Journal of Applied Linguistics Studies (JALS) is a peer-reviewed, Open-Access Scientific Journal devoted to research into all aspects of applied linguistics. The journal is published twice a year in electronic formats. Journal DOI: 10.57647/jals Journal Abbreviation: J. Appl. Linguist. Stud. Journal Title Acronym: JALS Journal Owner: Islamic Azad University Keywords: Applied Linguistics, Scholarly Discourse, Theories and Research Methods, Interdisciplinary Connections, Linguistic Studies, Field Development Director-in-Charge: Ghasem Barani, PhD 0000-0001-6384-8170 Editor-in-chief: Behzad Ghonsooly 0000-0002-2478-540X
Examining the Relationship Between Attitude, Language Aptitude, and Reading Achievement: A Gender-Based Analysis
Aptitude and attitude are widely recognized as influential individual-difference variables in second language (L2) development and academic achievement. The present study investigated the relationships among Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ language aptitude, attitudes toward language learning, gender, and reading comprehension achievement. A total of 150 pre-intermediate male and female learners from private language institutes participated in the study. Language aptitude was measured using the LLAMA aptitude tests developed by Meara (2005), and learners’ attitudes were assessed using the Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) designed by Horwitz (1988). At the end of the semester, a standardized reading comprehension test was administered to measure learners’ achievement. The data were analyzed using Pearson Correlations, multiple linear regression, and an independent-samples t test. The results revealed a significant positive relationship between language aptitude and reading comprehension achievement. Among the aptitude components, vocabulary learning ability emerged as the strongest predictor. Learners’ attitudes toward language learning also showed a statistically significant but moderate contribution to reading performance. However, no significant gender differences were found in reading comprehension. Overall, the findings highlighted the primary role of cognitive aptitude, particularly vocabulary learning ability, and the supportive role of attitude in EFL reading development. The study offered pedagogical implications for improving reading instruction and suggested directions for future research on individual differences in language learning. These findings may also assist educators in designing more effective, learner-centered instructional practices.
Copyright (c) 2025 Soghra Ahangari, Shokouh Rashvand Semiyari (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Student Attrition at English Language Institutes: An Explanatory Case Study
Although the number of students attending English language institutes (ELIs) is rising, many students withdraw from courses before completion. Student attrition is typically attributed to two categories of factors, i.e., compulsory and voluntary factors. However, little is known about the reasons for student attrition at ELIs. Drawing on an explanatory case study, we conduced in-depth, semi-structured, on-line interviews with 20 dis-enrolled students who could not complete their courses. Results based on the qualitative content analysis approach revealed three main themes that contribute to student attrition at ELIs - (i) "Dissatisfaction with Quality of Study Programs", (ii) "Academic Demotivation", and (iii) "Dissatisfaction with Instructors". We discuss the study's implications for practice, and several directions for future research. Ultimately, we conclude that ELIs need to redefine their student profiles in light of 21st century-born students as most institutes do not seem to be Generation-Allpha ready.
English language institutes (ELIs), dis-enrolled students, drop out, student attrition
Copyright (c) 2025 Shabnam Ettehad, Masoud Zoghi, Hanyieh Davatgary Asl (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Impact of Mentorship on Enhancing Novice EFL Teachers' Self-Efficacy: Insights from EFL Teachers in Iran
This study investigated the impact of mentorship on enhancing the self-efficacy of novice EFL teachers in Iran. By employing an exploratory mixed-methods research design, it explored the transformative impact of mentorship programs on teachers' professional confidence and performance. To collect the required data for this study by using purposive sampling method, a total of 110 participants, including 100 Iranian novice EFL teachers (mentees) and 10 experienced EFL teachers (mentors) from Khorasan Razavi province (specifically Torbat-e Heydarieh and Mashhad), Iran, were selected. In the quantitative phase to measure self-efficacy, participants completed questionnaire of the 24-item TSES (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001), adapted for EFL contexts. The quantitative findings revealed significant improvements across four critical dimensions of self-efficacy: instructional strategies, classroom management, student engagement, and professional adaptability. At the start of the intervention, novice teachers reported low self-efficacy scores, reflecting their struggles in transitioning from theory to practice. However, after a year-long structured mentorship program incorporating regular feedback, reflective dialogue journals, and classroom observations, their self-efficacy scores increased substantially. The qualitative data further underscored the importance of mentorship in fostering professional growth. Interviews and reflective journals used as qualitative instrument to reveal that effective mentors, characterized by strong interpersonal skills and subject matter expertise, provided targeted support and encouragement, enabling novice teachers to build confidence in their pedagogical decision-making. The findings also addressed contextual challenges within the Iranian EFL educational system, where novice teachers often lack access to formal professional development opportunities. Mentorship emerged as a critical support mechanism, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application while empowering teachers to develop a deeper understanding of their professional potential. This study contributed to the existing literature by validating the theoretical intersections between mentorship and self-efficacy, offering valuable implications for teacher education programs in EFL contexts. It emphasized the need for mentorship models that address specific cultural and institutional challenges to ensure sustainable professional development for novice teachers.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ali Kondori, Mitra Zeraatpishe, Hamid Ashraf, Khalil Motallebzade (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Construction and Validation of a Questionnaire Evaluating the TEFL BA curriculum in Farhangiyan University: A Case of CIPP Model for Instructors
While evaluation of a newly developed program is necessary, the new ELT curriculum at Farhangian University has not been evaluated yet, and the most recent evaluation done is based on the previous ELT curriculum, which was implemented in Farhangian University before the new curriculum was developed. Therefore, the current study was done to conduct quantitative research to design a CIPP curriculum model evaluation for instructors of Farhangian University. Initially, an 87-item questionnaire for instructors was designed. 10 experts were selected to take part in the expert validation process of the study. Then, 200 EFL instructors of Farhangian universities of Iran were selected to participate (using a convenience sampling method) in the validation process of the study. To show the content validation of the questionnaires in the pilot phase of the study, the instructor questionnaire with 87 items was distributed among the 10 experts of the study. After calculating CVR and CVI, 17 items of the instructor questionnaire were removed. Then, the questionnaire with 70 Likert-scale items was distributed among the 200 participants of the study. The results of EFA, CFA and Cronbach’s Alpha revealed that the designed CIPP curriculum model questionnaire for instructors included 70 items and five components had acceptable validity and reliability. This suggests that curriculum developers should regularly review and update the curriculum to ensure it aligns with the country's evolving educational goals, including the integration of new pedagogical strategies, technologies, and international trends.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mahdi Arabi, Hamid Ashraf, Khalil Motallebzadeh (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Corpus-Based Analysis of Rhetorical Moves: Insights from High-Scoring TOEFL Integrated Writing
This study explored the rhetorical organization, frequency distribution, and linguistic characteristics of high-scoring Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) integrated reading and listening-to-write argumentative essays responses. Drawing on a corpus of 100 successful essays, a qualitative, corpus-driven rhetorical move analysis was conducted using MAXQDA 2019 and guided by an adapted model from Swales (1990) and Toulmin (1958). Findings revealed five principal rhetorical moves—Introduction, Summary of Reading, Summary of Listening, Evaluation/Comparison, and Conclusion—each containing functional sub-moves essential for effective integrated writing. Frequency analysis indicated consistency in essential moves, such as presenting the topic (89%), stating the thesis (73%), summarizing the main reading ideas (100%), presenting lecturer counter-claims (100%), and restating key contrasts in the conclusion (91%). Linguistic analysis through AntConc 3.5.8 was interpreted using an adapted framework of Halliday’s (1994) systemic functional linguistics, showing that introductions predominantly used formal academic nouns, modals, and stance verbs to present topics and thesis statements. Meanwhile, summaries of reading and listening employed reporting verbs, domain-specific terms, and contrastive language alongside a mix of present tense, passive constructions, and conditional clauses to achieve clarity and coherence. Pedagogically, the results highlighted the importance of teaching move-based writing strategies that prioritized clear topic framing, objective summarization, and effective contrast while treating explicit evaluation and interpretive insight as optional enhancements.
Copyright (c) 2025 Fariba Jamallivani, Atefeh Nasrollahi Mouziraji, Hamed Barjesteh (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Conceptualizing Death: A Radial Network Analysis of Sadegh Hedayat
Sadegh Hedayat’s works are among those in which the concept of “death” plays a central and multifaceted role. Previous studies have mostly examined this concept from psychological, social, stylistic, or intertextual perspectives, analyzing death as a theme or as a consequence of individual and collective crises. Adopting a cognitive semantic approach, the present study demonstrates that death in Buried Alive is not a fixed concept but a dynamic conceptual structure organized as a network of interconnected meanings. The theoretical framework employs radial categories and metaphorical extension, and the data are analyzed qualitatively based on an examination of linguistic and contextual uses of words and expressions related to death. The findings indicate that death in Buried Alive has a central semantic core—namely, the biological end of life—along with peripheral extensions that expand, through metaphor and the narrator’s emotional experience, into existential, psychological, and interpersonal domains. Accordingly, death in this work is not merely the subject of the narrative but also constitutes a cognitive framework through which the world and the lived experience of the main character are perceived. By focusing on meaning construction, this study offers a new perspective for the analysis of fundamental concepts in contemporary Persian narrative literature. Moreover, the analysis reveals that these semantic extensions continually shift depending on narrative context, highlighting the fluidity of the concept within the story world. Ultimately, the study argues that understanding death in Hedayat’s fiction requires attention not only to its thematic presence but also to its cognitive functions, which shape the reader’s engagement with the text.
Copyright (c) 2025 Farahnaz Ahmadpour Karimabadi, Arezou Molavi Vardanjani, Shahin Ghasemi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Role of Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulation in Job Performance: Examining the Mediating Role of Teacher Professional Identity
The question of whether psychological characteristics of teachers can predict their teaching performance has drawn considerable interest in educational psychology area. The present study aimed at examining the role of teacher self-efficacy and teacher self-regulation in teacher job performance, mediated by teacher professional identity in the Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) context. To this end the online scales of teacher self-efficacy, teacher self-regulation, teacher professional identity, and teacher job performance were employed in a quantitative correlational study to collect data from 152 EFL teachers purposively selected from different universities in West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, and Ardebil provinces, Iran. Results of the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) showed that teacher self-efficacy and teacher self-regulation did not directly predict teacher job performance but had a significant correlation with teacher professional identity. Furthermore, mediated by teacher professional identity, both teacher self-efficacy and teacher self-regulation could significantly predict teacher job performance. The results of this study could expand social psychological theories against fundamental attribution error. It was concluded that the effect of situational factors outperformed the psychological abilities of Iranian EFL teachers. Moreover, teacher professional identity, as a mediating variable, could significantly strengthen the role of teacher self-efficacy and teacher self-regulation on teacher job performance. Theoretically, the findings can challenge fundamental attribution error by demonstrating that situational factors can neutralize direct effects of psychological traits, suggesting that teacher effectiveness models must equally weight contextual and individual factors. Pedagogically, the findings necessitate institutional reforms to reduce systemic constraints alongside professional development programs that explicitly focus on professional identity formation as the mechanism through which psychological resources can lead to teaching effectiveness.
Copyright (c) 2025 Hanieh Kharrati, Shima Ahmadi-Azad, Nasser Ghafoori (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Iranian EFL Teachers’ TPACK Competency and Perception
Examining EFL teachers’ Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge competency and perception seems to be crucial. This survey research (also called descriptive research) followed an explanatory sequential design and used both “non-experimental quantitative” and “basic qualitative research” methods to gather information regarding TPACK competency and perception among Iranian EFL teachers while taking their educational degree and teaching experience into account. To accomplish so, 104 male (40) and female (64) Iranian EFL teachers from various branches of the Iran Language Institute were chosen through convenience sampling to participate in this study. The TPACK Self-Assessment Questionnaire (Baser et al., 2016) was used to assess the TPACK score of the participants in the quantitative part of the study. For the qualitative part of the research, through convenience sampling, 6 male (3) and female (3) participants voluntarily took part in a structured interview session regarding EFL teachers’ perceptions towards TPACK. The results of the One-Way ANOVA Test revealed that there was not any significant difference in total TPACK score among participants of different educational levels. The results of the Independent Samples T-test showed that the more experienced participants outperformed the less experienced ones in terms of their total TPACK score. Thematic content analysis of the interview transcriptions using the MAXQDA software (a qualitative analysis software for text, memos, images, video segments (Ary et al., 2013)) revealed not only the participants’ perceptions regarding the definition, importance, and the ways of improving TPACK, but also their ideas about the correlation between EFL teachers’ TPACK level and their educational degree and teaching experience. The findings of the quantitative part of the study implicated the necessity of holding TPACK workshops for less experienced EFL teachers who need additional training in this area. The qualitative findings implicated that EFL teachers need to broaden their understanding of new technological tools, contemporary language pedagogy trends, and subject matter expertise.
Copyright (c) 2025 Afshin Mansouri-Qadikolaei, Dr. Amir Marzban, Ebrahim Fakhri Alamdari (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Effects of Writing Prompt Properties on Pre-service Teachers` Essay Writing Performance based on Coh-metrix Analysis
Writing prompts are widely used in second language writing assessment and instruction; however, the characteristics of these prompts are often treated as neutral elicitation tools. The properties of writing prompts may systematically influence how writers generate and organize their texts. This study investigated the effect of the writing prompt characteristics on Iranian pre-service English language teachers' essay writing. For this purpose, the research emphasized the evaluation of essays with six writing prompts with different properties. Sixty participants out of ninety randomly selected from the male population of Iranian EFL preservice teachers majoring in English at Farhangian University. They were at the age range of 20 to 24. All of them had prior experience in writing academic English paragraphs. They were taken writing courses to enhance their English writing ability, and they had formal training in English writing skills. This research was conducted both quantitatively and qualitatively. The quantitative analysis was incorporated to provide evidence as to whether the writing prompts elicit written essays that is stable and consistent across various prompts. Pre-service teachers' essays were analyzed using Coh-metrix to provide information about essay properties at different levels. For qualitative data, the interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed. Then common themes were extracted concerning essay composing. The findings suggest that writing prompts are not neutral instruments but important task conditions that shape the linguistic characteristics of l2 written texts. The results of the study showed that the properties of the prompt have an important effect on some textual characteristics of the response. For example, syntactic complexity, lexical complexity, and connectives. The basic conclusion of this research was that a range of prompt properties should be controlled to keep the prompts equal. Otherwise, the essays textual features changes because of the prompt. Integrating computational text indices with qualitative process data provides a richer understanding of how task conditions influence second language writing performance.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nader Afshounpour, Peyman Rajabi, Hossein Ahmadi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Effect of AI-assisted feedback vs Teacher corrective feedback on Iranian EFL Learners' Grammatical accuracy
Accurate feedback is essential for developing grammatical accuracy in writing, yet large classes and limited teacher time often constrain feedback quality in Iranian institutes. Building on recent advances in large-language-model (LLM) technology, this study compared the efficacy of AI-assisted corrective feedback, delivered through ChatGPT-4, with traditional teacher-provided feedback. Forty pre-intermediate Iranian EFL learners (age = 18–25; 20 male, 20 female) from Daneshvarane Bartar English Institute in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan, were first homogenized through a PET test and matched for age and class size, then randomly assigned to an AI-feedback group (20) or a teacher-feedback (control) group (20). Over seven 90-minute sessions (five weeks), each learner produced a 150–200-word argumentative essay per week. Both groups completed parallel pre- and post-test essays. Feedback was delivered within 48 hours of each writing submission, with AI feedback provided via Large Language Model (LLMs)’s standardized interface using ChatGPT and teacher feedback delivered by the trained instructor. Grammatical accuracy was operationalized as the number of errors per T-unit and scored independently by two trained raters. An ANCOVA controlling for pre-test performance revealed a significant main effect for feedback type. Post-test adjusted means showed that the teacher corrective feedback group outperformed the AI group. However, both groups from pre-test to post-test had an improvement in accuracy. However, this improvement in the group that received teacher corrective feedback was higher. As a result, in the Iranian context, teacher corrective feedback is more effective. Besides, these results advocate integrating AI tools into writing pedagogy to relieve teacher workload, provide immediate individualized input, and support data-driven instruction. Future research should test hybrid feedback models, track long-term retention, and explore learner perceptions across proficiency levels and institutional contexts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Fatemeh Khodaie Alvar, Farnaz Sahebkheir (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
AI-Assisted Lesson Planning and Teacher Development: A Mixed-Methods Study on Critical Thinking and Creativity
The rapid integration of generative Artificial Intelligence, such as ChatGPT, in education is reshaping teachers’ professional practices. However, its influence on teachers’ higher-order cognitive processes during instructional design remains insufficiently understood. This study examined the impact of ChatGPT-assisted lesson planning on EFL teachers’ critical thinking, creativity, and overall instructional design quality. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods quasi-experimental design, the research combined quantitative and qualitative strands to determine how AI-supported planning influenced teachers’ cognitive engagement. Forty-two in-service EFL teachers were purposively selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group, that received structured training on integrating ChatGPT into lesson planning, and a control group, that planned lessons using conventional methods. Participants completed pretest and posttest lesson-planning tasks evaluated through three validated instruments: The Critical Thinking Rubric, the Creativity Rubric, and the Lesson Plan Quality Scale. Repeated-measures MANOVA results revealed significant time × group interactions across all three domains, with the experimental group demonstrating substantially higher posttest gains. To enrich these findings, semi-structured interviews with a subsample of twelve teachers explored their planning experiences and cognitive processes. Thematic analysis showed that AI-supported planning enhanced teachers’ ability to justify instructional decisions, expanded their creative repertoires, and fostered more deliberate pedagogical reasoning, while also highlighting the importance of critical engagement to avoid passive reliance on AI-generated content. Collectively, the results suggest that when used interactively and reflectively, ChatGPT can function as a productive cognitive scaffold supporting teachers’ instructional design. Implications include the need for targeted professional development to ensure that AI is integrated responsibly and in ways that strengthen rather than diminish teachers’ pedagogical agency.
Copyright (c) 2025 Roghaye Torki, Fariba Rahimi Esfahani, Farshad Kiyoumarsi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Impact of Metacognitive Strategies Instruction through Individual versus Collaborative Tasks on Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension remains a central goal in EFL education, yet learners’ metacognitive awareness often limits transfer of strategies to authentic tasks. Collaborative strategic reading (CSR) integrates metacognitive strategies within group activity, potentially enhancing comprehension through social interaction. In Iranian EFL contexts, limited empirical work compares collaborative versus individual metacognitive interventions against conventional instruction. The present quasi-experimental study examined these approaches to determine their relative effectiveness for intermediate learners; that is, it probed into the impact of metacognitive intervention through collaborative versus individual reading tasks, compared with the conventional reading instruction, through the collaborative strategic reading (CSR) model. To this end, 75 Iranian intermediate EFL learners were identified through Oxford Placement Tests (OPTs) and further randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group, each having 25 participants. The experimental groups received the metacognitive intervention through collaborative versus individual reading tasks and the control group followed the conventional reading instruction in place at the two high schools in Sari, Iran. Results revealed the higher impact of the metacognitive intervention through the collaborative reading tasks followed by the individual reading tasks and the conventional reading instruction. Our findings have collectively pointed to the effectiveness of the CSR model and introduced it as an effective reading instructional approach within the metacognitive reading instruction framework, which has the capacity to improve the reading comprehension of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Implications and directions for future research are also provided at the end.
Copyright (c) 2025 Maryam Talebi Amre’i, Shaban Najafi Karimi, Amir Marzban (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Using Task-based Instruction to Develop EFL Learners’ Pragmatic Oral Fluency
Learning speech acts is a vital ability in successful conversations. English language learners need not only to know how to construct grammatical structures, but they also need to know the pragmatic functions of those utterances. The objective of the current research is to instruct learners in mastering the pragmatic functions of language, which is a significant challenge for Iranian learners. The current research investigates the efficacy of task-based instruction (TBI) in developing the pragmatic competence of oral fluency among advanced Iranian EFL learners. A quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test was adopted to examine learners' problems in using pragmatic oral fluency through task-based exercises. The sample comprised 64 students selected from the research population in an English language institute. They were randomly assigned to a control group (CG) receiving a conventional approach (i.e., Presentation, practice, production, PPP), and an experimental group (EG) acquiring pragmatic competence of oral fluency. In a pretest, they passed conversation tests. Then they participated in intervention sessions of text-based exercises in the CG and TBI in the EG for a whole semester. Parametric statistics showed the outperformance of TBI over the PPP in the post-test. Implications of the study suggest the effective impact of TBI on students' pragmatic oral fluency.
Copyright (c) 2025 Bahman Gorjian, Farzaneh Mir (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Integrating Multimodality into Teaching Speaking: Iranian Novice and Experienced English Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices
There exists little systematic qualitative and exploratory research addressing the use of multimodality in Iranian EFL context, especially in the teaching of speaking skills. This study aimed to investigate the perception and experiences of Iranian high school English teachers with regard to multimodal teaching. To this end, the researchers collected data from 15 novice and 15 experienced English teachers through focus group interviews, face to face interviews, reflective journals, and classroom observations. The data were analyzed through content analysis, using MAXQDA software. Both novice and experiences English teachers believed that using multimodal teaching can increase students’ engagement, academic achievement, and motivation. They believed that multimodal teaching can create an engaging, interactive, and supportive atmosphere in which students thrive. Through using intercreative whiteboards, language learning apps, virtual reality, and audio-visual materials, teachers can implement task-based teaching, communicative language method, learner-centered approach, and differentiated instruction where students can experience real world tasks in simulated setting. Teachers can implement formative assessment, performance-based assessment, and rubrics and criteria for giving immediate feedback to the students during the course and for scoring their performances objectively. However, teachers might face difficulty in choosing the right multimodal tool and selecting the appropriate teaching method. Even worse, they experienced difficulties such as unequal access to technology for all students, any technological failure such as problems with internet connectivity or software glitches, and the wide range of digital literacy levels among students and teachers. Thus, ongoing professional development is essential for educators to remain knowledgeable about the most recent technology and methodologies.
Copyright (c) 2025 Maryam Vesal Azad, Fazlolah Samimi, Shahram Afraz (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Investment in Learning Among Iranian Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Students: A Four-Component Model
The construct of investment in learning addresses critical questions about students' dedication to their educational pursuits. Accordingly, this research aimed to develop a construct-validated model of Iranian teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) students' investment in learning by quantifying the construct using a researcher-made questionnaire. Based on a review of related studies, interviews with TEFL student teachers, and input from academics and field experts, a four-component model was designed. These components include learners' identities and potential selves, access to different capitals, commitment to learning, and professional facets of TEFL students. The study involved 443 Iranian TEFL student teachers from various universities selected through convenience sampling. The initial 38-item survey was refined following expert feedback, reducing it to 34 items. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was then conducted with 243 participants, leading to the retention of 28 items. A subsequent Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with 200 participants further refined the model, resulting in a finalized 25-item questionnaire. Its implications are significant for the field of TEFL education: understanding the components of investment in learning can inform the development of targeted teacher training programs and strategies, ultimately enhancing teaching practices and learning outcomes in diverse educational contexts.
Investment in Learning; Access to Different Capitals; Commitment to Learning; Learners' Identities and Potential Selves; Professional Facets
Copyright (c) 2025 Fatemeh Sokhanvar, Dr. Andisheh Saniei, Dr. Marzieh Bagherkazemi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Application of Text World Theory in Identifying Abstract Meanings in Sepehri's Poetry
The Text World Theory (Gavins, 2007), utilizing a cognitive poetics approach, opens a new window to discourse processing and comprehension through the mental representations of participants in communication. This theory aims to uncover the mental functions during the moments of text production and reception and to examine how these cognitive processes influence the text’s impact. From this perspective, participants' mental representations, aligned with situational context and personal and cultural experiences, help in processing meanings and achieving a deeper understanding of the text. This study, using a descriptive-analytical method, analyzes the text world within Sohrab Sepehri's poem collection: The Sound of Water's Footsteps. The analysis seeks to identify the core elements, driving propositions, and sub-worlds utilized in the poem to convey meanings and concepts. Findings indicate that the poet extensively uses references to the past and natural elements such as water, sky, and earth. These elements significantly contribute not only to the creation of mental and emotional atmospheres but also to the poem's narrative and descriptive structure. The analysis also reveals that the repetition of world-building elements—such as time, object, character, and place—alongside schematic and metaphorical symbols plays a major role in the poem’s semantic structure. By creating diverse referential sub-worlds, Sepehri challenges the audience's general beliefs and stereotypical thoughts. Through these elements, he invites readers to transcend their mental limitations and view the world in a new way. These sub-worlds, skillfully crafted by the poet, create a space where readers encounter multiple, sometimes conflicting, meanings, allowing for the decoding and understanding of deeper semantic layers. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that Sepehri, through the use of contextual and driving factors, effectively creates a complex, multi-layered network of meanings in his poetry. This approach not only adds depth and appeal to the poem but also provides a fresh and profound experience of engagement with the text for the reader.
Copyright (c) 2025 Leila Neisy, Arezou Molavi Vardanjani, Shahin Ghasemi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Effect of Blended Metacognitive Writing Strategy Instruction on the Writing Performance and Metacognitive Awareness of Iranian Advanced EFL Learners: Stated Attitude versus Actual Practice
The present study examined the effect of blended metacognitive writing strategy instruction on academic writing performance and metacognitive awareness of Iranian advanced students within the three categories of complexity, accuracy, and fluency. In doing so, their stated attitude was compared with their actual practice. For this purpose, 60 advanced EFL students were assigned to two groups: experimental (n = 30) and control (n = 30). The experimental group received the blended metacognitive writing strategy instruction while the control group followed the conventional writing instruction. Results revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in terms of the academic writing performance and total metacognitive awareness scores. Besides, their stated attitude toward fluency and accuracy matched their actual performance in terms of writing fluency and accuracy. However, there was a mismatch between their stated positive attitude toward complexity and their actual writing complexity. Findings bear pedagogical implications for curriculum designers and material developers, which were reported at the end together with future lines of research in this regard.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mahedeh Moshirirad, Amir Marzban, Shaban Najafi Karimi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Investigating the Interconnections Between Dimensions and Components of Grammar Learning Strategies and Developing a Comprehensive Model for Iranian EFL Learners
Grammar learning is an essential part of second language acquisition; however, much research has been inclined to overlook the interaction among various grammar learning strategies (GLS) in particular educational settings, such as Iran. Although strategy-based teaching has undergone some improvement, few studies have developed empirically grounded models tailored to Iranian EFL learners. This study explored correlations among various Grammar Learning Strategies (GLS) and validated a comprehensive model tailored for Iranian EFL learners. Data were gathered from 270 simple random sampling participants using a self-made questionnaire covering cognitive(0.699), metacognitive (0.792), memory(0.680), affective (0.689), social (0.687), communicative (0.712), and resource-based strategies (0.780), with an overall reliability of 0.71. Analysis via Smart PLS revealed significant correlations, highlighting the frequent use of communicative and metacognitive strategies, suggesting a preference for practical language use and self-regulation. Memory strategies were less utilized, indicating potential instructional gaps. The validated model demonstrated strong reliability and validity, emphasizing the need for tailored teaching approaches to enhance GLS effectiveness. These findings contribute to the understanding of GLS interactions and offer insights for improving grammar instruction, potentially aiding in the language proficiency development of Iranian EFL learners. The study sets a foundation for future research on grammar learning strategies in diverse educational contexts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ebrahim Zeinali, Shahram Afraz, Fazlollah Samimi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Impact of Interactional Scaffolding on the Complexity and Accuracy of Argumentative Writing: A Study of Iranian EFL Learners
This study analyzed the impact of interactional scaffolding on the complexity and accuracy of argumentative writing among EFL learners in Iran. The eight-week study involved 60 intermediate-level EFL learners drawn from 90 enrolled at a language institute in Hamedan, Iran. These participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 30) or control group (n = 30) based on their scores on the Oxford Placement Test (OPT). The study employed a pretest-posttest design, and assessed participants' argumentative writing skills using the IELTS writing rubric with one of two blind rater's scoring. Inter-rater reliability was used to calculate the Kappa statistic. Research data revealed that the experimental group, who received interactional scaffolding (teacher feedback, teacher prompts, teacher questions grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory emphasizing the role of social interactions in learning), had significantly improved their complexity and accuracy of argumentative writing in less time than the control group, who received no interactional scaffolding. The findings are highlight the efficacy of interactional scaffolding in supporting EFL learners with their argumentative writing. The study offers implications for EFL instructors, curriculum designers and materials developers about integrating interactional scaffolding with writing instruction.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nastaran Seify, Saeid Najafi Sarem (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Cognitive Analysis of Conceptual Metaphors in Ahmad Mahmoud’s Novel "The Fig Tree of Temples"
Grounded in the belief that metaphor was not merely a stylistic feature but a fundamental structure of human thought, this research approached language as a reflection of cognition and culture. Conceptual metaphors shaped the way individuals perceived, experienced, and articulated the world around them. This study examined the use of conceptual metaphors—structural, orientational, and ontological—in body-part expressions in Ahmad Mahmoud’s novel The Fig Tree of Temples, employing Lakoff & Johnson’s (1980) cognitive framework. The analysis revealed significant variation in the frequency of these metaphors, with structural metaphors being the most prevalent (p < 0.05), followed by orientational and ontological metaphors. The findings highlighted the role of body-part terms in conveying cognitive meanings and reflected the influence of cultural and environmental factors on metaphorical expression. This research contributed to the understanding of conceptual metaphors in Persian literature and their cognitive underpinnings.
Ahmad Mahmoud’s novel The Fig Tree of Temples
Copyright (c) 2025 Leila Holakopour, Aerzo Molavi Vardanjani, Mohammad Alipour (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Aligning Pedagogical Beliefs with Teaching Practices in Grammar Intervention
This study examines the key factors that influence language learning, with a specific focus on grammar instruction. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 experienced language instructors from the South Tehran Branch of Azad University. Participants were selected through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis, following a three-stage process: identifying basic themes, organizing these into broader categories, and developing overarching themes. The analysis identified six main dimensions impacting grammar instruction: teaching experience, academic background, educational beliefs, instructional approaches, feedback mechanisms, and personal beliefs. These factors significantly shape the strategies instructors adopt when teaching grammar. The findings indicate that the interplay between instructors' experiences and their educational and personal beliefs plays a crucial role in shaping their instructional practices. The proposed cognitive model enhances the understanding of grammar instruction by providing a framework that aligns instructional strategies with teachers' underlying beliefs. This study offers valuable insights for educators, particularly in higher education, on improving grammar instruction through targeted pedagogical interventions. The findings can inform the development of professional training programs tailored to the specific needs and beliefs of language instructors, potentially leading to effective teaching practices in language education.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mohammad Sadegh Ghalibafan, Shadab Jabbarpoor (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Impact of Machiavellianism on EFL Reading Comprehension: The Role of Reading Comprehension Test-Taking Strategies Instruction
Understanding the psychological traits influencing second language reading comprehension is a critical focus in applied linguistics research. However, the role of Machiavellianism in reading comprehension is unexplored. Therefore, this study scrutinized the impact of Machiavellianism behaviour on Iraqi EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Furthermore, the study aimed to explore the usefulness of reading comprehension test-taking strategies instruction for Machiavellianism lower-level and higher-level learners. The study followed a quasi-experimental design. Through convenience sampling, a total of 42 male students were chosen to participate in the study. The students’ first language was Arabic. Oxford Quick Placement Test was utilized to ensure the homogeneity of participants, who were at intermediate EFL proficiency level. The MACH-IV, a 20-item scale developed by Christie and Geis, was employed to gauge the participants’ level of Machiavellianism. The reading section of a paper-based TOEFL was utilized to measure the participants’ EFL reading comprehension. Moreover, the Reading comprehension test-taking strategies presented in ‘Longman Complete Course for the TOEFL Test ‘ were taught to the Participants as treatment. SPSS version 26 was used to analyse the data. The results of independent samples t-test revealed no significant difference between the Machiavellianism higher-level Group and the Machiavellianism lower-level Group in relation to EFL Reading Comprehension. Besides, the results of ANCOVA revealed that Reading comprehension test-taking strategies instruction did not affect reading comprehension of EFL learners with lower and higher levels of Machiavellianism differently. These findings offer theoretical insights into the limited role of personality traits in reading comprehension and suggest pedagogical implications about reading strategies instruction.
Higher-Level Mach; Lower-Level Mach; Machiavellianism; Reading Comprehension; Reading Comprehension Test-Taking Strategies
Copyright (c) 2025 Hayder Yousif Hussein, Hossein Ahmadi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Mixed-methods Approach to Investigating Self-efficacy and Motivation Strategies: a Case of Writing Accuracy and Fluency
Learners’ writing development involves various psychological factors that may influence their performance. Among these contributing factors, self-efficacy and motivation strategies as two distinct constructs have been investigated in this research. To this end, 75 upper-intermediate EFL learners from a university in Rasht participated in this study. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected via pretest-posttests with writing assessments, validated self-efficacy (Gaumer-Erickson et al., 2018) and motivation (Bai et al., 2022) questionnaires from 75 purposively sampled learners randomly assigned to control (n=25), self-efficacy strategy (n=25), or motivation strategy (n=25) groups. Qualitative data were gathered through criterion-based sampling of 11 domain experts (saturation at Interview 9). Analysis techniques included ANCOVA, correlations, and thematic analysis. The results of the analyses revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between self-efficacy strategies and both writing accuracy and fluency. The results also indicated that motivation strategies were significantly positively correlated with learners’ writing accuracy and fluency. In fact, both self-efficacy and motivation strategies demonstrated substantial synergistic effects on writing outcomes according to qualitative findings. These findings showed that integrated self-efficacy and motivation strategies can effectively enhance writing performance among EFL learners. The pedagogical implications and suggestions for further studies were also highlighted.
Copyright (c) 2025 Fatemeh Ghanbarbeheshti, Omid Pourkalhor, Atefeh Nasrollahi Mouziraji (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Literary Translation during the Second and Third Wave of Globalization: A Case Study of Novels
So far, only a few studies have examined the relationship between globalization and translation practice. This study examines how globalization influences translation practices, focusing on the degree of foreignization and domestication. Robertson (2003) enumerates three waves of globalization and elaborates on them separately. The focus of the study was on the third and second waves of globalization based on Robertson (2003), starting from the late of the 19th century to the early 1980s, and from the late 1980s onwards respectively (between 1333 and 1382 S.H.). The corpora of the study consisted of ten English novels and their Persian translations by two Persian translators, Ibrahim Younesi and Najaf Daryabandari. The theoretical framework of the study was according to the approach of domestication and foreignization by Venuti (1995). It was assumed that the translations practiced during the third wave of globalization are more foreignized compared to those of the second wave. The data in the study consisted of foreignized and domesticated items in the corpora. The results indicated that foreignization has been introduced as the most pervasive translation strategy applied all over the corpora implying that globalization has much to do with foreignization strategy in translation.
Domestication, Foreignization, Translation Procedures, Globalization, Literary Translation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Leila Alinouri, Hamed Badpa (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Role of Critical Thinking in the Undergraduate Translation Training Programs
Linking critical thinking to translation training programs has not happened before. But as Rainbolt and Dwyer (2012) mention characteristics of a critical thinker, we find that translators should become good critical thinkers because they need to recognize bias and prejudice in the text, evaluate arguments, know the power of history, recognize their own ignorance, make precise distinctions and not jump to conclusions. This study measured the extent the translation programs train good critical thinkers. Three groups of males and females are participated in this study. The first group included 80 students of translation studies and architectures who just registered in the program and did not received the training. The second one included those at the end of the first year and the third one is the students of the second year. The results are presented and some suggestions are made. This study emphasizes that the environment should be organized in such a way that makes learners actively engaged in classroom learning and on the other hand curriculum and classroom teaching should include effective use of critical thinking activities.
Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Applied Linguistics Studies
A Comparison of the Impact of Peer-Tutored Read-Aloud and Teacher-Guided Read-Aloud on Immediate and Delayed Vocabulary Retention among Iranian EFL Students
This research aimed at comparing the peer tutoring strategies with teacher guiding strategies on the improvement of Iranian EFL vocabulary knowledge and their attitudes toward learning English vocabulary. The initial population of the study was 70 students. They were studying English at Shokooh English institute in Tehran. After administering TOEFL test as a proficiency test, 40 students (17 males and 23 females) were selected as the participants of the study. They were divided into two groups of experimental and control. The students assigned to the experimental group were involved in an active work with their classmates’ peers, and received instruction based on peer-tutoring. The control group received instruction based on normal syllabus of the class that is teacher guided instruction The findings showed that there is a statistically significant difference (α= 0.01) between the two adjusted means of the students’ scores due to the two different learning strategies in favor of the experimental group.
The Effect of CALL on the Vocabulary Learning of Iranian pre-intermediate EFL Learners
This study aimed to see if Computer-Assisted Language Learning is effective in improving learners’ vocabulary learning. For this purpose, 70 English students from a language institute in Khodaafarin, Iran, were chosen. To ensure the homogeneity of the participants, the Oxford Quick Placement Test (2004) was administered to all the participants and 60 students who were proven to be in pre-intermediate level were selected for the study and were assigned into two groups of 30. Then, the vocabulary knowledge scale was administered as a measure of pre-exposure to the target items. According to the results of the VKS, 50 words from the book Interchange 2 which were proven to be unfamiliar to the participants were selected. In the treatment, the experimental group used a computer, a projector, and a board; they had a few minutes to look at the vocabularies within the passages while having simultaneous access to the computers. But in the control group, the students were given neither the opportunity to use CALL in the classroom nor the chance to play the CD at home. After the treatment phase, the same teacher-made vocabulary test was administered as the post test of the learners’ vocabulary learning. The results of the post-test indicated that this method could positively influence the vocabulary learning of the participants in the experimental group. The overall findings of independent sample t-test and paired sample t-tests could reject the null hypothesis of this study predicting no effect for CALL instruction on the vocabulary learning of Iranian EFL students.
English to Persian Translation of Compound Modifiers in the Press Articles from 2014 To 2017 Based on House’s TQA Model
This research was a review of the English-to-Persian translation of compound modifiers in press articles from 2014 to 2017 concerning quality assessment according to House's (1977) TQA model. To this end, 150 pieces of news containing the compound modifiers were selected from different newspapers and journals as the source texts, and their equivalent translations were published in local newspapers as the target texts. In the first step, the source text and the target text profiles were provided. Then, the overt and covert errors in translating compound modifiers in the press articles were identified. The findings showed that out of 150 selected compound modifiers, 97 were overt errors, and 53 items had no errors. The overtly erroneous translations had 36 instances of not translated, 23 cases of addition, 14 instances of a slight change in meaning, 13 cases of substitution, and 11 instances of ungrammatically. In terms of covert errors, there was only one error; in the target text, the translator took the author's stance instead of the journalist's. The findings also showed that translations of English compound modifiers of press articles do not undergo cultural filtering. Concerning the House's TQA model, the translation of compound modifiers of the press articles belonged to the covert translation.
On Debilitating Approach Towards Learning Anxiety Through Dynamicity in Storch(2002) Interaction Model: Oscillation Signifies
This study aimed at investigating the prominence of language learning anxiety as the hindering factor that debilitates learning process and is to be managed successfully through Storch model (2002). The four phases of Storch Model should not be considered fixed and stable; hence, they could be behaved dynamically. The present study conducted in delving into the issue by having randomly assigned two identical groups of 23 intermediate EFL learners at Islamic Azad University as the control group and experimental one. The participants were all majoring at English translation discipline and participated in a conversation course. The study was in pre-test post-test design and learning anxiety questionnaire was administered before and after the treatment. The experimental group received treatment according to the dynamicity stance of Storch’s (2002) patterns of interaction coding scheme as: collaborative, expert/novice, dominant/dominant, and dominant/passive. The experimental group outperformed the control group. The findings showed that the application of dynamicity approach towards Storch model would diminish the learning anxiety index to a large extent. The results embracing Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory along the pedagogical implication would be beneficial for teachers, syllabus designers and materials developers in TEFL field.
The Effect of Technology-Integrated Multiple Intelligences Instruction on EFL Learners’ Burn Out and Vocabulary Learning
The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate the impact of technology-integrated multiple intelligences instruction on vocabulary learning and burnout of English language learners at a private primary school in Kerman. Over 6 months, two groups of 30 learners (15 students in two intact classrooms) were exposed to two forms of multiple intelligences instruction: the traditional and technology-integrated ones. The instruction was based on designing tasks to activate all intelligences in both groups. In the control group, participants received MI instruction from the teacher using classroom facilities with no use of technology. In the experimental group, participants received MI instruction through computer tools. Both groups received 24-week vocabulary training at a 30-minute interval at the beginning of each conversation class. Pre-tests and post-tests were used to measure learners’ improvements in vocabulary development and burnout (Khani et al., 2017). To analyze the data, One-Way ANCOVA was used to answer the research questions. The results revealed that the learners involved in the technology-integrated classroom proved superior compared to the traditional group in their English vocabulary and burnout. The findings suggest that nonhuman mediators (technology) are more effective than humans, possibly due to their enticing features that enhance learners' motivation and interest.