درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

This study employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to interrogate the discourse of native-speakerism prevalent in English Language Teaching (ELT). It analyzes a research article that advocates for the superiority of Native English-Speaking Teachers (NESTs) over Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers (NNESTs). By applying Fairclough and Fairclough's (2012) practical reasoning framework, the research reconstructs the article's argumentative structure and critically examines its underlying assumptions and values. The analysis reveals that the article's promotion of NESTs is underpinned by a pervasive native-speakerism ideology. This ideology constructs a hierarchical relationship between native and non-native speakers, privileging Western culture and language over others. The article's discourse naturalizes this hierarchy, obscuring its socially constructed nature and its role in perpetuating linguistic inequality. By focusing on the supposed innate superiority of NESTs, the article overlooks the complex interplay of factors influencing effective teaching, including pedagogical expertise, cultural competence, and learner needs. The research concludes by emphasizing the detrimental impact of native-speakerism on ELT. It underscores the need to challenge and dismantle this ideology in favor of a more inclusive and equitable approach to teacher education and professional development. By recognizing the linguistic diversity of the world and valuing the expertise of NNESTs, the field can move towards a more just and effective practice.

Two of the models in the Serial Optimality Theory in which derivational paths compete and are evaluated by Prec(a, b) family of constraints are Optimality Theory- Candidate Chains (OT-CC) and Optimal Interleaving (OI). The former operates exclusively at the level of phonology, while the latter postulates the interplay between morphology and phonology. This article presents a case study of vowel harmony in Kalhori Kurdish that necessitates a level where phonological and morphological processes alternate to account for both the application and lack of application of a phonological process. In Kalhori Kurdish, the features of [o] are spread regressively all the way to the leftmost edge of the verb; however, this is not the case when the coordinating conjunction clitic [=o] is added to the verb. The analysis of the data collected from 15 Kalhori Kurdish speakers revealed that OT-CC cannot simultaneously explain the root-prefix vowel harmony and the absence of this process between the clitic and the verbal ending, unless the morphological information is duplicated at this level. However, benefiting from the possibility of morphological processes alternating with the phonological ones, the OI model successfully explains both the presence and the absence of the vowel harmony

In a multicultural and multilingual country like Iran, where minority languages have undergone a degree of assimilation into Persian, certain cultural aspects of these minority languages, such as the Kurdish calendar for Kurdish people, have been ignored. This descriptive study tends to revitalize the overlooked calendars of Central (Sorani) and Southern (Kalhori, Feyli, Laki) Kurdish dialects by investigating the conceptual metaphors utilized in these dialect-specific calendars. To do so, the calendars of these Kurdish dialects have been sourced from reliable references. Subsequently, the names of the Kurdish months are analyzed using Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) conceptual metaphor model. The findings reveal that these Kurdish calendars exhibit ontological, structural, and orientational metaphors that conceptualize abstract time as a concrete entity through "physical experiences," including rituals and road blockages; "natural events"; and "spatial orientation," represented by the vertical movement of Kurdish people and leaves as well as the horizontal displacement between the months.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant transformations in education systems globally. Consequently, this qualitative ethnographic study aimed to analyze the evolution of attitudes among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners through the lens of language socialization (LS). Additionally, the study explored the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic on the LS of Iranian EFL learners within cyberspace through prolonged engagement and triangulated data collection, including classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, researcher field notes, audio recordings, and student journals. This approach allowed for a holistic understanding of the Iranian culture from participants' perspectives. A triangulation of data was collected, comprising class observations, semi-structured interviews, researcher notes, audio recordings, and student journals. The Data analysis was conducted using MAXQDA Analytic Pro 2020. Based on the seven principles of LS, the results identified eight categories: cultural familiarity, cultural differences, the influence of foreign culture, changes in identity and behavior, online class recording, online learning, self-efficacy, and participation in virtual groups. Ultimately, this study concluded that language and culture are intrinsically intertwined and that learners' engagement with language and culture adversely impacts their socialization within the English language and culture. Furthermore, online classes were found to enhance learners' self-efficacy while reducing anxiety levels. The findings equip EFL educators with strategies for fostering adaptive language socialization during crises, while offering learners tools to navigate disruptions through reflection and virtual communities. Additionally, they guide researchers in studying attitude evolution ethnographically and urge material developers to integrate psychosocial elements into language resources for volatile environments.

This empirical investigation examines the repair strategies used by trainee interpreters in English-Persian simultaneous (SI) and consecutive interpreting (CI) modes. The research seeks to investigate two main questions: whether there are differences in the frequency of repairs between SI and CI, and whether there are variations in the sorts of repair strategies employed in both modes. The study involved nine trainees from Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman who were learning interpreting. The study employed a 4-minute speech from Voice of America English News, which discussed the influence of vitamins on preventing the advancement of AIDS in women. Occurrences of self-repairs were detected using Tang’s (2020c) framework. The findings revealed a notable disparity in the frequency of repair strategies between CI and SI modes, with CI trainees utilizing a greater number of repairs. In addition, the trainees in the CI mode achieved superior scores in explicitation and synonym techniques. The results emphasize the unique patterns of repair strategies in both consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, reflecting the importance of focused training to improve interpreters’ abilities in both modes. Interpreter training programs may consider including explicit instruction on repair procedures and placing emphasis on evaluating their use in performance assessments.

Research on stress-causing variables in the teaching profession often documents an interplay between teacher burnout and its correlates. This study brings forth concerns about the contribution of teacher/school climate, job satisfaction and self-efficacy as the hypothesized predictors of occupational burnout among EFL teachers. Using multiple regression analyses, a descriptive correlational model was examined against the survey data collected from a sample of 198 Iranian EFL teachers. The results showed significant inverse relations between dimensions of teacher/school climate and dimensions of burnout, showing teacher/school climate as a significant negative predictor of burnout (p <.05, R2=.20, β=-.447). The results also revealed the significant role of teacher satisfaction and teacher self-efficacy in predicting aspects of burnout (p <.05). The two variables were also found as mediator of the effect of teaching climate on dimensions of burnout, showing a perspective of interaction between contextual factors and individual resources. Given the effects of teacher/school contextual stressors and their direct or indirect influence on teachers’ vulnerability to burnout syndrome, the implications of the findings are discussed in view of teacher training and intervention programs.

This study investigates the representation of starvation in Gaza across two leading Arab media outlets, Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, through the lens of Cognitive Critical Discourse Analysis (Hart, 2014). Focusing on agency attribution, role allocation, and event construal, the analysis reveals how media discourse shapes public perceptions of responsibility and crisis. Findings demonstrate that Al-Jazeera denaturalizes starvation by foregrounding Israel’s agency and situating the crisis within a conflictual space open to contestation and alternative narratives. Conversely, Al-Arabiya depicts the issue by naturalizing starvation as a self-propelling humanitarian catastrophe, thereby suppressing antagonism and foreclosing discursive plurality. These divergent discursive trajectories illustrate how discursive stratifies such as de-naturalization and naturalization are enacted in media discourse and highlight the ideological orientations of representing humanitarian crises. The study contributes to scholarship on mediated representations, and Critical Discourse Studies by foregrounding the role of event construal in mediating political action and public consent.

In a world with multifarious sources of disarray, learners must be equipped with many literacies to handle their learning challenges. As a macroliteracy, attentional literacy refers to the learners’ awareness of maintaining their attention on the information from the self, others, and the environment without being judgmental toward differing viewpoints and contexts. Assuming attention as not purely cognitive but social, cultural, affective, and technological, the researchers could not find any theoretical model underpinning different dimensions of attentional literacy in the literature. This study aims to develop a conceptual model of attentional literacy for English language learners. Using a Fuzzy Delphi Method, we surveyed the related literature to identify the factors of attentional literacy. We proposed an initial model with six factors and a list of measures which, after preliminary proofreading and piloting, was administered to a group of 20 experts in two rounds. The results of Fuzzy Delphi led to the conceptualization of a new attentional literacy model comprising two dimensions (internal and external), five factors (cognitive, socio-emotional, environmental, technological, and pedagogical), and 40 measures. The findings cast light on the theoretical foundations of attentional literacy and elucidate the dimensions, factors, and measures for language learners. Pedagogical contributions are discussed for researchers in language education.

Despite communication challenges, research suggests that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can benefit from foreign language education. This aligns with their strengths in visual learning and the documented effect of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in teaching language to children with ASD. Building on these strengths, this qualitative case study investigated the effectiveness of combining Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) strategies for teaching English language skills to an 8-year-old boy with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at Sara Autism Center. The study employed detailed observations to explore the participant's experience learning English as a foreign language. The findings revealed a significant increase in vocabulary (30 words within three months) and highlighted the effect of ABA and PECS in facilitating language acquisition and generalization. The use of the Let Me Talk app on an iPad to support communication and parental involvement were identified as crucial factors for success. This case study emphasizes the importance of multimodal learning approaches. It also highlights the need to tailor interventions to individual needs for effective language development in autistic children. The findings offer valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and parents invested in improving educational outcomes for children with ASD.

The present study aimed to find the effect of artificial intelligence (AI)-mediated speaking assessment on speaking performance and willingness to communicate (WTC) of Iraqi EFL Learners. More specifically, the study sought to find whether AI-mediated speaking assessment enhance the speaking performance (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, intonation, and fluency) of Intermediate Iraqi EFL learners and whether AI-mediated speaking assessment enhanced their WTC in English. In so doing, 40 intermediate Iraqi EFL learners were randomly selected and assigned into experimental and control groups, each comprising 20 learners. The experimental group participants received ten 60-minute treatment sessions with ELSA Speech Analyzer, while the control group received no treatment. The speaking pre-test of both groups was run prior to the treatment, and all participants were post-tested at the end of the study. The Willingness to Communicate in a Foreign-Language Scale was also administered to groups prior to and after the treatment. A speaking assessment rubric, including vocabulary, grammar, intonation, pronunciation, and fluency, was used to assess the speaking performance of both groups. The findings demonstrated that AI-mediated speaking assessment enhanced the grammar, vocabulary, intonation, and fluency of the experimental group. However, the two groups did not differ in terms of pronunciation. Furthermore, this assessment tool enhanced the willingness to communicate with native speakers, the willingness to communicate with non-native speakers, and the willingness to communicate in the school context of this group. In general, the speaking assessment mediated by AI significantly enhanced the speaking performance and WTC of the learners. These findings might advance the current scholarly discourse on AI within the domains of language pedagogy and assessment.

This study investigated the effect of teaching vocabulary through Ilingo application on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ vocabulary learning and Vocabulary Learning Strategy (VLS) use. A total of 83 male intermediate EFL learners participated in this study. Quantitative data were collected through Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT), pre- and post-tests to measure vocabulary learning, and Vocabulary Learning Strategy Questionnaire (VLSQ). The participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving vocabulary instruction through Ilingo application and a control group receiving conventional vocabulary instruction. The statistical analysis of the data revealed significant differences between the two groups in terms of vocabulary learning, with the application-based instruction group outperforming the conventional instruction group. Additionally, higher levels of vocabulary learning strategy utilization were observed for learners who learned vocabulary with Ilingo application. More specifically, statistically significant differences were observed for the deployment of determination and memory VLSs indicating a higher frequency of use in the experimental group. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the advantages of incorporating technology-driven language learning tools into the EFL classroom. The implications of this study are valuable for EFL educators and curriculum designers, providing evidence-based insights into effective pedagogical approaches in EFL contexts.

Neuroimaging has a substantial pedagogical advantage when applied to language learners who are experiencing cognitive procedures during educational settings. Among such learners are L2 learners who may encounter new experiences that neuroimaging may be able to clarify. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether neuroimaging tools are capable of revealing more information about the experience of L2 learners. A systematic review of the literature on the use of neuroimaging in the context of L2 learning is presented in the study. According to a comprehensive search of numerous known databases, 19 articles met the criteria for extensive analysis. The results of the analysis indicate that neuroimaging tools can be used to reveal brain function during L2 learning. Furthermore, it may enable us to uncover brain function during the learning of L2 skills and its neural responses to them. Researchers have also mentioned the challenges in the implementation of neuroimaging tools in L2 procedures. In addition to presenting the testimonies found in the literature, it is emphasized that neuroimaging in L2 learning remains relatively unknown.

This study investigates Indonesian English teachers’ perceptions of local English varieties and their influence on assessment practices, a crucial area given the increasing diversity of English in global and local contexts. While existing research highlights the recognition of World Englishes and their pedagogical implications, little is known about how teachers’ perceptions shape the evaluation of diverse English forms within Indonesia’s assessment system. The study aims to explore perceptions across different teaching levels, experience, and school locations, and to understand how these attitudes impact assessment decisions. Utilizing a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, the research sampled 42 teachers from various Indonesian provinces through purposive sampling. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS to identify perception patterns and differences across subgroups. Findings reveal that teachers generally acknowledge the importance of local varieties but tend to prioritize native norms in assessments, with significant variations based on teaching levels, years of experience, and school locations. The study underscores the need for inclusive evaluation strategies that embrace linguistic diversity, informing professional development and policy reforms. Practically, these insights can guide the development of assessment policies that support multilingual identities and promote equitable language teaching, thereby enhancing the authenticity and relevance of English instruction in Indonesia.