Rajab Esfandiari; Ghodsieh Tavakoli Moein
Volume 3, Issue 1 , February 2016, Pages 30-1
Abstract
The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to identify the most frequent 4-word lexical bundles and (b) to analyse the functions these lexical bundles may serve. To those ends, a corpus of 4,652,444 in Food Science and Technology (hereafter FST Corpus) was developed, using 1,421 research articles (RAs) ...
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The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to identify the most frequent 4-word lexical bundles and (b) to analyse the functions these lexical bundles may serve. To those ends, a corpus of 4,652,444 in Food Science and Technology (hereafter FST Corpus) was developed, using 1,421 research articles (RAs) across 38 Food Science and Technology (FST) journals. Setting frequency and range as two criteria, we used AntConc to identify the most frequent lexical bundles. We also used Hyland’s (2008b) functional taxonomy to analyse the functions of the lexical bundles. The results of frequency and range showed 153 lexical bundles in FST Corpus. Functional analysis of the lexical bundles revealed 86 text-oriented, 63 research-oriented, and four participant-oriented lexical bundles, suggesting the central role text-oriented functions may play in FST. Implications for the explicit instruction of lexical bundles, for graduate students in FST, and for EAP curriculum developers and materials producers are discussed.
Jalal Kamalizad; Kaveh J. Kalilzadeh
Volume 3, Issue 1 , February 2016, Pages 47-31
Abstract
Responding to the controversies in the results of past studies concerning the effect of nationality/ethnicity on using language learning strategies, this study adopts Oxford’s (1990) strategy inventory for language learning (SILL) to report Iranian male college level EFL learners’ pattern ...
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Responding to the controversies in the results of past studies concerning the effect of nationality/ethnicity on using language learning strategies, this study adopts Oxford’s (1990) strategy inventory for language learning (SILL) to report Iranian male college level EFL learners’ pattern of strategy use and compare it with other Asian EFL learners’ strategy use pattern. This comparison might hopefully enhance scholars’ understanding about the role of nationality/ethnicity in learners’ choice and use of strategies and would also add to the literature in the field. As such, the results of the study revealed that the Iranian participants are medium strategy users (M = 3.31) and resembled many other Asian background EFL learners. Descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of the variances (MANOVA) and follow-up post-hoc comparison tests used in this investigation showed that the participants perceived using metacognitive (M = 3.79) and social (M = 3.82) categories of strategies at a high level and significantly (p < .05) higher than other categories of the SILL. Memory (M = 2.89) and affective (M = 2.75) categories of strategies turned out to be least favored by them and were less significantly (p < .05) used than other categories listed in SILL. The results of individual strategy item analysis were in conformity with the above results. Based on the noticeable similarities discovered in the strategy use pattern of Asian EFL learners, the author suggested some guidelines for teachers and policy makers working in Asian EFL context.
Karim Shabani; Sekineh Malekdar
Volume 3, Issue 1 , February 2016, Pages 65-49
Abstract
This study investigated the extent to which peer scaffolding could contribute to the listening comprehension on Iranian EFL learners with elementary level of language proficiency. To fulfill this objective, 33 institute students were selected through Key English Test (KET) and assigned to two groups ...
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This study investigated the extent to which peer scaffolding could contribute to the listening comprehension on Iranian EFL learners with elementary level of language proficiency. To fulfill this objective, 33 institute students were selected through Key English Test (KET) and assigned to two groups in experimental (scaffolding group) and control (non-scaffolding group). After the participants’ initial level of listening comprehension was measured by a pre-test, the interactive strategies of scaffolding were given to the experimental group in 10 sessions and the two groups’ achievement was measured by a post-test and a delayed post-test. The results of T-test indicated that collaborative scaffolding strategies were effective in enhancing EFL learners’ listening comprehension and the experimental group outperformed the control group. Also, the result of the qualitative data analyzes showed the use of peer scaffolding strategies in the experimental group and employment of L1 and background knowledge in the task performance. The frequency analyses of the detected strategies revealed a peer –peer scaffolding framework. On implication side, this study could prescribe different individual learning plans for learners with different learning needs.
Sara Feyli; Mohammad Ali Ayatollahi
Volume 3, Issue 1 , February 2016, Pages 87-67
Abstract
Many studies have been conducted on peer feedback in the fields of education in general and applied linguistics in particular. In spite of peer feedback’s popularity and benefits, there are some gaps in the peer feedback research. To fill the gaps, this study, through using a quasi-experimental ...
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Many studies have been conducted on peer feedback in the fields of education in general and applied linguistics in particular. In spite of peer feedback’s popularity and benefits, there are some gaps in the peer feedback research. To fill the gaps, this study, through using a quasi-experimental design, tried to compare the effects of classroom peer-feedback with those of teacher-feedback on improving self confidence among Iranian EFL learners. Recruiting two classes with 30 and 29 participants as control and experimental groups, the researchers gathered the data through administering a questionnaire. The data gathered from pretest and posttest questionnaires, were compared through t-test statistical procedure. The results indicated that both teacher and peer feedback resulted in higher self confidence among advance language learners. However, peer-feedback overrode teacher feedback in improving students' self confidence. The findings have implications for EFL teachers and materials developers.
Mir Habib Aboulalaei; Jafar Poursalehi; Yaser Hadidi
Volume 3, Issue 1 , February 2016, Pages 109-89
Abstract
One important light in which to perceive the pendulum swings of the world of language teaching is the waning of the concept of method and its replacement by Kumaravadivelu’s post-method pedagogy, which is free from the constraints of methods. For several years, researchers working on the familiarity ...
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One important light in which to perceive the pendulum swings of the world of language teaching is the waning of the concept of method and its replacement by Kumaravadivelu’s post-method pedagogy, which is free from the constraints of methods. For several years, researchers working on the familiarity of EFL teachers with Post-method and its role in second and foreign language learners’ productions have pointed out that the opportunity to plan for a task generally contributes to language learners’ development. Such a post-method thinking has yet to find some prominent place with language teaching practitioners. This study principally sets out to explore any correlation between the field of study taught and the teachers’ attitudes towards the post-method strategies at hand today. 131 teachers from an English language institute located in Tabriz, Iran (i.e. Faseleh) were selected as participants. The attitudes of language teachers towards the Post-Method condition were assessed via a questionnaire which consisted of two main parts: the first part tapped into the participants’ personal information, and the second part included some questions on a 5- point Likert scale about the role of Post Method, their familiarity with it, and how it impacted their teaching and learning. The findings support the hypothesis that language teachers’ knowledge and awareness of post-method seems to play out as an important factor in their teaching, while they also carry certain pedagogical and theoretical implications in second language teaching as well as relevance to second language learning assessment.
Afsaneh Baharloo; Saeed Mehrpour
Volume 3, Issue 1 , February 2016, Pages 130-111
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between language teachers' perception of instructional supervision and their self-efficacy. In addition, it intended to delve into the interplay among self-efficacy, perception of supervision, and teaching performance of Iranian EFL teachers. Employing ...
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This study aimed to investigate the relationship between language teachers' perception of instructional supervision and their self-efficacy. In addition, it intended to delve into the interplay among self-efficacy, perception of supervision, and teaching performance of Iranian EFL teachers. Employing a mixed-method design, the researchers collected the data, using questionnaires and observation. A total number of 116 EFL instructors teaching at language institutes in Shiraz participated in the quantitative phase of the study. Making use of purposive sampling, the researchers asked 46 of the participants to cooperate in the second phase of the study in which data was collected through classroom observations. In order to analyze the collected data, the researchers utilized descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis, and code-recode agreement techniques. The findings of the study revealed a significant positive relationship between teachers' self-efficacy and their perception of instructional supervision (r = 0.22, p<0.05). Moreover, the participants' teaching performance was significantly correlated with their self-efficacy (r = 0.64, p<0.05) and their perception of supervision (r=0.10, p<0.05). In addition, further investigation of the data revealed that teachers' self-efficacy was the only variable that made a significant unique contribution to their teaching performance (Beta = 0.43, p<0.05).
