درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Testing the comprehension of spoken language is of primary importance. A lot of factors may affect the performance of EFL learners on listening comprehension tests, among which are the use of visual advance organizers, and types of listening passages (dialogues or monologues). As B-Ikeguchi (1997) states a few studies have been carried out on the effects of these factors on EFL learners’ listening comprehension with controversial results. And even fewer studies have concentrated on the effects of these factors on EFL learners’ performance on listening comprehension tests, which is the purpose of this study. In the present study, 180 advanced EFL learners were randomly selected by administering the Oxford Placement Test (OPT). The subjects were randomly assigned to three groups each consisting of 60 students. As far as the performance of subjects on listening comprehension test was concerned, the following results were obtained: 1) There was a significant difference between the presence vs. lack of visual advance organizer; 2) There was a significant difference between the uses of short-interval vs. long-interval advance organizer; 3) There was a significant difference between different types of listening passages (dialogues vs. monologues); and 4) There was no significant interaction between the use of visual advance organizer and different types of listening passages.

This study examined how Iranian intermediate EFL learners' writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency were affected by collaborative online writing using Wikis. The language proficiency of 75 EFL learners was gauged based on their performance on the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). They were intermediate male and female EFL learners studying English at three language institutes in Shahrekord, Iran. The participants were then split into two groups at random: a Wiki group (WG), and a control group (CG). Afterwards, learners in the control and experimental group were given a cause-and-effect prompt as a pre-test, and their writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency were assessed using CAF measures. Following the pre-test, the participants in the experimental group began a six-week training period in the collaborative environment of Wiki. The same instructional materials and procedures were presented to the control group, but in a non-collaborative, face-to-face setting. Similar to the writing pre-test, a writing post-test was given to both groups at the end of the intervention, and the writings were graded. In comparison to the conventional methodology, the results obtained revealed that the instructional method via Wiki was advantageous and effective in enhancing writing skills. This result is consistent with theories supporting the use of technology-based approaches in EFL writing settings. The main outcome of this research is that the ease and viability of teaching and learning writing are significantly and meaningfully influenced by giving learners control over their learning through Wiki.

The current study aimed to investigate the effect of synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension and self-efficacy. To this end, 56 elementary EFL learners were assigned to one of the two experimental groups. Those trained in online video and audio instruction were assigned to the synchronous CMC group (N=27), while the participants who were taught through offline and recorded instruction were assigned to the asynchronous CMC group (N=29). Before and after the treatment, a questionnaire on reading self-efficacy and reading comprehension tests were administered. Independent samples t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the reading comprehension and self-efficacy scores of the students in the two groups. Meanwhile, paired samples t-test and Wilcoxon test were used to do a within-group comparison of the pretest and the posttest scores. The findings showed that although both synchronous and asynchronous CMC significantly affected the reading comprehension and the self-efficacy of EFL learners, the synchronous instruction was more effective because the means of the synchronous group in the reading comprehension and self-efficacy posttests were higher than the means in the asynchronous group. This study has important implications for EFL teachers, EFL students, and syllabus designers.

This study sought to probe and explain the causes and sources of failure or lack of success in intercultural communication. Thus, the researchers selected one hundred (100) participants to take part in this study. 20 participants out of 100 took part in the interview session willingly. The participants were all English language teachers from Golestan province, Iran. The researchers used the ICC questionnaire and structured interview to collect the required data. To analyze the data, the researchers used the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test and inductive content analysis. The results revealed that miscellaneous factors could cause failure among which linguistic, cultural, and emotional factors are the most important agents in failing intercultural communications. In fact, linguistic, emotional, and cultural factors are the three macro-sources that cause failure in intercultural communications. Each of these macro-sources has its sub-sets and micro-sources such as language proficiency, sociocultural knowledge, motivation, etc. In the meantime, context and the interlocutor are other factors that affect these three macro-sources and they should be taken into account. This study is of high importance for intercultural experts, psychologists, and international students to be able to find the roots of intercultural hurdles easily and eradicate them.

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. 

The present mixed methods study examined the relationship of three constructs within applied linguistics, namely, shame, guilt, and grit among Iranian EFL learners. By considering the principles of positive psychology, the authors tried to determine the existence of any significant association between the variables. In this vein, 263 Iranian students aged between 13 to 18 participated in the study and filled out the questionnaires. Analyses of the data revealed strong negative relatedness between shame and the other two variables, while the learners’ guilt and grit were found to be positively correlated.  Expanding the quantitative results, the authors utilized a grounded theory approach and interviewed 30 students to further investigate the shame-inducing factors in L2 classroom and the analyses signaled that the ashamed learners suffer from internal and external shame-provokers. Attending to shame and other negative feelings would possibly reduce the learners’ shame and stress, help them progress in learning and enhance their well-being.

Since beliefs and emotions are involved in teachers’ daily professional life, this case study aimed to reveal the beliefs of pre-service teachers (PST) emotional strategies and the reasons underlying their beliefs during teaching practicum. Six PSTs from three Indonesian universities who conducted teaching practicum in three different school areas participated in this study. Fruitful data were gained from classroom observations, in-depth interviews, and journal entries. The findings reveal that Indonesian PSTs believe designing both a lesson plan and a second one is significant in preparing the classroom situation appropriately for students. These strategies can improve their self-confidence and motivation and help them regulate down emotions to respond to spontaneous incidents. They also believe in cognitive strategies that the students' problems and the teacher's weaknesses provoke the students' misbehavior. To up-positive emotion regulation, they believe in fake strategies showing their excitement and enthusiasm in teaching through verbal and nonverbal cues. However, hiding and avoiding emotions are not suitable due to harmful impacts. Hence, teachers have to unveil their emotions in appropriate situations. Teachers' attention to all students is pivotal for learning and growth. Thus, PSTs' emotional competence must be enhanced, for they have the ability to identify, analyze, regulate, and express emotions in the proper context and situation. The teacher education program must give PSTs full support by including emotional competence as one of the subjects or a part of the course contents to promote positive beliefs on emotion regulation