Iranian EFL Learner

The purpose of this study was to investigate the probable effects of E-Mind Maps on the prevailing Language Learning Strategy Choices of adolescent versus adult Iranian EFL learners (LLSC). Besides, their preferred strategies were investigated across each dominant LLSC for some volunteer participants through structured interviews. According to a mixed-method design, 76 available Iranian adolescent and adult EFL learners, both male and female, were randomly divided into four equal groups of experimental and control ones. Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) was conducted for all participants in the pre-and post-intervention phases, followed by a structured interview in just the post-intervention phase in the qualitative phase. The intervention presented the teaching content through E-Mind Maps vs. the conventional way of teaching for 20 sessions. The data were analyzed using descriptive and Chi-Square statistics. The results confirmed that using E-Mind Maps shifted the dominant LLSC of adolescent and adult EFL learners to memory and cognitive strategies. Moreover, preferred strategies across each dominant LLSC were discussed in detail for both groups. The conclusion can provide critical implications for English language teaching, learning, and educational technology in using E-Mind Maps as an effective strategy in EFL classrooms.

This study explores the impact of supplementary blended learning on the listening comprehension skills of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. A sample of 60 male Iranian EFL learners was selected from a population of 100 learners studying English at Pardis Language Institute, Hamadan, Iran, via double-stage sampling. After being selected, participants were sorted into two groups, that is, a control group and an experimental group. In the treatment sessions, all participants listened to parts of the American English File (book 2). The participants in the control group received the usual procedure of teaching listening in the institute. In the experimental group, the students received target language input via videos and supplementary reading materials before classes so that they had sufficient exposure to the input. The listening topics were uploaded on a common social networking site, i.e., the telegram application, which was also reserved for giving teachers feedback on the students’ questions. The results of the data analysis showed that supplemental blended learning had a statistically significant effect on EFL learners’ listening comprehension. In other words, the research question was answered positively, and the corresponding null hypothesis was rejected.