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This study evaluated the validity of group dynamic assessment (G-DA), grounded in Vygotsky’s (1987) Sociocultural Theory, implemented in a class of intermediate learners to assess and promote L2 listening comprehension. To navigate the dual goals of assessment and instruction, flexible mediation attuned to the zone of proximal development of the learners was provided within the G-DA interactions. This led to the detection of nine mediational strategies. The validity of these G-DA interactions was explored by extending Poehner’s (2011) validation model to classroom setting. Poehner’s (2011) model includes two interrelated foci for DA validation: micro and macro-validity. Following Kane's (2021) argument-based approach to validation, evidence-based arguments were developed to explore the appropriateness of each mediational strategy given to the learners (micro-validity) as well as the success of that mediational strategy and the entire G-DA procedure in promoting learners’ L2 listening comprehension (macro-validity). Class transcripts were analyzed to gain evidence for the micro- and macro-validity of the G-DA interactions. The findings supported the usefulness of Poehner’s validation model in developing validity arguments to determine the appropriateness of the interpretations made about learners’ abilities and the effects of the G-DA procedure on their development. Moreover, the study concluded that the analysis of learners’ independent performance needed to be added to Pohener’s macro-validation model so that it becomes applicable to G-DA

The integration of technologies and social media into second/foreign language education has recently gained momentum in different contexts. Given their nature, social media have been empirically identified to improve different aspects of L2 teaching and learning. However, their facilitative role in enhancing EFL/ESL students’ language skills and academic engagement has been limitedly explored. To fill this lacuna, the present study intended to provide a theoretical analysis on the utility and power of injecting technologies and social media into L2 classes and improve students’ language skills and academic engagement. In so doing, the conceptualizations, definitions, dimensions, and empirical studies that provide evidence for the interplay of these constructs are presented. Moreover, a variety of implications are enumerated for EFL/ESL teachers, learners, teacher trainers, language policy-makers, curriculum designers, and scholars in L2 education, who can recognize the facilitative role of social media in English language teaching learning.  

While different models and questionnaires have been devised and used to measure learners’ willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC), to date, few scales, if any, can be found to measure foreign language teachers’ L2 WTC (FLT WTC). Therefore, the current project was designed to address this gap in the literature through an empirical investigation of the factors affecting FLT WTC. Consistent with an inclusive review of the literature and expert panel consultations, a model of contributing factors to FLT WTC was hypothesized, a representative questionnaire was devised and went through Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. A large scale of 1044 foreign language teachers participated in different stages of the study. The statistical indices of the study confirmed that the model was fit and the questionnaire established appropriate levels of reliability, and face, content, construct, convergent, and discriminant validity. It was found that teacher perceptions, student traits, classroom atmosphere, classroom settings, and discussion topics play significant roles in FLT WTC. The study can draw the teachers’ / institutes’ attention to the factors affecting FLT WTC, and the validated questionnaire can be used as an instrument to measure FLT WTC in future studies.  

This study takes a critical look at the purposive manipulation of discourse and rhetoric by the former Iranian President — Hassan Rouhani — when announcing the lockdown of holy sites during the COVID-19 crisis. A discourse analysis with a qualitative design was applied to study the political dimension of the discourse. This study is framed within the domain of systemic functional linguistics mood systems and the classical Aristotelian rhetoric trio — logos, ethos, and pathos. The results revealed that Rouhani mainly used the declarative mood in his speeches which performed three main functions: statements of opinion, statements of fact, and indirect directives. From a rhetorical perspective, Rouhani applied ethos considerably more than pathos and logos as a way to increase the credibility of his words while persuading the audience. Moreover, the researchers noticed that the former president employed multiple strategies to build pathos and ethos with the audience. These findings can suggest and encourage novel future research directions.  

Rooted in the Cognitive Load (CL) and Dual Coding theories, this sequential explanatory study examined the CL levels experienced by 36 available Iranian pre-intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in auditory and visual Phonemic Awareness Tasks (PATs). The PATs focused on 'th' sound variations that were specifically challenging for Persian speakers of English. Participants were divided into two equal groups. The first group underwent auditory and visual PATs (i.e., picture sorting and word discrimination). The second group faced auditory PATs only (i.e., rhyme recognition and sound isolation) structured around voiced and voiceless ‘th’ sounds. In the qualitative phase, 8 participants were randomly interviewed to discover the potential reasons behind various levels of CL measured in certain PATs. A Virtual Reality (VR) cognitive pupillometry analysis was performed for two groups in an immersive VR environment using VR Head-Mounted Displays (VR-HMDs) and Tobii Nexus software, followed by thematic analysis. GazeMetrics strategies were employed to validate and ensure the reliability of the data collection process. The quantitative results demonstrated (a) no critical differences regarding the CL experienced by the participants in each group concerning voiced vs. voiceless’ th’ PATs and (b) higher levels of CL (increased pupil diameter, decreased blink rates, and increased gaze pattern or fixation duration) among participants in the auditory PATs group compared to the ones in the auditory and visual PATs group. Besides, qualitative findings identified the following factors as the most probable causes of the observed differences in CL levels among participants: (a) segmental differences, (b) phonological transfer, (c) phonological fossilization, (d) working memory constraints, (e) cognitive flexibility, and (f) task delivery methods. This study contributes to cognitive phonology, phonological processing, perceptual-motor language functions, and English material development.

In tandem with communicative approaches to language teaching, there is a growing understanding in SLA that assessment needs to be integrated into language learning. This contention has led to the development of the Learning-Oriented Assessment (LOA) approach for assessing language skills and aspects in language classrooms. To our knowledge, interventionist studies to improve EFL teachers' LOA-based assessment practices are in their infancy. The present study examined Iranian EFL teachers' perspectives on LOA in language teaching. To this end, the researchers selected 44 EFL teachers in four language institutes in Urmia (Iran) and provided them with tailor-made LOA-based training in 12 sessions for one month. The teachers were informed that LOA procedures are to be adopted and used in their classes. During the following semester, the researchers observed the participants' classes periodically and provided them with comments on their LOA procedures. Following the course, interviews were held with the participants to probe into their perspectives on LOA. Drawing upon thematic analysis, the researchers analyzed the recordings to develop a model for the participants' perspectives on LOA procedures. Development of teacher noticing skills in LOA procedure, its beneficial impact on language learning vis-à-vis traditional testing procedures, implementation challenges, widespread use at all proficiency levels, and the need to develop user-friendly LOA-compatible software and applications constituted the major themes based on the interview data. The findings demonstrate that the participants harbored favorable views on LOA and regarded it to be more efficacious than traditional testing procedures.

Previous studies have focused mostly on the syntactic features of the linking particle (Ezafe) in simple noun phrases with little attention paid to its semantic representations and functions specifically within the context of deverbal noun phrases. The present study aims to analyze semantic functions of the linking particle as it appears between a deverbal noun and its various modifiers, and compare them with their corresponding elements in sentences in a Distributed Morphology framework (DM) in Hawrami. This study shows this ancient linker's trace in most Kurdish dialects exhibits agentive semantic functions in addition to expressing possession and modification. Furthermore, the subject of unaccusative verbs at the sentential level is realized as the patient/possessor or as the theme/possessor of their corresponding deverbal noun phrases. However, the subject of unergative verbs assumes the agentive/possessor role in their corresponding noun phrases. Moreover, the object of transitive and ditransitive verbs is represented as a patient or theme, and also as a possessed entity before the subject is realized as the possessor in the corresponding deverbal noun phrases. Results indicate that the representation of both sentences and their corresponding deverbal noun phrases within DM framework provides stronger support for a syntactic movement account of deverbal noun phrases, their semantic functions, and properties in Hawrami.

Due to the vital role of critical thinking skills in students' educational and non-educational success, the present research attempted to examine the impact of critical thinking skills in TBSIR approach on the computer-based English expository essay writing of Iranian university students. Participants of this study included 30 students at Gonbad-e-Kavous and Hazrat-e-Masoumeh universities in Iran. They answered to the Watson-Glaser critical thinking skills test (1980), then after two weeks of reviewing TSR structure, they wrote a computer-based English expository essay as pre-test. After four weeks of learning TBSIR structure, they wrote another computer-based English expository essay as post-test. The paired samples t-test and Pearson correlation were run and the results revealed the impact of critical thinking skills in the TBSIR approach on the computer-based English expository essay writing of Iranian university students. Also, the results indicate the positive and significant correlation between critical thinking skills especially analysis and interpretation and the computer-based English expository essay writing of Iranian university students, which helps the students to promote their educational and social lives. Finally, teachers, teacher trainers, syllabus designers and materials developers can benefit from the results of this study.

This mixed-methods study was an attempt to ascertain if experienced EFL teachers’ classroom management is related to their burnout and organizational commitment. It was also intended to unveil their perceptions and attitudes regarding the sources of their burnout and organizational commitment. For this purpose, 50 male and female experienced teachers were chosen from three English institutes in Tehran and were asked to fill up the three questionnaires: Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Organizational Commitment Scale, and Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control (ABCC) Inventory. They were further interviewed and observed in their actual classes. According to the obtained findings and results, the perceived classroom management of teachers did not significantly correlate with their actual management practice. Furthermore, there was a negative but statistically non-significant correlation between EFL teachers’ organizational commitment and classroom management. The correlation between teachers’ burnout and classroom management turned out to be positive but statistically non-significant as well. Considering the point that the correlations between the variables were non-significant, the predictability analyses were not conducted as the results would logically be non-significant too. Conducting the interviews, the majority of the teachers strongly believed that low commitment and burnout have nothing to do with their performance in classroom since there is something beyond the obligation to the organization, which is responsibility to learners, and no other external factors could interfere.

A sustained, school-based approach that offers in-service EFL teachers opportunities for collaboration in creating an environment that promotes their capacity-building and instructional growth is necessary for their professional growth. This study aimed to contribute to the growing body of research on the effect of distributed leadership in teacher professional learning. Specifically, this study scrutinized the connection between distributed leadership and professional learning of teachers, focusing on the mediating role of teacher agency. A cross-sectional survey design was applied, collecting data from 458 teachers in Iran. Teacher Professional Learning Scale, Teacher Agency Scale, and Distributed Leadership Scale were completed by them. Structural equation modelling was run to analyze the relationship between variables. The findings revealed a minimal direct relationship between distributed leadership and the professional learning of teachers, with teacher agency acting as a major mediating factor. These results contribute to existing research by suggesting that distributed leadership may not have a substantial direct effect on teacher learning, but rather indirectly improves teacher agency.

Iran Language Institute (ILI) plays a crucial role in teaching English in Iran and offers a comprehensive Teacher Training Course (TTC) for the teachers before their being employed. Still, these teachers encounter difficulties in different areas, but there are few studies investigating the teaching challenges of EFL teachers teaching at ILI. Thus, this study investigated the teaching challenges of newly-hired and experienced teachers, teaching at different age levels. The data were gathered data through 100 classroom observation forms belonging to 18 kids’ teachers, 47 young-adults’ teachers, and 35 adults’ teachers (69 experienced and 31 newly-hired). We also interviewed with 5 kids’ teachers, 5 young-adults’ teachers, and 6 adults’ teachers. It was revealed that young-adults’ teachers faced fewer challenges than kids’ and adults’ teachers. Besides, experienced teachers encountered fewer problems than newly-hired teachers. The results of the observation forms were different from the interviews. However, time management was the only problem which was mentioned in the interviews, observation forms, and different age levels. According to the teachers, the reason behind these challenges was the intensive syllabus, old books and videos, and teachers’ having to follow a series of fixed teaching steps.

This study aimed at investigating the L2 rhetorical organization of translation and free writing tasks in terms of cohesive devices used by Iraqi intermediate EFL learners in the narrative genre. To do so, 30 Iraqi intermediate EFL learners at Kufa university took part in the study. The participants were asked to translate three narrative texts from Arabic to English and write three narratives related to the general topics given to them as prompts. The narratives were coded and rated by two experts based on Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) framework. The data obtained from translation narratives were compared with a standard translation for each text. Results of the one-sample t-test performed on the scores of translation narratives indicated that Iraqi leaners produce shorter passages in the target language than in the source language; however, they used significantly more times than expected for certain types of cohesive devices. Moreover, comparisons between translated narratives and free narratives indicated no significant difference between the translated and composed narratives. It is argued that patterns of cohesive devices used in English output of the Iraqi EFL learners are compatible with properties of their first language. The findings also show that, unlike English grammatical properties, cohesive devices are not a problematic area and would not lead to fossilized errors in the performance of Iraqi EFL learners.

This study provides a comparative analysis of the rhetorical, pragmatic, and semantic strategies used by English-speaking and Arabic-speaking politicians to manipulate their audiences. By examining political speeches from both linguistic contexts, the research reveals distinct cultural patterns in manipulation. English-speaking politicians often employ direct, fact-based appeals (logos), while Arabic-speaking politicians rely more on emotional and collective identity appeals (pathos). These strategies reflect the cultural and linguistic norms of each group. Additionally, the study highlights the evolving impact of digital media on political communication, showing how manipulative strategies have adapted to new technological platforms. The findings have important implications for political communication strategists, media professionals, and educators. They underscore the need for culturally nuanced communication strategies in cross-cultural political discourse, offer insights for enhancing public media literacy to combat manipulation, and provide a framework for further research into the role of digital platforms in shaping political rhetoric. Additionally, the study highlights the evolving impact of digital media on political communication, showing how manipulative strategies have adapted to new technological platforms. The findings have important implications for political communication strategists, media professionals, and educators. They underscore the need for culturally nuanced communication strategies in cross-cultural political discourse, offer insights for enhancing public media literacy to combat manipulation, and provide a framework for further research into the role of digital platforms in shaping political rhetoric.

The present research studied the disciplinary use of cohesive devices across academic writing, comparing Native English Writers (NEW) with Arab Writers of English (AEW). It centers around the research articles in the fields of Medicine and Education. The researchers adopted corpus-based analysis, presented by Halliday and Hasan's framework, 1976, in the exploration of cohesive device types—grammar and lexical ones—while considering frequencies along with discourse contexts. The results indicated significant disciplinary differences in cohesive strategies use among the NEW, i.e. additive conjunctions, which appear in the educational writing and facilitate argument development and logical flow between ideas (e.g., and, further); the collocations in medical writing reflect the exactitude of the subject and clarity to be expected in any sort of scientific discourse, no less with causal conjunctions. AEW also exhibited discipline-specific patterns, but their cohesive strategies are colored by the Arabic rhetorical traditions. AEW in education relied heavily on repetition to achieve thematic unity, which sometimes results in redundancy by the norms of English academic writing. AEW in medicine make more use of additive and causal conjunctions to achieve logical relations, although overuse sometimes led to long, unwieldy sentences. These findings have significant pedagogical implications for EAP instruction. They call for training in cohesive strategies specific to disciplines, especially for learners from an Arab background, as this helps learners adjust their writing practices in ways that will meet expectations in the English academic conventions while managing cultural influences.

Assessing learners’ writing is one of the primary responsibilities of English language teachers. Nevertheless, research on teachers’ writing assessment literacy (WAL) is scarce. To this end, this study a) explored Iraqi Kurdish EFL teachers’ writing assessment knowledge, beliefs, and practices and b) examined assessment strategies they employ to assess learners’ writing ability and the feedback they provide on learners’ writing performance. Data were collected from language teachers in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (N=80), who taught at universities, institutes, and schools, utilizing a modified version of the WAL questionnaire consisting of five sections, including teachers’ demographic information, assessment strategies, knowledge of WAL, beliefs about WAL, and practices concerning WAL. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a group of volunteer teachers (N=10). The findings highlighted teachers’ insufficient knowledge of writing assessments. A significant mismatch was found between teachers’ stated beliefs and their practices in the use of formative and summative assessment. The teachers had positive beliefs toward formative assessment; however, they preferred using summative assessment. The qualitative findings further pointed to a significant knowledge gap among teachers regarding specific terminologies, such as formative and summative assessment, as well as scoring rubrics. Finally, the results indicated that teachers used various feedback types to improve learners’ writing skills. The findings emphasize the need to improve teachers’ writing assessment literacy in order to bridge the gap between teachers’ beliefs and their practices of writing assessment.