Iranian English As A Foreign Language Learners Research Articles

Relationship among critical thinking, multiple intelligence, and Iranian EFL learners’ speaking skill

Focusing on multiple intelligence (MI) and critical thinking (CT), which are often thought to be the important factors in improving second language (L2) learners’ skills, has been the major concern of researchers in recent decades. This study investigated the (possible) relationship among MI, CT, and Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ speaking skill. Seventy intermediate participants were chosen from Shahrekord University, Iran, and a language institute in Yazd, Iran. To identify the participants’ MI profiles, the Persian translation of McKenzie’s MI Inventory Questionnaire was administered to the participants. Also, to determine the participants’ CT, the Persian translation of California CT Skill Test was used. Thereafter, the participants’ speaking skill was measured by the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) speaking test. Results of the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there was not any significant relationship between the participants’ MI and the speaking skill, whereas there was a significant relationship between their CT and speaking skill. In addition, the results revealed that, first, MI and the speaking skill did not correlate significantly and, second, the findings showed that the higher the participants were critical thinkers, the better and more fluent they were in their L2 speaking. Findings have some implications for L2 practitioners, students, administrators, and researchers in English language teaching, suggesting the incorporation of and CT skills in L2 learners’ class activities and their textbooks.

Cross-cultural Study of Grit among Iranian, Turkish, and Iraqi EFL Learners

Introduction: Positive psychology has been a buzzword in language learning and teaching practices recently. Among different concepts, grit, a tendency to maintain stamina to tackle long-term challenges, has received significant but inadequate consideration. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the role of grit in learning English as a foreign language (EFL) by Iranian, Turkish, and Iraqi learners.
 Methodology: Using a non-experimental and descriptive design, the present study explored three cohorts from Iranian, Turkish, and Iraqi learning contexts to compare EFL learners’ grit to examine whether language played a role in their perseverance of effort combined with passion. A total of 684 EFL learners participated in the study from three different cultures. The data for the study were collected via Google form employing the domain-specific L2 grit scale designed by Teimouri et al. (2020). 
 Results: The findings revealed that Persian learners’ grit in language learning was higher than the other two groups in terms of proficiency level. Moreover, regardless of the EFL learners’ first language, learners at advanced levels had the highest mean, followed by the intermediate and elementary groups. However, there was no significant interaction between the first language and proficiency.
 Conclusion: In conclusion, grit can act as a strong predictor of EFL learners’ achievement as their level of English proficiency increases. The findings could benefit material developers and teachers and help them consider grit as a predictor of achievement for EFL learners.

Investigating the Effects of Using Grammarly in EFL Writing: The Case of Articles

Online grammar checkers have increasingly been used in writing instruction to detect and remove English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ grammatical errors. This study investigated the effects of the automated writing evaluation software Grammarly on Iranian EFL learners’ article errors which are common in EFL writing. Ninety Iranian students majoring in English language and literature were selected through convenience sampling. They were divided into three groups, with one receiving Grammarly and teacher feedback (experimental group 1), one receiving Grammarly feedback (experimental group 2), and one receiving teacher feedback (control group). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the data. In addition, one-way ANOVA, frequency analysis, and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data from pretests/posttests, questionnaires, and interviews. The results showed that the Grammarly and teacher feedback group outperformed the other groups in the post-test. This study recommends that EFL teachers consider incorporating online grammar checkers into their EFL writing courses as writing assistant tools.

Fostering EFL learners' motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy through computer-assisted language learning- and mobile-assisted language learning-based instructions.

In the literature, a mass of studies have inspected the effects of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) on Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ achievement. However, the effects of CALL and MALL on psychological factors, such as motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy, have largely remained unexplored. Thus, this study explored the effects of CALL and MALL, and face-to-face (FTF) learning environments on Iranian EFL learners’ motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy. To this aim, using a random sampling method, a total of 137 male EFL intermediate learners were selected and homogenized using the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). Based on the test scores, a total of 90 EFL learners were selected and randomly assigned to three groups, namely, CALL (n = 30), MALL (n = 30), and FTF (n = 30). Then, the participants’ motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy were gauged prior to the instructions. Afterward, they received CALL-based, MALL-based, and conventional instructions which lasted 25 1-h sessions held twice a week. At the end of the instructions, the participants’ motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy were measured again. The collected data were analyzed through a one-way MANOVA. Findings evidenced that the experimental groups’ motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy were positively affected by the CALL-based and MALL-based instructions. However, there was not a statistically significant difference between the CALL group and MALL group concerning the gains of motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy. In light of the findings, a range of implications is suggested for relevant stakeholders.

The effect of the model of contingent teaching on improving Iranian EFL learners’ essay writing

Regarding the three main features of scaffolding, namely, contingency, fading, and the transfer of responsibility, contingency entails the assistance adjusted to a learner’s existing level of understanding. The present study investigated the effect of the model of contingent teaching on improving Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ overall writing performance (opinion essays), and in terms of writing components; namely, task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. Moreover, the study aimed at investigating which component was mostly affected by the model. Based on convenience sampling, 60 female EFL learners of English in a language school between the ages of 20 and 30 were chosen from four intact classes. After conducting the Oxford placement test to ensure the homogeneity of the learners, the participants were then randomly assigned to one of two groups: experimental or control. The findings of the MANCOVA test revealed that the model of contingent teaching fostered EFL learners’ opinion essay writing performance. Besides, the model of contingent teaching improved task response and the lexical resource more significantly. The study offers some practical implications for teacher trainers, teachers, and EFL learners which are discussed.

Examining the roles of social presence and human-likeness on Iranian EFL learners’ motivation using artificial intelligence technology: a case of CSIEC chatbot

ABSTRACT Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in the educational context, particularly chatbotics, has made significant changes in learning English. This mixed-methods study is intended to explore university students’ attitudes toward the potential role of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted mobile applications. Meanwhile, the role of social presence and human-likeness on learner motivation was examined through a chatbot lens. A total of 256 English as a foreign language (EFL) learners interacted with a chatbot known as Computer Simulation in Educational Communication (CSIEC). Participants’ audio-recorded practices, transcriptions, three scales of social presence, learner motivation, and human-likeness, along with a semi-structured focus group interview, were used to collect data, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used for data analysis. Moreover, thematic analysis was adopted to explore the participants’ attitudes and perceptions toward using CSIES. The quantitative results indicated that learner motivation was significantly predicted by social presence and human-likeness. The thematic analysis of qualitative data reflected that the attributed descriptions to the CSIEC teacher enhanced learners’ motivation, eagerness, and confidence to learn English. The findings of this study may be used to guide future research in using chatbots outside the classroom to serve as learning companions, and educators can utilize them to tailor assessment and feedback procedures.

The situational motivation of Iranian EFL learners amid the COVID-19 pandemic

This study examined the situational motivation of Iranian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners amid the COVID-19 pandemic through a descriptive and correlational design. To this end, the 16-item version of the Situational Motivation Scale constructed was employed. The participants were 65 university students who had taken a general English course. The data were fed into SPSS. The findings indicated that intrinsic motivation and amotivation were the lowest and highest categories of the scale. That is, the course had no inherent pleasure for the participants and they experienced feelings of ineffectiveness and beliefs of uncontrollability. Also, it was found that there was a significant, moderate and negative relationship between Intrinsic motivation and external regulation and motivation. Also, the relationship between amotivation and external regulation was significant, strong and positive. Keywords: COVID-19, EFL, intrinsic motivation, online education, situational motivation;

An Investigation of Flipping an English Reading Course: Focus on Reading Gains and Anxiety

The aim of this research was to explore the effect of flipped classroom on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ reading skill and reading anxiety. For this purpose, a sample of 44 Iranian EFL learners was recruited and randomly assigned to a flipped group (N =23) and a non-flipped group (N =21). Using a quasi-experimental design, the researchers employed an experimental group that received flipped instruction and a control group that were instructed based on the regular method for a period of four months. The reading component of the Cambridge Preliminary English Test (CPET) and a scale of reading anxiety were given to assess the reading comprehension and reading anxiety of the participants as pre-test and post-test of the study. The outcomes of the research indicated that the learners in the flipped class substantially performed better than those of the non-flipped class regarding EFL reading gains. Also, flipping the course significantly reduced reading anxiety of the participants. According to these results, it may be concluded that EFL teachers can utilize flipped instruction for their reading courses.

Words belong to ourselves: Multiliteracies pedagogy in English language education

This study explores the possibilities and challenges of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) based on multiliteracies perspectives within New Literacy Studies (NLS). Teaching materials were developed for a group of Iranian EFL learners based on the four principles of NLS and were taught based on the same principles aiming at creating alternative language learning experiences. Class recordings, fieldnotes, interviews, and learners’ notebooks were collected as our data over three months, and were analyzed based on a grounded theory approach through coding procedures in search of emerging ideas about NLS-based EFL pedagogy. The findings revealed four possibilities: relevance to learners, their active engagement, their self-reliance, and owning the language forms. The challenges appeared to be stemming from preconceptions of the teacher and the students about language teaching, learning, and assessment. We discuss aspects of such opportunities and challenges in Iran, with possible implications for many similar EFL settings.

A cross-cultural study of condolence strategies in a computer-mediated social network

Among the various speech acts, an under-investigated one is condolence speech act. The present study sought to investigate the verbal strategies of expressing condolence used by (1) Iranian native speakers of Persian, (2) Iranian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners, and (3) American native speakers of English. Accordingly, a total of 200, 42, and 50 responses were collected respectively from the informants who responded to an obituary post followed by a picture consisting of a situation related to the news of a celebritys death on Instagram (In the case of Iranians: Morteza Pashaii , a famous singer in the case of Americans: B. B. King , an American singer-songwriter). After creating a pool of responses to the death announcements and through careful content analysis, the utterances by native Persian speakers, EFL learners, and native English speakers were coded into seven, nine, and seven categories, with expression of affection ( n = 109, 46.38%), wishes for the deceased ( n = 34, 59.64%), and wishes for the deceased ( n = 32, 23.70%) being the most prevalent ones, correspondingly. Moreover, tests of Chi-square revealed that there was a statistically significant difference among the three groups. The results showed that there were significant differences among the participants in terms of using condolence strategies in Expression of affection (love and grief), Wishes for the deceased, Expression of shock, use of address terms, expression of gratitude, Offering condolences, expression of happiness for his peaceful death, and Seeking absolution from God categories, with Expression of affection being the most prevalent one among Iranian Persian speakers. The findings have pedagogical implications for EFL teachers as wells as textbook and course designers.

Grit and foreign language anxiety as predictors of willingness to communicate in the context of foreign language learning: A structural equation modeling approach

Given its key role in enhancing learners’ communicative competence, willingness to communicate (WTC) has received much research attention in the field of second language (L2) teaching and learning. Numerous studies have explored the antecedents of WTC in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. As an attempt to shed more light on this line of research, this study was set to investigate the effects of grit and foreign language anxiety as predictors of L2 WTC among Iranian EFL learners. For this purpose, a number of 163 undergraduate English major students from several universities participated in this survey. The required data were collected by distributing valid and reliable instruments measuring the three target variables (i.e., WTC, grit, and anxiety). A structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was utilized to test the hypothesized structural models for the relations between these variables. The SEM results indicated that grit accounted for 10.6 % of the variance and FL anxiety explained 20% of the variance in the participants’ L2 WTC. Furthermore, the unique impact of foreign language anxiety on WTC was greater than that of grit. The implications of these findings for language teaching and learning are discussed at the end of the paper.

Teacher support and academic engagement among EFL learners: The role of positive academic emotions

Academic engagement and teacher support, as two important factors in education, have been largely neglected in the research literature of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and applied linguistics. Given the facilitative role of positive emotions in learning processes, this study aimed to examine their mediating role in the relationship between teacher support and academic engagement among Iranian EFL learners. The participants were 435 EFL freshmen randomly selected via multi-stage cluster sampling. The data were collected through previously validated measures. The results of structural equation modelling showed that perceived teacher support could directly and positively affect academic engagement. Additionally, positive emotions mediated the relationship between teacher support and academic engagement. Finally, some important implications and suggestions for further research are presented.

USING GOOGLE SEARCH FOR ENGLISH GRAMMAR LEARNING

Background/Purpose: Second/foreign language learners face problems in different areas such as correct word usage, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation fluency. This paper responds to one of these problems by investigating the impact of strategic Google Search on Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ grammar learning.
 
 Methodology: Sixty Iranian intermediate EFL learners from a private English language institute in Isfahan, Iran were selected and randomly divided into two groups. To find which areas of grammar are most problematic among the participants, a multiple-choice grammar pretest which was validated by five English experts was given to them. Then 10 questions that most participants answered wrongly were selected as the most challenging ones. During 10 class sessions, the participants were taught how to select the correct choice through Google Search. In fact, each participant in the class had a laptop connected to the internet. The researcher taught them how to search on Google strategically and the participants found out that in Google sites there are some sentences which are grammatically wrong and they should not trust them. They learned how to search strategically for the correct choices. At the end of the sessions they answered a posttest containing different questions but in the same grammatical areas. The pretest and posttest both were conducted while the participants were connected to internet sites.
 
 Findings: Data analysis was done through running t-test using SPSS software and statistically significant difference was revealed. The findings showed that those participants who were taught how to strategically use Google Search performed better in the posttest. Therefore, the results revealed that correct Google Search had improved the Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ grammar knowledge. 
 
 Contributions: This study has several implications for both language learners and teachers regarding the use of Google platform for English grammar learning. In addition, it contributes to the body of knowledge that strategic Google Search does not only improve the Iranian EFL learners’ English grammar but also make them less dependent on teachers thus promoting autonomous learning.
 
 Keywords: Google search, EFL learners, grammar learning, intermediate EFL learners, Iran, web-based instruction.
 
 Cite as: Tavakoli, M. (2021). Using Google search for English grammar learning. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 6(2), 318-339. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol6iss2pp318-339

Iranian EFL Learners' Attitudes Toward Language Learning Through Social Media During the Covid-19 Pandemic

The current research aimed at exploring Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ attitudes and perceptions toward learning a language by means of social media during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. To do so, 850 participants were selected voluntarily based on inclusion criteria from 1000 language learners enrolling in the general English courses at some specific institutions and under some tutors. To collect the intended data, a researcher-made questionnaire, devised based on the available literature to scrutinize their attitude using 5-point Likert scale items, was administered by means of social media to the participants. Out of the collected questionnaires, 850 were included for the analysis in this research. The results revealed that EFL learners consider social media as a significant element of their learning a foreign language, especially throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings of the present research can pave the way for the inclusion of social media as an indispensable instrument of nurturing collaboration and communication among learners even after the pandemic eases. Keywords: EFL learners, social media, the covid-19 pandemic, attitudes and perceptions, language learning DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/96-03 Publication date: May 31 st 2021

Preferred Lexical Access Route in Persian Learners of English: Associative, Semantic or Both

Background: Words in the Mental Lexicon (ML) construct semantic field through associative and/ or semantic connections, with a pervasive native speaker preference for the former. Non-native preferences, however, demand further inquiry. Previous studies have revealed inconsistent Lexical Access (LA) patterns due to the limitations in the methodology and response categorization. Objectives: To fill the gap, we employed a primed Picture Naming (PN) task for investigating the relations between concepts in the ML of Iranian EFL (English as a foreign language) learners. We also explored whether conscious priming at a long prime-target stimulus onset asynchrony affected the naming latency of the learners with different proficiency levels. Materials & Methods: The participants were 31 EFL learners (11-16 years old) at A1 and A2 levels based on the Common European Framework of Reference for languages. They were recruited in summer 2020 from language institutes in Bushehr and Kazeroon cities, Iran, through a convenience sampling method. They performed a PN task, including 66 prime-target pairs presented in associative, semantic, both semantic and associative, or unrelated conditions. The mixed-effects modeling was used for data analysis. Results: Based on the likelihood ratio test of model comparisons for condition effect (χ2 (1) =9.07, P=0.002), the interaction of condition, frequency, and length was significant in the semantic condition (t=2.72, P=0.008). A slight effect was also observed from the prime frequency in the associative condition (t=1.82, P=0.07). Conclusion: Results indicate one-level access to the ML, which is indeed a function of language proficiency. Findings are further discussed in terms of ML structure and patterns of LA.

Iranian EFL Learners' Attitudes Toward Language Learning Through Social Media During the Covid-19 Pandemic

The current research aimed at exploring Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ attitudes and perceptions toward learning a language by means of social media during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. To do so, 850 participants were selected voluntarily based on inclusion criteria from 1000 language learners enrolling in the general English courses at some specific institutions and under some tutors. To collect the intended data, a researcher-made questionnaire, devised based on the available literature to scrutinize their attitude using 5-point Likert scale items, was administered by means of social media to the participants. Out of the collected questionnaires, 850 were included for the analysis in this research. The results revealed that EFL learners consider social media as a significant element of their learning a foreign language, especially throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings of the present research can pave the way for the inclusion of social media as an indispensable instrument of nurturing collaboration and communication among learners even after the pandemic eases. Keywords: EFL learners, social media, the covid-19 pandemic, attitudes and perceptions, language learning DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/96-03 Publication date: May 31 st 2021

The Impact of the Big Five Personality Traits and Motivational Self-System on Iranian EFL Learners’ Intended Effort: An Investigation into McAdams’ Model of Personality

Although L2 Motivational Self System has received extensive attention over the past decade or so, its relations with the Big Five Traits and their impact on effort expended towards L2 learning within a dynamic Model of Personality has remained largely unexplored in second language (L2) studies. Accordingly, this article details a quantitative study drawing on McAdams’s (1995) model to investigate the contribution(s) of the Motivational Self System and the Big Five Traits on L2 learners’ intended effort. To this end, 654 Low-intermediate to Intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners were asked to complete the Big Five Inventory-2 along with the Motivational Factors Questionnaire. The predictive power of the variables under the study were analysed through multiple regression including standard and sequential regressions. Among the personality traits, Open-mindedness had the greatest impact and Conscientiousness had significant, yet moderate effect on the learners’ intended effort. Among the motivational facets, Ideal L2 Self had the greatest contribution, Attitudes Towards Learning English had the second most significant part, and lastly, Ought-to L2 Self had moderate, yet significant effect on learners’ intended effort. The findings also indicated that the motivational facets overshadowed the personality traits when they were entered in to the model simultaneously. The implications and suggestions for further research were also highlighted.

The interplay of oral corrective feedback and L2 willingness to communicate across proficiency levels

This study aims to explore the impact of oral corrective feedback types on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ willingness to communicate across proficiency levels. It also investigates how EFL learners view different types of feedback in relation to their willingness to communicate. Sixty Iranian EFL learners were tracked in four proficiency levels. Initially, the participants filled in a questionnaire to measure their attitudes to oral CF and their willingness to communicate. Subsequent to the teachers’ employment of explicit correction, recasts, and prompts, the learners’ willingness to communicate was measured anew. A semi-structured interview was also conducted. The results revealed learners’ high preference for prompts. A two-way mixed between-within ANOVA demonstrated a significant effect for both oral corrective feedback and proficiency level on willingness to communicate. Furthermore, elicitative types of feedback were ranked as the most contributory feedback type to L2 willingness to communicate.

Critical Thinking, Writing Strategy Use, L2 Writing Anxiety and L2 Writing Performance: What are the Relations?

AbstractThe present study examined relationships among critical thinking, writing strategy use, second/foreign language (L2) writing anxiety, and L2 writing performance of Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. To this end, 100 homogenized EFL learners (57 female learners and 43 male learners) filled out Facione and Facione’s (1993) California Critical Thinking Skills Test-form B (CCRST), Petric and Czarl’s (2003) Writing Strategy Questionnaire (WSQ), Cheng’s (2004) Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI), and the second task of the academic version of IELTS exam. Multiple correlation analyses revealed a significant positive relationship between L2 writing performance and writing strategy use; and L2 writing performance and critical thinking. Results also revealed a significant negative relationship between L2 writing performance and L2 writing anxiety. Furthermore, it was found that L2 writing anxiety was a stronger predictor of L2 writing performance. Additionally, the results of one-way MANOVA showed a significant difference between Iranian male and female EFL learners regarding both their L2 writing performance and L2 writing anxiety. These results emphasize the inclusion of pre-planned writing sessions for Iranian EFL learners which can help foster critical thinking skills and writing strategy use, reduce L2 writing anxiety and hopefully, improve their L2 writing ability. Key words: Critical thinking, EFL learners, L2 writing anxiety, L2 writing performance, writing strategy use.

The Influence of Topic Management on the Speaking Ability of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners

In English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings where English is not the spoken language, Topic Management has been recognised as one of the factors that influence the speaking ability of learners (Du-Babcock, 1999). In Iran, many intermediate EFL learners find it very difficult to manage the speech aspect of the English language. The present study examines the influence of Topic Management on the speaking ability of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. It provides useful insights on teaching speaking skills through Topic Management to improve the speaking ability of learners. In this study, quasi-experimental design was used. 40 intermediate learners were selected and divided into two groups, the Control Group and the Experimental Group. Three tests were administered to obtain data from the participants. These were a proficiency test to check the English proficiency level of the participants, a speaking pre-test to check their speaking ability before the treatment, and a speaking post-test to check their speaking ability after the treatment. The results indicate that Topic Management has an influence on the speaking ability of Iranian EFL learners. That is, the more the student is confident in managing the topic the more he/she is able to sustain the conversation. The study concludes that Topic Management can be a facilitative approach to improving Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ speaking ability.