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This study aimed to explore the effect of multimedia glosses on the vocabulary acquisition of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. The program employed in this study provided the learners with glosses for words in the form of sounds and videos. The participants were 40 intermediate EFL learners studying English at a private institute in Esfahan. The participants were assigned to experimental and control groups. Participants were given the exact reading context from a software called "Tell Me More." The experimental group had access to multimedia glosses for unknown words. The learners were granted access to the glosses by clicking on the highlighted words. The control group, regarding the clarification of the unknown word lexis, received help from the researcher through the conventional method and had access to a dictionary. After 10 sessions, a vocabulary test was given to experimental and control groups. The application of an independent t-test indicated that the performance of the participants exposed to multimedia glosses was significantly superior to that of the control group. The present study offers valuable insights for CALL material designers in selecting the optimal combination of modalities to facilitate L2 vocabulary acquisition.

The present study explored the effects of voicing and place of articulation on voice onset time (VOT) and fundamental frequency (F0) of onset of Persian oral plosives uttered by normal hearing (NH) and hearing-impaired (HI) children. Twenty-one NH children and twenty-one HI children matched for age and gender took part in this study. The participants were asked to repeat 36 CV words including all eight Persian plosives (/p/, /t/, /k/, /c/, /b/, /d/, /g/, /Ɉ/) in combination with the vowel /æ/. All syllables were recorded in a nearly sound-proof room using PRAAT Software. Independent samples t-test was used to compare the groups across gender. The results revealed: (a) HI children had higher VOT and F0 of onset values in nearly all aspects except for VOT and F0 onset of voiced plosives and F0 onset of alveolar and velar plosives; (b) both groups of girls had higher VOT values than boys did; (c) VOT is affected by the place of articulation and F0 is related to voiced-voiceless classification of plosives. Overall, NH children were able to distinguish and produce sounds more correctly, implying that HI children need further training. The study has implications for speech therapists, clinical linguists, and application designers to focus on speech sounds which are challenging for HI children to produce.  

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 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 study aimed to examine the effects of a teacher education course on EFL teachers’ self-efficacy in formative assessment. The researchers employed a mixed-method design that combined quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate the effects of the course. Thirty EFL teachers participated in the study and completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires to assess their formative assessment self-efficacy beliefs. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data on teachers’ beliefs about formative assessment. The quantitative data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests, and thematic analysis was conducted for the qualitative data. The results indicated a significant increase in teachers’ formative assessment self-efficacy beliefs. The findings suggest that providing teacher education courses focused on formative assessment can effectively enhance EFL teachers’ self-efficacy and utilization of such assessment methods in online classroom. The current study has some pedagogical implications and recommendations for the implementation of similar courses and potential areas for future research are also discussed.

Objective: This study explores the effect of recruiting topics highly valued by students along with the interest-igniting mode of reading texts in the site of practice, collectively framed as funds of identity (FoI), on willingness to read (WTR).Methods: To this end, three groups of students were recruited. Over a 17-session extracurricular experiment, all the three groups received books in and out of tune with their FoI, elicited through an initial-semester researcher-made questionnaire. One group (n = 20) received e-books with few interactive features, the second group (n = 20) received e-books with no interactive features, and the third group (n = 20) received print books. WTR and attitude changes toward e-books were assessed using initial- and final-semester questionnaires. Students were also required to send summaries of their readings and keep journals throughout the experiment. They finally gave a post-treatment interview.Results: Qualitative sets of data in juxtaposition with quantitative ones lent support to the positive influence FoI and e-books—as on-site emerging FoI—exercised on WTR and attitude change toward e-books.Conclusions: FoI operationalized through e-books increased learners' WTR. In light of the patterns of changes observed, FoI of students are suggested to be taken into consideration for obtaining better educational results.

Motivated by the growing significance of research on language teacher emotion regulation, the present study investigated the contributions of an online asynchronous teacher education initiative to L2 teachers’ emotion regulation. Drawing on Gross’ (1998, 2015) model of emotion regulation, the data gathered from interviews with four teachers prior to and after the course, their reflective narratives, online discussions, and class observations were qualitatively analyzed. The analyses pointed to the microgenetic development of teachers in terms of the incremental learning and application of the course content (i.e., emotion regulation) to their instructional practice. In other words, the participants incrementally drew on the learned strategies to up/down-regulate their emotions as English teachers. Additionally, the participant teachers tended to articulate their thoughts via reflective narratives by adopting the professional discourse, further implying the participant teachers’ access to their cognitions.

This study explores the impact of supplementary blended learning on the listening comprehension skills of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. A sample of 60 male Iranian EFL learners was selected from a population of 100 learners studying English at Pardis Language Institute, Hamadan, Iran, via double-stage sampling. After being selected, participants were sorted into two groups, that is, a control group and an experimental group. In the treatment sessions, all participants listened to parts of the American English File (book 2). The participants in the control group received the usual procedure of teaching listening in the institute. In the experimental group, the students received target language input via videos and supplementary reading materials before classes so that they had sufficient exposure to the input. The listening topics were uploaded on a common social networking site, i.e., the telegram application, which was also reserved for giving teachers feedback on the students’ questions. The results of the data analysis showed that supplemental blended learning had a statistically significant effect on EFL learners’ listening comprehension. In other words, the research question was answered positively, and the corresponding null hypothesis was rejected.

This article performs a CDA on White House press briefings and is especial in its focus on how gendered language impacts relations of power. Adopting a mixed-method approach, this study will examine linguistic strategies and deictic expressions used by male and female spokespersons articulating ideologies and constructing authority. The latter is based on Fairclough's three-dimensional CDA model, whereby text analysis is involved, together with discourse practices and social context in explaining how language reflects and constructs political realities. The research questions were as follows: (1) How are deictic expressions used by spokesmen and spokeswomen in the White House press briefings? (2) What is the inter-relationship between power and language through the usage of modal verbs, and is there a gender-based difference herein? (3) How do women spokespersons, through language, claim ideologies and power? It is a contribution to applied linguistics and presents evidence of subtle linguistic mechanisms that shape public perception of gendered language in political discourse. The research questions were as follows: (1) How are deictic expressions used by spokesmen and spokeswomen in the White House press briefings? (2) What is the inter-relationship between power and language through the usage of modal verbs, and is there a gender-based difference herein? (3) How do women spokespersons, through language, claim ideologies and power? It is a contribution to applied linguistics and presents evidence of subtle linguistic mechanisms that shape public perception of gendered language in political discourse.

The present research aimed to determine the possible effect of multimedia use in English classes on the development of EFL learners’ self-concept. For this purpose, 80 EFL students were selected through covariance sampling from among all the male high school English students in Ahvaz and were equally divided into an experimental group (n=40) and a control group (n= 40). To collect the needed data for the aims of the study, Chen & Thompson (2004) self-concept questionnaire was employed. Then, based on the quasi-experimental, pre-test, and post-test methods of the study, the elicited data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and covariance analysis. The obtained results showed that using multimedia in instruction has a significant impact on EFL learners’ self-concept. These findings have some implications for teaching English as a foreign language. First, the use of up-to-date multimedia technology needs to be encouraged more than before in schools, language institutes, and universities. Second, teachers’ interest, readiness, and expertise to use multimedia facilities need to be evaluated before appointing them as English language instructors. Finally, suitable grounds for the implementation of multimedia technology should be provided in educational setting.

The present research was targeted toward examining the relationship between cultural intelligence (CQ), emo-sensory intelligence (ESQ), language learning strategies (LLS), and students’ language achievement (LA). A number of 300 EFL Iraqi students studying at the English Language Department of AL-Qadisiyah University, Iraq was selected through convenience sampling. The participants filled out the cultural intelligence questionnaire, emo-sensory intelligence scale, and the language learning strategy inventory. Students’ final scores were used as a means through which their language achievement could be gauged. The data were analyzed using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis. The findings indicated a significant relationship between ESQ, CQ, learning strategies, and students’ language achievement. In addition, it was found that CQ and language learners’ strategy could directly predict the language achievement of Iraqi EFL learners. ESQ, could only predict language learners’ achievement through the mediation of language learning strategies.

As a formative assessment procedure, self-assessment aims to converge learners’ and teachers’ views in assessment. Hence, reducing the perceptual mismatches between the learners’ and the teachers’ assessment would positively affect the learning process. For this aim, the present study investigated to what extent the learners’ assessment of their writing before and after being provided with a list of rating criteria, agrees that of their teachers. Therefore, a body of 6 EFL writing teachers and 27 EFL learners participated in this study. The learners were asked to rate their writing before and after being provided with rating criteria developed by the researchers. The teachers also rated the students’ writings following the same criteria. The obtained results showed a significant difference between the students' scores on the first and second assessment occasions. The teachers’ and the students’ assessment on the second time also were found to significantly correlate. Moreover, the analysis of the students’ comments showed that while they rated their writing on some limited aspects of writing in the first rating occasion, they assessed their essays using more components in the second assessment phase. Overall, the findings revealed that providing the learners with rating criteria would not only reduce the perceptual mistaches between the students’ and the teachers’ assessment but through involving the students’ voices in their assessment would promote democratic classroom assessment. Pedagogical implications of the study are discussed.