درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Learner autonomy as both an individual as well as a social concept is considered to be a vital element in language learning. Moreover, enhancing learner autonomy has been a main concern among language learning scholars. Because of this primacy, this study in two phases, first sought to examine the desirability and feasibility of learner autonomy from teachers' perspective, and then sought to study the effectiveness of training on enhancing teachers' autonomy-supportive behaviors. Seventy-two Iranian EFL teachers' views were collected via an autonomy questionnaire developed by Borg and Al-Busaidi (2012). The results indicated that the teachers conceived autonomy to be more desirable than feasible. They considered autonomy as an ideal optional rather than an accessible purpose. Furthermore, classroom observations indicated that training in workshops that were based on self-determination theory (SDT) enhanced teachers' autonomy-supportive behaviors. Trained teachers outperformed untrained teachers in almost all criteria in the ASBI checklist. The study has implications for EFL teachers and teacher educators. The contribution SDT can have on autonomy enhancement indicates its significance and potential to be accentuated in instructional programs as well as pre-service and in-service training sessions.

This research examines the ideological underpinnings of the coup speech delivered on January 15, 1966, by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu. Employing Jeffries' (2010) Critical Stylistics theory as a methodological framework, the study conducts a linguistic analysis to uncover the political viewpoints and intentions of the coup plotters. The analysis reveals how specific linguistic choices and patterns were employed to communicate the plotters' intentions to the public, suppress dissent, and advocate for the establishment of military rule instead of democratic governance. The speech underscores the plotters' portrayal of their actions as necessary for national salvation, while framing democratic processes as ineffective. Additionally, the use of emotive language and authoritative tones served to bolster legitimacy and rally public support for the coup. The analysis further elucidates how the adopted linguistic strategies functioned to justify the overthrow of the existing government and the suspension of democratic institutions in Nigeria’s First Republic. This Critical Stylistic study highlights the intricate power dynamics that underpinned the military intervention and emphasizes the role of language as a tool for ideological persuasion. By revealing the linguistic resources employed by the coup plotters, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how language can shape political realities and influence public perception during times of upheaval.

The Islamic revolution of Iran in 1979 caused the replacement of a pro-western government with an Islamic republic which also affected the broadcast of foreign audio-visual products on the State TV. As such products contained taboos, some specific translation strategies seemed necessary according to Islamic laws. This study aimed to investigate how the State TV has dealt with taboos during the first and second twenty years of the Islamic Republic. To this end, four audio-visual products including Secret Army (1977) and Captain Tsubasa (1983) broadcast during the 1980s and 1990s and Wall-E (2008) and House of Cards (2013) aired in the 2000s and 2010s respectively by the State TV were selected. Procedures suggested by Brownlie (2007) were utilized to analyse taboo translation. The findings indicated that the most frequent procedure was changing taboos to irrelevant expressions in Secret Army and Captain Tsubasa, and Wall-E. This procedure was not included in Brownlie’s framework. But the most frequent one in House of Cards was toning down. It was concluded that procedures for taboo translation have been inconsistent during all these four decades and the reason might be ideological and political. Consequently, such inconsistencies may disrupt the logical relation the directors intended to create between their works and their audience and the sudden leniency of IRIB in translating taboos in the House of Cards series for ideological and political purposes may also lead to distrust of the Iranian audience.

The success of language teachers and learners is definitively pertinent to the emotions they experience in academic environments. Accordingly, the factors impacting language teachers’ and learners’ emotions must be recognized. Many scholars have scrutinized emotional variables in response to this necessity through various methodological approaches. The present study aims to evaluate some of the innovative approaches to assessing emotional factors to see how innovative they are and review their positive points and shortcomings. To do so, Q Methodology (Q), idiodynamic method, Latent Growth Curve Modeling (LGCM), Process Tracing Approach (PTA), Social Network Analysis (SNA), Nested Ecosystem Model (Ecological approach), and Retrodictive Qualitative Modeling (RQM) methods have been selected to be reviewed in this research. The findings highlight several strengths and weaknesses of each of the methodological approaches. It has also been reported that these approaches need to be context-specific and person-sensitive to generate more accurate data. Among the approaches, PTA and SNA have received scant attention in the investigation of emotional factors since the data in these two approaches cannot be reported precisely in narrative form. Our study would be conducive for all researchers, notably those working in the field of language teachers’ and learners’ psychology.  

In the context of the rapid dissemination of information, scaffolding the readability of online content is critical. This study introduces the brainling model as a novel approach to measuring readability, which heeds readers’ cognition, senses, emotions, and cultural background in conjunction with language. To achieve the aims, two texts covering a general topic were selected, both possessing the same readability level according to the Flesch Reading Ease scale. However, one of the texts was modified in accordance with the brainling components (i.e., cogling, emoling, sensoling, and cultuling). Following each reading text, five multiple-choice comprehension questions, a 10- item Likert scale for readability, and a scale for the text’s difficulty level scale were designed. The Google Form was used to collect responses from 209 individuals with intermediate language proficiency at an educational institution in Oman. After verifying the reliability and validity of the questions and scales, significantly higher mean scores were observed for the readability scale components of clarity and engagement in the brainling-based modified text, compared to the unmodified text. Moreover, the results obtained from the text difficulty scale, readers rated the brainling-based text as easier to comprehend. Furthermore, based on the reading comprehension test, participants achieved higher scores when reading the brainling-based text. These findings demonstrate that modifying a text based on the brainling model, which integrates both brain and linguistic structures, significantly enhances clarity, engagement, text difficulty, and reading comprehension scores. Adopting the brainling approach can be a solution for fostering mutual understanding and collaboration among culturally diverse members and alleviating challenges such as misunderstanding, that may hinder goal achievement. 

This study, contrary to the conventional research on PCK, which attempted to enhance the teachers’ PCK and single out its driving factors, aims to use PCK as an outcome-based lens for evaluating Iranian EFL teachers’ programs. To this end, two current EFL teacher-education programs (i.e., State and Islamic Azad universities on the one hand and Farhnagian Teacher Education University on the other), each with its specific approach to developing EFL teachers’ PCK, were selected. Along with administering a glocally developed and validated PCK questionnaire among 263 student-teachers, this study ran a one-on-one semi-structured interview with 80 student-teachers to capture a crystal-clear evaluation of the outcomes the programs were to cultivate. The results of running qualitative and MANOVA analysis methods showed the student-teachers trained in the program with a more finely-tuned PCK instruction, which was accompanied by four continuous courses of teaching internship, were more cognizant of the role of PCK in their professional development and enjoyed a statistically significant index of developed PCK. Although there existed some similarities between these programs in terms of reviewing high school English course books, evaluation and assessment, and applying technology in teaching English, student-teachers in both programs were not completely aware of different components of PCK, including curriculum design and materials development, language teachers’ technological knowledge, and professional development. The results imply that content knowledge, PCK, and internship should be fettered together. The findings suggest that EFL teachers’ PCK can be applied as an effective lens for delving deeply into teacher training programs.

There are more and more neologisms to the vocabulary of human language due to the progress of globalization, development in social life, and advancement of new technology. The object of this study is to survey the applicability of the conceptual blending theory in the analysis of neologisms in the Harry Potter series and will answer the question of which type of blended networks can be used in the new translation of neologisms. The theoretical part of this study described conceptual blending theory, and its networks and described making the meaning process based on these networks. This theory is a developing area of research in cognitive linguistics. So, those who work in the field of literary or translation analysis must be familiar with its basic operations and networks. The nature of this study is descriptive and content analysis. Data analysis will involve quantitative analysis. To address the objectives of the present study, the researcher selected 83 translated neologisms in the series of the novel. The paper mainly studies the process of conceptual blending theory (CBT) when translating those English neologisms whose Persian counterparts cannot be found. In the network of this theory, English takes up one input space and Persian takes up another. From both inputs, frameworks, and elements plan out the blend, where they are dynamically integrated. Then, the planned framework and elements construct a novel structure (translation).

This study explores the complexities and variations in translating Mohsin Hamid’s novels – Exit West , The Reluctant Fundamentalist , and How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia – from English into Persian within a hybridized space. Using Mollanazar and Parham’s (2009) analytical framework, the research examines the attributes of hybrid texts in translations by Hossein Hassani, Maryam Ahmadi, and Ahmad Al-Ahmad. Through micro- and macro-level analysis, the study addresses key questions: How do translations adhering to Mollanazar and Parham’s model (2009) reflect the first level of hybridity? Are the findings consistent with existing hybrid perspectives in translation studies? The results indicate that contemporary translations, influenced by factors such as censorship and cultural invasion, alter the narrative’s interpretation. This conclusion contributes to translation studies by highlighting the challenges of translating hybrid texts and their broader implications.

Audio description (AD) is a key tool for improving audiovisual accessibility, originally developed to support the blind and partially sighted community. However, its benefits extend far beyond its initial target audience, with users now including individuals with cognitive disabilities, older adults, language learners, and even sighted individuals in specific contexts. This article analyzes the inclusive potential of AD, tracing the historical evolution of AD from its initial beginnings in the 1980s to the current day as a recognized form of audiovisual translation. AD translates visual information into verbal description, enabling BPS audiences to access visual media on an equal basis as sighted viewers. Apart from accessibility, AD has increasingly been appreciated as a pedagogical tool to facilitate language learning, listening skills, and vocabulary acquisition. AD is also advantageous for individuals with cognitive disabilities since it provides clear, concise descriptions of visual objects, helping to focus attention and reduce cognitive overload. It can also improve the experience for sighted users where visual access is limited, such as while driving or multitasking. This study invites further investigation of the broader applications of AD, encouraging its use in different environments, including education, virtual reality, and interactive narratives. Seen in this light, the current study highlights AD’s potential to facilitate inclusivity and accessibility across society, for a wide variety of users beyond its current target ones.

With the advancement of new teaching methods and approaches in foreign language teaching and learning, critical thinking has gained popularity in modern language education. This quasi-experimental study evaluated the possible impact of synthesizing critical thinking dispositional features and action learning on the Iranian intermediate EFL students’ argumentative composition improvement skills. From the 400 EFL learners at Islamic Azad University, Kurdistan branch, one hundred and fifty mingled intermediate-level EFL university learners were chosen based on their scores received from the OQPT and equally distributed into three experimental and two control groups. All participants were given two standard writing tests during the pre and post-treatment phases, followed by CCTST principles. In EG1, the researcher taught argumentative writing based on critical thinking dispositional features; in EG2, he taught argumentative writing based on the principles of action learning approach; and in EG3, he taught argumentative writing by synthesizing critical thinking dispositional features and the principles of action learning approach. Two control groups received conventional writing instruction: one group consisted of only males (EG1), and the other only females (EG2). The study's results revealed that while the participants in both The EGs and CGs elicited a statistically important development in the posttests, those in the three EGs all outperformed those in the CGs. In the order of significance, critical thinking dispositional features, then action learning approach and lastly synthesizing critical thinking dispositional features and action learning approach had a meaningful impact on improving the argumentative essay writing skills of Iranian intermediate EFL students.

The incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into language development has garnered considerable interest, especially within the realm of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. Psychological flow is regarded as a pivotal element that affects learning outcomes; however, its significance in the context of AI-assisted language learning has yet to be thoroughly investigated. This study examines the relationship between psychological flow induced by AI, tendencies of fortitude, mental health, and critical thinking among 214 university students enrolled in EFL programs who utilized AI-integrated language learning aids. Data were gathered via structured online surveys, and the relationships among the variables were examined utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings suggest that the psychological flow induced by AI has a substantial impact on learners' levels of fortitude, mental well-being, and critical thinking. The findings indicate that when learners engage in AI-assisted language learning and experience a state of flow, they exhibit elevated levels of perseverance, improved mental well-being, and enhanced critical thinking. These outcomes underscore the dual function of flow in AI-assisted language learning, as it not only augments learners' cognitive engagement but also fosters positive emotional states that are conducive to improved mental health and enhanced problem-solving abilities. The findings of the study possess significant pedagogical implications, indicating that AI-based platforms ought to be developed to promote a state of fluidity by integrating personalized learning trajectories, real-time feedback mechanisms, and engaging features.