درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Discovering the best solution for assessing intercultural communication is a big challenge all over the world. Thus, the current paper tried to find various ways of intercultural assessment in Iran by introducing a bimodal assessment model. Therefore, the researchers selected thirty Iranian teachers through convenience sampling as the participants of the study. By using a qualitative design, the required data were collected and by using inductive content analysis, the results were analyzed. The data collected and analyzed from interviews and observation sessions revealed that Iranian teachers used a blend of traditional and communicative methods to assess intercultural issues in their classes. Portfolio assessment, performance assessment, dynamic assessment, self/peer assessment, written quizzes, dialogues, and discussion, interview, and presentation are among the methods of assessing intercultural communication in Iran’s context. This study is of high importance for language teachers because they can use the findings as tools for assessing intercultural content in their classes and for intercultural experts to introduce these assessment tools to teachers in their training courses. The bimodal assessment model as the final product of this paper could pave the way for Iranian teachers as an assessment model.

The present study examined the comparability of Paper-Based (PB) and Computer-Delivered (CD) IELTS in the academic module reading section, focusing on Iranian IELTS candidates' cognitive and metacognitive strategies. The study intended to determine if the delivery mode had any impact on the use of these strategies. To this aim, 200 upper-intermediate learners were randomly selected and divided into two groups to participate in the study under the two aforementioned test conditions. They completed a test-taking strategy survey under both test conditions. Moreover, five participants from each test condition group took part in think-aloud protocols. The quantitative data were analyzed by means of Independent-sample t-test and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) to test the research hypotheses. Content analysis of the think-aloud protocols was also conducted to identify the strategies employed by the IELTS candidates in both PB and CD formats. The results revealed that the PB group had a significantly higher mean than the CD group on the cognitive and metacognitive processes used in academic IELTS. However, the think-aloud protocols indicated that, in many cases, these differences were minimal, with cognitive and metacognitive processes being similarly employed across both formats. Moreover, significant differences were observed between the PB and CD groups in their reading test-taking strategies. The implications of these findings for test preparation and design are discussed.

The aim of present study was to explore the comparative effect of direct corrective feedback and recast on EFL learners’ reading comprehension in a critical thinking (CT) context. Sixty female EFL learners were selected from a larger group of 85 learners through convenience sampling and were given a Preliminary English Test (PET) to assess their proficiency levels. As the next step, the participants formed two random experimental groups. The reading comprehension abilities of both groups were measured before and after the treatment through administration of reading section of two separate versions of PET. Both groups received 12 sessions of the treatment. Two paired samples t-tests were utilized, both of which proved significant improvement for both groups from pretest to posttest. Then, the posttest scores of the two groups using an independent samples t-test were compared. Based on the results, the difference between the two groups turned out to be significant indicating superiority of the effect of the recast. This study can have important implications for the stakeholders in foreign language (FL) education.

Grammatical accuracy has been controversial in L2 writing, and the utility of different types of corrective feedback has been enigmatic. Therefore, the present study attempted to explicate the impact of intensive versus extensive recasts through grammar-focused tasks on Iranian EFL learners’ grammatical accuracy in writing. To do so, 60 Iranian male and female EFL learners were assigned into two experimental groups (i.e., intensive and extensive groups) and one control group. After taking the Oxford Placement Test (OPT), the experimental groups received intended corrective feedback, while the control group did not receive any feedback. Then, the data was analyzed deploying both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed the outperformance of experimental groups compared to the control group in the writing post-test. Also, it was concluded that extensive recast can improve EFL learners’ writing performance much better than intensive recast. The findings have some fruitful pedagogical implications for both teachers and materials developers.

The teacher ranking system in Iran is intended to enhance performance and motivation but encounters several challenges. This study aims to investigate Iranian teachers' experiences and perceptions of this ranking system using a qualitative, interpretative phenomenological approach. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 15 teachers from various Iranian cities. Findings revealed that the ranking system impacted four main areas: psychological effects, professional development, transparency and fairness, and educational quality. It supports professional growth, transparency, and improved teaching methods, but can also cause stress, psychological pressure, and reduced focus on teaching, potentially lowering teaching quality. Strengths of the system include professional development, increased transparency, skill updates, and fostering healthy competition. Conversely, its weaknesses involve heightened stress, diminished teaching focus, and reduced quality. Recommendations for improvement include revising evaluation criteria, establishing supportive measures for teachers, involving them in the evaluation process, and increasing educational programs and workshops for professional development. These adjustments aim to mitigate the system's negative effects, boost teacher motivation and job satisfaction, and ultimately enhance the overall quality of education in schools.

Several investigations in the psychology domain, educational psychology, and other related subjects have examined the inner voice. However, it has not been used as much in teaching foreign languages, particularly in developing learning materials. This study aimed to develop new English learning materials based on Tomlinson’s text-driven approach to enhance learners’ inner voice through instruction using the newly developed materials. The participants in this study were 40 intermediate female EFL learners, aged 20-35. All participants were selected through convenience sampling and were native speakers of Persian. The researchers then assigned the participants randomly into two experimental and control groups, each including 20 participants. Data were collected through an inner voice questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods to align with the study’s objectives, participant characteristics, and research questions. The quantitative data were statistically analyzed using SPSS (version 22), revealing that learners demonstrated a moderately high engagement with their inner voice after instruction with the newly developed materials. Qualitative insights emphasized key themes, including the natural use of English in internal thought processes, more frequent internal dialogues, and deeper mental engagement with the language. The study suggests that textbook developers and curriculum designers should consider new approaches to meet EFL learners’ psychological and cognitive needs, particularly in fostering inner voice processing for deeper engagement.