درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of metacognitive-cooperative training on the writing skills of Iranian EFL learners. The study employed quasi-experimental design. To this aim, four intact classes were randomly allocated into three experimental groups and one control group. The findings from the initial assessments indicated that the individuals involved in the study exhibited a similar level of language competence and writing skills, ascertained by the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) and a pretest specifically designed to evaluate writing abilities. Consequently, a total of 120 Iranian EFL learners, selected from a subject pool of 160 individuals at the upper-intermediate level, were designated as the participants for this study. The selected subjects were subsequently divided into four distinct groups, namely three experimental groups (EG1, EG2, EG3) and one control group (CG). The experimental groups (EG1, EG2, and EG3) received instruction on cooperative learning, metacognitive strategies, and a combination of metacognitive and cooperative learning, respectively. Conversely, the control group (CG) adhered to a conventional curriculum for writing. Subsequently, a posttest was conducted. Having conducted the Wilcoxon-Signed Rank Test, the researchers figured out that the instructional methods of cooperation, metacognition, and metacognitive-cooperation significantly influenced the improvement of writing skills among Iranian EFL learners. Based on the outcomes of the ANCOVA test, the researchers reached the conclusion that the metacognitive-cooperative group exhibited superior performance compared to the groups that received solely cooperative or metacognitive instruction. The study’s pedagogicalimplications have been thoroughly discussed.

Though an entrenched and well-established domain of investigation, inquiry-based learning seems to have remained a partly under-researched concept in pedagogy and language learning. Informed by this dearth of research on the issue, the researchers in the current study probed into the effectiveness of inquiry-based approach for bettering intermediate EFL learners’ argumentative writing. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, the current researchers selected three intact classes comprised of 45 institute learners aged between 18 and 20 and assigned them to two experimental groups and a control group. To conduct the study, a homogeneity test, and pretest and posttest of argumentative writing (each containing a 250-word essay adopted from IELTS Task 2) were administered to all he participants. Two kinds of Inquiry-based approach, teacher-led vs. student-directed, were carried out with the two experimental groups. Data analysis through one way ANOVA and Tukey test pointed to a significant difference among the three groups on the posttest. In addition, it was found that both teacher-led and guided modes of inquiry-based learning were equally helpful for boosting learners’ writing ability. The implications of the results are discussed in detail throughout the paper.

Cet article examine l'utilisation de ChatGPT-4, un outil d'IA développé par Open AI, dans l'enseignement du français. Il se concentre sur l'amélioration des quatre compétences linguistiques essentielles (compréhension orale, compréhension écrite, expression écrite et expression orale) et la préparation aux examens de niveau ou aux quiz. En utilisant une méthode descriptive, l'article démontre comment ChatGPT-4 peut être utilisé pour créer des dialogues pour la compréhension orale, générer des exercices de lecture pour la compréhension écrite, fournir des exemples de textes bien rédigés pour l’expression écrite et générer des scénarios de conversation pour l’expression orale. ChatGPT-4 peut être un outil précieux pour l'enseignement du français, offrant des avantages tels que la personnalisation de l'enseignement et l'amélioration des compétences linguistiques des élèves. De plus, ChatGPT-4 peut aider à la préparation des examens de niveau en générant des questions d'examen. Cependant, l'article souligne également la nécessité de recherches supplémentaires pour explorer comment ces technologies peuvent être utilisées de manière efficace et éthique. Malgré le fait que l'application de ChatGPT-4 et d'autres technologies d'IA dans l'enseignement des langues en est encore à un stade initial, ces outils présentent des opportunités prometteuses pour surmonter les obstacles dans le domaine de l'enseignement des langues

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of learner autonomy; however, the roles of teachers and language materials in fostering in have not received due attention. This mixed methods study investigated the association between what Iranian teachers perceived of LA and what they thought about the role of textbooks in fostering EFL learners’ LA, and to what extent they believed the principles of LA in their classrooms. The participating teachers were 200 male and female teachers that taught Iranian tenth-grade EFL textbook in senior high schools of Qom, Arak, and Karaj. The first instrument was a questionnaire developed by Borg and Al-Busaidi (2012), which primarily focused on the teachers’ perspectives and opinions about LA. The second questionnaire was used to investigate how Iranian EFL teachers think the EFL textbook Vision 1 helps foster LA. The questionnaire was developed based on the LA principles (Fenner & Newby, 2000). The last instrument was an interview protocol that was developed by the researcher to gain a deeper understanding of teachers’ promoting LA in their teaching. The interview protocol also was based on Fenner and Newbys’ (2000) principles. For this study, the questionnaire data were collected through two questionnaires. Moreover, an interview protocol was used to gather qualitative data from 12 teachers, who participated in the interviews (i.e., 2 face-to-face and 10 online interviews). The result of the bivariate correlation test showed that there was a significant relationship between teachers’ perception of learner autonomy and their opinions about the LA-fostering role of the Iranian 10th-grade EFL textbook. The results of the interview analysis showed that the principles of learner autonomy were largely approved of by the interviewees. The study has some implications for textbook developers, teachers trainers, and teachers.

Stance has been examined extensively in the past few decades. However, the majority of the studies have been synchronic, with the few exceptions being snapshot diachronic studies without trend-related inferential statistics. This study adopted a trend-related inferential statistical measure and a more continuous diachronic dataset to examine the changes in using stance in the research articles of English applied linguistics from 2000 to 2020. To this end, 416 articles were randomly selected from 10 applied linguistics journals indexed in the first quartile of Scopus and probed using LancsBox for normalized frequency of Hyland’s (2005b) list of stance markers. Results were then analyzed for trends using the Jonckheere-Terpstra test. The results showed significant decreases for the overall stance markers (J=37168, z= -2.85, d= -.28, p= .004)), hedges (J=37014, z= -2.96, d= -.293, p=0.003), boosters (J=36298, z= -3.47, d= -.345, p=.001), and attitude markers (J=36647, z= -3.22, d= -.32, p=0.001), while self-mention markers were found to have experienced a slight, non-significant increase (J=42527.5, z= .94, d= .096, p=0.349). The functional analysis of the selected excerpts showed that the quantitative decrease in the use of stance markers has been compensated for, with an increase in the modification range and strength of the used stance markers as the two ways we could discover. After discussing the findings, the paper ends with some suggestions for further research. 

In a multicultural and multilingual country like Iran, where minority languages have undergone a degree of assimilation into Persian, certain cultural aspects of these minority languages, such as the Kurdish calendar for Kurdish people, have been ignored. This descriptive study tends to revitalize the overlooked calendars of Central (Sorani) and Southern (Kalhori, Feyli, Laki) Kurdish dialects by investigating the conceptual metaphors utilized in these dialect-specific calendars. To do so, the calendars of these Kurdish dialects have been sourced from reliable references. Subsequently, the names of the Kurdish months are analyzed using Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) conceptual metaphor model. The findings reveal that these Kurdish calendars exhibit ontological, structural, and orientational metaphors that conceptualize abstract time as a concrete entity through "physical experiences," including rituals and road blockages; "natural events"; and "spatial orientation," represented by the vertical movement of Kurdish people and leaves as well as the horizontal displacement between the months.

This article undertakes an in-depth study of the role of the Affirmative Verum Focus (AVF) particle within elliptical constructions cross-linguistically, with a focus on Persian. We demonstrate how the AVF particle, spanning diverse linguistic frameworks, functions as a catalyst for licensing ellipsis and allows the resolution within elliptical constructions featuring its presence. We posit that the semantic representation of the AVF particle in the target sentence functions as a remnant and a parallel element to the negation marker in the source sentence. In turn, it operates in parallel with the semantic representation attributed to the negation marker in the source sentence. Functioning as a higher-order operator, the AVF particle interlaces the semantic representation of the source sentence with that of the target sentence. Finally, we will demonstrate how our analysis can extend to account for a comprehensive examination of ellipsis resolution across various forms of elliptical constructions, including sentential ellipsis.

Nowadays, teachers are expected to demonstrate a notable level of digital competence. Therefore, the current study investigated Iranian male and female pre-service and in-service EFL teachers’ digital competence. The study employed a mixed methods approach and three instruments including a questionnaire, structured interviews, and observations were utilized. Therefore, 157 Iranian in-service EFL teachers completed the DIGIGLO questionnaire. Also, 15 in-service and 15 pre-service EFL teachers participated in structured interviews. Moreover, 30 classes were observed. To analyze the qualitative data, thematic analysis was used and in the phase of quantitative analysis, descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests were used. The results indicated that the level of Iranian in-service EFL teachers’ digital competence was moderate to high. In addition, some similarities and differences could be seen in the interview questions between in-service and pre-service EFL teachers. Moreover, it was revealed that there were no significant differences between male and female in-service EFL teachers’ digital competence. Furthermore, it was found that a majority of teachers incorporated digital technologies into their teaching practice. The results of this study can help curriculum developers and teacher educators realize a better conception of Iranian pre-service and in-service EFL teachers’ digital competence and their practices of using digital tools.

In the dynamic landscape of English Language Teaching (ELT), the widespread reliance on commercially-produced textbooks has spurred a critical examination of their relevance to the diverse needs and interests of learners in global contexts. Typically originating from English-speaking countries, these textbooks predominantly feature neutral and non-controversial topics such as food, shopping, ceremonies, and travel, which may not align with the varied experiences of learners. This article, through a descriptive analytical approach, contends that the malleability of English language textbooks provides an opportunity for the application of Critical Pedagogy (CP) which can turn the classroom into a place where learners stop thinking about such topics. In such a situation, by integrating ‘Environmental Education’ (EE) - as a transformative process that allows individuals to explore environmental issues, engage in problem solving, and take action to improve the environment - it is believed that learners can develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills along with enhancing language proficiency. Showing the possibility of implementing the proposed framework, a sample lesson about ‘water crisis’ is provided and elaborated on. To highlight the broader educational backdrop, it is argued that this shift not only broadens the limited scope of language learning but also, by establishing clear personal relevance for learners in both their present and future lives, it can foster a critical and creative environment within English language teaching programs, contributing to the development of sustainable futures for the learners.

This study aims to explore the strategies Indonesian students employ in writing comparative Indonesian-English literary criticism within the context of EFL students. A qualitative approach was utilized, and data collection techniques included questionnaires and interviews. The data analysis technique used the identification, classification, reduction, and exposure stages. This study used four phases, namely the screening phase, the reading process phase, the interpretation phase, and the reflection phase. The results showed that in the screening phase, 14.1% of participants expressed a liking for English, while 85.9% remained neutral; the mean score of English obtained by the participants was 45.1% very good, 45.1% good, 8.5% sufficient, 1.3% insufficient; and regarding the English courses attended by participants, 62% never attended, and 38% had taken English courses. In the reading process phase, 74% of the participants searched for translated novels on Google, 7% translated English novels using Google Translate, 3.5% engaged in skimmed reading, 2.5% translated English novels using translators, and other reading strategies were below 3%. Participants who responded with ‘loved’ were 71%, participants who responded with ‘liked’ were 19%, participants who responded with ‘neutral’ were 7%, and those who responded with ‘disliked’ were 3%.