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Taking into account the facilitative role of mobile-mediated communication for promoting EFL learners' L2 development, this study investigated Iranian EFL learners' perceptions of recast and their modified output through face-to-face, audio, and video-based mobile-mediated communication. To this end, sixty intermediate EFL learners at two different language institutes were selected. They were randomly assigned into three groups namely, face-to-face, audio- and video-based conditions. During mobile-mediated interactions in three sessions, the participants received recasts for their errors, and then listened to the recorded episodes of their incorrect utterances followed by interlocutors' feedback via stimulated recall interviews. Afterwards, learners' stimulated recall interviews were collected in relation to learners' perceptions of recasts they received. The results of Chi-Square analysis revealed that the audio-based group had more accurate perceptions of recasts provided to them compared to the other two groups. Moreover, the analysis of learners' modified output indicated no statistical significance among the three groups. The study concluded that mobile-delivered recasts can be considered as noticeable to EFL learners as the conventional face-to-face ones.

The present study aimed at investigating whether academic IELTS candidates perform differently in writing on either a chart topic or a table topic of the IELTS writing task 1 with regard to the four IELTS writing marking criteria i.e. task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammar range and accuracy. The study adopted a mixed methods approach. To this end, 45 candidates participated in the study. In the beginning, the participants were asked to write on a chart topic of the IELTS writing task 1. After 10 days, the same groups of participants were given a table topic of the IELTS writing task 1. All their papers were then marked and analyzed quantitatively in accordance with IELTS writing task 1 descriptor. Next, paired-samples statistical analyses were run to find out how they performed. The results revealed that the participants' writing performance on a chart topic was significantly higher than a table topic in terms of task achievement, lexical resource, and grammar range and accuracy scores. Concerning the qualitative side of this study, there was a significant difference between candidates' performance in chart and table topics with respect to task achievement and lexical resource. However, the results did not manifest any significant differences between candidates' performance getting chart and table prompts in terms of coherence, cohesion, and grammar range and accuracy.

The role of technology in educational settings all around the world has changed the methods of teaching and assessment in the last few decades. Unfortunately, the shortcomings of e-learning in Iran has deprived students of many advantages of it. This research paper tries to answer questions regarding the effect of e-portfolio on the students' writing proficiency in the context of learning English as a foreign language and the learners' use of self-regulated learning strategies. Furthermore, the attitude of students towards the use of e-portfolio in the writing class was investigated based on the data obtained through the survey, teacher's field notes, and teachers' observations. The data obtained from English majors at State and Azad Universities in Rasht, north of Iran, was both qualitatively and quantitatively analysed. The findings revealed that the use of e-portfolio had a significant effect on students' writing proficiency and their use of self-regulated strategies. The evidence from the study also showed learners' positive attitude towards the use of e-portfolio, mainly due to its accessibility, convenience, and the feedback they could receive through it.

The purpose of this study was twofold. Firstly, it explored Iranian EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers' receptive and productive metalinguistic knowledge as a function of educational contexts including language institutes and high schools. Secondly, the study delved into EFL teachers' perceptions of metalinguistic knowledge development in the contexts in question. A total of 200 Iranian EFL teachers participated in a metalinguistic knowledge test entailing 2 modules of production and reception. Besides, a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 EFL teachers to explore their perceptions concerning metalinguistic knowledge development. The results revealed that the high school teachers surpassed the language institute teachers regarding their productive and receptive metalinguistic knowledge. The results also indicated that the EFL teachers in both high schools and language institutes were better in receptive than productive metalinguistic knowledge. Further, the results of semi-structured interviews substantiated those of the MLK test and revealed considerable points about the metalinguistic knowledge development in the educational contexts under study. The study findings offered clear implications for stakeholders, EFL teachers, and teacher educators.

This study aimed at comparing two types of IELTS writing task 1 namely, bar charts and tables of Iranian test takers in terms of four IELTS writing assessment criteria including task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammar range and accuracy. The study also sought to identify test takers' strengths and weaknesses in the writing task 1 with respect to all four areas. To this end, forty-five Iranian IELTS test takers aged 19 to 42 were involved in the study. In the beginning, the participants were assigned to perform a bar chart IELTS writing task 1. Within 10 days, the same test takers were presented with a table description task. Their writing performances were then rated based on the IELTS writing rubric. The results indicated that the candidates' writing performance was significantly higher in bar chart description tasks than table-based writing tasks. To provide a detailed picture of the contribution of each criterion to the total score variance, we performed a multi-linear regression analysis, the results of which manifested that the candidates were more adept at accomplishing task achievement, and grammar range and accuracy in table and bar chart writing tasks, respectively. The findings also indicated that they did not do well in terms of coherence and cohesion performing table writing. Nor did they perform effectively on the lexical resource in bar chart writing. The results of the study carry crucial pedagogical implications for teachers, IELTS trainers, researchers, and syllabus designers.

Background: Validity is a notable concept in language testing which has concerned many researchers and scholars in the field of language testing due to its importance in decision making process. Tests' results always introduce consequences to test takers' lives which emphasizes the need to ensure their validity. Detecting and delineating the potential sources that may threaten the validity of standardized tests of English proficiency is therefore of great importance. Methods: This study was a quantitative investigation of test validity using an interpretive model. The main purpose of this study was to quantitatively assess and determine the relationship between a series of inferences in an interpretive argument-based framework that can potentially threaten the validity of the test. Results: To this end samples of TOEFL iBT were analyzed and the obtained results determined its validity expressed in terms of the chain of inferences in the interpretive model. Conclusion: The findings indicated that there is a direct relationship between the performance on the TOEFL iBT and the target domain of English language use, observed test scores are reflective of intended academic language abilities, observed test scores can be generalized to similar language tasks in different occasions and test forms, and expected test scores can be accounted for by underlying language abilities in an academic environment.

The present study is an attempt to investigate the extent to which Iranian EFL learners are willing to speak English in language classrooms. Moreover, the relationship between willingness to speak (WTS) and language learning anxiety, language learning motivation, and self-perceived speaking ability is sought. Furthermore, the study seeks the extent to which WTS contributes to an improvement in the learners' speaking ability. One hundred and fifty-six EFL learners selected based on purposive sampling took part in the study. A packet of questionnaires were employed to measure WTS, language learning anxiety and language learning motivation. Further, all participants took part in an IELTS speaking test in order to find out if their WTS is related to their speaking performance. Results showed that learners were fairly willing (but not highly willing) to speak English in class. Moreover, it was found that WTS is negatively correlated with language learning anxiety, while positively correlated with language learning motivation and self-perceived speaking ability. Several factors were identified as having an influence on learners' WTS, including topic of discussion, effect of interlocutor, shyness, self-confidence, teacher, and classroom atmosphere. Finally, learners took part in a speaking test, through which, it was found that those who were more willing to speak got a higher speaking score. Based on the findings, a foreign language classroom WTS model of factors underlying willingness to speak English is proposed. Results can have pedagogical implications for language learners and teachers.

The present study is an attempt to investigate Iranian EFL learners' willingness to speak English in language classrooms, and the situational and individual factors that influence their willingness to speak. The study adopts a primarily quantitative approach, followed by qualitative data aimed at expanding and elaborating on the quantitative data. One hundred and fifty six EFL learners took part in the study. A researcher-made Willingness to Speak questionnaire was used to measure willingness to speak. To shed more light on learners' willingness to speak, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants in order to arrive at richer findings. Several factors were identified as having an influence on learners' willingness to speak, including topic of discussion, effect of interlocutor, shyness, self-confidence, teacher, and classroom atmosphere. Results can bring about pedagogical implications for language educators and curriculum developers.

This explanatory sequential mixed-method study was aimed to investigate the washback effect of a local English Proficiency Exam (the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology Test (MSRT)) on Iranian Ph.D. candidates' English language learning skills. The study also examined the changes Iranian Ph.D. candidates perceive as essential to make the MSRT module implementation more useful for English learning. To this end, a sample of 150 Ph.D. candidates with differences in gender, age, and major were invited from Islamic Azad universities of Shiraz and Marvdasht to complete a questionnaire designed in terms of MSRT washback. The participants were chosen through a combination of stratified and convenience sampling methods. Furthermore, a sample of 20 PhD candidates from the same population was selected based on purposeful sampling and participated in the semi-structured interview sessions. The results of the data analysis represented some positive and negative washback effects on MSRT. Moreover, the participants suggested some recommendations on necessary changes and alterations for the MSRT test to facilitate university English learning further. Their feedback was in line with their viewpoints on why MSRT preparation had not satisfactorily prepared them to manage university workloads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study was intended to investigate the effectiveness of teaching critical thinking on students' writing performance and their critical thinking dispositions. To this end, 140 students were selected. 73 students were assigned to the experimental group and 67 were assigned to the control group. The experimental group received instruction in critical thinking strategies whereas the control group did not. The instruments used in this study were the researcher-developed essay test, the Ennis-Weir critical thinking essay test, and the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI). A 2-group pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design was utilized to determine the outcome measures. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent-samples ttest. Statistically significant differences were observed in the experimental and the control groups in the total scores of the three instruments. The results indicated an improvement in students' writing performance and their dispositions toward using critical thinking strategies. Nonetheless, some dispositional aspects such as truth-seeking, cognitive maturity, and open-mindedness did not differ significantly after the intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at finding the EFL graduate and post-graduate writing problems. Moreover, it sought teachers and students' beliefs regarding why they had some problems and where the sources of problems could be detected so that they would be taken into account and rectified. To answer the research questions the participant were given IELTS task1 and task 2 writing mock tests and then they were interviewed. Some university professors teaching writing classes were also interviewed to find out why students had some problems regarding the writing tasks assigned and performed. The findings revealed that PhD candidates outperformed their M.A students counterparts and they could achieve higher overall and component scores. The differences and discrepancies between groups were significant but the differences within groups were not significant. The scores achieved by the students through tasks 1 and 2 revealed their writing problems as well as their strengths. The unstructured interviews conducted with the students and their teachers could elicit some potential sources of trouble and some inspirations and eye-opening facts were gained through the interviews. It is hoped the findings of this study can help students improve their writing skills and teachers can take some measures to help students learn how to improve their writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is an attempt to explore the relationship between language learning anxiety, self-esteem, and academic level among Iranian EFL learners. To this end, two self-report questionnaires were administered to a total of 108 language learners enrolled for Teaching English as a Foreign Language in two universities in Shiraz, Iran. Results indicated a negative correlation between language learning anxiety and self-esteem among the learners. Similarly, language learning anxiety and academic level were found to be negatively correlated. However, a positive correlation was seen between the learners' self-esteem and their academic level. The findings include pedagogical implications for both language learners and language teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]