovered a negative direct association between teacher decision-making and professional success within the specific Iranian context. Additionally, no significant gender-based differences in teacher success were observed. The negative association between teacher decision-making and professional success in the Iranian context warrants further investigation. This suggests that factors specific to the Iranian educational system or cultural context might influence the relationship between these two variables. Understanding these factors is crucial for developing contextually relevant CPD programs.

La majorité des troubles mentaux trouvent leurs origines dans le contexte social et familial de l'enfance. Selon Karen Horney, psychologue néo-freudienne, un enfant privé d'amour, de sécurité, de confiance et d'affection développe une anxiété à l'âge adulte, entravant ainsi son épanouissement. Pour faire face à cette anxiété, il adopte l'un des trois types de personnalité : agressive ou conflictuelle, soumise ou complaisante, et détachée ou isolée. Ces individus se réfugient souvent dans un monde imaginaire qu'ils créent pour trouver la paix intérieure et pour apaiser leurs tourments, mais cette échappatoire engendre également d'autres problèmes psychologiques. Dans cet article, nous analysons le type de personnalité de Monsieur Songe, personnage du livre éponyme de Robert Pinget, en nous appuyant sur les théories de Karen Horney. Des exemples tirés de l'œuvre révèlent la dimension psychologique de ce personnage, contribuant ainsi à une meilleure compréhension de la richesse psychologique du Nouveau Roman, qui est toujours en débat.

Mahmoud est un roman iranien, originellement en persan, traduit par son auteur Rouhollah Hosseini à la suite de la pandémie de Covid-19. Dans cette fiction, le personnage principal tente inlassablement de commencer l’écriture d’un ouvrage qui sera le garant de sa réputation après sa mort monumentale mais, incapable de réaliser cette vocation, il s’engouffre dans ses pensées angoissantes à l’origine de sa peur du temps et se croit toujours en retard par rapport aux écrivains féconds qu’il admire et qui ont accompli leur mission en marquant leur empreinte de génie avant de mourir. Afin de comprendre le défi existentiel que subit Mahmoud et de déchiffrer la question fondamentale que pose l’auteur sur les obstacles de l’homme moderne, il est incontournable d’évaluer le concept du temps dans ce récit et d’interpréter l’état psychologique du personnage par une analyse sémiotique de la théorie du récit introduite par Paul Ricœur dans les années 80 et suivie par les travaux de Philippe Hamon sur le statut sémiologique du personnage.

Ce présent article a pour but de mettre en évidence l’importance de la poésie francophile de  Mohammad- Ali Eslâmi-e Nodouchane (1924-2022) à travers ses poèmes Le « Péché » et la « Source » étant le pivot de la nouveauté poétique en Iran. De plus, la traduction des Fleurs du Mal et du Spleen de Paris de Charles Baudelaire fut le motif du parcours littéraire de Nodouchane en France, car il considérait Baudelaire comme le maître de sa création artistique. En outre, la « mélancolie » et la « désillusion » sont deux termes essentiels pour trouver les origines de la poésie francophile où le poète persan s’enthousiasme pour le pessimisme et l’imagination de Baudelaire afin d’être un poète visionnaire vis-à-vis de la destinée humaine. En fait, la francophilie dans sa dimension poétique sera examinée par les différents critères dont la solitude et l’angoisse constituent la trame de l’apport littéraire de Nodouchane en Iran.

Critical pedagogy places a significant emphasis on dialogue due to its transformative potential within educational settings. This approach fosters critical thinking, self-reflection, and empowerment among students, encouraging them to engage deeply with the material and question underlying assumptions. While research in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts has delved into the application of critical dialogue, there has been a notable gap in understanding how teachers perceive and implement this approach in their classrooms. This study seeks to address this gap by collecting data through ethnographic interviews with 22 teachers over three months. Data analysis was then conducted using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. Results showed that for critical dialogic teaching to be effective, two essential conditions should be met: (1) the presence of a critical dialogical teacher who embodies characteristics such as openness, mediation, and the ability to create a supportive environment, and (2) the use of specific strategies, such as authentic tasks, group work, and technology, to foster engagement and diverse perspectives. These findings have significant implications for language education, highlighting the need for teacher training that supports the development of dialogical teaching practices, promotes inclusive classroom environments, and empowers students to engage critically with both language and content. The study also underscores the importance of addressing the cultural and contextual factors that influence how critical dialogue is perceived and implemented by teachers in EFL settings.

In the aftermath of conflict, the role of translation extends into the realm of conflict resolution. This study examines how translation prefaces address conflict resolution in the context of post-revolutionary Iran following the Iran-Iraq War, focusing on the resolution strategies employed. To achieve this, criterion sampling was used to select three English books on the Iran-Iraq War, originally written from Iraqi or Other perspectives and translated into Persian by Marz-o-Boom Publications. Data were collected from the prefaces of these translations, emphasizing their treatment of the war and the contentious themes in the source texts. Using Salama-Carr’s (2007) and Webne Behrman’s (1998) definitions of conflict, conflict cases were identified and categorized based on Thomas and Kilmann’s (1974) conflict resolution model. The findings indicate that the competing strategy was predominantly employed (44.4%–54.6%), reflecting strong assertiveness in promoting Iranian state perspectives. The compromising strategy was used to a moderate extent (18.6%–34.4%), indicating some engagement in negotiation, while the collaborating strategy ranged from 18.1% to 33.4%, reflecting fluctuating openness to diverse viewpoints. The accommodating strategy appeared only once (2.3%), highlighting a reluctance to embrace alternative perspectives, while the avoiding strategy was entirely absent, suggesting a deliberate effort to confront the complexities of the conflict. Overall, the findings reveal a pattern of using collaboration within a competitive framework as a nuanced approach to conflict resolution in sensitive translation contexts. This strategy demonstrates a strong commitment to constructive dialogue, enriches the discourse on the conflict, and enhances readers’ understanding of its multifaceted nature.

Dans sa première œuvre, Les cerfs-volants de Kaboul, Khaled Hosseini, écrivain d’origine afghane d’expression anglaise, pratique un bilinguisme singulier dont la particularité réside dans l’usage du farsi au sein d’une narration en langue anglaise mais qui fait croire à un espace langagier monolingue où les locuteurs s’expriment effectivement en farsi. Est singulière aussi la traduction persane de cette œuvre qui doit ramener le texte à sa langue-culture d’origine. La question qui se pose alors est de savoir quelles peuvent être les particularités d’une telle traduction où le traducteur partage la langue maternelle de l’auteur et que le rapport classique entre l’Autre et le Soi est donc inversée. Pour étudier ce phénomène, nous avons choisi la traduction de Mahdi Ghabraii qui jouit d’un accueil favorable de la part des lecteurs iraniens. L’analyse des exemples relevés dans la traduction nous montre que le traducteur fait subir des modifications à l’original qui définissent une autre éthique en traduction et qui prouvent définitivement que le rapatriement et donc la communication peuvent être ici considérés comme le seul projet du traducteur, perçus d’ailleurs comme positifs.

The application of comprehension skills as a general cognitive ability has long been discussed in the literature on second language reading comprehension. To trace second language reading comprehension difficulties back to the text or reader attributes, the present study investigates the optimum load of linguistic and non-linguistic components of second language reading ability. The study followed a quantitative method of research, and the data were collected on the performance of 164 Iranian foreign language learners with different educational backgrounds. A group of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) experts provided feedback on the specifications of the sample test items based on the Comprehensive Taxonomy of Reading Sub-skills (CTRS) derived from major taxonomies in the literature. Applying exploratory factor analysis and correlational computations, the results revealed that although the items were all convergent to measure the same latent construct, items aimed at measuring general cognitive comprehension skills had more contribution to the overall test scores. Teachers at both language institutes and ministry of education, test developing organizations, and students who seek to gain more success in reading comprehension examinations can benefit from this study feedback.

This study seeks to investigate the role and impact of translators in the (anthropological) field during research conducted by foreign anthropologists in Iran. To achieve this, a questionnaire, an apparent open-ended one with six items, was distributed to 30 anthropologists who conducted field research in Iran, aiming to identify invisible interpreters/translators, including local informants, who assisted researchers in overcoming language barriers and communicating with participants during anthropological fieldwork. Given that anthropologists are typically trained to work independently without the aid of translators, certain participants displayed hesitancy in discussing the subject matter. Anthropologists who completed the questionnaire and said they conducted the research without utilizing translators in the field cited their fluency in the local language, perceiving translators as impediments, and their accessibility as the main reasons for their approach. Nevertheless, some of these researchers emphasized the potential benefits of using translators, particularly in terms of enhancing comprehension. Conversely, there were anthropologists who found value in engaging both formal and informal translators, as they served as gateways to communication. As an interdisciplinary study, this article endeavors to shed light on a relatively unexplored aspect of anthropology, namely translation. It is crucial to acknowledge and engage in further discussion regarding the collaboration between professionals from different disciplines, including Translation Studies and anthropology, within various scientific journals and conferences.

This paper investigates the payment's impact on the quality of translated products, an area that has been largely overlooked in translation sociology. Drawing on Actor-Network-Theory, the study analyzed recent translations by 10 Iranian freelance and agency translators with over five years of translation experience in the market. Participants provided the researchers with translations completed for low and good payments, which were evaluated using the Waddington (2001) model. Interviews were conducted to gather the participants’ opinions with regard to the Iranian translation market. Despite dissatisfaction with low payment and the unjust translation market, most translators produced high-quality translations. However, the unjust market frustrated translators and led many to leave their jobs. The findings suggest that while low payment does not necessarily negatively affect translation quality, it can significantly impact the job satisfaction and retention of translators. This study sheds light on the economic aspect of translation and has important implications for the translation industry.

Listening anxiety is the feeling of apprehension that learners might experience when trying to comprehend information from others. This anxiety associated with listening comprehension has been a significant focus of academic research for the past few decades. Foreign language listening anxiety (FLLA) can be triggered by different factors, including affective pressure, cognitive load, or communication disorders. However, there is a lack of appropriate conceptual models to accurately pinpoint the sources of anxiety related to listening. This research introduces a novel model in a non-experimental correlation research design to scrutinize the efficacy of cultural intelligence (CQ) and reflective thinking (RT) in predicting the source of FLLA among EFL learners. To accomplish this, a sample of 250 EFL students was administered the three scales for the constructs under study. In terms of the statistical analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM) was run to examine the fit of the conceptual model. The findings showed that both CQ and RT affect FLLA. However, RT was a stronger predictor of FLLA than CQ. Notably, critical reflection was found to be the strongest predictor of FLLA in the RT. Besides, both cognitive and behavioral dimensions equally influenced FLLA for CQ. Lastly, the results and implications for reducing FLLA are discussed.

The present study investigated whether individual or collective reflective journals could lead to teachers’ professional development and professional identity (re)construction. To this end, 30 Iranian EFL teachers were selected through convenience sampling. The participants wrote pre-workshop reflective journals individually and collectively and attended a reflective consciousness-raising workshop for eight sessions. The participants were informed about the major tenets of reflection, professional development, and professional identity (re)construction in the workshop. Afterward, they wrote post-workshop reflective journals again individually and collectively. The participants sat follow-up interviews for the researchers to find out which kinds of journals better helped them develop professionally and (re)construct their professional identity. The findings showed that individual reflective journals and collective reflective journals contributed to teachers’ professional development and professional identity (re)construction respectively. The findings might imply that stakeholders involved that is EFL education policymakers, curriculum developers, and syllabus designers hold interactive workshops for pre-service and in-service teachers on reflective journal writing which might lead to both EFL teachers’ professional development and identity (re)construction. Moreover, it is recommended that the decision-makers and senior managers develop systematic checklists addressing those influential factors found in the present study to contribute to teachers’ professional development and professional identity construction.

Objective: The involvement load hypothesis posits that the higher the involvement load of a task, the more effective it will be in improving students’ lexical learning. It does not differentiate between the different components of involvement load (need, search, and evaluation). Nor does it assume that the type of words to be learnt has any role in the effectiveness of tasks with different involvement load indices. This study compared the effect of the components of task involvement load on the comprehension, production, and retention of concrete and abstract words. Methods: Sixty upper-intermediate students were assigned to two groups. One group received a task in which the search component was dominant, the other group received a task (with the same overall involvement index) in which search was not present, and the evaluation component was the determining factor of task difficulty. A pretest, posttest, control group design (quasi-experimental method of research) was used to address the research questions. Results: One-way MANOVA results on the immediate posttest were in line with ILH predictions, showing no significant differences between tasks with equal involvement indices. On the other hand, the delayed posttest results showed that in case of receptive knowledge, there was a meaningful difference between abstract and concrete vocabulary, and the search group outperformed the evaluation group. However, the results of the productive posttest showed that the evaluation group outperformed the search group in abstract words. Conclusions: The findings can have significant implications for language learners, teachers, materials designers, and researchers.

Using Kane's interpretive argument model and Messick's validity argument approach, this study rigorously examined faculty and PhD candidate’s perspectives on PhD admission interviews in Iranian universities. We interviewed 10 professors and PhD interviewees which provided comprehensive insight into nuanced perspectives. We conducted rigorous content analysis to identify prevalent themes, forming a strong foundation for our analysis. This study emphasizes the vital requirement for standardized evaluation criteria, robust support systems, and an enhanced interview process to ensure fair and inclusive admission systems. Additionally, our development of guidelines based on Toulmin's reasoning model underscores the originality of our contribution and its potential to benefit stakeholders and the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology (MSRT) in Iran. The findings highlighted the importance of standardized criteria, support, and a stronger interview process for fairness and inclusivity in selecting PhD candidates. Faculty stressed clear guidelines to remove subjectivity, while candidates voiced concerns about unclear expectations and proposed added support like mentoring and preparation programs. Based on Toulmin's reasoning model, the study crafted validity argument guidelines for this context. As a result, these proposed changes will impact stakeholders and the MSRT by enhancing the PhD candidate evaluation process and ensuring a fairness and inclusivity. This study provides valuable insights to improve PhD admission procedures at Iranian universities by integrating standardized criteria, enhancing support mechanisms, and fostering fairness in decision-making.

This research paper delved into the critical issue of applying English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) assessment principles in local English language tests used for non-native English speakers in Iranian language institutes. A qualitative content analysis was made on 60 local tests, dissecting them into domains, dimensions, and rating rubrics to scrutinize their alignment with ELF assessment principles. The study unveiled that despite some alignment with ELF assessment principles, key aspects like local communicative context, intercultural competence, and linguistic diversity are often overlooked. In particular, writing and reading tests failed to fully reflect these principles, and listening and speaking assessments showed biases towards native English varieties. The study provides crucial insights for test developers to foster a more nuanced and accurate assessment of non-native English speakers' abilities. Moreover, it highlights the need to embed ELF principles into test construction, argues for broader assessment scopes and a focus on locally relevant tasks, and contributes to more equitable and contextually relevant English language proficiency tests by emphasizing linguistic diversity in assessment frameworks.