مطالب

Divine laws have provided recommendations for various aspects of human life, including his nutrition. Among these directives are the commands of God regarding the permissibility (Ḥalāl) and prohibition (Ḥarām) of consuming animal meat. According to the individual and social interests of humans, considering the benefits and harms of animal meat for human body and soul, God has deemed the consumption of animal meat as permissible or forbidden. The present study aims to analyze the rulings on the permissibility and prohibition of consuming meat of certain animals in Judaism and Islam through a comparative-analytical method. The findings of this study reveal significant similarities between Islam and Judaism regarding the regulations concerning animals, including the prohibition of consuming non-slaughtered animal meat, the prohibition of consuming many insects, reptiles, and mammals. However, differences exist in areas such as consuming blood pudding and combining meat with dairy products. Generally, Jewish laws are strict, while Islamic laws are lenient and moderate, not burdening individuals beyond their capacity.

Background: Physical education (PE) plays a crucial role in fostering an enjoyment of physical activity (PA) and developing physical literacy in students. This, in turn, contributes to lifelong health and well-being. Aim: The study explored the association between teachers’ perceived physical literacy, students' enjoyment of PA, and physical literacy. This was done by investigating the mediating role of teachers' self-efficacy in teaching PE. Materials and Methods: The sample included 40 physical education teachers and 100 students in 7 to 9 grades of secondary education, totaling 140 participants. The teachers completed the Physical Education Teachers' Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument (PPLI) and Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES). In contrast, the students completed the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) and Adolescent Physical Literacy Questionnaire (APLQ). Results The results from the structural equation modeling confirmed the model's fit and showed that teachers’ perceived physical literacy and self-efficacy have a direct and positive relationship with students' enjoyment of PA and physical literacy. Additionally, teachers' self-efficacy indirectly mediated the relationship between teachers’ perceived physical literacy and students' enjoyment of PA and physical literacy. Conclusion: The results underscore the importance of teachers' perceived physical literacy in fostering positive student outcomes concerning PA by mediating the role of teaching self-efficacy.

Considering that foreign language (FL) learning invokes a diverse brain network with different functions, this paper aims to discuss the activities proposed in a case study with a Brazilian participant with aphasia learning Japanese as a FL. We focus on the metalinguistic processes required from him to accomplish the Japanese tasks. The participant attended weekly sessions, one-hour per session, for seven months. The sessions were recorded and transcribed. Therefore, we explore the relation among language, brain, aphasia, and metalinguistic processes and embodied simulation in the context of FL learning activities. The results of this research support the idea that learning a FL might be a valuable technique for language intervention in aphasia.To our knowledge, this is the first work to address the FL learning by people with aphasia. Several questions still remain to be answered, such as the long-term effect of FL learning and the use of a broader variety of participants. However,  the findings of this study contribute to the discussion of language learning in aphasia rehabilitation.

Lexical bundles are recurrent multi-word sequences that play a crucial role in academic discourse. This article presents an analysis of lexical bundles in book reviews across the disciplines of human and natural sciences. Drawing from a corpus of 737 book reviews, the study investigates the functional roles and structural patterns of these recurrent linguistic units. The research aims to bridge a gap in the literature by exploring how lexical bundles vary across disciplines. Employing a quantitative-qualitative approach, the study first quantitatively identifies the most common 4-word lexical bundles and compares their distribution between the two disciplines. The researchers then qualitatively analyzed the context in which these bundles are used, observing that they often serve to refer to or evaluate the structure, content, audience, or scope of the book under review. Findings reveal that while both human and natural sciences book reviews share some lexical bundles, they exhibit variations in their distribution, structures, and functions. Notably, natural sciences book reviews employ a greater frequency of lexical bundles signaling an evaluative context, particularly contexts related to the assessment of a book. The study also uncovers differences in the structural preferences of lexical bundles between the two disciplines. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the genre-specific utilization of lexical bundles and underscores their role in conveying evaluative meaning in scholarly discourse. Furthermore, the study suggests avenues for further exploration, providing a foundation for future investigations into the intricate interplay between linguistic features and disciplinary preferences.

Highlighting the inseparable link between language, culture, and technology in English as a foreign language education, this qualitative exploratory study examined the impact of cultural and multicultural awareness on Iranian EFL teachers’ professional development within augmented virtual reality (AVR)-based and conventional teacher education programs. Thus, 28 EFL teachers participated in semi-structured interviews and reflective inquiries following eight-week training courses. Data analysis was done manually via qualitative thematic analysis and by MAXQDA according to Guskey’s (2002) professional development model. Consequently, seven themes for the conventional group (maintaining a culturally responsive environment, enhanced teachers’ behavior, curriculum improvement, creative ideas, enhanced skills, efficient communication, and preparing students for effective communication) and five themes for the AVR group (experiencing authentic material and environment, accessibility features, less interactivity in the classroom, teachers’ passion and confidence improvement, and less cultural boundaries) were extracted. The study highlighted the crucial role of cultural and multicultural immersion and adaptive teaching strategies in creating culturally responsive environments. This approach equipped EFL instructors to address diverse student needs and foster inclusive learning spaces effectively. Moreover, the AVR technology deepened cultural immersion and supported modern teaching approaches, enhancing educators' ability to engage with diverse cultural classrooms. Despite the observed improvements in trainees’ passion and confidence, a need for reconsidering technological aspects in contemporary teacher education was identified. Ultimately, the findings offered pedagogical implications for EFL teacher education and teacher trainers to equip teachers with the necessary skills to address cultural and multicultural challenges in EFL teaching and stimulate their professional growth.