Number 4 Volume 5

Open Access Article

1 - Comparative Effect of Visual and Auditory Teaching Techniques on Retention of Word Stress patterns: A Case Study of English as a Foreign Language Curriculum in Iran
Maryam Homapour Zohre Mohamadi

This study aimed at investigating the effect of visual (Cuisenaire Rods) and auditory nonsensical monosyllables using Pratt speech processing software as teaching techniques on retention of word stress. To this end, 60 high school participants made the two experimental More

This study aimed at investigating the effect of visual (Cuisenaire Rods) and auditory nonsensical monosyllables using Pratt speech processing software as teaching techniques on retention of word stress. To this end, 60 high school participants made the two experimental groups of the study each having 30 students on the basis of their proficiency scores on KET (Key English Test). In one experimental group, Cuisenaire rods were used to teach word stress whereas in the other one, auditory nonsensical monosyllables using Praat speech processing software was used as an auditory aid. Both groups received the same educational content except for the way of presentation. T-test analysis indicated that both experimental groups improve their retention of word stress from pretest to post test. The compassion between the two techniques indicated that visual representation had more effect on word stress retention than auditory representation. Creativity and dynamicity of the two methods can help teachers to attend individual preferences and preferred learning styles. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

2 - The Acquisition of WH questions by Persian and English speaking children
Elham Pirbeig Darvishvanda Ramin Rahmany

This research is case study which was designed to investigate the acquisition of WH-question byPersian and English speaking children between 2 to 4 years old. Four girls and their input wereprecisely analyzed in order to figure how WH-questions are effective in their sp More

This research is case study which was designed to investigate the acquisition of WH-question byPersian and English speaking children between 2 to 4 years old. Four girls and their input wereprecisely analyzed in order to figure how WH-questions are effective in their speaking in theirdaily lives. In the current study the subjects were randomly selected and the matter of gender wasnot considered. This study designed to find out how children acquire used to WH-question duringtheir special age. The study was conducted in 44 hours in eighty-four sessions. Each session lastedfor 45, 60, 90 or less than 40 minutes. This study uses real language, real people, Real places toconnect learners of English to the world. All their partners were their parents, peers, and caregiver.Their voice was recorded by a phone in different time and the Persian speech was recordedin Iran and the English speech in the United Kingdom. At last, all their dialogues were analyzedto find out how they learn to use WH-questions. In conclusion, it was found that children who are2-aged presented a large number of WH-questions and 4 aged children use less than WH-questionsin compared with the younger children. The result showed that English girls used more WHquestionthan Persian girls and children who are four aged used more WH-question than childrenwho are two aged in English and Persian. Finding in this research showed that, there are nosignificant relationship between children input and the children feedback. It means that input hasno effect on children acquisition and children acquired WH-question without mirror the input. Atthe end, this research presented some limitations and suggestions for further study. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

3 - Game-based Teaching of Stress Placement on Multi-syllabic English Words
Musa Nushi Samaneh Shafeie Meisam Shafiei

Accurate pronunciation is an important component of language ability and the main outward linguistic sign of whether someone is a native speaker of a language or not. An area of particular difficulty for Persian-speaking learners of English, which may cause 'foreign acc More

Accurate pronunciation is an important component of language ability and the main outward linguistic sign of whether someone is a native speaker of a language or not. An area of particular difficulty for Persian-speaking learners of English, which may cause 'foreign accent' or misunderstanding in speaking, is placement of stress on multi-syllable words. Game-based pronunciation teaching can be a pedagogical option to tackle that problematic feature of English pronunciation as it incorporates both implicit and explicit approaches to instruction. This study, therefore, investigates the effects of using a pronunciation game on learning stress placement on multi-syllable English words by young Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Fifty-two intermediate EFL learners were randomly selected through administration of Preliminary English Test (PET) and divided into two groups: the experimental group (group A) containing 27 students and the control group (Group B) containing 25 students. The experimental group received game-based instruction and materials for eight class sessions. Two weeks after the final class, a post-test was conducted to find out the changes. The results showed a significant difference between the performance of experimental and control groups on the post-test. The experimental group outperformed the control group and indicated quite positive attitudes towards the use of the game-based learning of pronunciation. The researchers recommend using such games to EFL teachers in order to motivate and help their students learn pronunciation more effectively. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

4 - The Effect of Storytelling through Puppets on Speaking Fluency and Motivation of preintermediate Iranian English as Foreign language learners
Robab Ahmadi Zohre Mohamadi

Among many factors affecting learning a language, motivation is the most well- documented in theory and less operationalized in practice entity and it calls for consideration when it comes to learn speaking skill in English as Foreign Language (EFL) education ecology. T More

Among many factors affecting learning a language, motivation is the most well- documented in theory and less operationalized in practice entity and it calls for consideration when it comes to learn speaking skill in English as Foreign Language (EFL) education ecology. This study investigates the effect of storytelling through puppets on 60 Iranian pre -intermediate EFL learners' Motivation and speaking fluency. Gardner's Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) and speaking part of Preliminary English Test (PET) were used at pretest and posttest stages of experimental and control groups. The stories were selected on the basis of their difficulty level to ensure their concordance with proficiency level of the students. The puppets were designed to represent the characters of the stories. The results of Analysis of Variance indicated that storytelling through puppets have not only affected learners' speaking fluency but also motivation. This suggests that language teachers should make principled decisions about the techniques by which they build confidence for the most motivation requiring classroom skill; speaking. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

5 - The Effect of Neurofeedback on Iranian EFL Dyslexic Students
Ramin Rahmany Neda Abdi

This research was designed to investigate the effects of neurofeedback on dyslexic students.Dyslexia is one of the most common psychiatric disorders of reading between children in schools.This research includes pre-test and post-test of Persian and English passages with More

This research was designed to investigate the effects of neurofeedback on dyslexic students.Dyslexia is one of the most common psychiatric disorders of reading between children in schools.This research includes pre-test and post-test of Persian and English passages with a group of sevenPersian dyslexic students with IQ between 95 to 105 were randomly selected from 25 dyslexicstudents (7 to 12 years old) which has been performed at Nima Ushij primary school in Tehran.The research tools were four English and Persian reading passages and neurofeedback system.After a six months treatment course by neurofeedback, finally t-test was used to analyze the resultsof pre and post-test to find whether neurofeedback was effective on their reading disability.Dyslexic children performed perfectly (except two brothers called maybe foe genetic reason) onreading after neurophysiology treatment and a significant difference was statistically observedbetween their pre and post-test reading performance. At last, an oral interview was administeredwith parents to identify their children's improvement. Most parent were satisfied with the treatmentand even expressed the neurofeedback effects on their children's self-confidence in personal life.With respect to the results of the research, neurotheraphy is highly efficient and it will increaseintelligence and mental capabilities and even self-confidence and reduces difficulties for readingof dyslexic students. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

6 - Investigation of the Relationship between Metacognitive Reading Strategies and Motivation: The Case of Iranian EFL Learners
Fatemeh Mohseni Zohreh Seifoori Saeideh Ahangari

This study was to investigate the use of metacognitive reading strategies, patterns of motivation aswell as the relationship between motivation and L2 readers’ metacognitive awareness andperceived use of strategies among Iranian EFL learners. A total number of 36 More

This study was to investigate the use of metacognitive reading strategies, patterns of motivation aswell as the relationship between motivation and L2 readers’ metacognitive awareness andperceived use of strategies among Iranian EFL learners. A total number of 36 intermediate studentsfrom an English Institutes in Qazvin took part in this study. They were asked to fill in twoquestionnaires: (a) a questionnaire on motivation, which was developed by Vallerand et al. (1992),and (b) a questionnaire on Metacognitive awareness strategies in reading developed by Mokhtari& Reichard, (2002). The results of the study revealed that: 1) In the category of metacognitivereading strategies, problem solving was the most frequently used strategy and global and supportwas the least frequently used one. 2) There was no significant difference in terms of type ofmotivation among Iranian EFL learners 3) Positive relationship was found between both types ofmotivation and use of metacognitive reading strategies. This study suggested that readers’metacognitive awareness should be cultivated and strategy instruction should be integrated intothe teaching of reading. Manuscript profile

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