List of Articles Azizeh Chalak

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  1 - An Evaluation of English Textbooks Used in Iranian High Schools: Teachers’ and Learners’ Attitudes
  Firouzeh Torki Azizeh Chalak
  The quality of a textbook might have fundamental roles that it can determine the success or failure in teaching and learning course. The present study evaluated English textbooks used in Iranian high schools, which are claimed to have been published based on the compone More

  The quality of a textbook might have fundamental roles that it can determine the success or failure in teaching and learning course. The present study evaluated English textbooks used in Iranian high schools, which are claimed to have been published based on the components of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach. The purpose of this study was to explore high school teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the Iranian high school English textbooks. To fulfill the objectives, a questionnaire consisting of 45 questions related to high school English textbooks was administered to 150 male and female high school students and their teachers in Isfahan, Iran. The participants were also interviewed in terms of their attitudes towards CLT and its implementation in Iranian high school English textbooks. The descriptive analysis of the data indicated that Iranian teachers and learners in Isfahan had a positive attitude towards the English textbooks based on the CLT principles. The majority of participants stated that 80 percent of CLT principles were currently practiced in Iranian high school English textbooks; however, some changes might improve the quality of these English textbooks. Manuscript profile
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  2 - Code Glosses in Academic Writing: The Comparison of Iranian and Native Authors
  Mahdi Dehghan Azizeh Chalak
  One of the challenges of academic writing is the creation of a structurally and communicatively well-organized and coherent text. Metadiscourse enables authors of journal articles to achieve this goal by raising the writers‘ awareness about discourse features whic More

  One of the challenges of academic writing is the creation of a structurally and communicatively well-organized and coherent text. Metadiscourse enables authors of journal articles to achieve this goal by raising the writers‘ awareness about discourse features which can contribute to a better academic content production. Also, L1 background has always been a hot topic in applied linguistics and native versus non-native comparisons have been of particular interest in this field. The purpose of this study was to see whether native English speakers and Iranians use code glosses as a sub-category of metadiscourse similarly in their academic writings. To this end, the introduction section of 30 journal articles written by native and Iranian non-native English authors were investigated and the number of code-glosses in each group was counted and analyzed. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to answer the research question of this study. The result of data analysis revealed that there was no significant difference between the frequency count of code glosses used by Iranian and native English authors. This study can have pedagogical implications for EAP course designers as well as academic writing instructors and students. Manuscript profile
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  3 - The Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners` Attitudes towards Using Flipped Teaching via Google Classroom
  Sara Shahani Azizeh Chalak Hossein Heidari Tabrizi
  10.30486/relp.2020.1880561.1159
  Flipped teaching is the process of moving lecture content from face-to-face class time to before class. The potential values of flipped teaching in which learners are actively engaged in the learning process have been emphasized during the past years; however, there is More

  Flipped teaching is the process of moving lecture content from face-to-face class time to before class. The potential values of flipped teaching in which learners are actively engaged in the learning process have been emphasized during the past years; however, there is still little research evidence about the attitudes of the learners towards flipped teaching and the use of technology. The present investigation aimed to explore Iranian EFL learners' attitudes towards flipped teaching. To this end, 40 female intermediate EFL learners with the age range of 19 to 29 from the training department of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) in Khuzestan, Iran, based on the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) were selected through convenience sampling and assigned into two groups with the same instructional strategies since having 40 students in a single class was not possible. An attitude questionnaire was examined in terms of frequencies and percentages. The results of frequency analyses indicated that EFL learners in the study had a positive attitude towards flipped teaching and agreed that it was helpful to them in many ways. The findings can be of significance for EFL learners, instructors, and syllabus designers. Manuscript profile
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  4 - Mediating Role of E-mind Mapping in Adopting a Self-Regulated Language Learning Strategy Among Iranian EFL Learners
  Nasim Nasr-Esfahani Azizeh Chalak Hossein Heidari Tabrizi
  10.30486/relp.2021.1938213.1301
  One of the affective factors contributing to the EFL learners’ learning outcome is their preferred language learning strategy. This study aimed to investigate the possible role of E-mind mapping as a modern node-link teaching technique in adopting a specific self- More

  One of the affective factors contributing to the EFL learners’ learning outcome is their preferred language learning strategy. This study aimed to investigate the possible role of E-mind mapping as a modern node-link teaching technique in adopting a specific self-regulated language learning strategy (SRLLS) among Iranian EFL learners. Based on quasi-experimental research, 64 EFL learners were conveniently selected and randomly divided into two groups, namely, experimental and control groups. The valid and reliable Self-Regulated Foreign Language Learning Strategy Questionnaire was conducted for all of the participants in the pre and post-test but with different item orders. The intervention consisted of 15 sessions each 90 minutes in which E-mind mapping was utilized in the experimental group but conventional teaching was employed in the control group. Descriptive statistics and the t-test was used to analyze the collected data. The results revealed that before conducting the study the most preferred SRLLS among participants were cognitive strategy but after using E-mind mapping techniques, the preferred strategy in the experimental group changed to metacognitive strategy. Also, the Iranian EFL learners’ use of meta-effective and meta-sociocultural-interactive strategies, which were previously infrequent, improved. Thus, the results indicated that the E-mind mapping technique was effective in adopting a particular SRLLS among EFL learners. The findings emphasize some successful initiatives to build learners' self-regulated strategies through strategy training incorporated into educational programs and special curriculum designing. Manuscript profile
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  5 - Students ̓ Attitudes Toward Using Infographics on Learning Vocabulary in the EFL Classes
  Shahla Tavanapour Azizeh Chalak Hossein Heidari Tabrizi
  10.30486/relp.2023.1977057.1429
  Infographics are visual representations of information intended to be presented quickly and clearly. The present study aimed to investigate students ̓ attitudes toward using infographics in learning vocabulary in EFL classes. To this end, the participants were selected More

  Infographics are visual representations of information intended to be presented quickly and clearly. The present study aimed to investigate students ̓ attitudes toward using infographics in learning vocabulary in EFL classes. To this end, the participants were selected through available sampling and the study was conducted at Pand Institute in Abadan, Khuzestan, Iran during the summer of 2022. All of them were females and their ages ranged from 20 to 30. In this quantitative descriptive study, a questionnaire (Alrwele, 2017) was given to the learners to determine their attitudes toward using infographics as teaching tools in the educational context. The participants were asked to answer the questions to indicate to what extent they agreed or disagreed with each statement on a five-point Likert Scale. The content and face validity of the questionnaire were confirmed by two experts at the Ph.D. level. The collected data were computed through descriptive statistics and one sample t-test. Most learners agreed with all 19 statements, all of which were positive comments about using infographics. Thus, a general trend of a positive attitude could be observed in the responses provided by the learners in the EFL class. Most students enjoyed the use of infographics within EFL contexts. Therefore, incorporating infographics into teaching could be a dynamic way for learners and engage in learning more. This finding could help language developers, syllabus designers, and teachers to develop programs and create books based on infographics. Manuscript profile
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  6 - Identifying Wants, Lacks, and Necessities of International Banking Division Clerks: An English Needs Analysis Survey in the Iranian ESP Context
  Sajad Pirmoradian Azizeh Chalak Hossein Heidari Tabrizi
  10.30486/relp.2023.1989568.1473
  International banking has experienced significant growth in recent times. As a result of this expansion, bank personnel must possess the ability to communicate appropriately, and effective English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs need to be implemented accordingly. More

  International banking has experienced significant growth in recent times. As a result of this expansion, bank personnel must possess the ability to communicate appropriately, and effective English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs need to be implemented accordingly. There are limited amounts of research available on the present state of ESP in the context of international banking in Iran. The present study aimed to study the English language needs of bank clerks in the International Banking Division of Bank Melli Iran and its associated departments as target population, by using the needs analysis model proposed by Hutchinson and Waters (1987) and its subordinate components known as wants, lacks, and necessities. This research employed a mixed methods approach, utilizing questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to gather data from a diverse group of participants, including bank clerks, language and content instructors, and managers of international banking departments. They were selected voluntarily from those working in the IBD of Bank Melli Iran. The results indicated that although the participants' wants, lacks, and necessities differed significantly, it is imperative to prioritize all language skills in ESP courses to meet the language needs of bank employees in the bank's international departments and foreign exchange branches. Moreover, the research revealed that learners often struggle with establishing effective communication, a significant challenge they encounter. To address this issue, it is strongly recommended that ESP teachers employ a range of pedagogical strategies and undertake diverse teaching activities to assist learners in overcoming their barriers to communication. Manuscript profile
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  7 - Enhancing Speaking Proficiency and Terminology Learning Among ESP Learners Through Edutainment Activities
  Shiva Grami Azizeh Chalak Hossein Heidari Tabrizi
  10.30486/relp.2023.1992239.1482
  Considering the needs of most English for a Specific Purpose (ESP) learners, speaking proficiency and terminology learning are two challenging objectives of their English learning. This anxiety is boosted when it comes to technical environments because it needs a range More

  Considering the needs of most English for a Specific Purpose (ESP) learners, speaking proficiency and terminology learning are two challenging objectives of their English learning. This anxiety is boosted when it comes to technical environments because it needs a range of specific vocabulary, resulting in lower scores than expected. Edutainment or the integration of entertainment with education is supposed to be helpful. Regarding a quasi-experimental study, 60 Iranian ESP learners studying nursing were conveniently selected and distributed into experimental (EG) and control (CG) groups. During the intervention phase, participants in the EG were taught the instructional materials based on Edutainment activities ranging from simple crossword puzzles to complex simulative games. Participants in the CG received the same content through mainstream English learning tasks. The instruments included an Oxford Placement Test (OPT), speaking proficiency, and terminology tests. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the outcomes. The results indicated that EG participants significantly outperformed CG regarding speaking proficiency and terminology learning. While Edutainment was significantly effective in enhancing the mentioned domains, it was more beneficial in speaking proficiency compared to terminology learning. The outcome may benefit ESP teachers, learners, and curriculum developers considering the integration of education and entertainment. Manuscript profile
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  8 - In Memory of Professor Farzad Sharifian (1964-2020): A Selected Bibliography
  Hossein Heidari Tabrizi Azizeh Chalak
  10.30486/relp.2023.705494
  In the early hours of 12 May 2020, Professor Farzad Sharifian unexpectedly passed away after a short illness. We in RELP have absolutely missed Farzad Sharifian (RIP) as one of our vibrant and valued Editorial Board members and a wholly decent, wonderful gentleman. High More

  In the early hours of 12 May 2020, Professor Farzad Sharifian unexpectedly passed away after a short illness. We in RELP have absolutely missed Farzad Sharifian (RIP) as one of our vibrant and valued Editorial Board members and a wholly decent, wonderful gentleman. Highly awarded as a competent researcher, Farzad was a leading, prolific scholar and an outstanding, inspirational figure in Cultural Linguistics, an internationally recognized, flourishing field of inquiry that he successfully developed on the foundation laid by Palmer (1996). Farzad will undoubtedly live on not only in his numerous presentations and publications but also in the hearts and minds of all those who, like us, respected Farzad personally or professionally (across his discipline) nationally and internationally, including his family, friends, academic fellows, and former students. To celebrate his incredible, life-long contributions to the field, RELP decided to publish a selected bibliography of his seminal, influential works, the majority of which were devoted to Cultural Linguistics, disseminated in the form of books, book chapters, and journal articles. The list is by no means claimed to be comprehensive; his conference presentations and interviews are not included here either. Our meticulous colleagues are invited to help us add to and update it by contacting RELP via the official email of the journal: relp@khuisf.ac.ir or our personal emails. May God bless his soul! Manuscript profile