Iran Language Institute Research Articles

A Move Analysis on Iranian English Language Institute Websites: Homepage and About Us

The present study examines how Iranian language institutes represent themselves in two pages of their institutional websites, namely, Homepage and About Us, as the main pages that build up the initial relationship with the viewers. Accordingly, this study aims at comparing and contrasting three formerly-established and three newly-established Iranian English language institutes in terms of how they represent themselves in the above-mentioned webpages. The Swales model of move analysis (1990) within genre analysis was applied in order to dissect the Homepage and About Us pages of the two groups of websites. The analysis reveals that the websites of the two groups of institutes are similar regarding their Homepage and contain the same five moves. Some moves include a few steps within them as well. There are, on the other hand, some differences between the moves and steps in About Us pages of the former and newer institutes’ websites. The formerly-established institutes rely mainly on their long-lasting reputation to represent themselves while the newly-established institutes represent themselves as innovative institutes conforming to the learners’ needs and expectations as well as offering some free services. It seems that newer institutes apply lengthier About Us pages to convince their potential learners of their capability to fulfill their claims.

Factors Influencing Teachers’ Cognitions and Practices Underpinning Listening Instruction in Iranian Private English Language Institutes

Exploration of second language teacher cognition in general and factors influencing it in particular has attracted the attention of many researchers over the last four decades. The study presented here explored potential factors that influenced teachers’ cognitions and practices with regard to listening instruction and the development of this skill among learners in the thus far under-researched context of Iran. An exploratory and interpretive approach was adopted. Data were collected over a four-month period in private English Language institutes in Iran. Eight teachers’ classes were observed 64 times, followed by 32 stimulated-recall interviews. Findings indicated that contextual factors, followed by learner variables and teachers’ teaching experiences, were the most influential elements in shaping teacher cognitions and listening classroom practices. Teacher education was ranked as the least influential factor. There are some implications for strengthening the development of listening skills. These include the importance of experienced teachers’ cognitions in improving teacher education and professional development courses, and being more consciously aware of the exacerbating effects of some contextual factors on listening instruction.

The Relationship between Iranian EFL Teachers’ Emotional Intelligence and their Teaching Style

The present study aimed to detect and compare the most preferred teaching styles by Iranian English teachers in public schools and private language institutes and investigate the possible relationship between EFL teachers’ teaching styles and aspects of their emotional intelligence. The participants were 100 EFL teachers from public schools and private language institutes in Iran, Shiraz. The Persian version of the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory and Grasha’s Style Inventory (TSI) was used to measure the teachers’ emotional intelligence and teaching styles, respectively. Concerning teaching style preference, formal authority style for EFL teachers of schools and facilitator style for teachers of the private institute was the most preferred styles. In addition, the least preferred styles were ‘delegator’ and ‘formal authority’ styles for public school teachers and private institute teachers, respectively. Regarding emotional intelligence, the lowest mean scores were observed in the Stress Management dimension, and the highest was related to the General Mood dimension. Furthermore, ‘general mood’, as a dimension of emotional intelligence, was highly correlated with ‘formal authority’ and ‘expert style’, both of which were public school teachers’ preferred styles. Public School teachers were relatively weak at using ‘personal model’, ‘facilitator’, and ‘delegator’ teaching styles. Thus, it is recommended that they adapt themselves to these styles.

The Integration of Verbal Humor into EFL Classrooms: The Issues of Appropriateness and Relevance in Focus

The present study examined the manifestations of Iranian male and female EFL teachers’ use of humor in the classroom environment. To this end, a qualitative study with 30 participants was implemented in two English language institutes in Iran. Equally, 15 male and female EFL teachers were selected by convenience sampling and their classes were audio-recorded and later transcribed for the examination of the types of humor they used and their frequency. Wanzer, Frymier, Wojtaszcyk, and Smith’s (2006) method of humor analysis and categorization of appropriateness was exploited for the analysis of the types of humor collected from the participants of the study. The results suggested that the use of humor by male teachers was more frequent than that of female teachers. It was revealed that 57% of the humor production was by male EFL teachers and 43% was produced by female EFL teachers. The results revealed that the most frequent humor type in male teachers’ classrooms was “funny comments” (27%), with “teasing students” (3%) being the least frequent one. In the case of appropriate humor use, similarly, female teachers used “funny comments” (52%) as the most frequent one, while there was no instance of “providing humorous examples”. Considering inappropriate humor use, both male and female teachers used “funny comments” (45%) as the most frequent type. The findings of the present study can be of use to EFL teachers and suggests the need for workshops and training courses on the integration of humor into EFL classes.

The effect of using Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning: An experimental study

This study examines the effect of computer-assisted language learning on the vocabulary learning of Iranian EFL learners, in which 40 pre-intermediate and intermediate students enrolled at Iran Language Institute, Urmia, Iran were selected as participants. The participants were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and two control ones. The two experimental groups underwent the same procedures in receiving treatment, while the control groups did not receive any treatment. Initially, all groups participated in pre-tests. The students in the experimental groups were exposed to the treatments for eight sessions, which included the teaching of word lists selected from the students’ books using computers. These words were taught to the experimental groups using ‘Vocaboly’, while the control groups were taught using the traditional method of vocabulary teaching. Finally, all groups participated in post-tests. The comparison of the mean scores using a t-test indicated that the experimental groups outperformed the control groups on post-tests.
 Keywords: CALL, multimedia, CAVI, vocabulary learning, learner autonomy.

Exploring the effects of pre-task planning time on EFL learners’ narrative writing

The present study is carried out in order to provide deeper insights into the differential effects of pre-task planning time conditions on Iranian EFL learners’ narrative writing production (accuracy, fluency, and complexity). To this end, three intact classes comprising 70 EFL language learners, studying in private language institutes in Iran, were randomly assigned to either no pre-task planning, 5 minute pre-task planning or 10 minute pre-task planning conditions. Analysis of the written narratives and the results of a series of one-way ANOVA revealed that both 5 minute and 10 minute pre-task planning groups showed substantial progress compared to those in the no pre-task planning group regarding the accuracy, fluency and complexity of their output. The obtained results support the view that providing pre-task planning opportunities leads task performers to produce the kind of output which displays improved complexity, accuracy, and fluency. The results also have some implications for teachers and practitioners in EFL contexts.

METACOGNITIVE INTERVENTION AND AWARENESS: LISTENERS WITH LOW WORKING MEMORY CAPACITY

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of the Metacognitive Intervention (MI) on the listening performance and metacognitive awareness of upper-intermediate learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) with low Working Memory Capacity (WMC). 136 male learners aged between 15 and 25 years formed the original pool of this study, and 94 were identified as upper-intermediate learners learning English at the English Language Institute (ELI) in Iran. They were further given the visual Digit Span Test (DST). Based on their scores and the median, 60 low-WMC learners were selected and randomly assigned to experimental (N = 30) and control (N = 30) groups. The experimental group received the MI through the pedagogical cycle for 10 sessions, whereas the control group followed a traditional approach. The participants in both groups were asked to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) listening tests and complete the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ) before and after the intervention. The results suggested that the experimental group had a higher gain with a moderate effect size in terms of listening performance than the control group. In addition, the MALQ revealed the significantly higher use of directed attention, mental translation, and person knowledge by the experimental group.

Exploring L1 use in English as Foreign Language Classrooms through Activity theory

This study attempts to examine the amounts, purposes, and reasons for using L1 by teachers as well as the amounts and purposes of its use by students in English as foreign language classrooms through investigating two pre-intermediate classes of an English language institute in Iran. Among students with an age range of 16-25 years, eight male and female students were in one class and 16 were in the other class (N = 24). Two native Persian teachers with master's degrees in Teaching English as a Foreign Language participated in this study: One was 40 years old with 14 years of experience and the other one was 32 years old with nine years of experience. Eight 90-minute sessions of each teacher’s class were audio-recorded. Following that, the two teachers were interviewed to report on the reasons for which they used their first language. The findings obtained from the classroom audio transcriptions were analyzed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches through the lens of Activity Theory. Moreover, the teachers’ interviews were thematically analyzed and the results of these analyses indicated that the teachers and their students resorted to the first language as an important cognitive and pedagogical tool on different occasions wherever needed during their teaching. The findings also revealed that teachers in this study maintained that using the students’ first language supports second/foreign language learning and teaching processes in the pre-intermediate levels.

Effective Language Teachers’ Characteristics as Perceived by English Language Private Institutes’ Administrators in Iran

Recruiting wisely from the available supply of teachers is one of the instructional roles of school administrators. Their hiring and retaining decisions, among other things, can influence learners' achievements. The number of studies examining the features of effective language teachers in the eyes of administrators is limited. Therefore, the present study was designed to examine how effective language teachers are perceived by administrators of English Private Language Institutes in Iran. To this end, 27 male and female administrators were selected and interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the narrative data. The results of coding revealed several characteristics of effective language teachers, which were categorized and grouped under seven themes: teacher’s appearance, personal traits, business-related traits, love of the profession, professional competence, work experience, and interpersonal relationship. The perceptions of this group of stakeholders were then compared and contrasted with the features mentioned in the literature and interpreted in view of the commercialization of education. The study concluded that the administrators gave lower priority to learning outcomes and educational concerns. For the administrators, teachers’ appearance and their traits are more important than some job-related features. These features are assumed to be closely related to the third dominant theme of business-related characteristics. The results, overall, might reflect the teachers' obligation to adjust their practices to the administrators' expectations, which are, in turn, influenced by the primacy of commercial interests over learning and teaching interests. The findings of the study may have implications for teacher educators, teaching candidates and working teachers.

Examining the Association between T-unit and Pausing Length on the EFL Perception of Listening Comprehension

Listening taking over half of the learners’ time and effort (Nunan, 1998), forms a basis for acquiring much of a language. There are factors affecting listening comprehension and its perception, such as the speech rate, phonological properties of the text, the quality of the recording, the learners’ anxiety, and listening comprehension strategies (Goh, 2000; Hamouda, 2013). At the Iran Language Institute in Dezful, S.W. Iran, some teachers attributed some learners’ perception of partially unsuccessful comprehension of the recorded material to factors such as rate of speech, T-unit length, and pauses between T-units or inside T-units. This study aimed at the probable association between learners' and teachers' perceptions of these variables and compare them to the real qualities of the recordings they listen to. Thus, in an analytic single-shot design, a researcher-made questionnaire was developed and was answered by 504 (229 male and 275 female) participants together with their teachers in 21 classrooms across the six levels of proficiency at the Iran Language Institute. The results, not normally distributed, were juxtaposed with Kendall's tau and Spearman's rho correlation coefficients to ensure maximum agreement between the statistical analyses. The results indicated a strong or moderate correlation between the audio tracks' characteristics with neither learners' perceptions nor teachers' perceptions. Teachers' and learners' perceptions showed a moderate correlation between the perceived rate of speech and a weak correlation between their perceptions of between-T-unit pauses.

The Effect of Oral Feedback on Iranian EFL Learners’ Complexity and Accuracy in Speaking

The debate continues on what features of oral performance are influenced by oral feedback. The present study tries to provide an answer to this question in an EFL context. To this end the effect of six different modes of oral feedback on the features of oral complexity and accuracy was investigated using data from 66 Iranian EFL learners who were selected conveniently from the Iran Language Institute. The participants were divided into experimental and control groups at two different levels of elementary and pre-intermediate. The experimental groups were presented with six different types of oral feedback modes (recasts, clarification requests, metalinguistic, praising, elicitation, and repetition) and at the end of the research they were tested by an in-class oral test to measure their complexity and accuracy (CA). To compare the participants’ oral features, a Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and a Mann-Whitney U Test were run. The results indicated that complexity and accuracy significantly improved among the groups, moreover; there were significant differences in the post-tests between both elementary and pre-intermediate levels regarding CA. The results further indicated that Iranian learners of English would have fewer errors and would be more accurate when receiving oral feedback modes. The study highlights the complex relationship that exists between features of oral performance. The findings of the present study can have theoretical and practical implications for syllabus designers, teacher trainers, and testing researchers.

The Effects of Collaborative and Non- Collaborative Approaches to Teaching Reading Strategies on Iranian efl Learners’ Reading Comprehension and Attitude toward Reading

In an EFL context reading is a very important skill in language learning. This study aims at finding if instruction of reading strategies in two different collaborative and non-collaborative approaches affects reading comprehension and attitude toward reading differently. Forty-five Iranian adult female EFL learners at pre-intermediate general English proficiency level in Iran Language Institute (ili) were selected and divided into three groups of 15 students. One group functioning as the control group did not receive any strategy instruction; the second group, as the first experimental group, received reading strategy instruction in collaborative groups (Collaborative Strategic Reading or csr), and the third group considered as the second experimental group received reading strategy instruction in a non-collaborative way. A reading comprehension test and a reading attitude questionnaire were given to all three groups at the beginning of the term as pretests and after the experiment as posttests. The results obtained through one-way anova indicated that though both experimental groups outperformed the control group, there was no significant difference between the two experimental groups in reading comprehension and attitude toward reading. Therefore, it is up to teachers to weigh the advantages of using the collaborative approach to teaching reading against its disadvantages.

A novice TESOL teacher’s professional identity and evolving commitment

Identity development is a challenge facing novice TESOL teachers that can threaten their commitment to teaching. This case study looks at multiple identities (Gee, 2000), situated activity systems (Engeström, 2015), and multiple components of organizational commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1991) to explain the identity development of a novice Iranian woman teacher of ESOL in a private language institute in Iran. Over a 12‐month period the researchers collected multiple spoken, written, and observed data sets on the teacher’s English language teaching and learning experiences. Influences on and turning points in the development of identity and commitment in the workplace are analyzed. The findings show that contradictions in the teacher and the activity system were transcended through actions that developed her identity, which in turn promoted her commitment. Implications and further studies are suggested about the interrelationships among identity, activity systems, and commitment, the kinds of activities that can promote identity development, and women language teachers in the Middle East and Muslim world.

The impact of students’ English proficiency level and teacher education on L2 teachers’ pedagogical knowledge: A mixed‐methods study

This article explores the impact of students’ proficiency level (i.e., beginning vs. advanced) and formal teacher education judged by academic credentials (i.e., BA vs. MA holders) on second/foreign language (L2) teachers' pedagogical knowledge base (PKB). To this end, eight L2 teachers teaching general English courses at four private language institutes in Iran participated in the study. Adopting an exploratory mixed‐methods approach, data were collected through stimulated recall and analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative procedures. The type and frequency of L2 teachers’ emerged PK categories were used to compare the repertoire of resources the L2 teachers had accumulated as knowledge across different groups. The results indicated no significant differences between the total PKB of L2 teachers teaching beginning L2 students and those teaching advanced L2 students. Regarding the PK categories, nevertheless, there were some slight differences in the rankings and significant differences in the frequency. On the other hand, no measurable difference was detected between L2 teachers holding a BA and those holding an MA. The results are interpreted based on the students’ proficiency level and the formal teacher education to which the participants were exposed. Suggestions are provided for designing proficiency level–specific teacher education programs and integrating university‐based teacher education with clinical experience.

The impact of single versus multiple recasts on L2 learners' implicit and explicit knowledge

Recasts have been the object of extensive theoretical and empirical investigation in second language acquisition research since the mid-1990s. Despite being acknowledged to have a facilitative effect on second language (L2) learning, the extent of their acquisitional contribution is a matter of controversy. This study examined the effectiveness of single and multiple recasts (SR & MR) on the acquisition of a planned target structure, as represented on the learners' implicit and explicit knowledge. The participants were three intact groups of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners at a language institute in Iran. The two experimental conditions received respective recasting on errors of English unreal conditionals. All groups – including a third control condition – were then tested via three discrete tasks aimed at measuring their implicit and explicit knowledge: an elicited oral imitation task, a timed grammaticality judgment task, and an untimed grammaticality judgment task. The results revealed that both groups exhibited improvements on both measures along immediate and delayed occasions. However, their performance over the two implicit knowledge measures yielded dissimilar outcomes. Pedagogically speaking, it must be realized that recasting would not necessarily lead to acquisition unless L2 teachers become more conscious of where and how to orchestrate them.

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING: PROMOTING EFL LEARNERS� WRITING SKILLS

The present study sought to investigate the effect of project-based learning on EFL learners writing skill. To reach this goal, from the population of 70 EFL learners taking EFL courses at a language institute in Iran, two homogenous groups, consisting of 28 males, were selected based on the random sampling method. While the control group with 14 learners was taught through traditional method, the experimental group consisting of 14 learners received instruction using project-based learning designed by Maftoon, Birjandi, and Ahmadi (2013). A pre-test was administered to both groups prior to the treatment. Then, after the treatment, which was lasted for ten sessions and held during two months, the learners in both group were required to write on the new topic in which it was regarded as the writing post-test. The analysis of the obtained data revealed that project-based learning had significant effect on the learners writing ability. Moreover, the findings showed that project-based learning approach does aid learners to enhance and promote their writing ability in a collaborative environment.DOI:doi.org/10.24071/llt.2019.220108

Segmenting critical success factor for generating corporate entrepreneurship based on fuzzy DEMATEL and fuzzy AHP in Iranian institutes

By achieving modern methods, corporate entrepreneurship and institutes are constantly trying to search for other solutions to inspire more innovation so that based on their interests and attitudes, they voice their opinion to the superiors of the organisation. Numerous researches all indicate that entrepreneurial attitude can change the organisations. Therefore, organisations and large companies consider 'entrepreneurial attitude' more than before. They are constantly ready to meet customers' demands and pull marketing. In this paper, we study the functional factor that initiates corporate organisation. In fuzzy analytic hierarchical process (fuzzy AHP) and fuzzy decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (fuzzy DEMATEL), we ranked critical success factor of the corporate entrepreneurship in Iranian institutes.

Developing and Validating a Model for Exploring Iranian EFL Teachers’ Perception of Professional Development

The present study aimed at exploring Iranian EFL teachers’ perception of professional development. To this end, 200 EFL teachers teaching at private language institutes in Iran were selected as the participants of the study. First, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 50 participants of the study based on which Professional Development Perception Questionnaire was developed and pilot-tested (i.e. subjected to exploratory factor analysis) with 82 similar EFL teachers. The questionnaire was then expert viewed and administered to all the 200 participants of the study and was subjected to another factor analysis to ensure its validity and reliability more comprehensively. The findings yielded a valid model or inventory for assessing EFL teachers’ perceptions of professional development. The results also revealed that the participants perceived professional development enhanced their pedagogical knowledge, improved students’ learning outcomes, and helped them understand their own pedagogical weak points and strong points and those of their colleagues. Furthermore, the results of chi-square analyses indicated that high-experienced teachers had significantly more positive perceptions of professional development than their low-experienced counterparts. The results of the current study yielded a valid and reliable model for measuring English teachers’ perception of professional development which can be adopted safely by other similar studies. The findings might also contribute to policymakers and managers of language institutes to establish proper professional development activities for their teachers which might consequently lead to learners’ improvement in learning.

Teachers’ Evaluation of the ILI High Intermediate Book Series through an Eclectic Checklist

Taking a glance at the plethora of literature on language books evaluation, one can easily explore the critical role being played by coursebooks in language learning contexts. Selecting a course book which fits the requirements of a specific course and aides teaching and learning processes besides offering organization and discipline to an educational course is a critical task carried out by teachers, practitioners or materials developers. One of the most commonly used instruments in evaluating course books in order to adopt or even adapt them, in cases needed, is checklist. Focusing on this recent issue, the present study aimed at evaluating a series of the ILI books which are widely used all around Iran at high-intermediate levels in one of the most well-known national language schools called Iran Language Institute (ILI). The participants were 23 experienced teachers holding BA, MA or PhD at this language school in adult section from different branches in Shiraz. The instrument used in this survey was an eclectic checklist devised and suggested by Yusuf Demir and Abdullah Ertas (2014).

Comparing Students’ Academic Engagement Based on How Much They Use Social Networks in Learning English

Context The current study aimed at comparing students’ academic engagement (AE) based on their educational use of social networks (EUSN) in learning English at the Iran language Institute (ILI), Tabriz branch. Methods The survey study evaluated the status of EUSN and AE on 204 English language learners (ELLs). The population of the study consisted of all ELLs (n = 1874) studying at the Tabriz branch of ILI in the spring of 2017. The instruments used in the current study to measure variables were the Reeve and Tseng AE questionnaire (α = 0.968) and a researcher-made questionnaire (α = 0.966) for EUSN. Results The results of ANOVA and least significant difference (LSD) showed that students’ AE varied according to their EUSN. AE of the ELLs using social network four to six hours a week (103.82 ± 8.19 hours) was higher than (93.74 ± 12.73 hours) those of the ones that spent two to four hours on social network and theirs was higher than (86.52 ± 16.7 hours) those of the ones that spent less than two hours on social network (P < 0.01). This difference was significant in all components of AE. Conclusions The use of social networking in education and learning can provide an appropriate basis for interaction between teachers and students and use of these networks in the teaching process is recommended.