مطالب

Considering the EFL context, many teachers experience difficulty in incorporating what is learned in their pedagogical practices. This study attempted to discover the perception of in-service EFL teachers with various age groups, teaching experiences, and genders on the efficiency of the program in developing teachers’ content, pedagogical content, and pedagogical knowledge. The participants were selected from two groups of teachers who passed specific courses at Farhangian University and those who graduated from other universities which offered BA programs in TEFL. To this end, a questionnaire was constructed based on an extensive examination of the stated objectives of the current curriculum and was pilot-tested with 40 EFL teachers in both groups. As many as 160 high school teachers in Farhangian groups and 135 teachers in Non-Farhangian completed the revised questionnaire. A semi-structured interview consisting of ten open-ended questions was conducted with 20 of the participants in Farhangian and 20 teachers in Non-Farhangian groups. Based on MANOVA analysis, the effect of gender in Farhangian groups was statistically significant. The result of MANCOVA specified that there was no statistically significant mean difference between the two groups regarding the efficacy of the program in content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and pedagogical knowledge (PK).

Though applied linguistics has observed a rise in language acquisition investigations within the complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) paradigm, the majority of research endeavors have been centered on the development of learners' first language (L1) or second language (L2). Limited research exists on multilinguals’ L3 acquisition/development, with even fewer studies considering the development of learners’ speaking skill in L2, and L3. The present study aimed to address these gaps by adopting a CDST approach to analyze the development of fluency, accuracy, and complexity in L2 (English) and L3 (French) speaking skills among five undergraduate Iranian EFL junior students of Translation Studies at Jahrom University over one academic year. The students were at an intermediate level in English language and their French language proficiency was at the beginner level. The participants’ speaking ability in both languages was closely examined and analyzed regarding their development of fluency, accuracy, and complexity within a quantitative design. Findings depicted that the aspects were developed in non-linear, chaotic, and emergent patterns in multilingual learners’ L2 and L3 speaking skill. Moreover, the findings indicated that these elements in multilingual learners' speaking were interconnected and influenced each other over a period of time. The discoveries have some significant implications for L2 and L3 language teaching, such as creating flexible learning and teaching environments, fostering emergent behavior in language classrooms, encouraging learners to have a self-organizing and autonomous role in language learning, having sensitivity to the diverse needs of learners, and fostering a collaborative learning environment.  

Discourse markers (DMs) play a significant role in both written and spoken language since they function as coherent devices, offering cues and guidance for the understanding of the reader or listener. The frequency of DMs in a language may have a substantial influence on an individual’s competency and overall English abilities. With an increased frequency of using these markers, individuals enhance their ability to form cohesive and logical sentences, hence improving their proficiency as speakers or writers.The goal of this study is to compare how the illustration-interaction-induction (III) and present-practice-produce (PPP) approaches affect the frequency of DMs in the expository writing of Iranian high school students. The study involved a sample of 30 intermediate Iranian EFL learners enrolled in state high schools in the city of Kelachay, Guilan, Iran. The research was conducted across three settings, namely pre-test, treatment, and post-test. Participants were asked to write an expository paragraph as part of the pre-test. During the treatment phase, after the instruction of the DMs using the PPP approach, the participants were asked to write a second expository paragraph. Following the implementation of the III approach as the second intervention phase in the study, the subsequent post-test was conducted, wherein participants were asked to compose one additional paragraph. The three sets of paragraphs were compiled into three learner corpora and analyzed to determine the frequency of DMs. The log-likelihood and effect size calculators demonstrated the superiority of the III approach in terms of the frequency of DMs used in the expository paragraphs of Iranian EFL learners in state high schools. The findings provided robust support for the efficacy of the III approach in the context of teaching DMs.

Zusammenfassend ergibt sich aus den verschiedenen Kapiteln und Be richten eine umfassende Darstellung der Safawiden-Ära im Iran und ihrer Auswirkungen auf die religiöse Kultur, die Gesellschaft und das tägliche Le ben. Die Einführung der Safawiden-Regierung im 16. Jahrhundert legte den Grundstein für eine neue Ära im Iran, die von politischer Stabilität und reli giöser Toleranz geprägt war. Die europäischen Reisenden Olearius und Kaempfer spielten eine wichtige Rolle bei der Übermittlung des Bildes des Irans in Europa, was zu einem breiteren Verständnis der iranischen Kultur und Religion führte. Die religiöse Kultur war tief in das tägliche Leben der Menschen eingebettet, von den Beerdigungsritualen über die Bildungsein richtungen bis hin zu den religiösen Festen und Zeremonien. Die Verbindung zwischen Religion, Gesellschaft und Politik war stark, und religiöse Autori täten hatten bedeutende Rollen in der Verwaltung und im Rechtssystem. Die Vielfalt der religiösen Praktiken und Überzeugungen spiegelte sich in den Berichten über den Aberglauben, die Astrologie und die sozialen Normen wider. Insgesamt verdeutlichen die Berichte von Olearius und Kaempfer die tiefe Verbindung zwischen Religion und Kultur in der Safawiden-Ära und wie sie das gesellschaftliche Leben und die Wahrnehmung des Irans in Eu ropa beeinflusst haben. Dieses umfassende Bild trägt zu einem besseren Ver ständnis dieser historischen Periode bei und legt den Grundstein für weitere Untersuchungen des deutschen Orientalismus und der religiösen Kultur im Safawiden-Iran.