درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

This research attempted to examine the underlying construct of writing self-regulation inventory extrapolated to Iranian EFL university context. A total sample of 116 sophomore EFL university learners attending essay writing course participated in this study. They were asked to do an in-class writing task assignment and immediately fill in an inventory. Pearson product-moment correlation and confirmatory factor analysis procedure using principal component analysis were applied to ascertain the relationships among the variables and construct validity of the instrument, respectively. The inventory yielded a strong internal consistency as to make the results of the present study reliable and to prove replication studies justifiable. The highest overall means and internal consistency reliability estimates were recorded both for goal subscale. However, achievement on task was negatively associated with cognitive, meta-cognitive, motivational, and behavioral dimensions of writing self-regulation. The results of factor analysis disclosed that goal, efficacy, meta-cognitive, cognitive, motivational, and behavioral variables are loaded on a single component; that is, they measured the same underlying theoretical construct. On the whole, the findings imply that the construct of writing self-regulation is consistent in EFL university context.

The concepts of work-related satisfaction, happiness, and burnout have received increasing attention in psychological research. As the field of translation studies is interdisciplinary, it has consistently drawn inspiration from various fields in the humanities, including psychology. Since sworn translators play a crucial role in translation communities, the present article aimed to look into job-related satisfaction, happiness, and burnout utilizing a qualitative interview-based approach and Iranian sworn translators as participants. The findings revealed that sworn translations involved challenges and occasionally unpleasant aspects; nonetheless, the majority of participants reported feeling satisfaction and happiness in terms of the job in general, the translation process, and their income. Furthermore, this profession has led several participants to experience fatigue, stress, nervousness, sleep disturbances, and indigestion, but the most frequent manifestations of burnout are mental exhaustion and pain in the neck, arms, hands, and eyes. These findings can be helpful for sworn translators and policymakers seeking solutions or preventing negative consequences.

Teaching is a complex profession demanding strong emotional regulation and interpersonal relationship skills, which are critical to teachers’ psychological well-being (PWB). Based on positive psychology as well as Compassion-Based Language Education (CBLE), this research intends to examine the mediational role of teacher-student relationship (TSR) in the relationship between emotion regulation (ER) and psychological well-being of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. Adopting SEM and with the help of established scales, the study searches for fresh insights about these core psychological processes to reveal the intricate associations between emotional regulation, relationships, and the psychological outcomes at work in the context of EFL instruction. A total of 243 Iranian EFL teachers were also randomly chosen based on the stratified random sampling technique with different professional experiences (that is, with different academic degrees and expertise). Broad experience and qualifications make our sample representative of Iranian EFL teachers and enhance the generalization of our findings. Stratification also helped in the coverage of aspects of age, education, and experience. Inter-variable correlations were strong, and TSR was a significant mediating variable, as indicated by the path coefficients. The direct effect of ER on TSR, indirect effect on PWB through TSR, and the total effect of ER on PWB were very significant according to AMOS 26 software. Notably, partial mediation was found where direct relationships of ER to PWB were still significant along indirect routes through TSR. This study offers unique avenues for future intervention efforts aimed at enhancing teacher well-being through relationship-oriented interventions.

Dynamic assessment (DA) has been widely researched in different linguistic areas, but there is paucity of research on its incorporation into English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Accordingly, this study investigates the effectiveness of DA on incidental vocabularies emerging in technical reading textbooks with a focus on electronic engineering students. The research method is a quasi-experimental research design focusing on an intact group of 25 Bachelor of Science students of electronics from the University of Zanjan, Iran. The instruments used are Preliminary English Test (PET), a vocabulary knowledge scale, and a mediation test (a 13-item multiple-choice test). The mediation test was delivered through the researcher-developed website, designed for this purpose. As a triangulation, participants’ evaluation of computerized dynamic assessment (CDA), too, was elicited using a survey adopted from Nirmalakhandan (2007). The results of the qualitative and quantitative phases indicated that Electronic students’ incidental vocabulary learning promoted dramatically using target CDA, employing structured prompts for the mediation process. The results of this study can inform both teachers and learners by providing a step by step procedure for both teaching and assessment of ESP learners' vocabulary.

This study examines grit— trait-level perseverance and prolonged passion for primary goals—in a foreign language learning context. The participants of this study were 384 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners from different academic majors studying at Yazd University. They had enrolled in General English (GE) courses. A questionnaire and an inventory were administered to assess their grit and a set of five assumed predictors, respectively. This investigation sought two main objectives: to examine (a) the relationships between grit and big five personality traits, and (b) the roles of grit and big five personality traits as predictors of L2 achievement. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we explored links among grit, five predictors of grit, and L2 achievement. The results indicated that three variables of big five personality traits (conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness to experience or intellect) are important predictors of grit in language learning. Furthermore, grit as a novel construct considerably predicted L2 achievement to a large extend and mediated the influence of the five predictive factors on L2 achievement. Grit, thus, constitutes a predictor of L2 learning and acts as an essential yet under-investigated role for success in language learning that is conceptually and empirically different from existing constructs.

Speaking is a multifaceted skill that involves many different areas, such as discourse, grammar, and sociolinguistics. As a primary means of communication, speaking is essential in any instructional program for language learning. Besides, Photovoice is a participatory learning method that represents the viewpoints, issues, and experiences of individuals or communities through photography. Following a mixed-methods design, the present study tried to investigate employing Photovoice on Iranian intermediate language learners' skill in speaking English. It also looked at how the participants felt about using Photovoice to learn languages. Using a convenient sampling procedure, a total number of 60 participants were chosen. Once their homogeneity was confirmed based on the Preliminary English Test, they were randomly divided into two equal groups of thirty participants, one experimental group and one control group. While the control group received typical language teaching using conventional methods, the experimental group followed the PHOTO model, which emphasized participatory photography, as well as the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) model for generating innovative solutions. Triangulation was also accomplished through conducting pre/post tests, a questionnaire, and an interview. Then, the data were summarized, and descriptive and inferential statistics such as one-way ANCOVA and paired samples t-tests were used. The results showed that Photovoice integrated with CPS was an effective method for enhancing students' speaking skill and emotional engagement in language learning. The findings can be helpful through new insights into language pedagogy, suggestions for researchers and language teachers in the study of speaking skill, and visual methods such as Photovoice.

The present study attempted to comparatively investigate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teachers’ beliefs about language learning and teaching and their distinctive characteristics. To this end, 150 EFL and ESP teachers, selected randomly from various universities in Iran, were asked to fill out two pilot-tested validated five-point Likert-scale questionnaires, one on beliefs (including 45 items) and the other on characteristics (comprising 16 items). To do multiple-level analysis and triangulate the data for validation purposes, 25 teachers, selected randomly from among the study participants, were also interviewed. The results of (Quantitative data analysis such as Independent Samples t-tests, Chi-Square and Pearson product-moment correlation analyses, as well as qualitative content analysis of interviews) found no significant mismatch between ESP teachers and EFL teachers’ beliefs overall; however, significant differences were found between characteristics of ESP teachers and EFL teachers overall as well as between the specific beliefs and also between specific characteristics of the two groups of the teachers. The results are discussed in detail in the paper, and the implications, which are significant for the field of language education and ESP, and the pertinent implications are presented.

This study aimed to examine the translation of legal discourse structures in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and their impact on the creation, maintenance, and alteration of power relations. The researchers used Fairclough's model for this study. The findings indicated that the Persian translated text (SL) contained some untranslated text, which was an omission strategy. Consequently, this omission resulted in translation errors. The discourse practice level error analysis revealed that the Persian translation had an error rate of 11%, which was statistically significant (P>0.05) for the Persian translation. On the other hand, the social practice level demonstrated that English terms and words were used in the Persian translation without explanation. However, according to Fairclough's model of CDA, there was a significant difference between the discourse knowledge produced by the Persian and English legal discourse structures of JCPOA. This variation was 6.00% for English verbs (30.8% English versus 24.8% Persian) and 1.6% for English adjectives/adverbs/nouns (13.8% English versus 12.2% Persian). The study discovered that there was a significant difference between the knowledge produced by English and Persian legal discourse in the official Persian translation of JCPOA, based on Fairclough's model (including genre, discourse, and style).

Utilizing a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, this study investigated the effects of flipped classrooms on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. Thirty Iranian EFL learners, who were enrolled in an upper-intermediate class at a private language school in Iran, were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group (the flipped learning group) and the control group (the traditional learning group). Pre-tests and immediate post-tests were administered via the DIALANG online diagnostic test which was also utilized to assess the learners’ current vocabulary level to explore the effects of flipped classrooms on the learners’ vocabulary learning. Semi-structured interviews along with students’ weekly journals were used to collect the qualitative data. The results of paired- and independent-samples t-tests showed that the experimental group performed better in the post-test both compared to their pre-test and the control group’s post-test. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data indicated that the flipped classroom enhanced the experimental groups’ knowledge of vocabulary, class participation, interaction, and engagement, although some of the participants were not accustomed to such an instructional method and preferred being instructed by the teacher and do the activities individually in the classroom. The study implications will be discussed.

Despite extensive research on teacher qualities, a significant knowledge gap persists regarding the interplay among psychological and professional factors influencing Iranian EFL teachers' performance, particularly concerning teacher stroke. This study aims to address this gap by examining the predictive power of teacher identity, immunity, and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) on teacher stroke, within the Iranian EFL context. Participants included 124 Iranian EFL teachers, randomly selected from various regions across Iran, who completed a set of validated questionnaires. Data were collected using the Teacher Immunity Questionnaire, TPACK Questionnaire, Teacher’s Identity Questionnaire, and Teachers’ Stroke Scale. Statistical analysis involved Multiple Regression Analysis to explore the predictive capacity of teacher identity, immunity, and TPACK on stroke. Results revealed a statistically significant relationship among these variables, indicating that teacher identity, immunity, and TPACK collectively explain 46% of the variance in teacher stroke. These findings underscore the importance of integrating these factors into frameworks for supporting teachers' well-being and enhancing teaching effectiveness. The implications extend to stakeholders in EFL education, suggesting targeted interventions to bolster teacher development and instructional quality.

Despite extensive research on factors influencing student engagement (SE) from a positive psychology perspective, the connection between adaptability and SE has been underexplored. The present study investigates the relationship between learners' adaptability, plurilingual and pluricultural competence (PPC), and SE in second language acquisition, guided by the PERMA model, which posits that well-being consists of Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment (Seligman, 2018). The researchers employed stratified random sampling to collect data from 599 male and female Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. These students then completed questionnaires, including the PPC scale (Galante, 2022), the adaptability scale (Feng et al., 2005), and the SE scale (Lam et al., 2014). Findings have shown that adaptability significantly predicts enhanced PPC, which in turn fosters greater SE. However, analysis of covariate variables revealed that gender and age were not significant predictors of PPC. Grade was a significant predictor of engagement, and language background was a significant predictor of PPC. These results underscore the importance of integrating adaptability training and PPC development into EFL curricula to cultivate culturally responsive learning environments and enhance SE. Further research is needed to determine the moderating roles of demographic variables. This will contribute to a more engaged, adaptable, and globally competent student body, better prepared for success in diverse contexts.