Journal of English Language Research
Volume:1 Issue: 1, Nov 2020

Throughout the past decade, assessing and reducing teachers’ burnout has become a significant concern in educational settings to promote teachers’ accountability and, in turn, students’ success. In view of that, this study aimed to investigate significant connections between teachers’ practices and preferences of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) strategies and their burnout. To this aim, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) questionnaires were distributed among 209 EFL Iranian English school teachers. Data were collected by sharing the questionnaire google form’s link in Telegram, and WhatsApp. The results revealed that there was a negative significant relationship between overall CPD and overall burnout. Moreover, reflecting construct was shown to have the highest negative relationship with overall burnout, though updating construct was proved to be not a significant predicting power of burnout. Thus, it can be concluded that EFL teachers’ practices and preferences of CPD programs can significantly reduce their burnout.

Vocabulary development seems to be the most significant and useful activity in any language class because learning the words of a language is undeniably an important part of a speaker’s command of that language. Therefore, teaching vocabulary is an essential component of standards-based curriculum alignment. In view of that, this study aimed to find out whether there is a significant relationship between Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ vocabulary knowledge and their verbal and non-verbal fluid intelligence. To this aim, 201 English language intermediate students were asked to fill out three questionnaires including Vocabulary Level Test, Visual-Spatial Reasoning Test as a non-verbal fluid intelligence test, and the Persian adaptation of Baddeley’s 3-minute grammatical reasoning test as a verbal fluid intelligence test. The results of the study’s hypothesized model showed that vocabulary knowledge is predicted by both verbal and non-verbal fluid intelligence significantly, and non-verbal fluid intelligence is shown to be the stronger predictor of vocabulary knowledge than verbal fluid intelligence. Moreover, the results indicated that there is a significant difference in the level of EFL students’ vocabulary knowledge between male and female students while there is no significant difference in students’ verbal and non-verbal fluid intelligence regarding their gender.

This study seeks to investigate the effect of implementing peer-scaffolded assessment on students’ self-esteem of Iranian Intermediate EFL learners. For conducting this study, 40 homogenized intermediate learners were selected through OPT from an English center in Tehran. These learners were randomly divided into an experimental group (N=20) and a control group (N=20). The Foreign Language Self-Esteem Scale (FLSES) was administered to all the participants before the instructional phase to measure students’ self-esteem level. At instructional phase, the experimental group were exposed to peer-scaffolding practice in which the participants applied scaffolding procedure and techniques on their peers for assigned tasks and problem-solving activities while the control group were exposed to conventional practice. Instructional phase lasted for 8 sessions, half an hour a session in a week for two months. To measure students’ self-esteem level after the instructional phase, the researcher administered FLSES for all the participants. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS software. The analysis of data revealed that exposing students to the peer-scaffolding assessment can significantly enhance students’ self-esteem level. The findings of this study can help language learners, educators, program developers, and curriculum planners to provide better learning condition and program for language learners.

The translated texts of Nahjul-Balaqa and Fadak through reflective mind image of the target audience have provided this study with its findings beyond mere translations juxtaposition. The purpose of this research is to obtain how the phenomenon’s mind picture can be recreated and to appraise the contextual devices retained for this process. The analyzing of four translated texts entails the Arabic text as the source, the Persian as the transmitter, and the English translation as the target text. First, the surveys of Persian translations have been conducted as intermediary and responded by the relevant scholars for the initial figurative image reflected in the translations. Subsequently, the English translations in similar procedures in maintaining equivalence have evinced analogous findings. The tables, graphs, and figures on the basis of clause units have illustrated homogeneously implied orientations in preserving equivalence. However, Situational domains for depicting figurative mind image necessitates certain contextual transcending.

Coursebooks are normally written to contain information, instruction, exposure, and activities that learners at a particular level need to enhance their communicative competence in the target language (Tomlinson, 2013). However, many global coursebooks make attempts to include content, topics, and texts that do not advantage any learner around the world. That is why, they usually wind up being dull, sanitized, and bland, deprived of little meaningful efforts to promote intercultural competence among learners. Therefore, this study aims at investigating the impact of developing language learning materials on enhancing EFL learners' intercultural competence and speaking ability. To this aim, of 40 homogenous EFL learners, 20 students were chosen into experimental groups and other 20 students were chosen into control groups. Both two groups had Intercultural Competence Questionnaire, and Preliminary English Test (PET) as a pretest for checking their cultural awareness and speaking ability. Whereas the experimental group benefitted from the framework of Text driven approach suggested by as Tomlinson (2013), the control group did not have manipulation in their instruction. The results show differences in experimental classes and control classes, in intercultural competence and speaking ability. In total, the findings indicated that developing language learning materials by Text driven approach encouraged the students to have information about other cultures. In addition, it helped the learners to improve their speaking skills.

The present article attempts to elucidate that Tom Crick, the narrator of Graham Swift’s Waterland, employs the techniques of postmodern historiography in his narrative. Postmodern historiography discredits the Grand Narrative of History and replaces it with histories. Hutcheon defines historiographic metafiction as a type of narrative which self-reflexively problematizes the correspondence between the real historical world and the referent. With a historical self-consciousness, Waterland paradoxically juxtaposes the necessity of stories and the awareness of their constructed nature. In this novel, the boundary between history and fiction is blurred. While it explicitly deals with the notion of history by offering several historical accounts, it paradoxically questions the authenticity of the accounts that are put forward. By not making distinction between history and fiction, the novel considers the existence of story necessary for the acquisition of an understanding of the world. The paradox lies in the fact that the novel admits that such understanding of the world is inevitably provisional.

Electronic portfolios are considered as invaluable means of teaching, learning and assessment. This paper aims at reviewing and evaluating the concept of electronic portfolios used in various educational settings. Electronic portfolios are used as the result of the development of portfolios. After providing different definitions of the term, advantages and disadvantages are discussed as well. Based on the review of the related literature, opinions of scholars and empirical studies, the researcher believes that it would be advisable for all teachers to start using e-portfolios in their own classes, adapting them to their educational context and enjoy the many advantages offered through them. E-portfolios not only support students’ learning, but also encourage their self-assessment, use of self-regulation strategies and their critical thinking.