Qualitative research
Farshad Azimifar; Ali Roohani; Aliakbar Jafarpour
Abstract
While grit and achievement emotions (AEs) have been separately studied, their interplay in second/foreign language (L2) learning, particularly its impact on L2 achievement, remains underexplored. This study investigated this interplay in a sample of Iranian L2 learners, employing Q-methodology to show ...
Read More
While grit and achievement emotions (AEs) have been separately studied, their interplay in second/foreign language (L2) learning, particularly its impact on L2 achievement, remains underexplored. This study investigated this interplay in a sample of Iranian L2 learners, employing Q-methodology to show shared perspectives on how grit would interact with positive and negative AEs in shaping their L2 learning journey. By using a nonprobability purposeful sampling approach, data from 43 L2 (English) learners were collected through Q-sorting, accompanied by think-aloud protocols to provide deeper insight into their subjective viewpoints. Three factors were identified through varimax rotation and manual adjustment statistical techniques. Factor arrays and qualitative analysis were then used to elucidate participants’ perspectives on the interplay between grit and achievement emotions in L2 learning. The Q-sorts analysis revealed three distinct factors: (1) grit-strengthening negative emotions, highlighting the paradoxical role of emotions like shame, anxiety, and hopelessness in fostering perseverance; (2) grit-building positive emotions, emphasizing how positive emotions motivate L2 learners to persist in their efforts; and (3) grit’s buffering role toward negative emotions, demonstrating how grit helps mitigate the detrimental effects of negative emotions like anxiety. These findings reveal the multidimensional and complex relationship between grit and AEs, underlining their joint role in L2 learning and provide practical insights for L2 educators to strategically harness emotions to enhance persistence and success in L2 contexts.
Socio-psychological context of teaching/learning English
Afrooz Choopanizadeh; Mahmood Hashemian; Aliakbar Jafarpour
Abstract
Current studies probe the essence of using language that conveys a meaning different from its literal interpretation. Although figurative language has been widely studied, metaphors themselves have received less attention (e.g., Lee & Choi, 2023; Tocaimaza-Hatch, 2019). This study used an online ...
Read More
Current studies probe the essence of using language that conveys a meaning different from its literal interpretation. Although figurative language has been widely studied, metaphors themselves have received less attention (e.g., Lee & Choi, 2023; Tocaimaza-Hatch, 2019). This study used an online experiment to investigate how working memory (WM) resources are associated with metaphor processing in nonnative sentence comprehension. Sixty TEFL students at Shahrekord University participated in the study and were classified as intermediate or advanced according to their scores on the Cambridge Proficiency English (CPE) test. Before the experiment, 100 TEFL postgraduates rated the familiarity of base words from Cardillo et al. (2017). A self-paced reading task, which included critical sentences such as “The gossipy coworker was an amplifier, spreading rumors and gossip,” was designed using E-Prime software. Participants’ WM (storage and recall) was measured using a computerized test based on Shahnazari’s (2013) reading span test (RST) corpus. Data were analyzed using E-Prime and SPSS. Results showed better performance in storage than in recall in the RST. Reading times for metaphorical sentences were slightly faster with metaphorical versus literal context. Higher WM capacity was associated with quicker reading of metaphorical sentences. These findings suggest that metaphor processing is more cognitively demanding than literal language, and L2 learners with higher WM tend to comprehend metaphors more efficiently.
Ali Akbar Jafarpour Boroujeni; Mehdi Afshar
Volume 2, Issue 3 , August 2015, , Pages 37-21
Abstract
The main purpose of this research was to investigate the role of game-oriented instruction on learning vocabulary of Iranian young beginner students. Ninety public school students were selected to participate in this study. Because of practical limitations, the researchers could not assign students to ...
Read More
The main purpose of this research was to investigate the role of game-oriented instruction on learning vocabulary of Iranian young beginner students. Ninety public school students were selected to participate in this study. Because of practical limitations, the researchers could not assign students to different groups randomly but the selection of the three groups as control and experimental groups were done randomly. After administration of Key English Test (KET), the groups were homogenized and 18 students were eliminated from this study. The treatment starts with 72 students, each group has 24 students. Before starting a treatment, a 20-item multiple choice test was used as pretest. After administration of pretest, the treatment was started. In the control group, new vocabularies were taught through traditional textbook method. In one of the control group, game was used as a main medium of instruction and in the other one, the combination of game and traditional methods were used. In this group, game was used as a supplementary activity. After treatment, posttest was administered in all three groups. In order to analyze the data, SPSS version 20 was used. Since the design of this study was pretest-posttest, analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used for data analysis. Data analysis showed that there was not significance difference between game group and traditional group, but there was a significance difference between mixed group and traditional group. It means that using game as a supplementary activity has the most beneficial effects on learning new vocabularies.
