درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

A critical component of cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs) is a Q-matrix that stipulates associations between items of a test and their required attributes. The present study aims to develop and empirically validate a Q-matrix for the listening comprehension section of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). To this end, a listening comprehension test of the IELTS was administered to 820 Iranian test takers. According to theories, taxonomies, and models of second/foreign language (L2) listening comprehension, previous studies on the utility of CDMs to L2 listening comprehension, detailed content analysis of the test items, and consultation with several content experts, an initial Q-matrix was first developed. Through the technique suggested by de la Torre and Chiu (2016), along with checking heatmap plots and mesa plots using the GDINA package in R, the Q-matrix was then empirically validated. Generally, six attributes were extracted for the listening section, namely, (1) Linguistic knowledge (LKA), (2) understanding prosodic patterns (UPP), (3) ability to understand and make paraphrases (PAR), (4) ability to understand specific factual information such as names, numbers, and so forth (UFI), (5) ability to understand explicit information (UEI), and (6) ability to make inference (INF). Finally, the results of the fit of the GDINA model to the data, at both item and test levels, indicated the adequate model-data fit and the plausibility of the Q-matrix. The implications of the study were also discussed.

Students’ engagement in classroom activities has been at the center of attention these days that affect learners’ success, mental health and alternatively, their disengagement impacts their achievement and may also affect their future professional well-being. Motivation is another important contributor to success in education, which is also in line with engagement. Likewise, demotivation has been a concentration point of instructional research; yet, it has not obtained much concentration in the realm of language acquisition. Indeed, English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ demotivation has an essential role in hindering their learning in the English language learning classroom. The level of these two concepts, namely disengagement and demotivation is influenced by different factors in students and as far as EFL teaching is concerned, one of these factors is school climate which is deemed as a predictor of academic success. Indeed, the learning climate has been attracting the attention of researchers for decades given that this construct improves or prevents student achievement and poor mental health. Nevertheless, its contribution to mitigating learners’ demotivation and disengagement has not been scrutinized yet. Accordingly, this review presents the power of the learning climate where EFL students are learning a language and its role in students’ demotivation and disengagement. Subsequently, this is followed by giving some implications for EFL teachers, school authorities, and researchers.

The study investigates the popularity, language use, and food menu naming of Thai cuisine on international social media by analyzing 210 Thai food dishes from Allrecipes, a leading cooking and recipe website. Data were categorized to identify popular dishes and the top six food groups were found: curry, Pad Thai, soup, sauce, rice, and noodles. Curry dishes, particularly green and red curry, are the most popular followed by Pad Thai and soups like Tom Kha Gai and Tom Yum. Thai food names are predominantly translated into English with additional descriptors. English transliterations are used for iconic and national dishes like Pad Thai and Tom Yum, reflecting a global preference for accessible names. A free program called HK Coder was employed to analyze the data, determine word frequency, and identify keywords. The linguistic analysis revealed frequent terms such as "Thai", "chicken", and "curry" highlighting the significance of national identity and key ingredients of Thai cuisine. Remarkably, a less traditional dish ‘Peanut Butter Noodles’ also received high ratings as a popular dish, indicating a blending of Thai flavors with Western preferences. The study provides insights into how Thai food is perceived and adapted internationally, contributing to the understanding of cross-cultural culinary exchanges.

The essential requirement of validity in second language assessment and testing is of paramount importance since it guarantees that tests properly gauge the targeted constructs and produce propitious interpretations. In this light, there seems to be a pressing need to carefully assess outdated conceptions of validity in English language testing to ensure they are in lockstep with current linguistic and sociocultural circumstances. This review examines the book "Ethics and Context in Second Language Testing: Rethinking Validity in Theory and Practice," edited by M. Rafael Salaberry, Albert Weideman, and Wei-Li Hsu (2023), and it unravels new horizons for expanding the comprehension of validity beyond traditional frameworks. The review underscores the primary subjects addressed in the book's content, such as ethical issues, contextual factors affecting test design, and novel approaches for assessing validity in real-world settings. The review also stresses the book's critical analysis of existing paradigms and recommends a more nuanced perspective on validity that incorporates ethical considerations and contextual significance. To this end, the current review constitutes an important reference for researchers and practitioners to encourage them to critically examine and reframe validity in second language testing.

 Task sequencing (TS) has been a focus of empirical investigations in task-based language teaching (TBLT). Previous studies on TS failed to represent classroom contexts because they did not provide learners with corrective feedback (CF). This study aimed to address this gap by examining the combined effects of TS and CF on writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF). To do so, 113 upper-intermediate EFL learners were selected and divided into two groups. Participants took a pretest at the beginning of the study. Each group performed two three-task sets in simple-to-complex(S-C) or complex-to-simple(C-S) order. In each group, the errors in the first set of tasks were given CF by error codes (ECs), while the errors in the second set were only underlined. Participants in both groups were asked to revise their texts based on the provided CF and take a posttest at the end of the study. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was run to analyze the pretest and posttest data. The results showed that the group performing tasks in S-C order and receiving ECs outperformed the others. Findings supported the SSARC (Stabilize, Simplify, Automatize, Reconstruct, Complexify) model. The study has implications for material development.

Cet article vise à analyser la formation linguistique de l’apprenant irakien du FLE. en mettant l’accent sur le cursus des études supérieures. Les étudiants en master, encore inexpérimentés dans la recherche, rencontrent des difficultés avec le programme actuel. Leur formation antérieure leur a-t-elle donné suffisamment de savoirs dans le domaine linguistique ? Au cours de cet article, nous analysons le système éducatif irakien du français langue étrangère à l’université de Bagdad. Il s’agit de la méthodologie classique et de sa revalorisation liée à la réforme du système.  Quel est le rôle des cursus traditionnels de FLE dans le processus de l'enseignement au magistère ? Dans un contexte hétérogène, il s’agit d’un pays non francophone. Nous proposons quelques pistes d’étude afin de commencer à  rénover  le système éducatif et l’actualiser dans un sens qui le rapproche des autres systèmes d’enseignement internationaux Nous proposons un modèle spécifique pour notre contexte particulier: D. H. E. B.,  Double Hélice Éducative de Bagdad. Ce modèle est dynamique, génératif, auto-évolutif et applicatif. Notre approche spécifique nous aide à former des recommandations pédagogiques participant à la réforme de l’enseignement-apprentissage du français à l’université de Bagdad.   

Critical thinking is one of the main functions of education and it is considered as learners’ use of prior knowledge to make judgments and solve problems. This study aimed, firstly, to examine the relationship between university EFL teachers’ critical thinking tendencies and their problem-solving skills, and secondly, to explore the prediction of university EFL teachers’ critical thinking tendencies by problem-solving skills, gender, and teaching experience. The study was designed in a correlational survey method. In total, 70 university EFL teachers (35 males and 35 females), from Azad and Payame Noor universities located in Isfahan and Ilam provinces teaching undergraduate students majoring in English, participated in this research. Data were collected via the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory and the Problem-Solving Inventory. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient, and stepwise regression analysis. The relationship between critical thinking tendencies and problem-solving skills was investigated through the Pearson Product Moments Correlation Coefficient, and stepwise regression analysis was run to determine whether university EFL teachers' problem-solving skills, gender, and teaching experience can significantly predict their critical thinking tendencies. The findings indicated that there was a positive, moderate, and significant relationship between university EFL teachers' problem-solving skills and their critical thinking tendencies, while there was no significant difference according to gender. In terms of teaching experience, the correlation coefficient for novice teachers showed a weak, positive, and non-significant relationship, yet the correlation coefficient for experienced teachers indicated a moderate, positive, and significant relationship. This study has both theoretical and practical implications for EFL teachers, practitioners, learners, and policymakers.  

The emergence of technological advances dramatically changed the status of foreign language teaching forever, making computer-assisted language learning (CALL) into a key area in foreign language teaching and later a distinct academic discipline at higher education level. The present study describes the intended curriculum of a two-year post-graduate technology-enhanced language teaching program launched at Al-Zahra University, a women’s university in Tehran, Iran, as well as the national context within which the program was developed. It begins with a background on the significance of technology in education followed by a brief history of education in Iran. The main part of the paper describes the intended curriculum of the program from different perspectives including the aims and rationales, significance of the program, student profile (who takes it) and sources of the M.A. admission examination, abilities intended for graduates, courses of the program, syllabus and recommended readings, and assessment of the course outcomes. The paper finally concludes by discussing what is not included in the curriculum as well as the implications for teacher educators and suggestions for further research.

Despite its recognized importance in preparing prospective teachers for the realities of the classroom, the practicum in Iranian TEFL programs faces several challenges that can significantly impact its effectiveness and hinder the development of competent and confident TEFL teachers in the country. This study, characterized as a comprehensive nationwide triangulated project, aimed at exploring and comparing the perception of the Iranian TEFL Preservice Teachers (PSTs) and the corresponding stakeholders on major issues, problems and challenges of the practicum program at Farhangian University. To these ends, a researcher-made practicum evaluation questionnaire was distributed among the participants (including 230 PSTs and 215 stakeholders) whose answers were analyzed through factor analysis. Based on factor loadings, nine major extracted factors in the two participant groups were compared through Independent Samples t-tests. The results showed that PSTs and stakeholders shared common perceptions on six factors while they held different perceptions only on three other factors. A semi-structured interview was additionally designed and conducted with 15 PSTs and 15 stakeholders. Finally, 10 practicum courses were observed to obtain an accurate understanding of the current situation of ELT PSTs’ internship education in Iran. The findings uncovered major issues and challenges with regard to ELT practicum including (a) limited adaptability and innovation in instructional approaches, resources, and materials utilized by the cooperating teachers who served as a role model for PSTs, (b) insufficient collaboration between educational institutions and universities, (c) lack of proper supervision by university advisors, d) insufficiency of time allotted to PSTs for teaching,  and e) huge gap between theoretical concepts related to the practicum principles studied in university courses with the practical realities faced by PSTs in the school environment, to name a few. The findings of the study might firstly give some insight to universities and schools in developing and implementing high-quality practicum programs that might contribute to the advancement of ELT teacher education programs. Moreover, the study can contribute to our understanding of the extent to which PSTs can integrate theoretical knowledge into their teaching practices.

The present study aimed to examine kinetic units, implicature, and coherence in Persian audio descriptions. To this end, 10 Persian audio-described movies, totaling 1,004 minutes, were analyzed, and their audio descriptions (ADs) were documented, resulting in 3,485 records. These records were filtered for descriptions related to characters’ movements, yielding 2,095 ADs, which were analyzed in three phases. First, the type of kinetic unit in each AD was identified. Second, the implicature of kinetic units was examined to determine whether it was included in the ADs or ignored. The final phase addressed coherence in ADs. The results revealed that gesture was the most frequent kinetic unit in Persian ADs, followed by manner and posture. Moreover, 96% of kinetic units lacked implicature, and only 2.5% of implicatures related to characters’ movements were ignored in audio descriptions, which does not raise serious concerns about accessibility for blind and visually impaired audiences. Regarding coherence, 97% of Persian ADs were found to be coherent, highlighting the substantial accessibility they provide to their target audience. However, accessibility was not solely contingent upon linguistic and pragmatic factors. Technical challenges, such as background music overshadowing ADs, posed additional barriers to media accessibility.

This research aims to develop a questionnaire that measures students’ attitudes toward collaborative course design and identifies any barriers that might hinder student participation in course design. The questionnaire was developed in four phases. First, an item pool was created based on experts’ opinions, relevant literature, and the researchers’ experience. Second, the items were classified into two main sections: “attitudes” and “barriers”, with the latter further divided into five subcategories (social and cultural, educational and institutional, individual, practical, and attitudinal). The content validity of the questionnaire was assessed, with all items and subcategories achieving CVR>0.59 and CVI>0.79, thus surpassing the minimum required threshold. Third, the questionnaire was piloted with 330 students. The construct validity of the Collaborative Course Design Questionnaire (CCDQ) was confirmed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) as the extraction method, along with Varimax rotation, which identified six factors explaining 71.536% of the variance in the data. Finally, Cronbach’s alpha was calculated, yielding reliability indices ranging from 0.971 to 0.627, indicating internal consistency and reliability of the items within each construct. The findings suggest that the Collaborative Course Design Questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument suitable for use with senior high school students.

This study addresses a critical need for effective curriculum alignment in higher education, particularly within Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). As educational institutions strive to enhance the quality of their programs, understanding the interconnections between intended, enacted, and assessed curricula becomes essential. This study examined the alignment among these curricula in the TEFL B.A. program at Shiraz University. Drawing on Anderson and Krathwohl's (2001) taxonomy of educational objectives, the researchers employed a mixed-methods design to analyze the cognitive processes and knowledge types in the curriculum standards, course content of instruction, and achievement tests of language teaching methodology, language testing, and linguistics courses. The qualitative content analysis revealed a notable overemphasis on lower-order thinking skills (LOTs) across all components of the courses studied. Specifically, the presence of higher-order thinking skills (HOTs) was quite limited within the curriculum standards, course content of instruction, and achievement tests. The quantitative analysis, using Porter's (2002) alignment index, further demonstrated a significant alignment (0.50) between the curriculum standards and achievement tests, but an insignificant alignment between the course content of instruction and the other two components. The findings highlight the need for policies that foster HOTs and support professional development for TEFL instructors. Educators should clarify learning objectives and align tasks with students' cognitive needs, thereby enriching TEFL curriculum design. The results advocate for integrating HOTs across the curriculum while ensuring alignment between intended, enacted, and assessed curricula. This study also contributes to ongoing research on curriculum design and implementation in TEFL higher education.

While there is a growing interest in poetry writing, it is important to explore students' experiences of writing poetry related to their meaningful lived experiences in an English as a Foreign Language setting. The study aims to investigate students' perceptions, emotions, and desires toward the activity of autobiographical poetry writing. Valid responses were obtained from 143 EFL students through a Qualtrics online survey, which examined their experiences in composing autobiographical poetry and its impact on their perceptions, emotions, and desire to learn poetry. The participants came from ten universities across various regions in Indonesia. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis revealed that participants perceive writing autobiographical poetry to be a challenging experience due to technical language and poetic style. They also demonstrated a range of emotions, notably fear and anxiety, despite believing that the activity is beneficial. Although most of them experienced many challenges in autobiographical poetry writing, they expressed a desire to continue learning how to write poetry in the future. Participants were able to express their personal experiences in meaningful ways through their poems despite their anxiety about poetry writing. Hence, this study can serve as a stepping stone toward integrating poetry into Indonesian EFL curricula as a form of meaningful literacy

This study aims to analyze the factors associated with motivation and attitude towards English learning through the application of structural equation modeling (SEM). A quantitative, ex post fact, cross-sectional and explanatory study was carried out on 1202 university students. Eight motivational factors were examined, namely: Motivational Intensity (MI), Attitude towards Learning English (ATLL), Integrative Orientation (IntO), Instrumental Orientation (InsO), Interest Towards Foreign Languages (ITFL), Evaluation of English Teaching (EET), Desire to Learn English (DLE), Evaluation of the English Course (EEC). The multiple regressions showed that EET, DLE, InsO, and EEC are predictors of the MI. It was found that DLE, InsO, and EEC are predictors of ATLL. The SEM showed a weak positive influence of InsO on DLE, ITFL, EET, EEC, MI and ATLL. IntO had a weak positive impact on DLE, EET, EEC, and ITFL. There was a weak positive impact of DLE on ITFL, ATLL and MI, and it had a strong effect on EEC. Finally, EET had a weak positive effect on MI, whereas EEC had a weak positive impact on ATTL and MI. This research provided information that serves to understand the factors affecting the intensity of motivation and attitude in L2 learning