@article{ author = {AhmadiSafa, Mohamm}, title = {Emotional Intelligence and SLA: The Case of Interlanguage Pragmatic Competence}, abstract ={The development of different sub-competences of second/foreign language is affected by a variety of cognitive, personal, and social factors (Ellis, 1994). As for personal factors, a wide range of emotional variables have been incorporated into second language acquisition (SLA) studies however, emotional intelligence (EQ) is relatively new to this domain (Pishghadam, 2009). Given that EQ seems to affect EFL learners' interlanguage pragmatic competence (ILP) development due to the face-threatening nature of some of the speech acts involved and in an attempt to explore the nature of the tentative interrelationship, the researcher administered the Bar-On EQ-i (1996) questionnaire as an EQ measure, two ILP competence tests, and a TOEFL test to 52 Iranian EFL majors. The analyses results did not reveal any significant correlation between EQ, ILP competence and general English proficiency despite the evident strong correlation between the ILP and general English proficiency. Furthermore, the results did not feature EQ as an effective predictor of EFL learners' general English proficiency and ILP competence development level. The findings imply that EQ as a seemingly construct irrelevant factor to EFL learners' both foreign language proficiency and ILP development might not be rightly considered as an effective personal variable in EFL educational contexts.     }, Keywords = {Emotional Intelligence , Foreign language proficiency , Interlanguage Pragmatic (ILP) competence , EFL , Iran , }, volume = {16}, Number = {1}, pages = {1-24}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1586-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1586-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {AhmadiShirazi, Masoumeh}, title = {Using an Analytic Dichotomous Evaluation Checklist to Increase Inter- and Intra-rater Reliability of EFL Writing Evaluation}, abstract ={The present study reports the processes of development and use of an Analytic Dichotomous Evaluation Checklist (ADEC) which aims at enhancing both inter- and intra-rater reliability of writing evaluation. The ADEC consists of a total of 68 items that comprises five subscales of content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics. Eight raters assessed the writing performance of 20 Iranian EFL students using the ADEC. Also, the raters were asked to rate the same sample of essays holistically based on Test of Written English (TWE) scale. To examine the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the ADEC, multiple approaches were employed including correlation coefficient, the dichotomous Rasch Model, and many-faceted Rasch measurement (MFRM). The findings of the study confirmed that the ADEC introduces higher reliability into scoring procedure compared with holistic scoring. Future research with greater number of raters and examinees may provide robust evidence to use analytic scale rather than holistic one.   }, Keywords = {Analytic scoring , Inter-rater reliability , Intra-rater reliability , EFL writing evaluation , }, volume = {16}, Number = {1}, pages = {25-57}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1587-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1587-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {Jafarigohar, Manoochehr and Mortazavi, Mahboobeh}, title = {The Effects of Different Types of Reflective Journal Writing on Learners’ Self-regulated Learning}, abstract ={This study aimed to examine the impact of three different journal writing techniques namely, individual journal writing, collaborative journal writing with peers, and collaborative journal writing with the teacher, on the self-regulation of Iranian EFL learners. One hundred and fifty female English learners studying in a language institute were asked to answer the Academic Self-Regulated Learning Scale (ASRL-S). Out of the initial participants, sixty upper-intermediate learners whose scores on ASRL-S pretest fell one standard deviation from the mean were chosen and randomly assigned to four groups. The ASRL-S was administered again after the treatment to the participants. The results of a one-way analysis of variance of the ASRL-S posttest indicated that collaborative journals that provide the chance to benefit from their teacher’s or peer’s feedback could significantly boost learners' self-regulatory skills. The learners who kept a reflective journal but did not share it with either their teacher or their peers were also found to outperform the ones who did not use the reflective technique. Therefore, the findings of the study also confirmed the individual journal writing as a form of reflective practice to improve learners' self-regulation significantly.}, Keywords = {Reflection , Reflective journals , Collaborative journals , self-regulation , Self-regulated learning , The Academic Self-regulated Learning Scale , }, volume = {16}, Number = {1}, pages = {59-78}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1588-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1588-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {Jalilifar, Alireza and Shahvali, Payam}, title = {Writing Suggestions for Further Research in Iranian Applied Linguistics Theses: A Generic and Metadiscoursal Investigation}, abstract ={Academic writing has tended to focus on research articles far more than on post-graduate theses (Bunton, 2005 Swales, 1990). Of the studies based on theses, relatively little research has focused on the generic structure of Suggestions for further research. To supplement the sparse knowledge in this area, the current study investigated the schematic structure (i.e., moves and steps) of Suggestions for further research andexplored the metadiscoursal features commonly used in this section of theses. The corpus included 80 PhD dissertations and 80 MA theses from Iranian universities in applied linguistics. The moves and the corresponding steps were identified and, for a detailed analysis, Hyland’s (2005) classification of metadiscourse was used. Findings revealed four moves in this part genre, named, Justification of the present study, Suggestions for repetition of the current study, Implications of the study, and The researcher’s hopes. The MA and PhD theses showed differences in the use of them. The results can broaden the understanding of the nature and function of this part genre and the way the metadiscoursal features are realized accordingly, the study can have important implications for students’ thesis writing. }, Keywords = {Academic writing , Schematic structure , Metadiscoursal features , Suggestions for further research , Thesis , Genre , }, volume = {16}, Number = {1}, pages = {79-105}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1589-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1589-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {Maftoon, Parviz and Rezaie, Ghafour}, title = {Investigating Classroom Discourse: A Case Study of an Iranian Communicative EFL Classroom}, abstract ={This article examines various features of classroom discourse in a communicative EFL classroom. The class was observed and audio-taped during five class sessions with the total recordings of 4 hours of classroom interactions. An analytic framework was developed to examine these features in four major areas of teaching exchanges, characteristics of input, error treatment, and question types. The analysis revealed that the database comprised 52 teaching exchanges, of which 73% contained the F-move with evaluative function, that the teacher modified his speech in accordance with the learners’ language proficiency level, and that there was a clear preference for recasting (51%) and explicit correction (22%), leaving little opportunity for other effective corrective feedback strategies to encourage learner uptake and self-repair. The database was also examined for question types.  Although referential questions are believed to be valuable in promoting communicative interactions, it was found that the teacher asked proportionately more display questions (57%) than referential questions (21%).}, Keywords = {Classroom discourse , Teaching exchanges , Characteristics of input , Error treatment , Question type , }, volume = {16}, Number = {1}, pages = {107-128}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1590-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1590-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {Pishghadam, Reza and Khajavy, Gholam Hass}, title = {Sociological and Psychological Model of Foreign Language Achievement: Examining Social/Cultural Capital and Cognitive/Metacognitive Aspects}, abstract ={The major aim of the study was to determine the roles of psychological and sociological factors in general and social/cultural capital and cognitive/metacognitive aspects in particular in English language learning. To this end, 143 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners were asked to take an IQ test, a metacognitive questionnaire along with a social and cultural capital scale. Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to analyze the data. The results demonstrated that both psychological and sociological factors contribute to foreign language achievement, however social and cultural capital was found to be more influential in English language learning. In the end, the results were discussed in the context of English language learning and some suggestions were made. }, Keywords = {Social and cultural capital , Intelligence , Metacognition , Language learning , }, volume = {16}, Number = {1}, pages = {129-144}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1591-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1591-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {Saeidi, Mahnaz and Yousefi, Mandana and Baghayei, Pury}, title = {Rater Bias in Assessing Iranian EFL Learners’ Writing Performance}, abstract ={Evidence suggests that variability in the ratings of students’ essays results not only from their differences in their writing ability, but also from certain extraneous sources. In other words, the outcome of the rating of essays can be biased by factors which relate to the rater, task, and situation, or an interaction of all or any of these factors which make the inferences and decisions made about students’ writing ability undependable. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the issue of variability in rater judgments as a source of measurement error this was done in relation to EFL learners’ essay writing assessment. Thirty two Iranian sophomore students majoring in English language participated in this study. The learners’ narrative essays were rated by six different raters and the results were analyzed using many-facet Rasch measurement as implemented in the computer program FACETS. The findings suggest that there are significant differences among raters concerning their harshness as well as several cases of bias due to the rater-examinee interaction. This study provides a valuable understanding of how effective and reliable rating can be realized, and how the fairness and accuracy of subjective performance can be assessed. }, Keywords = {Rater bias , Writing ability , Many-Facet Rasch Measurement , Inter-rater reliability , }, volume = {16}, Number = {1}, pages = {145-175}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1592-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1592-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {}, title = {Author-assigned Keywords in Research Articles: Where Do They Come from?}, abstract ={The current study attempts to explore the characteristics of author-assigned keywords in research articles as important constituents of targeted search in academic communities. To this end, the keywords of 200 research papers in the field of applied linguistics, in terms of domain, degree of specificity, and relation to the titles, were analyzed. To supplement the findings, the keyword choice strategy of a number of researchers with publishing experience in the field was also investigated. The analysis revealed a considerable rate of title-keywords match, especially with respect to field-specific keywords. This finding points to the importance of users’ field-specific background knowledge in locating relevant information on the web. The examination of authors’ viewpoints and strategies, on the other hand, helped to bring to light the complex and non-clichéd nature of keyword selection. The significance of authors’ diverging and converging attitudes and their implications for enhancing the success rate of keyword search are discussed.}, Keywords = {Indexing , Keyword selection , Author-assigned , Scientific internet search , Research article title , Bibliographic metadata }, volume = {16}, Number = {2}, pages = {1-19}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1786-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1786-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {Ghafournia, Narjes}, title = {Exploring the Relationship between Learning Strategies, Academic Disciplines, and Reading Comprehension Test Performance}, abstract ={This study scrutinized the relationship between utilizing language learning strategies, academic fields, and reading ability in reading comprehension test performance of Iranian postgraduate EAP students. The participants were 947 students, who answered a reading comprehension test and a learning strategy questionnaire successively in one session. The gathered data were subjected to a set of parametric statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, Tukey HSD and Duncan tests. The findings manifested significant differences among the participants in different fields in employing overall, direct, and indirect strategies. A statistically positive relationship was found between the participants’ reading ability and use of overall, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, and affective strategies. The findings reflected that the actual ability of language learners was significantly influenced by some nonlinguistic factors, and the observed scores did not represent their true ability. The findings can provide an empirical evidence for Bachman’s (1990) as well as Bachman and Palmer's (1996, 2010) conceptual frameworks of language use due to the impact of nonlinguistic factors on language ability of L2 learners in test-taking process. The findings can help language teachers improve instructional reading programs, decrease error of measurement, and narrow the gap between more successful and less successful learners in different fields of study.}, Keywords = {Reading strategies , Strategic competence , Strategic reading , Communicative competence }, volume = {16}, Number = {2}, pages = {21-51}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1787-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1787-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {}, title = {Multicultural Personality Traits Development in an EFL Context: The Case of Iranian EFL Students at BA, MA, and Ph.D. Levels}, abstract ={This study examined the Iranian EFL learners’ multicultural developmental trend in light of Investment Hypothesis as they furthered their academic studies from BA toward postgraduate levels. In so doing 117 BA, 92 MA, and 35 Ph.D. EFL students at AllamehTabataba’i University, Tarbiat Modarres, and Islamic Azad Universities, Tehran, Iran, were randomly selected to provide answers to Multicultural Personality Traits Questionnaire (MPQ) that measures individuals’ Multicultural Personality Traits (MPTs: Cultural Empathy, Open-Mindedness, Social Initiative, Emotional Stability, and Flexibility). Ph.D. students’ MPTs mean was found to be 277.77 MA students’ MPTs mean score was 272.20 and BA students’ MPTs mean score was 267.96.  The ANOVA conducted revealed that EFL Iranian students’ MPTs improved as they furthered their academic career from BA to MA and from MA to Ph.D. levels. The study concluded that advancement in EFL students’ academic career resulted in a concomitant development in their MPTs and among the five MPTs, cultural empathy and social initiative were found to have been significantly improved at Ph.D. level. Among the MPTs, Social initiative provides the highest contribution to social interactions and its significant development at Ph.D. level is confirmatory of the discursive-constructionists’ approach to L2 learning.}, Keywords = {Concept formation , Identity development , Multicultural personality traits , Socialization , Valorization }, volume = {16}, Number = {2}, pages = {53-81}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1788-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1788-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {}, title = {Construction and Validation of Critical Understanding of the Global Spread of English Scale (CUGSES)}, abstract ={The present study aimed to design and validate a “Critical Understanding of the Global Spread of English” Scale (CUGSES). To this end, a framework was designed based on the tenets of linguistic imperialism, English as an International Language (EIL), and globalization. The scale was then administered to a population of 425 participants, comprising English language teachers in language institutes, English language learners in language institutes, parents whose children attended English language institutes, university students majoring in English and English-major university professors. Rasch measurement was utilized to substantiate the construct validity of the instrument. The results of the Rasch analysis revealed that except for three items, the scale is unidimensional and meets the criteria to fit to the Rasch model.  Next, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to extract the factors underlying the scale. Five components were extracted and labeled as: domination of English language and culture, preference for home culture and language, age and medium of instruction, native speakerism, and localization in ELT. Implications of the newly- designed scale in the Iranian EFL context were then provided.}, Keywords = {Linguistic imperialism , English as an International Language (EIL) , Globalization , Scale , Validation }, volume = {16}, Number = {2}, pages = {83-106}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1789-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1789-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {}, title = {On the Use of Offline Short Tests for Scoring and Classifying Purposes}, abstract ={In response to the increasing interest in and need for a practical brief measure in language testing, this study explored the properties of an offline short-form test (OSF) versus a conventional lengthy test. From the total of 98 vocabulary items pooled from the Iranian National University Entrance Exams, 60 items were selected for the conventional test (CT). To build the OSF, we created an item bank by examining the item response theory (IRT) parameter estimates. Data for the IRT calibration included the responses of 774,258 examinees. Upon the results of the item calibration, 43 items with the highest discrimination power and minimal guessing values from different levels of ability were selected for the item bank. Then, using the responses of 253 EFL learners, we compared the measurement properties of the OSF scores with those of the CT scores in terms of the score precision, score comparability, and consistency of classification decisions. The results revealed that although the OSF generally did not achieve the same level of measurement precision as the CT, it still achieved a desired level of precision while lessening the negative effects of a lengthy test. The results also signified an excellent degree of correspondence between OSF and CT scores and classification results. In all, findings suggest that OSF can stand as a reasonable alternative for a longer test, especially when conditions dictate that a very short test be used.}, Keywords = {Offline short form , Item response theory , Item parameter , Conventional test }, volume = {16}, Number = {2}, pages = {107-135}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1790-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1790-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} } @article{ author = {}, title = {Analysis of Images in Iranian High School EFL Course Books}, abstract ={Although images are abundant and play significant aesthetic and pedagogical roles in today’s EFL course books, they are still one of the less explored areas of research. The present study is an attempt to examine the role and function of images in Iranian high school EFL course books it also aims to cast a critical eye over their suitability and efficiency. To this end, Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2006) model of visual grammar was adopted. The findings revealed that although the informative and/or illustrative functions of the images make them important resources in Iranian high school EFL course books, their full potential for language learning does not seem to be adequately exploited. This relates to flaws at the representational mode of meaning making, such as outdated portrayal of objects, gender stereotyping, and overdramatizing national identity as well as shortcomings at the interactive mode, such as poor modality due to grayscale printing and plain graphics with no contextualization or pictorial detail. These flaws make the images seem out of today’s world and hardly credible for high school students who are already adept at new technology. Since these shortcomings may sacrifice pedagogical objectives, the study calls for changes in both technical quality and underlying messages of images in the course books.}, Keywords = {Images , EFL course books , Representational , Interactive , Compositional, Mode of meaning making }, volume = {16}, Number = {2}, pages = {137-160}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1791-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-1791-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2013} }