درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Due to the major political and economical changes in the world, international relations have expanded significantly, and English is widely recognized as a global language by many countries. Hence, in order to succeed in international relations, the non-native writers should be proficient in using English in different types of discourses including their letter writings. The purpose of this study was to analyze features of complaint letters written by native English speakers and explore the politeness strategies of those letters which learners of English may fail using appropriately. For this purpose, thirty authentic letters were chosen from the book “How to write better letters” edited by Chappell (2006). Through Halliday’s notion of lexical density, Cook’s expressed features of genre identification and Brown and Levinson’s model of politeness strategies, the collected data were analyzed. The analysis of the results showed that the native complaint letter writers mostly relied on ‘personal references’, ‘conjunction cohesion’, ‘repetition’, ‘substitution cohesion’, and ‘indirect negative politeness strategies’ in their writings. Language teachers and syllabus designers can use these results to make the foreign learners of English learn about social aspects of language and direct them to use the pragmatic elements in their letters.

This study examines the effectiveness of the cyclic group work method in enhancing reading comprehension among Iranian high school EFL learners, grounded in the principles of micro-teaching (Allen, 1967). By dividing texts into manageable sections, the method structures a 90-minute dynamic classroom session where students engage in collaborative learning, peer questioning, and critical discussion under teacher supervision. The research employs a qualitative-analytical framework to evaluate how this seven-stage approach—incorporating homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping, iterative questioning, and collective feedback—aligns with micro-teaching’s core tenets: initiating behaviors, material presentation, consolidation, monitoring, and evaluation. Findings reveal that the method fosters exceptional student participation, as learners subconsciously strive to contribute within and across groups, internalizing material through active dialogue. The teacher’s dual role as facilitator and supervisor ensures mental and physical engagement, enabling sustained practice in reading and reasoned text analysis. The study bridges gaps in EFL research by adapting cyclic group strategies to Iran’s teacher-centered, resource-constrained context, demonstrating improved comprehension outcomes.

The present research was conducted with the aim of measuring the effectiveness of face to face and virtual in-service training of elementary school teachers in Birjand city based on the Kirkpatrick model and comparing them. The current research method is a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test type. The statistical population of this research includes all primary school teachers of Birjand city who have participated in in-service and virtual courses in the academic year 2023-2024. Using available sampling, 45 teachers participating in face-to-face courses and 45 teachers participating in virtual courses were selected. In the first level, i.e. reaction, participants' opinions were collected in two stages (the beginning of the courses and the end of the courses). The tool used at this level was a researcher-made questionnaire. The second level, i.e. learning, was conducted using a researcher-made test of 19 questions and was performed as a pre-test and post-test. In the third level, i.e. behavior, data was collected 5 months after the end of the courses using the teachers' self-evaluation form and the teachers' evaluation form by their managers. The results of the inter-subject effects test to compare the reaction level components in the post-test stage and the f value obtained for all components are significant at the alpha level of 0.05. The F value obtained in the results of covariance analysis for comparing learning scores in the post-test stage is 26.563. The value of the t statistic and the value of the significance level for comparing the scores of the behavior level show that there is no difference in the variance between the two groups of face-to-face and virtual education The findings of the research show that face-to-face and virtual in-service courses are effective in the levels of reaction, learning and behavior, and there is a significant difference between the effectiveness of face-to-face and virtual courses; So that the obtained averages show that face-to-face training can have a significant effect compared to virtual training in these three levels.

Multicultural education is a product of the impact of the globalization on education. Further, a factor with a main role in EFL teaching and learning is teacher effectiveness which has a significant place in the World educational programs. The present study sought to explore Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions of pluralistic teacher effectiveness. In line with the objective of the present study, the basic interpretive design within a qualitative paradigm. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 40 Iranian (20 males and 20 females) EFL teachers teaching in public high schools in different Iranian provinces. They were conveniently selected from among those teachers who were members of virtual groups and channels. To collect the required data, a semi-structured interview was implemented. Data analysis was done via qualitative thematic analysis. As revealed by the results, the following perceptions were extracted concerning pluralistic teacher effectiveness: Having Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication with Learners; Recognizing Differences among Students’ Learning Strategies; Having Preliminary Knowledge of Different Subjects; Taking Advantage of Different Teaching Methods; Showing Respect and Attention to all Students; Teaching Ruminatively; Having Accountability and Responsibility; Generating a Conducive Class Atmosphere; Using Technology; Using Motivational Strategies; Using Various Evaluation Methods; and Building a Fair Classroom.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between student's perceptions of school climate and their academic hope, focusing on the mediating role of their authentic personalities. The researchers employed a descriptive correlational method using structural equation modeling to achieve this. The study focused on first-grade high school students in Mahabad city, with a sample of 368 students selected through convenience sampling. The research utilized several standardized tools, including the School Climate Questionnaire by Pashiardis (2000), the Shegefti & Samani Educational Hope Questionnaire (2011), and the Authentic Personality Questionnaire by Wood et al. (2008). The findings revealed a direct and significant relationship between perceptions of school climate and academic hope. Additionally, the analysis indicated that school climate significantly indirectly affects academic hope, acting as a mediating variable. The model fit indices suggested that the research model was appropriate. In conclusion, this study suggests that to enhance students' academic hope, it is important to consider the supportive school environment and the cultivation of students' authentic personalities.

While there are varying perspectives on the bases of reflective practice within the teaching context, there is a broad consensus that reflection is fundamental to building a teacher's professional identity and improving their development. This study sought to investigate the perceptions of EFL teachers of reflective skills of Iranian effective teachers. To this end, a grounded theory design was used. Participants consisted of 30 conveniently selected female intermediate EFL learners from a language institute in Mashhad. For data collection, semi-structured interview and written reflective journal were used. Data analysis was done through manual thematic analysis via open, axial and selective coding. The results showed the following perceptions of EFL teachers of reflective skills of Iranian EFL effective teachers: 1. Behaving in a socially acceptable manner; 2. Being able to motivate students; 3. Managing classroom; 4. Attending to students' diversity of needs; 5. Planning appropriate teaching and evaluation methods and strategies; etc. Moreover, according to the results, the least important reflective skills of Iranian EFL effective teachers were attending to students' diversity of needs, and being able to motivate students. In addition, the most important reflective skills of Iranian EFL effective teachers were evaluating one's own teaching, making appropriate modifications in one's own teaching, thinking skillfully, planning appropriate teaching and evaluation methods and strategies, and managing classroom. The results have some implications for policymakers, teacher educators, authorities in charge of recruiting teachers.

Exploring the disciplinary interface between English for specific purposes (ESP) and World Englishes (WEs), regarding the potential contributions of both disciplines to research on areas of shared interest, including TEFL and ESP Teachers’ attitudes are the center of current study. This investigation examines Iranian EFL and ESP teachers’ views on integrating WEs into ESP classes and assesses the English-speaking needs of ESP students. The study comprised 32 TEFL, 17 EFL, and 15 ESP teachers (16 male and 16 female, aged 30–67), using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach with quantitative questionnaires. Analysis of the data showed that subjects in both groups largely held remarkably positive views on WEs and felt ESP teaching should align with student objectives. More than two-thirds of participants disliked the current ESP syllabuses; however, only ESP teachers were unhappy with the teaching methods, cultural content, and textbook. The participants also showed complete dissatisfaction with their ESP students’ speaking abilities. It can be inferred that ESP course does not fully prepare the students to embark on their studies because it does not sufficiently consider learners’ speaking needs