Communication in English and critical thinking are two essential 21st-century competencies. A variety of teaching and learning techniques are being developed to equip students with these skills and meet the challenges of global competition. Critical thinking skills should be developed and transferred through education, but there are few empirical studies available to help educators decide how to enhance critical thinking in the classroom. Accordingly, the present mixed-methods study scrutinized the impact of explicit and implicit pronunciation instruction on the critical thinking and listening comprehension of English language learners. Over 6 months, two groups of 34 English language learners were exposed to pronunciation instruction (explicit mediators using phonetic rules, and implicit mediators without phonetic rules), and a control group of 17 students received no pronunciation instruction. Pre-tests and post-tests were used to measure learners’ improvement in critical thinking and listening comprehension. Moreover, semi-structured interviews were used to show the participants’ reflections regarding pronunciation instruction. The results of the data analysis revealed no significant change for the control group, but significant progress was found for both experimental groups’ listening comprehension and critical thinking, especially the explicit group. Besides, the qualitative analysis showed that pronunciation instruction increased phonological awareness, listening improvement, and a sense of being analytic among participants in the explicit pronunciation group. Moreover, pronunciation instruction increased listening improvement among implicit pronunciation group participants. In brief, the findings suggest that helping students learn critical thinking skills does not require a comprehensive reorganization of the high school curriculum. It is possible to offer a critical thinking program like this during the school day without seriously disrupting the school’s already full schedule. تفاصيل المقالة

During the Covid-19 pandemic, universities around the world faced closure because of social distancing and lockdown, therefore, unprecedently, education had to move online and universities in Iran were not exceptional. This sudden and abrupt shift required teachers to rethink their attitudes and beliefs. This study has been conducted to explore English Language Teachers’ attitudes toward their practices concerning the effects of social distancing and the maximized use of technology in the teaching profession. Having adopted a qualitative method to investigate teachers’ experiences, the data of this study were collected through interviews with nine English language university teachers, and their reflective journals. Generally, the results communicate considerable appreciation for integrating technology in English language courses. To be more detailed, this study revealed three main categories for positive attitudes (pedagogical innovation, instructional support, and professional identity formation) each with some subcategories. Also, the analysis highlights three concerns (technology-related challenges, classroom management, and inflexibility in behavior) for online teaching. The implications of the study mainly provide a welcoming environment for utilizing technology in teaching, especially in English language teaching. تفاصيل المقالة

This mixed-methods experimental study investigated the effect of English language instruction on English language proficiency and social identity among patients suffering from mental disorders. Two days a week for 90 minutes (48 sessions), the experimental group received English language instruction. The study participants were 52 adults with mental illness diagnoses from a center for patients suffering from mental disorders in Isfahan, Iran, and were randomly classified into control and experimental groups. Quantitative data were collected and presented using the English language proficiency test and the social identity questionnaire (Bruner & Benson, 2018). Moreover, semi-structured interviews were used to show the participants’ reflections regarding English language instruction. To analyze the data, One-Way ANCOVA was used to answer the research questions. The statistical results indicated that the experimental group contributed significant improvements in being empowered with higher levels of English language proficiency and social identity (p< 0.01). Besides, the qualitative analysis showed that English language instruction increased the levels of engagement, motivation, willingness to take risks, emotion regulation, and self-growth among the participants. The results of this study provide evidence of the feasibility of successful English language instruction among mental illness patients, which has not received adequate attention in academic studies. تفاصيل المقالة