This study was an endeavor to implement and investigate reciprocal-scaffolding treatment in virtual EFL learning context. More specifically, it analyzed the effect of reciprocal-scaffolding online treatment on Iranian EFL learners’ oral skills. After running placement test, 36 students formed the sample and they were randomly classified into two groups of experimental (EG=18) that received the mentioned treatment and control (CG=18) that were instructed using traditional teaching procedures. The data gathering tools included a homogeneity test, pretests and posttests in listening and speaking skills. The study was conducted in 16 sessions and the experimental group members received reciprocal-scaffolding strategies instruction in their speaking and listening courses, while the control group members practiced these two skills devoid of such instruction. The results of independent samples t-tests and paired t-tests performed on pretests and posttests revealed that the learners in the treatment group outperformed those in control group in both oral language skills. تفاصيل المقالة

This study aimed to investigate the impact of self-regulation training and instruction on EFL learners’ short-term andlong-term retention of English vocabulary in online classes. The design of the present study was a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group design. The participants of this study included 60 Iranian maleintermediate EFL learners chosen from among 68 learners studying English at a private language institute inKerman, Iran based on their PET scores. The original sample was selected through convenience sampling. Theparticipants’ ages ranged from 17 to 30. The following instruments were used in this study: a Preliminary EnglishTest (PET) and two researcher-made vocabulary tests. To analyze the data, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test,Descriptive statistics and Repeated Measures ANOVA were used and according to the results of data analysis, self-regulation training and instruction had a significant effect on EFL learners’ short-term and long-term retention ofEnglish vocabularies in online classes. The findings have some implications for EFL teachers, EFL learners, andcurriculum planners. تفاصيل المقالة

The purpose of holistic language teaching is the development of the learners’ ability to handle both their language oral skills as well as maximizing their life skills. This study aimed to fulfill these objectives through a mixed-methods design, using holistic teaching procedures. The participants of the study comprised 60 Iranian EFL pre-intermediate learners homogenized through Cambridge Placement Test, from a population of 78 students who had been selected by simple random sampling. They were divided into two experimental and control groups (30 students in each group) who received the treatment--a holistic and sequenced series of listening-speaking activities, and traditional teaching instruction, respectively. Four instruments were used to collect the data for analysis: Cambridge Placement Test, a comprehensive test of speaking and listening used as pretest and posttest, a questionnaire to estimate the learners’ self-efficacy and finally, an unstructured interview. The findings of the study proved that the experimental group that was exposed to the holistic teaching procedures outperformed the control group, meaning that the participants in this group performed more satisfactorily in both listening and speaking. Moreover, their self-efficacy improved to an acceptable level as they expressed in the interview their satisfaction with the use of holistic teaching procedures. These findings have some implications for both teachers and students concerning the enhancement of language interaction in and outside the English classes. تفاصيل المقالة

This paper aimed to critically look at team teaching tactics and the role it plays in achieving teaching and learning effectiveness. Specifically, using psychological counseling procedures, this study examined the benefits this learner-centered attitude brings to the student teachers and students, and also discussed different possible issues that may arise. To this purpose, a mix-methods design which comprised pretest, posttest, questionnaires, and interview was utilized to collect the necessary data. 52 Iranian high school EFL students were selected through purposive sampling and divided into a Control Group (CG) and an Experimental Group (EG). Also, two English language teachers, and a teacher as counselor were purposively selected to participate in team teaching procedure. The control group was taught through traditional methods of language teaching and the experimental group was taught through team teaching procedures. The posttest results showed that there were significant differences in favour of the experimental group between the two groups in terms of their oral proficiency.Also, the results obtained from the questionnaires revealed that that there were significant differences in the participants’ outlook towards using team teaching methods in the language class. It was further found that there was a very strong evidence of partnership between team teaching plus counseling practice and inherent academic motivation as well as between team teaching and counseling procedure. The findings of the study are valuable for English language instructors, materials developers, program planners, and education administrators. تفاصيل المقالة

There have been few representative studies investigating Iranian senior high school students’ L2 selves shaped by the ELT reform. Thus, the current study was an attempt to ponder on the ideal-self, ought-to self, and L2 experience orientations of Iranian EFL high school students. Moreover, it intended to seek whether there was any relationship between three L2 motivational variables of Iranian EFL high school students across gender and residential background. To this end, 200 males and 184 females from Iranian senior high schools in South part of Iran were selected through purposive sampling. Based on a mixed methods design, the study was conducted to gain the breadth and depth of the issue under investigation. The results showed that there was no substantial gap between male and female learners in L2 motivational preference of English learning. In addition, there was a significant difference between female and male students’ views on ought-to self. Moreover, it was observed that there was no marked difference between the L2 experience of female and male L2 learners. Regarding residential background, there was a significant difference among the mean ranks of the urban residential participants at three L2 motivational orientations but, there was not a significant difference among the mean ranks of the rural residential participants. The findings of the study recommend the incorporation of L2 motivation in teaching methods to improve the learning environment and learner investment in language learning. تفاصيل المقالة

This study aimed to investigate the impact of web-based cooperative teaching through strategy-based instruction on EFL learners’ speaking and listening skills. Moreover, the use of cooperative teaching was hypothesized to have impact on the EFL learners’ self-efficacy. To this purpose, the study followed a mixed-methods design by implementing both qualitative and quantitative data gathering procedures through tests, questionnaire and interviews. The population of the study was made up of 48 EFL learners in a language institute in Kerman, a city in the south east of Iran. In order to collect data, four instruments were used: Cambridge Placement Test to homogenize the participants, pre- and post-listening and speaking tests, a questionnaire to estimate EFL learners’ self-efficacy and finally an interview. Based on the obtained results, it was revealed that the learners in the online group improved much more satisfactorily than those taught through traditional teaching procedures. It was, therefore, concluded that collaborative teaching strategies were effective in the web environment. Besides, meaningful relationships were observed between the use of the applied strategies and the oral skills. Furthermore, the results of the questionnaire clearly indicated the learners’ self-efficacy improvement from pre- to post-administration. Finally, the resulted obtained from the interview showed the positive effect of web-based cooperative and strategy teaching in the oral language class. In fact, majority of the learners in the online group clearly maintained that using collaboration in the web-environment could enhance their learning level. The findings of the study are of much help to language teachers who observe learning problems among their students. They can also assist learners who suffer from communicative difficulties in the situations where they have to collaborate with other groups and exchange ideas. تفاصيل المقالة

The relationship between identity and language learning has attracted the scholars` attention in the fields of second language acquisition (SLA) with considerable focus on social and cultural dimensions of language learning. However, relatively little research has been devoted to examining the identity construction of language learners in virtual communities of practice despite the global trend of foreign language instruction. Consequently, the current mixed methods classroom-based study investigated whether the implementation of intercultural movie clips in virtual communities of practice could contribute to social and cultural identity improvement of participants in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context. To achieve this goal, two intact classes in an institute were assigned to experimental and control group, each containing thirty EFL learners. This study was implemented on the pre-test post-test equivalent-group design. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative analysis, using two questionnaires, and a semi-structured interview, the results indicated that positive changes took place in social and cultural identity of the participants. Moreover, by getting access to new social, cultural and linguistic resources and as a result the adoption of new identities, some special features such as fewer psychological barriers to understanding others, increasing courage to accept new norms, and feelings of unity and equity were obtained by the learners. تفاصيل المقالة

This qualitative study aimed to investigate the effect of reciprocal scaffolding techniques in EFL classes on Iranian EFL learners’ views in a Language Management System (LMS) environment. In doing so, 32 pre-intermediate EFL students of a language institute in Kerman were selected based on a simple random sampling method. The data gathering tools included a homogeneity test and then related interviews. The participants received reciprocal-scaffolding techniques instruction in their online class via LMS. They practiced the teaching strategies which encouraged learners’ independence in the LMS environment. At the end of the course, the participants were interviewed based on the data saturation technique. The results of the interview analyzed the positive and negative views of EFL learners toward the use of these strategies in the LMS context. Findings indicated that the usage of reciprocal teaching and scaffolding and their integration offered greater learning chances in terms of additional learning resources in the context of the LMS. The final stages of RT scaffolding were related to the students’ independence and autonomy, so they could study the extra sources without getting help from the instructor. Totally, all factors resulted in high learners' satisfaction with the techniques. The study suggested some pedagogical implications for EFL teachers and learners in using reciprocal scaffolding techniques in the EFL context. تفاصيل المقالة

This experimental study investigated the impact of reciprocal-scaffolding teaching procedures on two aspects of learners' quality: their self-efficacy and speaking and listening skills. The study also analyzed the EFL learners’ attitudes on the use of reciprocal-scaffolding strategies via LMS. Moreover, it highlighted the possible difference between the effect of reciprocal-scaffolding strategies on EFL learners' oral skills and their self-efficacy. To this end, 48 pre-intermediate Iranian EFL learners were selected as the participants. A concurrent embedded mixed-methods design was employed to collect qualitative and quantitative data through the pre and posttest PET-test and an interview at the end of term. The results of independent samples t-tests and paired t-tests indicated that students who received treatment in form of integration of scaffolding and reciprocal strategies received both statically and practically significantly higher marks on speaking and listening skills, and self–efficacy than did the students in the control group. There was also a significant relationship between self-efficacy and success in speaking and listening performance. It can be inferred that reciprocal-scaffolding strategies have a significant positive impact on the improvement of oral skills. Finally, the results of the interview revealed the positive and negative attitudes of students towards the use of the strategies in LMS context. تفاصيل المقالة

The present work adopted a multiphase design to investigate the effect of using web-based collaborative and strategy-based approaches on EFL learners' oral skills. Moreover, a more comprehensive objective was to check if the use of collaboration and strategy instruction could enhance EFL students' self-efficacy. The participants of the study consisted of 85 intermediate EFL learners who were studying at a language school in Kerman. To collect the data, four instruments were used: Cambridge Placement Test to homogenize the participants, pre- and post-listening and speaking tests, a questionnaire to estimate EFL learners’ self-efficacy, and an interview. The results suggested that most of the students preferred cooperative learning strategy-based instruction. The findings indicated that the effective use of web-based collaboration in speaking and listening classes that could have a remarkable effect on the linguistic input of the learners. The sample also proposed that the appreciation of the program was a given sign of the positive effect of both web-based instruction and collaboration in the web environment. Above all, the results of the speaking and listening tests revealed that the participants improved satisfactorily. تفاصيل المقالة

Trying to motivate language learners is one of the most demanding yet vital challenges faced by L2 teachers. Dealing with Dörnyei’s motivational theory, the current research was an attempt to ponder the ideal-self, ought-to-self, and L2 experience orientations of Iranian EFL high-school students. Moreover, this study examined whether there was any relationship among three L2 motivational variables across gender and residential background. To this end, 200 male and 184 female junior-high-school students were selected through cluster sampling. The newly designed L2 motivational self-system questionnaire consisted of three main variables, in which 13 items were related to Ideal L2 Self, 12 with ought-to L2 Self, and the other nine with L2 Learning Experience. The findings revealed no significant difference between male and female students in L2 motivational orientation for English learning, and female learners’ L2 motivation in English language learning was affected by L2 motivation compared to male learners. Furthermore, there was a significant difference between female and male students’ scores in ought-to L2 self. Moreover, it was found that there was no significant difference between female and male learners’ L2 experience. Regarding residential background, there was a significant difference among the mean ranks of the city participants at three L2 Motivational Orientations but there was no significant difference among the mean ranks of the rural participants at three L2 Motivational Orientations.Keywords: Educational transition; Gender; Residential background; Second language (L2) motivation; Second language (L2) selvesTrying to motivate language learners is one of the most demanding yet vital challenges faced by L2 teachers. Dealing with Dörnyei’s motivational theory, the current research was an attempt to ponder the ideal-self, ought-to-self, and L2 experience orientations of Iranian EFL high-school students. Moreover, this study examined whether there was any relationship among three L2 motivational variables across gender and residential background. To this end, 200 male and 184 female junior-high-school students were selected through cluster sampling. The newly designed L2 motivational self-system questionnaire consisted of three main variables, in which 13 items were related to Ideal L2 Self, 12 with ought-to L2 Self, and the other nine with L2 Learning Experience. The findings revealed no significant difference between male and female students in L2 motivational orientation for English learning, and female learners’ L2 motivation in English language learning was affected by L2 motivation compared to male learners. Furthermore, there was a significant difference between female and male students’ scores in ought-to L2 self. Moreover, it was found that there was no significant difference between female and male learners’ L2 experience. Regarding residential background, there was a significant difference among the mean ranks of the city participants at three L2 Motivational Orientations but there was no significant difference among the mean ranks of the rural participants at three L2 Motivational Orientations. تفاصيل المقالة

An aspect responsible for lack of suitable communicative skills is inappropriate level of motivation among the learners. The goal of this study was to consider the impact of using film watching on the pragmatic motivation of EFL learners. To this purpose, an experimental study was carried out with medical students. The sample of the study was composed of 60 nursing students aged 19 to 24. To ensure that the participants English proficiency, Quick Oxford Placement Test (OQPT) was run. Finally, 54 participants established the subjects of the study; then, being randomly classified into two equal groups of experimental (EG=27) and control (CG=27). Pre and post Pragmatic Motivation Questionnaire (Tajeddin and Zand-Moghadam, 2012) were used to collect the data. The results of the study indicated that watching films by the EFL learners could impact their level of motivation significantly. The achievements suggested the extensive use of movies in the language classes that could lead to both pragmatic knowledge and the subjects’ level of pragmatic motivation. تفاصيل المقالة