درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

تحقیق حاضر تلاشی است برای یافتن اینکه آیا مباحثه دو نفره برخط می تواند توان گفتاری زبان آموزان را تقویت کند. این مساله از آن جهت حائز اهمیت است که می تواند باعث از بین رفتن موانع برقراری ارتباط در کلاس شود و نیز از نظر روانی شرایط مناسبتری برای ایجاد ارتباط بین زبان آموزان فراهم کند. 30 دانشجوی سال اول دانشگاه تهران با استفاده از پیامرسان یاهو (Yahoo Messenger) به مدت 6 هفته پیاپی، دو به دو با یکدیگر به صورت برخط صحبت کردند. نتایج آزمون توانش گفتاری حاکی از وجود تفاوت معنی داری بین نمرات دانشجویان در پیش آزمون و پس آزمون بود. علاوه برآن، نتایج بدست آمده از پرسشنامه ها و آزمون های مورد استفاده در این تحقیق نشان داد که مباحثات برخط برای دانشجویان خجالتی و آنهایی که از نظر زبانی ضعیف ترند و نیز آنهایی که ایستاری مثبت نسبت به اینگونه فعالیتها دارند مفید تر بوده است. همچنین تجزیه و تحلیل میزان صحبت کردن دانشجویان از نظر تعداد دفعات و واژه هایی که در هر جلسه مورد استفاده قرار می دادند نشانگر آن بود که میزان شرکت فراگیران در مباحثات دو به دو یکسان نبود. این یافته برخلاف نتایج تحقیقات قبلی است .

Concerns over the phony nature of textbooks and artificiality of their contents in reflecting authentic language have been raised by a number of researchers. It has been argued that many language teaching programs result in the failure of learners of English to successfully communicate in the target language. The problem with these programs is that there is no general agreement about the success of these materials in developing the pragmatic competence necessary for interlocutors’ mutually intelligible communication[D1] . Hence, this study explored communicated requests for nonverbal/verbal goods and services (RNGS/RVGS) in the dialogues of 5 textbooks and 8 English movies. The utterances of the textbooks and movies were evaluated on six criteria deriving from research on speech act theory, politeness, and conversation analysis. These included whether the textbooks discussed second pair parts, the forms of requests, the context of request occurrence, the nature of the devices through which the requests are mitigated, and multi-turn request forms. The results of the analysis revealed that, except for re-requests and dispreferred responses of RNGS,textbooks’ strategies including forms, face, contexts of RVGS, and strategies of RNGSwere not realized through adequate examples compared to their variants in movies.Most importantly,except for bald on record, internal mitigators of RVGS, external mitigators, and direct and indirect forms of RNGS, the other request strategies in the textbooks showed less variety than those of their counterparts in the movies. Internally mitigated RVGS were the onlystrategies variouslyexploited in the textbooks.The findings revealed that textbook designers should improve their instructional materials by incorporatingmore accurate samples of communicated requests in their future textbooks.

Test method facet is one of the factors which can have an influence on the test takers’ performance. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of two different response types, multiple-choice cloze and multiple-choice test, on the pre-intermediate and intermediate test takers’ reading comprehension performance. To this end, 40 pre-intermediate and intermediate learners participated in the study. To counterbalance the practice effect, the participants of the study at both pre-intermediate and intermediate levels were randomly assigned into two groups. For each level, there were two types of tests and two test administrations. Within each level, the two groups took these two tests in a different order. For all participants of the study there were two scores based on multiple- choice cloze and multiple-choice tests. Two Paired sample t tests were separately run to compare the pre-intermediate and intermediate test takers’ performance on multiple-choice cloze and multiple-choice tests. Two independent samples t tests were run to compare the pre-intermediate and intermediate test takers on these two tests. There was no significant difference between the pre-intermediate test takers’ performance on these two types of tests. There was a significant difference between intermediate test takers’ performance on the tests. There was no significant difference between the pre-intermediate and intermediate test takers’ performance on the multiple-choice cloze tests. The intermediate test takers outperformed the pre-intermediate test takers only on the multiple-choice tests. Based on these results it can be concluded that test methods can have an influence on the test takers’ performance, especially at higher proficiency levels and learners may need to have reached a certain level of proficiency to be able to understand the text.

امروزه٬ هم راستا با گرایش های آموزش زبان که به دنبال نهادینه کردن فعالیت های آموزشی و آزمون سازی دانشجو محور هستند٬ پذیرش بیشتری در مورد تفاوت های فردی و هوش های چندگانه دانشجویان وجود دارد. همچنین٬ اتکا به نفس یکی از عوامل تعیین کننده موفقیت افراد تقریبا در هر بافتی می باشد. با فرض اینکه نمایه های هوش های چندگانه در تعامل با اتکا به نفس معلم ها به صورت مشترک ممکن است میزان بهره وری و کارآیی آموزشی معلمان را شکل دهند٬ این مطالعه به بررسی رابطه بین هوش های چندگانه دانشجو-معلم های زبان انگلیسی به عنوان زبان خارجی و اتکا به نفس آنها پرداخته است. در این راستا، سی و پنج دانشجو-معلم زن و مرد زبان انگلیسی به عنوان زبان خارجی در موسسات خصوصی زبان ارومیه پرسشنامه های هوش های چندگانه مک کنزی (1999) و مقیاس اتکا به نفس معلمان (چانن-موران و ولفلک-هوی٬ 2001) را تکمیل کردند. در مجموع رابطه قوی مثبتی بین هوش های چندگانه و اتکا به نفس دانشجو-معلمان زبان انگلیسی به عنوان زبان خارج حاصل شد. مقدار مجذور آر (R Square)در تحلیل رگراسیون نشان داد هوش های چندگانه اتکا به نفس معلمان را تعیین می کند و هوش درون-فردی در تعیین اتکا به نفس این معلمان نقش محوری دارد. بعلاوه بر اساس نتایج این پژوهش، بیشترین و محبوب ترین توانایی٬ هوش های درون-فردی و وجودی بودند. در مورد زیرمجموعه های اتکا به نفس٬ دانشجو-معلمان نشان دادند که در مقوله های مشارکت دانشجو و راهبردهای آموزشی اتکا به نفس بیشتری دارند. بر اساس این مطالعه پیشنهاد می شود که برنامه های آموزشی هوش های چندگانه برای معلمان تهیه و تدوین گردد و از این اصول در جهت تقویت و ارتقای کیفیت ارائه مواد درسی توسط معلمان بهره گرفته شود.

Materials evaluation studies have constantly demonstrated that there is no one fixed procedure for conducting textbook evaluation studies. Instead, the criteria must be selected according to the needs and objectives of the context in which evaluation takes place. The speaking skill as part of the communicative competence has been emphasized as an important objective in language teaching. The present study explored the core units of spoken grammar inherent in four widely-used ELT textbooks following McCarthy and Carter’s (2002) classification. A coding scheme was developed to make it possible for the researchers to use the classification in codifying the data. The data were then analyzed to detect the units of spoken grammar inherent in the target textbooks. Results from codification of dialogues and transcripts of audio recordings showed that the units of spoken grammar are not evenly distributed in these ELT textbooks. In addition, a significant difference was found between the textbooks in their inclusion of different categories of the spoken grammar.

This study aimed to investigate the use of interactional metadiscourse markers in 168 comments made by 28 university students of engineering via an educational forum held as part of a general English course. The students wrote their comments on six topics, with a total of 19,671 words. Their comments during educational discussions were analyzed to determine their use of five metadiscourse categories (hedges, boosters, attitude markers, engagement markers, and self-mentions), making up interactional metadiscourse in Hyland’s (2004) model. Following descriptive analysis of the use of metadiscourse categories, chi-square tests were used to investigate the possible differences in the whole sample as well as gender-based differences. The findings showed that although female EFL learners used more metadiscourse markers than males did, the differences were minor and hence gender did not significantly influence the use of interactional metadiscourse markers. However, while male and female participants used all types of interactional metadiscourse, how they used them varied. They used engagement markers and self-mentions more frequently than boosters, hedges, and attitude markers. Since metadiscourse markers play crucial roles in mediating the relationship between what writers intend to argue and their discourse communities, the results of the present study have obvious importance in increasing students’ awareness of the way they organize their writings.

Language and culture are now deemed to be co-constitutive; hence English language teaching (ELT) textbooks should incorporate cultural aspects and promote intercultural competence. However, careful decisions should be made as regards to the cultural content of materials and the ways in which culture is represented. This study was an attempt to deconstruct the patterns of cultural representation and intercultural interactions in Interchange textbooks, an ELT textbook series taught to English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in Iran. Using content analysis of texts and images and with the focus on nationality, gender and race, it examined how different cultures were reflected in Interchange 1, Interchange 2, Interchange 3, and whether cultural bias or inequality was present. The quantitative and qualitative data analysis revealed that the white male group was dominant in all three textbooks. And, to use Kachru’s (1985) terms, inner, outer and expanding circle nationalities were represented in the textbooks, with the expanding circle constituting the major nationality, but American culture of inner circle was predominant. Additionally, the interactions were mainly limited to superficial aspects of the target culture although these textbooks sought to show various intercultural interactions. Dominance of male and white characters and the US culture indicated inequality in race and gender, and the superficial treatment of culture in the textbooks. Less attention to the hybrid culture and deeper level of intercultural aspects, i.e. critical reflections, in the textbooks suggests that the materials be supplemented by EFL teachers’ constructive discussion of the cultures that interact.

Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) has stood the test of time as a model of text analysis. The present literature contains a plethora of studies that while taking the ‘clause’ as a unit of analysis have put into investigation the metafunctions in research articles of a single field of study or those of various fields in comparison. Although ‘clause complex’ is another unit of SF analysis, by far there has been only one study on research articles where it was the unit of analysis (Sellami Baklouti, 2011). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to put into analysis the ‘taxis’, ‘expansion’ and ‘projection’ deployed in Applied Linguistics research article abstracts (RAAs) by native (N) and non-native (NN) writers. To this end, 20 Applied Linguistics RAAs (10 by N English writers and 10 by NN English writers on the sub-fields of Discourse Analysis and Language Assessment) were analyzed according to Halliday & Matthiessen’s (2013) ‘clause complex’ framework. The results indicated that there is a significant difference in the use of ‘projection’ by Ns and NNs, while the distribution of ‘taxis’ and ‘expansion’ is the same. The findings also showed what types of ‘taxis’, ‘expansion’ and ‘projection’ were deployed by Ns and NNs

A community of practice may shape and reshape the identity of members of the community through providing them with situated learning or learning environment. This study, therefore, is to clarify the salient learning-based features of the language teaching community of practice that might formulate the identity of language teachers. To this end, the study examined how learning situations in two communities of practice (English and Arabic) developed the professional identity of language teachers. The results of the semi-structure interviews with 5 language teachers highlighted some differences between English and Arabic language teaching communities of practice in terms of the situated learning activities they provide for language teachers to develop their professional identity. Furthermore, since the community of practice can be considered a potential curriculum that may be learned by newcomers with legitimate peripheral access, it would be considered as a main source of identity formation of both English and Arabic language teachers. The findings of the study can be used to better understand the nature of being a professional language teacher in non-native contexts. They have implications for novice and experienced language teachers as well as for teacher educators to review the content of the teacher training courses

The present study was aimed at examining concerns about the social effects of EFL learning, a challenging area of research which has not been discussed sufficiently. It tried to investigate the relationship between EFL learning and national identity. In addition, attempt was made to find a relationship between language motivation types and national identity. Furthermore, the role of two demographic variables, gender and age was examined. To this end, a sample consisting of 350 undergraduates studying at Allameh Tabataba'i University in Tehran took part in the study. A questionnaire on national identity and another one on language motivation types followed by an interview were the instruments used. The questionnaires had already been developed. However, there were some major modifications for the former which consisted of 30 items measuring national identity for all participants. The latter contained 42 items measuring language motivation types for only EFL learners. The Regression analysis, independent samples t-tests and a one-way ANOVA were run. The results revealed that claims over the harmful social effects of EFL learning were not arguably significant and it was found that among the eight language motivation types, going abroad and social responsibility were correlated with national identity. Furthermore, gender and age indicated significant differences among the participants' tendencies. The findings indicated that the social concerns about EFL learning are too pessimistic. So, materials developers, syllabus designers and teachers might consider the potentiality of some social elementsand demographic variables for the development of EFL learning.

هدف از پژوهش حاضر، بررسی چگونگی بهره مندی زبانآموزان ایرانی با سطوح متفاوت هوش هیجانی از آموزش مهارتهای تفکر انتقادی و تاثیر این آموزش بر استفاده آنها از راهبردهای یادگیری مناسب زبان میباشد. یکی دیگر از اهداف این پژوهش، بررسی ارتباط میان تفکر انتقادی، راهبردهای یادگیری زبان، و هوش هیجانی زبانآموزان ایرانی است. جهت انجام این پژوهش، به 88 زبانآموز از آموزشگاههای خصوصی زبان انگلیسی واقع در شهر شیراز، چهار ابزار جهت جمع آوری دادهها داده شد. این ابزارها عبارت بودند از آزمون تعیین سطح آکسفورد، آزمون مهارتهای تفکر انتقادی کالیفرنیا، پرسشنامهی هوش هیجانی بار - آن، و پرسشنامهی راهبردهای یادگیری زبان. نتایج حاصل از تجزیه و تحلیل آماری نشان داد که تدریس مهارتهای تفکر انتقادی تاثیر معناداری بر استفاده از راهبردهای یادگیری زبان در زبانآموزان با هوش هیجانی متفاوت دارد. همچنین این پژوهش نشان داد که هیچ تفاوت معناداری در میزان استفاده زبان آموزان با سطوح هوش هیجانی بالا و پایین از راهبردهای یادگیری زبان وجود ندارد. بعلاوه، ارتباط مثبت و معناداری بین تفکر انتقادی و هوش هیجانی، و تفکر انتقادی و راهبردهای یادگیری زبان بدست آمد. نتایج حاصل از این پژوهش می تواند به درک هرچه بیشتر معلمان زبان انگلیسی نسبت به مهارت های فکری مورد نیاز جهت استفادهی موفق از راهبردهای یادگیری زبان در زمینههای یادگیری زبان خارجی کمک کند