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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.

Despite its recognized importance in preparing prospective teachers for the realities of the classroom, the practicum in Iranian TEFL programs faces several challenges that can significantly impact its effectiveness and hinder the development of competent and confident TEFL teachers in the country. This study, characterized as a comprehensive nationwide triangulated project, aimed at exploring and comparing the perception of the Iranian TEFL Preservice Teachers (PSTs) and the corresponding stakeholders on major issues, problems and challenges of the practicum program at Farhangian University. To these ends, a researcher-made practicum evaluation questionnaire was distributed among the participants (including 230 PSTs and 215 stakeholders) whose answers were analyzed through factor analysis. Based on factor loadings, nine major extracted factors in the two participant groups were compared through Independent Samples t-tests. The results showed that PSTs and stakeholders shared common perceptions on six factors while they held different perceptions only on three other factors. A semi-structured interview was additionally designed and conducted with 15 PSTs and 15 stakeholders. Finally, 10 practicum courses were observed to obtain an accurate understanding of the current situation of ELT PSTs’ internship education in Iran. The findings uncovered major issues and challenges with regard to ELT practicum including (a) limited adaptability and innovation in instructional approaches, resources, and materials utilized by the cooperating teachers who served as a role model for PSTs, (b) insufficient collaboration between educational institutions and universities, (c) lack of proper supervision by university advisors, d) insufficiency of time allotted to PSTs for teaching,  and e) huge gap between theoretical concepts related to the practicum principles studied in university courses with the practical realities faced by PSTs in the school environment, to name a few. The findings of the study might firstly give some insight to universities and schools in developing and implementing high-quality practicum programs that might contribute to the advancement of ELT teacher education programs. Moreover, the study can contribute to our understanding of the extent to which PSTs can integrate theoretical knowledge into their teaching practices.

This study investigates the effect of homogeneous and heterogeneous peer interaction on the development of Iranian EFL learners’ writing skill. Sixty female students of TEFL participated in the study. The participants were divided into two groups based on their English proficiency test scores. The homogeneous group consisted of 14 participants paired with partners with similar English proficiency test scores, while the heterogeneous group consisted of 16 participants who were paired with partners who had higher test scores. The pairs had interaction and peer collaboration before carrying out three types of writing tasks. The Repeated Measures ANOVA was used to compare the student writers’ pretest writing scores with their three post-test scores. The results showed that both groups, very similarly, had significantly higher post-test scores in all three writing tasks. The findings are explained based on the sociocultural theory and Vygotsky’s notion of the zone of proximal development (ZPD). The study offers several important pedagogical implications and suggestions for further research.

A standard correction for random guessing (cfg) formula on multiple-choice and Yes/Noexaminations was examined retrospectively in the scores of the intermediate female EFL learners in an English language school. The correctionwas a weighting formula for points awarded for correct answers,incorrect answers, and unanswered questions so that the expectedvalue of the increase in test score due to guessing was zero. The researcher compared uncorrected and corrected scores on examinationsusing multiple-choice and Yes/No formats. These short-answer formats eliminatedor at least greatly reduced the potential for guessing the correctanswer. The expectation for students to improve their grade by guessingon multiple-choice and Yes/No format examinations is well known. The researcher examined a method for correcting for random guessing (cfg) " no knowledge" on multiple- choice and Yes/No vocabulary examinations by comparing application and non-application of correction for guessing (cfg) formula on scores on these examinations. It was done to determine whether the test takers really knew the correct answer, or they had resorted to a kind of guessing. This study represented a unique opportunity to compare scores from multiple-choice and Yes/No examinations in a settingin which students were given the same number of questions ineach of the two format types testing their knowledge over thesame subject matter. The results of this study indicated that the significant differences were highlighted between the subjects' scores when cfg formula was applied and when it was not.

Communication strategies (CSs) are systematic attempts by language learners to encode or decode meaning in a target language in situations where the appropriate target language rules have not been formed. Based on this view, communication strategies can be seen as compensatory means for making up for linguistic deficiencies of second or foreign language learners. Within the conceptual framework outlined, this paper is a report on a research conducted at Azarbaijan Teachers Education University on the students majoring in English Language and Literature. The main aim was to seek a relationship between the subjects’ use of communication strategies in solving communication problems and their proficiency levels in English as a foreign language. The data was collected by means of one-to-one interviews with the participants, and were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results indicated that the frequency of communication strategies applied by the participants varied according to their proficiency levels, i.e. low proficient learners tended to employ more communication strategies in comparison with high and moderate ones. The type of communication strategies employed also varied according to their oral proficiency level. It was revealed that high level participants employed more L2-based communication strategies where the low proficient learners used more L1-based ones.

During the last three decades, especially 1980's, language learning specialists have been busy discovering the nature of language learning strategies, describing them, and formulating their relationships with other language learning factors. In line with these studies, the field of translation studies has undergone a complete revolution in terms of its perspective toward its research priorities; that is, recent works tend to adopt a more descriptive rather than prescriptive approach. One of the newly emerged trends in translation studies is the quest for the nature of mental processes applied while translating a text. Following this trend, the present study incorporates think-aloud protocols (TAPs) and retrospective interviews to probe the learning strategies employed by some university students during the translation of an expository text from English to Persian according to the taxonomy of learning strategies presented by Oxford (1990). The results show that (1) the participants tend to incorporate cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies as their dominant strategies, (2) there is no significant difference between direct and indirect strategies incorporated by the participants, and (3) the scope of the taxonomy proposed in the field of language teaching can be generalized to translation studies.

This study examined the comparative effects of online and offline blended teaching on EFL learners’ listening comprehension. Based on quasi-experimental design, this study engaged an experimental (No=30) and control group (No=30), each receiving two different types of treatment. For the experimental group, the teacher taught English listening activities using a mixture of online and offline mode, while the for the control group the teacher offered face-to-face offline mode treatment of listening. Independent sample t-tests and paired samples tests results showed a significant positive effect of blended learning on the participants’ listening skills such that the experimental group improved their listening comprehension more than the control group This is justified on the grounds that online learning with more accessibility, relatively low cost, time efficient, and suitably combined with offline learning can offer self-paced instruction for learners whereby they self-manage their learning and progress at their own convenience.

University students in Iran need English to reinforce their specialist knowledge in order to meet their academic needs and not to be isolated from technological advances. The architecture students at the university level in Iran are no exception. Bearing this in mind, the present research intends to address itself to the following questions: 1) what are the problems in materials design in ESP courses in general and architecture students in particular? And 2) what are possible solutions to the problems identified? In an effort to pave the road for preparing a textbook for architecture students in Iran, we have analyzed the textbook presently used by architecture students at Islamic Azad University, Tabriz branch. To do this, we prepared two questionnaires to be answered by both the students and teachers about the content of the textbook under discussion. On the basis of their responses and also the researchers' comments on the issue, we have tried to discuss the shortcomings therein, and to give possible solutions.

Assessing language skills in an integrative form has drawn the attention of assessment experts in recent years. While some research data exists on integrative listening/reading-to-write assessment, there is comparatively little research literature on listening-to-speak integrated assessment. Also, little attention has been devoted to the role of individual attributes within the context of integrated assessment. The objective of the current research was to investigate the relationship between integrated listening/speaking assessment and individual characteristics of ambiguity tolerance (AT), use of cognitive/metacognitive strategies, and foreign language anxiety (FLA). Oxford Quick Placement Test was used to homogenize 60 EFL learners in terms of language proficiency (B2-C1). Additionally, integrated listening/speaking performances were collected using sample TOEFL-iBT tests. The transcribed spoken samples were evaluated by two raters using TOEFL-iBT rubrics in terms of overall description, delivery, language use, and topic development. Additionally, information on individual characteristics was gathered by means of 3 different questionnaires. Data analysis revealed that FLA had a negative relationship while AT and the use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies had a positive correlation with integrated listening/speaking test performance. Individual differences have generally been neglected in the assessment literature, but this study revealed that performance on integrated listening/speaking tests can be affected by language-irrelevant constructs such as individual attributes in addition to test-takers’ language competence.

As teaching approaches have advanced, the role of technology and tools in learning has increased. Moreover, pupils’ Satisfaction with the implementation of these tools and technology should be considered too. To this end, the purpose of this inquiry was to examine the Iranian EFL learners’ Retention of Grammar knowledge and their Course Satisfaction based on Flipped classroom strategies. This quasi-experimental research had been carried out in the twelfth grade of Alvand private school in Tabriz city, East Azerbaijan, Iran. Forty high school learners were chosen as participants, and the homogeneity of the classes was checked through Oxford Quick Placement Test. Subsequently, participants were divided to groups in a random manner either the experimental group (n = 20) and the control group (n = 20). The pre-, post- and delayed post-tests of this research were from the Grammar in Use book, to check the initial knowledge, possible gained knowledge, and retention of acquired knowledge, as well as a questionnaire to investigate the level of their Satisfaction with their course. The independent-samples t-test revealed that the experimental group illustrated considerably higher proficiency than the control group in both post-test and ANCOVA scores. Moreover, the result of the questionnaire's descriptive statistics showed a high level of Satisfaction among learners. The study presents practical implications for teachers, researchers, and learners.

This study aimed to translate MIDAS questionnaire from English into Persian and determine its content validity and reliability. MIDAS was translated and validated on a sample (N = 110) of Iranian adult population. The participants were both male and female with the age range of 17-57. They were at different educational levels and from different ethnic groups in Iran. A translating team, consisting of five members, bilingual in English and Persian and familiar with multiple intelligences (MI) theory and practice, were involved in translating and determining content validity, which included the processes of forward translation, back-translation, review, final proof-reading, and testing. The statistical analyses of inter-scale correlation were performed using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. In an intra-class correlation, the Cronbach's alpha was high for all of the questions. Translation and content validity of MIDAS questionnaire was completed by a proper process leading to high reliability and validity. The results suggest that Persian MIDAS (P-MIDAS) could serve as a valid and reliable instrument for measuring Iranian adults MIs.

Objective: Despite the renewed interest in individual differences in second language acquisition (SLA), there is still limited research on the interconnections among regulatory focus (promotion and prevention), L2 grit (Consisting of perseverance of effort and consistency of interests), and emotions. Methods: A total of 85 undergraduate English majors (54 women, mean age = 20 years) from two comprehensive universities in Iran took part in the research. In order to assess the participants' promotion and prevention focuses, L2 grit, and English writing enjoyment, three questionnaires were used. The data collected was analyzed using IBM SPSS (26.0) software. Results: The correlational analysis revealed that regulatory focus, L2 grit, and L2 writing enjoyment are interconnected. Specifically, promotion focus positively correlated with L2 writing enjoyment and L2 grit. Additionally, L2 grit (Perseverance of Effort) showed a meaningful connection with L2 writing enjoyment. On the other hand, prevention focus demonstrated significant negative correlations with L2 writing enjoyment and L2 grit. Lastly, there was no significant relationship found between L2 Grit (consistency of interest) and L2 Writing Enjoyment. Conclusions: The study's results demonstrate the crucial findings regarding the interplay between different dimensions of grit, emotion and personal best goals.

English cartoons have become increasingly popular as a resource for language learners worldwide. While the literature has primarily focused on their impact on English language skills and sub-skills in EFL education, less attention has been given to their influence on cognitive and affective aspects such as emotion regulation and self-efficacy. This study employed a mixed-methods approach with a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design to explore the impact of watching English cartoons on the emotion regulation and self-efficacy of adolescent Iranian EFL learners. 120 Iranian learners, aged 12 to 18, were recruited from English institutes in Tehran and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. The experimental group watched two 30-minute episodes of selected American-produced animated cartoons per week for eight weeks, totaling 16 episodes, while the control group did not. The MANCOVA analysis revealed significant differences in self-efficacy and emotion regulation between the experimental and control groups, indicating that exposure to English cartoons positively influences learners' emotional responses and self-efficacy. Thematic analysis of the interview data highlighted positive evaluations of the experience, identifying five themes: enhancement of language skills, positive emotions leading to increased motivation, the prominence of comedy, contribution to sustained learning, and varying effects on self-efficacy. These findings hold valuable theoretical and practical implications for the field.

Lexicalization-patterns, the way words are mapped onto concepts, differ from one language to another. This study investigated the influence of first language (L1) lexicalization patterns on the processing of second language (L2) words in sentential contexts by both less proficient and more proficient Persian learners of English. The focus was on cases where two different senses of a polysemous word in Persian are realized by two independent words in English. For example, Persian uses ‘ماه’ to refer to both ‘moon’ and ‘month’ in English. In the present study, the researchers examined the processing of English translations (moon, month) of polysemous Persian words such as ‘ماه’ in a semantic anomaly judgment task. The participants who were two groups of more proficient and less proficient Persian learners of English were presented with two types of anomalous sentences: anomalous test sentences in which one of the two English words (e.g., month) was used in a context where the other word (e.g., moon) was appropriate (e.g., “A pleasant thing to watch at night is a full month”) and anomalous control sentences in which the same word was used in a context where neither of the two words was appropriate (e.g., “A pleasant thing to eat at night is a full month”). The participants were asked to judge, as quickly and accurately as possible, whether the final word could complete the sentence meaningfully (YES response) or whether the final word was semantically unacceptable (NO response). The participants’ reaction time (RT) for correct No responses and their error rates were recorded using DMDX, a psycholinguistics experimentation software package. Using two General Linear Model Repeated Measures, a main effect of sentence type was obtained in the analysis of both RT and errors. Also, there was an interaction between sentence type and proficiency level in the analysis of both RT and errors. The results are discussed in terms of the activation of the semantic specifications of L1 translation equivalent of L2 words.

This study aimed at investigating the relative impact of comprehensible input and comprehensible output on the development of grammatical accuracy and syntactic complexity of Iranian EFL learners’ oral production. Participants were 60 female EFL learners selected from a whole population pool of 80 based on the standard test of IELTS. To investigate the research questions, the participants were randomly divided into three groups: Input group, output group, and control group. The study involved two phases: the pre-task phase, and the main-task phase. During the pre-task phase, the input group received comprehensible input. In the same phase, the output group was pushed to be engaged in comprehensible output production. The control group neither received input, nor was engaged in output production. In the main-task phase, all subjects performed monologues that were separately recorded, and later transcribed and coded in terms of accuracy and complexity through Bygate's (2001) standard coding system and finally scored. The statistical analysis of the results revealed that while the output group outperformed the input group in grammatical accuracy, the input group proved to be more rigorous and influential in developing speech complexity. The study supports Swain’s (1985) claim that there are roles for comprehensible output that are different from and independent of comprehensible input, and Skehan & Foster's (2001) theory regarding human beings’ limited attentional capacities that can be devoted to one aspect of oral speech at the expense of the other. Generally, it is implied that the most effective way for improving oral speech, based on the literature and the results obtained from this study, is an eclectic approach which conflates both comprehensible input and comprehensible output.

One of the main aims of the education agenda in the last decade has been to develop critical thinking and autonomy among children, in order to educate them to be activeand involved persons in society. The present study sought to examine the relationship between Iranian male and female EFL learners’ autonomy and their critical thinking ability. To this aim, the researcher used a language proficiency test, a questionnaire of autonomy, and a questionnaire of critical thinking. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, 242 third-grade high school students of Urmia city were provided with a Key English Test (KET). Afterwards, 162 of them were selected as the homogenizedgroup and were given a questionnaire of autonomy and questionnaire of critical thinking. Finally, the results of 144(because some of participants did not complete their critical thinking questionnaire) participants were analyzed. The Pearson coefficient of correlation revealed that Iranian EFL learners’ autonomy and critical thinking were significantly related. The findings offered important pedagogical implications for teachers, learners, and syllabus designers.

The current study aimed to explore the impact of content and language integrated project (CLIP)-based instruction on electrical engineering students’ vocabulary knowledge. To this end, a sample of 60 electrical engineering students was selected based on their performance on the Cambridge English Objective Proficiency Practice Test (CEOPPT). The participants were subsequently divided into two groups including an experimental and a control group. The study comprised five main stages: administering the proficiency test, conducting a vocabulary pretest, implementing the treatment, administering a vocabulary posttest, and administering a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) questionnaire. Both groups received CLIP/CLIL instructions over the period of eight sessions. The experimental group, however, received their instructions enriched by the assistance of co-teachers following a team model and supplemented by video-based instructions. At the end of the treatment, the vocabulary posttest and a questionnaire were used to collect the data. The results of a repeated-measures two-way ANOVA revealed that CLIP instruction delivered through co-teaching had a substantial positive effect on the electrical engineering students’ vocabulary knowledge. This finding was further corroborated by the results obtained from the CLIL/CLIP questionnaire, showing the participants’ positive attitude toward CLIP instructions.

The obligatory prevalence of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn researchers’ attention to the challenges involved in foreign language pedagogy in such virtual educational contexts. Against this backdrop, this study investigated the impact of online self-regulated learning, use of communication strategies, and test anxiety on Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ online speaking test performance. For this purpose, 132 EFL learners were given the e-Oxford Quick Placement Test and the speaking part of a sample A2 Key and B1 Preliminary test. Next, translated versions of the given measures were administered to the pre- and intermediate EFL learners and the obtained data were subjected to Structural Equation Modeling analyses that verified strong links between online self-regulated learning and the use of communication strategies, test anxiety and online self-regulated learning, and test anxiety and EFL learners’ use of communication strategies. Furthermore, the direct impacts of online self-regulated learning and use of communication strategies on learners’ online speaking test performance were verified; however, test anxiety was found to indirectly impact the learners’ online speaking test performance through its negative effect on EFL learners’ online self-regulated learning and use of communication strategies. In addition, online self-regulated learning turned out to be the strongest predictor of the learners’ online speaking test performance. As for the implications of the findings, it appeared that the attested model lends support to Bachman and Palmer’s (1996) language use framework illustrating test performance as a vulnerable construct affected by test takers' attributes and features of the test tasks and the impact of construct-irrelevant factors like test takers’ personal characteristics on their test performance.

Shared responsibilities such as mentoring, instruction, learner monitoring and classroom management enable the peers to observe, review, reflect on and learn from the overall practical professional expertise of one another through collegial instruction experience. The present exploratory case study has The present exploratory case study has attempted to study collegial teaching as an innovative instruction model (as an alternative to solo-based instruction models) in a General Business English course in SAPco (An automotive part supplier in Iran). To this end, the researcher has mainly tried to concentrate on two expert business English teachers' perceptions concerning their experience of collegial teaching for business English courses, observing their reflections before and after the course, to focus on the possible impacts of this type of instruction on their pedagogical knowledge as language teacher. As a result, as it is indicated in overall reflections of the participant colleagues, collegial instruction is believed to lead toward a more efficient transferability and development of teachers' pedagogical knowledge than what can take place as a result of individually run traditional practices. Moreover, this type of instruction can be a rather cost-effective and timesaving alternative to traditional OJT (on the job training) courses for teacher development authorities and curriculum developers who are concerned about and willing to promote professional development of their teachers.