@article{ author = {Adel, Seyyed Mohammad Reza and Ramezanzadeh, Akram}, title = {An Investigation of Iranian EFL University Learners’ Creative Thinking and Critical Thinking Skills in a Pedagogical Blog: A Mixed-Methods Approach}, abstract ={The present study explored the effect of a pedagogical blog on Iranian EFL learners’ creative and critical thinking skills using a mixed-methods approach. In the pedagogical blog, the researchers asked learners divergent and evaluative questions based on Lindley’s model (1993). The quantitative data were collected by administering Creativity Test Questionnaire (ATC) and the Persian version of the California Critical Thinking Skills Test and were analyzed using SPSS Version 16.0 software. The qualitative data consisted of the posts written by the participants of the study in the class blog and were analyzed using thematic analysis.  The findings revealed that the pedagogical blog significantly improved the participants’ creative and critical thinking skills, which were represented in their posts by the main themes of fluency, elaboration, and flexibility as components of divergent thinking and inference, evaluation, induction, and reconstruction as features of open and active critical thinking skills. Further findings and implications are discussed in the paper.}, Keywords = { Pedagogical blog, Creative thinking skills, Critical thinking skills, Mixed-methods approach}, volume = {20}, Number = {1}, pages = {1-33}, publisher = {}, doi = {10.29252/ijal.20.1.1}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2763-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2763-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Atai, Mahmood Reza and Babaii, Esmat and Zolghadri, M}, title = {Stepping into Mindful Education: A Teacher Educator’s Narrative of Contextualizing a SLTE Curriculum}, abstract ={Initiation into contextualizing mindful second language teacher education (SLTE) has challenged teacher educators causing their retreat into mindless submission to ready-made standardized directives. To revive the starting perspective in curriculum development in light of the recent trend towards responsive SLTE, this practitioner research investigated how the context was incorporated into the initial program phase. We reported an intrinsic case self-study narrating the contextualization events unfolded in the first five sessions of an English language teacher education program in Karaj, Iran. Selected factors guided data mining in an interview, classroom interaction transcripts, reflective tasks, institutional documents, and the teacher educator’s journal entries and recollections.  The data underwent meaning-oriented, temporally sequenced content analysis. We redrafted the resulting narrative after member checking, and critical reviews.  Afterwards, we conducted a layered context-bound thematic analysis on the big story followed by further theme analysis of the existing and emerging facets of adaptive expertise.  Engagement in this narrative inquiry developed awareness of her practices and professional agency, constraints and affordances within the context of SLTE program.  The findings extend narrative knowledging to the wider professional community of SLTE.}, Keywords = {Adaptive expertise, Contextualization, Mindful teacher education, Narrative knowledging, Reflectivity, SLTE curriculum}, volume = {20}, Number = {1}, pages = {35-79}, publisher = {}, doi = {10.29252/ijal.20.1.35}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2764-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2764-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Baleghizadeh, Sasan and Derakhshesh, Ali}, title = {Measuring the Effectiveness of Explicit and Implicit Instruction through Explicit and Implicit Measures}, abstract ={Many studies have examined the effect of different approaches to teaching grammar including explicit and implicit instruction. However, research in this area is limited in a number of respects. One such limitation pertains to the issue of construct validity of the measures, i.e. the knowledge developed through implicit instruction has been measured through instruments which favor the recipients of explicit instruction. The present study expands on the previous studies by exploring the effectiveness of explicit and implicit instructions through administering a timed GJT and an untimed GJT. Data were collected from three different groups: (a) the explicit group was presented with rules of verb complementation, (b) the implicit group received visually enhanced texts, and (c) the control group received no instruction of the target feature. The results of the mixed between-within subjects ANOVA test revealed that the learners in explicit group outperformed the learners in implicit and control groups in post-tests and delayed post-tests even in the case of the implicit measure. Furthermore, the results indicated the more durable effects of explicit instruction compared with implicit instruction. Taken together, the study provided evidence for the efficiency of explicit teaching compared to implicit teaching in the context of L2 development.}, Keywords = {Explicit instruction, Implicit instruction, Explicit testing, Implicit testing}, volume = {20}, Number = {1}, pages = {81-111}, publisher = {}, doi = {10.29252/ijal.20.1.81}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2765-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2765-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Bijani, Houman and Khabiri, Mo}, title = {Investigating the Effect of the Training Program on Raters’ Oral Performance Assessment: A Mixed-Methods Study on Raters’ Think-Aloud Verbal Protocols}, abstract ={Although the use of verbal protocols is growing in oral assessment, research on the use of raters’ verbal protocols is rather rare. Moreover, those few studies did not use a mixed-methods design. Therefore, this study investigated the possible impacts of rater training on novice and experienced raters’ application of a specified set of standards in rating. To meet this objective, the study made use of verbal protocols produced by 20 raters who scored 300 test takers’ oral performances and analyzed the data both qualitatively and quantitatively. The outcomes demonstrated that through applying the training program, the raters were able to concentrate more on linguistic, discourse, and phonological features; therefore, the extent of their agreement increased specifically among the inexperienced raters. The analysis of verbal protocols also revealed that training how to apply a well-defined rating scale can foster its use for raters both validly and reliably. Various groups of raters approach the task of rating in different ways, which cannot be explored through pure statistical analysis. Thus, think-aloud verbal protocols can shed light on the vague sides of the issue and add to the validity of oral language assessment. Moreover, since the results of this study showed that inexperienced raters can produce protocols of higher quality and quantity in the use of macro and micro strategies to evaluate test takers’ performances, there is no evidence based on which decision makers should exclude inexperienced raters solely because of their lack of adequate experience.}, Keywords = { Bias, Oral performance assessment, Rater training, Think-aloud verbal protocols}, volume = {20}, Number = {1}, pages = {113-150}, publisher = {}, doi = {10.29252/ijal.20.1.113}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2766-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2766-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Mozaffari, Fatemeh and Allami, Hami}, title = {Organizational Patterns of English Language Teachers’ Repair Practices}, abstract ={Despite the abundance of research on teachers’ repair practices in language classroom interaction, there are not enough conversation analytic studies on repair organization with the focus on the details of interaction in the context of EFL. Drawing on sociocultural and situated learning theories, this study explores the contingent nature of English language teachers’ organizational patterns of repair practices (repair focus, repair completion, repair trajectory and convergence) by adopting the context-dependency of repair as a point of departure. More specifically, we analyzed two classroom interactional contexts: form-oriented and meaning-oriented contexts as well as their realization in student participation. Data were collected through video- and audio-tape recordings of 14 lessons from eight EFL teachers at four private language institutes in Iran and they were analyzed based on the framework of conversation analysis methodology. The analysis of lesson transcripts indicated that the teachers varied in their repair practices; however, an organizational repair pattern emerged from the data. The analysis of qualitative data revealed that the teachers largely repaired divergently in form-oriented contexts but convergently in meaning-oriented contexts, and deployed other-repair more than self-repair. The pedagogical implications of the study are for language teachers’ awareness of the role of repair organization in facilitating learning opportunities and for teachers’ professional development.}, Keywords = { Conversation analysis, Organizational pattern of repair practices, Other-repair, Self-repair, Form-oriented and meaning-oriented contexts, Context convergence and divergence }, volume = {20}, Number = {1}, pages = {151-184}, publisher = {}, doi = {10.29252/ijal.20.1.151}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2767-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2767-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Shooshtari, Zohreh and Razavipur, Kioumars and Takrimi, Azimeh}, title = {Pre-service Language Teachers’ Cognitions about Language Learning/teaching and Cognition Refinements through a Reflection-oriented Practicum}, abstract ={Pre-service teacher cognition literature abounds with the concept of change as well as proposals regarding desirable conceptual changes to be undertaken so that teacher candidates can set out their path of professional development with right beliefs. Yet, such changes would seem less likely to occur if the trainees’ thoughts, beliefs, and cognitions are not identified in the first place. This study was an attempt to identify the cognitions of EFL pre-service teachers and trace possible changes expressed by the candidates. Through a convenient sample of 64 pre-service teachers studying at three teacher training colleges in Iran, this mixed -methods exploration utilized a teacher cognition questionnaire and interview techniques. Results of the cognition questionnaire indicated that many of the candidates’ cognitions were still in need of adjustments. Also, the content analysis of the interviews revealed that the candidates’ attempts during the practicum revolved mostly around challenging debilitating beliefs, developing a sense of professional agency, managing stress, and resolving tensions between contradicting beliefs. Findings suggest that the trainees’ prior experiences as language learners exerted a very influential effect on their cognitions and also their attempts to refine those cognitions.}, Keywords = { Pre-service Language teachers, Cognitions, Cognition refinements, ALACT model}, volume = {20}, Number = {1}, pages = {185-217}, publisher = {}, doi = {10.29252/ijal.20.1.185}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2768-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2768-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Hemmati, Fatemeh and FarrokhAllaiee, Farnaz}, title = {The Relationship between High School Students\' Social Capital and Their Foreign Language Achievement: A Gender and Regional Variations Perspective}, abstract ={This study aimed to compare the underlying measures of male and female high- school students’ social capital in terms of regional variations and gender and investigate the relationship between those measures and the students' foreign language (FL) achievement. To this end, a number of 904 third-grader high school students (278 male and 626 female) from two educational districts (privileged district (PD) and less-privileged district (LD)) participated in the study. They filled out the Student Social Capital Questionnaire and took an English language achievement test. The results showed that the students in the PD outperformed their counterparts in the LD. Furthermore, group statistics and t-test results suggested variations among the groups of students in terms of such factors as mothers’ involvement, institutional trust, intergenerational closure, and parents’ educational aspiration. Pearson product-moment correlation indicated that there was a significant negative correlation between male and female students' participation in social networks and religious activities on the one hand, and their foreign language achievement on the other hand. However, there was a significant positive correlation between intergenerational closure and parents’ educational aspiration and female students' English scores on the S-test. The findings have implications for families and school members to provide students with hopeful and positive aspirations and intimate family environments and learning environments, which can enhance their FL achievement.}, Keywords = {Social capital, Regional variation, Gender, Foreign language achievement }, volume = {20}, Number = {2}, pages = {1-34}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2822-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2822-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Jabbari, Ali Akbar and Mohammadi, Mohammad Omid and Fazilatfar, Ali Mohamm}, title = {Asynchronous Online Discussion Forum: A Key to Enhancing Students’ Writing Ability and Attitudes in Iran}, abstract ={This paper focuses on the impact of an asynchronous online discussion forum on the development of students’ ability in and attitudes toward writing in English. Two groups of third-year students (N = 60) majoring in English were assigned to two treatment and control groups, each receiving different types of feedback. Students in the treatment group were required to participate in an online learning environment and exchange feedback with their peers, whereas students in the control group received the traditional face-to-face feedback provided by the teacher. The results of a pre-test, a post-test, and a survey revealed that students’ writing in the treatment group significantly improved, both semantically and syntactically, and they expressed more positive attitudes toward writing. The findings also indicated that as a result of engaging in the asynchronous online discussion forum and exchanging feedback with peers, students exhibited more control over their work, involved more effectively with the learning tasks, collaborated more with their classmates, and employed self-assessment strategies to independently revise or rewrite their work. The implications of the study offer guidelines to improve and facilitate writing skill in EFL contexts.}, Keywords = {Asynchronous online discussion forum, EFL teaching writing, L2 writing in Iran, Feedback provision}, volume = {20}, Number = {2}, pages = {35-79}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2823-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2823-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Jooybary, Leila and Moradkhani, Shahab and Yousofi, Nourrodi}, title = {Differences in Reading Beliefs/Practices of L2 Teachers: Undergraduate versus Graduate Degree Holders}, abstract ={In their attempt to shed light on the factors contributing to the incongruity between L2 reading teachers’ beliefs and practices, most of the researchers have resorted to teachers’ personal perspectives. As a partial replication of the research carried out by Karimi and Dehghani (2016), the current study sought to broaden this restricted scope by examining the role of teacher education in shaping L2 reading teachers’ beliefs/practices. Data were collected from 84 L2 reading teachers through a survey and follow-up classroom observations. Overall, both undergraduate and graduate teachers had an equally heightened tendency toward competence-based theoretical orientation. However, both groups substantially utilized instructional moves conforming to text-based orientation. There were also significant frequency differences between undergraduate and graduate teachers in their recourse to competence-based pedagogical moves. It is concluded that while the inclusion of a finite number of theoretical coursework may sway L2 teachers to sanction competence-based theoretical orientation, a more clinical approach to teacher education should be embraced to promote the symbiotic belief-practice relationship among L2 reading teachers.}, Keywords = {Competence-based orientation, Text-based orientation, L2 teachers, Teacher education}, volume = {20}, Number = {2}, pages = {81-111}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2824-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2824-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Karimi, Mohammad Nabi and Abaszadeh, Afsaneh}, title = {Autonomy-Supportive Teaching, Willingness to Communicate in English, Motivation, and English Speaking Self-Efficacy among EFL Learners: A Structural Equation Modelling Study}, abstract ={This study examines the potential connections among learners’ willingness to communicate (WTC) in English, their perceptions of autonomy-supportive teaching and two individual difference variables, i.e. motivation and English speaking self-efficacy. Two hundred and five Iranian EFL learners responded to four questionnaires. The data obtained from the collected instruments were subjected to structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings revealed significant positive paths from autonomy-supportive teaching to motivation, WTC in English, and English speaking self-efficacy. Further significant paths were found leading from motivation to WTC and from English speaking self-efficacy to motivation. The findings also indicated that autonomy-supportive teaching style and English speaking self-efficacy could indirectly affect learners’ WTC through the mediation of motivation. Furthermore, autonomy-supportive teaching was found to indirectly predict learners’ motivation through the mediating role of self-efficacy. The implications of the study for teachers and teacher educators are discussed.}, Keywords = {Autonomy-supportive teaching, Willingness to communicate, Motivation, English speaking self-efficacy}, volume = {20}, Number = {2}, pages = {113-156}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2825-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2825-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Masoumpanah, Zahra and Tahririan, Mohammad Hassan and Alibabaee, Ahmad and Afzali, Katayoo}, title = {Evaluation of the Undergraduate TEFL Program at Farhangian University: Merits and Demerits}, abstract ={This study was an attempt to evaluate the undergraduate TEFL program at Farhangian University. The university specializes in educating prospective teachers and the program is important since it is expected to equip the student teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary for qualified teachers. Hence, in this study, measures were taken to investigate the merits and demerits of the implemented TEFL program and explore the domains in which the program needs to be improved. The study assessed the program from the perspectives of 220 student teachers, 32 teacher educators, and 12 heads of departments and experts including the university deans, deputies, and research and teaching staff, through using three instruments, i.e. questionnaires, interviews, and observations in a mixed methods design .The findings indicated that the TEFL program did not address some educational and administrative needs as the participants believed that they were not enriched with the necessary skills, the practice of the learned theories, problem solving, critical thinking, flexibility, and innovation. Furthermore, this study demonstrated several theory- practice gaps in the curriculum.}, Keywords = {Evaluation, Undergraduate TEFL program, Farhangian University, Merits, Demerit}, volume = {20}, Number = {2}, pages = {157-193}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2826-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2826-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Parsa, Soheila and Tahririan, Mohammad Hass}, title = {Move Structures in “Statement-of-the-Problem” Sections of M.A. Theses: The Case of Native and Nonnative Speakers of English}, abstract ={Understanding how to structure the “Statement-of-the-Problem” (SP) section of a thesis is necessary for EFL students to develop a logical argumentation for a problem statement. This study intended to compare Move structures of SP sections of theses written by native speakers of Persian (NSPs) and English (NSEs). To this end, 100 SP sections (50 SP sections written by NSEs and 50 written by NSPs) of theses in the field of English language teaching (ELT) were selected and analyzed by the researchers based on Swales' (1990, 2004) CARS models. The analysis of the data revealed that Move structures of SP sections of the two corpora were similar. In both corpora, the three Moves of “Establishing a territory”, “Establishing a niche”, and “Presenting the present work” were considered obligatory. There were some differences in the Steps and many Move pattern variations in the two corpora. The results can broaden the understanding of the nature and function of this genre and can have important implications for EFL instructors.}, Keywords = {Genre analysis, Move structure, Statement-of-the-Problem sections, Cultural variations}, volume = {20}, Number = {2}, pages = {195-228}, publisher = {}, url = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2827-en.html}, eprint = {http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2827-en.pdf}, journal = {}, issn = {}, eissn = {}, year = {2017} }