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As there have been few studies on the comparative effects of mind-mapping (MM) and concept-mapping (CM) techniques on learning English language skills and sub-skills, this survey pursued to scrutinize the impacts of these techniques on reading motivation, reading comprehension, and willingness to communicate (WTC) of Iranian EFL students. To fulfill these objectives, 78 intermediate EFL students were selected based on non-random sampling and accidentally assigned to two experimental groups (EGs) and one control group (CG). They were then pre-tested using a reading motivation test, a reading comprehension test, and a WTC test. Next, the intervention was conducted on the three groups. The MM technique was employed to teach 16 English reading texts to one EG and the CM technique was applied to teach the same texts to the other EG. None of these techniques were used to teach the texts to the CG. When the intervention ended, the post-tests of reading comprehension, reading motivation test, and WTC were given to the three groups. The outcomes of the One-Way ANOVA tests and the post-hoc Scheffe tests revealed that there was a substantial difference between the scores of the EGs and the CG on the three post-tests, with the results being in favor of the EGs. In effect, the findings indicated that the MM and CM techniques enhanced reading motivation, reading comprehension, and WTC of the experimental participants equally. Finally, the implications and conclusions of the research were explained.

Although the EFL teachers' challenges in developing and enhancing Professional Identity Formation (PIF) in face-to-face and virtual instruction contexts have extensively been explored, there were a limited set of practical and advantageous strategies, particularly for the novice teachers, in promoting their PIF in E-teaching especially since the emergence of changed priority of teaching contexts amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Accordingly, this study attempted to check the Iranian novice EFL teachers’ PIF, uncover the potential impacts of utilizing Online Image Management (OIM) strategies in promoting their PIF, and identify the most-preferred OIM strategies. Based on the convenience sampling, 184 male and female Iranian novice EFL teachers were selected to participate in this quasi-experimental study. Two instruments, including a Questionnaire of Perceived Professional Identity (QPPI) and a series of Quantitative Online Interviews (QOIs), were used to collect the data via the virtual platform of Survey Planet. The descriptive statistics and Independent Samples t-Test packages in R were utilized to analyze the data. The results confirmed the low levels of professional identity among Iranian novice EFL teachers, verified the significant effects of OIM strategies in promoting PIF of Iranian novice EFL teachers, and shed light on reflection practices and strategies in enhancing digital literacy as the most-favored OIM strategies in promoting PIF among these teachers. This study may provide implications for EFL teachers and trainers in helping novice EFL teachers to promote their PIF with OIM strategies.

The evaluation of students' writings and the allocation of scores are traditionally time-intensive and inherently subjective, often resulting in inconsistencies among human raters. Automated essay scoring systems were introduced to address these issues; however, their development has historically been resource-intensive, restricting their application to standardized tests such as TOEFL and IELTS. Consequently, these systems were not readily accessible to educators and learners. Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have expanded the potential of automated scoring systems, enabling them to analyze written texts and assign scores with increased efficiency and versatility. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of an AI-based scoring system, DeepAI, with human evaluators. A quantitative approach, grounded in Corder's (1974) Error Analysis framework, was used to analyze approximately 200 essays written by Persian-speaking EFL learners. Paired sample t-tests and Pearson correlation coefficients were employed to assess the congruence between errors identified and scores assigned by the two methods. The findings revealed a moderate correlation between human and AI scores, with AI diagnosing a greater number of errors than human raters. These results underscore the potential of AI in augmenting writing assessment practices while highlighting its pedagogical implications for language instructors and learners, particularly in evaluating the essays of EFL students.

In recent years, dynamic assessment and positive psychology have attracted the attention of many researchers. This phenomenological study explores Iranian intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' perception of academic buoyancy, reflective thinking, and academic resilience in response to dynamic assessment. Data were gathered through narrative inquiry, observation, and focus group discussion involving 18 intermediate EFL learners at a language institute in South Iran. Member checking, peer debriefing, and audit trail were used to ensure the credibility and dependability of the instruments. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed that dynamic assessment positively influenced learners' academic buoyancy by providing tailored scaffolding and support, fostering resilience in the face of academic challenges, and enhancing reflective thinking abilities. These findings suggest that integrating dynamic assessment techniques into language teaching practices contributes to students' adaptive coping mechanisms and ability to navigate academic setbacks, enhancing their academic success and overall well-being. The study underscores the importance of incorporating dynamic assessment approaches to cultivate resilient and empowered learners within EFL settings. This study contributes to understanding dynamic assessment's role in fostering academic resilience and reflective thinking in language learning contexts. The implications of the study are discussed.

Despite the widely recognized significance of values education in a rapidly changing world and teachers’ education-related beliefs, little research has investigated how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers navigate values in their classrooms. The study reported in this paper explored in-service EFL teachers’ perceptions of values education and their conceptions of their moral roles, aiming to develop an instrument related to values education. To this end, this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study recruited 10 EFL teachers selected through maximum variation sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teacher participants and the data were analyzed inductively through thematic analysis. Furthermore, the existing literature and the insights gleaned from the initial phase of the study led to the development of a questionnaire, which was administered to 332 EFL teachers in the quantitative phase of the study. Six overarching themes were identified through thematic analysis of the interview data, namely relational values, personal growth, academic excellence, regulatory values, teachers’ personal standards and global values with teachers prioritizing students’ motivation and wellbeing over other value types. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis of the developed questionnaire verified a five-factor structure. Only 23 items out of 53 initial items were retained in the final version of the questionnaire. Overall, the results revealed that master obligation of teachers, associated with nurturing students’ dignity was prioritized over teachers’ prima facie obligation which promotes students’ learning and intellectual growth. After a detailed discussion, implications and suggestions for future research are presented in the end.

Multilingualism and its tangled relationship with culture have been the center of debate for many years. It still sparkles various conceptual arguments and day by day, more academic research is circulating on this subject. The concept of multilingualism and the arguments around this discourse roots in the language itself. To fully grasp the notion of cultural multilingualism, first, we need to perceive how and where language and culture are interlinked. The study of culture has the originality of studying history itself. The first studies on both language and culture date back to the earliest time human attempted to analyze and perceive history. The globalization of multilingualism has led scientists and experts to analyze multilingualism through a cultural lens. It's only in a few decades that perceiving and understanding multilingualism through cultural perspectives has opened the eyes of experts to new horizons. Concerning this fact, this study has evaluated Never Let Me Go, a 2005 Nobel-winning novel by the Japanese-British novelist and screenwriter, Kazuo Ishiguro according to cultural multilingual values. Additionally, this study questions the concept of cultural multilingualism, together with its significance in shaping one's identity and self as the main key in Ishiguro's novel. Proven by the given facts, the current study illustrates how cultural multilingualism forms the author's writing style and mindset as a multilingual individual.

The timing of corrective feedback (CF) provision has been a controversial issue in SLA research. Despite widespread research, there is still disagreement on whether the erroneous structures should be addressed immediately or at a delayed time after task completion. This study investigates the comparative effects of immediate and delayed feedback on developing subject-verb (s-v) agreement by Iranian EFL learners. To this end, 28 university students were divided into immediate (n=14) and delayed (n=14) CF groups after the administration of the Oxford Placement Test. The study involved a pre-test, three treatment sessions and a post-test. The two feedback groups received treatments followed by either immediate feedback provided after task completion or delayed feedback delivered after 3 days of task completion. The tests and treatments contained various activities including multiple-choice, cloze, fill-in-the-blanks and picture description task. The results of the analysis of test scores on the pre- and post-tests were indicative of the outperformance of the immediate CF group, implying that the immediate feedback may be more beneficial for developing s-v agreement accuracy than delayed feedback. The findings of this investigation can bear efficient implications for language teachers and researchers.

The present study investigates the effectiveness of a conceptual approach, grounded in cognitive linguistics, in enhancing the comprehension and production of phrasal verbs among Iranian EFL learners of English. To this end, 38 participants (16 males and 22 females) at intermediate levels of language proficiency were randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group, and underwent instruction through the conceptual approach or the traditional method, respectively. A pre-test was administered to assess baseline performance, followed by the intervention and two post-tests (i.e., a cloze test and a story-retelling task) to measure changes in comprehension and production of the phrasal verbs. The cloze test measured differences in phrasal verb comprehension, while the story-retelling task assessed production and accuracy. The mixed between-within-subjects ANOVA (SPANOVA) revealed significant improvement in the experimental group on the post-test. Independent sample t-tests confirmed superior performance in the production and accuracy of phrasal verbs for the experimental group. This suggests that the conceptual approach offers a systematic method for learners to approach phrasal verbs analytically, contrasting with the traditional perception of these elements as non-analyzable. As a practical implication, educators in EFL contexts, are strongly urged to adopt the presented conceptual approach. This innovative pedagogical strategy not only enriches the learning experience but also addresses linguistic challenges associated with phrasal verbs, fostering creativity in the instructional process through situational presentations and orientational metaphors. 

As conceptual models of language learning, use, and processing mature, it is both natural and necessary for the statistical models we apply to follow suit. One statistical approach with great potential in the field Applied Linguistics and L2 studies is structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM is introduced in this paper as a powerful and highly flexible family of analyses. In doing so, the paper outlines (a) the types of variables and possible modeled relationships that SEM is equipped to address and (b) statistical considerations for applying SEM in L2 research, and (c) a number of additional and key considerations for those interested in delving deeper into SEM (e.g., goodness of fit indices, model modification procedures, etc.). This paper also describes the potential of SEM to contribute to construct validation (e.g., convergent and discriminant validity). Throughout the paper, a plethora of examples pertaining to applications of SEM in L2 research are provided.