درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Multilingualism and its tangled relationship with culture have been the center of debate for many years. It still sparkles various conceptual arguments and day by day, more academic research is circulating on this subject. The concept of multilingualism and the arguments around this discourse roots in the language itself. To fully grasp the notion of cultural multilingualism, first, we need to perceive how and where language and culture are interlinked. The study of culture has the originality of studying history itself. The first studies on both language and culture date back to the earliest time human attempted to analyze and perceive history. The globalization of multilingualism has led scientists and experts to analyze multilingualism through a cultural lens. It's only in a few decades that perceiving and understanding multilingualism through cultural perspectives has opened the eyes of experts to new horizons. Concerning this fact, this study has evaluated Never Let Me Go, a 2005 Nobel-winning novel by the Japanese-British novelist and screenwriter, Kazuo Ishiguro according to cultural multilingual values. Additionally, this study questions the concept of cultural multilingualism, together with its significance in shaping one's identity and self as the main key in Ishiguro's novel. Proven by the given facts, the current study illustrates how cultural multilingualism forms the author's writing style and mindset as a multilingual individual.

Since teachers’ perceptions of work engagement can strongly shape their engagement level, it is imperative to explore how teachers perceive this construct and its associated dimensions. With this in mind, some researchers have evaluated teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards this notion.  Notwithstanding this, to the authors’ knowledge, no study has examined language teachers’ viewpoints on this variable and its significance in online EFL classes. To bridge these gaps, this phenomenological study explored Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions and experiences of work engagement and its value in online English courses. To this aim, using the purposive sampling strategy, a total of 21 EFL teachers were chosen from different state, private, and non-profit universities in Iran. To obtain the required data, all participants were invited to complete an open-ended questionnaire. To reach more comprehensive data, from among the 21 participants, nine willingly took part in a 20-minute interview session. Results obtained from content analysis revealed that Iranian EFL teachers considered work engagement as a complex variable with four related dimensions of emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and social engagement. The results also indicated that Iranian teachers perceived work engagement as an important professional behavior that results in increased academic achievements, professional advancement, improved teaching quality, and strong teacher-student rapport. Hence, education leaders and teacher educators should support Iranian EFL teachers in enhancing work engagement dimensions to improve professional growth and teaching quality.

The aim of the current study was to demystify the impact of using ChatGPT on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ writing skill. To this end, 45 EFL male and female students from two language schools participated in this study, selected via convenience sampling from 67 learners based on a placement test. The participants were divided into three groups. In the first experimental group the students practiced writing using ChatGPT, while in the second experimental group, they received writing instructions using ChatGPT and teacher input, and in the third, the participants followed the conventional method was utilized. Before and after the treatment, the participants were subjected to pre and posttest. Finally, the performance of the three groups was compared via one-way ANOVA. In addition, 10 EFL learners from both experimental groups were selected voluntarily to take part in the interview and the qualitative data were analyzed based on the theme-based analysis. The findings revealed that the second experimental group outperformed the first experimental and the control groups, revealing the efficiency of the instruction via ChatGPT along with teacher input. The result of the interview showed that while the EFL students generally hold a favorable view of ChatGPT, they expressed concerns about the use of the artificial intelligence (AI) tool. In addition, they lack the necessary skills to effectively employ it to help them write. This deficiency could be a significant obstacle to the implementation of technology in their EFL writing.

The dynamic world of international policing necessitates seamless communication between officers from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Interpol, the world's largest international police organization, exemplifies this environment. Understanding how politeness strategies are employed within this context is crucial for fostering effective collaboration and information exchange. Due to this significance, the present study investigated the politeness strategies used in emails of L1 and L2 user English-speaking police officers of Interpol. To this end, 100 emails composed by L1 and L2 police officers were obtained from the Interpol office in Tehran, Iran, and the frequency of politeness strategies was calculated by two professional raters. The Chi-square test did not reveal a statistically significant difference in the overall application of politeness strategies between L1 and L2 officers. However, the analysis of individual strategies highlighted some clear variations in usage patterns: L1 user officers employed more politeness strategies than their L2 user counterparts. In addition, the findings revealed that both groups used negative politeness strategies more often than positive strategies. The findings of this study can help police training centers develop a better scope on what structures to focus on in their lesson plans to make their cadets ready to work in the international arena.

This study investigated the effect of teaching vocabulary through Ilingo application on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ vocabulary learning and Vocabulary Learning Strategy (VLS) use. A total of 83 male intermediate EFL learners participated in this study. Quantitative data were collected through Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT), pre- and post-tests to measure vocabulary learning, and Vocabulary Learning Strategy Questionnaire (VLSQ). The participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving vocabulary instruction through Ilingo application and a control group receiving conventional vocabulary instruction. The statistical analysis of the data revealed significant differences between the two groups in terms of vocabulary learning, with the application-based instruction group outperforming the conventional instruction group. Additionally, higher levels of vocabulary learning strategy utilization were observed for learners who learned vocabulary with Ilingo application. More specifically, statistically significant differences were observed for the deployment of determination and memory VLSs indicating a higher frequency of use in the experimental group. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the advantages of incorporating technology-driven language learning tools into the EFL classroom. The implications of this study are valuable for EFL educators and curriculum designers, providing evidence-based insights into effective pedagogical approaches in EFL contexts.

English textbooks can be the frontiers of Second Language (L2) and world views for English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners. This qualitative study aimed to uncover how pictures of Iranian-published English textbooks represent identities in terms of gender, race, and nation. To this end, an intersectional lens was employed for analyzing the English textbook Vision 2 taught in Iranian high school as the subject of the study. Analysis of visual data, using the models proposed by Nelson (2019) and Zarza (2018), indicated that Vision 2 failed to offer a successful and realistic representation of gender, race, and nation for EFL learners. Insufficient representations of female characters, different races, and nations were the most prominent findings of the present research. This study provided some explanations and suggestions for the following revision of EFL textbooks.

The present study investigates the impact of English language hegemony on the different industries in Iranian context. A sample of eighty food, health, and beauty products was selected to examine the prevalence of English on product labels. Data were collected on label content, including legal requirements of labeling, statements, claims, and nutritional information, both in Persian and their corresponding English translations. Statistical analysis revealed that although both producers and consumers of these products were Persian speakers and there was no legal requirement to translate the labels, approximately 75 percent of the labels featured English translations. This finding suggests that translation serves as a linguistic tool that reinforces language hegemony within the industry. Despite the absence of legal mandates, English operates as a symbolic tool, potentially enhancing product appeal through its association with success and high quality. This study contributes to understanding industrial contexts by illuminating the complex interplay between language, power, and commerce. Additionally, it highlights the need for further examination of the socio-cultural implications of English language hegemony in non-Anglophone countries, offering valuable insights for policymakers, industry professionals, and scholars in translation studies and cultural studies.