درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

This experimental study attempts to see whether incorporating supplemental podcasts into the blended module of second language (L2) vocabulary teaching and learning leads to better learning outcomes in comparison with other common teaching and learning methods as self-study and conventional. To that end, undergraduate students from Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences were summoned up via an announcement to take part in the study. Volunteers were homogenized via Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) and were then randomly divided into three groups to learn English vocabulary items via three different scenarios during 32 sessions. The collected data from the participants’ answers to the attitude questionnaire and interview as well as the data from assessing their performance throughout the course were analyzed both descriptively and inferentially. The analysis of the data revealed that the podcast-mediated blended L2 learning scenario appeared as the most successful scenario in L2 vocabulary learning. Consequently, it could be concluded that providing miscellaneous practicing opportunities for students would facilitate learning process and contribute to learning improvement.

Abstract: The widespread use of test scores for different educational and social decision making purposes has made the washback effect of tests a distinct educational phenomenon (Cheng, 1997).The high school third grade final exam in the general educational system of Iran has for long been a high stake test designed to assess the achievement of high school graduates in different school subjects. The present study aimed to investigate the washback effect of this nation-wide exam on EFL teachers’ teaching methodology, assessment procedures, and attitudes towards different aspects of the educational system. For this purpose, a researcher made, validated questionnaire was administered to 160 EFL teachers. The results indicated that the third grade nation-wide final exam adversely affects EFL teachers’ teaching methodology and increases teaching to the test effect quite noticeably as they try to teach according to the content and format of the test. The results further showed an even stronger negative effect of the exam on EFL teachers’ assessment procedures. However, the teachers’ attitude towards different aspects of the educational system was not found to be as strongly affected as the other two variables. The findings of the study are of importance for testing and assessment bureaus in charge of extensive high stake tests development. Moreover, raising teachers’ awareness of the drawback of teaching-to-the test effect of such a high stake test might help them improve their teaching and evaluation practices.

مطالعه ی حاضر به بررسی تاثیر جنسیت براستفاده از مغلطه های بی قاعده بحث و استدلال در نوشته های (مقالات) استدلالی انگلیسی زبان آموزان ایرانی در سطح پیشرفته توانایی زبان انگلیسی می پردازد. مجموعه متون مورد بررسی این مطالعه شامل 120 نوشته ی زبان آموزان دختروپسر بود. سن و رشته ی دانشگاهی زبان آموزان دیگرمتغیرهای مستقل تحقیق بودند. نه نوع مهم مغلطه های بی قاعده در متون بررسی شدند و فراوانی های به دست آمده ازطریق تست آماری مانوا تحلیل شدند. به طورکلی برای مغلطه های بی قاعده ، نتایج تست های آماری مالتی وریت برای همه ی متغیرهای مستقل و تعامل آنها تفاوت معناداری را نشان نداد ولی سه مورد تفاوت مجزا مشاهده شد. در پایان تحقیق ، نتایج مطالعه در مقایسه با پژوهش های قبلی بررسی شده است و دستاوردهایی پیشنهاد شده است.

Veryfew attempts have been made in the past to develop instruments to measure pragmatic knowledge of second language (L2) learners. The absence of such instruments in the literature of English language teaching (ELT) underscores the need for the researchers to develop new tests that are specifically designed to assess this crucial but less explored aspect of language learners’ (LLs) knowledge. In line with this objective, the present study was conducted to develop and validate four tests of pragmatic knowledge that measured LLs’ knowledge of speech acts. The following steps were taken in this study to develop the written discourse completion tests (WDCTs) and the multiple-choice discourse completion tests (MCDCTs) that respectively measured the test takers’ ability to produce and comprehend request speech act. During the “prototype step” the researchers identified the content and the number of items for each designated test battery. At the “test construction step” the sociolinguistic variables of power (P), social distance (D), and absolute rank of imposition (R) were inserted into the content of the test items. Finally, at the “validation step” the reliability of the tests was examined. The finding of the study showed that the constructed test batteries were sufficiently reliable and valid for measuring pragmatic knowledge of L2 learners.

هدف از پژوهش حاضر، بررسی تأثیر چهار روش تدریس واژگان تخصصی زبان اقتصاد، یعنی تدریس از طریق تفصیل ریشه ای، تعریف بافتی، ترجمه ی فارسی و تدریس ضمنی، بر درک مطلب متون تخصصی اقتصاد بوده است. یافته های پژوهش نشان داد که در زمینه درک مطلب کلی تفاوت معنی داری بین روش های تدریس وجود ندارد اما در مورد درک ایده ی نویسنده ، روش تدریس تفصیل ریشه ای بر سایر روش ها برتری داشت.