درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Speaking is a multifaceted skill that involves many different areas, such as discourse, grammar, and sociolinguistics. As a primary means of communication, speaking is essential in any instructional program for language learning. Besides, Photovoice is a participatory learning method that represents the viewpoints, issues, and experiences of individuals or communities through photography. Following a mixed-methods design, the present study tried to investigate employing Photovoice on Iranian intermediate language learners' skill in speaking English. It also looked at how the participants felt about using Photovoice to learn languages. Using a convenient sampling procedure, a total number of 60 participants were chosen. Once their homogeneity was confirmed based on the Preliminary English Test, they were randomly divided into two equal groups of thirty participants, one experimental group and one control group. While the control group received typical language teaching using conventional methods, the experimental group followed the PHOTO model, which emphasized participatory photography, as well as the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) model for generating innovative solutions. Triangulation was also accomplished through conducting pre/post tests, a questionnaire, and an interview. Then, the data were summarized, and descriptive and inferential statistics such as one-way ANCOVA and paired samples t-tests were used. The results showed that Photovoice integrated with CPS was an effective method for enhancing students' speaking skill and emotional engagement in language learning. The findings can be helpful through new insights into language pedagogy, suggestions for researchers and language teachers in the study of speaking skill, and visual methods such as Photovoice.

In light of ongoing challenges in writing education and the needs of digital-native learners, this study explored the effectiveness of using the free version of Grammarly in the writing development of EFL learners. Thirty-three TEFL students at Shahid Rajaee University were randomly selected and participated in the study. Using a quantitative one-group design, their writing performance was assessed through six tasks and analyzed via one-way Repeated Measures MANOVA. The results indicated a consistent improvement in overall writing performance through the regular use of Grammarly as an automatic corrective feedback tool. To identify which writing components improved, an RM-MANOVA was conducted on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and clarity. The analysis showed significant improvement only in grammatical accuracy, with other aspects remaining unchanged. These findings highlight Grammarly’s potential in enhancing grammatical skills. The study contributes to ELT by encouraging the integration of ICT-related content into the EFL curriculum and teacher training programs, emphasizing the role of AI tools in language learning. These findings highlight the increasing impact of AI-powered tools in improving writing skills for language learners. Educators should balance automated feedback with personalized instruction. As research on effectiveness of Grammarly is still limited, further studies are necessary to fully understand its educational potential.

Criticism of a translation evaluates its quality, accuracy, and effectiveness in communicating with the target readers. To ensure objectivity, such criticism requires a defined model. Pym’s (2007) model is based on two main concepts: directional equivalence and natural equivalence. Directional equivalence highlights the difference between the translation and the original, which is easily recognizable. In contrast, natural equivalence pertains to what different languages and cultures inherently produce within their own systems to convey a message, function, or referent. These two concepts make Pym’s model effective for broad evaluations of translations. This study applied Pym’s framework to objectively criticize the Persian translation of Melville’s (2021) Moby Dick to investigate the type of equivalence—directional or natural—the Persian translator employed. To do so, a comparison was made between the original and its translation to examine the translation techniques adopted by the translator at the micro-level, leading to the determination of his overall strategy at the macro-level based on Malone’s (1988) taxonomy of translation techniques, including matching, zigzagging, recrescence, repackaging, and reordering. The findings revealed that the translator employed all of Malone’s techniques but leaned toward those that prioritized naturalness over directionality. This approach enabled the production of a translation that maintained a close relationship between the source and target languages, ensuring effective communication with Persian readers. The findings of the current study offer pedagogical implications that may be beneficial for translation students, novice critics, and translation teachers.

The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE-A), a widely used high-stakes language proficiency test for university admissions and migration purposes, underwent a notable change from a three-hour to a two-hour version in November 2021. The implementation of the new version has prompted inquiries into the washback effects on various stakeholders. Focusing on a small sample of Chinese test takers (n=10), this paper explores washback effects following the revision of PTE-A and the complexity of test preparation through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest a shorter test length is preferred and several different methods are adopted for test preparation which gives evidence to the positive washback. However, participants reported some confusion regarding certain test items, leading to the adoption of construct-irrelevant methods. This, in turn, may affect the face validity of PTE-A. While addressing the literature gap in this field, recommendations for improving the test design to better meet test takers’ needs are provided.

This study investigated the validity and measurement invariance of an adapted version of the Factors Influencing Teaching Choice scale for assessing prospective teachers’ motivations for and perceptions of choosing to become teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Iran. To this end, 173 pre-service teachers who intended to pursue EFL teaching as their future career completed the adapted instrument, named the Factors Influencing Teaching Choice–English as a Foreign Language (FITefl-Choice) scale. The collected data were analyzed using a combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques to examine the internal structure of the adapted scale, followed by measurement invariance testing to evaluate the stability of the model across demographic groups. The analyses supported a parsimonious factorial structure that demonstrated stronger conceptual coherence and empirical adequacy than competing models. In addition, the results indicated that the measurement properties of the scale were consistent across gender and university type, suggesting that the instrument functions equivalently across these groups. The theoretical and practical implications of using the FITefl-Choice scale are discussed, and recommendations for future validation studies of this adapted instrument are provided.

In a world with multifarious sources of disarray, learners must be equipped with many literacies to handle their learning challenges. As a macroliteracy, attentional literacy refers to the learners’ awareness of maintaining their attention on the information from the self, others, and the environment without being judgmental toward differing viewpoints and contexts. Assuming attention as not purely cognitive but social, cultural, affective, and technological, the researchers could not find any theoretical model underpinning different dimensions of attentional literacy in the literature. This study aims to develop a conceptual model of attentional literacy for English language learners. Using a Fuzzy Delphi Method, we surveyed the related literature to identify the factors of attentional literacy. We proposed an initial model with six factors and a list of measures which, after preliminary proofreading and piloting, was administered to a group of 20 experts in two rounds. The results of Fuzzy Delphi led to the conceptualization of a new attentional literacy model comprising two dimensions (internal and external), five factors (cognitive, socio-emotional, environmental, technological, and pedagogical), and 40 measures. The findings cast light on the theoretical foundations of attentional literacy and elucidate the dimensions, factors, and measures for language learners. Pedagogical contributions are discussed for researchers in language education.

Foreign language (FL) teacher agency, as a significant part of teachers’ professional development, encompasses self-organized efforts to augment professional growth. This study aimed to develop an ecological FL teacher agency model through a sequential exploratory mixed methods design based on which an assessment scale measuring FL teachers' agency value was developed. In the qualitative phase, developing and validating the FL teacher agency model, firstly, an interview guide was developed and piloted in a group of 10 TEFL teacher educators from Farhangian Teacher Education University in Tehran. Then, 30 in-service EFL teachers were interviewed. The data were analyzed through MAXQDA to find the components of the tentative conceptual model of teacher agency.  Based on the interview analysis, the preliminary draft of the EFL teacher agency scale was developed.  The refined EFL teacher agency questionnaire encompassing the three components of Autonomy, Freedom, and Choice was administered to 354 randomly selected EFL teachers. The scale's reliability was gained through Cronbach's alpha, and its construct validity through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The study findings could be used by foreign language teachers, teacher educators, and TEFL teacher agency researchers. 

Dynamic assessment (DA) is an innovative way of assessing students’ knowledge. Given the importance of knowing how to reduce writing apprehension and improve writing self-efficacy in language learning, this study investigated the effects of models of DA including Buddoff’s Learning Potential Measurement Approach (LPMA), Carlson and Wiedl’s Testing-the-Limits Approach (TLA), and Intensive Mediated Learning Experience (IMLE) on L2 writing apprehension and self-efficacy. The participants were 302 students in four groups. All groups were given the writing apprehension and writing self-efficacy questionnaires as pretests, followed by 20 sessions of treatment. The same questionnaires were given in the last session as posttests. The collected data were analyzed using one-way Analysis of Covariance. The results showed a significant difference among the four groups’ writing apprehension and writing self-efficacy mean scores on the posttests. The findings also revealed that the IMLE group outperformed the other two groups. Based on the results, it was concluded that employing DA models can be conducive to reducing writing apprehension and improving writing self-efficacy among EFL learners. The findings of the present study can have useful implications for teachers, students, material designers, and language assessors.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing language education through personalized and interactive practice. However, its impact on language achievement and emotional aspects of learning is unclear. Therefore, this mixed-methods study investigated the effects of Chatbot-Assisted Language Learning (CHALL) on learners’ English language achievement and sense of metavolvement—the deepest level of metacognitive engagement. In phase 1, the Sense of Metavolvement Scale (SOMS) was developed and validated. In phase 2, following a quasi-experimental design, 44 intermediate Iranian EFL learners were divided into an experimental group (n=22, using the AI chatbot Pi) and a control group (n=22, receiving conventional classroom instruction). Both groups had pre- and post-tests for language achievement and metavolvement, and the experimental group sat for semi-structured interviews post-intervention. There were significant gains in the experimental group’s in-class metavolvement and language achievement. There were also significant differences between the two groups in post-test metavolvement, while there was no significant difference in their post-test language achievement. Furthermore, interview data illustrated CHALL as a low-anxiety practice context with cultural and pragmatic limitations. Therefore, CHALL can complement but not replace conventional instruction.

This study investigates Indonesian English teachers’ perceptions of local English varieties and their influence on assessment practices, a crucial area given the increasing diversity of English in global and local contexts. While existing research highlights the recognition of World Englishes and their pedagogical implications, little is known about how teachers’ perceptions shape the evaluation of diverse English forms within Indonesia’s assessment system. The study aims to explore perceptions across different teaching levels, experience, and school locations, and to understand how these attitudes impact assessment decisions. Utilizing a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, the research sampled 42 teachers from various Indonesian provinces through purposive sampling. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS to identify perception patterns and differences across subgroups. Findings reveal that teachers generally acknowledge the importance of local varieties but tend to prioritize native norms in assessments, with significant variations based on teaching levels, years of experience, and school locations. The study underscores the need for inclusive evaluation strategies that embrace linguistic diversity, informing professional development and policy reforms. Practically, these insights can guide the development of assessment policies that support multilingual identities and promote equitable language teaching, thereby enhancing the authenticity and relevance of English instruction in Indonesia.

In the demanding environment of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, fostering student well-being has become a critical pedagogical objective. This study examined the predictive relationships between mindfulness, perceived teacher support, and psychological well-being, with a specific focus on the mediating role of student engagement. Adopting a quantitative, cross-sectional design, the researchers collected data from 342 intermediate-level EFL learners in Iran using validated self-report scales. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the hypothesized model. The results demonstrated that both mindfulness (β = 0.31, p < 0.001) and perceived teacher support (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) were significant positive predictors of student engagement. Furthermore, student engagement was found to significantly predict psychological well-being ( β = 0.44, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis using bootstrapping confirmed that student engagement partially mediated the effects of mindfulness and teacher support on well-being. Overall, the structural model explained 41% of the variance in student engagement and 38% of the variance in psychological well-being. These findings underscore the importance of integrating internal psychological resources with interpersonal environmental supports to foster learner flourishing. The study concludes with practical implications for EFL practitioners, highlighting the need for mindfulness-integrated instruction and affective scaffolding to enhance learner engagement and holistic development.