مطالب

This study explores the analogy between Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Transcendentalism and his mystical experience through a phenomenological lens, emphasizing cross-cultural cognitive dimensions and their impact on the concept of universality. The research addresses the contemporary relevance of this analogy in an era marked by scientific advancements that, while clarifying many misconceptions, fail to provide existential reassurance or answer all human inquiries. This reflective inquiry seeks to understand reality and the rational linkage of events by engaging with life’s forces, which are integral to human wonderment. The methodology involves a comparative analysis of Emerson’s themes of intuition, light and knowledge alongside Tymieniecka’s Phenomenology of Life. The study does not aim to offer practical solutions but rather provides a philosophical account of intuition’s role in human experience, addressing fundamental challenges at their core. The findings suggest that Emerson’s mystical experiences, when analyzed through his themes of light, intuition and knowledge, align with phenomenological signification on an intuitive basis. Emerson’s Transcendentalism reflects life’s ontopoietic dynamism, perceiving universal structures akin to eidetic intuition essential for mental functionality. This study underscores the philosophical potential inherent in merging transcendental thought with phenomenological inquiry, offering new insights into understanding universality across literary contexts.

This study employs the framework of Influence Studies within Comparative Literature to explore the impact of Franz Kafka (1883-1924) on Gholam Hossein Saedi (1936-1985). The primary focus of this comparative study is to assess the quality of influence and elucidation regarding the overarching perspective on loneliness, isolation, identity crisis, and metamorphosis, ultimately aiming to comprehend the similarities and distinctions between Gholam Hossein Saedi's The Cow (1965) and Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis (1915). The present research, conducted through a descriptive-analytical approach and grounded in the French school of comparative literature, concerned with influence studies, determines that the central theme of Kafka's novel revolves around human destiny, which is altered by societal issues. Both narratives illustrate the transformation of their main characters into non-human forms, emphasizing the alienation and isolation faced by individuals in contemporary society. Kafka examines the absurdity of human existence through Gregor's transformation and his subsequent ostracism by society, while Saedi sheds light on the struggles of marginalized communities through Mashd Hassan's change into a cow. The findings of this study demonstrate that Saedi, influenced by Kafka, has adapted and expanded the notion of metamorphosis in The Cow, thereby enriching the landscape of Persian literature.

This study aimed to develop and validate a model of reflective skills for Iranian EFL teachers to help them acquire reflective skills. Accordingly, an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used in two phases. In the qualitative phase, 50 EFL teachers were recruited based on available sampling method from different private language institutes of Fars Province, Iran to participate in semi-structured interviews. The interview data were analyzed following open, axial, and selective coding procedures and the results were used to develop a reflective skills questionnaire. The quantitative phase involved 300 EFL teachers who were selected through available sampling to complete the researcher-made questionnaire. The process of quantitative data analysis was conducted through Cronbach’s Alpha test, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). According to the results, a model of reflective skills for Iranian EFL teachers was designed consisting of three main components including social skills, pedagogical skills, and transformative skills, with twelve sub-components. The findings offer some implications for policymakers, teacher trainers, and other stakeholders in charge of training and recruiting EFL teachers.

In this paper, the researcher intends to show the Fantasy world, like the real world, suffers from racial issues and cultural diversities as well. Moreover, the main claim of this article is to depict that the tensions and battles that exist in the selected novels are the result of diaspora, dislocation, and cultural diversities as the subjects attempt to adjust or fail to adapt themselves. In this research, Hall’s theory is used as the main framework. In the selected works Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, the idea of dislocation is the dominant notion among the characters of the story. The characters might not belong to a specific region while they live there and they would not be accepted by the other character. Consequently, they become confused about their own identity and regard themselves as hybrid subjects. This means that the notion of hybrid identity is dominant among several characters in the series. Consequently, the characters have different features that might be contradictory. ecocriticism has other disciplines such as environmental justice and deep ecology that remain open to trace them in the selected novels. In addition, applying other approaches, such as psychoanalysis, to the novels could also be beneficial, since when searching for the purpose of this study, many interesting issues on the novels and discussions can be read.

This study explores the detailed experiences and coping mechanisms of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers about teacher immunity in the Iranian educational setting. A total of thirty experienced instructors of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), with an average age of 32 and an average teaching experience of nine years, were selectively chosen to take part in comprehensive interviews conducted in the Persian language. The study utilized the grounded theory technique, where interviews were transcribed and systematically analyzed using MAXQDA. The results highlight the crucial significance of a conducive work atmosphere, opportunities for professional growth, and efficient communication in enhancing teacher resilience and immunity. Peer support, strong administrative support, and favorable school rules play a vital role in cultivating a culture of mutual assistance that is essential for teacher resilience. Professional development programs improve educators' ability to adapt and increase their job happiness. The autonomy to make decisions also strengthens their resilience. Additionally, it is crucial to prioritize a good equilibrium between work and personal life, even if it might be difficult due to the blurring lines between these two domains. Mindfulness techniques and seeking social support are crucial coping methods that effectively reduce stress and burnout among teachers. This study examines how individual traits, environmental factors, and coping techniques influence teacher immunity in the Iranian EFL teaching context. The acquired insights provide useful assistance for creating interventions that aim to improve the well-being and productivity of teachers and, ultimately, the quality of education.

This article examines the evolution of teacher education in Iran, with a specific focus on English language teacher training. Utilizing a qualitative analysis of historical documents, the study identifies six distinct periods in this evolution. The first period marks the foundation of teacher education with the establishment of the Dar al-Fonun School. The second period saw the formalization of teacher education through the Central and Higher Teacher Training Colleges. In the third period, teacher training expanded with the creation of Preliminary and Higher Colleges, focusing on multidisciplinary fields, including the French language. The fourth period introduced specialized programs, such as English language teaching, which replaced French. During the fifth period, teacher training centers reached their peak and then declined. Finally, the sixth period marks a shift in the educational system’s approach to teacher education, highlighted by the establishment of Farhangian University. Throughout these periods, English language teacher curricula evolved from classical and structural approaches to communicative and interactive methods. This shift not only highlights the changing pedagogical landscape in Iran but also underscores the need for curricula that better prepare teachers for contemporary classroom dynamics. The findings showcase the developmental trajectory of teacher education in Iran, emphasizing the need to address future challenges.

Dialogue journal writing is extensively regarded as an effective technique for enhancing the writing motivation of EFL/ESL students. However, studies on how dialogue journal writing enhances EFL students’ writing motivation are scarce in the Ethiopian context. This study investigates the impact of dialogue journal writing on freshman EFL students’ writing motivation. Employing a quasi-experimental design, two intact groups were selected from students in the social science stream. After checking their comparability at the onset of the intervention, the two groups were randomly assigned into experimental (n = 37) and comparison groups (n = 35) using coin flipping. Following this, the experimental group was instructed writing for 10 weeks based on the dialogue journal writing approach and the comparison group for the same period, but following the conventional approach. Data were collected before and after the intervention through a writing motivation questionnaire from both groups. The collected data were analyzed using an independent sample t-test, a paired sample t-test, and one-way MANOVA. The result of the study revealed that dialogue journal writing significantly enhanced the experimental group students' overall writing motivation (p<0.05), with a large effect size (d = 1.46), and its sub-components (enjoyment, self-efficacy, instrumentality, recognition, and effort), (p<0.05), with a moderate effect size (η²p = 0.371) when these sub-components were considered combined. The finding suggests that dialogue journal writing can effectively enhance EFL students’ writing motivation. Therefore, university EFL teachers are recommended to use dialogue journal writing in their writing classes to improve their students’ writing motivation.

Extensive research has been conducted on the intersection of digital games and AI, exploring how it impacts the diverse variables of education, such as proficiency, vocabulary, and motivation. However, there is a lack of studies that have comprehensively assessed the combined impact of digital games and AI applications on enhancing six aspects of vocabulary. This study focused on finding the possible effect of using the combination of digital games and the Artificial Intelligence Chat GPT application technique (AIGames) on developing the 7th-grade EFL learners’ vocabulary acquisition and their attitude toward such a technique. Based on an experimental and descriptive design, a quantitative approach was used. The participants were assigned to two groups randomly: the experimental group, which studied using this technique, and the control group, which was taught using the regular instruction method. The study used two instruments: a pre-posttest and an attitude scale (questionnaire). The findings revealed statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in vocabulary learning due to using the AIGames technique in favor of the experimental group. The post-test results (Table 2) revealed significant improvements across all six vocabulary aspects, with the largest gains in denotation (experimental group: M=7.82 vs. control: M=4.56) and spelling (M=7.59 vs. 5.38). Pronunciation showed the slightest improvement (M=5.41 vs. 3.69), suggesting that the AIGames technique was less effective for this aspect. The study also showed that most participants in the experimental group had a positive attitude towards using the new technique in learning vocabulary. Moreover, the study revealed no correlation between the experimental students’ achievement in vocabulary and their perception of using the AIGames technique.

The study, which has been derived from a larger project, examined how effective ChatGPT, compared to human raters, is for scoring writing tasks when tasks were arranged from simple to complex or vice versa. In so doing, a correlational design was employed. The participants were 113 EFL learners. Two sets of writing tasks were customized based on the SSARC (simplify, stabilize, automatize, reconstruct, complexify) model. The participants were divided into two groups. They took a pre-test and did tasks in two different orders. The tasks were rectified by the researcher and returned to them later. The participants enhanced their text based on comments on tasks. After that, they took a posttest. Human raters and ChatGPT scored the pretests and posttests.  A Pearson Correlation test was run to obtain the correlation between a human rater and ChatGPT. The results indicated a strong positive correlation between scores assessed by human raters and those by ChatGPT when tasks were arranged from simple to complex (r = 968, p > 05) or complex to simple (r = 860, p > 05). These findings suggest that ChatGPT can be an effective tool for writing assessments. Suggestions for further research are discussed.