درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The present study aimed to develop a teaching competency framework for Iranian English Language Teaching (ELT) teachers by conducting interviews with 30 teachers and head teachers in the field of ELT across multiple regions in Iran. The study utilized MAXQDA 20.2.1 to conduct a thematic analysis in three phases. Intercoder reliability (ICR) testing demonstrated a significant level of agreement. The findings indicated that an effective contextualized teaching competency framework for ELT teachers should consist of six key components: professional attributes focusing on teaching-specific characteristics, skills representing practical teaching abilities, knowledge encompassing subject-matter expertise, general qualifications including foundational requirements, personal attributes, and goals and values. Fifty-nine indicators were identified and strategically linked to established reference frameworks for ELT teacher competencies. The developed framework contributes to a novel organization of ELT teaching competencies. Key findings revealed that linguistic competency, inclusivity, student bonding, pedagogical knowledge, organizational skills, and teaching passion emerged as critical indicators within the Iranian ELT context. The framework's strength lies in its systematically developed structure based on expert insights and comprehensive literature analysis that offers brevity in design while maintaining comprehensiveness. These features would make it particularly applicable for Iranian ELT settings while providing a replicable model for broader international contexts. Future research should explore longitudinal studies to understand the changes that transpire over time. Moreover, integrating the perspectives of English language learners and high school students could enhance the practicality and applicability of these frameworks.

Although pair work interaction gained substantial attention in recent decades, little is known about the best method to enhance its effectiveness. This study investigated the impact of peer modelling demonstration of collaborative writing tasks as a pedagogical intervention on Language-Related Episodes (LREs) and pair dynamics. Using a one-group pretest-posttest design with a delayed posttest, twenty intermediate learners were randomly paired up to complete three tasks (information-gap, story reconstruction, and jigsaw), which also involved a paragraph-level writing over a three-week period. Each session, the participants were required to work on one task while recording their voices. In the second session of the study, the pairs were provided with the peer modelling video to explore its contribution to their performances. The pairs' audio-recorded performances (about 15 hours) were carefully transcribed and later analyzed for a) the frequency, types, and resolution of LREs and b) pair dynamics. Results of Negative Binomial Regression revealed that peer modelling had a significant positive effect on pair performance, in a way that, after the provision of peer modelling, the pairs produced a significantly greater number of LREs and correctly resolved the majority of the conflicts. Additionally, analysis of McNemar's test revealed that the pairs demonstrated more collaborative pair dynamics subsequent to peer modelling. The findings are pedagogically important as they support peer modelling as a valuable pedagogical technique to be integrated into language learning classes to ensure L2 development and foster qualities of pair work.

The ecological turn in translation studies subverts anthropocentric perspectives and redefines translation as a multispecies, semiotic process that transcends human language. Eco-translation, a central concept within this turn, extends the field of translation to include non-human actors and ecological networks, allowing for a more inclusive description of meaning-making. Yet this turn has also brought academics a sense of disorientation and solastalgia as scholars have to grapple with the tension between preserving traditional disciplinary boundaries and embracing the expansive horizons of transdisciplinary approaches. The current article traces the ecological turn using Doris Bachmann-Medick’s three-stage model of disciplinary turn: thematic expansion, metaphorical application, and methodological refinement. It maps the evolution of eco-translation from narrowly defined practices focused on ecological themes to a broader, inclusive framework that challenges the field’s traditional foundations. The article also examines the emotional and intellectual consequences of this turn, particularly the solastalgic experience of scholars experiencing the loss of familiar disciplinary contours while adapting to new paradigms.

The common belief regarding the lack of interaction in online education raises some concerns about students’ psychological well-being and the satisfaction of their needs. The relations between teaching and social presences as the two major factors accounting for social-contextual conditions in online education with students' basic psychological needs satisfaction, persistence, and motivation are mostly ignored in the context of teaching English in higher education in Iraq. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the interrelationships between the perception of social and teaching presences and the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, persistence, intrinsic motivation, and negative emotions of Iraqi EFL learners in online courses. To this end, 200 intermediate Iraqi university students studying English at the English departments of several institutions of higher education were recruited to participate in the study. Then they were asked to complete self-report questionnaires on their perception of social and teaching presence, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, intention to persist, intrinsic motivation, and negative emotions. The link for questionnaires was shared among the participants via email. SEM analysis showed that the students’ perceptions of social and teaching presence had a positive relationship with their satisfaction of basic psychological needs, persistence, and intrinsic motivation. The results, however, showed that there was a negative relationship between the students’ perceptions of social and teaching presences and boredom, anxiety, and shame. The results imply that providing opportunities for students to interact effectively with their instructors and peers in online classes in a socially supportive environment can lead to positive outcomes. The implications for online teaching and learning are discussed, and suggestions for further research are proposed.

Vladimir Propp en tant que structuraliste et folkloriste russe, a bien essayé de formuler un système unique qui fonctionne dans tous les contes sans tenir compte de la divergence entre la langue, la littérature et la culture. Le Livre du Roi ou Shâhnâmeh de Ferdowsî est l’un des chefs-d’œuvre de la littérature persane qui est considéré comme l’héritage et l’identité culturels de notre passé historique. Cette étude a pour but de déterminer si toutes ces structures constantes et les fonctions permanentes proposées par Propp sont applicables à travers une partie de Shâhnâmeh intitulée Zahhak. Propp a développé sa théorie en étudiant les contes populaires, qui ont une structure narrative relativement simple. Shâhnâmeh, étant une œuvre épique, est beaucoup plus complexe. Il serait important d’examiner dans quelle mesure les fonctions de Propp se rapportent à cette narration épique et si certaines d’entre elles sont plus pertinentes que d’autres. En plus, étant donné l’aspect indissociable de la forme et du fond, nous allons mentionner l’impact de l’épopée sur la société iranienne. Cela nous amène à bien analyser aussi les caractéristiques du conte et les notions atemporelles au confluent de la forme et du contenu qui caractérisent l’œuvre de Ferdowsî. Il serait intéressant d’examiner comment une représentation allégorique de la société ainsi que l’imperfection humaine se manifestent à travers le conte de Zahhak.

Evaluating research designs plays a pivotal role in promoting principled Mixed Methods Research (MMR). Although the quality of mixed methods designs has been among the most debated topics, scant attention has been drawn to the investigation of Applied Linguistics (AL) Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC) journals. Informed by this gap, the present exploratory sequential mixed methods study aimed at analyzing the research designs, tools of data collection, and purposes of 303 MMR articles published in 12 leading ISC journals. This involved a qualitative content analysis using a code sheet based on established MMR typologies, followed by a quantitative frequency analysis to determine the prevalence of these coded categories. The findings indicated that sequential designs were more frequently used in the corpus. Moreover, as regards the tools of data collection, questionnaires and interviews were the most commonly utilized ones. Finally, exploration purpose was the prime purpose opted for by the researchers in the study corpus. The study highlights the importance of conducting principled MMR through the reconceptualization of designs from method to methodology level. It further argues for a systemic view of MMR in which there is a cyclic interaction among fully integrated stages of an MMR design. The implications of the findings are discussed throughout the paper.

To identify the effectiveness of online observation for teaching, this study explored teachers’ conceptions of online classroom observation, focusing on the key components, instructional design considerations, and delivery strategies in virtual teaching environments. More particularly, in this multi-method qualitative research design study, the researchers did document analysis of a number of available classroom observation sheets to derive some themes and sub-themes regarding the components of online classroom observation. Subsequently, based on the derived themes, semi-structured interview items were composed. Through purposive sampling, eight Iranian experienced online classroom observers were selected to be interviewed. Using MAXQDA to do content and thematic analysis, the researchers found the eight components of instructional design and delivery, technology integration, student engagement and interaction, professional development and support, feedback provision, assessment of students’ learning and achievement, inclusive practices, and instructor presence and support in the data. Moreover, it was found that the integration of technology was highlighted to optimize observation experiences, student engagement, and instructional support. These findings have implications for professional development programs, re-evaluation of assessment practices, instructor presence, and technology integration in online learning contexts, all of which are crucial for equipping EFL instructors with the skills and knowledge necessary for effective online teaching.

Political apologies serve as high-stakes communicative acts, addressing collective wrongdoing while seeking to repair damaged relationships between governments and affected groups. This study explored the evolution of political apologies in the 21st century, analyzing their role as public speech acts that respond to shifting societal and political norms. Despite their increasing prevalence in global politics, limited research has examined how these apologies have adapted linguistically and structurally over time to meet evolving public expectations. This research bridged this gap by employing a diachronic pragmatic approach. A corpus of 222 state-level political apologies, spanning two decades, was analyzed using the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project (CCSARP) framework, augmented with emerging pragmatic elements. Categorized into five sociopolitical periods, these apologies were coded and analyzed with Atlas.ti to identify shifts in their structural and linguistic components. The findings revealed a consistent use of Illocutionary Force Indicating Devices (IFIDs), alongside a growing emphasis on Explanation or Account and META (Reaffirmation). Novel elements, such as Commemorative Apologies and Forward-Looking Statements, demonstrated how political apologies are increasingly tailored to address systemic injustices and public demands for accountability and reconciliation. Theoretically, the study could enrich pragmatic frameworks by identifying new components of political apologies. Practically, it offers insights for crafting effective apologies that resonate with diverse audiences. This research underscored the adaptability of political apologies, positioning them as tools for fostering societal healing and advancing justice in a rapidly changing world.

The present study is an attempt to examine the impact of flipped language learning (FLL) on vocabulary learning and retention, focusing both on concrete and abstract words. In addition, the learners’ attitudes towards implementing FLL were surveyed. To this end, drawing on the mixed-methods design, a group of 40 intermediate language learners (n=20 for each gender), within the age range of 12 to 16, was selected through convenience sampling from Parseh English Institute in Zanjan, Iran. In line with the quantitative strand, the results of the pre-knowledge test and learning test for experimental and control groups were compared to evaluate their achievement. After a two-week interval, the participants’ scores were compared with the scores obtained in the retention test. After applying the treatment, a questionnaire about learners’ attitudes considering FLL was distributed to the experimental group. A semi-structured interview was also conducted to triangulate the survey results. The data were analyzed using a paired samples t-test, ANCOVA, and descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that FLL improved the performance of the experimental group in learning and retention of concrete and abstract words. The results of the analysis, nevertheless, do not substantiate the role of gender as a moderating variable. The analysis of the questionnaire and the interview also suggested learners’ favorable views regarding this kind of learning. Finally, it was concluded that FLL was efficiently applicable in English vocabulary didactics.