Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies
Volume:3 Issue: 4, Autumn 2016

This study aimed to investigate patterns of encoding motion events in the sentences of „Reading Comprehension‟ sections of English textbooks that are taught in Iranian guidance schools and high schools. To achieve this objective, all sentences that described motion events were collected from textbooks. These sentences were examined on the basis of two factors: 1) The encoding of Figure, Manner, Path, Source, Goal, Cause, and Ground; 2) Metaphorical description of non-motion events in terms of motion events. Based on the obtained results, it was concluded that sentences of these books are the simplified versions of typical English sentences that are used to describe motion events. In other words, these sentences minimize the details of motion events and do not offer a complete picture of such events. Regarding the use of metaphors to describe non-motion events in terms of motion events, the obtained results showed that metaphors are underused in English textbooks that are taught in Iranian schools. Therefore, it is recommended that some modifications be made in these textbooks to improve the quality of teaching these aspects of language to L2 learners in Iranian high schools and guidance schools.

Research has showed a positive relationship between metacognitive knowledge and success in reading comprehension. Thus, it is important to be aware of metacognitive strategy use in reading comprehension. This study was intended to explore metacognitive strategies in reading academic texts among more and less proficient English university student readers. To this end, 75 English as a foreign language (EFL) students (including 45 more proficient and 30 less proficient students), who were selected nonrandomly from 2 universities, participated in this mixed-methods study. To collect data, the Survey of Reading Strategies and the Test of English as Foreign Language were administered to them. Also, to elicit how they utilize the metacognitive strategies, 5 more proficient and 5 less proficient EFL readers were asked to undertake think-aloud tasks. Results of quantitative (t-tests) and qualitative data analysis showed that there were significant differences between the metacognitive strategies used by more and less proficient readers. More proficient readers reported using the strategies at a high frequency level overall, but less proficient readers reported using them at a moderate frequency level. More proficient readers preferred to use problem solving strategies followed by global strategies, whereas less proficient ones preferred to use problem solving strategies followed by support strategies. In addition, the results of think-aloud indicated that the more and less proficient readers’ methods of employing metacognitive strategies differed, to some extent, from each other in quality of use. The findings provide implications for low proficiency EFL readers who intend to improve their reading comprehension and learning autonomy.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the reflection of critical thinking in ESAP textbooks developed by SAMT in Iran. To this end, three textbooks including English for Students of Veterinary Medicine (Medical Sciences), English for Students of Psychology (Soft Sciences) and English for Students of Сivil Engineering (Hard Sciences) were analyzed based on Peterson’s model to identify the frequency of different types of critical reading questions. Moreover, 153 students of these majors filled out a critical thinking questionnaire. The results showed that approximately half of the exercises reflect general reading questions not critical reading questions in ESAP textbooks. The results of Chi-Square tests showed that while there is not any significant difference between the applications of critical reading questions in the ESAP textbooks, there is a significant difference between different types of critical reading questions in ESAP textbooks. In addition, the results of the one-way ANOVA showed that there is not any significant difference between critical thinking of students of the three majors.

Due to the fact that all language learners and teachers are aware of the fact that acquiring a second language involves a learning of the large number of vocabulary items, investigating how vocabulary is learned and what the best ways are to enhance effective acquisition have been important lines of investigation in the field of second language acquisition (SLA). The present study intended to compare the effect of enhancing the quality of vocabulary acquisition by reading, writing, and translation tasks with different degrees of involvement load. To this end, 60 intermediate third grade junior high school students were randomly assigned to four groups. In each group a task with a different level of involvement, including two different reading tasks, a writing task, and a translation task was instructed over a six-month period. The results of the descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA revealed that the group with the highest involvement load task outperformed the other groups in terms of vocabulary acquisition, but the translation task even led to a greater performance in the post-test. These unique findings shed some light on the importance and the practicality of translation tasks in ESL contexts.

Regarding the issue of whether or not the use of L2 learners’ mother tongue should be allowed in the classroom, there has been a discord among scholars, each giving reasons for their claim. Considering this lack of consensus, this study was an attempt to investigate the effect of code-switching (CS) on Iranian elementary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ oral fluency, accuracy, and willingness to communicate (WTC). To carry out this study, a sample of 60 high-elementary level EFL learners was chosen to take part. After a Key English Test (KET) was administered to ensure homogeneity of the learners, they were divided into two groups of experimental and control. The study used a quasi-experimental design. The instruments used to obtain the needed data were a WTC questionnaire providing quantifiable data on learners’ WTC both inside and outside the classroom, and the speaking section of a KET as pre-test and post-test to see whether the learners’ oral fluency and accuracy changed significantly over the course of the treatment. The results of a Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) statistical analysis revealed positive effect of CS on the participants’ WTC and oral accuracy and fluency. The results of the present study can contribute to the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) and be of use for practitioners and material developers.