Chabahar Maritime University
Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes
2476-3187
24763180
6
2
2018
03
02
The Effect of Using Interest-based Materials on EFL Learners' Performance in Reading: Focusing on Gender Differences (Research Paper)
1
12
EN
Majid
Asgari
0000-0002-3361-8611
Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
asgarimaj@gmail.com
Saeed
Ketabi
Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
ketabi@fgn.ui.ac.ir
Zahra
Amirian
Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
amirian_z@fgn.ui.ac.ir
Interest plays a key role in education and language learning. This study investigated if selecting and using interest-based instructional materials could impact learners' performance in L2 reading. It also examined whether there were meaningful differences between male and female learners' performance, concerning the use of interest-based materials. Sixty first-grade university students participated in the study. To answer the research questions, a quantitative method using the 'interest survey questionnaire' and the 'achievement test,' was employed. The collected data were compared and analyzed using t-test, and through SPSS. The results revealed that the use of Interest-Based Language Teaching (IBLT) made a significant contribution to the improvement of learners' performance in L2 reading. They also revealed some interaction of interest and gender, not at significant level though, with respect to the learners' performance in learning. Thus, language teaching researchers, teachers, and particularly material developers are suggested to notice the use and importance of applying interest-based materials in L2 teaching. They should be aware that such materials can lead to better performance in L2 learning.
Interest-based Materials,Student Interest,L2 reading,Learners'' Performance,Interest- Based Language Teaching (IBLT),
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_62749.html
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_62749_23be28b00f7aa3b548e8cf6fd2564a79.pdf
Chabahar Maritime University
Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes
2476-3187
24763180
6
2
2018
03
02
Job Performance of Iranian English Teachers: Do Teaching Experience and Gender Make a Difference? (Research Paper)
13
22
EN
Afshin
Rezaee
English Department, Chabahar Martime University
afshinrezaee50@gmail.com
Abdullah
Sarani
Englisg Department, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan
sarani_ling@hamoon.usb.ac.ir
In the available teacher development literature, the linkage between teaching experience, as one the crucial factors in teacher development (Tsui, 2005), and English teachers’ job performance with regard to gender differences has remainwidely underexplored. To fill up this lacuna, this study investigated whether there was any significant correlation between Iranian English teachers’ years of experience and their job performance as well as how teaching experience can impact the job performance from the participants’ viewpoints. To meet the aims, 100male and female English teachers were selected through convenience sampling approach in Loestan Province, Iran. To gauge the participants’ job performance, they completed a validated questionnaire developed by Moafian and Pishghadam (2009) and 20 teacherswere invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Their years of experience were requested. The findings indicated that there was a significant correlation between teaching experience and teachers’ job performance. In addition, it was found that there was not any statistically significant difference between the Iranian male and female English teachers’ job performance. Meanwhile, the results of the interviews unraveled that teaching experience can affect positively job performance from the participants’ perspectives.Finally, the implications for educational policy makers, teacher educators, and teachers were presented and discussed.
Teacher development,Teaching Experience,job performance,Iranian English teachers
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_62750.html
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_62750_de19da273f30b022b0b4cbab85488738.pdf
Chabahar Maritime University
Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes
2476-3187
24763180
6
2
2018
03
02
The Effect of Role-playing Tasks on Improving Speaking Ability of Iranian Pre-intermediate ESP Learners (Research Paper)
23
32
EN
Esmail
Zare-Behtash
0000-0003-0620-9932
Department of English, Faculty of Humanities, Chabahar Maritime University
behtash@cmu.ac.ir
Amin
Saed
0000-0002-9942-8706
English Department, Chabahar Maritime University
amin.saed@cmu.ac.ir
Parivash
Zare-behtash
Department of English, Faculty of humanities, Chabahar Maritime University
ashrafheban@gmail.com
This study investigated the effect of role play on improving speaking ability of Iranian pre-intermediate ESP learners. To this aim, the researchers examined the students’ speaking ability in two groups: the experimental and the control groups.24 males and femaleESPlearners at pre-intermediate level were selected by taking a pre-test. Then the participants of the current study were randomlydivided into two groups. The result of the pre-test indicated the proficiency level of participants and their homogeneity. In the experimental group, role-playing technique was conducted in performing conversation through in-group activities. Simultaneously, the control group was exposed to the conventional method of teaching speaking. After eighteen sessions, a post-test was conducted for both groups to measure their speaking proficiency. Based on the inferential statistics, the participants in the experimental group was significantly different in their performance in the post-test. Finally, independent and paired t-tests were used to analyze the data. Since the p value was p = 0.026< p = .05, it could be concluded that the experimental group hadsignificantly performed different from the control group on the post-test. That is to say, the treatment provided for the experimental group was highly likely to have a positive effect on the learners’ speaking proficiency and theparticipants' perspectives regarding role-playing tasks, and their roles in language learning were positive. It is expected that ESP teachers and textbook writers, syllabus designers, and material producers will also benefit from the findings of this research.
Communicative Activities,Speaking Skill,Technique,ESP,Role-playing
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_73310.html
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_73310_97ef6805be27b04084f71697d2a09f7b.pdf
Chabahar Maritime University
Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes
2476-3187
24763180
6
2
2018
03
02
Task-based Meta-cognitive Instruction Approach to Self-regulation in Listening Comprehension (Research Paper)
33
49
EN
Parisa
Mohamadpour
0000-0002-4092-3569
PhD student of TEFL, Department of English Language, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
parisa.mohamadpour@gmail.com
M Reza
Talebinejad
Associate professor, Department of English Language, Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahreza, Iran
mrezatalebinejad@gmail.com
Omid
Tabatabaei
0000-0001-9797-0238
Associate professor, English Department , Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
tabatabaeiomid@yahoo.com
Improving listening comprehension skill is one of the urgent contemporary educational needs in the field of second language acquisition and metacognitive strategies are proved to help learners manage and self-regulate their listening and overcome deficiencies. Although metacognitive instruction is underscored by previous research, task-based metacognitive instruction is seriously under-researched. Given this, the present paper compared the efficacy of two task-based metacognitive instruction models on learners’ self-regulation in listening comprehension. Participants, 63 Iranian EFL learners, were selected by random sampling and were randomly divided into 2 experimental and 2 control groups. Over a fourteen-session term, experimental group 1 was taught using Integrated Experiential Learning Task (IELT), a strategy-nonintegrated task-based model (Goh, 2010), while experimental group 2 was taught using Metacognitive Pedagogical Cycle (MPC), a strategy-embedded task-based model (Vandergrift, 2004). Development of self-regulation in listening comprehension was tracked using Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), and development of listening comprehension was measured using listening section of the Preliminary English Test (PET) administered at the beginning and end of the course. The listening section of the First Certificate in English (FCE) served as the listening transfer test. The statistical tests results revealed that both experimental groups significantly outperformed the control groups in listening comprehension and self-regulation listening comprehension with experimental group 1 having a higher effect size and showing significant gain on transfer test.
Metacognitive strategies,metacognitive instruction,TBLT,self-regulation in listening comprehension,transfer
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_75191.html
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_75191_50d03590c4a3d6826d27d3ca765f972f.pdf
Chabahar Maritime University
Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes
2476-3187
24763180
6
2
2018
03
02
Task Effectiveness Predictors: Technique Feature Analysis versus Involvement Load Hypothesis (Research Paper)
50
69
EN
Hooshang
Khoshsima
0000-0002-6255-2834
English Department, Chabahar Maritime University
khoshsima2002@yahoo.com
Zahra
Eskandari
English Department, Chabahar Maritime University
eskandari62@gmail.com
How deeply a word is processed has long been considered as a crucial factor in the realm of vocabulary acquisition. In literature, two frameworks have been proposed to operationalize the depth of processing, namely the Involvement Load Hypothesis (ILH) and the Technique Feature Analysis (TFA). However, they differ in the way they have operationalized it specially in terms of their attentional components. The present study made attempts to compare the predictability of these two frameworks for foreign language vocabulary learning task effectiveness. Seventy-six adult EFL learners in Chabahar Maritime University were randomly given one of the four vocabulary learning tasks which were ranked differently by the two frameworks and were required to learn the meaning of 10 target words. The results of the study revealed that TFA had a better explanatory power in predicting vocabulary learning gains than the ILH. The results have implications for language teachers, material developers and syllabus designers.
technique feature analysis,involvement load hypothesis,vocabulary acquisition
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_75526.html
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_75526_3136bef25169e5aa554698b710a329e2.pdf
Chabahar Maritime University
Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes
2476-3187
24763180
6
2
2018
03
02
Input-induced Variation in EFL Learners’ Oral Production in Terms of Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency (Research Paper)
70
85
EN
Mehdi
Karami
0000-0002-2243-5975
Department of TEFL and English Literature, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
karami_m58@yahoo.com
Manoochehr
Jafarigohar
0000-0001-6892-3248
Department of TEFL and English Literature, Payame Noor University
jafari@pnu.ac.ir
Zia
Tajeddin
0000-0002-0430-6408
English Department, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran
zia_tajeddin@yahoo.com
Afsar
Rouhi
Department of TEFL and English Literature, Payame Noor University
afsar.rouhi@gmail.com
Researchers have extensively studied phenomena that affect a second language learner’s oral production while there is scant evidence about input-related factors. Accordingly, the present study sought to investigate how variation in oral production is caused by the input they receive from different course materials. To this end, the study included a micro-evaluation study of three course materials and a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with three groups of participants (<em>N</em> = 72) instructed with three different course materials (<em>New Headway, American English File, and Top Notch & Summit</em>). Speech samples elicited through picture-cued oral narrative tasks at three data collection times were quantitatively assessed for complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF). A one-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to compare the means of CAF scores. With respect to pretest-posttest differences on measures like the average number of subordinate clauses per AS-unit for grammatical complexity, “D” index for lexical complexity, percentage of error-free clauses for accuracy, and number of dysfluencies for fluency, the results indicated that different course materials have insignificant effects on the variation in grammatical complexity but a clear effect on the variability in lexical complexity, accuracy, and fluency. Micro-evaluation of the three course materials revealed that this variability might well be attributed to the characteristics of the speaking tasks in the textbooks. One important implication is that EFL materials developers can provide the learners with the experience of speaking tasks with particular features if they want to promote gains in a special dimension of oral performance (e.g., fluency).
Input,course materials,oral production,complexity,accuracy,fluency
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_76537.html
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_76537_1e9520d3105f6fb580de67e660695188.pdf
Chabahar Maritime University
Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes
2476-3187
24763180
6
2
2018
03
02
Error Management Behaviors in EFL Classrooms: Teachers' Responses to Students’ Errors (Research Paper)
86
99
EN
Hoda
Divsar
Department of TEFL and English Literature, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
hodadivsar@gmail.com
Elaheh
Dolat pour
Department of TEFL and English Literature, Payame Noor University, Rasht, Iran
nazeydolati@yahoo.com
Teachers employ various strategies to deal with the errors that occur in the classroom. The present study aimed to investigate various types of EFL teachers’ error management behaviors and the reasons for employing them. For this purpose, 15 male and female EFL instructors were selected based on availability sampling. Real-time observations were made based on a 21-item checklist in 45 sessions which were all recorded to be transcribed. The participating teachers were interviewed immediately after the sessions to find out why they had employed specific kinds of error management behavior. Intra and inter rater reliability of the qualitative content analyses were ensured through Cohen’s Kappa (κ). The results of qualitative and quantitative content analyses revealed that positive error management was more frequent compared to negative error management behaviors; in addition, the types of error management behavior patterns were dependent on teacher’s perception toward errors. Based on the results of the interview, providing comforting atmosphere, arousing motivation, and encouraging students’ self-confidence were the major reasons for the teachers’ employment of adaptive and positive error management behaviors. However, when students were naughty, inattentive, and careless, the teachers were inclined to use maladaptive behaviors. Lack of enough time to get the correct answer from the students, and avoiding the distraction of students were also the main intentions behind the teachers’ selection of ‘correction by teacher’ category.<br /><br />Keywords: Error, Learners, Error management behaviors, EFL.
Error,Learners,Error management behaviors,EFL
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_76538.html
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_76538_d7230cd386e4c66b59f0558f45e6694c.pdf
Chabahar Maritime University
Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes
2476-3187
24763180
6
2
2018
03
02
The Impact of Participatory Action Research on EFL Teachers’ Professional Development (Research Paper)
100
112
EN
Abdorreza
Tahriri
0000-0001-8631-7938
Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, University of Guilan
atahriri@gmail.com
Arezoo
Sheidaei
Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, University of Guilan
arezoo.sheidaei@gmail.com
Professional development is critical in providing constant updates on EFL teachers’ teaching practice. This mixed methods study was conducted to explore the effects of participation in action research on EFL teachers’ practice. Eighteen junior school English teachers participated in this study. Teacher participants conducted their action research during a five-month period. The quantitative phase of the study utilized Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Perception Questionnaire and Teacher Advancement Program Rubrics (TAP). In the qualitative phase of the study, reflective journals were used. The quantitative findings showed that conducting action research had a significant effect on teachers’ practice. The quantitative findings demonstrated a statistically significant positive change in the individual rubrics, namely, Designing and Planning Instruction and Instruction but not in Learning Environment rubric. The qualitative findings also supported improvement in teacher practice. The major implication of the study is that professional development of the EFL teachers needs to receive focal attention.<br />Keywords: Participatory action research, professional development, in-service teacher, CLT, EFL
Participatory action research,Professional Development,In-service Teachers,Communicative Language Teaching,EFL
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_76539.html
https://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_76539_c56b6dd0297db5b13082596cc2c76c33.pdf