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List of Articles
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Open Access Article
1 - Oral Communication Strategies Used by Iranian EFL Learners and their Relationship with the Learners’ Self-efficacy Beliefs and Anxiety Level
Servat Shirkhani Effat Alsadat Mir Mohammad MeigouniThis study examined the oral communication strategies (OCS) employed by Iranian intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners and the relationship between the use of these strategies and the learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and anxiety level. To this en MoreThis study examined the oral communication strategies (OCS) employed by Iranian intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners and the relationship between the use of these strategies and the learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and anxiety level. To this end, 160 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Next, three questionnaires were employed to determine the strategies the participants employ for coping with speaking and listening problems, their anxiety level, and their general self-efficacy. The results indicated that the most and the least frequently used strategies were “accuracy-oriented” and “massage abandonment” strategies when facing speaking problems and “word-oriented” and “fluency-oriented” strategies when confronting speaking problems. In addition, the results showed a significant positive relationship between OCSs and self-efficacy beliefs of the learners and a significant negative relationship between OCSs and their anxiety level. The findings imply that OCSs are helpful in both increasing EFL learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and reducing their anxiety level. Further implications of the results are discussed in the study. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
2 - Students’ perceptions about writing portfolios: A case of Iranian EFL students
Behrooz Ghoorchaei Mansoor TavakoliAmong alternative assessment options, portfolios have received considerable attention in the field of education, but there has been little research exploring students’ perceptions of the portfolio approach or its impact on the learning of writing (Lam, 2013). Ther MoreAmong alternative assessment options, portfolios have received considerable attention in the field of education, but there has been little research exploring students’ perceptions of the portfolio approach or its impact on the learning of writing (Lam, 2013). Therefore, this study aimed at investigating students’ perceptions about the effect of portfolio assessment as a process-oriented assessment mechanism on Iranian EFL students’ English writing and its sub-skills of focus, elaboration, organization, conventions, and vocabulary. Moreover, the study dealt with students’ perceptions about the use of portfolio assessment in EFL writing. Thirty university students were chosen as the participants. They received the treatment i.e. portfolio assessment in an essay writing course. Students’ views and reflections about portfolio assessment were elicited via “Portfolio contribution questionnaire” and individual semi-structured interviews. The results showed that most of the students perceived improvement in overall writing and the sub-skills of focus, elaboration, and organization. Furthermore, students had a positive attitude to the implementation of portfolios. The results have some implications for teaching and assessment of writing in the EFL context. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
3 - Effects of Parents’ Education and Academic Involvement on ESP Learners’ Self-Regulation and Language Achievement: A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis
Mahnaz Azad Shokouh Rashvand SemiyariSelf-regulated learning is among the factors receiving considerable attention in educational psychology. Moreover, parents’ education and their academic involvement have found to have their own places in learners’ academic success. Considering the importance MoreSelf-regulated learning is among the factors receiving considerable attention in educational psychology. Moreover, parents’ education and their academic involvement have found to have their own places in learners’ academic success. Considering the importance of the issue, the present study probed the relationship between parents’ education levels and their academic involvement, with Iranian ESP learners’ self-regulation and language achievement. The participants of this study were 460 Iranian university learners selected out of 575 students. As the instruments of this study, a demographic data sheet, Ryan (2005) Parental Involvement Questionnaire, as well as the modified version of Tseng, Dornyei, and Schmitt’s (2006) self-regulatory scale were used. In order to analyze the data, Structural Equation Modeling was used through the AMOS program. The results of the proposed model demonstrating parents’ education levels, parents’ academic involvement, as well as learners’self-regulation and language achievement fit well with the data. The results of SEM showed that parents’ education levels positively and significantly correlated with the learners’self-regulation. Furthermore, the findings of path analysis showed a positive and significant indirect relationship between parents’ education and learners’language achievement. Therefore, it was concluded that parents’ involvement mediated the relationship between parents’ education levels and learners’self-regulation and language achievement. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
4 - A Socio-demographic Study of Attitude/Motivation in Learning English as a Foreign Language
Mousa Ghonchepour Mahdiye Pakzad Moghaddam Ezatollah Kalantari Khandani Mohammad Hasan Farrokhi BarfeThis study examined attitude and motivation in teenage Iranian students learning English as a foreign language to explore whether they were instrumentally motivated or integratively. The participants were 85 eleventh-grade high school students who were in the 14 -18 age MoreThis study examined attitude and motivation in teenage Iranian students learning English as a foreign language to explore whether they were instrumentally motivated or integratively. The participants were 85 eleventh-grade high school students who were in the 14 -18 age range. Their language competence was investigated through an EFL test measuring vocabulary, grammar, writing and reading comprehension. They were also asked to fill out a two-part attitude/motivation questionnaire. The SPSS, version 25 and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to analyze data. The results proved that the male participants were equally integratively and instrumentally motivated. The female students were more integratively motivated proving the effect of gender on motivation. They had higher interest and a more positive attitude in learning English than male subjects. Better performance of females in language achievement test confirmed the major part of beginning age in learning English. Moreover, experiencing more dynamic and enjoyable teaching styles had an impact on language learning. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
5 - An Attitude-based Study of the Effects of Task-based Assessment on the Iranian EFL Learners' General English achievement
Farzaneh Khabbazi Babanari Mohammad Sadegh Bagheri Firooz SadighiAccording to Montano and Kasprzyk (2008), attitude is determined by the individual's beliefs about outcomes or attributes of performing the behavior (behavioral beliefs), weighted by evaluations of those outcomes or attributes. This study examined Iranian EFL learners&r MoreAccording to Montano and Kasprzyk (2008), attitude is determined by the individual's beliefs about outcomes or attributes of performing the behavior (behavioral beliefs), weighted by evaluations of those outcomes or attributes. This study examined Iranian EFL learners’ attitudes toward the Task-Based Language Assessment (TBLA) and the traditional assessment concerning their General English achievement. One hundred EFL students from Islamic Azad University of Zarghan, Fars Province with the age range of 20-35, participated in this study. The data were gathered using an attitude questionnaire. Frequency Analysis and chi-square were used to show the learners' attitudes towards the task-based assessment in General English ability. Regarding the attitude questionnaire, EFL learners had positive attitudes towards the TBLA utilization in improving their General English achievement and most of the students were satisfied with learning English through the TBLA. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
6 - EFL University Instructors’ Employment Status and Their Perception of Professional Commitment
Razieh Ganjali Hamid Ashraf Khalil MotallebzadehInstructors play an important role in educating the future members of society through their work in universities and quality education cannot be achieved without the supreme efforts of dedicated and committed university teachers. Hence, there is a call for more research MoreInstructors play an important role in educating the future members of society through their work in universities and quality education cannot be achieved without the supreme efforts of dedicated and committed university teachers. Hence, there is a call for more research concerning the notion of teacher commitment, its dimensions and the factors that influence it. The current study first aimed to set priority among the dimensions of EFL instructors’ professional commitment through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling and then investigate the effect of EFL instructors’ employment status as full time or part time on their professional commitment through two-tailed t-test. A previously validated EFL Teachers’ Professional Commitment Questionnaire was employed to collect data from 420 EFL male and female university instructors. The results exhibited a significant difference between these two variables in total. One of the important implications of this research is that EFL instructors inspire to evaluate their commitment regarding the priority of dimensions and their underlying components meticulously to find out what they should work on more to improve students’ achievements in the EFL learning context of Iran. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
7 - The Effects of Simultaneous Use of Task-based Strategic and Careful Online Planning on EFL Learners’ Self-repairs
Masoud SaeidiThis research examined the effects of task-based planning on self-repairs as psycholinguistic mechanisms underlying EFL learners’ speech. To this aim, the influence of simultaneous use of strategic and careful online planning on the type and frequency of learners& MoreThis research examined the effects of task-based planning on self-repairs as psycholinguistic mechanisms underlying EFL learners’ speech. To this aim, the influence of simultaneous use of strategic and careful online planning on the type and frequency of learners’ self-corrections was investigated. Sixty Iranian intermediate learners were asked to orally narrate a picture-based story under four conditions: no planning, strategic planning, careful online planning, and the integration of both strategic and careful online planning. They were subsequently asked to verbalize their thought processes during task performance based on their audio-recorded narrations. In general, the results showed that learners’ speech under careful online planning condition involved making more error-repairs and fewer different-information and appropriacy repairs. In addition, the results illustrated that strategic planning resulted in more instances of appropriacy and different-information repairs, and as such, simultaneous use of both types of planning brought about an overall increase in the use of appropriacy, different-information, and error-repairs. The outcomes of this study suggest that engaging the learners in planning can ease task demands; consequently, this task implementation option directs their attention to both form and meaning, hence promoting acquisition. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
8 - Investigating Translation Theories Course in Iranian Universities: Students’ Expectations and Perceptions in Focus
Samaneh Shahsavarzadeh Hossein Heidari TabriziTo educate knowledgeable students in translation studies, it is essential to examine the real-world expectations of the students and investigate the teaching methods at universities. The main aim of this study was to examine MA students’ expectations of Translatio MoreTo educate knowledgeable students in translation studies, it is essential to examine the real-world expectations of the students and investigate the teaching methods at universities. The main aim of this study was to examine MA students’ expectations of Translation Theories as one of main courses in translation studies MA program in Iranian universities. To do so, MA classes of this very course were selected from different universities in Isfahan and were observed for one semester as the sample of the study. The participants were 107 MA translation students from three different universities in Isfahan, Iran. In order to collect the data, a student course evaluation questionnaire was used and the Chi-square test was run to analyze the data. The results revealed that the students were not satisfied with the course offered. They believed that theories of translation were not applicable because they did not learn how to use theories and how the theories could help them translate a text. In addition, the teaching methods were not satisfactory and did not encourage them for their future expectations. In order to reach its objectives, Translation Theories at the MA program needs revision and there must be satisfactory coordination between students’ expectations, course materials, and teaching methods. The findings of the study can help the curriculum designers to pay more attention to the learners’ needs and help them design an applicable and comprehensive course. Manuscript profile -
Open Access Article
9 - CLT in Prospect Series: A Predictive Evaluation of Iranian Junior High School English Textbooks
Ahmad Goodarzi Hiwa Weisi Nouroddin YousofiTextbooks have a chief standing as an essential element of language teaching; therefore, analyzing and evaluating them is imperative to guarantee their efficiency and consistency with the objectives set and expected in language classes. Hence, this study utilizing a Com MoreTextbooks have a chief standing as an essential element of language teaching; therefore, analyzing and evaluating them is imperative to guarantee their efficiency and consistency with the objectives set and expected in language classes. Hence, this study utilizing a Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) model, examined Cognitive, Communicative, and Creature potentials of three Iranian recently published junior high school English textbooks, called Prospect Series. The results showed that the intended books aiming at following the CLT approach failed to satisfy communicative, cognitive, and creative potentials sufficiently and some crucial ingredients of CLT, such as strategy instruction, use of authentic materials, and skills integration. Additionally, the over-emphasis on Iranian culture caused sociocultural aspects of CLT to be relatively neglected in this series, and foreign cultures are roughly avoided. Although the development of the Prospects is surely a step forward toward designing high-quality Iranian English textbooks in Iranian schools, progressive modifications on textbooks are always needed to reach their greatest formats. The findings of this study have useful implications for the Iranian stakeholders in the field of teaching English as a foreign language and the authors of the Prospect series in terms of revising and modifying activities to achieve the highest congruency with CLT tenants. Manuscript profile
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