Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes
Volume:12 Issue: 4, Autumn 2023

In second language acquisition, EFL learners need to develop both linguistic and conceptual proficiency to grasp metaphoric expressions. Understanding metaphors in second language acquisition is complex and influenced by various factors. According to Relevance Theory, comprehension involves the search for the most relevant interpretation of an utterance by means of a mechanism known as processing effort. Metaphors are seen as a way to create cognitive effect by mapping concepts from one domain (source domain) onto another (target domain). This study followed a mixed, cross-sectional design (qualitative-quantitative analysis).  The present study aimed at identifying what role context plays in EFL learners’ understanding of metaphors and took eight sessions to complete. To this end, in each session, 10 metaphors were given to 30 Upper-intermediate EFL learners who were selected based on convenience sampling. The EFL learners were required to guess the meaning of the metaphors after reading a text from Mark Twine’s short stories. Then, the learners were provided with contexts including the same metaphors in the first phase. The results of the t-test indicated a significant difference between understanding of contextualized and decontextualized metaphors (p value = 0.000; P <0.05). In facing with novel metaphors, EFL learners tend to resort to context as they had no access to any other sources. The findings of the study imply that context is a key element to provide cognitive effect for the interpretation of metaphors since contextual clues satisfy expectation of relevance.

The English language teaching profession has always witnessed the pendulum swings of language teaching methods throughout its life span. This evolving nature transformed from a method-based approach to a postmethodic orientation of language teaching; however, this shift received a mixed reaction across the community and Iranian EFL society is no exception. The present qualitative study aimed to explore the Postmethod Pedagogy (PMP) macrostrategies used by 18 experienced EFL teachers teaching at various language institutes in Kermanshah. The participants were purposely selected in two phases. First, a postmethod questionnaire was administered to identify respondents familiar with PMP principles. Then, the eligible participants took part in a semi-structured interview to elicit their postmethodical macrostrategies. To facilitate data analysis, the researcher’s reflections and opinions were documented using field notes. Afterward, the interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded following Ary et al.’s (2010) three-stage approach of inductive data coding. The findings showed that EFL teachers used integrating language skills, activating intuitive heuristics, and contextualizing linguistic input more than promoting learner autonomy and fostering language awareness macrostrategies. However, they ignored raising cultural consciousness and ensuring social relevance macrostrategies which might be mostly due to teachers’ concerns about linguistic imperialism's effect on learners’ cultural identity. The findings of this study are of significance for pre- and in-service teachers and generally for novice teachers who seek a guideline to practice PMP principles in their classrooms.

Self-mention markers are important in academic writing to establish the author’s presence, but using them inappropriately can violate writing conventions and compromise professionalism. This study investigates the use of self-mention markers in Iranian and international applied linguistics journals. The analysis was conducted on a total of 225 research articles published from 2015 to 2018, including 125 international and 100 Iranian articles. The study found that self-mention markers were used more frequently in international journals, with ‘I’ being the most frequently- used self-mention marker. In contrast, Iranian journals used self-mention markers less frequently, with ‘we’ being the most-frequently used self-mention marker. The most common function of authorial presence in both contexts was ‘explaining a procedure’, though this occurred more in international journals. ‘Stating results/claims’ was the second most frequent function in both contexts as well, with similar frequencies. The least common function was ‘expressing self-benefits’. Iranian researchers also used authorial presence to state goals/purposes and elaborate arguments less frequently than international authors, but used it more to explain procedures. The study has implications for observing academic writing conventions and expectations of knowledge construction in the humanities. It underscores the importance of recognizing diverse academic traditions in different cultural and linguistic contexts.

Book reviews play an essential role in helping researchers and authorities keep up with the newest advancements in their respective field. Most genre-based reviews in the past have focused their analysis on linguistic characteristics of book reviews, dismissing rhetorical structures. Therefore, the current study aims to rectify this belief by looking for obligatory and conventional moves in two of the most famous linguistics journals, Applied Linguistics and System, while also comparing the sequencing of their rhetorical structures. Seventy book reviews, thirty-five from each journal, were investigated in this study. The rhetorical structures used in this investigation were based on Motta Roth’s (1995) Model. Data coding was done by utilizing MAXQDA. The results were as follows: while none of the four rhetorical move was obligatory in these journals, they were all at least used in more than 70% of the book reviews investigated. Move 2, outlining the book, was utilized in every book review. On the matter of move sequencing, it was observed that book reviews in both journals generally adhere to the conventional linear move sequencing. These findings show that rhetorical structures are still widely used by book reviewers and can provide a good starting point for researchers interested in doing book reviews.

Transformative learning is a process of revision in the way learners make sense of their experiences. This qualitative study seeks to investigate how EFL learners’ life experiences prompt them to engage in transformative learning and to explore the learners’ account of willingness or resistance to perspective changes. To this end, 126 Iranian EFL learners were recruited through purposive sampling. Two instruments, including narrative writing and a distance semi-structured interview, were used for data collection. Thematic analysis of the learners’ narrative writings revealed that the learners experienced TL through having good or bad experiences, unexpected events, moving to a new place, relationships and support of others, contemplating, examining, and searching for the truth of the notions in the world. Moreover, both learners’ own experiences and those of others facilitated the development of awareness, confidence, and the capability to create a new meaning from an experience, which in turn enhanced the potential for transformative learning. Thematic analysis of interviews with 20 students demonstrated ‘convincing with valid evidence’ as the most critical factor behind perspective change. Factors that accounted for EFL learners’ resistance to perspective change included fear, pride, experience, and the character of the person, the event, and the context.

Within the academic genre, an MA thesis is compulsory for students to complete their postgraduate degree. By focusing on the relationships between text elements, Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST) uses clauses as its building blocks and connects them in a hierarchical manner through rhetorical relations. These relationships are described in their model in terms of how they affect the reader. The present study intended to compare the introduction and literature review sections of master's theses written by Iranian postgraduate EFL and Nursing students. The corpus included 40 MA theses written by Nursing students and 40 written by TEFL students from four branches of Fars Province Islamic Azad University. A descriptive corpus-based design was used in this study. Swale's (1990) CARS model for the structure of the Introduction and Chen and Kuo's (2012) model for the Literature Review sections were adopted. To investigate the (in)significance of the differences between the moves and steps used in TEFL and Nursing MA theses, a series of chi-square tests were conducted. Different steps were used in the final papers from both disciplines, and significant differences were found between the steps in the Introduction and Literature Review sections. The results of this study can help post graduate students learn how to write their theses. Scholars who wish to become journal reviewers may also benefit from this study.