Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics
Volume:3 Issue: 2, Autumn 2012

The present study investigated any probable relationship between the identity processing styles and L2 literacy of advanced Persian EFL learners. The participants included 160 (female = 109, male = 51) advanced EFL Iranian learners. The instruments used included a simulation of the TOEFL iBT test, measuring the participants’ L2 literacy related proficiency, reading, and writing, and the identity style inventory (ISI-4), measuring the learners’ identity styles. The results indicated that identity processing style plays a role in L2 literacy-related proficiency. A small positive relationship among the informational processing style and L2 literacy and L2 writing was found, whereas normative style weakly and negatively correlated with these components, and none seem to be able to significantly predict the success or failure of an individual in terms of overall L2 literacy. With respect to these results, this study proffers integration of identity survey to the EFL educational systems in order to help educators and instructors teach L literacy-related proficiency more effectively.

This study compared 2 main approaches to readability assessment. The quantitative approach applied idea density based on part of speech tagging and compared 3 sets of text types (i.e., narrative, expository, and argumentative) with respect to their ease of reading. The qualitative approach was done through developing questionnaires measuring intermediate EFL learners’ perceptions on content, motivation, quality of language, and format of the same text types. The quantitative results indicated significant differences between narrative and argumentative as well as between narrative and expository text types in terms of idea density. In other words, argumentative and expository texts were more readable than narrative ones. Significantly, higher perceived readability for argumentative and lower perceived easiness of expository texts were reported by the participants. It was found that the argumentative texts are more readable than their narrative counterparts. This finding was supported by both qualitative and quantitative approaches to readability assessment. The results indicate that there needs to be a reconsideration of different readability approaches in the selection of texts for their intended readers. Implications for writing instruction and research on readability will be discussed.

This study examined and compared the effects of consciousness-raising written corrective feedback in 2 newly-developed levels in terms of marked third person -s acquisition. Nine elementary level intact classes, including 191 male language learners within the age range of 11-14 at Iran Language Institute, were taken as the participants. Relying on the participants’ placement test results, previous term scores, and a pretest to measure their knowledge of marked third person -s, 62 participants in 3 groups were selected to take part in this study. Then, they were assigned into 2 experimental groups treated differently through (a) written pronoun prompt and (b) visually enhanced reformulation for the first 20 min of 6 consecutive sessions over 1 month. No feedback was given to the control group. Two parallel pretest and immediate posttest were used as the instruments. The findings based on ANCOVA, and the t tests showed that the written- pronoun-prompt group outperformed the visually enhanced reformulation one.

This study explored the effects of 2 different types of strategies—translated writing vs. reading to write—in the writings of some of Iranian EFL learners in Esfahan Payamenoor University. The results showed no significant differences in the students’ writings (in the 2 experimental groups and 1 control group) for the pretest topic. With respect to the posttest, the results, however, indicated that the experimental groups who received treatment managed to write better in comparison to the control group who did not receive any treatment. Moreover, it was found that the experimental group who received treatment via the translated strategy managed to write better than the group who received treatment via the reading to write strategy. Also, the t test results for the components of students’ writings showed that both structure and content in the writings of the translation group improved more than the reading to write group. Moreover, the reading to write group showed better performance in the organization of their writings.

Adopting the critical discourse analysis framework, in general, and Fairclough’s (1989) critical text analysis, in particular, the current study aims at examining 3 aspects of meaning, namely social relations, subject positions, and contents in the conversation as well as vocabulary and grammar parts of Passages 1 (an American textbook) and First Certificate (a British textbook) to find out whether there would be any discernable differences between these 2 instructional textbooks. To evaluate the textbooks, content analysis was employed. The results revealed that the primary emphasis of both ELT textbooks was on the cooperative learning. Additionally, in both textbooks, social relations were mostly equal, and conversations often took place between a male and a female with equal social status and power. Regarding subject positions, the data analysis showed that Passages 1 favored friends social relation, whereas TV reporting was the dominant social relation in First Certificate. Besides, Passages 1 mostly focused on uncontroversial issues, whereas First Certificate concentrated on controversial and market-oriented topics more than Passages 1. After all, both these textbooks tended to represent the discourse and culture of Western countries, which can exert specific ideologies on language learners.

In order to confirm the effectiveness of language learning strategies in the Iranian context in junior high schools, this study was designed to examine the patterns of strategy use, the effects of strategy instruction on the students’ strategy use, and the relationship between the participants’ strategy use and their English achievement. To achieve this objective, 57 junior high school participants studying in 2 intact classes of the same school took part in the study. Each class was randomly assigned to either the control or experimental groups. The experimental group received instruction on using strategies which were related to vocabulary and grammar and were considered to be appropriate for their level. Due to practicality reasons only 6 strategies were selected form Oxford’s taxonomy (1990). Gunning’s Children’s SILL (1997, adapted from Oxford, 1990) was applied before and after strategy instruction. An EFL teacher-made achievement test was also conducted after the treatment. The results revealed that affective category was the most used category by the learners, followed by metacognitive, compensatory, memory, and social categories. Also, the cognitive category was the least used category. The difference between the control and experimental groups in terms of strategy use appeared to be significant, indicating the effectiveness of strategy instruction. The results also showed a significant positive relationship between the participants’ strategy use and achievement.

This paper is an attempt to discuss the concept of madness and its different causes and functions in Bessie Head’s semiautobiographical novel A Question of Power. It aims to explore the multifaceted insanity of Elizabeth the exiled colored protagonist in terms of different theories. We will see how once a devastating trauma turns out to be a habilitating schizophrenia. Head challenges the readers’ normalized responses with this controversial concept (i.e. madness) and throws a new light on the capability of apparently silenced and insane people. Withstanding the long preserved devastating epistemology of the institutionalizing power, she clarifies that one can avoid being inside a power archive through insanity like Shakespearean fool.