This study was an endeavor to explore the main sources of EFL learners' writing problems through dialogic interactions. It also investigated the effect of metaphor and metonymy on EFL learners' writing achievement. To achieve this end, the researcher adopted mixed-method research with a sample of intermediate language students from both genders. In the qualitative section, 20 EFL learners were selected through purposive sampling, and in the quantitative section, 120 language students were selected through convenience sampling from a university in Gorgan. Data were gathered through Quick Oxford Placement Test (OPT), writing tests, and a semi-structured interview. After recording and transcribing the interviews, the transcripts of the interviews were formatted using the software NVIVO 11 Pro®. With the help of this software, the textual data were reduced into some statements which could reflect the main ideas of the participants’ lived experiences without any intervention from the researcher. However, the data of the tests were inserted into SPSS software and the ANCOVA test was run to indicate differences between the three groups in terms of their writing improvement. The main results suggested that metaphor and metonymy through dialogic interactions had significant effects on the participations’ writing achievement. As well as that, findings from the analysis of data revealed the four main sources of writing problems as linguistic, personal, epistemological, and ecological. Manuscript profile

Delving into the sources of foreign language writing problems is usually neglected. This necessitates more scrutiny of finding out where these problems originate from. To this end, the present study sought to follow a two-fold aim: finding the roots of the Iranian EFL learners’ writing problems, and discovering how these roots are interconnected with each other and come up with a corresponding model. In the qualitative part of the study, a phenomenological research tradition was adopted and 20 EFL learners were selected through purposive sampling. In the quantitative part, through convenience sampling 120 language learners from an English language school in Gorgan, Iran, were selected to be the participants of the study. A semi-structured interview and a researcher-developed questionnaire were used as the instruments for data collection. The results obtained from the analysis of data revealed that writing problems originate from various sources, mainly linguistic, personal, epistemological and ecological, and enjoy a model in which epistemological, linguistic and ecological sources have direct effects and personal source has indirect effect on writing problems. Recognition of epistemological and ecological sources as a novel finding can make teachers revisit their view of these less-approached issues. Manuscript profile

The current study attempted to investigate the impact of topic interest and L2 proficiency on Iranian EFL learners’ incidental vocabulary learning in terms of their gender. There were 107 (F = 56, M = 51) EFL learners of English at the pre-intermediate and intermediate levels of linguistic proficiency, selected through convenience sampling in this quasi-experimental study. The participants were divided into four experimental groups based on their proficiency level and gender, that is, Male Intermediate High-Interest Topics (MIHIT), Male Pre-Intermediate Low-Interest Topics (MPILIT), Female Intermediate High-Interest Topics (FIHIT), and Female Pre-Intermediate Low-Interest Topics (FPILIT) groups. The adapted version of the Topic interest survey by Ebbers (2011) was utilized to determine the participants’ interests. Also, reading passages were taken from British Council’s texts, and two vocabulary tests were given as a pretest and a posttest. The independent samples t-tests and paired samples t-tests run on the four groups revealed a statistically significant difference. Results suggested that topic interest had a statistically significant effect on the incidental vocabulary learning of Iranian EFL male and female learners. Besides, unlike the male group, there was a statistically significant difference in female posttest scores, indicating that L2 proficiency had an effect on their EFL incidental vocabulary learning. Manuscript profile

Regarding the significance of writing in English language learning and the importance of figurative language in writing, the present paper sought to determine whether using metaphoric language can have any positive effects on writing improvement through dialogic interactions. A total of 60 female intermediate learners from a university in Gorgan, Iran, were selected through convenience sampling. The participants were divided into three groups each one consisting of 20 learners. The Quick Oxford Placement Test and Writing Test developed by the authors of the current study were used to collect data. First, the data normality of the K-S test was run. Second, an ANOVA was run to see whether there would be any difference between the three groups in terms of their writing improvement at the pretest level. Then the same ANOVA was run between the posttests of these three groups. This study showed that metaphor and metonymy through dialogic interactions had significant effects on the participations’ writing. The present research suggests the practice of more dialogical interactions and calls for using group work and figurative language in writing training programs. Manuscript profile

Regarding the significance of writing in today’s English learning and figurative language, the present paper seeks to determine whether using metaphoric language can have any positive effects on writing improvement through dialogic interactions. A total of 60 female students at intermediate proficiency level from a university in Gorgan, Iran, were selected through convenience sampling. The participants were divided into three groups each one consisting of 20 learners. Quick Oxford Placement Test and Writing Test developed by the current study authors were used to collect data. First, the data normality of K-S test was run. Second, an ANOVA was run to see whether there would be any difference between the three groups in terms of their writing improvement in the pre-test. Then the same ANOVA was run between the post-tests of these three groups. This study showed that metaphor and metonymy through dialogic interactions had significant effects on the participations’ writing. All in all, as pedagogical implications, the present research addresses EFL teachers to practice more dialogical interactions and calls for using group work and figurative language in writing training programs which have not been employed in foreign language courses. Manuscript profile