فهرست مطالب

Language and Translation - Volume:7 Issue: 1, Spring 2017

Journal of Language and Translation
Volume:7 Issue: 1, Spring 2017

  • تاریخ انتشار: 1396/02/24
  • تعداد عناوین: 6
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  • Adnan Satariyan*, Mohammadreza Esmaeili Chinijani, Bronwyn Reynolds Pages 1-11
    This study was framed on the theory of Language Socialisation and a Systematic Functional Linguistic (SFL) approach. The aim of the study was to analyse the oral presentation discourse produced by an elemen- tary Iranian English as Second Language (ESL) postgraduate student in an American university four times (September/December, 2015 and March/September, 2016) over one year. The data were collected in terms of textual resources during the discourse socialisation process while in a second language community. The data relating to oral presentations were taken through the Oral English Proficiency Test (OEPT) and later transcribed for further analyses. The findings revealed that the participant became more competent as he continued his language socialisation in the second language academic community. He made progress through the use of textual resources, through the use of basic cohesive devices, including ‘and’ and ‘so’ over time. The study contributes to the language socialisation research by employing a systemic functional lin- guistics approach as a tool for the discourse development. It is intended that the findings will contribute to the knowledge around curriculum and the delivery of second language oral skills.
    Keywords: Discourse socialisation_Language socialisation_Oral academic discourse_Social cultural theory_systemic functional linguistics_Teaching English as a second language_Second Language Learning_Second language teaching
  • Shoaleh Malekie, Massood Yazdanimoghaddam* Pages 13-23
    Despite the crucial role of introductory sections in argumentative academic writing, the effects of genre- based approaches to writing introductory paragraphs have not been much explored yet. The present study aimed to investigate whether the provision of genre knowledge through modeling and non-modeling could enhance learners’ ability in writing introductory paragraphs of argumentative essays. Adopting an intact group sampling within a quasi-experimental design, 75 graduate and post-graduate students with intermedi- ate level of language proficiency were selected from three universities and randomly divided into three groups: modeling, non-modeling, and a control group. Modeling and non-modeling groups received genre- based treatment while the control group had a non-genre based treatment as placebo. The statistical proce- dures of dependent-samples t-tests, a one-way ANOVA, and correlational analyses significantly confirmed the positive effects of both modeling and non-modeling genre-based instruction on the writing ability of the learners. No significant difference, however, was found between the two genre-based groups.
    Keywords: Argumentative essay writing, English as foreign language writing, Genre Analysis, Model- ing essay, Non-modeling essay
  • Houman Bijani, Mona Khabiri * Pages 25-41
    This research study employed a mixed-methods approach to investigate the test takers’ perceptions and anx- iety in relation to an English language proficiency test called Community English Program (CEP). This study also evaluated the direct and semi-direct modes for speaking module of this test. To this end, 300 Eng- lish as Foreign Language (EFL) students were recruited in the study as test takers. They were invited to take the CEP speaking test using five tasks of Description, Narration, Summarization, Role-play and Exposition in both direct and semi-direct test modes. Their perceptions and evaluations of both test modes, through questionnaires, interviews and observations were examined. The results of the factor analysis revealed that test takers’ evaluations of both direct and semi-direct speaking modes were quite similar, yet not exactly identical. On the other hand, although test takers’ anxiety was shown influential, the findings showed that the most determining factor in test takers’ oral performance was their capability level. Capability level was the main reason why some test takers out-performed the others. The findings also demonstrated that test difficulty identification was complex, difficult and at the same time multidimensional. The quantitative re- sults displayed that the raters were scoring speaking performances differently; the qualitative results also provided logic for the reasons of these differences on the side of the test takers. Finally, the impact of test takers’ gender differences on their perceptions was found nonsignificant.
    Keywords: Direct oral assessment, English as foreign language (EFL) learners, English proficiency test, Mixed-method approach, Semi-direct oral assessment, Test taker's perceptions
  • Hamid Marashi *, Homayra Khatami Pages 43-58
    This study sought to investigate the effect of cooperative learning on EFL learners’ creativity and motiva- tion. Accordingly, 66 pre-intermediate female learners were selected among 90 through their performance on a piloted sample Preliminary English Test. Learners were assigned into two control and experimental group. The Abedi-Schumaker Creativity Test (ACT) and the Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) were given to both groups as pretest. Both groups underwent the same amount of teaching time and same material with the same teacher during 18 sessions taking 90 minutes each. In the experimental group, the students experienced the cooperative learning strategies of think-pair-share, roundtable, three-step- interview, and three-stay one-stray. The learners in the control group, however, received the instruction based on the syllabus of the language school, which had no cooperative learning component. The same ACT and AMTB questionnaires were administered again as the posttest at the end of the treatment to both groups and their mean scores on the tests were compared through an analysis of covariance. The results in relation to cooperative learning proved to have a significantly positive effect on EFL learners’ creativity and motiva- tion. This study provided yet further evidence in favor of applying cooperative learning in the ELT envi- ronment.
    Keywords: cooperative learning, Creativity, English Language Teaching (ELT), Motivation
  • Elmira Pourhasan, Masoud Zoghi * Pages 59-67
    Willingness to communicate and motivation can be two important affective variables to cause success in language achievement. The current study aimed to investigate the role of willingness to communicate (WTC) and second language motivational self-system (L2MSS) in relation to learners’ language achieve- ment. To this end, 100 homogeneous learners both male and female aged from 16 to 20 were chosen through placement test from four language institutes in Meshgin Shahr, Iran. The researchers, then, collect- ed data through WTC inventory, L2MSS questionnaire and learners’ language achievement test of four Eng- lish skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking based on the Preliminary English Test (PET). The results based on multiple regression analysis indicated that WTC and L2MSS can significantly predict learner's language achievement test scores.
    Keywords: Language achievement, L2 motivational self-system, Willingness to Communicate
  • Hossein Rahmanpanah, Ahmad Mohseni * Pages 69-88
    Humanizing language learning materials helps language teachers to design activities that are linked to learn- ers’ lives and experiences. This can result in higher motivation and engagement in the process of foreign language learning. Self-determination theory-based instruction enhances learners’ engagement and motiva- tion through supporting the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Howev- er, teachers’ ability to apply coursebook or even teaching style that fosters engagement and motivation among learners has received little attention in EFL context. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to compare the impacts of the two intervention programs of humanizing the coursebook and self-determination theory-based instruction on developing engagement and motivation among EFL learners. To this aim, 60 homogeneous participants were selected among the foreign language learners and randomly assigned into two experimental groups. Behavioral Regulation Questionnaire and Classroom Engagement Questionnaire were used to measure the determined variables in the study. Whereas both self-determination theory-focused intervention program and coursebook humanization indicated to significantly effect on enhancing motiva- tional subscales, the results of the study provided evidence on substantial effect of humanizing the course- book on promoting behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and agentic engagement subscales among English as foreign language (EFL) learners. The findings validated language teachers’ skills in fostering learners’ en- gagement and motivation through employing the principles of both more humanistic course books and au- tonomy-supportive teaching style within self-determination theory.
    Keywords: Autonomy-supportive teaching climate, Engagement in learning, Humanizing the course- book, Motivation, Self-determination theory