درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Neuroimaging has a substantial pedagogical advantage when applied to language learners who are experiencing cognitive procedures during educational settings. Among such learners are L2 learners who may encounter new experiences that neuroimaging may be able to clarify. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether neuroimaging tools are capable of revealing more information about the experience of L2 learners. A systematic review of the literature on the use of neuroimaging in the context of L2 learning is presented in the study. According to a comprehensive search of numerous known databases, 19 articles met the criteria for extensive analysis. The results of the analysis indicate that neuroimaging tools can be used to reveal brain function during L2 learning. Furthermore, it may enable us to uncover brain function during the learning of L2 skills and its neural responses to them. Researchers have also mentioned the challenges in the implementation of neuroimaging tools in L2 procedures. In addition to presenting the testimonies found in the literature, it is emphasized that neuroimaging in L2 learning remains relatively unknown.

This study aimed to explore Iranian teachers’ cognition of L1 use in L2 teaching as a component of classroom management, in EFL classes at private language schools in Iran. The study comprised 12 in-service teachers, and the sample size was decided based upon data saturation. The instrument employed in this research was a semi-structured interview, designed to elicit the participating teachers’ cognition. The interviews were audio-recorded and were subsequently transcribed. Thematic analysis of the data demonstrated that the teachers believed the extent and frequency of L1 use should be balanced based on the objectives of L2 lessons, so that classes could be smoothly managed and learners could be sufficiently exposed to L2. Besides, the participants held that for effective classroom management, teachers should use L1 judiciously and selectively. In addition, they accentuated the significance of attention to learners’ English language proficiency level, psychological factors, and educational needs in this respect. Moreover, they were aware of the potential role of L1 use with regard to classroom management strategies, such as establishing rapport, maintaining discipline, and managing time. Overall, the participants were cognizant of using L1 in L2 teaching as a classroom management component. This inquiry provides implications for supervisors of language schools, language teachers, and language teacher educators.

The focus of prior studies has been on introducing different cultulings in Iranian culture; as a result, little attention has been given to their relationship with individual differences and language-related variables. Therefore, to address this gap, the researchers first devised a cultuling competency test to measure individuals’ ability to identify 14 culturally different contexts. They then substantiated the construct validity of the cultuling competency test through CFA, and its reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha, suggesting high reliability. Next, the researchers aimed to assess the role of cultuling in individuals’ language aptitude, verbal intelligence, cultural intelligence, and second language (L2) willingness to communicate (WTC). The results indicated that cultuling is a significant predictor of verbal intelligence. It was also found that L2 WTC and cultural intelligence are positively correlated. Finally, the findings revealed that language aptitude has a significant relationship with both cultural and verbal intelligence.

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 .

Language teachers are professionally expected to serve as educational innovators, change agents, and particularly teacher-researchers. Teacher-researcher identity and its negotiation have received much attention from international scholars. In Vietnam, substantial research has been conducted to examine this concept and its influential factors among tertiary lecturers. Nevertheless, a research gap remains in understanding factors affecting teacher-researcher identity negotiation from other teacher demographics, particularly from an insider’s perspective. Therefore, this autobiographical introspective narrative inquiry addressed this gap by shedding light on the contextual influences on my teacher-researcher identity negotiated during the process of completing a Master’s graduation thesis. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory of Human Development as the theoretical framework, the study gathered data from my autobiographical writings and semi-structured interviews with two purposefully-selected outsiders. The collected data were deductively analyzed through thematic analysis. Results revealed that contextual influences (personal, academic, institutional, and socio-cultural contributors) on my teacher-researcher identity negotiation were nested into an ecological system of four concentrated layers, including the micro-, meso-, exo-, and macro-systems, respectively. These findings further showed how the socio-academic condition of the Mekong Delta region affectionately nurtured my growing maturity as a qualitative teacher-researcher. Beyond its scholarly contribution, this study is also a testament to how one’s roots can illuminate the path toward becoming a teacher-researcher, offering inspiration for others walking a similar journey.

Speaking test anxiety is a pervasive challenge for adult English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, particularly in contexts where English proficiency is tied to academic and professional advancement. This empirical research study investigates the causes, contributing factors, and potential strategies to cope with speaking test anxiety among adult EFL learners in Saudi Arabia. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative survey data with qualitative interpretations to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Sixty-eight undergraduate male students, selected through purposive sampling method, participated in this research. The data were collected via standardized instruments (a modified FLCAS, and another survey instrument prepared by the researcher). Research findings reveal that cultural expectations, fear of negative evaluation, less frequency of speaking tests, and limited speaking practice contribute significantly to “the participants' speaking test” anxiety. The study bears significance in Saudi Arabian contexts as it identifies the causes of English speaking and test anxiety among adult learners and also suggests test-taking strategies to cope with test stress and related anxiety. The study concludes with pedagogical recommendations to mitigate anxiety and enhance speaking performance.

Human beings employ different forms of linguistic politeness to ease communication and reduce the likelihood of conflict. With the rise of technology and social media platforms such as Email, Telegram, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram, the concept of politeness has faced new challenges. The present study focused on Instagram comments and analyzed politeness strategies based on Leech’s grand strategy of politeness. The study examined a 20043-word corpus developed based on 696 posts across various topics on Instagram. The results revealed that Instagram users predominantly utilized negative politeness strategies (63.3%). Among the positive strategies, agreement constraints were the most frequently employed (32.7%), while tact constraint violations (32.1%) were the most common within negative strategies. The study utilized repeated measures of ANOVA and Tukey post hoc analysis via SPSS to examine differences among various constraints and their violations. Significant differences were found among most constraints, except for tact and modesty, generosity, and feeling reticence. In terms of constraint violations, no significant differences were observed between approbation and obligation of the speaker to others constraint violation, between agreement constraint violation and generosity constraint violation, between agreement and obligation of others to a speaker constraint violation, between agreement constraint violation and opinion reticence constraint violation, between sympathy and modesty constraint violation, between sympathy and feeling reticence constraint violation. The findings underscore the importance of analyzing language in specific media, providing insights into politeness and impoliteness in a specific medium. The results can enhance students' pragmatic skills and improve their online communication, prompting materials developers to consider such pragmatic dimensions.

The Elicited Imitation Test (EIT) is widely recognized for its reliability in research settings as a proficiency assessment tool. However, there exists a need to examine its predictive validity in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. This study investigates the extent to which the EIT, alongside the Oxford Placement Test (OPT), can predict students' academic achievements in an English for Academic Purposes course, including overall grade point average and scores in listening, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary. The study also examines the relationship between students' perceptions of their listening and speaking skills and their EIT performance. The study involves 41 participants, with data analysis conducted using both regression and correlation methods. Results show that the EIT significantly predicts students' grade point average and language skills. Students' self-perceived speaking and listening abilities reasonably align with their actual performance on the EIT, and it seems that factors related to comprehension weigh heavily in their considerations. These findings have significant implications for EFL research and pedagogy.

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of language assessment literacy enhancement (LALE) on Iranian high school EFL students’ assessment as learning of writing skill. It also aimed to examine if LALE affects Iranian EFL students’ attitudes toward assessment as learning. To this end, 80 intermediate-level high-school EFL learners were selected and randomly categorized into the experimental and control groups. Both groups wrote an essay in the pre-test phase. Then, The ESL Composition Scale was used to teach the students what makes good writing and what criteria and standards they are supposed to learn to be able to write and rate the essays of their own and their peers. The control group received no instructional information on assessment rubrics. The experimental and control groups wrote another essay on a specific topic in the post-test phase. In the qualitative phase of the study, ten high school EFL students from the experimental group were interviewed regarding their attitudes toward the practice of assessment as learning of the writing skill in their English classes. The findings indicated that LALE significantly affected Iranian high school EFL students’ assessment as learning of writing skill. Moreover, students believed peer and self-assessment techniques are rarely implemented in Iranian high school EFL classes. They were also uncertain and felt uncomfortable judging, evaluating, criticizing, and rating their peers. Besides, they felt that they were not knowledgeable and capable enough to play the role of an assessor.

Given the cognitive demands of consecutive interpreting and the psychological pressures faced by novice interpreters, the present quantitative study aims to identify the most frequently occurring disfluencies in the output of English-Persian interpreter trainees and to explore how interpreting anxiety influences different types of disfluencies. A total of 23 translation trainee students were selected based on convenience sampling. Data were gathered through the Interpreting Classroom Anxiety Scale and a CI exam. After classifying the disfluencies =, it was revealed that hesitation, silent pauses, and prolongation are the predominant disfluency features. These types of disfluencies indicate cognitive overload and failures in language planning. Statistical analyses showed a significant correlation between high levels of anxiety and an increased frequency of these disfluencies; however, no meaningful relationship was found between interpreting anxiety and disfluency in general. This suggests that anxiety adversely affects fluency and overall interpreting performance. This study highlights the critical role of psychological factors, particularly anxiety, in interpreter performance and training. The findings call for the inclusion of anxiety-reduction techniques in interpreter education and suggest future research on experience-based disfluency patterns and Persian-specific disfluency classification.

In the postmodernism era, considering the new technological facilities, researchers are trying to improve the traditional learning process by presenting some new learning models. One of these models, called blended learning, tries to present special ways and solutions to blend synchronous and asynchronous learning. The flipped classroom, subcategorized in this model, reverses the traditional classroom formats. This study investigates the role of this model in EFL learners’ perceptions of class activities and their language achievement. In doing so, two classes in a high school, 10th grade, were selected as the participants. In the experimental group, the flipped learning approach was implemented through the creative software, developed by the researchers. The software was designed based on the book that students were supposed to study that semester. The software framework was Storyline which is a suitable software for creating interactive courses. Learners’ perceptions were also measured by using the translated version of the 'Students Perceptions of Classroom Activities' scale. The results revealed that the flipped learning approach could account for over 70 percent of Choice perception, about 50 percent for Challenge, and 10 percent for Joy perception. The results also demonstrated significant impact of flipped learning on language achievement. The results of this study would help instructors and practitioners to use technology in their teaching program and be optimistic about its amazing results in their learners’ outcomes.

The concepts of work-related satisfaction, happiness, and burnout have received increasing attention in psychological research. As the field of translation studies is interdisciplinary, it has consistently drawn inspiration from various fields in the humanities, including psychology. Since sworn translators play a crucial role in translation communities, the present article aimed to look into job-related satisfaction, happiness, and burnout utilizing a qualitative interview-based approach and Iranian sworn translators as participants. The findings revealed that sworn translations involved challenges and occasionally unpleasant aspects; nonetheless, the majority of participants reported feeling satisfaction and happiness in terms of the job in general, the translation process, and their income. Furthermore, this profession has led several participants to experience fatigue, stress, nervousness, sleep disturbances, and indigestion, but the most frequent manifestations of burnout are mental exhaustion and pain in the neck, arms, hands, and eyes. These findings can be helpful for sworn translators and policymakers seeking solutions or preventing negative consequences.

The importance of teachers in promoting reading comprehension skills among learners is crucial in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. This study aims to explore how teachers utilize social, discursive, and textual methods to enhance the development of reading comprehension skills in EFL learners. A total of 160 translation-majoring learners enrolled in a Reading Comprehension Course at Applied Scientific University (Rad) in Tehran were purposefully selected and divided into three experimental groups and one control group. The experimental groups received instruction based on Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), which included social, discursive, and textual strategies to enhance their reading comprehension skills in the EFL classroom. To evaluate the effectiveness of the CDA-based instruction, pre- and post-tests on reading comprehension were conducted using a quasi-experimental design. The data obtained from these tests were analyzed using a one-way analysis of covariance (one-way ANCOVA). The results showed a significant improvement in reading comprehension among learners who were exposed to the CDA-based treatments, highlighting its essential role in promoting critical interaction with texts and enhancing overall language proficiency, while no significant improvement was observed in the control group. Additionally, social practice was found to be more effective than discursive and textual practices; however, no significant differences were observed between discursive and textual practices. The findings have implications for EFL teachers, learners, and curriculum planners, which can ultimately help make reading comprehension easier in EFL contexts.

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.

Listening comprehension remains a persistent challenge for non-English major students, often due to passive learning approaches, limited interactive engagement, and ineffective assessment methods. Traditional formative assessment lacks real-time feedback and adaptive mechanisms, hindering students’ ability to monitor progress and develop effective listening strategies. To address these drawbacks, the current study examines the implementation of an AI-integrated gamified formative assessment in enhancing listening comprehension among the 38 first-semester students at Universitas PGRI Delta Sidoarjo, a private university in East Java, Indonesia. Employing a sequential mixed-methods approach, data were collected from a closed-ended questionnaire measuring dimensions of engagement, motivation, and self-regulation, alongside structured interviews with six selected students to gain deeper insights. The findings reveal that the AI-integrated gamified platform fosters a more interactive and engaging learning experience, with students demonstrating increased autonomy and strategic listening behaviors. The instant feedback and adaptive challenges contributed to improved comprehension, particularly in recognizing key information and inferring meaning from context. However, some participants expressed difficulties in adapting to the dynamic nature of the platform, citing cognitive overload and challenges in managing time constraints within the game-based environment. Additionally, variations in AI-generated feedback quality occasionally led to confusion in interpreting certain listening tasks. These findings suggest that while AI-integrated gamification enhances listening comprehension, further refinements in feedback accuracy and cognitive load management are essential to optimize its pedagogical impact. The study provides critical insights for educators and developers in designing AI-driven gamified assessment tools that effectively support listening comprehension development for non-English majors.