مطالب

Communication strategies (CSs) are systematic attempts by language learners to encode or decode meaning in a target language in situations where the appropriate target language rules have not been formed. Based on this view, communication strategies can be seen as compensatory means for making up for linguistic deficiencies of second or foreign language learners. Within the conceptual framework outlined, this paper is a report on a research conducted at Azarbaijan Teachers Education University on the students majoring in English Language and Literature. The main aim was to seek a relationship between the subjects’ use of communication strategies in solving communication problems and their proficiency levels in English as a foreign language. The data was collected by means of one-to-one interviews with the participants, and were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results indicated that the frequency of communication strategies applied by the participants varied according to their proficiency levels, i.e. low proficient learners tended to employ more communication strategies in comparison with high and moderate ones. The type of communication strategies employed also varied according to their oral proficiency level. It was revealed that high level participants employed more L2-based communication strategies where the low proficient learners used more L1-based ones.

Pragmatic failure is an issue usually occurring in cross-cultural communication when L2 learners cannot express themselves appropriately. This study aimed to discern the factors leading to cross-cultural pragmatic failure (CCPF) and the challenges EFL learners face in trying to overcome miscommunication problems. Following a qualitative research design, in the first study phase, one of the researchers observed 10 EFL teachers’ classes for 90 minutes each, twice a week during the term to take the required field notes for further analysis. To obtain more in-depth information, in the second phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 EFL teachers and learners, and the data were collected. The EFL teachers were from private English language institutes, and the student participants were EFL learners studying either in state-run universities or private language centers. The results of the thematic analysis revealed that EFL classroom context, time and budget, assessing pragmatic knowledge, ELT textbook, and teacher education were perceived as the causes of CCPF by the interviewees. Moreover, the extracted themes associated with learners’ challenges included linguistic incompetency, investing insufficient time and effort, psychological factors, cultural and sociocultural differences, inappropriate teaching methodology, and teachers’ pragmatic competence.

Information and communication technology (ICT) has been rapidly developed in the last two decades and has directly or indirectly affected most areas of human life, including health, which is also referred to as e-health. On the other hand, in the past three decades, most countries in the world have experienced rapid growth in health expenditures, as health expenditures have become one of the most important items of household expenditure. Besides, in developing countries, including Iran, the main financial burden of using health goods and services is borne by households. Reducing the financial burden of health services on households has been one of the long-standing goals of policymakers. It seems that using the ICT capabilities in the form of e-health can be one of the effective solutions in this regard. The present study seeks to investigate this issue. For model estimation, the panel data method and the GLS model in the form of provincial data were applied. The results imply that besides other factors affecting the household health expenditures (such as income, education level, insurance coverage level, etc.), the development of ICT managed to have a significant effect on reducing the health expenditures. It seems developing ICT infrastructure, expanding its penetration rate and developing its applications in the form of e-health can be considered as a proper strategy in the field of health care.

Background: As the demand for ultra-fast, low-latency communication continues to rise, Terahertz (THz) communication has emerged as a promising candidate for enabling next-generation 6G networks. However, environmental sensitivity and hardware challenges pose significant limitations. Objective: This study investigates the potential of THz communication to support ultra-high data transfer rates in 6G networks, with a focus on the impact of environmental conditions, hardware complexity, and modulation techniques. Method: Through simulation analysis under both optimal and adverse environmental conditions, the performance of THz communication was assessed. The study also explores emerging materials and adaptive technologies to mitigate performance degradation. Results: Under optimal conditions, THz communication demonstrated the ability to achieve data rates up to 8.5 Tbps with approximately 1 ms latency at 10 THz. However, in high humidity and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios, performance declined significantly, with the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) dropping from 35 dB to 18 dB and the bit error rate (BER) increasing from 3×10⁻³ to 4×10⁻². Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) outperformed Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) in BER under varying conditions. The integration of advanced materials such as graphene and photonic crystals, along with intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS), showed promise in enhancing signal quality and thermal management. Conclusion: While THz communication exhibits strong potential for supporting the high-speed, low-latency demands of 6G, environmental vulnerabilities and hardware complexity remain key challenges. Future research should prioritize the development of cost-effective, scalable materials and adaptive technologies to improve performance and deployment feasibility in diverse conditions.

The use of technology-based instructions and treatment tools to compensate for deficiencies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is evidently increasing. The present study that performed during 2021-2022 was a systematic review and meta-analysis concerning the efficacy of digital technologies in improving the deficient communication skills in language learners with ASD. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. The results revealed that the overall effect size (Cohen’s d) was 0.12 for both fixed effect model and random-effect model (z = 1.155, p >0.05). The effect size was statistically non-significant. We also considered Magnitudes of Cohen’s d fixed at 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 which commonly accepted for small, medium and large quantities. Again, the result approached the small magnitude (1.12 > 0.2). Despite estimation of variances of effect sizes across studies (Q index, I2 and T2 values) approved homogeneity in study results, due to small number of studies included in this meta-analysis they\ results may not be generalizable (Q= 8.780, I= 0.00, T= 0.00, p> 0.05). For future comparisons, we therefore recommend use of more evidence-based experimental studies with modifications in their technology devices to secure higher statistical gains. We also recommend considering moderator variables which affected the effect size of included publications consisting age, IQ level, treatment durations and validity rate of technology devices.

Purpose: The aim of this research was predicting the family function based on early maladaptive schemas and couple’s communication patterns. Methodology: Present study was descriptive from type of correlation. The research population was married female employees working in public and non-public schools of Tehran city and their spouses in 2017-2018 academic years. The research sample was 482 people (241 couples) who were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling method. The research instruments were the questionnaires of family function (Epstein and et all, 1983), early maladaptive schemas (Young, 1998) and couple’s communication patterns (Christensen and Sullaway, 1984). Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficients and multivariate regression methods in SPSS software version 24. Findings: The results showed that the schemas of disconnection and rejection, impaired autonomy and performance, impaired limits, other directedness and excessive vigilance and inhibition, constructive communication pattern, avoidance communication pattern and demand/retiring communication pattern had a significant relationship with family function. Also, early maladaptive schemas and couple’s communication patterns significantly could predict 52.9 percent of variance of family function (P<0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, to promote the family function can be decrease the rate of their early maladaptive schemas and improve the rate of couple’s communication patterns, who for this purpose the use of psychological interventions include schema therapy can be useful.

This work supports the effectiveness of the employment of communication strategies for bet-ter and more efficient communication. Communication strategies varies as a function of dif-ferent factors such as personality traits, pedagogical setting, L2 context, etc. The present re-search aimed at delving into the relationship between shyness, task nature and the frequency and type of communication strategies used by the subjects. The subjects of the study were 168 male and female students at Ilam university and Islamic Azad University of Tehran (South Branch). The subjects took a Michigan test of language proficiency. Out of 168 sub-jects taking the Michigan test, 106 were found to be homogenous and qualified to take part in three different communicative activities: Free Discussion, Translation, and Story Recon-struction. Out of the 106 subjects 102 took part in the above-mentioned activities. They were also given to fill up the Stanford Shyness questionnaire. The statistical procedure of Chi-Square was used for the purpose of the study. It was shown that shyness affects the adoption and choice of communication strategies negatively. i.e. non-shy students use more communication strategies than their shy counterparts, and also that non-shy students use more achievement strategies vis-à-vis their shy friends, while the latter group preferred to use more avoidance strategies. The study, however, couldn’t establish and confirm any relationship between the type of task and the type of communication strategies used by the subjects.

Communication plays a critical role in any sustainable plan or strategy. This meta-analysis was conducted to provide an overall perspective of the relationship between communication and organizational performance. A total of 999 articles in both English and Farsi were extracted from four databases. The random effects model was used to analyze the data. The analysis was done by CMA2 ) V2.2. 064 (. The results based on the random effects model illustrated that the degree of the relationship between communication and organizational performance is large, positive, and significant (R=0.745, CI=0.95 p=0.000%). Furthermore, "Research object", "publication year" and "country" were identified as moderator variables in this relationship. An important jump in the intensity of this relationship was detected from 2017. Moreover, a significant difference in the intensity of this relationship was observed in educational organizations with commercial and medical organizations, which can be useful for activists in these fields. The intensity of the relationship in the countries of China, Malaysia, USA, South Korea, and Iran have been evaluated as significantly different. Therefore, these results can open new horizons for future research and especially the localization of international research results.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of teaching communication strategies on students’ self-efficacy in speaking in content-based courses in Iranian EFL context. To this end, 30 students in two content-based classes, one as the experimental group and another as the control group, in SAMA private junior high school school in Tabriz, participated in this study. Communication strategy instruction was taught explicitly over a period of 16 one-hour sessions to the experimental group, while the control group didn’t receive any explicit communication strategy teaching. Data on the learners’ self-efficacy in speaking were collected through a researcher made questionnaire. The results of the data analysis using ANCOVA revealed the positive effect of teaching communication strategies (CSs) on students’ self efficacy in speaking in content-based courses in Iranian EFL context. The findings of this study have important implications for material developers for designing activities involving communication strategies and for teacher training programs for teaching communication strategies to improve learners’ self-efficacy regarding speaking skill.

Given the increasing prevalence of online learning and the absence of a validated instrument for assessing the critical writing skills of Iranian EFL learners in Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) contexts, this study aimed to develop and validate an analytic rubric to enhance critical writing in CMC environments. The participants were 236 EFL students and 10 EFL/ESL teachers, representing a diverse range of demographics, experiences, and qualifications. The rubric development process was guided by a comprehensive literature review, the administration of a critical thinking questionnaire, expert feedback, thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, integration of Paul and Elder’s (2019) Intellectual Standards, and the development and application of a Likert-scale critical writing questionnaire. Subsequent pilot testing facilitated refinements based on feedback. Accordingly, the finalized analytic rubric featured four principal components: (1) Clarity, Accuracy, and Precision (CAP); (2) Relevance and Logic (RL); (3) Depth and Significance (DS); and (4) Breadth and Fairness (BF). A rigorous validation process, including expert evaluation, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM), confirmed the rubric's reliability and validity. The findings demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency, as well as convergent and discriminant validity. This study offers valuable pedagogical implications for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, learners, researchers, and curriculum developers.

  Communication is associated to the effectiveness and efficiency of any sports team function due to its informative, motivational and evaluative role. However, the effects of communication skills within the physical education context are rarely investigated. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of communication skills in the physical education on enjoyment and involvement of high school students. It was hypothesized that communication skills within the physical education class have positive effects on enjoyment and involvement of high-school students. The method used in this study was a structural equation modelling. The participants included 384 adolescents age 16 to 18 years old (mean 16.96±0.57 years old) who attended in regular high-schools. Teacher Communication Behavior Questionnaire (TCBQ) and Fragebogens zur Erfassung von Freude am Schulsport im Jugendalter (FEFS-J), and Student Engagement Instrument (SCI) were used for assessing communication skills, enjoyment, and involvement. To analyze data, we used Pearson correlation test and structural equation modeling. Results showed that communication skills had significant effects on enjoyment (T=4.182) and involvement (T=6.082). In addition, enjoyment had significant effects on involvement (T=3.291). Results of evaluating fitness of good showed that our model has a good fit (GOF=0.93). Communication skills are very important for engagement and learning of students.

This descriptive quantitative study scrutinized the relationship between impulsive and reflective EFL learners’ oral communication strategies (OCS) and willingness to communicate (WTC). To this end, 114 impulsive and reflective graduate-level EFL learners (67% female; 33% male), within the age range of 23 to 40, were selected employing convenience sampling. The data collection instruments were the impulsiveness sub-scale of Eysenck’s impulsivity inventory (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1978), the OCS inventory (Nakatani, 2006), and the WTC scale (McCroskey, 1992). Subsequent to checking and verifying the pertinent assumptions, using Pearson’s correlation coefficient indicated that there existed a positive yet insignificant correlation between impulsive EFL learners’ OCS and their WTC; however, a positive and significant correlation between reflective EFL learners’ OCS and their WTC was observed. In addition, the results of linear regression analyses and comparing the β values revealed that impulsive EFL learners’ OCS cannot significantly predict their WTC whereas reflective EFL learners’ OCS can significantly predict their WTC. In general, the obtained results confirmed that OCS can positively affect EFL learners’ WTC, although attention should be paid to learners’ impulsivity o reflectivity prior to planning the pedagogical practice.          

The current study aimed at investigating the impact of Personal Response System (PRS) on Iranian EFL learners’ English language performance, class communication, and comfort level. To this purpose, a mixed methods design was used. The participants comprised 60 male-female Iranian grade eight junior students studying at Bahonar secondary school, Kazeroon, Iran. They were selected through convenient sampling method from two intact classes and divided into two experimental and control groups. The needed data was collected using the following instruments: Oxford Placement Test (OPT), Preliminary English Test (PET), Observation Checklist, and PRS. The two groups of the participants attended twelve English class sessions of the high school once a week. The only difference between the two groups was that during the class sessions, the experimental group attended PRS. Data analysis was conducted through descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests and qualitative content analysis of the observation data. The results showed that PRS had a statistically significant impact on English language performance, class communication, and comfort level of Iranian EFL learners. Accordingly, EFL teachers are recommended to use this tool in an attempt to enhance EFL learners' general English language performance.  

  The present research seeks to analyze the role of new information and communication technologies(ICT) in development of religious tourism of Iran.   Different approaches and models have been raised and then the approaches given by them have been used in addition to study of views of Tehrani citizens . The research method applied in this research was applied in terms of objective and quantitative in terms of data type , descriptive and correlative in terms of data collection.     The statistical population of the present research was Tehrani citizens and simple random sampling method was used. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were measured and confirmed with the experts’ view and also Cronbach's alpha.  In the next stage, based on the conceptual research model, research questions and hypotheses,  the extracted items were tested in the research statistical sample  with a researcher made questionnaire.   In the descriptive statistics section, description of data was presented in two sections of demographic variables and main variables with indices of absolute frequency, relative frequency, mean, standard deviation, and variance in the table and in inferential statistics section, correlation tests and multivariate regression and path analysis test. 

During his Imamate, Imam Ṣādiq (AS) faced many deviant thoughts and movements, one of which was the " Ghuluw (exaggeration) movement." Abul Khaṭṭāb is one of the prominent figures of Ghuluw . Although the Ghuluw movement spread significantly during the time of Imam Ṣādiq , Abul Khaṭṭāb faced the most and strictest opposition during this period. This it is an indication of the extent of the deviation of this dangerous exaggerator and Imam Ṣādiq 's (AS) efforts to nullify his Exaggerator propaganda; in dealing with Abul Khaṭṭāb , Imam Ṣādiq (AS) prioritized the preservation and protection of Shiʻa from deviations. The present study aims to identify the approach of Imam Ṣādiq 's (AS) communication in confronting Abul Khaṭṭāb as one of the prominent figures of Ghuluw . The present research uses a descriptive-analytical method with an interdisciplinary approach, and, by modeling the "PDAM" Narrative Discourse Analysis method, analyzes the communication approach of this Imam with Abul Khaṭṭāb . Research findings indicated that in Imam's (AS) encounter with Abul Khaṭṭāb , the "Repulsive Approach" with 96 percent had the highest frequency, and the "Conservative Approach" and "Reactive Approach" each had the lowest frequency with 2 percent. Among the dual approaches, the "Repulsive-Offensive Approach" has the highest value and frequency, and the Repulsive-Defensive approach has the lowest frequency. The results of the research show that " Abul Khaṭṭāb " caused deviation in Shiʻa beliefs; therefore, the Imam did not tolerate or compromise with him in any way. The high frequency of cursing and condemnation in the Imam's discourse indicates the extent of the deviation of this dangerous exaggerator and the Imam's efforts to expose and nullify his exaggerator propaganda. The high frequency of approaches in the "Structural Space" along with explicit rejections and curses, condemnations, etc. from Imam Ṣādiq (AS) indicates the serious danger of Abul Khaṭṭāb and his movement for the Shiʻa.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of family communication patterns and parenting style in the self-esteem of secondary school students with learning disabilities in Ardabi  in the year 1399. The present study is a descriptive-correlational study. The instruments of this study include the  Revised Family Communication Patterns Questionnaire (2004), Baumrind Parenting Questionnaire 1973.Cooper-Smith Self-Esteem Questionnaire (1967). These questionnaires were administered to 200 adolescents with learning disabilities. Finally, the collected data were statistically analyzed through the implementation of questionnaires. The results show that the effect of communication patterns and parenting styles in explaining self-esteem is significant. Multiple regression results also showed parenting styles have the power to explain the variable of self-esteem more than communication patterns; Therefore, the best predictor of self-esteem is parenting style. There is a direct and significant relationship between communication patterns and parenting styles with the self-esteem of adolescents with learning disabilities.

The article is devoted to solving the problems of predicting the education of Ukrainian staff in the current COVID-2019 conditions in order to improve the efficiency of their work. Theoretical approaches regarding the characteristics of modeling and prediction of education have been studied, systematic and summarized. Factors that significantly complement the theory and methodology of the scientific provisions of the economy have been identified, taking into account the peculiarities of their work in the modern economic environment, structural changes, and new changes. The pros and cons of studying modeling approaches have been identified. The main features of structural change have been studied and it has been established that the modeling and forecasting of staff education has significant features.

This research discusses the pedagogical relevance of German idioms and Persian proverbs in language acquisition and intercultural communication. Idioms and proverbs are extremely useful in language competence and culture awareness development, but they are also very challenging for learners due to their non-literal nature and cultural boundness. This study uses a qualitative design to investigate how the use of idiomatic language in real communicative contexts improves comprehension, memorability, and intercultural competence in German language learners. Data were gathered based on semi-structured interviews with experienced teachers and advanced learners, and content analysis of idiomatic language selected from German and Persian texts. The findings show that the integration of cognitive and sociolinguistic approaches optimizes learners' ability to interpret idiomatic meaning and use them appropriately. Besides, computer-mediated resources and multimedia technology support memorization of idioms and their application in context. The instructional model in the research, by incorporating metaphorical comprehension with cultural contextualization, addresses knowledge gaps in traditional idiom instruction and emphasizes the necessity for contextualized learning environments. By enhancing both cultural sensitivity and language proficiency, this research has valuable pedagogical implications for language teachers and curriculum planners. Follow-up research should investigate the application of technology-assisted idiom learning in various linguistic and cultural contexts to validate the usefulness of the model suggested.

This article critically analyzes the role of speech therapy in enhancing the communication skills of children with exceptional needs. It explores the multifaceted nature of speech therapy, encompassing a range of interventions tailored to individual needs. The discussion includes the benefits of speech therapy, such as improvements in speech production, language abilities, social communication, and pragmatic language skills. Challenges and limitations within the field are also examined, along with a comparative analysis of speech therapy against other interventions. Current trends, latest developments, and research gaps in speech therapy are addressed, emphasizing the need for continued research and innovation. The article concludes with policy recommendations and practical implications for evidence-based speech therapy practices, highlighting their significance in promoting holistic development and well-being in children with exceptional needs. Keywords: Speech Therapy, Communication Skills, Children with Exceptional Needs, Critical Analysis.