مطالب

Due to the vital role of back channels in mutual understanding and their use in many aspects of language learning, the present study investigated the attitudes toward back-channeling in Iranian EFL online versus regular classes. The study was quasi-experimental in design, with interviews and recording of course sessions by ZDF Soft Screen Recorder and the voice Memos application in both classes to measure the duration of silence, TTT (Teacher Talk Time), STT (Student Talk Time), BC (Back Channels), and other activities such as TCS (Teachers' Code-Switching), SCS (Students’ Code-Witching), S (the time passed in silence). In doing so, two online classes included 30, two regular ones included 27, and four English teachers of the participants were randomly selected from the Kanoon Language Institute in Isfahan, Iran, to take part in the study. Learners received four and a half hours of instruction per week within the course period. In the next step, all the data gathered was analyzed and statistically addressed by using, IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 26) software. The results revealed back channels had positive effects on learners in both classes. Besides, teachers and learners had positive attitudes toward using back channels, however, in online classes, learners were more willing to use back channels. The findings of this study could be fruitful for improvement with well-designed materials and explicitly teaching back channels, which can provide opportunities for learners to express their emotions, and ideas, and enhance their strengths.

This research aims to integrate practical and theoretical solutions to increase motivation for sports participation among workers. The study employed a cross-sectional and correlational design, focusing on the statistical population of employees at Iranol Oil Company in Tehran in 2019, which consisted of 890 individuals. Based on Karjesi and Morgan's table, 261 participants were selected using an available sampling method. The research utilized tools for measuring motivation for sports participation (Gill et al., 1984), cognitive regulation of emotion (Garnefsky and Kraij, 2006), and feelings of joy (Argill and Lowe, 1990). Structural equation analysis was employed to test the research hypotheses. The findings indicated that the model had a good fit. Specifically, in the final model, the standard path coefficients for adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation on sports participation motivation were 0.17 and -0.40, respectively. This suggests that the skill of cognitive emotion regulation (a practical strategy) plays a significant role in the relationship between feelings of vitality (a theoretical approach) and motivation for sports participation. The developed model for sports participation motivation serves as a foundational tool for creating practical programs aimed at enhancing participation in sports among various groups. Additionally, implementing interventions to teach individuals emotion regulation strategies—along with fostering changes in cognition and behavior—can promote self-regulation and subsequently increase sports participation. Finally, efforts to enhance societal vitality represent a theoretical solution to reduce maladaptive emotional regulation, thereby fostering greater motivation for sports participation.

This study examined the effects of virtual English instruction via the Iranian Student Education Network (SHAD) on the speaking accuracy of Iranian high school English learners with varied personality traits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants (n = 54) completed the Quick Oxford Placement Test and the Eysenck Personality Inventory before taking a speaking test based on the Vision English for Schools Series. The participants' voice-recorded responses to the speaking test were then analyzed for accurate verb usage. After completing 18 online sessions with diverse speaking tasks on SHAD, the participants retook the speaking test, and their performances were analyzed. The results indicated significant effects on the speaking accuracy of both extroverts and introverts, with introversion showing the most positive impact. Semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted to gather participants' perceptions of virtual education. The findings highlighted the challenges and opportunities faced by Iranian high school English learners in online classes, with implications for virtual language education and materials development.