176. Transacting with Comparative English-Persian Literature in EFL Classrooms: A Reader-Response Approach

Seyyedeh Fahimeh Parsaiyan

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 19 April 2020

Abstract

  Despite scholarly criticisms censuring the monopoly of Eurocentric and Anglophonic literatures in English as Foreign or Second Language (EFL/ESL) teaching, cross-cultural literatures ...  Read More Despite scholarly criticisms censuring the monopoly of Eurocentric and Anglophonic literatures in English as Foreign or Second Language (EFL/ESL) teaching, cross-cultural literatures have not received due attention in such contexts, Iranian one as a case. Addressing the gap, in this practitioner-led inquiry, the researcher attempted for integrating Comparative Literature in English language teaching through deploying translated Persian works of literature apropos of thematically-resembling foreign ones. The participants of the study were twenty Iranian English Literature freshmen who were taking a reading comprehension course in a state university in Tehran. Partially framing the practice within reader-response approach to reading, the teacher-researcher concentrated on the ways by which the students transacted with the selected literary texts. The analysis of the class events and the students’ reflective writings revealed that the students drew upon their sociocultural and literary backgrounds to construct meanings of the texts and to establish connections between them and their personal and social milieus. Considering the mounting concerns about the linguistic and cultural imperialism of English and its teaching, practices like this may hint at the way local sources of knowledge could find a niche in EFL classrooms. Keywords: English as Foreign Language (EFL), Comparative Literature, Persian literature, Practitioner inquiry, Reader-response theory.

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177. The Interplay among EFL Students' Epistemic Beliefs, Language Learning Strategies, and L2 Motivational Self-System: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Shaghyegh Shirzad; Hamed Barjesteh; Mahmood Dehqan; Mahboubeh Zare

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 19 April 2020

Abstract

  Examining learners' beliefs about the essence of knowledge, how they are conceptualized, and the ways they influence the learning process have gained attention in the second language ...  Read More Examining learners' beliefs about the essence of knowledge, how they are conceptualized, and the ways they influence the learning process have gained attention in the second language (L2) learning. This study employed a multivariate statistical framework to model complex relationships among three constructs, i.e., epistemic beliefs (EB), language learning strategies (LLSs), L2 motivational self-system (L2MSS), and their sub-factors (N = 12). The data were collected in two phases. At the preliminary stage, the structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to visualize a hypothesized model and to map the conceptual framework of the study. At the secondary step, three questionnaires, EB, LLSs, and L2MSS, were distributed among junior high school students (N = 300). The questionnaires were collected over four months. The collected data were screened for incomplete responses and sample attrition. Notably, 774 questionnaires met a valid response rate of 95 percent. Correlational and SEM analyses were utilized to probe the causal relationships among the constructs. The findings revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between the subscales of L2MSS and LLSs. However, there was a significant negative relationship between EB and LLSs. Besides, confirmatory factor analysis underpinned the fitness of the hypothesized model after two stepwise corrections. The findings revealed that the path coefficient for EB had a significant impact on the LLSs with the mediating role of L2MSS. In particular, the path analysis revealed that 48% of LLSs might be explained through EB and L2MSS. This paper suggests that the more EB students experience, the less likely they adopt learning strategies, and the more L2MSS they hold, the more LLS students employ.

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178. Exploring the Role of Multimedia-Based Instruction in Promoting Reading Motivation

Hani Mansooji; Ahmad Mohseni; Alireza Ameri

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 19 April 2020

Abstract

  A significant proportion of academic exercise today, even for those who do not speak English as a first language, has to do with the English Internet and the texts within. Accordingly, ...  Read More A significant proportion of academic exercise today, even for those who do not speak English as a first language, has to do with the English Internet and the texts within. Accordingly, the present study focused on examining the effects of extensive multimedia-based English Internet reading on enhancing motivation in EFL learners’ English reading. Specifically, the quasi-experimental pretest-post-test design was used to compare the performance of three groups of Iranian university EFL students (i.e., one control and two experimental groups) in terms of their degrees of motivation, prior to and following university-level general English courses which included a multimedia-based Internet extensive reading program on the one hand, and a linear text extensive reading program on the other. Analysis of the results revealed that the extensive reading of both linear and multimedia Internet texts enhanced Iranian EFL readers' reading motivation, an enhancement which was not observed in the motivation of the participants in the control group who did not experience any such program. However, there was no statistically significant difference observed in the amount of motivation improvement between the linear text and the multimedia Internet groups. Teachers may be the most beneficiaries of the present study as they can gain insights into how far they should enter the realm of integrating Internet-based reading programs into general English courses.

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179. Attitudes of Language Teachers toward Multiple-Choice Item Writing Guidelines: An Exploratory Factor Analysis

Mahdi Ganji; Rajab Esfandiari

Volume 7, Issue 3 , Summer 2020, , Pages 115-140

Abstract

  Previous research has shown that the construction of multiple-choice (MC) items is a very difficult task. As such, textbook writers have proposed some guidelines to help item writers ...  Read More Previous research has shown that the construction of multiple-choice (MC) items is a very difficult task. As such, textbook writers have proposed some guidelines to help item writers to write more effective items. However, such guidelines reflect the intuition of their writers, and most of them are not necessarily supported by empirical research, and what is preached may not be practiced. The purpose of the present study was, therefore, to analyze the attitudes of language teachers in an EFL setting to better understand if they follow the guidelines when developing MC items. To that end, a 28-item, 5-point Likert type, researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data from 661 Iranian language teachers. The data were analyzed using SPSS (version, 25). Results from frequency tallies and percent values showed the significance of the majority of the guidelines in the construction of MC items. However, mixed results were reported for one of the guidelines, and another guideline was considered unimportant. Findings from factor analysis yielded four major factors underlying the guidelines: Developing plausible distractors, editing and proofreading guidelines, formatting and refining items, and avoiding clues to the correct response. Drawing on the findings, we discuss the pedagogical implications for how to best develop and fine-tune MC guidelines.

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180. Investigating Pedagogical Digital Game-Based Phrasal Verb Learning Formally vs. Informally Among Iranian EFL Learners

Aylar Fallah Vazirabad; Farahman Farrokhi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 01 June 2020

Abstract

  The present study investigated formal versus informal implementation of pedagogical digital games to improve phrasal verb knowledge. One hundred and one intermediate students took part ...  Read More The present study investigated formal versus informal implementation of pedagogical digital games to improve phrasal verb knowledge. One hundred and one intermediate students took part in this mixed-method, quasi-experimental research. The sample was divided into two treatment groups. ANCOVA was used for quantitative data analysis. Qualitative data analysis was based on students’ questionnaire data. The results revealed that digital game play for 6 weeks within formal classroom setting outperformed informal learning where students had to apply their extended degree of autonomous play and the relevant skills. The mean score difference is 3.45. The majority of students from formal and informal groups prefer formal context of learning. Interaction with peers is more productive between peers, higher levels of satisfaction when they encountered difficulties and significantly constructive in the formal context. Moreover, contrary to previous findings, no significant difference was found between Post Literal and Post Figurative mean scores. Thus both literal and figurative phrasal verb categories improve evenly in a digital game play context and it fosters the interpretation of the previously difficult to comprehend figurative verbs in traditional learning context and mean score for play was considerably higher in formal group and performed better compared to the informal game group.

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181. English Proficiency Homogenization Using Norm-referenced and Criterion-referenced Tests: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Kazem Barzegar; Amir Reza Nemat Tabrizi; Manoochehr Jafarigohar; Fereidoon Vahdany

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 01 June 2020

Abstract

  This correlational research used the association between norm-referenced (NRTs) and criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) to predict CRT scores on the basis of NRT scores, homogenize English ...  Read More This correlational research used the association between norm-referenced (NRTs) and criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) to predict CRT scores on the basis of NRT scores, homogenize English proficiency of university students, and design a structural equation modeling approach between NRTs and CRTs. The participants were 210 allied health EGP (English for General Purposes) students who were assigned to three levels of language proficiency using Cambridge Placement Test. Researcher-made midterm and final exams, focusing on grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension were conducted. Results showed significant positive correlations between the NRT and CRTs. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis indicated significant paths from NRT as the dependent latent variable to CRTs as independent latent variables. The scores on the components of the three latent variables including vocabulary, grammar, and reading, within three assessments (placement, midterm, and final) were considered as observed variables. Significant paths between NRT and CRTs suggested that complex interrelations between components of NRT and CRTs can be used to homogenize university students’ proficiency in academic English courses using NTR scores to overcome problems related to the individual differences. Consequently, in academic English courses, groupings based on university students’ language ability using NRT scores would override groupings solely based on students’ academic majors.

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182. The Role of the Cognitive Status of Structures in CLI in Acquisition of English as the Third Language by Persian Bilinguals

Ali Jabbari; Abdolmajid Nazari; Ali Mohammad Fazilat far

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 01 June 2020

Abstract

  This study aimed at finding the impact of the cognitive status of the structures on the acquisition of third language (L3) English at the initial stages. To measure implicit and explicit ...  Read More This study aimed at finding the impact of the cognitive status of the structures on the acquisition of third language (L3) English at the initial stages. To measure implicit and explicit knowledge, 85 participants were tested regarding placement of adjective phrase (AP) and partitive structure (PS) by using four instruments: a timed and an untimed grammaticality judgment tasks, a metalinguistic knowledge test, and an elicited oral imitation task. The participants included four groups; the first two had Azeri as their L1 and Persian as their L2, but used Azeri and Persian as the language of communication (LOC) respectively, and the third one had Persian as the L1, Azeri as the L2, and Persian as LOC. The control group used Persian as the L1 and English as the L2. While AP in English and Azeri has similar pre-nominal syntax, in Persian, it is post-nominal. Unlike AP, PS which specifies the parts out of a whole (e.g. two of my brothers) patterns similarly in Persian and English, meaning the part-whole pattern, whereas in Azeri the whole precedes the part. The results challenge the previous models (e.g. the L1 Factor, Hermas, 2010; the L2 Status Factor, Bardel & Falk, 2007; the Cumulative Enhancement Model, Flynn et al., 2004; the Typological Proximity Model, Rothman, 2010) and are compatible with the Contact Language of Communication (Fallah, Jabbari, & Fazilatfar, 2016). Considering cross-linguistic influence as an ongoing dynamic phenomenon, this study proposes that at the initial stages of TLA, the cognitive status of structures is the main determining factor in specifying the source of syntactic transfer.

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183. Dynamic Assessment: A Diagnostic Tool to Capture Academic Second Language Reading Difficulties in the IELTS Context

sima poulaki; Hamid Reza Dowlatabadi; Moussa Ahmadian; Houshang Yazdani

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 01 June 2020

Abstract

  This study aimed to illuminate the diagnostic potential of the interactionist dynamic assessment (DA) to identify the candidates’ academic reading difficulties on the IELTS Reading ...  Read More This study aimed to illuminate the diagnostic potential of the interactionist dynamic assessment (DA) to identify the candidates’ academic reading difficulties on the IELTS Reading test. Furthermore, DA and its interactive environment seem to provide an opportunity to diagnose the possible linguistic and cognitive roots of the academic second language (SL) reading difficulties that the modest user IELTS candidates faced. In so doing, three participants whose scores in the academic IELTS reading sub-score were 5/5on a scale of 1-9 were recruited to participate in this study. The data were collected through observation and interaction based on DA principals through 36 individualized sessions (12 sessions for each participant). In each session, they were assigned to answer 13-14 academic reading comprehension questions independently and then the mediator and the learners collaboratively reviewed the questions answered in the first stage. The feedback types offered deliberately ranged from very implicit to very explicit. The interactions were video recorded, transcribed word-by-word, and investigated. The findings indicated participants' difficulties in locating specific information, interpretation of words or phrases in the text, understanding the key ideas in a paragraph level, inference making, and interpretation of the writer's intention and viewpoint. From diagnostic standpoint, it is recommended that the interactionist DA be used as an independent or complementary diagnostic tool in order to diagnose academic reading difficulties and their linguistic and cognitive roots.

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184. An Evaluation of English Textbook “Prospect 2”: Teachers and Teacher Educators’ Perceptions in the Spotlight

Behrooz Ghoorchaei; Ali Derakhshan; Alemeh Ebrahimi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 02 June 2020

Abstract

  This study endeavored to evaluate the local English textbook named “Prospect 2” taught in junior high schools in Iran based on a group of Iranian EFL teachers and teacher ...  Read More This study endeavored to evaluate the local English textbook named “Prospect 2” taught in junior high schools in Iran based on a group of Iranian EFL teachers and teacher educators’ perspectives. For this purpose, 10 (6 males and 4 females) teacher educators and 117 (54 males and 63 females) junior high school EFL teachers from Golestan Province, Iran took part in this study. To gather the required data, the modified version of Mukundan’s (2011) questionnaire was utilized as a textbook evaluation checklist to investigate the participants’ perspectives toward suitability, strengths, and shortcomings of the book. The outcomes of this research revealed that the participants of the two groups mainly had positive attitudes toward the book. Further findings of this research did not present any significant difference between teachers and teacher educators’ views toward the book. Finally, some concluding remarks regarding the overall findings of the study were presented. Main implications of the study were that teachers should attempt to incorporate suitable and practical methods for the instruction and promotion of the communicative language teaching approach in the class as an approach on which the book is based and try to cater for the shortcomings of the book through providing supplementary materials and alternative activities for the students.

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185. Developing and Validating an EFL Teacher Imposed Identity Inventory: A Mixed Methods Study

Azra Gholamshahi; Minoo Alemi; Zia Tajeddin

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 02 June 2020

Abstract

  Teacher-others relationship is one of the main features of teacher identity. As an aspect of this relationship, in some educational contexts, teachers experience imposition in their ...  Read More Teacher-others relationship is one of the main features of teacher identity. As an aspect of this relationship, in some educational contexts, teachers experience imposition in their work place. As there is no survey tool to measure imposed identity, the present study developed a questionnaire based on the relevant literature and interviews with 44 EFL teachers, resulting in a 45-item questionnaire which was disseminated among 450 EFL teachers. An exploratory factor analysis of responses of EFL teachers yielded eight factors, namely: (1) Instructional, assessment, and interpersonal expectations imposed by managers and Supervisors, (2) Teacher professional responsibilities expected by stakeholders in the institute and the family, (3) Restrictions imposed on classroom discussion topics, dress code, and new technologies, (4) Suitability of teaching profession as perceived by the family, (5) Teacher responsibilities as expected by learners’ parents, (6) Gender stereotypes imposed by colleagues and the institute, (7) Learners’ and their parents’ instructional expectations, and (8) Observational and gender perceptions imposed by supervisors and managers. This study revealed the multi-dimensional nature of imposition in relation to which elements of identity change and harmonize under the influence of individual, contextual, and socio-cultural forces. The results of the study suggest that this scale is a reliable and valid measure of EFL teacher imposed identity. The findings can help researchers understand in what ways identity may be imposed and how it may change. Supervisors, institute managers, EFL teachers, and stakeholders can find the results of this study beneficial considering the fact that identity shaped and reshaped will certainly lead to a better EFL context for teaching and learning a foreign language.

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186. The types of scaffolding used by EFL Teachers in Isfahan

Somayeh safdari; Momene Ghadiri; Zohreh Kashkouli

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 02 June 2020

Abstract

  Scaffolding helps students improve their skills and handle complex materials (Cloud, Genesee, & Hayaman, 2009). Although a number of studies have been done on scaffolding in Iran, ...  Read More Scaffolding helps students improve their skills and handle complex materials (Cloud, Genesee, & Hayaman, 2009). Although a number of studies have been done on scaffolding in Iran, few studies have identified the types and techniques of scaffolding used in English language classes. Due to the importance of scaffolding in the teaching process, this study aimed to investigate the types of scaffolding used by EFL teachers in Iran. Through availability sampling technique, eight EFL teachers in Isfahan were selected. Accordingly, their classes were all recorded, the discourse of which was transcribed, codified, and analyzed using the framework proposed by Wu (2010). The results of the study revealed that the EFL teachers mostly exploited cognitive, metacognitive, procedural, and context scaffolding. Motivational scaffolding, however, was not used in any of the classes. Moreover, the extent to which scaffolding was used in EFL classes equaled 35.8 %, of which 6.55, 11.71, 17.4, and 0.03 % was devoted to cognitive, metacognitive, procedural, and context scaffolding, respectively. This study puts forward the view that teacher educators and material developers should turn their attention to the development of tasks through which language instructors can take advantage of motivational and contextual scaffolds that actively involve students in learning.

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187. An Exploration of Focus on Form Instruction on Grammatical Competence of Iranian EFL Learners Utilizing Input Enhancement Technique

Leila Dobakhti; Samin Shams Khorrami

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 08 June 2020

Abstract

  Upholding the integration of form and meaning, focus on form approach can increase both accuracy and fluency of EFL learners. This paper evaluates the role of focus on form approach, ...  Read More Upholding the integration of form and meaning, focus on form approach can increase both accuracy and fluency of EFL learners. This paper evaluates the role of focus on form approach, i.e. input enhancement, on the acquisition of passive voice in English. The degree of implicitness or explicitness of instruction is explored whether it affects learning of a specific form of the language. The pretest-treatment-posttest design was used in this quasi-experimental research with two groups: experimental (n=20) and control (n= 17). First, a proficiency test was administered to guarantee the learners’ homogeneity. Then, a pretest was administered to examine the learners’ passive voice knowledge. The experimental group received the instruction through input enhancement technique. However, it was taught to the control group through the traditional method (i.e. focus on formS). The superiority of focus on form technique over the focus on formS was revealed through the one-way ANOVA and post hoc test. It can be claimed that the findings of this study are important for second and foreign language learning and teaching in that it indicated the advantage of input enhancement technique of focus on form approach over the traditional one – i.e. focus on formS – in strengthening of grammatical competence in intermediate EFL learners.

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188. A Probe into Iranian Learners’ Performance on IELTS Academic Writing Task 2: Operationalizing Two Models of Dynamic Assessment versus Static Assessment

Arezoo Daneshvar; mohammad sadegh bagheri; firooz sadighi; Lotfollah Yarmohammadi; Mortaza Yamini

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 24 June 2020

Abstract

  Abstract Dynamic Assessment (DA) has been utilized for language evaluation. This mixed-methods study aimed to examine the potential impact of interactionist and interventionist models, ...  Read More Abstract 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.

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189. EFL Professors’ vs. Teachers’ Home Culture Attachment

Saba Hasanzadeh; Elaheh Sotoudehnama; seyyedeh Fahimeh Parsaiyan

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 06 July 2020

Abstract

  The purpose of the present study is to determine whether studying or teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) will lead teachers to decrease home cultural values or help them to ...  Read More The purpose of the present study is to determine whether studying or teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) will lead teachers to decrease home cultural values or help them to develop their cultural values in both cultures. This mix-method research was conducted in two different contexts, university and language institute in Gorgan, Iran. To this end, the Home Culture Attachment Scale questionnaire was given to 50 English language professors and 50 institute teachers. Also, a semi-structured interview was conducted with ten participants from each group. The collected data of quantitative phase and qualitative phase were analyzed using multivariate ANOVA and thematic analysis, respectively. The findings of the quantitative phase showed significant differences between professors and institute teachers in terms of religious, western and cultural attachment. Besides, six themes were identified for the qualitative part including the changes, definition of culture, Iranian attachment, religious attachment, western attachment, and artistic attachment. Consequently, the study illustrates that whoever is dealing with English is in danger of losing his/her home culture and teachers must be aware of this. The results urge English language teachers to pay more attention to this issue because they can have a great impact on students in terms of beliefs and values.

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190. Demotivating Factors in EFL Context: Examining Nature and the Role of Socio-demographic Variables

Ebrahim ُSamani; Raziyeh Bagheripour; Sara Atarzadeh

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 06 July 2020

Abstract

  The concept of demotivation has received the same attention as motivation, especially in the EFL context. However, a review of the literature in Iran’s context indicates a lack ...  Read More The concept of demotivation has received the same attention as motivation, especially in the EFL context. However, a review of the literature in Iran’s context indicates a lack of studies exploring the nature of demotivating factors, that is internal or external, and the role of variables of the structure of schools, fields of study, and proficiency level. The context of the study was the schools of Bam City in Iran. Sampling technique was stratified random sampling, and totally 244 female students of different types of schools that are public, vocational, private schools, and school for the talented responded to a demotivation questionnaire. The analysis of the collected data through the questionnaire using factor analysis indicated that three factors of “learner,” “learning situation,” and “teacher,” were present. According to descriptive statistics, demotivated students considered themselves as the main reason for not progressing in English which emphasized the role of internal factors. In addition, according to one-way analysis of variance, demotivational factors did not differ significantly among different fields of study, however, different school types were significantly different from each other in terms of these factors. Finally, the result of the Pearson correlation test indicated the existence of a significant relationship between demotivational factors and students’ achievement. The findings of this study provide necessary insight to both teachers and their students in their act of teaching and learning languages.

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191. Postgraduate TEFL Students' Performance and Perception on Research Article Writing and their Challenges in Conducting Research

Leila Sajedi; Mahnaz Saeidi; Touran Ahour

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 06 July 2020

Abstract

  Writing publishable research articles is a great concern of academicians, which requires awareness on all its relevant aspects. However, the obstacles are elusive and postgraduate students' ...  Read More Writing publishable research articles is a great concern of academicians, which requires awareness on all its relevant aspects. However, the obstacles are elusive and postgraduate students' challenges are not fully explored. In this mixed methods research and for the purpose of investigating Iranian graduate and postgraduate EFL students’ performance on their research articles in terms of language and compositional conventions, 30 students participated. Their research articles were analyzed using a researcher-made scale. The same conventions were utilized as a questionnaire to investigate participants' perceptions on the essentials of language conventions in research articles to find the relationship between their performance and perceptions. Besides, a focus group interview was conducted among 12 of the participants to investigate challenges they face in conducting research and writing research articles. The results of the content analysis of the research articles indicated a mediocre performance, while the data analysis of the questionnaire indicated a high perception towards essentials of research article writing. This discrepancy was confirmed by the statistical analysis of correlation. The results of the analysis of the multifaceted challenges students have in both conducting research and writing a research article paved the way for pertinent implications to practitioners in terms of curriculum, syllabus, and methodology.

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