محمدرضا اروجی

This study examins the effect of social status on politness in apologetic discourse based on politeness model of (Brown & Levinson 1987-1978). The research method was quantitative and qualitative and data collection was done by sending a questionnaire electronically to students. The Questionnaire (DCT) assessed apology strategies for 12 common mistakes in the community. Research participants included a limited number of students from Al-Zahra Campus, Elmi Karbordi University of Jihad and Khaneh kargar in Zanjan. Analyzing the collected responses of 44 female and 62 male students, the results showed that, people use more negative politeness strategy in expressing apology. Analyzing the effect of social status on using politeness strategies showed in all three positions of social status; Equally, higher position and lower position, people use more negative politeness strategy. The results also showed that the use of politeness strategies in compensating for mistakes depends on the type of mistake made and people use the best apology strategy that can compensate the mistake made. The results of the study did not show a significant difference between gender and the use of politeness strategy.

This research, conducted using an analytical-descriptive approach, aimed to address the following questions: Is the conceptual metaphor theory effective in explaining the conceptual structure of the "Surah Mosabbahat" in the Holy Quran? And is the theory of conceptual blending networks effective in explaining the conceptual structure of the "Surah Mosabbahat" in the Holy Quran? In this article, an attempt was made to analyze and examine the selected first six verses of Surah Hadid, which is one of the five Mosabbahat Surahs in the Holy Quran, all of which are related to a theological subject, as cognitive components in the process of conceptualizing the Quranic verses. The results of this research demonstrated that from a cognitive semantics perspective, the application of conceptual metaphor theory and conceptual blending network theory using Fauconnier and Turner's four-dimensional network pattern could be effective in explaining the conceptual structure of Quranic components and revealing hidden meanings within the structure of Quranic verses. This could influence the perspective and worldview of the audience, providing a comprehensive understanding of the verses at the human level, facilitating their comprehension. The results of this research could be beneficial in literary analysis, Quranic studies, and the field of cognitive linguistics.

This study presented the phonotactic principles dominant on syllable coda in Ardabil Dialect of Azerbaijani Turkish Language using Optimality Theory. The objective was to determine the permissible syllable structure, based on the phonological constraints of this language, and to find out whether vowel hiatus is allowed in Ardabil dialect or not. This study used descriptive- analytical approach. The data were collected using interviews with 20 elderly native speakers of Ardabil dialect, without considering gender as a variable. The four major phonotactic principles (the Sonority Sequencing Principle, the Obligatory Contour Principle, the Syllable Contact Law, and the Maximal Onset Principle) were examined in Optimality Theory in Ardabil Dialect. The analysis of data revealed that all four principles are active and dominant in this language, and the Sonority Sequencing Principle holds the highest priority. The Obligatory Contour Principle is also active in Ardabil Dialect, and vowel hiatus resulting from affixation is prevented by inserting a consonant between the vowels. Additionally, the Syllable Contact Law governs Ardabil dialect, and the coda of the preceding syllable should be more sonorous than the onset of the following syllable. Considering the syllable structure of Ardabil dialect, which is CV(C)(C), onset is obligatory, so Maximal Onset Principle is satisfied in affixation and syllabification, ensuring that a consonant always occupies the onset position. In cases where these principles are violated, such as in loanwords, phonological processes like insertion and deletion prevent the occurrence of forbidden structures.

Neuro Linguistic Programing (NPL) is an approach that offers strategies to deal with life’s opportunities. It makes us aware of how things work, encouraging us to study and model successful people in different situations. This, in turn, can help us improve our communication both consciously and unconsciously. Besides, it enhances our ability to master changes. The term “neuro”, reflects the impact of our sensory input on our neurological function. It suggests that becoming a better learner involves listening better and are more observant, so we are more open to our own and other people’s experience. This helps us to make good decisions. The term “linguistic” emphasizes the importance of language awareness in getting better information to make decisions. By “programing”, we mean habits. NLP teaches us how we can develop and encourage useful habits. In general, NLP means using language to program our nervous system into more useful habits. NLP teaches that people can directly perceive a small part of the world using their conscious awareness, and that this view of the world is filtered by experience, beliefs, values, assumptions, and biological sensory system. NLP argues that people act and feel based on their perception of the world and their subjective experience of it. Using NLP, a person can model the more successful parts of their own behaviors to reproduce them in areas where they are less successful. It is believed that learners must develop their linguistic strategies to become independent (Harmer, 2001). The outcomes of some studies on Neuro-linguistic programing illustrate that these techniques will be helpful in second language learning. To highlight NLP techniques in second language learning, Tosey and Mathison (2003) have gone to great lengths. On the other hand, scientists believe that the use of these techniques and programs is one of the ways to reach independence (Holec, 1981). Unfortunately, so far, there has been a scarcity in the studies of the role of NLP in different fields (Moore, 2009). Teachers as well as students mostly focus their education on the content, without caring about the dominance over the learners’ minds. The authors of this study found limited research on NLP techniques within the scope of teaching Persian to speakers of other languages (TPSOL). In English, the study of the relationship between NLP and other variables such as gender, education level, experience, and academic achievements has been accounted for (Pishghadam, Shapoori, & Shayesteh, 2011). This study is significant for several reasons. First, it aims to improve learner independence, which is crucial for foreign language learning. Second, it explores the impact of NLP on the psychological aspect of language learning. Additionally, NLP techniques can lead to learner autonomy.

In cognitive linguistics, conceptualization plays an important role in discovering the meaning. From the point of view of Lakoff and Johnson, conceptual metaphors are not only linguistic matters, but also thought mechanisms whose representation can be studied not only in language but also in social behavior and culture. The purpose of this research, which was carried out by analytical-descriptive method, was to answer this question: To what extent is the theory of conceptual metaphor effective in religious texts? In this article, with the help of metaphor theory, we have tried to understand the concept of Surah al- Juma, which is one of the five surahs of the Holy Qur'an, called Mosabbahat, because this surah is based on two main and fundamental axes, first, monotheism and divine attributes, and the purpose of the mission of the Prophet of Islam, Ma'ad and also emphasize the importance of the issue of Friday prayer, The results show that from the perspective of cognitive semantics, the application of conceptual metaphor theory using the two-domain model of destination and origin of Lakoff and Johnson can be effective in explaining the conceptual structure of Quranic components and the meanings hidden in the structure of Quranic verses. to reveal and in this way influence the attitude and worldview of the audience and provide a general insight into a human scale to facilitate the understanding of the verses. The results of this research can be useful in literary analysis and Quranic research and in the field of cognitive linguistics.

Based on Lakoff and Johnson’s cognitive framework, metaphor is considered is a key way humans perceive concepts in the universe. The aim of the present research was to study the effects of animal names on native Turkish speakers and the implicational meanings of the words. Turkish speakers derive metaphoric meanings by comparing humans and surrounding events to these entities. Based on interviews with 30 native speakers, 93 words were collected, 22 of which were common and reflected Turkish cultural views. First, the implicational meanings of these 22 words were extracted and listed in a table alongside each animal’s name. Then for each word, the explanation was given according to some examples and poems from Turkish reference books. In addition, the study examined the subjects of gender, frequency, and percentage in these metaphors. The results indicated that animal names influence the speech of native Turkish speakers, who use these metaphoric words daily in appropriate contexts.

At the present study, some Morpho-phonological processes in Azeri Turkish, Zanjani Dialect were studied based on Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolenski, 1993). This was a descriptive-analytical study and was based on interviews with 30 native speakers (between 15 and 75 years old) of Zanjan in three groups of adolescents, middle-aged, and the elderly (each group included 10 interviewees). Their voices were recorded and later were transcribed. All the words were transcribed based on IPA, version 2005. Constraints were identified and ranked. Those constraints which were of two kinds (markedness and faithfulness) competed against one another to select the optimal candidate. Results illustrated that ONSET and HARMONY were high-ranked constraints, whereas IDENT-IO constraint was low-ranked one, the violation of which didn’t render the candidate non-optimal. It can also be concluded that morpho-phonological rules in Turkish Azeri, Zanjani Dialect could be analyzed via the optimality theory.

This article aimed to examine the possibilities of Persian language to express the adversative coordinate constructions. In addition to using juxtaposition, Persian language also uses coordinators to show adversative coordinate constructions, in which factors such as grammatical, pragmatic and semantic categories are effective in choosing the type of coordinators. Generally, when there is no emphasis on the adversative coordinator, or the type of connection between two coordinands can be interpreted by referring to the context, juxtaposition is used. In case of using coordinators, Persian language uses three types of it, which are: simple, compound and discrete (bisyndetic). The aim of the present research was to identify the Persian adversative coordinators, determine their position and examine the sensitivity of Persian contrastive coordinators to the category of coordinands. The data of this research consisted of 81 sentences that were collected from native speakers or Google search engine. The findings of the research indicated that most of the adversative coordinators of the Persian language are sensitive to the category of coordinands and most of them are used with clauses. Among these coordinators, some of them can express other types of coordination in addition to the adversative coordination. Another remarkable point about collocation in Persian language is the use of "va,-o", "ke" and "ham" simultaneously as conjuctional, adversative, causative and disjunctive coordinators..In terms of the position of coordinators, Persian language is one of the few languages where coordinators can be used in the first or last of a clause.

This study presents an overview of phonological adaptation of loanwords in Azerbaijani Turkish Language by breaking up the initial clusters. The syllable structure of Azerbaijani Turkish Language is CV(C)(C). That is ONSET is obligatory in this language, and there should be a consonant at the beginning of the word. But the initial cluster is forbidden and *COMPONS is considered in high priority. So, if a loanword with initial cluster appears in this language, it should be broken up with different repair strategies such as: vowel epenthesis, resyllabification and deletion of short vowels or some consonants to adapt the syllable structure of this language. The most frequently applied repair strategy in Azerbaijani Turkish Language is vowel epenthesis that can be in two kinds both anaptyxis and prothesis. There are various theories about the site of epenthesis, that is where the vowel should be inserted; at the beginning of cluster or a position between the consonants. Just Fleischhacker’s theory (2001,2005) accounts for the epenthesis in Azerbaijani Turkish Language. She says that the epenthesis is based on maximal perceptual similarity between input and output. The site of epenthesis is investigated in Optimality Theory that is an appropriate theory in this case.

Autism, first introduced by Bleuler (1940) and later developed by Kanner (1940), is a neurodevelopmental disorder that poses challenges in communication for autistic individuals, hindering their social interactions and activities. Autism encompasses cognitive and linguistic difficulties, with genetics believed to be a contributing factor. Symptoms often become evident between 18 to 36 months of age. Autistic individuals commonly struggle with verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction, and other activities. Communication difficulties are a core characteristic of autism, with approximately 50% of autistic individuals being unable to use language for communication. A notable trait is the avoidance of the pronoun "I," and the repetition of words and phrases, known as 'echolalia.' There is a wide spectrum of language development among autistic individuals, ranging from those who never speak to those who exhibit slow comprehension despite fluent speech. This spectrum includes both mild and severe forms of autism, with some severely affected individuals being non-verbal or having echolalia. Milder cases learn language but tend to use words and expressions based on their own perspectives, making simple conversations challenging. The speech performance of autistic individuals has been a subject of controversy in psychology, as their appearance is often similar to non-autistic individuals, making it difficult for families to recognize and accept their children's challenges. This lack of recognition can lead to frustration for parents, who may not receive the verbal and practical affection they need.

Evaluating political speeches and analyzing their content is very important. The aim of this research is the linguistic analysis of the text of Trump's speech from the point of view of the types of process (verb) based on the experiential metafunction framework of the systematic functional grammar instruction of Halliday and Matthiessen(2004). The present is of descriptive-analytical type. In this way, the text of Trump's speech is presented in the form of six material, mental, relational, verbal,and existential processes, classification and model of the processes. The obtained results show that out of a total of 212 observation processes material process has the highest frequency with (62.7%) of the incidents, which is completely in line with the content of Trump's speech and his harsh words. It highlights Iran's efforts to develop ballistic missiles. It also refers to the sanctions and actions it will take against Iran by using the material process. , relational (13/3%), verbal (10.3%), mental (7%), existential (7.5%) and behavioral (1%).

The purpose of this research was to study the perception of intermediate PFL learners on the effects of blended learning on their Persian grammar and vocabulary knowledge. The purpose of blended learning, or the use of various experimental materials, is to properly mix traditional and regular educational materials of face-to-face classes with modern technology. The statistical population of the research was all PFL (Persian as a Foreign Language) learners in Iran who were involved in Persian learning. 60 intermediate PFL learners studying Persian in different institutes in Tehran participated in this research. They were randomly divided into two groups namely the control group (= 30 learners) and the experimental or distant group (30 learners). It was based on non-random sampling due to the impossibility of total randomization. Prior to the experiment, based on a quasi-experimental approach, the participants were homogenized in terms of grammar and vocabulary. After the experiment, a posttest including grammar and vocabulary was administered to the same population. The outcome of the research illustrated that the blended learning setting has an outstanding effect on the learners’ knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. The results of the MANOVA test indicated that the blended or experimental group had a better performance in grammar and vocabulary as compared to the control or distant group. Furthermore, the analysis of learners’ responses to the questionnaire showed that they all had a positive viewpoint towards blended learning. However, the experimental group had a better and more positive view towards it. The results could be beneficial to researchers, teachers, and linguists.

This study examins the effect of social status on politness in apologetic discourse based on politeness model of (Brown & Levinson 1987-1978). The research method was quantitative and qualitative and data collection was done by sending a questionnaire electronically to students. The Questionnaire (DCT) assessed apology strategies for 12 common mistakes in the community. Research participants included a limited number of students from Al-Zahra Campus, Elmi Karbordi University of Jihad and Khaneh kargar in Zanjan. Analyzing the collected responses of 44 female and 62 male students, the results showed that, people use more negative politeness strategy in expressing apology. Analyzing the effect of social status on using politeness strategies showed in all three positions of social status; Equally, higher position and lower position, people use more negative politeness strategy. The results also showed that the use of politeness strategies in compensating for mistakes depends on the type of mistake made and people use the best apology strategy that can compensate the mistake made. The results of the study did not show a significant difference between gender and the use of politeness strategy.

IntroductionAccording to Lakoff (2004), in order to evaluate the degree of politeness, some principles must be observed based on which some kinds of behavior can be called polite and some impolite. These behaviors differ from culture to culture. In each society polite and impolite behaviors are due to the culture and the thinking of the people of that society. By comparing these behaviors with one another it could be understood that it might be possible that some behaviors which are considered polite in one culture could be regarded as impolite in another. The social stance of the interlocutor and the scope of conversation affect the truth of speech and observation of customs and linguistic coding. The current research studies the degree of politeness used by both male and female students with respects to their social stance based on Lakoff’s (1975, 2004) approach. Do students respond to the demands of different people in the university setting equally? or the social stance of people affect the diversity of words and the degree of politeness among students.

This study is to investigate forensic discourse analysis of the facility contracts like Murabaha, Jaaleh, civil participation and installment sale.The aim of this research is to probe the forensic discourse analysis of the aforementioned texts in the field of forensic linguistics by considering the Van Leeuwen ’s 1996. To do that, the quantity, quality and the mystification of each contract ’s text was probed to discover the factors which ruin the clarity of those texts. The qualitative method of discourse analysis was used to explore the hypothesis of this research. The discoursal elements in the Van Leeuwen ’s (1996) were extracted and the mystification of each contract and different manipulations in each article of contracts were analyzed by using version 21 of SPSS software. The frequency and the percentage of their occurrence was found. The result shows that significant explicit, implicit elements and mystifications in all contracts were seen. The least frequency of explicit elements in the text of Jaaleh by the frequency of 20and the most number of mystification can be observed in the mentioned text by 81.3 percent. The manipulation based on threat was seen 11 times in Murrabeh, Jaaleh. It can be concluded that based on the occurrence of the implicit elements and mystification of all texts of the facility contracts, using implicit elements should be avoided.Consequently, the ambiguity and the mystification will be reduced. The result of the present study helps the banks’ legal experts to write the contracts more apprehensible with less ambiguity.

The present article dealt with the effect of neuro-linguistic programming on the independent variables of autonomy and motivation of foreign learners of Persian. Neuro-linguistic programming refers to a view in which a person is a complete system of mind and body. The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test. Participants were selected based on non-random sampling, availability, and manageability, but were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The purpose of this study was to answer the question of whether neuro-linguistic programming techniques had a significant effect on students' autonomy and motivation. Statistical analyses included calculating the reliability of the level determination test, mean and standard deviation of scores (descriptive statistics) and the validity of the two assessors in the experimental stage and the conversation part in the post-test were calculated using Pearson test and dispersion according to normality. In the analysis of Hypotheses, MANCOVA was used to examine the differences in the mean scores of the control and experimental groups in the pretest and posttest. The tool of statistical analysis of this research was SPSS statistical software (version 25). The results showed that the Neuro-linguistic programming techniques could improve PFL learners’ levels of motivation and autonomy.

The present study was conducted with the aim of critically analyzing the first discourse of Trump and Rouhani on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Program from the perspective of Systemic Functional Grammar (Halliday, 1985).  To this end, the first speech of the two presidents on the subject of the JCPOA were selected and transcribed for analyses. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses including frequency and Mann-Whitney statistical tests were used for data analyses. Findings revealed the hidden ideologies of the two previous presidents of the United States and Iran, which were Iranophobia and Anti-Americanism respectively. Both were found to emphasize his positive self-presentation and other’s negative presentation. Both intended to put each other into blame for the chaos in the region. Rohani highlighted the national unity, the role of the Revolutionary Guard in the assistance of the oppressed people of the region, and Iran’s role in the provision of peace and calm in the region, whereas Trump referred to Iran’s Nuclear ambitions and the Revolutionary Guard’s role in the ignition of fire of unrest and chaos in the region. Moreover, results showed that Functional Grammar could be used alone to critically analyze political discourses, and also with the help of three experiential, interpersonal and textual metafunctions, this language model can analyze the speeches of both presidents.  Moreover, the ideologies behind each text could be identified and their purposes be disclosed based on the elements in each metafunction such as the use of pronouns, tenses, adverbs, processes and themes used in both texts.

The main theme of studies in the area of forensic linguistics is investigating the relationship between language and law which means the use of language knowledge in the legal contexts. By studying different aspects of language in the facility contracts, we can help the readers of these texts to judge the bank’s purposes or the writer of the text better. This article tries to probe the bank’s facility legal discoursal characteristics used in the bank contracts. The banks’ facility contracts are assumed as legally obliged documents in case of disagreements. Their resources are Civil Law, Bankruptcy Banking Law, and Trade law. Whereas the texts of these contracts have been written by the bank professional experts, it is necessary to protect the bank’s benefits and guarantee the capital return of the bank. Consequently, it is expected to write the mentioned contracts in a way that disobedience would be a crime. Having the lack of legal knowledge and ability in understanding the contracts due to their text difficulty can potentially get the facility borrower into trouble and occasionally make them commit crimes though unwantedly. In most cases, due to complicated structures and technical vocabulary items and lack of proper cohesion in texts will ruin the clarity of texts from a forensic point of view. Lack of clarity in each contract can cause various interpretations which lead to different challenges for both parties. Hence, this is a vital issue for the borrowers of the facilities. Therefore, the main theme of this study is based on what has been mentioned and its significance is to uphold both sides of the contract’s rights i.e., bank facility borrowers on one hand and the bank as a financial organization.

This article is to focus on the forensic discourse analysis of such bank texts in the “Forensic Linguistics” through cohesion elements and perception of the meaning based on the principles of Functional Linguistics. As the bank facility contracts texts are legally natured, so it is crucial for the facility borrowers to understand the contract condition, and then accept or refuse it. Due to the difficulty of the legal texts, facility borrowers rely on the legal representation or bank credits and sign the contract while they accept some conditions that are beyond their ability. As mentioned so far, it is vital to do a thorough investigation of knowledge and present scientific strategies through linguistics. This article is based on “Cohesion Theory” by Halliday and Hassan (1976) and intends to investigate the Tejarat Bank facility contract texts. Halliday and Hassan categorized cohesion into grammatical and lexical cohesion. They consider cohesive devices like “Reference, Substitution, Ellipsis and Conjunctive” as grammatical cohesion and lexical cohesion which contains elements such as “Retrain, Synonymy, Antonym”. The methodology is qualitative and quantitative and the data is extracted from four facility contracts of Tejarat Bank which are the most demanding contracts and including Murabaha, Jaaleh, Civil Participation, and Installment Sale. Based on the cohesive devices of Halliday and Hassan (1976), and also the technical jargons and unfamiliar Arabic words are extracted. The SPSS software version 21 analyzed the content of the contract’s notes consisting of the cohesive devices and their frequencies. Moreover, of the mentioned notes, in each facility contract, a sample is cohesion and cohesive devices, technical jargon, unfamiliar Arabic vocabulary items, and ambiguous are separately specified. After that, elements are analyzed and removed the unnecessary ones i.e., the one in which their note is re-written and ultimately, the data-driven from the contracts was analyzed and the stylistic characteristics of contracts were investigated.

The data analysis shows that repetition, linking elements, and substitution of nouns are the most frequent elements, and Ellipsis, Reference, and collocation are the least frequent in the text of currency facility contracts. Besides, repetition elements, reference, and substitution of nouns are the most frequent and collocation, linking elements and Ellipsis are the least frequent in Rial facility contracts. In the Murabaha contract, repetition elements, linking elements, and noun substitution have the highest frequency and collocation, linking elements and Ellipsis have the least frequency. The distance between the pronoun and anecdote in all texts will lead that the facility applicants can’t link between the linguistic-cohesion elements correctly. Therefore, we can conclude that to simplify the text contract, it is preferable to reduce the cohesive elements like repetition, noun substitution, the linking elements including “and” which will produce long and ambiguous sentences. Also, the lack of unfamiliar Arabic vocabulary can help to understand the text in a better way.

The study of metaphors through cognitive approach illustrates how much the human mental imaginations extends to abstract concepts. In this study, which has been conducted in the cultural linguistics framework, the process of categorization and imaginative schemas have been used to explain the metaphors of the water phenomenon in the Azerbaijani Turkish language. The research data were collected through interviews with 30 Turkish native speakers, as well as the use of books, poetry collections and dictionaries of this language in a very limited number. First, the semantic relationship of each of the words related to water was determined, then, to show the exact metaphorical meanings, the semantic categorization method and the presentation of an imaginary schema were used to determine the viewpoints of Azerbaijani Turkish speakers to the metaphors of water. The research findings show that the speakers of this language use water expressions metaphorically in their speech. There are ten metaphoric expressions of water with positive use and one with negative use that are used by native speakers in appropriate situations.

The study of metaphors through cognitive approach illustrates mental images would lead to abstract concepts. Turkish speakers compare humans and some environmental factors with nature phenomena such as animals, plants, and so on, and present metaphoric uses of those phenomena. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency and percentage of the most significant word structures of nature metaphors in Turkish. Another aim was to evaluate the names of nature in word formation processes and their gender. Research data were collected through field study and interviews with 70 Turkish speakers that 677 words were collected. First, the frequency and percentage of morphological concepts were investigated. Then nature word structures role and share of gender in word formation processes of these words were dealt with. The findings revealed that nature has influence over speaker´s speech and they utilize names of nature in their speech metaphorically. In Turkish metaphoric nature words compounding, derivation, compound and derivation, onomatopoeia, and borrowings have the highest rate of use respectively. Furthermore, the names attributing to animals, birds, and insects have the highest rate of metaphoric use. The results have significant benefits to poets, teachers, authors, and linguists to reach a better understanding of metaphors.

Today, combined learning along with traditional education has special role in medical universities. But its impact on factors such as creativity and spiritual intelligence needs further investigation. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the mediating role of spiritual intelligence on the quality of combined learning and creativity from students views in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences in the academic year of 2018-2019.

This is a descriptive-correlational study. The statistical population consist of all professional doctoral students of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences (N=960) who had benefited from combined education in the academic year of 1997-98. The sample size was estimated to be 275 people using Morgan table and students were entered into the study by simple random method. Data collection tools included questionnaires on the quality of the course Guinness combined learning, Abedichr('39')s creativity and Kingchr('39')s spiritual intelligence (SISRI). Pearson correlation and multiple regression tests were used to analyze the data through SPSS and Baron and Kenny four-step method was used to determine the mediating role.

The results showed that there was a significant relationship between studentschr('39') perceptions of the quality of the combined learning course with creativity (r=0.34) and spiritual intelligence (r=0.39) (P= 0.001). There was also a significant relationship between spiritual intelligence and creativity (r=0.38) (P<0.001). Examining the mediating role of spiritual intelligence and its components also showed that this variable has a partial and moderating mediating role in relation to studentschr('39') views on the quality of the combined learning course and creativity.

According to the results, it can be said that there is a positive and direct relationship between studentschr('39') views of the quality of the combined learning course and their creativity, also spiritual intelligence was  able  to affect relation between the two variables partially.

Metacognition and critical thinking are some of the factors that can help students to solve difficult problems. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the relationship between these factors and creative problem solving. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the mediating role of critical thinking in the relationship between metacognition and creative problem solving among students of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences in 1997-98.

This was a descriptive-correlational study. The statistical population was all PhD students in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences in the academic year of 1997-96. The sample size was 311 students using Morgan method and were selected by stratified random sampling. Of the 275, 167 (60.7%) were male and 108 (39.3%) female. Data were collected using Wells & Cartwrightchr('39')s Metacognition Questionnaires (2004), Baser Creative Problem Solving (2004) and Rickets Critical Thinking Questionnaire (2003). Data analysis was performed by using Pearson correlation and multiple regression tests in SPSS 24 software. The four-step method of Baron and Kenny was used to determine the mediator role.

The results showed that there is a relationship between metacognition and creative problem solving (P<0.05). In addition, metacognition can significantly explain creative problem solving in students (P<0.05). The mediating role of critical thinking in the relationship between metacognition and creative problem solving was also confirmed in this study.

Meta-cognition can explain creative problem solving in students. Critical thinking also strengthens the relationship between the two variables of metacognition and creative problem solving in students.

Metaphor is traditionally defined as a figure of speech that makes a comparison, for rhetorical effect, between two things that are fundamentally dissimilar. Today, metaphor receives scholarly attention in various fields of sciences including cognitive sciences and prominently cognitive linguistics. Johnson and Lakoff, two distinguished figures in the very field, claim that metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action. They introduced such iconoclastic foundation of idea in1980 with the publication of their book Metaphors We Live by. The present article focuses upon Obama's metaphorical language in his novel "Dreams from my Father" with regard to Jonson's and Lakoff metaphor theory. The research method is descriptive-analytical based on which the oriental metaphors are extracted from the novel and are studied for analysis. The results suggest that though the oriental metaphors tallying Johnson's and Lakoff metaphor theory is large in number, there still are other metaphors with apparently oriental quality that do not correspond to contemporary theory of metaphor. Hence, a new path for scholars in the field.

The purpose of this research was to study the effects of blended learning on intermediate PFL learners’ Persian grammar and vocabulary knowledge. Blended learning or utilizing of blended or mixed traditional curriculum materials by means of modern technology. The statistical population of the research were all PFL (Persian as a Foreign Language) learners in Iran who were involved in Persian learning. In This research, 60 intermediate PFL learners studying Persian in different institutes in Tehran participated. They were randomly divided into two groups namely control group (= 30 learners) and experimental or distant group (30 learners). It was based on non-random sampling due to the impossibility of total randomization. Prior to the experiment, based on a quasi-experimental approach, the participants were homogenized in terms of grammar and vocabulary. After the experiment, a posttest including grammar and vocabulary was administered to the same population. The outcome of the research illustrated that the blended learning setting has an outstanding effect on the learners’ knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. The results of the MANOVA test indicated that the blended or experimental group had a better performance in grammar and vocabulary as compared to the control or distant group. The results could be beneficial to researchers, teachers, and linguists.

The purpose of this study was to study the speech of 6 to 10-year-old autistic children based on Systemic Functional Grammar. Two groups, namely experimental including seven 6-10-year-old autistic children and control group, with seven 6 to 10-year-old non-autistic children, participated in the study based on stratified random sampling. Data were collected and analyzed according to experiential metafunction. Results showed that material and existential processes had the highest and the lowest percentage respectively. Emphasis on material process is indicative of a vast cognitive difficulty in finding appropriate words. The material process accounted for the highest means in both groups, followed by relational and mental processes. The lowest mean in both groups belonged to existential process which was almost zero in experimental group. In all processes, the control group used more processes, depicting they fulfilled a higher number of functions including expressing ideas, evaluating and describing. The outcomes would be beneficial for all the psychologists, autism trainers, and linguists.