Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes
Volume:12 Issue: 1, Winter 2023

Phrasal verbs (PVs) are a challenging aspect of English language learning, particularly for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The current study investigated whether a data-driven learning (DDL) approach could reduce PV-related errors (PVEs) in writing tasks for intermediate EFL learners. In doing so, it employed an experimental design with 30 female EFL learners aged 13 to 20 randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). The Nelson Proficiency Test ensured that both groups had similar proficiency levels. The pre-test and the post-test required the participants to write six paragraphs using six separate sets of five related PVs. Each group received six 90-minute instruction sessions, where the Wikipedia Corpus was used to teach PVs to the experimental group with a DDL approach, and explicit instruction, focusing on memorizing and retaining the meanings of each PV, was used for teaching the same to the control group. The study's findings indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group in reducing PVEs, demonstrating the effectiveness of the DDL method. Therefore, the study recommends using DDL as a tool for teaching and learning PVs in EFL classrooms, as it promotes learners' ability to use PVs accurately and appropriately.

Positive emotions are increasingly being studied in the acquisition and teaching of second or foreign languages. Still, negative emotions are also present all the time and need to be given attention. This paper focuses on boredom, a concept that has been studied in educational psychology but has received little consideration from academics studying foreign language learning. The present study aimed to compare the amount of boredom experienced in traditional to that of the virtual classrooms. To obtain the research objective, a quantitative non-experimental research approach was chosen, including a survey design. The translated version of the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS) was used to collect data from the participants. This study was conducted with 120 female high school students, divided into two 60-member groups. One group was instructed to answer the items for the traditional classroom, while the second group was instructed to answer the items for the virtual one. An independent t-test was implemented, and the results indicated that the two groups experienced approximately the same level of boredom, with the traditional class scoring slightly higher. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Lessons for teachers and teacher educators are discussed in light of the findings in order to enhance both traditional and online English instruction.

Academic writing, and specifically writing research articles, is regarded as an important type of discourse which is challenging for EFL learners owing to its nature and constraints. Metadiscourse is an important element of writing in an academic context, and with the growth of corpus-based studies, research interest in the prominence of academic discourse has been enhanced. Metadiscourse resources can contribute to the writer's effort to organize the text, and assist the readers in their comprehension. The present study is an attempt to explore research article discussion sections written by nonnative researchers with regard to metadiscourse markers. To this end, 40 research article discussions written by nonnative writers from humanities were selected and analyzed to reveal the number and types of metadiscourse resources and rhetorical techniques the writers used in producing these texts. In the current study, the authors deployed Hyland’s (2005) metadiscourse Model as the analytical framework to analyze the data. The findings indicate that the writers have a preference to avail ofinteractive metadiscourse markers two times more than the interactional subcategories. The findings of this study can be said to imply that nonnative writers are expected to get exposed to adequate training on the use of metadiscourse resources. Furthermore, teachers are advised to train their learners on the use of such resources through raising their awareness of using these rhetorical devices effectively, especially in the EFL context.

During Covid-19, Teachers faced new sources of stressors caused by the emergency conversion to online language teaching. Thus, the current study aimed to explore EFL teachers’ stressors and their coping strategies in online classes. To this end, eighty-six Iranian EFL teachers from three language schools participated in this study. To identify the stressors, two study-specific questionnaires were applied. Furthermore, to study the coping strategies a short version of COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Questionnaire) was applied. Moreover, the researcher interviewed eleven participants to attain more reliable results. The findings revealed that the students-related stressors were sources of more stressful experiences. Furthermore, it revealed that the most frequently applied coping strategy was problem-focused strategies, and the least frequently used coping strategies were avoidance strategies. The findings have implications for pre-service and in-service teacher education programs.

While research on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) has extensively grown, little is known about EAP teachers’ professional work. The literature on EAP teachers is more under-developed in terms of their identity construction. The present study aims to fill this research gap and contribute to the EAP teacher education literature by discovering the factors that support or hinder EAP teachers’ professional identity in an online environment. To fulfill this purpose, 20 Iranian EAP teachers were interviewed and thematic analysis was conducted to extract the main codes and themes. The results showed the role of various personal, institutional, and sociocultural factors in EAP teacher professional identity construction in online contexts including global, societal, institutional, classroom and individual factors. While the status of English as the language of science dissemination is considered by teachers as a facilitating factor for EAP teachers' identity construction, the status of EAP is not established in academia which hinders EAP teachers' identity. The limitations of online tools and teaching platforms is a major source of hindering EAP teachers’ effective identity construction, which could be reduced with technology support provision by university managers. The findings may promise implications for EAP teacher educators in online contexts and offer suggestions for future research.

This study examines the frequency and pedagogical approaches of transition markers in three Iranian and three corresponding foreign English for Academic Purposes (EAP) grammar textbooks. Employing Hyland's (2005) interpersonal metadiscourse model, this research discerns the prevalence of transition markers, specifically focusing on indicators of addition, comparison and contrast, and consequence. A close analysis of the pedagogical dimension of transitions is conducted through the application of Walkova's (2020) ten principles. The findings showed that transitions of addition manifest the highest prevalence, while those of consequence emerge as the least prevalent category in both Iranian and foreign textbooks. Moreover, transitions appeared more significantly in Iranian textbooks than in foreign textbooks. However, the textbooks examined universally display a dearth of demonstrable commitment toward effective principles for instructing transitions. In spite of less frequent usage of transitions within their context, foreign textbooks evince a comparatively higher propensity for implementing the principles of effective instruction of transition than Iranian textbooks. The results of Chi-square tests indicate statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) across all three categories. The findings of this study strongly advocate that material developers and curriculum designers embrace the recommended principles for teaching transition markers.