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While aptitude has been seen to contribute to second language (L2) development, most studies have examined its contribution as a fixed trait, rather than viewing it as a dynamic, changing variable. There appears to have been little or no investigation of the role that aptitude plays in the development of L2 pragmatic ability. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the contribution of L2 learning aptitude as measured by Grigorenko et al.'s (2000) CANAL-FT ("The Cognitive Ability for Novelty in Acquisition of Language as Applied to Foreign Language Test") to L2 speech-act knowledge among 121 Iranian upper-intermediate to advanced level EFL learners. In addition, a multiple-choice discourse completion test (MDCT) comprising three common English speech acts (Derakhshan, 2014) was administered to the participants. A multiple regression analysis revealed that all five components of CANAL-FT were significant predictors of L2 speech-act knowledge. The aptitude for learning sentential inferences was the strongest predictor, followed by the ability to acquire the meanings of the whole passage. The other three components of aptitude, namely, comprehending the meanings of contextualized neologisms, acquiring the language rules, and learning the meanings of paired associates, were found to be moderate predictors of L2 speech act knowledge. These results appeared to underscore the benefits of obtaining aptitude data on learners as a means for better understanding the dynamics of L2 development in the area of pragmatics.

This study explored the effects of three types of lexical tools (MOOCs, E-dictionaries, and lexical concordancers) and three types of lexical applications (technology-mediated communication-based applications (TMCA), Anki as an e-flashcard application, and WordUp as a dedicated lexical application) on learning academic core words among a sample of 74 EFL students in six groups. Furthermore, the effectiveness of lexical applications was compared in terms of being tutor-based form-focused or tool-based meaning-focused. After the treatments that included 24 60-minute sessions, students answered a research-made test developed based on the 85 words selected from Gardner and Davies' ([2014]. "A New Academic Vocabulary List." "Applied Linguistics" 35 (3): 305-327) academic vocabulary list (AVL). Data analysis using one-way ANOVA and independent-sample t-test indicated that vocabulary learning occurred more through lexical applications than lexical tools. MOOCs and lexical concordancers roughly equal outperformed the e-dictionaries group. Among the lexical applications, WordUp attained better results than TMCA and Anki Flashcard Program. Anki showed more gains in academic vocabulary learning than TMCA. Furthermore, the tutor form-focused application (WordUP) was more effective than the tool-based meaning-focused applications (TMCA+ Anki Groups). The findings of this investigation imply that language teachers can use more lexical applications to enhance the knowledge of academic core words.

Since its inception, pragmatic competence has been studied vastly; the majority of these studies, however, have examined pragmatic production, and pragmatic comprehension is chiefly under-researched. This lack of adequate research also stands true for the underlying pragmatic comprehension processes and strategies. Therefore, the present investigation aimed to find out L2 pragmatic comprehension strategies used by 40 (F=20, M=20) Iranian EFL learners and to discover whether there would be any differences between interlanguage pragmatic comprehension strategies used by male and female learners. Participants, selected based on stratified random sampling, were chosen on the basis of their performance on a paper-based TOEFL out of the initial sample of 90 students. Three data collection instruments were employed: a validated pragmatic test (Tajeddin & Ahmadi Safa, 2010), concurrent verbal think-aloud protocols, and retrospective verbal think-aloud protocols. Data analysis revealed three classes of pragmatic comprehension strategies. First, socio-pragmatic strategies that included politeness, formality, indirectness, and distance/power influences. Second, lexico-pragmatic strategies which were more frequent than grammatical strategies in the second category. Third, the cognitive strategies that comprised both top-down and bottom-up processing strategies in L2 pragmatic comprehension. Furthermore, it was found that gender did not play any significant role in the use of pragmatic comprehension strategies. Study findings suggest that explicit teaching of pragmatic comprehension strategies helps learners promote their L2 pragmatic comprehension.

Although language learners' knowledge of second language (L2) speech acts is postulated to be substantially influenced by learner variables, there is little empirical evidence of the influence of pragmatic motivation (PM) and willingness to communicate (WTC). To address this gap, this study sought to investigate the impact of PM and WTC as two important multifaceted learner variables on L2 speech‐act knowledge. The participants included 500 Persian‐speaking learners of English as a foreign language. The researchers developed and validated three instruments for data collection: a multiple‐choice discourse completion task (MDCT) including five common English speech acts, a PM questionnaire, and a WTC questionnaire. Data were collected in two subsequent phases. First, the MDCT was administered, and then the participants filled out the two questionnaires. Data analysis using multiple regression revealed that both PM and WTC significantly predicted L2 speech‐act knowledge. However, PM turned out to be a stronger predictor of this knowledge than WTC. The findings imply that PM and WTC are implicated in L2 pragmatic knowledge and hence language teachers should consider these two variables to help learners enhance their pragmatic acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interlanguage pragmatics has been the focus of many studies since its inception in the 1980s, with several issues being investigated and a variety of approaches being applied. However, studies on the learning processes and strategies which are specifically responsible for the acquisition of interlanguage pragmatics (ILP) knowledge are rare. Therefore, the current investigation sought to examine the effects of selected individual differences (IDs), including age, gender, language learning experience (LLE), and L2 proficiency, on the use of interlanguage pragmatic learning strategies (IPLS) in a sample of 160 English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. The data were collected utilizing a six-point IPLS inventory which contained 58 6-point Likert scale items that were divided into six subcategories. Data analysis using independent samples t-tests revealed that young learners used significantly more IPLS compared to their adult counterparts; nonetheless, there were no significant differences in the use of the IPLS between the female and male learners. At the same time, two one-way ANOVAs indicated that LLE and L2 proficiency played a significant role in the use of IPLS, that is, learners with longer LLE and higher proficiency levels used more IPLS. These findings have some pedagogical implications for L2 learners and teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learners' acquisition of pragmatic competence in additional languages has received mounting attention since the 1990s. However, although studies on general learning strategies have proliferated since Oxford’s (1990) influential inventory was published, studies on pragmatic-specific learning strategies contributing to the acquisition of this competence are rare. To fill this research gap, the current study purported to inquire into the main pragmatic learning strategies used by English language learners across gender and language learning experience. To collect the data, 145 learners were interviewed. These participants' answers were audio-taped and transcribed. These extracted strategies were organized into six groupings of memory-related, cognitive, metacognitive, compensatory, social, and affective pragmatic learning strategies based on Cohen's (2005, 2010) pragmatic-specific categorization and Oxford's (1990) general language learning strategy classification. The analysis showed that those learners with longer experience used more pragmatic learning strategies; nonetheless, gender did result in great differences in employing these strategies. This study presents a new categorization for pragmatic learning strategies, which can be used for more effective pragmatic learning strategy teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learners' self-regulation is of paramount importance in online language learning. Thus, the present study was conducted to compare three online instructional methods of Technology-Mediated Task-Based Language Teaching (TM-TBLT), Problem-Based Instruction Online (PBIO), and Online Flipped Learning (OFL) with each other and with lecture-based online teaching in terms of their effect on language learners' self-regulation. To this end, 120 intermediate-level English learners were selected through convenience sampling, screened through the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT), and assigned (randomly) to one control and three experimental groups. They received instruction according to the principles of TM-TBLT, PBIO, OFL and a conventional lecture-based method, respectively. The data were collected using an online self-regulated English learning (OSEL) questionnaire and analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The findings revealed that all three experimental treatments had significant effects on online language learning selfregulation. The comparisons showed that all three instructional methods were equally effective in improving the participants' online self-regulation. The findings will have practical implications for teachers to choose the best-fitting online instructional methods for improving learners' self-regulation in online contexts. These findings can also help syllabus designers and material developers to write syllabi or create materials with special attention to fostering language learners' self-regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver fibrosis is a disorder in which inflammatory reactions play an important role, and central to the progression and pathogenesis of this disease are the immune‐specific cells known as macrophages. Macrophage types are distinguished from each other by the expression of a series of surface markers. STAT6 and Arg1 play an important role in the polarization of macrophages, so these two factors are downstream of interleukin 4 (IL‐4) and IL‐13 cytokines and cause to differentiate M2. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the independent effects of imatinib and mesenchymal cell treatment on the polarization of macrophages in rat models of liver fibrosis. The liver fibrosis was induced by the injection of CCL4 for 6 weeks in Sprague–Dawley rats. Then, rats were divided into four different groups, and the effects of imatinib and mesenchymal cells on the expression of Arg1, Ly6c, and STAT6 were evaluated. Histopathology experiments considered the amelioration effect of treatments. Our results showed that Arg1 expression was significantly increased in the groups treated with mesenchymal cells and imatinib compared to the control group. On the other hand, expression of STAT6 was significantly increased in the imatinib‐treated mice compared to mesenchymal and control groups. Moreover, the expression of LY6C significantly decreased in imatinib and mesenchymal treated groups compared to the control group. Therefore, our data showed that mesenchymal stem cells and imatinib significantly modulate the fibrotic process in rat models of fibrosis, probably by polarizing macrophages towards an anti‐inflammatory profile and increasing the frequency of these cells in liver tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examined the effectiveness of the EFL and ESP curricula in Afghanistan universities. Specifically, it provided an overview of the current state of English programs and learners' and instructors' feedback on their learning and expectations. The data was collected via survey questionnaires and interviews with three groups of people. The first group is 300 Afghan EFL and ESP learners and instructors from seven different state universities of different provinces in Afghanistan who took part in this study. These universities include Nangarhar, Kandahar, Herat, Sayed Jamaluddin Afghan, Shaikh Zayed, Balkh and Kabul Education Universities. The second group is the university authorities and officials of the Ministry of Higher Education who participated in this survey. The third group of the participant is 20 EFL and ESP learners and instructors and 10 EFL and ESP curriculum planners. For the purpose of collecting data, a well-developed questionnaire was created. The collected data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 23). The result revealed that the participants had a somehow positive attitude toward teaching and learning English as a foreign language. Also, it suggested that the students, as well as their instructors, have a low degree of a positive attitude toward the teaching system and curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the critical relationships among pragmatic action, context, and linguistic vs. non-linguistic resources for producing various adjacency pairs in foreign or second language (L2) exchanges, their interplay has not been adequately investigated. Therefore, the present study examined these relations in the production of request-refusal adjacency pairs. The needed data were collected from 108 upper-intermediate to advanced EFL learners. Three hundred conversations were audio-recorded from learners' roleplays that involved making request-refusal adjacency pairs. MAXQDA software was used for data transcription, codification, and analysis. Data analysis revealed that request-refusal adjacency pairs were co-constructed in discursive contexts through multiple turns using both linguistic and nonlinguistic turn construction units (TCUs). Learners significantly used more linguistic rather than nonlinguistic TCUs and more sentential and clausal TCUs than phrasal and lexical TCUs. Moreover, the use of pauses and continuers was significantly more than laughter, facial expression, and body language. These findings have some pedagogical implications for teachers to raise learners' awareness of context, action, and linguistic and nonlinguistic TCUs in the production of speech act adjacency pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing teachers’ professional agency through standard models of instructional designs is critical in helping them deal with the barriers in designing and implementing online learning environments. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the role of an ADDIE (Analysis–Design–Development–Implementation–Evaluation) model of the computer-assisted language learning (CALL) teacher preparation program (TPP) in developing TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) student-teachers’ professional agency (PA). We conducted an instrumental (exploratory) case study to explore the PA development of 18 TEFL student-teachers who took a CALL course that was designed based on ADDIE. The deductive thematic analysis of student-teachers’ autobiographical narratives, unstructured interviews, and course projects showed that each stage of ADDIE contributed to developing the dimensions of the PA. We concluded that the constructive role of the ADDIE model of CALL TPP in developing TEFL student-teachers’ PA might be due to ADDIE’s capability to construct a context for developing student-teachers’ dynamic capacity to tackle educational concerns and provide a context of playing different professional roles. The study bears implications for TEFL teacher educators to consider the action-based nature of PA when the ADDIE model is implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has attempted to determine the effect of critical thinking on Iranian EFL learners' speaking ability. There were two equal-sized groups of 20 learners: a control group and an experimental one. The subjects were advanced EFL learners at Shokouh Language Institute in Hamedan, Iran. There were 10 male and 10 female learners in each group. In both groups, similar topics were proposed for group discussion such as air pollution, global warming, friendship, drug addiction, happiness, etc. In the experimental group, in addition to having discussion on the given issues, the teacher devoted some time for teaching critical thinking techniques during the class time. In the very first session, the teacher explicitly elaborated on what critical thinking processes are. Then, during the following sessions the teacher taught critical thinking techniques for about 20 minutes and gave learners time to practice these skills. The findings of the current study revealed that those students who received instruction on critical thinking strategies did better on the oral interview post-test. In addition, it was observed that within the experimental group there was not any significant difference between the performances of male vs. female Iranian EFL learners' speaking ability after giving the treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]