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Teaching English Language - Volume:10 Issue: 25, Spring and Summer 2016

Teaching English Language
Volume:10 Issue: 25, Spring and Summer 2016

  • تاریخ انتشار: 1395/11/07
  • تعداد عناوین: 7
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  • Mohammad Nabi Karimi, Hassan Nejadghanbar* Pages 1-38
    Despite the existence of a vast growing literature on second language acquisition (SLA) research and a heated debate among second language (L2) researchers about the applicability of research to practice, there is scanty empirical evidence in this area (Nassaji, 2012). Accordingly, this paper reports on a study investigating in-service teachers'' perspectives on the interface between SLA research and L2 teaching. A total number of 119 English language teachers responded to a questionnaire which collected both qualitative and quantitative data. The results revealed teachers'' familiarity with SLA research. Although they held positive views towards the relevance of SLA research to language teaching practice, a low percentage of them indicated that they seek insights from research articles. Lack of time and ability were the most frequently reported reasons for not conducting SLA research. Similarly, teachers'' lack of time and the difficulty associated with SLA research articles were the most frequently reported reasons for not reading these articles. Majority of the teachers appeared to conceive of teachers'' and researchers'' works as related and connected. However, in almost all cases a considerably higher percentage of MA teachers than their BA counterparts viewed SLA research as more relevant and useful for teaching purposes. Teachers also expressed their expectations from SLA research to address practical issues. Further, they highlighted practical aspects of SLA research as more relevant to their practice.
    Keywords: SLA research, teacher perspective, researcher, pedagogy, interface
  • Mohammad Amiryousefi* Pages 39-61
    This study aimed at investigating the influence of confirmatory vs. corrective feedback on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners'' academic self-concept, attributions, second language (L2) speaking, class performance, and English achievement. To this end, two intact classes of female elementary EFL learners from a language learning institution in Isfahan, Iran were selected. They were asked to complete Myself-As-a-Learner Scale (MALS) and Attributions Scale (AS) to measure their self-concept and attributions prior to receiving any treatments. Then one of the classes received corrective feedback on their errors and the other one received confirmatory feedback on their correct use of English. At the end of the study, they were given the institute''s achievement test, which was composed of 100 multiple choice items on listening, grammar, vocabulary, and reading. They were also asked to self-rate their L2 speaking as well as to complete MALS and AS again. Results revealed that teachers'' corrective discourses have the potential to influence EFL learners'' academic self-concept, attributions, and language attainment. Implications are discussed, and avenues for future research are outlined.
    Keywords: Confirmatory feedback, Corrective feedback, Academic self, concept, Attributions
  • Nouroddin Yousofi, Saman Ebadi, Farkhondeh Pursiah* Pages 63-86
    This study aims to investigate cultural schemas and sociocultural norms underlying politeness conceptualization in Persian through a 14-item Likert-scale questionnaire which was completed by 150 Persian Native Speaker participants. The questionnaire also included three open-ended questions, which surveyed participants'' conceptualization of politeness and required them to impart their views of politeness and ostensible politeness. The results indicate that Persian participants observe rules of politeness in order to appreciate social and cultural norms. They also tend to enhance their own as well as their interlocutor''s face. Politeness for Persian speakers is mainly to be approved of and appreciated by their community and to avoid imposition on the hearer in order to maintain and enhance rapport. The results of the study can provide in-depth insights into intercultural and cross-cultural issues by raising awareness in cross-cultural studies.
    Keywords: Politeness, Face, Social Norm, Personality
  • Zia Tajeddin*, Hessamaldin Ghanbar Pages 87-108
    Adopting the ecological view of research amalgamated with a combination of Conversation Analysis (CA), Cluster Analysis (CL), and a dynamic and variable approach in analyzing classroom talk, this study investigated the interactional architecture of two discoursaly occluded interactional moves of EFL classrooms: the opening and the closing. To do so, 60 EFL classrooms at different proficiency levels were selected. Each classroom recording lasted 1.5 hours, totally comprising a 100-hour classroom corpus. From each class, the two phases of the beginning and the end of the session were targeted and the talks of teachers were analyzed. The results revealed that teachers had several interactional microactions which were counted as the submoves of starting a class and terminating moves. To start a class, teachers were observed to have several interactional strategies such as (a) greeting, (b) name calling, (c) asking reason for absences, and (d) checking the assigned homework and for the terminating a class have other interactional moves such as (a) giving assignment, (b) briefing of the next session plan, (c) stating attitude about the session, and (d) saying only farewell. In closing the class move, seven combinations of submoves were discovered as well. It can be concluded that, despite the gap in the literature on classroom discourse vis-à-vis these discoursal moves, the results indicate that both opening and closing the class moves have complex interactional architecture when they are investigated through microanalytic perspectives like CA, CL, and dynamic and variable approach.
    Keywords: interactional architecture, interactional moves, starting class move, terminating session move, classroom ecology
  • Parisa Naseri Karimvand*, Gholam Reza Hesamy, Fatemeh Hemmati Pages 109-131
    Following the shift of focus in English language teaching (ELT) from method-oriented approaches toward postmethod orientation, some teacher education programs have devoted significant attention to sociopolitical and critical approaches. However, some scholars believe that in many educational programs, critical and sociopolitical aspects are still ignored. In order to explore how accurately this perspective reflects the approach that dominates ELT teacher education in Iran, teacher education courses in three EFL centers were observed through a semistructured checklist three times, that is, early, halfway through, and late in the course. Also, three teacher educators were interviewed about the courses they would hold. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts and the observation data showed that major characteristics of these courses are detailed implementation of preplanned courses, lack of teacher learners'' reflection and collaboration, lack of attention to teacher learners'' critical consciousness and transformative potentials, as well as dominance of a summative approach to assessment. These findings suggest a substantial discrepancy between what postmethod promotes and how ELT is currently practiced in Iran.
    Keywords: English language teaching, postmethod, sociopolitical approach
  • Parviz Alavinia*, Amir Jahangiri Pages 133-164
    This study probed the effectiveness of text messaging device for vocabulary enhancement of Iranian preintermediate learners in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. To this end, 37 EFL male learners were selected (through convenience sampling) as the participants of the study and randomly assigned to three groups. The treatment lasted for 16 consecutive sessions (two sessions each weak & 10 vocabulary items per session); overall, participants received 160 vocabulary items during the entire treatment period. Subsequent to treatment, a posttest was administered in order to measure learners’ vocabulary retention. Besides, in the last phase of the study, the attitudes of students toward Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) were investigated via conducting a semistructured interview and administering the MALL Attitude Questionnaire. The analysis of posttest data through Kruskal-Wallis test revealed that the Input-provision/Output-elicitation MALL group participants, who received the proposed input and produced output through cellphones, outperformed the other two groups. Moreover, the Input-provision MALL group, who received input via cellphones and produced output on paper, outperformed the Traditional group, who received input and produced output on paper. In addition, the analysis of the data gathered through MALL Attitude Questionnaire and semistructured interview revealed that almost all the participants held a positive attitude toward MALL. Finally, the results pointed to no significant relationship between students'' attitudes toward MALL and their posttest vocabulary achievement.
    Keywords: MALL, input, provision, output, elicitation, vocabulary enhancement
  • Hadi Farjami*, Simindokht Rahmani Pages 165-178
    Many teachers suffer from stress and burnout. Perfectionism is one of the personality characteristics associated with increased stress, maladaptive coping, and burnout. This study aimed at identifying the associations between three dimensions of perfectionism (self-oriented, other-oriented, & socially prescribed), three components of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment), and three components of engagement (vigor, dedication, & absorption) in English teachers in Iran. To carry out the study, a sample of 167 teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) working in language institutes, universities, and public schools in different cities in Iran completed a battery of questionnaires including the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. Pearson correlation analyses were performed on the data. The results indicated that there was a significant negative correlation between burnout and engagement, a significant positive correlation between perfectionism and burnout, and a significant negative correlation between perfectionism and engagement in EFL teachers. The results and implications of this study extend the literature on burnout, perfectionism, and engagement and the relationship between paired members of possible sets and can be of great assistance to EFL teachers and educators in general.
    Keywords: Perfectionism, EFL teachers, teacher burnout, engagement