Iranian Pre-intermediate EFL Learners Research Articles

The Effect of the Pamphlet of Study Skill on Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners’ Writing Skill

The purpose of this study was to consider the effect of the pamphlet of the study skill on writing texts of Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL students in a private institute in Isfahan. To achieve the intended purpose, an Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was administered to 100 learners in a private English language institute and 60 pre intermediate learners were selected as the participants of the study. They were divided into two groups randomly. The experimental group (30 students) and control group (30 students). Both of the groups were asked to a test as a pre-test and post-test. Afterwards the experimental group was taught a pamphlet about the skills of writing during 20 sessions. Then, the data of the study was statistically analyzed with using SPSS software. The results showed when the students in the experimental group learned the skills of writing a good text, they could write the different kinds of texts. They could organize and develop the paragraphs very well and they could also use appropriate linking words in different types of writing texts.

The Effect of Gamified Flipped Classroom on the Improvement of Vocabulary Learning of Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners

The current study aimed to improve vocabulary learning by using gamification in the flipped classroom context. To this end, all of the study’s population comprised high school learners at two high schools in Roodan, a city in Hormozgan, Iran. The participants were divided into three classes, class A consisting of 40 students, class B comprising 40 students, and class C consisting of thirty learners. All learners were female. In order to ensure that the learners were homogeneous, the Preliminary English Test (PET) was applied. Class A was chosen as the experimental group (gamified flipped classroom), whereas classes B and C were chosen as the control groups. Data were collected through the vocabulary and placement tests. Results indicate that gamification in the flipped context could have a significant effect on vocabulary improvement. This study suggests certain implications for English teachers, policymakers, and material developers. As a new teaching model, it offers a new method of vocabulary teaching.

The effects of English versus Persian subtitled movies on Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners speaking proficiency, willingness to communicate and motivation

The effects of English versus Persian subtitled movies on Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners speaking proficiency, willingness to communicate and motivation

The Effect of Teaching Formulaic Expressions Through Contrastive Lexical Approach on Iranian Pre-intermediate EFL Learners' Writing Skill.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the contrastive lexical approach on Iranian EFL learners' writing skills. For this study, forty pre-intermediate students from a private English language institutes in Ahvaz, Iran were selected. Then, they were randomly divided into two equal groups of 20; one experimental and one control group. To have two groups of equal numbers, we used a block randomization sampling method. All of these students were female, ranging in age from 18 to 30. Their level of English language proficiency had already been determined by the Institute to be pre-intermediate. First, they were given a pre-test to determine their writing ability. Afterward, the experimental group received writing practices through the Contrastive Lexical Approach (CLA), during 14 sessions. Each session lasted for an hour and a half. The teacher sensitized learners in the experimental group towards the presence of L2 equivalents for L1 formulaic expressions, while the control group received an ordinary, traditional instruction, during which learners read texts containing the same formulaic expressions as for the experimental group without receiving any translation and were then asked to write about the same topics. At the end of the course, a post-test was administered to the two groups. Data were analyzed through independent and paired samples t tests after ensuring the normality of the data. Finally, to discover the power of the statistical tests, the effect size was also calculated. The study showed that using a contrastive lexical approach has a significant positive effect on Iranian EFL learners' writing skills. As the findings in this study propose, the writing skill can be improved through the use of a contrastive lexical approach. Teaching through a contrastive lexical approach, hopefully, gives the learners the chance to fathom their skillful writing competence, which requires the proper use of varied forms of structures and expressions and this, in turn, may sensitize them to know more about what language features to work on to increase their writing proficiency.

Synchronous CMC text chat versus synchronous CMC voice chat: impacts on EFL learners’ oral proficiency and anxiety

This study investigated the effect of synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) text chat and voice chat on Iranian EFL learners’ oral proficiency and anxiety. To this aim, 81 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners were selected from among 125 students at private English language institutes. The selected participants were divided into two experimental groups (synchronous text chat group and synchronous voice chat group) and a control group; each consisting of 27 pre-intermediate learners of English as a foreign language. Over a 6-week period, the participants in the experimental groups engaged in 60–75-minute-long chat sessions in dyads guided by a total of 10 tasks. The data were collected through pre-anxiety and post-anxiety scales and speaking tests. The analysis of the data revealed that both experimental groups had better performance on their post-test compared to their pretest scores, whereas there was a decrease in the anxiety levels only for the text chat group. The practical implications of the study and suggestions for further research are presented.

Positive Assessment: Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners' Speaking Skill and their Self-Efficacy

Positive Assessment: Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners' Speaking Skill and their Self-Efficacy

The Impact of Spaced and Massed Instruction on Foreign Language Reading Motivation and Reading Attitude among Pre-intermediate EFL Learners

Abstract This study investigated the impact of spaced and massed instruction on foreign language reading motivation and reading attitude among Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners. To fulfil this objective, 60 Iranian participants were chosen among 120 students based on the results of Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). The selected pre-intermediate participants were then divided into two equal experimental groups: spaced group and massed group. Afterwards, the researcher measured the participants’ reading motivation and reading attitude by administering a reading motivation questionnaire and a reading attitude survey as a pre-test. Then, both groups received the treatment. During the treatment phase of the study, the massed group was taught the reading comprehension in an intensive 60-minute session, while the spaced group was taught in three short sessions (twenty-minute session). After the instruction, a reading motivation questionnaire and a reading attitude survey as a post-test were carried out to both groups and finally the data were analyzed by running paired and independent sample t-tests. The outcomes demonstrated that there was a significant difference between the post-tests of spaced and massed groups. The findings indicated that the spaced group significantly out performed the massed group (p < .05) on the reading motivation and reading attitude post-test. The implications of this study make teachers know that teaching through spaced periods can produce better outcomes than teaching through one massed session.

Using Mobile Instant Messaging in Teaching Vocabulary to Pre-intermediate EFL Learners: The Case of WhatsApp

Smartphones are becoming an increasingly common part of our daily lives. Applications used in these systems are extremely varied due to their extraordinary efficiency. With respect to language teaching, the use of these technologies has opened up new doors, changing innovatively the way teachers teach and students learn. Accordingly, this study aimed to find out the impacts of using WhatsApp as a mobile instant messaging application on teaching vocabulary among pre-intermediate EFL learners. To this end, 60 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners were selected from a private English Language Institute. Then, they were randomly assigned to two equal groups- an experimental group and a control group. They were pre-tested by a researcher-made vocabulary test. Then, the treatment was applied to both groups. As the treatment, the control group was taught with traditional activities whereas the experimental group was taught with the use of mobile application (WhatsApp). At the end of the instruction, a researcher-made vocabulary post-test was administered. The results of independent samples t-test and one-way ANCOVA indicated that the experimental group had better performance on the post-test compared to control group revealing the usefulness of the mobile application utilized in this study on learning vocabulary.

Comparing the impact of spaced instruction and massed instruction in learning collocations among Iranian EFL learners

This study compared the impact of spaced instruction and massed instruction on learning collocations among Iranian EFL learners. To do so, 60 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners were selected among 90 students based on the results of Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). The selected participants were then non-randomly divided into two equal experimental groups; spaced group and massed group. Afterwards, the researcher measured the participants’ collocations knowledge by administering a collocation pre-test. Then, 100 English collocations were instructed to the both experimental groups in the treatment phase of the study. After the instruction, a collocation post-test was administered to both groups and finally the data were analyzed by using paired and independent samples t-tests. The obtained results indicated that there was a significant difference between the post-tests of spaced and massed groups. The findings indicated that the spaced group significantly outperformed the massed group (p < .05) on the post-test. The implications of this study can make the teachers aware that teaching through spaced intervals can provide better results than teaching through one massed session.

The effects of spaced versus massed distribution instruction on EFL learners’ vocabulary recall and retention

The current study investigates the effect of massed and spaced instruction on vocabulary recall and retention. To fulfill this objective, 75 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners (16 to 19 years) t...

Investigating the Role of Formative Mobile Based Assessment in Vocabulary Learning of Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners in Comparison with Paper Based Assessment

Throughout this study technology and especially mobile phones was utilized in EFL classrooms in order to see whether it can influence the process of vocabulary formative assessment and consequently improve vocabulary learning of Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners or not. Two groups of pre-intermediate EFL learners participated in this study. Regarding the first group (FMA) the vocabulary learning of learners was assessed formatively during ten sessions using Socrative mobile application. The vocabulary learning of the second group (FPA) was also assessed formatively but paper and pen were the instruments used by instructor and students to take the tests. After applying quasi-experimental research design including pretest, treatment and posttest and after running independent sample t tests to posttest scores, the results showed that those pre-intermediate EFL learners attending in the group where vocabulary gain was assessed formatively using mobile application named Socrative performed significantly better in posttest than group assessed formatively based on paper and pen (Sig=0.03<0.05). The analysis of attitude questionnaire distributed among participants of the group assessed formatively using mobile phone exhibited that they possessed a positive attitude towards mobile based testing.

Comparing the impacts of various inputs(I\u2009+\u20091 & I-1) on pre-intermediate EFL learners\u2019 Reading comprehension and Reading motivation: the case of Ahvazi learners

Considering the vital role of comprehensible input, this study attempted to compare the effects of input with various difficulty levels on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension and reading motivation. To fulfil this objective, 54 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners were selected from two intact classes (n = 27 each). The selected participants were randomly assigned to two equal groups, namely “i + 1″ (n = 27) and “i-1″ group (n = 27). Then, the groups were pretested by a researcher-made reading comprehension test. After carrying out the pre-test, the treatment (i.e., extensive reading at different levels of difficulty) was practiced on the both groups. The participants in “i + 1″ group received reading passages beyond the current level, on the other hand, the “i-1″ group received those reading passages which were below their current level. After the instruction ended, a modified version of pre-test was conducted as posttest to determine the impacts of the treatment on the students’ reading comprehension. The obtained results indicated that there was a significant difference between the post-tests of “i + 1″ and “i-1″ groups. The findings showed that the “i + 1″ group significantly outperformed the “i-1″ group (p < .05) on the post-test. Moreover, the findings indicated that “i + 1″ group’s motivation increased after the treatment. The implications of the study suggest that interactive type of input is beneficial to develop students’ language skills.

The Comparative Effect of Content-based Language Teaching and Task-based Language Teaching on Iranian Pre-intermediate EFL Learners’ Reading Skill

This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of TBLT and CBLT on Iranian Pre-intermediate EFL learners’ reading skill. Forty pre-intermediate EFL learners were pretested and then homogenized and then divided to 2 classes, namely TBLT group and CBLT group. The CBLT group received reading instruction based on CBLT, while the RBLT group received reading instruction based on TBLT. After the treatment, both groups received a posttest. After analyzing the data through using paired and independent samples t-tests, it was shown that both groups (i.e., TBLT &amp; CBLT) progressed considerably with regard to their reading skill from the pretest to the posttest, with the task-based language teaching group outperformed the content-based language teaching group in the posttest. It can be deduced that both task-based language teaching and content-based language teaching methods are effectual in reading comprehension instruction to Iranian Pre-intermediate EFL learners, with TBLT method being more effective.

THE IMPACT OF USING AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS ON TEACHING LISTENING AMONG IRANIAN PRE-INTERMEDIATE EFL LEARNERS

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of audio-visual aids on teaching listening among Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners. In order to fulfill the objectives of the study, the researcher selected 40 homogeneous pre-intermediate students and divided them into two equal groups. The two groups were the experimental groups (n=20) and a control groups (n=20). Then a listening comprehension pre-test was administered to assess the participants' listening comprehension at the beginning of the course. After the pre-test, the researcher practiced the treatment on the experimental groups. During the treatment sessions, The EG was taught by using authentic video, while the CG used audio Compact Disc (CD) as the teaching aid most often used by ESL teachers in teaching listening. After the treatment which took 15 sessions, the researcher administered a post-test to find out the effect of audio-visual aids on teaching listening. When the data were collected, Independent and Paired Samples T-tests were run to analyze them. The results showed that the EG students taught by using authentic video achieved higher results in listening than the CG ones taught by audio compact disc (CD). The implications of the study suggest that using audio-visual aids can help EFL learners to develop their listening comprehension.DOI: 10.24071/llt.2019.220209

Texts with Various Levels of Hardness, Reading Comprehension and Reading Motivation: I+1 Versus I-1

Considering the vital role of comprehensible input, this study attempted to compare the effects of input with various difficulty levels on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension and reading motivation. To fulfil this objective, 54 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners were selected from two intact classes (n = 27 each). The selected participants were randomly assigned to two equal groups, namely “i+1” (n=27) and “i-1” group (n=27). Then, the groups were pretested by a researcher-made reading comprehension test. After carrying out the pre-test, the treatment (i.e., extensive reading at different levels of difficulty) was practiced on the both groups. The participants in “i+1” group received reading passages beyond the current level, on the other hand, the “i-1” group received those reading passages which were below their current level. After the instruction ended, a modified version of pre-test was conducted as posttest to determine the impacts of the treatment on the students’ reading comprehension. The obtained results indicated that there was a significant difference between the post-tests of “i+1” and “i-1” groups. The findings showed that the “i+1” group significantly outperformed the “i-1” group (p &lt; .05) on the post-test. Moreover, the findings indicated that “i+1” group’s motivation increased after the treatment. The implications of the study suggest that interactive type of input is beneficial to develop students’ language skills.&#x0D; Keywords: Comprehensible Input; Extensive reading; Foreign language reading motivation; Input; Reading comprehension; Text difficulty level

The impact of schematic knowledge on listening comprehension among Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners

The impact of schematic knowledge on listening comprehension among Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners

Oral corrective feedback on written errors

Abstract The current study investigated the differential effect of two types of oral feedback – graduated oral corrective feedback (GOCF) in accordance with sociocultural theory (SCT) and supplemented direct oral corrective feedback (SDOCF) in accordance with cognitive-interactionist theory (CIT) – on Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners’ written errors. The study used a pretest-treatment-immediate posttest-delayed posttest design with three groups. Two types of tests were employed to measure the learners’ explicit and implicit knowledge of English articles. The results of the repeated measures mixed-design ANOVAs and post-hoc analyses demonstrated that while both types of feedback significantly improved both types of knowledge in the immediate posttest, a clear advantage was found for the GOCF in the long term. The findings indicate that oral feedback, especially the GOCF within SCT, could be an effective means of addressing learners’ written errors and improving their implicit knowledge.

The Effect of Pre-reading Activities on the Comprehension of L2 Texts by Iranian Pre-intermediate EFL Learners

This present study investigated the effects of pre-reading activities on the reading comprehension ability of Iranian pre-intermediate level EFL learners. To this end, 40 female EFL learners with the age of 14 to 18 who were studying at Soroush English Institute in Rasht, Iran were selected from a larger population based on their performance on a Quick Placement Test. Then the participants were randomly assigned to one experimental and one control group. A pretest piloted before with the reliability index of .86 was administered to both groups. Next, the experimental group received 10 sessions treatment that was vocabulary pre-teaching. Meanwhile, the control group received its usual classroom teaching. Then, a posttest with the reliability index of .88 was administered to both groups. The result of this study revealed that experimental group who received the new treatment achieved higher proficiency in reading comprehension than the control group. Therefore, the result of this study confirmed that pre-reading activities and vocabulary pre-teaching can statistically improve the participants’ reading comprehension ability.

The Effect of Eliciting Tasks on Listening Comprehension among Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners

The Effect of Eliciting Tasks on Listening Comprehension among Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners

Impact of Pictorial Cues on Speaking Fluency and Accuracy among Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners

This study examined the effect of pictorial cues on Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners’ speaking accuracy and fluency. To do this study, 54 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners were selected out of 80 students in a private English Language Institute. The selected participants were divided into two equal groups; experimental group and control group. After that, both groups were pretested by a speaking pre-test. The experimental group was taught through using the pre-speaking strategies as the researcher provided students with pictorial inputs. On the other hand, the students of the control group were taught through traditional speaking activities including repetition and over-learning. The treatment took 15 sessions of 50 minutes each under the guidance of the supervisor. In the first session, the participants were homogenized. In the second session, they were pretested. During 11 sessions, students were taught by using pictorial input, and in the last session after the treatment the two groups took the speaking post-test. The results of paired t-test and MANOVA revealed that the experimental group had better performance on their accuracy and fluency post-test compared to their pre-test. The results also showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group on the accuracy and fluency post-test. Finally, implications arising from the findings and suggestions for further research were explained.