درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

This study investigated the impact of newly developed English for Specific Purposes (ESP) materials on enhancing Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) and cultural awareness among Iranian undergraduate psychology students. Addressing the need for culturally responsive communication and limitations of conventional materials, researchers designed a 5-unit coursebook based on Byram’s (1997) ICC framework and the ICC materials development framework proposed by Mishan and Kiss (2024). Employing a mixed-methods design over a 10-week semester, 60 homogeneous students were equally assigned into two groups: an experimental group received newly developed ESP materials that integrated cross-cultural case studies, dialogic activities, and culturally diverse psychological modules, while the control group used traditional textbooks. Quantitative data from ICC questionnaires revealed a significant increase in ICC within the experimental group. Qualitative analysis of student reflections and interviews indicated enhanced intercultural attitudes, knowledge, skills, and cultural awareness, reflecting meaningful shifts in perspectives for the experimental group. These findings underscore the effectiveness of ICC-focused ESP materials in preparing psychology students for culturally sensitive practice. The study contributes to the development of ESP materials by advocating for the intentional integration of intercultural competence to cultivate globally competent practitioners.

Dynamic Assessment (DA) is the integration of assessment and training into a single, continuous activity. This combination enhances linguistic skills by providing targeted mediation to students' needs and abilities. This mixed-methods study aimed to investigate the contribution of the two approaches of DA, namely interactionist and interventionist, to vocabulary learning among Iranian EFL learners with diverse cultural backgrounds, with a focus on learners’ attitudes. To meet the objectives, 90 male and female students aged 15-18, at the intermediate level from two language schools in Sarab, Iran, were recruited through convenience sampling. Oxford Quick Placement Test, Vocabulary Knowledge Scale, Vocabulary Test, Cultural Dimension Questionnaire, and recorded instructional sessions were used to gather the required data. The analysis of the quantitative data revealed that students in the interactionist individualism/collectivism group scored significantly higher on the vocabulary posttest than students with other cultural orientations within the same group and students in the interventionist group. Inductive thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed that the influences of both approaches differed in terms of the degree of negotiated mediations, the development of different learning strategies, and the promotion of different preparation orientations. The findings of the study have some pedagogical implications.