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Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international comparative study of reading comprehension that is administered by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) to measure the reading competency of fourth grade students in the participating countries. The test is a very comprehensive measure of reading literacy which covers a wide variety of reading subskills and texts. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the psychometric qualities of PIRLS 2021 using the national data of Kazakhstan. The 2-parameter item response theory was used to evaluate the test. Item difficulty, discrimination, infit, outfit, and the root mean square deviance (RMSD) fit statistics were examined. The multiple-group IRT was used to examine differential item functioning. Findings sowed that PIRLS 2021 is a robust measure of reading comprehension and does not exhibit differential item functioning (DIF). However, based on the 2PL discrimination and infit and outfit values, several items are problematic. The implications of this finding are discussed.

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.

This study investigates the effect of corrective feedback on Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ interlanguage pragmatic (ILP) development in the context of invitation acceptance and declination. Three intact experimental groups were selected via convenience sampling from an English institute in Tehran: a recast group (N = 13), a metalinguistic group (N = 17), and a clarification request group (N = 12). Prior to the treatment, the groups participated in a dialogic extended discourse pretest. The dialogues for invitation acceptance and declination were drawn from Top Notch, American English File, English Result, and Four Corners. Learners’ performance was assessed using two checklists—one for pragmalinguistic and the other for sociopragmatic knowledge—based on a five-item Likert scale ranging from inappropriate to most appropriate. Treatment sessions were conducted three times per week, each lasting 60 minutes, over a period of one month. The findings reveal that corrective feedback significantly enhanced ILP development. Notably, the metalinguistic group outperformed the recast and clarification request groups. Consequently, metalinguistic corrective feedback proved more effective than recast and clarification feedback in fostering Iranian EFL learners’ ILP development concerning invitation acceptance and declination.

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.

The ecological turn in translation studies subverts anthropocentric perspectives and redefines translation as a multispecies, semiotic process that transcends human language. Eco-translation, a central concept within this turn, extends the field of translation to include non-human actors and ecological networks, allowing for a more inclusive description of meaning-making. Yet this turn has also brought academics a sense of disorientation and solastalgia as scholars have to grapple with the tension between preserving traditional disciplinary boundaries and embracing the expansive horizons of transdisciplinary approaches. The current article traces the ecological turn using Doris Bachmann-Medick’s three-stage model of disciplinary turn: thematic expansion, metaphorical application, and methodological refinement. It maps the evolution of eco-translation from narrowly defined practices focused on ecological themes to a broader, inclusive framework that challenges the field’s traditional foundations. The article also examines the emotional and intellectual consequences of this turn, particularly the solastalgic experience of scholars experiencing the loss of familiar disciplinary contours while adapting to new paradigms.

The present study is an attempt to examine the impact of flipped language learning (FLL) on vocabulary learning and retention, focusing both on concrete and abstract words. In addition, the learners’ attitudes towards implementing FLL were surveyed. To this end, drawing on the mixed-methods design, a group of 40 intermediate language learners (n=20 for each gender), within the age range of 12 to 16, was selected through convenience sampling from Parseh English Institute in Zanjan, Iran. In line with the quantitative strand, the results of the pre-knowledge test and learning test for experimental and control groups were compared to evaluate their achievement. After a two-week interval, the participants’ scores were compared with the scores obtained in the retention test. After applying the treatment, a questionnaire about learners’ attitudes considering FLL was distributed to the experimental group. A semi-structured interview was also conducted to triangulate the survey results. The data were analyzed using a paired samples t-test, ANCOVA, and descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that FLL improved the performance of the experimental group in learning and retention of concrete and abstract words. The results of the analysis, nevertheless, do not substantiate the role of gender as a moderating variable. The analysis of the questionnaire and the interview also suggested learners’ favorable views regarding this kind of learning. Finally, it was concluded that FLL was efficiently applicable in English vocabulary didactics.

Motivational goal orientations play a critical role in shaping learners’ engagement in the classroom. This study was to investigate how performance-avoid, performance-approach, mastery-avoid, and mastery-approach goals determine agentic and social engagement of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. For this purpose, 200 Iranian intermediate EFL learners of language institutes in Isfahan and Gachsaran, Iran, were selected by convenience sampling. The OQPT was administered to ensure the homogeneity of the participants. The data were collected by Goal Orientation Survey and Student Engagement Questionnaire, which were distributed online and analyzed using standard multiple regression. The findings demonstrated that the mastery approach and performance approach significantly determined agentic engagement, and the performance approach significantly determined social engagement. These findings provide valuable insights into the motivational dynamics within Iranian intermediate EFL classrooms. Educators can enhance student engagement by focusing on fostering mastery and performance goal orientations and creating a supportive learning environment, ultimately improving the language learning outcomes of Iranian intermediate EFL learners.

Political apologies serve as high-stakes communicative acts, addressing collective wrongdoing while seeking to repair damaged relationships between governments and affected groups. This study explored the evolution of political apologies in the 21st century, analyzing their role as public speech acts that respond to shifting societal and political norms. Despite their increasing prevalence in global politics, limited research has examined how these apologies have adapted linguistically and structurally over time to meet evolving public expectations. This research bridged this gap by employing a diachronic pragmatic approach. A corpus of 222 state-level political apologies, spanning two decades, was analyzed using the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project (CCSARP) framework, augmented with emerging pragmatic elements. Categorized into five sociopolitical periods, these apologies were coded and analyzed with Atlas.ti to identify shifts in their structural and linguistic components. The findings revealed a consistent use of Illocutionary Force Indicating Devices (IFIDs), alongside a growing emphasis on Explanation or Account and META (Reaffirmation). Novel elements, such as Commemorative Apologies and Forward-Looking Statements, demonstrated how political apologies are increasingly tailored to address systemic injustices and public demands for accountability and reconciliation. Theoretically, the study could enrich pragmatic frameworks by identifying new components of political apologies. Practically, it offers insights for crafting effective apologies that resonate with diverse audiences. This research underscored the adaptability of political apologies, positioning them as tools for fostering societal healing and advancing justice in a rapidly changing world.

This study examines the accessibility of translated navigational signs in Tehran Metro as a key site of public translation. Using field observations supported by the User-Centered Translation (UCT) framework, it assesses the clarity, consistency, and usability of bilingual signage and other multimedia  features across multiple metro stations and lines. The analysis identifies recurring inconsistencies in transliteration, translation choices, and the alignment between station names at stations and on the official metro map. These variations demonstrate the lack of a standardized approach to multilingual communication within the network and highlight the impact of such discrepancies on user navigation. The study contributes empirical data to ongoing discussions of translation in public spaces by showing how multilingual signage practices can either facilitate or hinder effective wayfinding in transit environments.

This research investigated the immediate and delayed impacts of two types of input instruction, structured input instruction(SII) and consciousness-raising instruction (CRI), on the pragmatic performance of EFL learners in terms of accuracy. For this purpose, 90 intermediate-level students of a language center in Karaj, Iran were selected based on convenience sampling and their performance on Oxford Placement Test (OPT). The participants were then randomly assigned into three groups. Next, after administering a written discourse completion test (WDCT) as their pretest, the participants in the two experimental groups (structured input and consciousness-raising) had eight sessions of treatment. This was followed by an immediate WDCT posttest, and after a two-week time interval by a delayed WDCT posttest to assess their pragmatic accuracy. Two raters scored the participants` pragmatic accuracy on the pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed post-test. Three repeated-measures two-way ANOVAs were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the participants of the experimental groups performed significantly better on immediate and delayed post-tests regarding pragmatic accuracy. However, no significant difference was found between the structured input instruction and consciousness-raising instruction on improving the EFL learners’ pragmatic accuracy. Discussion of the findings, implications of the results and suggestions for further studies have all been presented at the end of the work.

This research investigates the impact of textual coherence factors on the improvement of reading comprehension in elementary school students. It aims to analyze the influence of grammatical, lexical, and connective elements on students' ability to recall stories, utilizing the framework of systemic functional linguistics (SFL). Textual coherence, as one of the key components in understanding and conveying meaning in educational texts, plays an important role in improving reading comprehension. This study uses a qualitative method and analyzes 64 stories from elementary school Persian textbooks to identify and analyze textual applications and their effects on students' recall of the stories. Data were collected through questionnaires based on Halliday and Matthiessen's (2014) SFL. A researcher-made questionnaire was designed, and 150 students were recruited to answer the items on a 5-point Likert scale. Results showed that grammatical, lexical, and connective coherence effectively improve students’ text recall. In comparison, the lexical features are more effective than connective and grammatical features, facilitating students’ recall of the stories in Persian textbooks. This study reveals that teachers at the elementary level need to focus on textual coherence, especially grammatical and connective, and then lexical features. Implications suggest that textbook designers focus on textual structures in designing educational textbooks since they affect students’ recall and improve their reading comprehension.

This study examined Iranian EFL learners’ perceptions of L1 (Persian) pre-task planning on speaking performance—specifically accuracy, fluency, and complexity—within a Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) framework. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was adopted, collecting quantitative and qualitative data concurrently to provide a holistic view. Quantitative data were gathered via a 15-item Likert-scale questionnaire completed by 100 intermediate learners, selected through convenience sampling from three Hormozgan language institutes, following two counterbalanced oral-opinion tasks in a 60-minute session. Qualitative data were collected simultaneously through semi-structured interviews with 15 participants, purposively chosen from the questionnaire respondents based on diverse perception scores to enrich insights, conducted within 1–2 days. Quantitative analysis, employing descriptive statistics and paired t-tests, showed a strong L1 planning preference, boosting accuracy and fluency, while thematic analysis of interviews highlighted enhanced confidence with L1 and L2 transition difficulties, with complexity perceptions mixed. Integrating these findings, L1 planning supports immediate oral proficiency and reduces anxiety in Iran’s low-exposure EFL context, though L2 proficiency limits complexity. These findings align with Cognitive Load Theory and Sociocultural Theory, offering context-specific pedagogical insights for incorporating L1 planning in TBLT practices while underscoring the need for strategies to bolster L2 complexity.

This study rigorously investigates the impact of portfolio self-assessment on the enhancement of English language skills among pre-intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. A quasi-experimental design was employed, comprising a sample of 64 male students, aged between 12 and 15 years, drawn from two intact classes at the Dolat and Mellat Language Institute in Gilan, Iran. The participants were systematically divided into two groups and engaged in a 12-week instructional program: the experimental group (n = 31) was subjected to portfolio self-assessment, whereas the control group (n = 33) adhered to conventional assessment methodologies. To evaluate language proficiency, the American English File 2 Test was administered as both a pre-test and a post-test. The analytical approach consisted of descriptive statistics, Shapiro-Wilk normality tests, paired and independent samples t-tests, and effect size calculations. The analysis of the data revealed that the experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant superiority over the control group in language proficiency, as evidenced by the results (t (62) = 9.920, p < .001, r = .61) across all assessed language skills. Notable were the substantial effect sizes observed in reading (r = .76), listening (r = .34), and writing (r = .27). These findings underscore the efficacy of portfolio self-assessment as a learner-centered strategy that enhances language proficiency, fostering metacognitive awareness. The research highlights the need to integrate reflective assessment methods into EFL pedagogy and calls for further investigation into their long-term implications.

Language learning is a multifaceted process influenced by various factors, including learners’ individual preferences and cognitive strengths. This mixed-methods study investigates how dominant intelligences influence the instructional preferences and perceptions of 30 male Turkish-speaking EFL learners, aged 13-17, using a structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The research explores the relationship between learners’ intelligences and specific teaching approaches, with data analyzed through both quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants were categorized into two groups based on their dominant intelligences: Group A (interpersonal and intrapersonal) and Group B (linguistic and visual/spatial). Analysis of the data reveals that learners gravitate towards learning styles that align with their dominant intelligences, with Group A favoring interactive and self-directed approaches, while Group B leans towards visual and experiential methods. Despite a limited awareness of MI theory, the participants express satisfaction with MI-based instruction, viewing it as more engaging and effective compared to traditional methods. This study underscores the significance of incorporating learner preferences into language instruction and highlights the potential of MI-based approaches to enhance learner engagement and motivation.