Teaching English as a Second Language

Lexical bundles, starting with the anticipatory it, mostly serve as stance expressions (e.g., it is necessary to ). While most research centers on anticipatory, it-bundles in one single discipline, not much has been done across different disciplinary areas. Therefore, based on an adaptation of the functional taxonomy proposed by Hewings and Hewings (2002), this research attempted to detect it-bundles using a corpus of 400 research papers in L1-English and L1-Persian in applied linguistics (AL) and information technology (IT) to probe the possible significant resemblances and disparities. According to the results, IT writers employed fewer bundles than their AL counterparts, and their overuse was more impressive than that of their L1-English peers in AL. However, AL and IT writers showed similarity in their use of functional categories; AL writers also made heavier use of two functional categories: emphatic and epistemic. As for practice, writing instructors can exploit the findings of this study to facilitate academic writing instruction. They can also help students to achieve a better comprehension of anticipatory it-bundles .

Navigating the technology-saturated landscape of language education poses a daunting task for present-day parents. As primary companions in EFL learners’ online learning journey, parents need to help them cultivate online language education. Guided by the parental mediation theory, the present study's primary objective was to examine any correlation between parental mediation strategies and Iranian EFL learners' online learning self-efficacy. Inspired by Vygotsky’s (1978) social development theory, which posits that knowledge is constructed within a social context, and Valkenburg et al.’s (2013) autonomy-supportive mediation, the second aim of the study was to uncover strategies that help promote digital parenting to foster learners’ self-efficacy in online language learning. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, data were gathered through questionnaires from 414 Iranian EFL learners aged between 12 and 18, selected through non-probability convenience sampling. Additionally, 47 learners, their parents, and 15 EFL teachers were voluntarily interviewed. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that restrictive mediation and monitoring strategies reduced learners’ online learning self-efficacy while active mediation enhanced it. Reflexive thematic analysis of the interviews also revealed that digital parenting practices, which consider learners’ autonomy and encourage cooperative engagement between learners and parents, will nurture self-regulated online language learners. The findings could set a new benchmark for digital parents, helping them bring up children capable of judiciously leveraging online opportunities.

The present paper reports a study conducted among Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, addressing the critical issue of imagined identity/community within a globalized world. The concepts of “imagined identities” and “imagined communities” (ICs) refer to the internalized self-conceptions learners develop regarding who they aspire to be and the broader social groups they envision themselves as part of in the context of language learning, respectively . Drawing on Norton’s (2000, 2001) framework of ICs, this study focused on the diverse imaginations that Iranian EFL learners possess while learning English. The study involved five participants, aged between 13 and 36, and employed a qualitative approach utilizing semi-structured interviews for data collection. Through these interviews, rich narratives illustrating the learners’ unique perspectives emerged. The findings revealed that while the imagined identities/communities differed among participants, a common thread was their significant influence on guiding learners through the language learning process. Moreover, the research indicated that a lack of awareness regarding learners’ desired membership in their ICs could detrimentally impact their engagement and commitment to language learning, often resulting in various forms of non-participation in the classroom. Pedagogical implications of the study for EFL teaching practices, emphasizing the importance of creating classroom environments that validate and support learners' ICs and foster their imagined identities/communities as essential components of effective language instruction, are discussed. The study also offers recommendations for future research endeavors to further explore the dynamic interplay between imagined identities/communities and language learning outcomes.

The ability to write from sources or integrated writing is considered an essential competency in academic and professional settings. This study investigated the possible interactions between motivation regulation strategies, integrated writing strategy use, and integrated reading-listening-to-write (RL2W) performance of Iranian EFL learners. A convenient sample of 31 learners from an EFL essay writing course participated in the study. The required data were collected based on the learners' performance in an integrated writing task and their responses to motivation regulation and integrated writing strategies questionnaires. The correlation analysis indicated a positive moderate relationship between motivation regulation strategy use and integrated writing performance of the learners, while integrated writing strategy use showed a low relationship with these constructs. Multiple regression analysis also indicated that among the subscales of motivation regulation strategy use in writing, interest enhancement had a significant contributory power to account for the integrated writing performance of the learners. MANOVA results also pointed to the superiority of high writing proficiency learners in motivation regulation strategy use compared to their less competent counterparts, but there were no significant differences between high and low groups in integrated writing strategy use, which confirmed the importance of quality of strategy use to mere quantity. As a subsidiary aim, the challenges learners encountered in the integrated writing process were identified by analyzing their responses to a reflection question and examination of their written essays. They were identified as linguistic, psycholinguist, and academic skill problems.

One effective method for improving EFL learners' foreign language communication skills is to learn L2 words and use them in speaking. For this reason, researchers aim to assist learners in acquiring vocabulary to the greatest extent possible. The present study investigated the impact of EFL teacher code-switching (CS) and English-only (EO) instructions on vocabulary acquisition in EFL learners aged 10 to 13. Fifty-six early adolescent learners participated in storytelling activities under the CS or EO conditions. The key difference between the two was that, in the CS group, the teacher used the learners' L1 for teaching vocabulary. In contrast, instruction was conducted solely in English in the EO condition. Results indicated that switching to learners' L1 enhanced vocabulary acquisition more effectively than English-only instruction, and this effect persisted in a delayed post-test two weeks later. Therefore, it can be concluded that teaching new vocabulary via teacher’s resorting to the learners’ L1 through storytelling activities brought about significant gains in remembering the target words in CS condition; hence, for more effective mastery of the new vocabulary among early adolescent learners, it is suggested to present the words in learners’ first language instead of presenting them in lengthy English explanations. The study has practical implications not only for early adolescent EFL learners’ classrooms but also for other learners of different age groups to maximize their vocabulary learning and performance through teachers’ justified amount of L1 use.

Productive skills have a vital role in learning the English language as they provide foreign learners with opportunities to practice real-life activities in the classroom. The photo-based method for teaching language skills has been developed due to advances in visual technology, the shift to student-centered learning, and the demand for 21st-century skills. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of utilizing Photovoice on Iranian intermediate learners’ English language productive skills. The research followed a quantitative quasi-experimental design that included pretest and post-test equivalent treatment and control groups. Sixty intermediate female language learners were chosen from a private institute in Isfahan, Iran. First, they were selected conveniently and then they were homogenized based on their performance on the Preliminary English Test. They were divided into two experimental ( n = 30) and control ( n = 30) groups. The experimental group received Photovoice as a methodological innovation, incorporating reflective and collaborative activities, while the control group received routine language instruction involving traditional teaching practices such as lectures, textbook exercises, and grammar drills. One pretest and one post-test were administered to assess the learners’ speaking and writing skills. Then, between-subjects MANOVA and t-tests were employed to analyze the data. The results revealed that Photovoice significantly helped students improve their speaking and writing skills. The present study might have useful implications for curriculum designers, language learners, teachers, and other researchers who are considering the use of Photovoice in language classes.