رضا عبدی

Due to its increasing role in language learning, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is now widely studied. Much of the recent studies have focused on examining stakeholders' attitudes and investigating its impact on the employment of CALL. We followed a componential definition by considering more variables that allegedly define CALL and as such influence its integration into high school language learning curriculum. The context-related components of CALL were defined, and a total score was assigned which presented a broader understanding of CALL as a variable in the current study. Also, engaging more stakeholders in such studies is supposed to add to the validity and provide a more tangible picture. As such, this study considered four groups of participants, that is students, teachers, preservice teachers and principals. The findings revealed that all groups had moderate to high CALL scores, indicating acceptable CALL skills and knowledge to be gradually qualified to higher standards. Moreover, the study indicated the groups’ attitudes did not significantly predict the use of CALL in high school language learning curriculum. It is concluded that other variables, may play a more determining role in predicting the integration of CALL into English classes in high schools.

This study aims to investigate the long-term effects of the use of inductive and deductive teaching methodologies on the acquisition of English passive voice. To find answers to the questions, we prepared two teaching programs based on inductive and deductive approaches. Sixty-five pre-university students from were assigned as participants. These students were divided into two groups named as inductive and deductive. Both groups took two pre-tests. The first pre-test was administered in order to find out the homogeneity of both groups in terms of English proficiency level and the second pre-test was administered to find out how much background English passive voice knowledge they possessed. One of the groups was taught inductively and the other one was taught deductively. Three treatment sessions were conducted to present English passive voice. The study included three delayed post-tests which were administered four weeks, eight weeks and 12 weeks after treatment sessions. The analyses of the tests were conducted using descriptive statistics, independent samples test, and repeated-measures ANOVA. The analyses of the data revealed that both methodologies had significant effect on learning English passive voice. The inductively taught learners performed better in a short range of time. However, participants of the deductive group gained higher scores in a long range of time. Since the aim of the research was to investigate the long-term effects of the aforementioned methodologies, it was concluded that although inductive approach is efficient in the beginning, the deductive approach proves to be more efficient in the course of time.

Materials evaluation plays an important role in language teaching as it helps practitioners to develop an awareness of the coverage and quality of the existing materials and as such, guides most instruction and revision decisions. Therefore, we sought to evaluate three English Vision textbooks exclusively written for Iranian secondary high school students through a comparison to the identical Interchange book series, the fifth edition. Following a model of nominal groups outlined here, the evaluation targeted the quantity and quality of the groups appearing in the two series as they are assumed to be an important part of authentic language. For the quantitative part, the results indicated a significantly higher use of nominal groups in the Interchange series. Similarly, in the qualitative analyses, we found higher quality nominal groups appearing in the Interchange books. The findings revealed inadequate inclusion of nominal groups' potentially useful structures in the Vision textbooks, supposed to help teachers to raise an awareness so as to come up with appropriate instructional policies, and the textbook developers to consider the findings when any revision is due.

Toulmin's (1958) model of argumentation and Abdi et al.'s (2010) model of metadiscourse, mapped onto Grice's (1975) Cooperative Principle, are both attempts to elaborate on the process and contribute to the goal of obtaining persuasion. This study is an attempt to integrate the use of metadiscursive and argument strategies to provide a common logical rationale for their employment. Through a qualitative investigation of 40 ELT research articles (RAs), we propose a convergent framework for employing CP-based metadiscourse and argumentation model in RA arguments. As a result, endophoric markers were identified to be used as warrants to meet quantity, while transitions, frame markers, and code glosses were found to be employed as conclusions and data to fulfill manner. Furthermore, evidentials were found to be employed in conclusion, backing, and warrant; hedges were seen to be used as qualifiers; and finally, disclaimers were recognized to be employed in rebuttals; to meet quality. The findings reveal that argumentations are built metadiscursively which has implications for writers and educators. For writers, it could help to develop a deeper understanding of the positive role of metadiscursive strategies in RA arguments and as such could guide a more efficient employment of it to facilitate persuasion. For educators, the findings could provide a model for building and ensuring basic logical and rhetorical characteristics of an argument in academic writing.