هدف از جستار حاضر بررسی ویژگی‌های نحوی و سبکی، نوآوری و تصویرآفرینی ادبی آثار فروغ فرخزاد و احمد شاملو می‌باشد. فروغ از تواناترین شعرای معاصر ایران است. شعر وی برخاسته از احساس و اندیشه انسانی است؛ چه در لفظ و چه در محتوا پر از نوآوری و مملو از صنایع ادبی است. مضمون اشعارش مبتنی بر احساسات و تجربیات شخصی وی می‌باشد. شهامت شاملو در شکستن عرف و هنجار زبان فارسی قابل تحسین است. هرچه فاصله واژه‌ها از حالت عادی بیش‌تر می‌شود آفرینش ادبی در آثارش بیش‌تر منعکس می‌گردد. واکنش جدی شاملو به اوضاع سیاسی روزگارش از عنفوان جوانی‌اش آغاز شده و ساختار ذهنی او در متن تعاملات اجتماعی و اندیشه‌های انقلابی شکل می‌گیرد. سبک نوشتاری وی مملو از برجستگی‌های ادبی است. Manuscript profile

ترجمه تطبیقی ضرب‌المثل‌های انگلیسی به زبان فارسی، مترجمان ایرانی را در مقایسه زبان مبدا (SL) با زبان مقصد (TL) با مسایلی از قبیل کاربردهای لغوی، سبک ادبی، فرهنگ و ساختار یا معنی مواجه می‌سازد. در این مورد، عوامل اصلی در ترجمه و برابریابی در دو زبان مبدا و مقصد در سه حوزه زبان‌شناسی از قبیل شکل(form)، محتوا(content) و موقعیت(context) در دو زبان‌های مبدا و مقصد قرار می‌گیرند. مقاله حاضر با ارایه طرح سه نسخه‌ای در صدد یافتن راه حلی کاربردی برای ترجمه ضرب‌المثل‌های انگلیسی به فارسی با حداقل افت از لحظ ساختاری، معنایی و مفهومی است. Manuscript profile

The present study investigated the effect of using PRAAT as a free computer software package for the scientific analysis of speech in phonetics on pre-intermediate Iranian English as foreign language (EFL) learners’ supra segmental features (i.e., intonation and stress). The design of the study was a Quasi-experimental research design with a pre and post-test. In doing so, 40 male and female majoring in English translation with the age ranging from 19 to 37 years old were selected. They were studying EFL at the Islamic Azad University of Abadan, Iran. The participants were selected among 55 students through the Oxford Placement Test (OPT) and their level of proficiency was determined as the pre-intermediate level. Then they were divided into two experimental and control groups through convenience sampling method. Then they took a pre-test to evaluate their proficiency in supra segmental features (i.e. intonation and stress). The control group (n= 20) was exposed to the traditional method and the experimental group (n=20) was exposed to the use of PRAAT software in learning supra segmental features (i.e. intonation and stress). After the treatment sessions, both groups took the post-test that was a modified pre-test. Data were analyzed through Independent and Paired Samples t-tests. Result indicated the experimental group outperformed the control group. Implications of the study suggest that the EFL teachers can use PRAAT software to teach supra segmental features effectively. Manuscript profile

This study investigated the effects of pre-speaking tasks on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ oral production including accuracy and fluency. To do the current study, the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) was given to 75 students and 50 participants whose scores were between 40 and 47 were selected. The participants were at the intermediate level. Then, the participants were divided into two groups: one experimental group and one control group through non-random convenience sampling method. Then they were given three topics to talk about in two minutes as a pre-test. Afterwards, the experimental group received the treatment through pre-speaking tasks including question and answer tasks, brainstorming and peer discussion and the control group received traditional activities like talk on the topics and giving the word definitions. During nine sessions, the pre-speaking tasks were taught and in the last session, the two groups took the speaking post-test. Data were analyzed through independent and paired samples t-tests and the results indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group on the post-test. In other words, there was a significant difference between the post-test of the two groups. The implications of the study suggest that the English teachers should prepare speaking tasks before dealing with the topics for discussion to provide the learners with enough input for participating in the speaking tasks. Manuscript profile

The present study aimed at investigating the effect of critical thinking (CT) versus brainstorming (BS) as pre-writing stage activities on English as a foreign language (EFL) pre-intermediate learners’ expository writing. To achieve this aim, 100 pre-intermediate level participants studying at Naft Language Center in Ahvaz were selected based on convenience sampling method. They took part in Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) and 60 of them were assigned into three equal homogeneous groups; two experimental groups of CT and BS compared to one control group (CO). They received three different kinds of treatments lasting 13 sessions of 90 minutes. The CT group received exercises on major CT skills (e.g., inferencing, recognition, deduction) and BS group go through think, pair and share steps to outline the writing tasks. Prior to the main study, students wrote a 150-word expository writing about one of the topics chosen from their textbooks as a pre-test. Finally, all groups were asked to write another 150-word expository writing as a post-test after the implementation of the proposed treatment. The results indicated that both CT and BS as pre-writing stage activities led to the enhancement of the participants’ expository writing performance. Manuscript profile

The present study investigated the effect of pragmatic eliciting tasks on EFL pre-intermediate learners speaking proficiency. Thus this study aimed at comparing the English language learners who practiced pragmatic eliciting tasks and the ones who used traditional speaking activities such as questions and answers, discussion, etc. In doing so, 40 learners out of 80 were selected through Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) with the band score of 30 to 39. Then they were non-randomly divided into two equal experimental and control groups through convenience sampling method. Both groups took a teacher-made pre-test on speaking proficiency and the scores were recorded. The experimental group received pragmatic eliciting tasks including explicit uses of pragmatic functions of speech (i.e., greeting, thanking, etc.) while the control group received these pragmatic tasks implicitly. Finally, both groups took a posttest which was the modified pre-test. Data were analyzed through independent and paired sample t-tests and the results showed that explicit instruction on pragmatic eliciting tasks were effective than the implicit ones in the control group. Implications of the study suggest that the learners should learn pragmatic eliciting tasks for effective uses of language functions in their conversations. Manuscript profile