sasan baleghizadeh

The present study sought to explore the predicting power of sense of self-efficacy (SE) and emotional intelligence (EI) on the Iranian EFL teachers’ job satisfaction (JS). To this end, 125 EFL teachers were selected from private language institutes. The participants were asked to complete three questionnaires: Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES), and Emotional Quotient inventory (EQ-i). Significant positive relationships between EI and JS and between SE and JS were observed and independent variables significantly predicted JS. More experienced teachers had a significantly higher mean than novice teachers on JS. Finally, it was revealed that there was not any significant difference between less and more experienced teachers with regard to the correlation between EI and JS and between sense of SE and JS. It is concluded that providing teachers with some interventions such as coaching and mentoring seems necessary.

The integration of ChatGPT into education represents a transformative advancement, particularly in language learning for non-native English speakers. This study examines the impact of using ChatGPT as a feedback tool in English language instruction, focusing on its effectiveness in providing feedback on written assignments. Through a case study involving teachers and students, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather insights into the use of ChatGPT as a feedback assistant. The findings reveal that ChatGPT offers prompt, detailed, and comprehensive feedback, often surpassing traditional feedback methods in quality and speed. However, challenges such as potential over-reliance on the technology and the need for stable internet access, especially in regions with limited infrastructure, were identified. The study highlights that for ChatGPT to be successfully integrated into education, several key conditions must be met: educators should review and validate ChatGPT’s feedback, users need to phrase their inquiries clearly, and there should be a move towards digital submission of assignments. By following these guidelines, ChatGPT can significantly enhance the feedback process, making it more interactive, engaging, and efficient. Proper use of ChatGPT not only promotes immediate improvement in language skills but also creates a more engaging and dynamic educational experience for students learning English as a second language.

While often dismissed as mere entertainment, video games have not only surged in global popularity but also present untapped educational potential, especially in the realm of language learning. This paper explores their integration into homework assignments within private language classes, through a detailed case study involving four participants. The findings reveal that video games significantly enhance vocabulary acquisition and speaking skills, simultaneously motivating students towards homework completion. However, it also uncovers challenges such as the risk of potential overuse, the need for adaptability across various proficiency levels, and the diversity in learner engagement. The research stresses the importance of meticulously selecting video games that align with learners' ages, proficiency levels, and interests. Furthermore, it advocates for a balanced educational approach that combines traditional methods with game-based assignments to maximize learning outcomes. This study highlights the nuanced potential of video games in language education, suggesting that strategic utilization can effectively leverage their benefits, thus offering a fresh perspective on their role in educational settings.

The present research was an attempt to examine the effectiveness of three techniques for teaching two target structures (simple past and past progressive) in English grammar. The participants were 90 Iranian students randomly assigned to three groups: Group A as the control group, Group B as the first experimental group (receiving enhanced input), and Group C as the second experimental group (receiving enhanced input plus metalinguistic explanations). To make sure the participants did not possess any background knowledge of the target structures, a pretest was administered. Then, three techniques were utilized to present the grammatical input to the three groups. A posttest was also administered after implementation of the treatment. Statistical analysis revealed the participants in the first and the second experimental groups experienced the largest improvement in recognition and intake of the structures. Given the higher mean of the scores for the participants in Group C and the integrated nature of the technique, typographically enhanced input plus metalinguistic explanations seems to be more effective in teaching grammar

Given the long-lasting debates over L1 use in language teaching and learning, this study adopted a mixed methods design to investigate the role of Iranian EFL learners’ L2 proficiency in their attitudes toward using L1. A questionnaire originally developed by Scheffler et al. (2017) was modified and distributed among 180 elementary, intermediate, and advanced learners in four private language institutes in Karaj, Iran. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with 18 participants to support and supplement the findings of the quantitative phase. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS and the interviews were transcribed to find common themes. Quantitative data showed that the elementary learners held positive attitudes toward L1 use, while the intermediate and advanced learners held negative attitudes. It was also revealed that the elementary learners held positive attitudes toward all functions of L1 use. The intermediate learners held positive attitudes toward using L1 only for vocabulary and grammar points, while advanced learners held negative attitudes toward all dimensions of L1 use. The findings are likely to help EFL teachers to hear learners’ voices and decide when and at which level it is appropriate to use or limit L1.

The present study aimed to develop our understanding of various aspects of EFL teachers’ perceptions of professional development in Iran using mixed-methods design. After a review of current literature and questionnaires, in the qualitative phase of the study, interviews were conducted with 12 EFL teachers and teaching experts. The data obtained from the interviews was subject to content analysis and the results revealed 4 major themes. In the quantitative phase, based on the findings of the qualitative phase and the supporting literature, a 74-item questionnaire was constructed and administered to 250 participants, after pilot testing and reviewing of the items. The quantitative data was analyzed through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and a 4-factor structure was identified. After modifications in the questionnaire, the final version of the questionnaire was administered again to the participants and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed the construct validity of the EFL TPPD questionnaire and the four components. The results revealed that professional development activities, benefits, needs and barriers are the major dimensions of Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions of professional development. The proposed model can have theoretical and practical contributions to EFL teacher professional development.

With the rapid growth of online education, many language teachers are seeking to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to teach English language courses online. This study investigates the effectiveness of an online training program designed to enhance the pedagogical competencies of teacher trainees in online environments. A qualitative approach was adopted, and four experienced teacher trainers and 25 student-teachers who participated in the program during different semesters were selected as participants for in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that while both trainers and student-teachers expressed some level of satisfaction with the program's quality, some areas required improvement. The program's strengths included its well-organized course structure, comprehensive training on online platforms, and effective development of online teaching materials. However, participants reported a lack of training on different teaching methods, writing skill, and adequate real teaching practice for future online teachers. These results have significant implications for online teacher training programs in general. Although the online format has numerous advantages, it also poses particular challenges for teacher education. To better prepare teachers for the unique demands of online teaching, future online language teacher training programs should address these challenges. The insights gained from this study can inform the development of more effective online training programs and contribute to the advancement of online educational policies and reforms.

International scientific communication is mostly conducted in English. Consequently, writing and publishing in English is of significant importance in academic settings. Alongside many other factors, proper academic writing has an appropriate level of linguistic formality. Research has shown that linguistic features can distinguish between formal and informal texts. Different scholars have utilized different methods to define and measure formality. The present study compares the degree of formality of applied linguistics articles written in English by native English speaking and Iranian non-native English-speaking researchers by calculating their F-scores, a measure of formality introduced by Heylighen and Dewaele (1999). In total, 80 articles were selected from four international journals. Half of them were written by Iranian non-native researchers and the other half by native researchers. The results indicated a medium level of formality in both groups. However, articles written by Iranian non-native researchers were found to have a significantly higher degree of formality. Broadly, this research has implications for teachers of English in different areas, journal editors, materials developers and researchers who want to publish internationally.

By acquiring a new language, people can not only come to respect differences, but also realize that they live in a small world. Although there are many positive aspects regarding acquiring a new language, not every person who attempts to learn a new language succeeds in obtaining the ability to effectively communicate for several reasons such as losing motivation and confidence towards learning, lack- ing an effective learning environments, and so forth. There is no doubt that teachers play a significant role in producing successful language communicators. Teachers are able to maintain and control students’ motivation towards studying both inside and outside the classroom, which certainly produces students’ confidence in their communication skills. In addition to the significant role of the teacher in the language learning process, students must also make an extensive effort to acquire a target language on their own. After careful consideration of the role of the instructor and learner in language development, we can come to the conclusion that effective lan- guage learning requires fruitful teaching and learner autonomy.

The present study was conducted to identify novice and experienced Iranian EFL teachers’ beliefs towards the most effective written corrective feedback types and the most serious errors they might address while correcting students’ paragraphs and see whether there exist any tensions between what they believed and what they practiced through the methodology of pre-observation interview, observation, and post-observation interview. The results revealed that for novice teachers, there were fewer tensions between their stated beliefs and observed practices, yet this tension was more obvious while interviewing experienced teachers. Some implications for language teacher education will also be discussed.

Given the close relationship between language and culture, language can be seen as a manifes tation of culture. With the advent of globalization and the formation of multicultural and multilingual societies, there is a need to introduce the culture of other countries to es tablish intercultural communication. According to the current s tatus of English as an international language (EIL), English language learners do not need to internalize the cultural principles of native speakers since this language does not belong to a particular nation exclusively (Smith, 1983). Therefore, the main role of EIL is to create the possibility of intercultural exchange between second language users around the world (McKay, 2004). Similarly, teaching and learning of English should be done in such a way that language is considered only as a means to communicate and exchange ideas on various issues (Kachru, 1992). Hence, the cultural content of language textbooks should not be limited to the presentation of the cultural values of English-speaking countries at the expense of the cultural values of other nations (Alptekin, 2002). Background of the s tudy: In recent years, the s tudy of English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks from a cultural perspective has been of particular importance in various countries (for example, Birjandi & Meshkat, 2003; Ansary & Babaii, 2003; Amini & Birjandi, 2012; Tahririan & Sadri, 2013; Aliakbari, 2004; Khajavi & Abbasian, 2011). A common finding of these s tudies is that the cultural components of non-English speaking countries are not presented in ELT materials. In other words, these s tudies have been unanimous in concluding that ELT materials have not been successful in educating and familiarizing second language learners with the cultural values of other countries and the image presented by them is limited to the culture of Wes tern countries.

The present s tudy aimed to analyze the ESL grammar textbook Communicate What You Mean: A Concise Advanced Grammar (CWYM) from a cultural perspective. The main criteria for selecting this book was that it has been widely used as the course book for teaching Grammar & Writing courses in English language programs at the undergraduate level in mos t of the universities across the country. In order to carry out the content analysis, Yuen’s (2010) model was employed which consis ted of four components of Products, Practices, Perspectives and Persons. Initially, the researchers carefully perused all the chapters of the book along with various grammar exercises that were included in them. Then, they extracted and categorized the examples of each cultural component in four groups of Products, Practices, Perspectives and Persons and reported the frequency and percentage of each one of them.

The present paper analyzed the cultural content of CWYM grammar book, which is widely used in teaching English grammar to non-native speakers. The findings revealed that despite the current s tatus of English as an international language, the main emphasis of the book is on the cultural values of English-speaking countries and the culture of non-native users of English has been ignored to a great extent. These results are consis tent with the findings of other s tudies, including Shimoku (2000), McKay (2004), Adaskou et al. (1990), and Zarei et al. (2017). What all these s tudies have in common is that ELT materials promote the attitude and lifes tyle of English-speaking countries that are clearly rooted in the cultural values of Wes tern countries. Despite efforts to localize English language textbooks, imported books which are currently available in the market are s till in favor of of Wes tern cultural values and impose the cultural norms of English-speaking countries on second language learners around the world which is obviously at odds with the current s tatus of English as an international language. One of the proposed solutions in this regard is to moderately localize ELT materials through providing a combination of educational resources based on the cultural values of learners as well as international cultural values. Moreover, language teachers should critically evaluate the cultural components of ELT materials before presenting them, thereby assis ting learners to achieve intercultural competence and have a good performance in both local and multicultural environments. It is only in this way that language learners can gain more knowledge and confidence about their own culture and reach a point where they can play an active role in introducing their national cultural values to other nations.

The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of utilizing humorous versus non-humorous texts on receptive and productive vocabulary learning. This research is also conducted to seek whether language proficiency of the participants would be a factor influencing the effectiveness of two types of treatments used in the study. The materials employed in the present study include 17 humorous and 17 non-humorous texts which contain the target words. 87 students at two proficiency levels participated in the study and almost half of them were exposed to the target words through humorous texts and the second half learned the words through non-humorous texts. The target words with their English definitions were presented to the participants. Each text was accompanied by some comprehension questions, either in the multiple choice format, fill in the blanks or open ended questions. Following the treatment, an unannounced immediate post-test was administered to measure the effectiveness of two text types on vocabulary learning. After a three-week interval, an unannounced delayed post-test was administered to check the efficacy of text types on long-term vocabulary learning. The findings suggest significantly better vocabulary learning both in immediate and delayed post-tests for the less proficient participants learning target words through humorous texts. However, in the case of the more proficient learners, it turns out that humor is considerable in long-term learning of the target words. Based on the results, it is recommended that teachers and materials developers include more elements of humor in the language classes and course books.

This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between burnout, personality traits, and psychological distress among Iranian EFL teachers. Moreover, it was an attempt to examine the effectiveness of five personality factors in predicting burnout aspects among EFL teachers. To this end, a sequential mixed-methods design was utilized. Maslach Burnout Inventory, Personality Traits Scale, and Psychological Distress Scale were the instruments administered to 110 Iranian EFL teachers working in private English language institutes in Tehran. Additionally, a semi-structured interview was conducted to delve into the teachers’ opinions regarding the reasons and repercussions of teachers’ burnout. The results of the study revealed that teachers’ burnout aspects were associated with both psychological distress and personality traits. The results also found a significant negative correlation between the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization aspects of burnout and the four personality traits involving openness to experience, extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. Finally, the results of the study indicated that the rise in neuroticism led to an increase in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization aspects of burnout. The results of independent-samples t-test revealed that teaching experience contributed to teachers experiencing less burnout. The results of the study can enlighten teachers as to what extent teachers’ burn out can be predicted by psychological distress, and personality traits, which, in turn can encourage teacher training programs to concern themselves with the mental health and preparedness of trainees to teach.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of practicing reflective assessment (RA) strategies in language classroom and to examine EFL learners’ perceptions regarding RA. In order to do so, the following research questions and hypotheses were answered: Research questions: 1.Does applying RA strategies impact EFL learners’ achievements in General English (GE) classes? 2.Is there any statistically significant difference in post-test scores of EFL learners who practiced RA strategies and who did not? 3.Is there any statistically significant difference in retention-test scores of EFL learners who practiced RA strategies and who did not? 4.What are EFL learners’ perceptions regarding the application of RA strategies in language classroom?

The present paper reports on the development and validation of an inventory measure of the schemata notion for reading comprehension. The process of instrument development and validation is described, along with a review of the literature germane to the schema theory. Following Dörnyei and Taguchi’s (2009) recommendations, we performed a thorough browsing of the literature which culminated in 34 initial elicited items; the items were then content-analyzed by the experts in the field of second language reading. The experts deemed some items inappropriate. They approved the remaining 28 items to be field-tested and factor analyzed. The remaining items were then piloted and checked for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and subsequently confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The exploratory factor analysis revealed a robust 2-factor structure: formal schema and culture schema. Next, the confirmatory factor analysis was run which solidified the results gleaned from the EFA. The implications, limitations and further research paths are discussed.

Formulaic sequences (FSs) are among the most commonly discussed and well-documented effective factors in oral fluency both in L1 and L2. The present study aims to investigate the effect of teaching a set of 140 FSs on Iranian EFL learners' oral fluency. The relationship between the use of FSs and different measures of oral fluency is also studied empirically. Forty-eight intermediate EFL learners took part in the study. The participants were randomly assigned into two experimental groups and one control group. One of the experimental groups was taught the FSs with spaced retrievals. The other experimental group was also taught the FSs but with non-spaced retrievals. The control group was taught no FSs. The posttest was conducted one week after the treatment. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and other statistical procedures were used for analyzing the data. The results indicated that spaced productive retrieval of the FSs after their explicit and holistic teaching, helped the learners to have longer mean length of runs. The present findings have important implications for solving students' problems in speaking the second language. Therefore, the significance of spaced retrieval of FSs in language teaching and learning should not be neglected.

This study investigated the relationship between five teaching styles and emotional intelligence among 102 Iranian English instructors from different universities in Tehran, Iran. To this end, the data were obtained through two phases of quantitative and qualitative data collection. To achieve quantitative data, the participants were asked to fill in two questionnaires, including the Teaching Styles Inventory (version 3.0) and the Emotional Intelligence Scale. The second phase of data collection was performed through collecting qualitative data by conducting a semi-structured interview on 10 English instructors. To analyze quantitative data, multiple regression analyses were run. Likewise, the qualitative data was analyzed through data reduction process in order to realize the instructors’ attitudes toward the different aspects of teaching styles and to find out to what extent their attitudes were similar to one another. The results demonstrated that among various teaching styles, including expert, formal authority, personal model, facilitator, and delegator, merely the delegator style had statistically significant association with emotional intelligence. Furthermore, the relationship between personal model style and emotional intelligence was considerable, though not statistically significant. The findings and their implications are fully discussed.

Retrieval tasks provide learners with an opportunity to focus both on meaning and on form. There are four different retrieval directions. The present study aimed to identify the optimal direction of recall type retrievals during reading and to investigate the outcomes of each one. Forty-eight intermediate EFL learners took part in the study. One of the experimental groups was provided with the productive retrieval version of the reading text, and the other experimental group with the receptive retrieval version. A Posttest was conducted in both productive and receptive directions for all the groups. Delayed posttests were administered two weeks after the treatment without prior notice to evaluate the time effect on participants' performance in each group. The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in participants' performance in immediate and delayed posttests based on the method of retrieval. Further explanation of the effect of each retrieval direction on immediate and delayed posttests has been presented.

The present research was an attempt to examine the effectiveness of three techniques for teaching two target structures (simple past and past progressive) in English grammar. The participants were 90 Iranian students randomly assigned to three groups: Group A as the control group, Group B as the first experimental group (receiving enhanced input), and Group C as the second experimental group (receiving enhanced input plus metalinguistic explanations). To make sure the participants did not possess any background knowledge of the target structures, a pretest was administered. Then, three techniques were utilized to present the grammatical input to the three groups. A posttest was also administered after implementation of the treatment. Statistical analysis revealed the participants in the first and the second experimental groups experienced the largest improvement in recognition and intake of the structures. Given the higher mean of the scores for the participants in Group C and the integrated nature of the technique, typographically enhanced input plus metalinguistic explanations seems to be more effective in teaching grammar.

Many studies have examined the effect of different approaches to teaching grammar including explicit and implicit instruction. However, research in this area is limited in a number of respects. One such limitation pertains to the issue of construct validity of the measures, i.e. the knowledge developed through implicit instruction has been measured through instruments which favor the recipients of explicit instruction. The present study expands on the previous studies by exploring the effectiveness of explicit and implicit instructions through administering a timed GJT and an untimed GJT. Data were collected from three different groups: (a) the explicit group was presented with rules of verb complementation, (b) the implicit group received visually enhanced texts, and (c) the control group received no instruction of the target feature. The results of the mixed between-within subjects ANOVA test revealed that the learners in explicit group outperformed the learners in implicit and control groups in post-tests and delayed post-tests even in the case of the implicit measure. Furthermore, the results indicated the more durable effects of explicit instruction compared with implicit instruction. Taken together, the study provided evidence for the efficiency of explicit teaching compared to implicit teaching in the context of L2 development.

The present research was an attempt to examine the effectiveness of three techniques for teaching two target structures (simple past and past progressive) in English grammar. The participants were 90 Iranian students randomly assigned to three groups: Group A as the control group, Group B as the first experimental group (receiving enhanced input), and Group C as the second experimental group (receiving enhanced input plus metalinguistic explanations). To make sure the participants did not possess any background knowledge of the target structures, a pretest was administered. Then, three techniques were utilized to present the grammatical input to the three groups. A posttest was also administered after implementation of the treatment. Statistical analysis revealed the participants in the first and the second experimental groups experienced the largest improvement in recognition and intake of the structures. Given the higher mean of the scores for the participants in Group C and the integrated nature of the technique, typographically enhanced input plus metalinguistic explanations seems to be more effective in teaching grammar.

This study investigates EFL learners’ and teachers’ beliefs and preferences for isolated and integrated focus on form and explores the relationship with learners’ EFL proficiency level. A total number of 157 learners and 53 teachers completed the questionnaires on preferences for integrated and isolated focus on form. Participants’ views were further explored based on their responses to the open-ended prompts at the end of the questionnaires. The results indicated that proficiency level influenced learners’ preferences for isolated and integrated focus on form. In addition, teachers and learners were found to hold divergent attitudes towards different types of focus on form instruction. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of considering students’ preferences in planning classroom practices.

This paper reports on a study that investigated the effect of self-assessment on a group of English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students’ goal orientation. To this end, 57 EFL students participated in a seven-week course. The participants were divided into an experimental and a control group. At the beginning and at end of the semester, both groups completed a goal-orientation questionnaire. However, the participants in the experimental group completed a bi¬-weekly self-assessment questionnaire throughout the semester as well. The data were analyzed using a Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA). The findings revealed that the students’ learning goal orientation improved significantly in the experimental group. This suggests that practicing self-assessment on a formative basis boosts EFL students’ leaning goal orientation.

Materials evaluation studies have constantly demonstrated that there is no one fixed procedure for conducting textbook evaluation studies. Instead, the criteria must be selected according to the needs and objectives of the context in which evaluation takes place. The speaking skill as part of the communicative competence has been emphasized as an important objective in language teaching. The present study explored the core units of spoken grammar inherent in four widely-used ELT textbooks following McCarthy and Carter’s (2002) classification. A coding scheme was developed to make it possible for the researchers to use the classification in codifying the data. The data were then analyzed to detect the units of spoken grammar inherent in the target textbooks. Results from codification of dialogues and transcripts of audio recordings showed that the units of spoken grammar are not evenly distributed in these ELT textbooks. In addition, a significant difference was found between the textbooks in their inclusion of different categories of the spoken grammar.

This study was inspired by VanPatten and Uludag’s (2011) study on the transferability of training via processing instruction to output tasks and Mori’s (2002) work on the development of talk-in-interaction during a group task. An interview was devised as the pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest to compare four intervention types for teaching the simple past passive: traditional intervention as the comparison group and three task-based groups were processing instruction, consciousness-raising, and input enhancement. The interviews and the interactions during the treatments were also analyzed qualitatively. Task-based instruction (TBI) proved significantly more effective than traditional intervention and processing instruction significantly outperformed all others on both posttests. Furthermore, processing instruction was the only task-based intervention to retain its improvement till the delayed posttest. Qualitatively, processing instruction led to true negotiation of meaning and deep-level learning, consciousness-raising led to massive negotiation over the function of the target structure and deep-level learning, input enhancement led to enormous unfocused interaction about meaning, and traditional intervention just led to interaction about the forms. It was concluded that a well-planned processing instruction is a promising intervention for focusing on language form; however, due to the strong points cited for the other two tasks, their roles should not be ignored.