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In the postmodernism era, considering the new technological facilities, researchers are trying to improve the traditional learning process by presenting some new learning models. One of these models, called blended learning, tries to present special ways and solutions to blend synchronous and asynchronous learning. The flipped classroom, subcategorized in this model, reverses the traditional classroom formats. This study investigates the role of this model in EFL learners’ perceptions of class activities and their language achievement. In doing so, two classes in a high school, 10th grade, were selected as the participants. In the experimental group, the flipped learning approach was implemented through the creative software, developed by the researchers. The software was designed based on the book that students were supposed to study that semester. The software framework was Storyline which is a suitable software for creating interactive courses. Learners’ perceptions were also measured by using the translated version of the 'Students Perceptions of Classroom Activities' scale. The results revealed that the flipped learning approach could account for over 70 percent of Choice perception, about 50 percent for Challenge, and 10 percent for Joy perception. The results also demonstrated significant impact of flipped learning on language achievement. The results of this study would help instructors and practitioners to use technology in their teaching program and be optimistic about its amazing results in their learners’ outcomes.

The focus of prior studies has been on introducing different cultulings in Iranian culture; as a result, little attention has been given to their relationship with individual differences and language-related variables. Therefore, to address this gap, the researchers first devised a cultuling competency test to measure individuals’ ability to identify 14 culturally different contexts. They then substantiated the construct validity of the cultuling competency test through CFA, and its reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha, suggesting high reliability. Next, the researchers aimed to assess the role of cultuling in individuals’ language aptitude, verbal intelligence, cultural intelligence, and second language (L2) willingness to communicate (WTC). The results indicated that cultuling is a significant predictor of verbal intelligence. It was also found that L2 WTC and cultural intelligence are positively correlated. Finally, the findings revealed that language aptitude has a significant relationship with both cultural and verbal intelligence.

This study investigated the discourse features of requestive speech acts in 10 textbooks from the Top Notch and Summit series to assess their potential for developing learners' pragmatic competence. Requests were analyzed in terms of directness strategies, head acts, and supportive discourse moves, drawing on the frameworks of Blum-Kulka et al. (1989) and Farch and Kasper (1989). The findings revealed a bias towards direct request strategies in both series, likely influenced by their utilitarian discourse structure. While Top Notch provided a wider range of directness levels, Summit, designed for advanced learners, offered limited exposure to diverse request strategies. Internal supportive moves, particularly the use of questions, were more prevalent than external moves in both series. These findings suggest that while the series contribute to language learning, they may not fully equip learners with the pragmatic competence necessary for effective intercultural communication. Further research is needed to explore the impact of explicit instruction and implicit learning on the acquisition of request strategies.

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.

This study was intended to explore the Iranian EFL learners’ stance towards Technology-Enhanced Personalized Language Learning (TEPLL) and how it influences language development. Specifically, this study investigated the relationships among learners’ stances towards TEPLL, relating to effectiveness, integration into daily life, autonomy, engagement, and satisfaction, with L2 speaking and writing motivation. It also examined how learners’ stances to the instruction of TEPLL were related to their progress in developing productive skills both in speaking and writing. In addition, instructional facets promoting and inhibiting learners’ progress were highlighted. With 120 EFL Iranian learners from five language institutes in Isfahan, Iran, the present project assigned participants to experimental and control groups with 60 persons each, according to the proficiency levels: pre-intermediate, intermediate, and advanced. Data were collected via a Learning Experience Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The experimental group received instruction in TEPLL through Speechling for speaking practice and through Moodle for writing practice. The results generally indicated a positive stance towards TEPLL; the learners reported high scores regarding perceived effectiveness, ease of integration, autonomy, engagement, and satisfaction. They also demonstrated more motivation concerning the development of L2 speaking and writing. On the other hand, it established the challenges of technical problems, inadequate content, and poor preparation. Interviews with students showed that TEPLL is an excellent tool for practicing speaking and pronunciation but also brought to the surface the demand for better audio-visual quality, more content volume, and individual support. The findings suggest that while potentially very effective in bettering the language learning of Iranian EFL learners, TEPLL has to be administered with caution, and its administration kept under constant review to reduce the potential challenges. Keywords: Self-determination Theory (SDT), Stance, Technology-Enhanced Personalized Language Learning (TEPLL)

It is argued that in our current digital era, MALL (mobile-assisted language learning) is an indispensable mode either for independent self-learning or for integrating with the school curriculum. The present study explores the possibility of using gamification as a home assignment in English as a foreign language course for students of non-English majors at a university in Vietnam. Data was collected and analyzed using 69 questionnaire responses and 41 essays written by students in a class of General English. The questionnaire and essay topic prompt required students to provide an evaluation of their personal experience learning English with Duolingo outside the classroom, as part of the compulsory home assignments during a 15-week semester. The questionnaire items were in Vietnamese and the essays were either in Vietnamese or English for students’ convenience. The results showed detailed benefits and problems of learning English with Duolingo as perceived by the students. The key benefits include the fact that Duolingo is a valuable resource: rich and free; the limitation is mainly learners’ lack of experience with the application. It is suggested that with teachers’ guidance, Duolingo could be used as an effective and motivating tool for independent learning.  

Speech act theory is a significant issue in comprehending the intricate dynamics of human communication, acting as a guiding light in understanding how language is used to perform actions beyond the literal meanings of words. While traditional frameworks have presented valuable perceptions in classifying speech acts, the evolving nature of communication requires reconsidering and expanding these conventional approaches. The researchers of the current study proposed an innovative framework for speech act classifications, one that exceeds traditional boundaries and embraces the nuanced complexities of modern discourse. Based on seminal works by Austin (1962) and Searle (1969), and also by considering important research by Grice (1975), Levinson (1983), and emerging perspectives represented by Verschueren (1999) and Sbisa (2002), the researchers of this study critically assess current classifications, identifying essential challenges and opportunities in speech act analysis. The proposed framework introduces other categories such as Metaplocutionary Acts, Interlocutionary Acts, and Negotiation Acts, offering a more comprehensive and context-sensitive approach to understanding speech acts. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and empirical validation, the researchers of this study aim to refine and apply this framework across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts, thereby paving the way for a more nuanced and dynamic comprehension of human communication.

Mind mapping has increasingly been acknowledged for its ability to improve learning outcomes, especially within language education. This research compared virtual and traditional mind mapping techniques for improving writing performance and motivation in Iranian EFL learners. The initial pool comprised 120 Iranian EFL students at the pre-intermediate level, selected based on their KET exam results. From this group, 90 participants were randomly divided into three cohorts: two experimental groups and one control group. Before the intervention, all groups completed a writing assessment designed by the instructor, along with a motivation survey. The first experimental group was taught using virtual mind mapping tools, while the second experimental group utilized conventional, paper-based mind maps. The control group received standard writing instruction without the use of mind mapping. After the instructional period, the motivation questionnaire and writing tests were re-administered to all participants. Statistical analysis demonstrated that both mind mapping groups achieved significantly higher scores in writing and motivation compared to the control group. Furthermore, an independent samples t-test comparing the two experimental groups revealed that the virtual mind mapping cohort outperformed the non-virtual group slightly in both writing achievement and motivational measures. Insights from semi-structured interviews showed that most learners held favorable views toward the use of virtual mind mapping in their English writing classes. These results highlight the benefits of incorporating virtual mind mapping into EFL teaching practices to boost writing skills and learner motivation.

Teaching has recently received extensive attention as an emotionally charged profession, necessitating a deeper exploration of the psychological mechanisms underlying teachers’ practices. However, despite the evidence supporting the role of teachers’ emotion regulation (ER) in their autonomous control over both their practices and their ecological environment, the interplay between EFL teachers’ ER, agency, and autonomy is not yet fully clear. Grounded in positive psychology and ecological theories of agency, the present study tried to contribute to our understanding of this relationship. Accordingly, 232 EFL teachers in Iranian schools, targeted via snowball sampling, responded to an online survey, containing Emotion Regulation, Agency Related to Planning Teaching and Learning Activities, and Teaching Autonomy questionnaires. The results of Multiple Linear Regression and SEM confirmed a positive relationship between ER and agency ( r = .724) as well as ER and autonomy ( r = .713), while predicting 58% and 48% of changes in them, respectively, which demonstrates strong predictive power. The results support an integrated theoretical model, linking ER to teachers’ agentic and autonomous behaviors, and indicating that emotionally-regulated teachers are more likely to exercise control over their professional practices and environment. These findings offer implications for educational administrators and psychologists, as well as ELT practitioners who wish to improve educational practices by empowering teachers to foster sustained well-being and deal with burnout. Finally, the possibility of an updated construct of Agentic Autonomy is proposed to bridge ER with teachers’ ecological agency.

Jam (2020) attempts to provide an Optimality-Theoretic analysis of Persian vowel harmony. As to cases where backness harmony does not appear to occur, his explanation appeals to Lexically Specific Constraint Theory, treating these instances as exceptional rather than systematic. In this reply, I argue that such an appeal to exceptionality is unnecessary, and I propose an alternative analysis in which regressive vowel harmony in Persian can be accounted for in a principled, unified manner without recourse to lexically indexed constraints. By introducing an appropriately formulated markedness constraint, it becomes possible to capture the full range of observed patterns while maintaining the parsimony and explanatory elegance expected of an Optimality-Theoretic framework. In addition to this central point, I identify several further weaknesses in Jam’s analysis. These include a conflation of rule ordering with constraint ranking, which obscures the theoretical distinction between derivational and constraint-based approaches, the problematic assumption that the phonological representation of loanwords should mirror their source-language forms, and the omission of critical information in both the representations and tableaux.

A vital aspect of educational reform involves the careful evaluation of English Language Teaching (ELT) materials to confirm that coursebooks align with learner requirements. This article presents the results of a comprehensive investigation into the Vision series, the state-issued English textbooks used in high schools in Iran. The study examines the correspondence between the textbook content and the language learning priorities identified by students and teachers. Using a survey-based method, needs analysis questionnaires were administered to 200 high school students (100 males and 100 females) and 50 English teachers (25 males and 25 females). The findings indicate a considerable gap between the pedagogical content of the Vision series and the expressed needs of learners, especially in the area of communicative abilities. These results imply that educators and curriculum planners should re-evaluate the appropriateness of the current textbooks and consider using supplementary or different materials that better align with the functional language skills students require. This work highlights the need for ongoing, context-specific assessment and modification of ELT materials to maintain their relevance and effectiveness.

This study examines collegiality among Iranian EFL teachers by developing and validating the EFL Teacher Collegiality Scale (ETCS) through Mokken Scale Analysis (MSA). Collegiality, which we often understand as mutual respect, teamwork, and shared responsibility, is widely acknowledged as essential for promoting positive school environments and supporting teachers’ well-being. Specifically, collegiality supports teacher well-being, operationalized as job satisfaction, lower emotional exhaustion/burnout, and stronger professional efficacy. In Iran’s educational context, specific challenges make promoting teacher collaboration more difficult. To fill an important gap in the existing research, this study introduces a culturally adapted, reliable instrument designed to measure collegiality within this context. A cross-sectional survey using a 30-item ETCS was administered online to collect data from 170 teachers from various educational backgrounds. The ETCS is organized into three main areas: collaborative practice, professional support and mentorship, and shared professional development. The development process of the ETCS instrument involved expert review and back translation. Analysis showed that the scale has strong scalability and internal consistency, with high Mokken H coefficients across all subscales. The findings indicate that strong collegiality boosts teacher satisfaction, supports retention, and builds professional networks. Finally, this study provides practical strategies and a validated tool to improve EFL teacher collaboration and highlights online collegiality in remote or hybrid settings as a key topic for future research.

Although Sociocultural Theory (SCT) was introduced to English Language Teaching (ELT) almost three decades ago, it has not yet started to find its way into the epistemological and practical aspects of English Language Teacher Education (LTE) programs in Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) language institutions context. Not having met the needs of English teachers, teacher educators, and academic and non-academic teaching programs and feeling a pressing need for innovative approaches in language teacher education, the time is ripe for LTE programs to present a curriculum that is globally driven and locally appropriate. To this end, this paper aimed to develop a sociocultural language teacher education (SLTE) curriculum model as an alternative to the LTE programs in the Iranian EFL context. The researchers applied Vygotskian principles and extensions of SCT pedagogy to construct a curriculum model that draws on Graves’ framework of LTE curriculum design and Richards’ model of teacher education that collectively incorporate different aspects, namely context analysis, needs analysis, approach, content, process, teacher educator’s roles, student teachers’ roles, and program evaluation. To present an  innovative LTE program, the researchers extracted and put together the tenets, extensions, and categories of SCT comprehensively and presented them through a complementary curriculum model that is a combination of Graves’ framework and Richards’ model of teacher education. This tentative but dynamic curriculum model might help teachers, teacher educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders to reconceptualize and restructure their mentalities and use the findings when designing small-scale and large-scale LTE programs.

Since reflective practice is regarded as a significant professional learning tool for teachers to change, modify, and reform their educational practices, it is important for teachers to move towards a more creative use of reflection. Thus, imaginative and creative reflective practice can serve as a new approach to enhance teaching efficiency, originality, reflectivity, and practicality. Additionally, teachers can utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to implement reflective practice in creative and imaginative ways to support innovative reflections and address complex teaching challenges. Accordingly, this study employed imaginative and creative reflective practice with a Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) as a novel AI tool. This study explored how imaginative and creative AI-oriented reflective practice could contribute to the professional development of EFL teachers within a complex educational system. To this end, the perspectives of six novice and experienced EFL teachers were examined through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and post-class discussions within a qualitative case study framework. The findings indicated that teachers were able to transform and reform their belief systems by learning new concepts, reflecting on their practices, innovating knowledge and practice, and initiating change through imaginative and creative AI-oriented reflective practice. The study concludes with suggestions on how to engage language teachers in imaginative and creative AI-oriented reflective practices.