Journal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English: 2 (1)

Open Access Article

1 - Investigating Iranian Undergraduate EFL Learners’ and Teachers’ Attitude Towards Partnership Approach
Sousan Sattar Azizeh Chalak Hossein Heidari Tabrizi

This study aimed at investigating the Iranian undergraduate EFL students’ and teachers’ attitude towards Partnership Approach as a new way of engaging learners in the learning process. A descriptive, ethnographic research method, using a questionnaire along More

This study aimed at investigating the Iranian undergraduate EFL students’ and teachers’ attitude towards Partnership Approach as a new way of engaging learners in the learning process. A descriptive, ethnographic research method, using a questionnaire along with focus group semi-structured interview, was employed. Seventy-two undergraduate EFL learners and 40 EFL teachers with more than ten years of experience in teaching English were included in the study. They were males and females of diﬀerent ages. They responded to two diﬀerent attitude questionnaires. Some of the participants were randomly interviewed to shed light on the accuracy of the information collected. The results indicated that both students and teachers had a significantly positive attitude towards the Partnership Approach. The EFL teachers appeared to hold a more positive attitude and were inclined to support the students’ engagement and the implementation of the Partnership Approach, believing that partnership increases interaction in the classroom, enhances the quality of teaching and learning, and makes the management of the classroom easier. The EFL learners claimed they would learn better and with higher quality, enjoy more, feel more responsible, and have more opportunities to evaluate themselves in such classes. They added it would be interesting to have a part in creating the material. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

2 - A Comparative Investigation of the Backchanneling Strategy in English Language Textbooks for Iranian School Students
Mahboobeh Chahooshi Reza Rezvani

This qualitative study is an attempt to develop our knowledge on using the back-channels in English conversations as a second language obtaining English language textbooks for Iranian school students through the old and new educational system. The textbook of second gui More

This qualitative study is an attempt to develop our knowledge on using the back-channels in English conversations as a second language obtaining English language textbooks for Iranian school students through the old and new educational system. The textbook of second guidance school grade has been compared with seventh junior high school grade (as the frst group), and the textbook of third guidance school grade has been compared to eighth junior high school grade (as the second group). It has been a discourse analysis of these books based on Maynard’s (1997) taxonomy. The results of back-channels frequency have been 26 and 18 times in the frst group, respectively; so, the proportion has been 1.44. Also; back-channeling markers have been appeared 40 and 29 times in the second group, respectively; thus, the proportion has been 1.38. It has been concluded that the back-channels frequency has had a quantity improvement in the new version to the old one. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

3 - The Eﬀect of Using PRAAT Software on Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners’ Supra Segmental Features
Simin Aramipoor Bahman Gorjian

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 st More

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

Open Access Article

4 - Using Bloom’s Revised Cognitive Skills Taxonomy To Evaluate Iranian Students’ Pre-University English Textbook and University Entrance Exams
Shiva Sadighi Mortaza Yamini Mohammad Bagheri Mustafa Zamanian

The priority attributed to the use of Bloom’s revised cognitive skills taxonomy in any educational system and the scarcity of research on this type of topic in our EFL context, the researchers attempted to conduct this study. Our primary objectives revolved around More

The priority attributed to the use of Bloom’s revised cognitive skills taxonomy in any educational system and the scarcity of research on this type of topic in our EFL context, the researchers attempted to conduct this study. Our primary objectives revolved around these dimensions. To examine if the pre-university teaching materials (English 1 and 2) assigned and employed by the teachers to teach their students at Shiraz followed Bloom’s hierarchy. Likewise, the researchers attempted to check if the University Entrance Exams administered every year of screening the registered candidates to enter the universities in Iran was compatible with this taxonomy. Finally, to check if the differences between the two dichotomies (lower and higher) in the textbook were statistically significant. To achieve these goals, the content of the textbook and that of general and English majors’ tests were evaluated against Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. Analyzing the data through descriptive statistics and a Chi-square test applied to data gathered from the English book, the results showed that the content of the book was not aligned with the order of Bloom’s thinking skills. The hierarchy starts from lower order: remembering, understanding, and applying towards higher order: analyzing, evaluating, and creating. Likewise, the analysis of the university entrance exams’ content did not reveal any congruity with Bloom’s hierarchy. So no agreement between the two sources of input with Bloom’s learning objectives was witnessed. Pedagogical implications and recommendations are presented. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

5 - Locative Constructions in English Interlanguage: A Study of the Acquisition of Argument Realization in English by Iranian EFL Learners
Masoume Yakhabi Ahmad Lotfi Reza Biria

Locative constructions, as an instance of double object constructions with various cognitive-linguistic concepts, have been successful in attracting the linguists. This paper tried to evaluate the acquisition of English locative constructions by Persian native speakers More

Locative constructions, as an instance of double object constructions with various cognitive-linguistic concepts, have been successful in attracting the linguists. This paper tried to evaluate the acquisition of English locative constructions by Persian native speakers in the absence of negative evidence, focusing on the influence of L1 and participants’ proficiency level in the course of acquisition. The participants of the study were a group of 90 Iranian EFL learners divided to low, mid, and high proficiency groups asked to carry out a production and a grammaticality judgment task on English locative constructions. The gathered data were analyzed, using one-way ANOVA and the following post hoc tests. The results of the study revealed that L2 learners’ mother tongue (Persian) was an influential factor, and proficiency level affected the performance of participants in the grammaticality judgment task and to a lower degree in the production task. The findings of this study are expected to have pedagogical implications for EFL teachers, making them aware of possible problems EFL learners may be faced with in the course of acquisition of these structures in a foreign language. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

6 - The Effect of Goal-Orientedness and Group Cohesiveness as Two Motivational Strategies on Iranian EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension
Shabnam Nasimi Masoomeh Salehi

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