درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Teacher cognition, as a chief area within teacher education, is concerned with what teachers think, know, and do (Borg, 2003). One of the knotty strands emerging out of the past 50 or so years of research on teacher cognition is the misalignment between teachers’ cognition and practice. This study adopted a critical interpretative synthesis framework to identify factors generating such incongruence by dissecting 12 studies reporting on teachers’ cognition vis-à-vis their practice. The emerging themes were translated into each other and synthesised to form two lines of argument. The first one describes sources of teachers’ cognition and practice as ontological, epistemological, and contextual. Teachers’ apprenticeship of observation was found to exert the highest influence in fashioning their cognition and practice by sifting professional learning experiences and granting admission to only those commensurate with personal learning experiences. The second line of argument propounds that connate, personal, and contextual factors breed (mis)alignment into teachers’ cognition and practice. Furthermore, Cartesian dualism (Descartes, 1596-1650) and Heideggerianhermeneutic phenomenology (Heidegger, 1889-1976) were utilised to critically de- and re-territorialise the developed lines of argument. This interpretive conceptualisation of teacher cognition is rooted in but patently transcends the original studies in that it invites a fresh demarcation of the territory intensely occupied by contextual factors to allow teachers to practice ‘cogito, ergo I teach’. Finally, some suggestions are offered for the relevance of the results to teacher cognition research and teacher education and policy.

Dynamic assessment (DA) has been widely researched in different linguistic areas, but there is paucity of research on its incorporation into English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Accordingly, this study investigates the effectiveness of DA on incidental vocabularies emerging in technical reading textbooks with a focus on electronic engineering students. The research method is a quasi-experimental research design focusing on an intact group of 25 Bachelor of Science students of electronics from the University of Zanjan, Iran. The instruments used are Preliminary English Test (PET), a vocabulary knowledge scale, and a mediation test (a 13-item multiple-choice test). The mediation test was delivered through the researcher-developed website, designed for this purpose. As a triangulation, participants’ evaluation of computerized dynamic assessment (CDA), too, was elicited using a survey adopted from Nirmalakhandan (2007). The results of the qualitative and quantitative phases indicated that Electronic students’ incidental vocabulary learning promoted dramatically using target CDA, employing structured prompts for the mediation process. The results of this study can inform both teachers and learners by providing a step by step procedure for both teaching and assessment of ESP learners' vocabulary.

I am delighted to be invited to write a paper for the inaugural edition of the journal Applied Linguistics Inquiry . I am also honored to be invited to serve on its editorial board. In this paper, I will first describe the seminal study reported by Biggs and Edwards (1991) to serve as a backdrop for a discussion of classroom communicative and interactional competence. The paper outlines how teachers can reflect on such competence by exploring teacher questions, teacher feedback, grouping and nonverbal communication, and classroom communicative and interactional competence. The paper end with a discussion of evidence-based reflective practice as professional development as well as the place of emotions in reflection.

The use of digital games has increased dramatically in the last two decades due to the augmentation in the number of Personal Computers (PCs) and mobile devices worldwide. Not only can digital games be played for entertainment, but also, they may have both positive and negative effects on their players. Various effects of digital games on individuals’ levels of attention span, concentration, and addiction have already been tested by numerous studies; however, their impact on incidental Second Language (L2) acquisition is still untouched by language researchers. To address this lacuna, this is a longitudinal observational study that lasted for three months to investigate the impact of digital games played by young learners for entertainment at home on their unintentional acquisition of English as an L2. The age of the participants ranged from 8 to 14 years old, and the experiment was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. Three main games were played by the sample; namely, Free Fire, Minecraft, and Among Us. The findings revealed that digital gaming significantly influenced the vocabulary development of the participants, and gaming was a clear asset for their L2 acquisition. It was also found that the players’ level of vocabulary retention was high; however, two drawbacks were identified in this regard, namely, the prolonged screen time and vocabulary items specifically related to a given area of a particular game. Overall, this study can be an impetus for further research into evaluating the benefits or drawbacks of using digital games for specific aspects of L2 acquisition such as the development of cognitive abilities or enhanced understanding. 

Within the Minimalist Program (MP), Relative clauses (RCs) are considered complementizer clauses (CPs) containing a C with an edge feature [EF] in the form of [wh] and [EPP] but no tense feature. This study investigates Persian RC derivation based on MP. By proposing two approaches, namely: (1) ‘ ke -movement’ and (2) ‘null wh-operator (OP) movement’, we will consistently argue and show that the null wh-OP approach provides an appropriate generalization for Persian restrictive RCs. Adopting the latter, the results display Persian RCs can be analyzed as CPs with a null wh-OP assuming to undertake wh-movement as copying and deletion from different syntactic positions, i.e., subject, direct object, object of preposition, etc. This operator allows a small pro in the subject position, leaving an optional null copy, either allowing an optional resumptive pronoun (RP) behind in direct object position or attaching to the verb; and obligatorily in indirect object and object of preposition positions as well as Ezafe-construction. Also, the edge feature of the probe, the complementizer ke , attracts the null wh-OP to Spec-C, for checking and valuing the unvalued [wh] and [EPP] features. The long relative clause derivations can, correspondingly, work as expected by the successive cyclic movement of OP through intermediate Spec-C positions as well.

A major concern of language testing researchers has for long been the identification of construct-irrelevant influential cognitive and psychological bias factors in test takers’ language test performance and recently the identification of the tentative models of interactions among such factors. With the same purpose in mind, the present study investigated the direct and indirect interrelationships among EFL learners’ test anxiety, test-wiseness, reading metacognitive awareness, and reading comprehension test performance through a path analytic research design. To this end and on the basis of the related literature and the previous research findings, first a hypothesized model of the interrelationship among the variables was assumed. Next, 317 undergraduate and graduate students took the related questionnaires and tests. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed through AMOS statistical package and the hypothesized model of the interrelationship among variables was tested. According to the final verified model, test-wiseness directly predicted reading comprehension test performance, while test anxiety did not. Moreover, while reading strategies metacognitive awareness did not directly predict reading comprehension test performance, it was indirectly associated with reading comprehension test performance through the mediation of test-wiseness. In addition, both correlational and path analyses confirmed a strong negative relationship between reading strategies metacognitive awareness, and test anxiety. The findings highlight the importance of the language test takers' less test anxiety and enhanced metacognitive awareness of reading strategies and test-wiseness for their more reliable test-taking performances.

Teachers have the power to change their students' lives for the better, therefore teachers should be armed with some skills to be effective. Reflective teaching as one of these skills empowers teachers to observe and evaluate themselves. Although research on reflective teaching has a long tradition, little is known about whether it could be a significant predictor of language teacher immunity and work motivation as two important factors determining the success or failure of teachers, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. Thus, the present study aimed at examining the possible association among reflective teaching, language teacher immunity, and work motivation through path analysis. To this end, English Language Teacher Reflective Inventory (ELTRI), Language Teacher Immunity Instrument (LTII), and Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale (MWMS) were administered to 320 Iranian EFL teachers. Data analysis revealed that teachers with higher reflective teaching practices are more immunized and motivated. Moreover, the significant role of language teacher immunity on work motivation was discovered. The implications of the present study may shed new light on the significance of incorporating reflective approach into teacher development programs as a core subject.

This article presents a study on the use of Korean slang, particularly secondary slang, in the popular Korean TV show Running Man. The researcher applied Chapman's (1988) theory to distinguish and categorize the types of Korean slang used in the show, limiting the types of slang to only secondary slang and particularly applying the category of loan words based on Choo and Kwak's (2008) model. Using the descriptive method, the researcher classified slang expressions used in two episodes of Running Man and found that 312 secondary slang expressions were elicited. The study suggests that Running Man is a window to visualize the Korean language and helps foreign audiences learn the slang easily and memorably while having fun. This information can be useful for researchers who are interested in studying the use of slang in different languages and contexts. The findings of the study are beneficial for students, instructors, and researchers who want to understand the characteristics of Korean slang expressions, particularly loan words from the English language into Korean. The study also highlights the importance of authentic language use in entertainment media for language learners.

This study explores the impact of "EngVid" YouTube channel on improving Iranian EFL Learners' speaking abilities. The program employed in this study provided the learners with video clips for Improving their speaking skills. The participants were forty-eight advanced EFL learners studying English at a private institute in Esfahan. The participants were assigned to experimental and control groups. The YouTube channel "EngVid" is used in this project as a technological tool to enhance students' speaking abilities in the experimental group. The pair-work method was employed in the experimental class. On the other hand, the control group should present at the class and received help from the researcher through the conventional method. After six sessions, a post test was given to experimental and control groups. The application of an independent t-test and paired sample t-test indicated that the performance of the participants exposed to video clips from "EngVid" YouTube channel was significantly superior to that of the control group. The present study offers valuable insights for CALL material designers in selecting the optimal combination of video clips from platforms like YouTube to facilitate L2 speaking skills.

Despite some investigations highlighting the role of English literary texts in learner identity construction, few studies have explored how integrating translated short stories from learners’ native culture impacts L2 learners’ identity reconstruction in EFL contexts. This study addresses how learning English through Persian short stories translated into English can affect reader identity reconstruction of Iranian undergraduate students of English. The researchers selected three translated stories of loyalty, justice, and love themes. After collecting the data through five WhatsApp semi-structured interviews and five open-ended questionnaires, the researchers applied qualitative content analysis to the data related to readers’ self-descriptions of the initial L2 learning experiences, the story-based instructional stage, and their aspirations. The findings revealed significant alterations in the emotional and attitudinal states of the learners throughout the stages. Despite prioritizing different cultural and linguistic resources, the three participants highlighted the contribution of resources in language learning in the story-based stage and in their aspirations. All participants focused on the scaffolding role of their native language and culture in enhancing classroom interactions. The results would enlighten materials developers to integrate translated literary texts from Persian literature into language teaching programs

Research on native vs. non-native formulaic language use in academic texts, despite its wealth in scope and frequency, lacks an inclusive conceptualization of a non-native language learning context. Impressed by such a flawed approach, the bulk (if not all) of studies in the field compared the use of different multi-word strings in the academic discourse of either foreign or second language learners with a native baseline. The current study sought to address the gap, focusing on the structural and functional use of lexical bundles in two culturally parallel corpora developed in two non-native learning context modes: English as a foreign (EFL) and second (ESL) language. To this end, research reports written by Iranian Applied Linguistics MA and Ph.D. learners studying in different universities in Iran and English-speaking provinces of Canada were compared by a structurally similar native corpus, running cross-tabulation, Chi-square, and residual analysis analyses. The results revealed a significant association between language learning context and lexical bundle use on a functional level. The contextual variations yielded significantly different patterns of use concerning several micro-functions underlying text-oriented and research-oriented functions. Compared to functional differences, the between-corpus structural differences were inconspicuous, specifically concerning micro-structures constituting noun, prepositional, and verb phrase-related bundles. The study embraced the notion that EFL writers need to have immense exposure and enhanced language input available in ESL and native learning contexts to foster a native-like formulaic language.