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This study examined the effect of mobile-mediated dynamic assessment (DA) to enhance English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ vocabulary learning. To this end, 78 pre-intermediate level EFL learners learning English at a language institute were selected based on their availability to the researcher. The participants were randomly assigned to three equal groups (one control and two experimental). Next, the vocabulary pre-test was conducted for all participants to observe their development throughout the instruction. WhatsApp was used in one of the experimental groups (mobile-mediated DA), and 26 students entered a talk group where DA was applied. The second experimental group received DA in class (in-class DA). The control group assessed the participants’ zone of actual development (ZAD) at various points in the course. Concerning the experimental groups, a scale of prompts was used to mediate the learning process when students made an error, and the researcher acted as a mediator. The results showed that mobile-mediated DA was successful in enhancing EFL students’ vocabulary learning. Moreover, a reduction in the prompt's mean score at the end of the course suggested that fewer prompts were required to divert the participants’ attention to the error. The findings of this study can lead to a better understanding of the pedagogical importance of mobile-mediated DA.

This paper examined impoliteness strategies used by characters and their resulting reactions in five American comedy series. Drawing on Culpeper’s models (1996 & 2003), the comedy series were watched several times with one month interval to make sure that the impolite utterances and their reactions were put in the correct categories. The results of the study revealed that sarcasm was the most frequently used strategy among other strategies, and male and female characters were not distinct in using this strategy. However, male characters exploited the bald on record strategy more than their female counterparts. One striking result was the frequent use of offensive reactions by male actors. The reasons behind the variable use of these strategies are twofold. First, impoliteness is used as a tool to show off the power of the male characters. Second, using impoliteness strategies in comedy series reflect the entertaining role of sarcasm used by the actors.

El estudio actual es un intento para investigar si los estudiantes se desempeñaron de manera diferente en la prueba de escritura del Sistema Internacional de Evaluación del Idioma Inglés (IELTS) tanto por escrito como en computadora en términos de respuesta/ logro de tareas, coherencia/cohesión, recurso léxico, rango gramatical y precisión. Además, explora si la familiaridad con la computadora de los candidatos era diferente en los grupos por escrito y en computadora. Para este propósito, se seleccionó un total de 108 candidatos de un total de 144 basándose en los resultados de la Prueba de Colocación de Oxford (OPT) en la Universidad de Teherán, Irán. Para recopilar los datos, se administró una muestra de redacción académica ya retirada del IELTS y un cuestionario de familiaridad con la computadora. Los participantes se dividieron en dos grupos iguales. En el grupo de Modo Escrito (PM), a los estudiantes se les dio la prueba para escribir en el modo de papel convencional. En el otro grupo Modo Computadora (CM), los estudiantes recibieron la misma prueba; sin embargo, se les pidió que escribieran la prueba en la computadora que se les proporcionó en su clase. Además, todos los participantes tomaron el cuestionario de familiaridad con la computadora. Los datos recopilados se analizaron mediante la prueba t de muestras independientes. Los hallazgos revelaron diferencias significativas entre el modo escrito y el modo en computadora en ambas tareas de escritura. Además, el análisis del cuestionario mostró el impacto de la familiaridad con la computadora de los candidatos en su desempeño en la escritura.

Dynamic Assessment (DA) has been utilized for language evaluation. This mixed-methods study aimed to examine the potential impact of interactionist and interventionist models, as two significant offshoots of dynamic assessment on IELTS candidates’ performance in academic writing task 2. The study also compared the efficiency of these dynamic models and static assessment in the overall writing development of potential IELTS test-takers’ proficiency in writing task 2 in terms of IELTS writing assessment criteria. An experimental pretest-treatment-posttest design was employed. A qualitative approach was also conducted using field notes as a cross-validation strategy. To this end, 54 (26 males and 28 females) Iranian IELTS candidates aged 19 to 35 were randomly assigned to one control and two experimental groups (n=18). Initially, a pre-test was run to assess all participants’ developing writing skills. Afterward, the experimental groups received treatments based on interactionist and interventionist models, whereas the control group received no dynamic treatment in the form of interactionist and interventionist models and was trained according to the conventional static methods of writing instruction. Finally, a post-test was administered to check the treatments’ efficacy. The quantitative results demonstrated that the interventionist group’s writing performance was significantly better than that of the static group. However, there existed no statistically significant difference between the DA groups’ writing performance. The qualitative findings substantiated the quantitative results indicating the outperformance of dynamic assessment over the static assessment approach in the development of IELTS writing task 2 skills. The research findings have some pedagogical implications for IELTS teachers.

The quantitative-qualitative content analysis study reported in this paper investigated if there was any significant difference between the listening and reading sections of IELTS tests with regard to the representation of learning objectives of Revised Bloom’s taxonomy. For this purpose, 16 Academic IELTS listening and reading tests from Cambridge IELTS Academic: Authentic Practice Tests (IELTS 12, 13, 14, and 15) were selected as the material of the study. The content of the tests was codified based on a coding scheme developed by the researchers. The reliability of the coding was evaluated through the inter-coder and intra-coder reliability analyses. The frequency, Chi-square and Cramer's V tests were employed to analyze the data.The results indicated that IELTS listening and reading tests mostly included Understanding Factual and Conceptual Knowledge, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed that there was a substantial difference between IELTS listening and reading tests with regard to the inclusion of learning objectives. It was concluded that the listening and reading tests of IELTS assessed different learning objectives. The implications of the study suggest that IELTS candidates, teachers, and researchers should take the different learning objectives represented in IELTS listening and reading tests into consideration.

According to Montano and Kasprzyk (2008), attitude is determined by the individual's beliefs about outcomes or attributes of performing the behavior (behavioral beliefs), weighted by evaluations of those outcomes or attributes. This study examined Iranian EFL learners’ attitudes toward the Task-Based Language Assessment (TBLA) and the traditional assessment concerning their General English achievement. One hundred EFL students from Islamic Azad University of Zarghan, Fars Province with the age range of 20-35, participated in this study. The data were gathered using an attitude questionnaire. Frequency Analysis and chi-square were used to show the learners' attitudes towards the task-based assessment in General English ability. Regarding the attitude questionnaire, EFL learners had positive attitudes towards the TBLA utilization in improving their General English achievement and most of the students were satisfied with learning English through the TBLA.

The present study compared British English speakers’ (native) and Iranian EFL learners’ (nonnative) mental lexicon structure focusing on how words are selected and used by the two groups. The types of word association links, syntagmatic and paradigmatic, more frequently applied by the two groups of the participants, were probed into. To this end, 40 native and 40 nonnative college students, both male and female, were compared as far as mental lexicon was concerned. Accordingly, through the Oxford Placement Test (OPT), the nonnative subjects were assigned to three ability levels; namely, high, mid and low. Next, the Word Association Test (WAT) was administered respectively to all native and nonnative participants. The comparison of the WAT results through a series of Chi-square tests and a test of Mann-Whitney indicated that the employed word association links varied among the native and nonnative participants. The findings revealed that the low and mid level nonnatives which comprised a majority of Iranian EFL learners employed the syntagmatic relation to a greater extent than the high level nonnatives. However, only one resemblance was observed between the natives and the high level nonnatives who frequently applied the paradigmatic link. Thus, it was concluded that the advanced Iranian learners performed in a similar way as that of the native English speakers; as a result, it was suggested that the improvement in the proficiency level could lead to a change in making mental links. The findings would contribute to the psychological concerns in language teaching and learning in most academic contexts of higher age ranges.

Forensic linguistics tackles legal ends through linguistic means and it has established a sublime place for itself in international academic centers. In the past 10 years, some studies have been conducted on forensic linguistics in Iran and it has been approved by the ministry of education as a two-unit course at PhD level in Linguistics programs and it is offered in the field of Criminology at PhD level at Iran’s Police Academy; however, it has room for advancement in a range of domains. This research aimed to study the perspective and functions of forensic linguistics in Iran. The research rationale lay in the fact that the exigencies of the era we live in prompt us to practice majors that can practically serve the current and future Iranian society. The participants of this qualitative study were 13 university lecturers in TEFL and law. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. To meet the aims of the study, the research provided an introduction to the history and development of forensic linguistics and highlighted its perspectives in Iran. The data were analyzed based on the codes derived from the questionnaires and interviews. The findings showed that all the participants deemed the localization of forensic linguistics as quintessential in Iran and provided some suggestions for the areas in which this field of study can serve great purposes. The findings of this research can be suitable for those involved in language- and law-related research. Further research can be carried out on teaching, learning, assessment and materials development for forensic linguistics in the Iranian academic setting.

Accountability has been widely considered the leading cause of student achievement and received much attention in recent years. Unlike the researchers in America and European countries, few scholars have addressed learner accountability in Iran to evaluate its effect on different EFL contexts. This mixed-method research design study compared the level of learner accountability between public high school students and English language institute learners. Data were gained from 150 high school students and 150 English language institute learners through a researcher-made learner accountability questionnaire. Moreover, 15 high school students and 15 language institute English learners participated in the qualitative phase of the study to strengthen and expand the study’s conclusions. Both instruments were piloted and validated. Through exploratory factor analysis, seven underlying variables of learner accountability were confirmed. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was high and the reliability of the learner accountability questionnaire was .89. The results of the t-tests revealed a higher statistical level of learner accountability in the context of English language institutes. The findings of this research may contribute to motivating English learners to consider the significance of their roles in active and independent learning.

The current study focused mainly on the role of the linguistic complexity of IELTS writing Task 2. In other words, it investigated the differential effects of two interrelated linguistic complexities of writing Task 2 on the three levels of discourse representation and what IELTS candidates perceived through analyzing IELTS writing topics both at the sentence and idea levels was taken into consideration. The participants were 10 Iranian modest and competent users of English. A total of 10 writing topics, randomly selected from 70 Task 2 of Cambridge’s passed administered IELTS writing tests (every 7th) was the main instrumentation of a five-week period of data collection. The data analyses were based on a codification scheme adapted from, and a software analyzer known as the Lexical and Syntactic Complexity Analyzer. The effects of lexical and syntactic complexity of writing task on CAF of language production were calculated through separate statistical analyses. The results of the study revealed that lexical complexity applied in IELTS writing topics had a greater influence on IELTS candidates` understanding of the IELTS writing topics than syntactic complexity. Furthermore, Iranian IELTS candidates were initially attracted to the situational representation of IELTS writing topics.

Learning a foreign/second language is a dynamic and complicated process that benefits from learners taking strategic steps to facilitate their own learning. Accordingly, the current study investigates the differences between Iranian high and low English vocabulary learners in terms of vocabulary learning strategies. Two hundred and eighteen university students in Iran took the vocabulary level test and filled out a vocabulary learning strategies survey. In fact, it was an attempt to examine if high/low learners differ significantly in using vocabulary learning strategies. To this end, 218 EFL, 111 high, and 107 low English vocabulary learners were selected to answer Schmitt’s Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ). The findings showed significant differences between high and low English vocabulary learners’ usage of determination, memory, cognitive, and metacognitive strategies. However, there was no significant difference in their use of social strategies.

This study aimed at examining the global standards of teacher effectiveness to be employed to evaluate teacher candidates in the English teacher recruitment process. For this purpose, the global standards of teacher effectiveness and the qualities indicative of them were extracted from the documents. Then, the educational managers of thirty English language institutes were interviewed to discover the extent to which theses global standards are considered for teacher selection in the language institutes in Iran. The use of global standards by the language institutes would confirm the fact that they are applicable to the recruitment process. Next, the global standards were used to employ five English teachers in a language institute in Kerman, Iran. The classroom behavior of these teachers was observed by the institute supervisor. Moreover, the perceptions of the recruited teachers’ students were probed by means employing a questionnaire containing the criteria of teacher effectiveness. The results of the study indicated that the educational managers of the institutes approved of the majority of the global standards to be used in the English teacher recruitment process. The perceptions of the students and those of the supervisor also manifested that the recruited teachers are doing their jobs well, which would verify the appropriateness of the criteria used for teacher selection. Based on the results, a framework for English teacher recruitment encompassing the global standards of teacher effectiveness, their definitions, and the qualities indicative of them was suggested.

An important goal of educational research is to find out which teaching practices are effective in promoting students’ learning. Given the importance of reading comprehension in English language teaching (ELT), the current quantitative classroom-based study investigated whether the implementation of an interventionist model of dynamic assessment, using a repetitive process of pretest-teach-retest, could contribute to improving the reading comprehension, and have a positive impact on learners’ reading motivation in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context of Iran. To address the mentioned issue, two intact classes were assigned to the control and experimental group, each containing thirty-five students. This quasi-experimental study was implemented on the pre-test post- test equivalent-group design. Descriptive and inferential analyses of the collected data, over four months, revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on the scales of reading comprehension skill which reflects that the use of DA appears to provide scaffolding support for the students to understand the reading texts. A change was also observed in the reading motivation level of the experimental group. On the whole, DA creates an enjoyable learning environment and confers instructional and psychological benefits to the learners. More broadly, findings pave the way for practitioners to better understand and develop DA in the classroom successfully to foster both learning and motivation.

Understanding students’ learning strategies is important for teachers and researchers since they try to develop a learning environment that stimulates high-quality learning outcomes. To this end, the present study examines a sample of 218 EFL students on BA, MA, and Ph.D.s of English language studies at an Iranian university. It was an attempt to find out if learners with different levels of academic degrees differ significantly in using vocabulary learning strategies. To this end, the participants answered open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires of Vocabulary Learning Strategies. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative analysis, results revealed significant differences between undergraduate and postgraduate students’ usage of vocabulary learning strategies. However, there was no significant difference between MA and Ph.D. students in their use of vocabulary learning strategies. Indeed, exploring the vocabulary learning strategies use of English language students can reveal individual differences in vocabulary learning among students, and encourage EFL teachers and curriculum developers to design materials and activities which would help the learners improve their vocabulary learning.

Mobile technology has recently become one of the most important fields of study for many educators in the field of teaching and learning. Mobile technologies are considered as valuable resources for language learning and teaching and provide many practical applications for language learning. The concept of mobile mediated learning and its underlying constructs along with their implications for language learning and teaching are little understood in Iranian context. So, it is important to investigate how different aspects of mobile mediated learning including omnipresence, context customization, interactivity, perceived self-efficacy, and m-learning motivation affect second language learning. This paper investigates the understanding of mobile mediated language learning among Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners by examining the effect of different aspects of this concept on learners’ satisfaction with mobile learning as well as the learners’ perception of usefulness of mobile learning. Moreover, this study aims to examine the effect of learners’ perceived satisfaction and perceived usefulness of mobile learning on EFL learners' classroom achievement. To this end, a sample of 150 EFL learners were added to a Telegram group for 12 mobile-assisted language learning sessions and then answered three questionnaires regarding aspects of mobile mediated learning and also learners’ perceived satisfaction and perceived usefulness of mobile learning. This study has a proposed research model that shows the constructs examined in this study. Structural equation modeling results indicated that two aspects of mobile mediated learning had a significant effect on learner’s perceived satisfaction. The findings also showed that three aspects of mobile mediated learning affected learner’s perceived usefulness of mobile learning. The results revealed that learner’s classroom achievement is not influenced by learners’ perceived satisfaction and perceived usefulness of mobile learning.

The main purpose of this quantitative-qualitative content analysis study was to compare IELTS and TOEFL listening and reading tests based on the representation of the learning objectives of Revised Bloom’s taxonomy. To this end, 12 Academic IELTS listening and reading tests and 12 TOEFL iBT listening and reading tests were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The contents of these tests were codified using a coding scheme developed by the researcher. To ensure the reliability of the coding, the test items were coded twice by the main researcher with a two-week time interval. Three coders (the researchers in this study) also independently codified the test items. The inter-coder and intra-coder reliability of the coding turned out to be .68 and .83, respectively. The Fisher-Freeman-Halton and Monte Carlo tests were used to analyze the data. Our results revealed that IELTS listening test items mainly revolved around Understanding and Remembering Factual Knowledge, respectively, while TOEFL listening test items drew on Understanding, Analyzing, and Remembering Factual Knowledge, respectively. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that lower-order thinking skills featured more prominently in IELTS listening tests than TOEFL listening tests. A significant difference was also found between IELTS and TOEFL reading tests in terms of learning objectives. That is, IELTS and TOEFL reading tests covered three and seven learning levels, respectively with the former overwhelmingly assessing lower-order thinking skills and the latter drawing on both lower-order and higher-order thinking skills. The implications of the findings are also delineated.

The purpose of this study is twofold. Firstly, to investigate if there are significant relationships between burnout, intention to leave, and job satisfaction among EFL instructors. Secondly, to examine whether job satisfaction mediates the potential relationship between intention to leave and burnout. To this end, 120 EFL instructors selected from 10 branches of Islamic Azad universities in Fras Province, Iran based on convenience cluster sampling completed three instruments, i.e. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Intention to Leave Questionnaire, and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). To explore the relationship between burnout and intention to leave among EFL instructors, the Pearson Correlation coefficient was run. Moreover, to examine the mediating role of job satisfaction, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed using the Amos 21. Our results revealed that there was a moderate relationship between burnout and intention to leave. Further, findings demonstrated that job satisfaction did not mediate or predict this relationship meaning that the instructors’ intention to leave affected their level of burnout and their level of job satisfaction did not matter. The implications of the findings are also addressed.

Second language learning is the long-term time process of commitment to seeking a high degree of success. In this manner, the majority of learners get more experience of success than failure. However, a small number of learners involve a string of repeated failures arising from the lack of self-confidence and a feeling of hopelessness. Thus, the role of mindsets is crucial in recognizing how learners respond to challenging situations. Fueled with the role of mindsets and their association with language relevant variables, researching to promote perseverance in challenging situations is still at its infancy. This study fills the lack of systematic research on mindset through examining its correlations with goal orientations and responses to failure in the Iranian EFL context. Three sets of structured questionnaires were distributed to a group of 100 male and female university-level learners. The Pearson product-moment correlational analysis was employed to analyze the data. The findings of this piece of research revealed a direct correlation between fixed and growth mindsets and goal orientation. Likewise, a direct correlation between mindset and responses to failure was found to be present. The results of our study have various implications for foreign or second language learners and associates like university students, instructors, and academic advisors.

The current study investigated the influence of oral reproduction and summary writing vocabulary tasks on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ learning and retention of new foreign language (L2) words. To this end, 66 advanced EFL learners were randomly selected and assigned to two experimental and one control conditions. The participants in all three groups were required to read eight texts which included a total of 40 target words during eight weeks of treatment and to perform designated tasks which were: reading and writing a summary incorporating the target words, and reading and reproducing the content of the passage orally using the target words. The results of immediate and delayed recognition and recall vocabulary post-tests indicated that while both tasks resulted in significant vocabulary learning, the “oral reproduction” condition was more effective than “summary writing” in terms of long-term retention of target words. The findings are explained and justified in light of the predictions of Technique Feature Analysis.

Foreign language learners face learnability problems in the perception and production of English verbs’ argument structures manifested by different verbs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the problems Iranian learners encounter when perceiving and producing English verbs’ argument structures. A number of 75 students whose major was English literature and translation took part in this study. To answer the research questions, first, an Oxford Placement Test was administered to obtain three different proficiency levels including elementary, lower intermediate, and upper-intermediate. Then, one week after the proficiency test, a translation test was used to assess the learners’ production of English verbs’ argument structures. Finally, a Grammaticality Judgment test was conducted one week after the translation test to estimate the learners’ perception of English verbs’ argument structures. The data then were analyzed using descriptive statistics, One-way ANOVA, and also a Paired-samples t-test. The obtained data showed that students with different proficiency levels produced and perceived English verbs’ argument structure differently and also they faced problems in producing ditransitive and perceiving transitive verbs.

This mixed methods study aimed at examining the relationship between EFL learners’ use of language learning strategies and the extent to which they achieved foreign language skills, namely writing, reading, listening, and speaking. The study also sought to identify possible differences between high and low achieving language learners regarding the frequency and type of their language learning strategies. To this end, the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) (Oxford, ) was administered to 120 Iranian EFL learners. Likewise, a series of semi-structured interviews was conducted to explore their perceptions of the relationship between their use of language learning strategies and the achievement of the four language skills. The results of the qualitative analysis verified those of the quantitative data, and indicated that a substantial majority of EFL learners perceived the use of language learning strategies as advantageous. However, minor discrepancies were observed not only in the frequency of strategies employed by high and low achievers in the learning of writing, reading, listening, and speaking, but also in the type of learning strategies they utilized while learning the four language skills. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that high achievers mostly employed compensation, affective, and cognitive strategies, whereas low achievers drew on social, metacognitive, and memory strategies more frequently than other strategies. This study holds significant implications for EFL teachers to integrate strategy training into their instruction in the classroom. Informed of the repertoire of strategies used by high language achievers, EFL teachers can encourage language learners to use these strategies to enhance their language learning skills.

Abstract Following an emergentist approach, the authors examined the comprehension of four different types of restrictive relative clauses (direct object/oblique vs. subject/indirect object) with animate/inanimate referents by Iranian EFL learners. To this end, an Oxford placement test and two sets of comprehension tests within a week’s interval were administered. Of the two comprehension tests, one was used to examine the comprehension of direct object/oblique RC’s with inanimate NP referents, and the other one investigated the understanding of subject/indirect object RC’s with animate referents. The results of the first comprehension test showed that there was no significant difference in the comprehension of direct/oblique RC’s with inanimate referents. But the result of the second comprehension test showed their better performance in the subject RC’s than indirect object RC’s with animate referents. The findings of the experiments showed that animacy influenced the processing difficulty of relative clauses which can be considered as a significant reasoning for these preferences or equalities. Current significant theories of relative clause processing can account for these results when additional assumptions are introduced showing that the possibility of semantically driven cues can be considered as a serious alternative.

This qualitative study aimed to develop a model of classroom management strategy for Iranian English as a foreign language learners. To tap into this matter, some face to face and focus group interviews as well as real observations were performed. Twenty-six students including various proficiency levels from four different provinces participated in the face to face and focus group interviews. Also, 10 observations of the real classes wherein teachers were teaching conversation courses were made. Transcribing and codifying the data according to Corbin and Strauss's (2014) systematic steps of open, axial and selective coding, the findings revealed a model of classroom management strategy encompassing three main themes (management, quality of life and classroom practices), nine categories and 39 subcategories. The findings suggest EFL teachers notonly should pay attention to classroom practices, but they should also work onbuilding up rapport and encouraging their students in order to achieve a class in which students are wholeheartedly willing to learn the language.

This study was an attempt to examine Iranian EFL learners’ realization of the condolence speech act in English and to compare their realization with English native speakers’ (NSs) realization patterns. The study was further interested in investigating whether Iranian EFL learners’ realization of the condolence speech act is associated with their level of L2 proficiency. To this end, a Discourse Completion Test (DCT) was administered to 82 undergraduate Iranian EFL students in English. The participants were divided into three levels of language proficiency (elementary level, intermediate level, and advanced level) based on their scores on the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). For baseline comparisons, the EFL learners also received the translated version of the same DCT in Persian, and the English DCT was administered to 20 NSs of American English. The data were analyzed based on Elwood’s (2004) coding scheme. The results revealed that Iranian EFL learners had access to the same condolence strategies as English NSs, yet they differed in the semantic formulas, content, or forms they adopted to formulize their condolence expressions. In addition, level of L2 proficiency was found to be associated with Iranian EFL learners’ realization of the condolence speech act.

The present article aims to investigate the impact of interactions through Skype on Iranian EFL learners’ speaking ability. To meet this end, forty elementary students who were studying English at the Kish Language Institute, Shiraz Branch, Iran participated in the study. Of this number, twenty eight were female and twelve were male students. Their age range was between twenty to thirty five and they were divided into two groups randomly. During the instruction which lasted for two and a half months, the participants of the experimental group interacted with the teacher on their course-related topics for one hour per week according to a schedule besides their weekly four hour face-to-face classes. The speaking paper of the Key English Test (KET) was administered as to assess the participants’ speaking ability. The findings of the study indicated that the participants of the experimental group outperformed those of the control one. This outperformance can be accounted for by the Long’s Interaction hypothesis (1996), Krashen's Input hypothesis (1977), and lower affective filters.

The present study aimed to investigate the perceptions of Iranian English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners regarding the impact of technology-assisted instruction through the utilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on their listening comprehension and speaking ability. To this end, eighty Iranian EFL learners whose age range was between twenty to thirty five took part in the study. They were randomly divided into four groups and were exposed to technology-assisted instruction on their course-related contents through different ICTs as their out-of-class activities for one hour per week during two and a half months. The ICTs which were the focus of this study included: Podcasts, YouTube, Skype, and Instagram. The analysis of the participants’ answers indicated that the majority of them (83.8%) were positive toward technology-assisted instruction. In addition, 80% of them tended to use ICTs for their future language learning purposes.

The mixed methods study reported here explored the extent to which Iranian EFL teachers perceived to adopt monitoring and scaffolding practices of assessment for learning. The study also investigated EFL teachers’ perceptions of assessment for learning as a function of textbooks taught and the teaching context. To this end, 384 Iranian EFL teachers participated in a self-report assessment for learning questionnaire consisting of 28 items on a Likert scale. Likewise, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 EFL teachers to cross-validate the questionnaire results and to identify barriers to the implementation of assessment for learning practices. The semi-structured interview results bore out those of the questionnaire revealing that EFL teachers in high schools and language institutes showed marked preferences for scaffolding practices i.e. questioning and student contribution in the classroom. Moreover, EFL teachers’ perceived monitoring and perceived scaffolding practices were significantly different with regard to the textbooks taught and the context of teaching. That is, EFL teachers teaching American English File, Touchstone, and Top Notch perceived to employ monitoring and scaffolding practices more than those teaching Prospect and Vision. In addition, EFL teachers in language institutes demonstrated significantly higher degrees of perceived monitoring and perceived scaffolding than high school EFL teachers. Furthermore, the findings of semi-structured interviews suggested that EFL teachers in high schools encountered more barriers in the way of implementation of assessment for learning. The key implications of findings for the implementation of assessment for learning practices are also addressed.

Acquisition of verbs and their syntactic and semantic properties can act as the core of any sentence across languages. EFL learners encounter learnability problems in the perception of English verbs’ argument structures manifested by different verbs. The current study aimed at investigating and diagnosing the problems Iranian EFL learners face when perceiving English verbs argument structures. A sample of 75 students majoring in English took part in this study. In order to answer the research questions, an Oxford Placement Test was conducted first to obtain three different proficiency levels: elementary, lower intermediate, and upper-intermediate. A Grammatical Judgment Test was administered one week after the test of proficiency to assess the learners’ perception of English verbs argument structures. The data then were analyzed using descriptive statistics and also One-way ANOVA. The obtained results revealed that students with different proficiency levels perceived English verbs’ argument structure differently and also they have encountered severe problems in perceiving transitive verbs, and the accomplishment type was the most problematic semantic categories in Iranian EFL learners’ perception. More exposure to language input, explicit teaching of the argument structures along with their semantic and syntactic categories, and practicing in different contexts can improve the learners’ knowledge of argument structures.

The study aimed at investigating the impacts of mobile-assisted instruction on improving Iranian female EFL learners’ speaking skill and exploring their perceptions of the experience. Random sampling was applied to select 90 female students at the Zand Higher Education Institute in Shiraz, Iran. Their ages ranged from 18 to 24. They were randomly assigned to one control and two experimental groups. The control group was subjected to traditional instruction and the experimental ones were subjected to mobile-assisted instruction on their course-related contents through Voice Thread and Twitter as their out-of-class activities for three months. The needed data were collected using speaking papers of the Preliminary English Test and an interview. A paired samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the performances of the participants in the speaking pre- and post-tests. Findings revealed mobile-assisted instruction played a prominent role in improving learners’ speaking skill. The interview results showed the majority of the participants (71.25%) had positive attitudes toward mobile learning. This study provided experimental evidence that both Voice Thread and Twitter could be used as educational tools to help the students of English as a foreign language to improve their speaking skill.

Establishing high standards for educational accountability and informing those not already familiar with the basic components of a strong accountability system is a fresh avenue in EFL context, particularly in Iran, where the perceived shortcomings of English learning in the public sector are evident. The present mixed methods study used educational accountability as a theoretical framework to determine the level to which its elements (Goals, Performance Indicators, Design Decisions, Consequences, Communication, Support, and System Evaluation, Monitoring, and Improvement) differ in Iranian high schools and English language institutes when concerning school principals, English teachers, parents, and students. To this end, 300 EFL learners, 120 parents, 100 English teachers, and 60 principals were selected to complete the piloted and validated educational accountability questionnaires. The reliability of all questionnaires was around 0.95. To better understand the results of the questionnaires, 86 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results of the t-tests indicated a statistically significant difference between the levels of accountability in both EFL contexts. The only exception was the aspect of Communication, which was almost the same in both educational contexts. The results of the semi-structured interviews also confirmed those of the questionnaires. Several remedies were offered by the researchers of the study. The findings of this study suggest that the EFL agents and policymakers can take advantage of educational accountability systems.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore EFL teachers’ perspectives of qualities of a good language teacher and to examine the possible differences in their perspectives as a function of educational contexts including language institutes, junior/senior high schools, and universities. To this end, 386 Iranian EFL teachers completed a self-report questionnaire on qualities of a good language teacher. Also, to better understand EFL teachers’ perspectives, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 EFL teachers. Our results showed that teaching boosters and care and enthusiasm were held in high regard by EFL teachers in all the educational settings in question. Evaluation, by contrast, was the last-ranked quality of a good language teacher as perceived by EFL teachers. The results of the MANOVA suggested that language institute EFL teachers differed significantly from senior/junior high school teachers in terms of morality and booster. They were also significantly different from university, senior/junior high school teachers regarding accountability, evaluation, care and enthusiasm, and attention. However, no significant differences were observed between EFL teachers in the educational contexts under study concerning attendance. The results of semi-structured interviews substantiated those of the questionnaire. Nonetheless, minor disparities were found in the interviews with respect to the weight and significance attached to the evaluation. The study holds clear implications for stakeholders, language teachers, and teacher educators.

The purpose of this study is threefold: firstly, to explore the relationship between EFL learners’ cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence, and language learning achievement, secondly, to find out the relationship between EFL learners’ language learning styles and strategies and their L2 achievement, and thirdly, to uncover the relationship between EFL learners’ emotional and cognitive intelligence and their use of learning styles and strategies. To this end, 188 Iranian EFL learners completed five different instruments, namely Raven’s Progressive Matrices, Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory, Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory, Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, and Final Test of English as a Foreign Language. The results of our study demonstrated that foreign language achievement was significantly correlated with IQ, three subdomains of EQ (interpersonal relationship, optimism, and problem-solving), and three learning strategies (cognitive, compensation, and social). Likewise, the findings manifested that emotional intelligence was significantly correlated with language learning strategies and learning styles. This study holds significant implications for curriculum developers, language policymakers, and educators to afford learners with critical learning opportunities to enhance their learning skills.

The current study aimed at exploring the most prominent constituent elements of collective teacher efficacy beliefs and their contributing factors in the specific context of English language teaching. To this aim, 30 English language teachers and instructors’ perceptions of collective teacher efficacy were inspected through a series of in-depth interviews at different high schools, English language institutes, and universities. Three focused group interviews were also conducted with 15 English language teachers and instructors in those three educational contexts. Data gleaned from interviews were analyzed utilizing thematic content analysis. The common themes that emerged from the qualitative data as the constituent elements of collective teacher efficacy encompassed instructional capability, decision-making capability, the ability to cope with difficult situations, the ability to communicate effectively, the ability to create a positive climate, the ability to collaborate with colleagues, and the ability to keep discipline. Some common themes that emerged as the related contributing factors included job satisfaction, administrative support, and shared leadership.

This study investigated the preuniversity EFL teachers’ perceptions toward the wash-back effects of the University Entrance Exams and the preuniversity students’ textbook (English 1 & 2) on the students’ communicative learning objectives and their teachers’ class performance in Shiraz, Iran. Likewise, to investigate if the two sources are aligned toward the objectives of the educational system in our EFL setting was pursued. To this end, The Teacher Textbook Evaluation Scale questionnaire was administered to 40 preuniversity EFL teachers. Using the SPSS version 17 and a two-way ANOVA, the results of participants’ perceptions showed that although the English textbook was designed to follow the communicative teaching and learning objectives, the teachers were influenced by these types of exams being against the purposes of the syllabus. Also, these tests and the supplementary materials showed negative wash-effects on the students’ learning objectives and teachers’ class practices. Teachers’ different years of experience and their views on the effect of university entrance exams on the education goals and the way teachers use the materials were statistically significant, but their gender distinction was nonsignificant. These results coped with those of the previous studies at different educational levels.

Electronic portfolios are one of the potentially influential e-learning developments that could successfully find its way into language learning classes all around the world, although in Iranian EFL context students are not entirely familiar with them yet. The primary objective of this paper was to answer questions regarding the effect of e-portfolio on the students’ writing proficiency. Also, the potential effect of gender on their use of electronic portfolio was investigated as well. 157 male and female Iranian English-major students were involved in the study during one academic semester. The data obtained from a quasi-experimental design, comparing electronic portfolio assessment and conventional method of teaching writing, was quantitatively analyzed. The findings revealed that the application of e-portfolio has a significant effect on students’ writing proficiency. However, gender had no impact on their use of e-portfolio.

To capture the unique nature of collective teacher efficacy as reflected in ELT settings, the current study attempted to develop and validate a context-specific collective efficacy scale and use it in exploring collective efficacy beliefs in different ELT contexts. To achieve this goal, guided by the related literature, the most prominent constituent elements of collective teacher efficacy were identified through a series of semistructured interviews with English language teachers and instructors in educational contexts of school, institute, and university. Based on the seven-component initial model obtained from qualitative content analysis, a 32-item questionnaire was developed and tried on 405 EFL teachers and instructors. The data were then subjected to exploratory factor analysis. The proposed model consisted of 21 items encompassing four factors. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the scale showed indices of construct validity and suitably fit the proposed collective efficacy model. Applying a one-way ANOVA also revealed that the three educational contexts differed significantly with respect to English teacher collective efficacy beliefs. English language institute teachers displayed the highest collective efficacy level while university instructors showed the lowest level. A significant difference existed between institute and high school teachers and university instructors.

Recent trends in formative assessment seek innovations to link assessment, teaching, and learning characterized as assessment for learning. This new assessment stance has rarely been studied in the context of English language teaching. Hence, there is a need for research to shed light on assessment for learning practices. The current study set out to investigate Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions of two salient elements of assessment for learning namely scaffolding and monitoring practices as a function of their demographic characteristics. The study employed a triangulation mixed methods approach to provide a detailed picture of EFL teachers’ perceptions of assessment for learning practices. To this end, 384 Iranian EFL teachers completed a self-report assessment for learning questionnaire consisting of 28 items on a Likert scale. Likewise, semi-structured interviews and classroom observations were conducted. The qualitative results substantiated those of the questionnaire manifesting that the absolute majority of EFL teachers perceived the use of assessment for learning as beneficial and effective. However, slight discrepancies were found in classroom observations in terms of monitoring practices of assessment for learning. Further, EFL teachers’ perceived monitoring and perceived scaffolding of assessment for learning practices were not significantly different with regard to their years of teaching experience, academic degree, and proficiency levels taught. This study provides insights into the promotion of assessment for learning culture among EFL teachers. It also carries important implications for teacher educators and researchers to explore new avenues to integrate assessment for learning into instruction as a means of enhancing student learning.

Within the last few decades, interlanguage pragmatics research has risen to its due prominence under the influence of Hymes and the subsequent models of Communicative Competence (CC). Among different components of CC, a large number of L2 studies have attended to the construct pragmatic competence, which deals with both pragmalinguistic knowledge and sociopragmatic knowledge. As such, interlanguage pragmatics research is interested in the pragmatic competence and pragmatic performance of L2 learners; however, teaching pragmatics to Non-native Speakers (NNSs), especially EFL learners, is a thorny issue. As a result, pragmatic competence has been noticeably absent from ELT curricula, despite the fact that it has an assured place in different models of CC. The reasons for this neglect lie behind the obstacles to teaching and learning pragmatics in the ESL/EFL classroom settings. Thus, drawing on the published literature, this very paper primarily aims at discussing challenges and lacunas in teaching and learning pragmatics within the confines of EFL classrooms. Subsequent to this, the paper enlists suggestions to overcome these obstacles. To this end, the paper focuses on four broad areas: the EFL context, ELT materials and resources available to L2 learners in the EFL context, teacher education, and assessment of pragmatic knowledge.

The present research was an attempt to posit a model of classroom management strategies for Iranian EFL learners to provide a better interpretation of qualitative findings. Hence, in line with the components of the previous model, a 33-item questionnaire was considered in the design of the classroom management questionnaire. A 42 item researcher-made questionnaire was piloted with 180 EFL learners and its reliability and the related validates were checked. As a result, EFA findings corroborated a 3- component classroom management questionnaire. Finally, the 33-item questionnaire of classroom management was distributed to 360 EFL learners. Then, the initial structure of the model was tested using CFA to come up with the final model of classroom management strategy. The results substantiated the initial structure of EFA with 3 factors and 33 items. The findings suggest EFL teachers not only pay attention to classroom practices, but also work on building up rapport and encouragement with their students. Also, the results can be presented to student teachers in teacher education programs to make them aware of the nuances of classroom management and the concerns of EFL learners in Iran. Further, these results can be at the disposal of any teacher to effectively plan, manage, develop interpersonal relationships and run their classes.