Upper-intermediate EFL Learners Research Articles

Collaborative listening using multimedia through metacognitive instruction: a case study with less-skilled and more-skilled EFL learners

Multimedia is vastly used as authentic and available input in second and foreign-language contexts. To deal with the difficulties and complexities of comprehending these authentic materials, collaborative learning through metacognitive instruction helps develop learners' listening comprehension. The present study has mainly explored the role of using multimedia input through metacognitive instruction of a group of 20 upper-intermediate EFL learners divided into five groups (each including two less-skilled and two more-skilled learners). They received eight weeks of metacognitive instruction in listening at an English language learning institute. Evidence gathered from observation, learners' logs, and semi-structured interviews shows that collaboration, interaction, and the use of metacognitive strategies help learners improve overall listening comprehension. Moreover, the learners had positive attitudes towards utilizing multimedia input, which provided them with some kinesics and prosodic hints to understand the listening content. The findings and pedagogical implications for language learners and teachers are discussed further.

On the impact of online interactionist vs. interventionist dynamic assessment on Iranian EFL learners’ writing performance

This paper reports the results of a study aiming to investigate the effects of interactionist and interventionist dynamic assessment (DA) on learners’ writing performance. To do so, 63 upper-intermediate EFL learners were selected as the study participants. A writing pretest was administered to ensure the homogeneity of the participants and determine their level of proficiency prior to treatment. In the online interactionist DA group, the researchers implemented the treatment based on the ‘Dynamic Mediation Process’ proposed by Elliott (2002) and Xiaoxiao and Yan (2010). The framework comprised topic-choice, idea-generation, structuring and macro-revising stages. In doing so, the pre-task phase was conducted, followed by providing the mediation and performing post-task. In the interventionist DA group, Lantolf and Poehner’s (2011) framework was followed. Based on this framework, the learners’ erroneous language chunks were treated through the teacher’s underlining the error, putting a question mark, circling it, or posing a written question concerning the problematic part. Alternatively, the teacher would point out the incorrect part and offer two options for the learners to choose from. At the end, a writing posttest was given to all groups to evaluate their writing performance after treatment. As the study findings helped reveal, both interactionist and interventionist DA types improved learners’ writing performance. In addition, the comparison of the posttest scores indicated that the interactionist DA group participants even outperformed the interventionist ones on the writing posttest. The implications of the findings are discussed throughout the paper.

The Effect of Dogme on General English Achievement and Motivation : Evidence from Iranian Upper-Intermediate EFL Learners

The Effect of Dogme on General English Achievement and Motivation : Evidence from Iranian Upper-Intermediate EFL Learners

The Impact of Kagan's Cooperative Group-work Structures on Iranian Upper-Intermediate EFL Learners' Willingness to Communicate

The Impact of Kagan's Cooperative Group-work Structures on Iranian Upper-Intermediate EFL Learners' Willingness to Communicate

The effects of task complexity and language aptitude on EFL learners’ writing performance

The present study investigated the effects of task complexity and language aptitude on upper-intermediate EFL learners’ argumentative writing performance in terms of syntactic complexity, lexical complexity, accuracy and fluency. The findings of this study demonstrated that increasing task complexity manipulated by the number of elements and the degree of reasoning along the resource-directing dimension leads to enhancement of syntactic complexity and lexical diversity, and there are low correlations between language aptitude (mainly number learning and spelling clues) and writing performance. What’s more, task complexity and language aptitude (and its components) are predictors for writing performance in terms of intraclausal level of syntactic complexity, lexical diversity and fluency. These findings lend partial support to the Cognition hypothesis and Aptitude Complexes Hypothesis in L2 writing. Theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical implications of the study for task design and implementation as well as for task-based assessment in language education programs are discussed.

The Effects of Pronunciation Anxiety and Motivation on English Learners’ Willingness to Communicate

The present quantitative study intended to investigate the effect of Iranian EFL learners' pronunciation anxiety (PA) and pronunciation motivation (PM) on their L2 willingness to communicate (L2 WTC) in English classes. Additionally, it aimed at identifying which of these two independent variables (PA or PM) could better predict their L2 WTC. To these aims, a convenient sample of 134 upper-intermediate EFL learners were recruited from two private language institutes in one of the large cities of Iran. Their proficiency level had already been determined by the institutes using written and oral placement tests. To gather the necessary data, three questionnaires, namely, Baran-Lucarz's (2017) PA, and PM, and Simić’s (2014) WTC questionnaires were used. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to answer the research question of the study. Findings indicated that both variables under study, PA and PM, had significant correlations with learners’ L2 WTC. However, although results suggested that both independent variables predicted the learners' L2 WTC, PA was found to be a stronger predictor. Implications of the study findings and suggestions for further research are also offered.

EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Achievement and Autonomy: Using Memrise Mobile Application

There has been rapid advancement in the use of technology through which an extensive array of mobile technologies have been introduced to educational contexts. In the same vein, mobile assisted language learning provides new possibilities for improving language learning conditions. The current study was an attempt to find out the effect of Memrise Mobile Application on Iranian upper-Intermediate EFL learners’ vocabulary achievement and their autonomy. To find the effects, a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental study was conducted. Fifty participants were selected from a cluster of 110 students. The Quick placement test as a test of homogeneity was administered to select the upper intermediate learners. Accordingly, 25 participants for each of the experimental and control groups were selected. Memrise Mobile Application was employed during the treatment period for teaching the 504 Absolutely Essential Words book to the experimental group while the control group was instructed the textbook of 504 Absolutely Essential Words. The intervention continued for a period of 8 weeks. A researcher-made vocabulary test and Zhang and Li’s (2004) standardized questionnaire on autonomy were administered. For the qualitative data collection, a semi-structured interview was conducted to determine the participants’ attitudes. An Independent T-test was run the results of which revealed a significant difference between the two groups in vocabulary achievement. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in autonomy. Moreover, based on the qualitative data it was concluded that the experimental group participants were more motivated holding a more positive attitude.

Exploring the effects of online learning on EFL learners' motivation, anxiety, and attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a focus on Iran.

With the emergence and dissemination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the transformation of education to online classes, it is important to explore the effects of online learning on EFL learners' psychological factors in the Iranian EFL learners. Hence, this study aims to explore the effects of online learning on EFL learners' motivation, anxiety, and attitude. For this purpose, using a convenience sampling method, a total of 293 upper-intermediate EFL learners at Iran Language Institute in Ahvaz, Iran, took the Oxford Quick Placement Test, and 200 EFL learners whose scores fell around the mean were selected and assigned randomly to an experimental group and a control group. The participants' motivation, anxiety, and attitudes were measured before and after the treatments (lasting 10 one-hour sessions held once a week) using validated questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed through a one-way MANOVA test and a one-sample t-test. The findings evidenced that online learning positively affected the participants' motivation, anxiety, and attitudes. That is, due to the online learning, their motivation increased, their anxiety lowered, and positive attitudes were shaped toward L2 learning. Finally, based on the findings, some implications are proposed.

EFL Listening, Metacognitive Awareness, and Motivation: The Magic of L1-Mediated Metacognitive Intervention.

This study strove to investigate the effect of L1-mediated metacognitive intervention (MI) on the listening comprehension performance, metacognitive awareness, and motivation of Iranian EFL learners. The participants were 330 upper-intermediate EFL learners in three groups, ranging from 17 to 25years of age. The experimental groups (Ex1 = 110/Ex2 = 110) went through a guided lesson plan in metacognition in L2 (English) and L1 (Persian) for seventeen weeks, which focused on planning, monitoring, and evaluation. The control group (CG = 110), also instructed by the same teacher, listened to the same texts in L2 (English) without any guided attention to process. An actual IELTS TEST, the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ) and a motivation questionnaire (LLOS-IEA) were used before and after the intervention to track changes in the listening performance, metacognitive awareness, and motivation. The overall results showed that MI caused a considerable variance in the listening performance, metacognitive awareness, and motivation in both experimental groups. The results also illustrated that the medium for the delivery of metacognitive intervention (L1) assisted the learners in experimental group two, who went through L1-mediated metacognitive intervention, to outperform their peers in experimental group one, who were taught in L2, and the control group, who were taught conventionally.

Using Instagram for Teaching Idioms to Iranian Upper-intermediate EFL Learners

In this study, the efficacy of using Instagram as a smartphone assisting tool on teaching idioms to Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners was examined. Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was utilized to determine the level of the learner's proficiency. Then, 60 selected participants were divided into two groups namely experimental and control groups. The learners in the experimental group learned idioms through Instagram (pictures, examples, and texts) and the learners in the control group learned them through the traditional method (texts, meaning, and examples). T-test was used to determine the significance of the experimental group improvement in learning idioms compared with the control group. The findings showed that the experimental group learners outperformed the control group learners and the increase in their scores was significant showing that Instagram is a good application for learning idioms. The results of this study might be useful for both EFL students and professors to learn and teach better.

Flipped Classroom Influence on the Learner’s Outcomes: A Study Based on English Writing Courses in Iran

The flipped instruction classroom has been claimed as an educational strategy that actively promotes students’ efficiency to independently prepare for lessons, mainly through online material prepared by their teachers. The current study was aimed at addressing the deficits of traditional classroom instruction and enhancing learning among upper-intermediate Iranian EFL learners through implementing flipped classroom instruction. The aim was to improve learners’ English writing outcomes, more precisely, learners’ attitude towards English writing, and experience with English writing using flipped classroom instruction. The study lasted over twelve weeks, from September to December 2020. The participants were 80 EFL students, aged 25-38, learning English in Rama and Parto institutes. Both a questionnaire and pretest-posttest argumentative essay were used for data collection. The outcomes showed that learners had a favorable view of flipped writing instruction classrooms. The flipped learners also revealed statistically significant achievements in the posttest scores than their nonflipped counterparts. Furthermore, the results of this study indicated a broader perspective on a certain number of pedagogical implications for curriculum designers, teachers, administrators, and learners. The study also hopes to help officials and teachers establish a practical class using flipped instruction.

An exploration into the impact of augmented reality on EFL learners' Reading comprehension.

This study investigated how Augmented Reality (AR) impacted EFL learners’ reading comprehension and attitudes toward utilizing AR. A mixed-method was used with a sample composed of 64 upper-intermediate EFL learners in a state university in Iran. Independent and paired sample t-test were used to investigate the experimental group’s reading comprehension and possible differences between groups’ reading comprehension after utilizing AR. The quantitative findings indicated that the experimental group showed a significantly higher reading comprehension level than the control group. The thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews revealed that students enjoyed using augmented reality and preferred it to traditional reading comprehension methods. Furthermore, AR increased students’ interest in reading comprehension tasks and enhanced their willingness to use AR-based approaches in EFL classes.

On the Impact of Literature Reading on Iranian Upper-intermediate Male and Female EFL Learners’ Creative Writing Ability

On the Impact of Literature Reading on Iranian Upper-intermediate Male and Female EFL Learners’ Creative Writing Ability

The comparative effect of group dynamic assessment (GDA) and computerized dynamic assessment (C-DA) on Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners\u2019 speaking complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF)

This study attempted to check the impact of two dynamic assessment (DA) models on speaking CAF. DA, as opposed to static assessment, is conceived as an interactive approach to assessment that integrates teaching and testing into a unified instructional engagement. To achieve the goals of this research, a convenience sample of 90 upper-intermediate male EFL learners that were randomly assigned into GDA, a C-DA, and a non-DA control group participated in the study. Before carrying out the treatment, a speaking pretest was administered to all three groups and their CAF scores were collected. Following that, the treatment using the aforementioned DA and non-DA conventional models was completed in 16 sessions. To check the impact of the treatment, a speaking post-test was given to the groups at the end of the study. Data analysis using ANOVA showed that C-DA and G-DA could significantly increase speaking CAF than the conventional non-DA instruction with C-DA being significantly better than G-DA. The results of this research propose that implementing DA, especially C-DA by the teachers, can enhance the speaking CAF of the L2 learners.

The Effects of Task Type on Iranian EFL Learners’ Use of Lexical Diversity and Sophistication

EFL learners’ ability to use advanced and varied vocabulary is a crucial issue in writing performance. This study aimed to investigate the effect of writing task type on lexical diversity and sophistication. The relationship between lexical sophistication and lexical diversity in the narrative, argumentative, and descriptive task types written by upper-intermediate EFL learners was also explored. To this end, 70 EFL upper -intermediate learners, enrolled in advanced writing tasks, were selected as the participants. They undertook narrative, descriptive, and argumentative writing tasks in a counterbalanced way. Then, Vocabulary Diversity (Voc-D) and Measure of Textual Lexical Diversity (MTLD) were used to measure lexical diversity. Lexical sophistication was measured using CELEX log frequency and Beyond 2000 Words (K3+). The writings were pasted into Coh-Metrix measure MTLD, Voc-D, and CELEX. VocabProfiler was also used to measure K3+ of the writings. In lieu of the purposes of the study, the research design involved repeated measures and correlation. Using Multivariate Analysis of Variance and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient, the findings revealed that lexical diversity varied significantly across the three writing tasks. The highest scores of MTLD and Voc-D belonged to the narrative, argumentative, and descriptive writing tasks, respectively. Moreover, EFL learners used more advanced words in argumentative task type according to the measurement of CELEX and K3+ level words. However, learners' lexical sophistication in narrative and descriptive writings did not emerge as significantly different when measured by K3+. The significant positive relationship between lexical sophistication and lexical diversity was evident in all three task types.

A Comparison of the Effects of RevisionMediated and Attention-mediated Indirect Coded Feedback on EFL Learners’ Written Syntactic Accuracy

This study investigated the immediate and sustained effects of revision-mediated (RICF) and attention-mediated (AICF) indirect coded corrective feedback on the written syntactic accuracy development of 50 upper-intermediate Iranian EFL learners assigned to two RICF and AICF groups. They received eight-session treatments, followed by an immediate posttest and then a delayed posttest after a four-week time interval. The collected written scripts were co-rated for syntactic accuracy by the researcher and her colleague. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted with SPSS 21. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and the paired-samples t-tests revealed that each treatment separately (i.e., revision-mediated and attention-mediated CF) had a statistically significant impact on EFL learners’ written syntactic accuracy both in the short and long term. Moreover, the independent samples t-tests indicated no significant difference between the effects of revision-mediated and attention-mediated CF on EFL learners’ written syntactic accuracy both in the short and long term. The paper provides discussion and implications.

Using Digital Formative Assessment to Evaluate EFL Learners’ English Speaking Skills

As it is known formative assessment focuses on both the learning process and learner's performance. In this study digital formative assessment and traditional speaking tests were utilized comparatively to evaluate 52 upper-intermediate EFL learners' English language speaking skills. The study was designed as a mixed-method. The quantitative data were collected via achievement tests which had been administered both in traditional speaking tests and digital formative tests. The qualitative findings were collected with students' interviews which consisted of four open-ended questions. The results of the study showed that participants outperformed in digital formative tests in comparison to traditional speaking tests. Another significant finding of the study is that participants are satisfied with the digital formative assessments in terms of peer collaboration during tests, enriched test materials, and preparation time for the speaking test. Although they have positive views on digital formative assessment, participants are dissatisfied with it in terms of technical problems that they encountered during the administration of digital formative tests.

Efficacy of EFL Teachers’ Assessment Literacy and Professional Identity in Boosting Learners’ Autonomy

This study was set out to investigate the effects of EFL teachers’ assessment literacy and professional identity on learners’ autonomy. Meanwhile, the relationship between teachers’ assessment literacy and professional identity was investigated. Moreover, educators’ perspectives on learner autonomy were studied. To this end, 40 EFL teachers participated in the study through completing assessment literacy scale developed by Mertler (2003) and teacher professional identity questionnaire designed by Beijaard et al. (2000). Besides, 20 EFL teachers were interviewed. Likewise, 110 upper-intermediate EFL learners answered Zhang and Li’s (2004) learner autonomy questionnaire. A mixed method design was used to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that teachers’ assessment literacy was linked to their professional identity. Moreover, assessment literacy and professional identity had fruitful effects on learner autonomy. The findings made it certain that teachers believed in learners’ abilities however they didn’t know how to cultivate autonomous learners.

Relationship between Iranian EFL Learners’ Learning Styles and Their Performance on Reading Journalistic Texts: A Gender Perspective

This paper examined the relationship between upper intermediate female and male EFL learners’ learning styles and their performances on reading journalistic texts. Moreover, the study checked whether the gender of the participants has any impact on their performances on reading journalistic text styles. To this end, 30 female and 30 male homogeneous participants aged 22 to 45 years old, were selected based on their performance on Oxford Placement Test (OPT). To identify the participants’ learning styles, a questionnaire was distributed among the participants. The participants also sat for a test of reading journalistic texts designed by the researchers. The results indicated that learning style as a composite variable could predict the female learners’ reading of journalistic materials, and that group learning style was significantly correlated with reading journalistic texts. The data analysis, furthermore, revealed that learning style could not significantly predict male EFL learner’s performance on journalistic reading texts. Moreover, the differences between the learning styles of male and females EFL learners could not bring about significant changes in their reading journalistic texts. The results have some implications for EFL teachers and students, material developers, and curriculum designers.

The Effect of Flipped Classroom on Iranian EFL Learners' Speech Act Production: Does Flip Type Make a Difference?

This study investigated the effect of two types of flipped classroom on the Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learnerschr('39') appropriate use of refusals, apologies and requests. The participants of the study included 60 upper-intermediate EFL learners from a language institute in Tehran, Iran. The participants were selected based on convenience sampling in the form of three intact classes. Then, the three classes were randomly assigned to three groups namely, traditional flipping group, debate-oriented flipping group and non-flipping group. The three groups were exposed to 14 treatment sessions. Speech act instruction was offered to the flipping groups through explicit flipped instruction and to the non-flipping group through explicit non-flipped instruction. Moreover, a Multiple Choice Discourse Completion Test (WDCT) was administered to the participants to measure their speech act production ability at the pre-treatment and post-treatment, phases of the study. The results revealed that both types of flipped instruction had a significantly positive effect on the EFL learnerschr('39') use of the speech acts (F=10.622, p<.0.05; F=19.358, p<.0.05; F=18.785, p<.0.05). Accordingly, EFL teachers are recommended to use flipping methods in an attempt to enhance EFL learnerschr('39') appropriate use of speech acts.