Iranian Language Research Articles

A sociocultural exploration of Iranian language teachers’ corrective feedback: why and how?

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the types and reasons for teachers’ corrective feedback (CF) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes from sociocultural perspectives. To do so, 12 Iranian EFL teachers were selected based on convenience sampling, and 18 sessions of their classes (one or two from each teacher) were observed to ensure that there were at least three CF occurrences in each teacher’s class. Then, the teachers attended stimulated recall interviews in which they answered questions about reasons for applying specific CFs in their classes. Different subthemes emerged from the data within the three sociocultural mediators’ themes, namely psychological, material and peer mediators. The results indicated that teachers use different CFs in their classes for various reasons such as scaffolding learning, enhancing noticing and exposure, and fostering learners’ agency. The study ends with suggestions and implications for teachers and teacher educators.

Identity marginalization among EFL teachers in Iranian language institutes: a positioning analysis

ABSTRACT This study explores the marginalised identity of three Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers by analysing their narratives texts, using a three-level positioning approach to explore how participants positioned themselves and others in their narratives. Struggles to exercise agency, isolation (distancing oneself from colleagues), colleagues lacking specialist qualifications, and a perceived lack of appreciation influenced their professional identity development, leading to marginalised identity. The findings suggest how the positionality of participants regarding themselves and others was violated when they practised in private language teaching institutes. The persistent experience of being marginalised acted as a stimulus for them to reposition their identity within the ELT context by obtaining postgraduate qualifications to secure positions in academia.

How Do Interpreters Not Know Language? Monolingual Approaches to Multilingual Minorities in Interpreting

ABSTRACTThis study examines how linguistic minorities’ language needs are overlooked in relation to interpreter arrangement via established monolingual practices and ideologies of language barriers. It seeks to problematise the common view of interpreting as a solution to language barriers, through which to highlight the importance of accommodating the often‐multilingual nature of minority languages for interpreting to ensure access equity. Drawing on one‐on‐one interviews with health care interpreters in Australia, the study investigates common problems with language identification in the case of Afghan speakers not proficient in English. The findings reveal that Afghan people tend to identify Dari, one of the official languages of Afghanistan, with Farsi, commonly known as the language of Iran, owing to the historical sociolinguistic dynamics of Afghanistan. The Afghan tendency is, however, not accommodated in the Australian language assessment tool for minority individuals, which exclusively focuses on English language proficiency of minority groups, leading to problems with interpreter arrangement for Afghan people. By illuminating monolingual biases in language barriers involving minority groups, the research has both theoretical and practical implications through which to reapproach language barriers for ethnic minorities from an inclusive perspective.

The Persian Language as a Factor in Iran's External Cultural Policy

This article discusses strategies for promoting the Persian language as the official language of Iran and in intercultural communications, including in dialogue with Russia. Iran, correctly estimating the potential capabilities of the Persian language and its popularity among the countries of the Nowruz region, pursues a special language policy. Neighborhood and friendly relations with Russia force Iran to take this factor into account when developing a strategy for popularizing the Persian language as one of the components of cultural policy. The object of the study are the rationales and principles of Iranian state cultural policy. The subject of the study are the prospects for cultural interaction in the context of the interests of the Russian Federation and Iran in the field of expanding linguistic cooperation. Using the comparative method it was possible to track the Russian and Iranian approaches to culture by studying the fundamental documents of Tehran and Moscow and identify the prospects for humanitarian cooperation. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that similar principles of the state cultural policy of both countries in the language sphere have been identified, which makes it possible to build constructive intercultural communication and avoid misunderstandings and disagreements in the relations between the two countries. The emphasis of the authorities of both Russia and Iran on the importance of language as one of the most important factors in the implementation of “soft power” in cultural diplomacy and their efforts to strengthen and promote the national language of their country among the peoples of other countries positively affects the development of all spheres of cooperation, including cultural, economic and military between the two states, which guarantees the realization of the national interests of the two countries in the region.

EZAFE IN THE CONTEXT OF CPS: Evidence from three Iranian languages

EZAFE IN THE CONTEXT OF CPS: Evidence from three Iranian languages

West Iranian in historical perspective

Abstract The development of the Persian definitive object marker -rā from Old Persian rādī through Middle Persian benefactive rāy has been established as a model grammaticalization process by Bossong (1985). His explanations on other modern Iranian languages, and their interplay in the historical development, have received far less research attention. This article offers a novel and comprehensive account of the historical development of -rā in West Iranian, from Old Persian up to approximately 20 New Iranian languages. Based on the semantic map model, it demonstrates that concerning -rā, most West Iranian languages can be subdivided into three typological groups, two of which represent more or less clearly defined genetic subgroups within the continuum of West Iranian. The interplay of genetic and typological/functional factors is complex, and open questions remain. The present study aims to provide empirical data, and to raise relevant questions, for future in-depth studies.

TURNING POINTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE PERSIAN LANGUAGE

Previously, it was believed that after the common Iranian state, the languages were divided into Western and eastern. The works of A. Korn (2016 and 2019) show that the existence of a common Eastern Iranian language is not confirmed by isoglosses. Therefore, she introduces the concept of ^Central Iranian languages“ and refers to them the idioms previously assumed by Northwestern and Eastern Iranian. It also invalidates the division of the Eastern Iranian languages into northern and southern ones. The annotated article describes a number of Iranian languages according to the new hypothesis. During its existence, the Persian language changed its social status several times: in 550 BC, it became the official language of the Achaemenid Kingdom from the provincial language of Media; in 330 BC, it turned from an official language into a persecuted one (under Alexander the Great and the Seleucids); in 247 BC, it moved from the persecuted to the category of prestigious languages of the Parthian kingdom; in 651 BC - from the official language of the Sassanid kingdom to the business (clerical) language of Arabic; in 819 BC, it became the official language of the Samanid state from the unofficial language of the Arab Caliphate.

Contributions of Computerized Dynamic Assessment and Digitalized Feedback to L2 Learners’ Grammar Acquisition: Technology-Enhanced Learning Facilitation Theory

As an integral part of dynamic assessment, computerized dynamic assessment (CDA) offers learners computer-assisted automated mediation. Accordingly, the possible efficacy of corrective feedback seems to be enhanced with new technologies, such as artificial intelligence tools, that offer automatic corrective feedback. Using technology-enhanced learning facilitation theory, this study examined, in this respect, the combined effect of CDA and digitalized feedback (DF) on L2 learners' grammar acquisition. Under a quantitative methodology and in an Iranian language institute, the study used a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with a control group to evaluate how CDA with DF affected language learners' grammar acquisition. The statistical analyses using t-tests and ANCOVAs revealed that compared to the control group, the experimental group that underwent CDA with DF showed notable increases in both comprehension and production of conditional type 1. The results underlined how well the theory of technology-enhanced learning facilitation helps recognize and produce the target grammatical feature. Emphasizing the significance of including individualized instruction, dynamic assessment, and DF in language teaching and learning methods, implications for language teachers, syllabus designers, materials producers, and policymakers are offered.

Role of English Language Proficiency Standards in Academic and Career Success in Iran

The aim of this paper is to examine the significance of English language proficiency standards in fostering academic and career success in Iran. The development of English language proficiency is intricately linked with the needs of Iranians for achieving their academic and professional goals. Notably, there is a growing interest in learning English language in Iran, like in the other countries, since it lies in the fact that English language, as a globalized language, plays a pivotal role in both academic achievement and career advancement. The study first delves into the English language proficiency standards, which include five levels, illustrating the diverse abilities exhibited by English language learners within each language proficiency level. Second, it explores the factors which have tremendous impacts on academic and career success in learning English language, with the aim of maximizing the effectiveness of English language learning for English language learners. Furthermore, it highlights the extensive array of English training courses available in Iran, conducted in educational institutions, which contribute significantly to enhancing English language proficiency among learners and optimizing English language learners’ perspective on the English language. Finally, the outcomes of this investigation indicate that the number of interested English language learners in Iran has been increasing in recent years, as they demonstrate a profound awareness and a deeper understanding of the global significance of the English language and recognize its transformative effects on their academic and professional success, thereby opening up vast opportunities for international communication and engagement.

Lost Turfan fragments from the Nachlass of W.B. Henning

Abstract During the Second World War, a number of manuscript fragments in Iranian languages from the Berlin Turfan collections were lost. Photographs of these fragments preserved in the Nachlass of Walter B. Henning bring to light their contents and fill gaps in the record of Turfan texts. These photographs are published here for the first time, together with a description of the fragments and their contents.

The perceptions of Iranian deaf and hard-of-hearing university students towards Persian as a spoken majority language: A narrative inquiry

ABSTRACT This narrative inquiry study provides insight into one component of Deaf bilingualism, that is, a spoken majority language, through shedding light on the perceptions of Iranian Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) university students regarding Persian, the predominant spoken language in Iran. Through thematic analysis of the collected narrative interviews with ten DHH university students, key related themes such as home literacy practices, speech therapy, economic factors, extensive reading, and the challenging nature of learning Persian emerged, revealing a nuanced understanding of a wide range of language-related issues among DHH individuals. The findings highlight the complex interplay of familial support, professional interventions, socioeconomic factors, literacy promotion, and linguistic proficiency within the DHH community. Implications of the study extend to parents, educators, experts in Deaf studies, and policymakers in Deaf education. Specifically, apart from tackling the financial barriers, the importance of prioritising literacy development at home for Deaf children is emphasised, along with the role of speech therapy in long-term linguistic development. Additionally, the study emphasises the significance of formal and systematic teaching of the spoken majority language, along with special instructional materials, in facilitating effective communication and social integration.

The morphosyntax of Ezafe in Southern Zazaki

Abstract The present study describes and analyzes the morphosyntactic expression of the Southern Zazaki Ezafe – a linking element in the nominal domain common among Iranian languages. This morpheme is used to link modifiers (i.e. adjectives and possessors) to their head nouns as follows: n-ez1 mod1-ez2 mod2-ez3 mod3. Southern Zazaki, like other languages of the Kurdish region (and unlike, e.g. Persian) reflects phi-features (and case) of the head noun on each Ezafe morpheme in a noun phrase. This paper is focussed around two morphosyntactic puzzles that arise in Southern Zazaki. First, while the Ezafe marker in general reflects the case of the entire DP, the presence of a possessor produces invariant oblique case, regardless of the case value assigned to the DP externally (Paul, Ludwig. 2009. Zazaki. In Gernot Windfuhr (ed.), The Iranian languages, 545–586. Routledge; Todd, Terry Lynn. 2002. A grammar of Dimili. Also known as Zaza. Stockholm: Iremet Forlag; Toosarvandani, Maziar & Coppe van Urk. 2014. The syntax of nominal concord: What Ezafe in Zazaki shows us. Proceedings of NELS 43(2). 209–220 i.a.). Second, Southern Zazaki uniquely employs a separate series of “D-form” Ezafe morphemes in certain syntactic contexts (Keskin, Mesut. 2010. Zazaca üzerine notlar (Notes on Zazaki). In Şükrü Aslan (ed.), Herkesin Bildiugi Sır: Dersim. Iletisim, 221–244; Paul, Ludwig. 2009. Zazaki. In Gernot Windfuhr (ed.), The Iranian languages, 545–586. Routledge; Todd, Terry Lynn. 2002. A grammar of Dimili. Also known as Zaza. Stockholm: Iremet Forlag; Werner, Brigitte. 2018. Forms and meanings of the Ezafe in Zazaki. In Saloumeh Gholami (ed.), Endangered Iranian languages. Reichert Verlag i.a.). This study aims to provide a cohesive analysis of Ezafe in Southern Zazaki both with respect to its general phi- and case-sensitive realizations, as well as the distribution of D-forms.

The Ossetic transitive preterite

Abstract In contrast to most Middle and Modern Iranian languages, which have developed a preterite based on an ergative construction with the Old Iranian past passive participle, Ossetic has distinct formations for the intransitive and transitive preterite, and the latter has no close correlate in any other Iranian language. It is argued that only a periphrasis with Old Iranian *dā- ‘put’ can adequately account for the formal peculiarities of the Ossetic transitive preterite, namely its geminate dental and person-number endings. Despite its formal resemblance to the periphrasis reconstructed for the Germanic weak preterite, this construction probably did not arise via contact between the Sarmatian tribes and Germanic peoples in the first centuries CE.

On areal variations in semantics in the history of the vocabulary of East Iranian languages

On areal variations in semantics in the history of the vocabulary of East Iranian languages

Challenges of Employing the Underlying Tenets of English as an International Language in Iran

Challenges of Employing the Underlying Tenets of English as an International Language in Iran

FRAGMENTS OF SLAVONIC-IRANIAN MYTHOPOETIC TEXT: SYNTACTIC CONSTRUCTIONS WITH *svęt- : *śṷanta-

The paper aims to reconstruct the common elements of the Slavonic and Iranian mythopoetic text, referring to the idea of the sanctity and sacred. The need to reconstruct the elements of this phenomenon of the communicative culture history makes out topicality of the proposed study. The objects of the investigation are: 1) set phrases, which in Iranian and Slavonic consist of the genetically identical lexemes; 2) Slavonic and Iranian set phrases, in which the only term is genetically common for both languages (*svętъ : *śṷanta-), while the second part here is represented by the synonyms with the different etymons; 3) two-termed (dithematic, bibasic) compound words with *svęt- : *śṷanta-, which are often the result of contraction of primary set phrases. Etymological, morphological and lexical-semantic features of analyzed units as well as reconstructed prototypes constitute the subject of the study. As the result of the proposed research, a set of ancient common to Iranians and Slavs formulaic expressions (and anthroponyms derived from them) are revealed; it is determined, that all the analyzed syntactic constructions were formed in the process of cultural contacts between speakers of both languages; their formal and semantic reconstruction is justified. Conclusions. Comparative-historical analysis of the ancient Slavonic and Iranian cliched phrases with the core component *svętъ : *śṷanta- and related to them dithematic personal names reveals the traces of the common Slavonic-Iranian text, formed within the poetic speech. Etymological composition of such «mycrotexts» along side with reflected therein complex of religious and ethic ideas, which is common to both cultural-linguistic traditions, leaves no doubt that we deal with the heritage of Slavonc-Iranian contacts. Especially indicative are the examples of full genetical identity in composition of formulaic constructions among the Slavs and Iranians. The semantic basis of formulaic expressions, common to both languages, is formed with the complex of discrete meanings, referring to the notions of abundance, life force and its increase. The material demonstrates the significant specific weight of Proto-Slavonic units with the exponent *svęt- alongside with the rudimentary and clearly areally and also chronologically limited data of Iranian languages. Permanent renewability of the tradition to use the syntactic cliches with *svęt- was facilitated by their involvement into the field of the derivation of Slavonic anthroponymic composites and later their demand in the texts of Christian religious topic. The perspectives for further work in the outlined vector are seen in comparison of the collected material with data of Baltic languages.

Towards conceptualizing ‘demographic agency’ in Family Language Policy

This article investigates the success story of language maintenance in Arab families in Iran. Taking Fishman’s (1991) emphasis on micro face-to-face interactions in language maintenance processes as our point of departure, it argues that language maintenance requires that families live in a sociolinguistic milieu in which face-to-face interactions are facilitated by demographic patterns of settlement. Despite unfavorable institutional policies towards minority languages in Iran, the specific geographical makeup of the country has historically pushed speakers of minority languages to settle in certain regions (Katouzian, 2009). Drawing on Sealey and Carter’s (2004) concept of ‘demographic agency’, this article argues that such a demographic settlement of Arabs in southern cities and towns in Iran has given them a collective power to maintain their language, which takes the form of laissez-faire interactions in Arabic at home. The findings, based on interviews with families and recordings of interactions at home, suggest that, although parents express concern regarding their children’s academic achievement and socioeconomic mobility, which requires higher proficiency in Persian, this concern does not readily translate into language practices in Persian at home.

Southern Tati: Takestani Dialect

Southern Tati is a North-Western Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. Different varieties of this language group are spoken intermittently in the northern and northwestern parts of Iran, mainly in the Qazvin, Alborz, Markazi, Tehran, Ardabil, Gilan, Zanjan, and Khorasan-e-Shomali provinces. Previous linguistic work on the language consists of multiple descriptive grammars. These include Yarshater’s (1969) analysis of multiple Tati dialects including Takestani, Chali, Eshtehardi, Xiaraji, Ebrahim-abadi, Sagz-abadi, Danesfehani, Esfarvarini, and Xozini, as well as Taheri’s (2009) and Rahmani & Rahmni’s (2021) analyses of the Takestani dialect. The variety of Southern Tati analyzed in this study is the Takestani dialect (tks, ISO 639-3). Takestani is spoken by the Tat community in the city of Takestan, known by its residents as Siayden (IPA: [sijʌˈten]). The speakers of Takestani know their dialect of the Tati language as Siaydiniji (IPA: [sijʌtiniˈd͡ʒi]), as ‘related to the residents of Siaden.’ Figure 1 shows the location of Takestan in the Qazvin province in Iran.

English language teachers’ attitudes toward using electronic portfolio on Iranian EFL learners’ speaking: a grounded theory approach

In recent decades, technology has changed the methods of teaching and assessment in educational settings all over the world. One notable innovation that has gained prominence in English language teaching (ELT) is the utilization of e-portfolios to evaluate and enhance students’ writing and, potentially, speaking skills. While students have shown positive attitudes toward integrating e-portfolios in speaking classes, teachers’ attitudes toward this pedagogical method remain undisclosed. Therefore, this study investigates teachers’ attitudes toward e-portfolios in speaking classes based on the data collected from semi-structured and focused group interviews. The data was obtained from the Iran Language Institute (ILI), a leading institution for teaching English in Tehran. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze and evaluate 10 semi-structured interviews and focus groups. While some challenges are to overcome, teachers appear positive about implementing e-portfolios in speaking classes. As a result of teachers’ attitudes towards e-portfolios, four categories emerged: ownership and responsibility, reflection (peer and self), teacher self-improvement, and drawbacks.

Specific Characteristics of Etymology of Lexical Units Belonging to Iranian Languages (as an example of historical works created in the Persian-Tajik language in the 10-13th centuries)

Abstract: This article presents the general conclusions arising from the etymological views of Persian and Tajik historians who lived in the 10th-13th centuries . The opinions of Persian-Tajik historians about the etymology of lexical units are significant in terms of the fact that they are among the first etymological views of Tajik etymology and in most cases are in harmony with today's scientific conclusions.