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Inspired by Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) framework, this study delved into the impact of lexical cohesion training on the writing prowess of English language learners. Drawing upon an experimental design, this study investigated the effect of lexical cohesion instruction on IELTS Academic Writing Task Two performance. Over an eight-week course, a total of 60 IELTS candidates were screened based on their performance in the Quick Oxford Placement Test and these individuals were assigned to either the experimental or control group. Each participant was required to complete two writing assignments during the study. A sequence of six writing tasks was developed and put into practice. The participants’ compositions were evaluated on two instances: pre-test and post-test. A meticulous tapestry of independent-samples t-tests was woven to unveil the distinctions in performance between the cohorts. A quantitative evaluation of the learners’ written work demonstrated that instruction in lexical cohesion had a statistically significant effect on their writing scores. Possible explanations for this exceptional performance are explored, and recommendations are offered for second language (L2) writing instructors and researchers.

Self-assessment, a form of alternative assessment focusing on learner-centered curricula, autonomy, and needs analysis, has gained prominence recently. Via individual and cooperative self-assessment, EFL learners notice and apply the established standards and criteria that would decide on the accuracy and fluency of their productions, particularly in challenging areas like writing that require detailed forms of assessment. Here, learners’ capacity to self-assess and peer-assess their writings could contribute to their developmental functions. The objective of this study was to explore a specific number of Iranian EFL learners’ perceptions of criteria-referenced self-and-peer assessment in writing through a mixed-method survey. Sixty EFL learners were asked to answer a questionnaire on self-and-peer assessment. Additionally, 15 learners were requested to answer semi-structured interview questions to express their perceptions toward criteria-referenced self-and-peer assessment. For the quantitative phase of the study, a self- and peer-assessment questionnaire developed by Cornelius and Kinghorn (2014) was utilized. The questionnaire's reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, and content validity was confirmed. For the qualitative phase of the study, the researcher developed and conducted a semi-structured interview with five open-ended questions with validated content. The data related to the quantitative and qualitative phases were analyzed through descriptive statistics including the frequency percentage and content analysis methods, respectively. Results revealed learners had positive perceptions towards criteria-referenced self-and peer assessment in language classes. The findings offer beneficial implications for EFL teachers, learners, test developers, and administrators.

The ongoing debate surrounding the effectiveness of instructional models, particularly within the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, underscores the need for empirical investigation. This study sought to address this discourse by examining the differential impact of two pedagogical approaches on the production of idiomatic expressions. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the research compared the performance outcomes of two groups of learners, one exposed to deductive instruction and the other to inductive instruction. The participants engaged in a comprehensive exploration of 64 English idiomatic expressions over the course of the study. Data collection included a pre-test, eight immediate post-tests, a delayed post-test, and an open-ended questionnaire. The 20-session experiment, integrated seamlessly into the regular classroom instruction, involved the alternation of deductive and inductive approaches in teaching eight idiomatic expressions per session. Findings revealed significant improvements in both groups’ scores, yet a noteworthy distinction emerged in favor of the inductive instruction. This outcome implies that an inductive pedagogical approach may exert a significant influence on the production of idiomatic expressions among EFL learners. The study contributes insights into the ongoing pedagogical discourse and underscores the potential benefits of adopting inductive strategies in the teaching of idiomatic expressions.

De nombreux facteurs tels que l'espace virtuel ou les crises sociales, culturelles, économiques ont rendu la coopération et l'interaction plus complexes et généralisées.Dans la présente recherche, notre problématique est donc de savoir comment les enseignants iraniens peuvent-ils avoir une classe homogène en utilisant des stratégies pratiques. Notre objectif est de connaître l'approche des enseignants iraniens de français envers l'hétérogénéité de comportement, d'âge des apprenants et de les aider à affronter et gérer ces différences dans une classe. Notre hypothèse principale est que l'enseignant peut créer une sorte d'intégration significative en équilibrant les contradictions dans la classe, telles que la communication ou l'isolement, la responsabilité ou l’inattention, la présence ou l'absence, la jeunesse ou la vieillesse afin que l'enseignement et l'apprentissage puissent être réalisés correctement. Nous avons effectué notre recherche en abordant un questionnaire de 19 questions descriptives et analytiques qui a été rempli par les enseignants de FLE. L’analyse des réponses et les graphiques comparatifs ont confirmé que l'hétérogénéité cognitive peut influencer positivement ou négativement sur la gestion de classe selon la compétence de l'enseignant et la diversification d’stratégies qu’il utilise. Nous avons vu que c'était l'enseignant qui pouvait gérer au mieux l'hétérogénéité de la classe en choisissant les bons contenus, les bons outils et méthodes d'enseignement et en utilisant l'interaction et la coopération entre les apprenants.

Tous les œuvres d’Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, écrivain français du XXe siècle, ont été traduites en persan et son Petit Prince a été traduit près de 70 fois en Iran. Ses éditions se multiplent chaque année, en moyenne, avec un tirage de 1000 à 3000 exemplaires. Il est intéressant donc d'examiner les traductions et les retraductions de cette œuvre en persan. La problématique de cette recherche est de traiter les retraductions de cette œuvre et la raison de leur apparition en donnant comme exemple la traduction en persan d’une expression dans Le Petit Prince. Nous voulons voir de quelle manière celle-ci a été perçue par les traducteurs et pourquoi. Dans cet article, après avoir présenté les perspectives théoriques des théoriciens de la traduction et de la retraduction tels que Berman, Chevrel, Gambier et Meschonnic, nous exeminerons les traductions différentes en persan de « créer des liens » dans Le Petit Prince. Pour comprendre ce qu’entend l’écrivain par cette expression, nous metterons en œuvre sa pensée et sa philosophie. Nous esseirons d’analyser et de remarquer les raisons de l’émergence de ces retraductions, des différences entre ces traductions et des compréhensions différentes de cette expression en persan. On va voir également le vrai sens de cette expression et son équivalent juste en persan. Nous verrons si ces divergences dans la traduction de cette expression est à cause de la pluralité de son sens ou non.

L'apprentissage du lexique est un élément essentiel du processus d'apprentissage du français car le lexique est le mécanisme de la langue par lequel les connaissances sont transférées, et qui est familier avec eux pourrait mieux exprimer sa pensée, et ses textes auraient un sens plus complet. Au fil des ans, l'enseignement du lexique a été une question controversée parmi les enseignants de langues, et beaucoup d'entre eux n'ont pas été convaincus de la meilleure méthode. Cet article traite brièvement de l'importance du lexique dans l'apprentissage du français et, à cet égard, explique certaines des méthodes que les enseignants de français utilisent. De ce fait, à travers cette étude, il va mettre en relief les tendances conventionnelles dans le domaine de l'enseignement du lexique en utilisant différentes méthodes utilisées par les enseignants de français. De surcroît, les résultats indiquent qu'avant de présenter le sens ou la forme, les enseignants devraient prêter attention au type de lexique, ainsi qu'au niveau et aux caractéristiques des apprenants. On constate également que les enseignants pourraient fournir des stratégies d'apprentissage du lexique avec des opportunités de rencontrer le lexique à plusieurs reprises et dans plus d'un contexte.

The present study is an attempt to find if there is a relationship between silent reading speed and reading comprehension score in undergraduate students a pre-requisite study before starting a research involving factors related to metacognition and the affective domain. The sample of the study consists of twenty-four undergraduate students pursuing various foreign languages such as French, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, and German. To assess the reading comprehension of the students, two passages with multiple choice questions were selected from a book designed to check and improve reading speed and reading comprehension. The students worked in pairs, keeping a record of time taken to read for their partner. The word count of the passage was divided by the student’s speed of reading to analyze the reading speed simultaneously the students answered the multiple choice questions given after the passage which was used to assess the comprehension level. The findings of the t-test revealed that there is a significant difference between the reading speed and reading comprehension scores and the Pearson’s correlation shows that there is a positive and moderate relationship between the two variables. Secondly, it revealed that there is a significant difference between male and female students with respect to their reading comprehension scores and reading speed. In both cases the female students performed better in comparison to the male students. Finally, it reveals that there is a significant difference between the students pursuing different languages at their undergraduate level with respect to their reading comprehension and reading speed. The results indicated that the students from Japan had the highest scores, followed by those from Germany, France, Arabic, Spanish, and Russian.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of mobile-assisted learning-oriented assessment (LOA) on the writing ability of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. A total of 60 intermediate Iranian EFL learners were selected through convenience sampling and divided randomly into two groups: control and experimental. Both groups completed pretests and posttests, and the experimental group received nine 90-minute sessions focused on teaching descriptive essay writing using LOA syllabi and mobile applications related to the tasks. The control group followed a traditional writing syllabus without any LOA-related treatments. Both groups used the Adobe Connect mobile application for their online classes. Two open-ended questions were administered to the experimental group at the beginning and end of the course to measure their attitudes toward mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). The data were analyzed using a repeated-measures two-way ANOVA, revealing that mobile-assisted LOA significantly improved the EFL learners’ writing ability. The results of the two open-ended questions indicated that the learners had a positive attitude toward MALL in general but a somewhat negative attitude toward online classes. The findings have important implications for teachers, materials developers, and teacher educators.

Metadiscourse is an essential component of academic writing, as it helps authors better communicate their ideas and engage their readers. It is through the analysis of the text's metadiscourse that one can explore academic writing and compare the rhetorical traits and preferences of various discourse communities (Hyland, 2005). To this end, this study examined the differences in the use, type, and frequency of interactional metadiscourse markers in the discussion and conclusion sections of political science and religious studies articles written in English language. The corpus of this study consisted of 45032 words extracted from fifty research articles, twenty-five articles in the field of political science, and twenty-five articles in the field of religious studies published between 2019 and 2023 in the top one high-impact factor and peer-reviewed international journals. To analyze the data, one Eta and two Chi-square tests were run. Considering the interactional resources of Hyland’s (2005) metadiscourse model, the researchers uncovered that despite some subtle differences in the use, frequency, and types of these metadiscourse markers, “hedges” were the most and attitude markers were the least frequently used metadiscourse markers employed in both political science and religious studies disciplines. The findings have some educational implications that shed light on the need to encourage English language teachers, university professors, and publishers in the fields of TEFL and ESP to provide EFL learners with appropriate sources and settings to increase their familiarity with various metadiscourse markers, especially the category of interactional MDMs that aids them write coherently and establish genuine interaction with audiences.

In line with Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (SCT) of mind, digital game-based language learning (DGBL) and dynamic assessment (DA) offer language learning opportunities via sociocultural engagement. This quantitative study explored the role of pragmatic learning strategies (PLSs) and gender in game-based group dynamic assessment. Our participants included thirty upper-intermediate EFL learners (15 males and 15 females) from two intact classes taking an English pragmatic course via game-based group dynamic assessment. Following a pre-test, treatment, and post-test design, the participants filled out a PLS inventory to identify the strategies for tackling L2 conversations in different situations. Besides, all learners were required to write reflective journals following each treatment session. Descriptive statistics and correlational analysis were employed to analyze the data. The findings indicated that the participants most widely used memory strategies, i.e., they relied more on memorizing and storing previous pragmatic knowledge. In addition, compensatory strategies were positive but weak predictors of the learners’ L2 pragmatic performance, and gender did not impact the learners’ use of different PLSs. The study’s limitation and its practical and pedagogical implications for educational policymakers, teacher education programs, and L2 instructors will be discussed in light of the posed research questions.

This study examined the effects of virtual English instruction via the Iranian Student Education Network (SHAD) on the speaking accuracy of Iranian high school English learners with varied personality traits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants (n = 54) completed the Quick Oxford Placement Test and the Eysenck Personality Inventory before taking a speaking test based on the Vision English for Schools Series. The participants' voice-recorded responses to the speaking test were then analyzed for accurate verb usage. After completing 18 online sessions with diverse speaking tasks on SHAD, the participants retook the speaking test, and their performances were analyzed. The results indicated significant effects on the speaking accuracy of both extroverts and introverts, with introversion showing the most positive impact. Semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted to gather participants' perceptions of virtual education. The findings highlighted the challenges and opportunities faced by Iranian high school English learners in online classes, with implications for virtual language education and materials development. 

In this unorthodox autoethnographic study, we present a dialog between us - two transnational scholars. Throughout the manuscript, we explore several issues, which instantaneously came out during our unstructured, simultaneous, and casual conversations. We first discuss how our dichotomous relationships based on respect as an advisee and an advisor; a mentee and a mentor; and a student and a teacher have transformed into a sincerity-based friendship over time owing to our shared interest in autoethnography. We then move on to a discussion of our beliefs/thoughts/emotions about “home” in accordance with our lived experiences as transnational scholars. We scrutinize how inhabiting, knowing about, and becoming in academia complicated our understanding of where, or more importantly, what “home” means for us. Afterwards, we talk about the affordances and challenges of autoethnographic discourse agreeing that it requires us to practice vulnerability in order for us and our readers to benefit from the therapeutic effect of autoethnography. Throughout the manuscript, we also discuss how using both singular and plural first-person voice provide us with the opportunity to maintain our individual voices in an interpersonal and collaborative relationship while achieving a multivocal tone. We hope that our discussion extends with our readers’ critique of, negotiation with, participation in, and/or resistance to our beliefs/thoughts/emotions as stated in our conversation.

Teachers, as the center of the class, can make positive changes in their students' lives; they should be equipped with skills that will allow them to do their jobs effectively. The inclusion of productive immunity (i.e., the procedures that instructors go through to devise protective mechanisms against the effects of undesirable disruptions that might potentially endanger their desire to instruct) as one of these skills gives educators the capability to analyze and immunize their own performance. In light of this significance, it is of the utmost importance to reveal teacher productive immunity and its correlates, particularly in EFL (English as a foreign language) contexts. Regardless, there is a dearth of studies on the possible interplay among teacher immunity, professional identity, anger, grit tendencies, and psychological well-being in Iranian EFL settings. Therefore, the present study aimed to ascertain whether there was a statistically significant connection between the professional identity, anger, grit tendencies, and psychological well-being of Iranian EFL instructors and their immunity. A total number of 394 EFL teachers teaching at public schools (Khorasan Razavi and Khuzestan, Iran) took part in this analysis. The Language Teacher Immunity Instrument (LTII), The Teacher's Professional Identity Scale (TPIS), the L2-teacher Grit Scale (L2TGS), The Teacher Anger Scale (TAS), and The Psychological Well-Being at Work (PWBW) were administered electronically to respondents. The predictive power of teacher immunity was found in data analysis via Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The findings stress the need of including reflective practices, emotional control strategies, and immune system strengthening in teacher preparation programs.