درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Despite growing interest in diagnostic assessment tools in second language writing, limited empirical research has addressed their development for EFL contexts. Responding to this need, this study aimed to develop and validate a diagnostic-oriented rating scale designed to deliver targeted feedback on Iranian EFL learners’ academic writing. Using a mixed-methods approach, essential descriptors reflecting core writing skills were identified through think-aloud protocols and expert feedback, followed by quantitative analyses to ensure reliability and validity. The findings indicate that the 21 empirically derived descriptors capture essential aspects of academic writing—content fulfillment, organizational knowledge, and language use—enabling instructors to assess learner proficiency with greater precision. The scale’s validation process, including inter-rater reliability, content validity, and criterion-related validity checks, supports its effectiveness as a diagnostic tool closely aligned with expert evaluations. This tool is a valuable resource for both large-scale assessments and classroom applications, supporting a learner-centered approach and empowering students to address specific writing challenges.

This mixed-methods study was an attempt to ascertain if experienced EFL teachers’ classroom management is related to their burnout and organizational commitment. It was also intended to unveil their perceptions and attitudes regarding the sources of their burnout and organizational commitment. For this purpose, 50 male and female experienced teachers were chosen from three English institutes in Tehran and were asked to fill up the three questionnaires: Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Organizational Commitment Scale, and Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control (ABCC) Inventory. They were further interviewed and observed in their actual classes. According to the obtained findings and results, the perceived classroom management of teachers did not significantly correlate with their actual management practice. Furthermore, there was a negative but statistically non-significant correlation between EFL teachers’ organizational commitment and classroom management. The correlation between teachers’ burnout and classroom management turned out to be positive but statistically non-significant as well. Considering the point that the correlations between the variables were non-significant, the predictability analyses were not conducted as the results would logically be non-significant too. Conducting the interviews, the majority of the teachers strongly believed that low commitment and burnout have nothing to do with their performance in classroom since there is something beyond the obligation to the organization, which is responsibility to learners, and no other external factors could interfere.

The present study sought to investigate the prevalence of plagiarism in graduate theses submitted by Iranian students. To this end, a corpus comprising 43 Master's theses in Trans-lation Studies and 46 Master's theses in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) was analyzed utilizing the iThenticate plagiarism detection software. The content of the the-ses was scrutinized to identify instances of plagiarism, defined as the verbatim reproduction or paraphrasing of passages from published sources without proper citation. The findings revealed several cases where students had paraphrased entire excerpts from books or journal articles without providing adequate citations. Furthermore, the data showed a higher inci-dence of plagiarism in Translation Studies theses relative to TEFL theses, with Chapter 2 exhibiting the most pronounced discrepancies. Although the degree of overlap between source texts and student work was substantially greater in TEFL theses, the extent of plagia-rism, as defined by the verbatim reproduction of copyrighted material, was more prevalent in Translation Studies theses. A chi-square test corroborated the presence of a statistically significant difference between the frequencies of plagiarism in the two disciplines under examination.

Given the importance of consecutive interpreting as a key mode of communication, various factors influencing its effectiveness must be examined to enhance overall performance. This study explored the relationship between working memory (working memory), interpreting delivery rate, and the number of pauses. To achieve this, two working memory tests and a consecutive interpreting task were administered to 30 MA translation students. The analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between one working memory measure (reading span) and interpreting delivery rate. However, no significant relationship was found between working memory and the number of silent or filled pauses in the interpreting output. Additionally, working memory was identified as a predictor of interpreting delivery rate. These findings suggest that while working memory may be associated with certain variables, such as delivery rate, it may not be linked to others, such as the number of pauses in consecutive interpreting.

L’imagologie est une étude qui, à partir des images élaborées, se focalise sur l'analyse de « l’étranger » et essaye de le représenter. En effet, ces images sont, d'un côté, le produit des observations et des jugements de l'auteur sur l'Autre, et de l'autre, celui de sa mentalité et ses pensées. Ainsi, les récits de voyages jouent un rôle primordial dans la représentation de l'Autre. En fait, l'un des thèmes fondamentaux de la littérature de voyage, c'est « l’étranger ». L’objectif de ce travail est d'analyser l’image de l'Iran dans le récit de voyage d'Ella Maillart ; une femme-écrivain suisse. Cette recherche s’intéresse à la manière dont les images se construisent. En premier lieu, en s’appuyant sur la conception du paysage chez Michel Collot, nous analyserons les images de l'espace géographique et historique présentées par l'auteure. En deuxième lieu, nous nous attacherons aux définitions de Daniel-Henri Pageaux à propos de la représentation de l’Autre du point de vue de l’imagologie, et nous allons voir comment cette image élaborée de l'Iran a-t-elle été abordée. Finalement, pour étayer notre analyse en profondeur, nous nous pencherons sur les données culturelles et sociales de la communauté iranienne à l’époque.

The study investigated (a) pre-service teachers' strategy use in managing online classes of young learners in terms of six categories of time, interaction, assessment, behavior, instruction, and content; (b) the extent to which their practice matched their beliefs; and (c) their strengths and weaknesses in online classroom management. To collect the required data, the teaching practices of 26 pre-service teachers (f = 19, m = 7) who were MA students of TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign language) at Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) were observed and then rated according to 40 strategies defined in a rating scale. The student teachers were also asked to rate their own online teaching, and then their scores were compared with those of the observers. They also answered three interview questions on their strategy use, strengths, and weaknesses in managing their class in the Adobe Connect. The results of this mixed methods research revealed that student teachers used time management strategies more than the other strategies in their practice and that the majority of whom overrated their strategy use. The results also indicated that their strengths in using the components of classroom management could be hierarchically ranked as time, interaction, content, instruction, behavior, and assessment. With regard to their weaknesses, assessment was found as the weakest component. This study can help teacher educators to offer pre-service teachers an appropriate instruction on their challenges of managing online classes of young learners.

The e-learning integration has emerged as an alternative strategy, significantly improving teaching and learning experiences in higher education worldwide. However, it has also presented different challenges and opportunities for teachers and students. This comparative, cross-cultural study explored the perspectives of German vs. Iranian EFL teachers on e-learning integration in higher education. The data were collected utilising a mixed-methods design and based on convenient sampling through two questionnaires on challenges and opportunities, semi-structured interviews, and observations from 26 German EFL teachers and 92 Iranian EFL teachers. The study focused on the Technology Acceptance Model and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. The questionnaire findings revealed that both groups recognised significant challenges and opportunities in e-learning. German teachers appreciated organisational improvements and evaluative innovations, whereas Iranians valued stress reduction and access to materials. Both groups faced technological and administrative challenges, with Iranians reporting more severe difficulties, highlighting the need for tailored support and resources to enhance online education. Interviews indicated a preference for face-to-face instruction among Germans, with greater resistance to online formats compared to Iranians. Younger teachers in both contexts showed more positive attitudes towards e-learning, with a consensus on the future of blended learning. The observations also supported the findings. Results indicated significant differences and similarities between the two contexts, highlighting technological, academic, pedagogical, and cultural factors influencing e-learning integration. The study findings could offer practical implications for policymakers and material developers, emphasising the need for custom-made e-learning strategies for different educational contexts. This cross-cultural comparison could suggest insights for teachers interested in integrating e-learning into their teaching.

English as a foreign language (EFL) textbooks play a significant role in these cultural exchanges. On the other hand, English is known as an international language and acquiring a good Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in EFL classes is considered as one of the primary goals. The present research reports a qualitative study on firstly, the representation of the elements of intercultural competence in Iranian EFL high school textbooks (Prospect Series) and secondly, the potentiality of the textbooks to develop students’ ICC. To this end, an in-depth content analysis of Prospect 1, Prospect 2, and Prospect 3 was done based on Byram’s (1997) model. Next, a group of 300 Iranian high school students was provided with the AIC questionnaire (Fantini, 2009a, p. 196) to examine the extent to which EFL lessons in Iranian high-school English textbooks significantly develop learners’ intercultural competence. The results of the statistical analyses revealed that the cultural topics covered in Prospect Series have little emphasis on developing students’ ICC, and also the dimensions of ICC tasks in the textbooks are distributed unequally. Moreover, Iranian EFL textbooks could not significantly develop learners’ ICC to become aware of cultural differences by being a source of ICC experience.

Acquiring a new language necessitates adeptness in mastering its lexicon. Language learners must possess a broad lexicon to effectively decipher texts in their target language. Among the array of skills imperative for foreign language learners, reading comprehension reigns supreme, influenced by myriad factors, including vocabulary breadth. This study endeavors to scrutinize the impact of vocabulary breadth on the reading comprehension of Iranian male and female learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Engaging 80 EFL learners at the intermediate level, the study employed two assessments: the Vocabulary Levels Test (Nation, 1990) to gauge learners' lexical proficiency and the Reading Comprehension Test (TOEFL version, 2004) to assess their reading acumen. Utilizing a Two-way ANOVA for data analysis, the findings underscored the substantial positive influence of expansive lexicon on reading comprehension. Notably, gender differentials in reading comprehension were not discerned among the participants. These findings carry implications for language pedagogy, assessment practices, educator preparation, and curriculum development.

The present research studied the disciplinary use of cohesive devices across academic writing, comparing Native English Writers (NEW) with Arab Writers of English (AEW). It centers around the research articles in the fields of Medicine and Education. The researchers adopted corpus-based analysis, presented by Halliday and Hasan's framework, 1976, in the exploration of cohesive device types—grammar and lexical ones—while considering frequencies along with discourse contexts. The results indicated significant disciplinary differences in cohesive strategies use among the NEW, i.e. additive conjunctions, which appear in the educational writing and facilitate argument development and logical flow between ideas (e.g., and, further); the collocations in medical writing reflect the exactitude of the subject and clarity to be expected in any sort of scientific discourse, no less with causal conjunctions. AEW also exhibited discipline-specific patterns, but their cohesive strategies are colored by the Arabic rhetorical traditions. AEW in education relied heavily on repetition to achieve thematic unity, which sometimes results in redundancy by the norms of English academic writing. AEW in medicine make more use of additive and causal conjunctions to achieve logical relations, although overuse sometimes led to long, unwieldy sentences. These findings have significant pedagogical implications for EAP instruction. They call for training in cohesive strategies specific to disciplines, especially for learners from an Arab background, as this helps learners adjust their writing practices in ways that will meet expectations in the English academic conventions while managing cultural influences.

The field of language assessment, commemorating its 40th anniversary since the launch of language testing, has evolved significantly over the years. This study aimed to investigate the key findings and insights from exploring the role of construct validity in shaping the design of English Language Assessment (ELA) tasks. Additionally, it delved into the challenges encountered in construct validity research studies and the strategies suggested by experts to enhance it. The research team utilized a mixed-method research design for the current study. A total sample size of 37 participants was deployed. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize survey responses using quantitative analysis software (e.g., SPSS). Qualitative data was coded and organized using qualitative analysis software (e.g., NVIVO). Based on the research findings, experts in the current study have proposed strategies, and recommendations for enhancing construct validity. These strategies encompassed the incorporation of contextual factors into assessment design, the promotion of continuous validation research, the diversification of task types, and the active involvement of test-takers in the assessment development process. The findings of this study may render implications for EFL teachers, teacher trainers, and assessment administrators.

With the explosive expansion of digital content in the present media landscape where almost every aspect of our lives is intertwined with the online interconnected spaces, extramural English—otherwise known as informal learning of English—has gained remarkable popularity among the youth, most notably the digital native generation or the tech-savvy. Informal learning of English in general, and extramural English in particular, occur outside of classroom settings—be it online and in real life—through learner-initiated activities. Notable examples of such activities include, among other things, watching films and TV shows, listening to songs, or playing video games (Sundqvist, 2024). Indeed, (online) informal learning of English, as Lee and Lee (2021) and Jurkovič (2019) note, consists of self-directed activities in digital settings, often driven by personal interests and undertaken independently, without teacher supervision. Typically, users engage in these activities without the explicit intention of improving their L2 skills. On this ground, the legitimacy of researching informal contact with English is rooted in a confluence of various factors, including contemporary communication practices, the evolving nature of language learning and the proliferation of free and user-friendly online resources and technologies worldwide.

This study investigated the effectiveness of two different scopes of corrective feedback on enhancing the complexity, accuracy, and fluency of L2 written productions among 150 intermediate EFL learners participating in intact online courses. The corrective feedback scope includes highly focused and comprehensive feedback delivered via digital platforms in synchronous and asynchronous formats. Participants were divided into five groups: synchronous highly focused feedback, synchronous comprehensive feedback, asynchronous highly focused feedback, asynchronous comprehensive feedback, and a control group receiving corrective feedback via traditional methods, characterized by the indiscriminate identification and marking of all errors. Results across the feedback groups regarding their impact on complexity, accuracy, and fluency in EFL learners' written productions indicated a significant effect on accuracy, while complexity and fluency showed no significant differences based on feedback scope and delivery modality. The results of this study have several important implications for educators, material developers, and policymakers in the field of language education. For teachers, adopting synchronous feedback strategies could significantly enhance the accuracy and complexity of students' written work.

The use of smartphones in higher education has significantly impacted the global education landscape, particularly in Bangladeshi tertiary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Despite their importance in improving students' communicative competence, listening skills are often overlooked in these classrooms due to limited access to listening equipment. This study, at the very outset, seeks to address their challenges while developing listening. Furthermore, it focused on identifying the perception of the learners and teachers towards the appropriate and effective use of smartphones to minimize their listening difficulties. This research design followed the sequential explanatory mixed-method approach to align the objectives. Convenience sampling was employed to select 11 participants for the qualitative component, ranging from lecturers to associate professors, as well as 159 students from 25 universities across Bangladesh for the quantitative component. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview were used to collect data. The study utilized SPSS 25.0 to analyze quantitative data presenting mean, median, mode, and standard deviation for the descriptive study, and a deductive thematic analysis technique was employed for qualitative data. The results showed that learners believe smartphones effectively help them overcome challenges like context sensitivity, pronunciation, missed or misperceived words, natural speech rate adaptation, accent comprehension, and vocabulary deficits. This study also finds that using smartphones to improve students' listening abilities in tertiary EFL classes is highly doable. This study also recommends that EFL teachers and administrative authorities work together in order to successfully integrate cell phones in an EFL classroom.