محمد احمدنژاد

This study investigates the relationship between online course satisfaction, digital literacy awareness, and the ideal L2 self among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Iran, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced shift to virtual learning. The research addresses the gap in digital literacy, defined as the ability to effectively use digital tools and technologies, which became evident as education moved online. This lack of digital literacy awareness among educators and learners highlights a critical issue, as it is essential for navigating modern educational environments. The study employs quantitative methods to examine how digital literacy awareness influences EFL learners' satisfaction with online courses and how it relates to their ideal L2 self, a concept referring to their future self-image as proficient language users. Results indicate that higher levels of digital literacy awareness correlate with increased online course satisfaction and a stronger ideal L2 self among learners. These findings suggest that enhancing digital literacy can improve educational outcomes and learner motivation in virtual settings. The study emphasizes the significance of integrating digital literacy into academic curricula, training educators, and providing learners with the necessary resources to thrive in online learning environments. It advocates for inclusive digital literacy initiatives to ensure equitable access to technology for all learners, considering their varying socioeconomic statuses, physical locations, and disabilities. By fostering a digitally literate student body, educational institutions can create more engaging, motivating, and satisfying learning experiences that cater to the diverse needs of today's learners.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of photo-based tasks in speaking contexts to enhance speaking skills, willingness to communicate, and foreign language enjoyment of Iranian male and female adult EFL learners. To achieve the aim of the study, the researcher adopted the true experimental approach. The sample of the study consisted of 40 male and female Iranian adult EFL learners at elementary and pre-intermediate levels in an online context. At each level, the participants were divided into two groups: a control group and an experimental one. The researcher asked the experimental groups to take photos based on the topics of each section taught and asked the control group to bring ready-made photos based on each topic in the class. IELTS Speaking Test was prepared to be used as a pre-test and post-test, and a willingness to communicate scale and a foreign language enjoyment scale to check the learners' WTC and FLE as well. Finally, an interview was done to know the learners’ perceptions and attitudes toward self-taking photos in learning speaking skills in online classes. The results of the study were statistically analyzed by using the Paired-Sample T-test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank to examine if there was a statistically significant difference between students’ mean scores of pre and post-tests in the experimental group. Considering the findings of the study, it was concluded that self-taken photos can have a positive effect on learning speaking skills. Using self-taken photos instead of ready-made photos made them more motivated to speak in class, more interaction took place, and the class was more interesting for the learners. Also, using the strategy of self-taken photos made the new vocabulary stay longer in the learners’ minds. This study suggested the importance of using photo-based tasks especially self-taken photos in second language teaching to have better results in learners’ achievement of a second language.

Carried out in an explanatory sequential design, the current research examined the effect of Duolingo on the language learning achievement and self-regulated learning of Iranian language students. To conduct this study, a sample of 50 Iranian college students was recruited. The participants were college students at the University of Kurdistan, Iran. They included both males and females whose ages ranged from 18 to 22 years old. They were required to pass some French courses to get their bachelor’s degree. They were randomly assigned to both the experimental group (n=25) and the control group (n=25). Through one university semester, 16 sessions, in addition to traditional course content, the control group was provided with pdf files of Duolingo content, whereas, the experimental group had to engage with Duolingo as a complementary device outside of the class. As well as the data collected from Duolingo for schools, a self-regulated questionnaire, and a semi- structured interview were implemented. ANCOVA analysis and independent sample t-test were implemented to analyze the quantitative data as well as the content analysis (also called thematic analysis) which was carried out to analyze the qualitative data of research. The findings of this study showed that Duolingo can significantly impact both language achievement and self-regulation of learners. This elucidated the fact that Duolingo is a beneficial app for teaching French to beginner students.

The current study aimed to investigate the possible relationship between language learners’ foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and their willingness to communicate (WTC), also the relationship between their foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) and their WTC. In addition, in this research, the possible relationship between learners’ FLSA and their FLE was investigated. To fulfill this purpose, 80 students of English as a foreign language, both males and females, at University of Kurdistan participated in this study. The age range of the participants was between 18 and 35. The required data were collected through online questionnaires. To measure FLSA, FLE and WTC of the learners, three questionnaires were distributed among the participants. The collected data were analyzed via SPSS. In order to answer the research questions Pearson product-moment correlation was run. The obtained results showed that there was a statistically significant positive linear correlation between learners’ FLE and their WTC. It means that as the level of learners’ FLE increases, their WTC increases. When their FLE decreases, their WTC decreases as well. Also the results indicated that there was a statistically significant negative linear correlation between learns’ FLSA and their WTC; so when learners’ FLSA increases, their WTC decreases, and when FLSA of learners decreases their WTC increases. In addition, a significant negative linear correlation between FLE and FLSA of learners was shown by the obtained results. Based on this result, as the level of learners’ FLE increases, their FLSA decreases and vice versa. Due to the importance of communication, as an important goal of learning a language, and also due to the importance of emotions in learning and using a foreign language, teachers and students should try to increase the level of FLE through different methods and also decrease the level of FLSA, in order to increase learners’ WTC, as an important and crucial variable in foreign language communication which is the necessity of each language learning process.

The outbreak of COVID-19 more than before accelerated the prevalence of online instruction. Now the time has come to assert that online teaching is not restricted to the lockdown times, and rather is a useful way of teaching or learning which might help teachers and students in different conditions. The current study attempted at exploring the challenges of online instruction faced by Iranian EFL teachers who worked in public schools. To this aim, the researcher used a mixed-method research. To collect the data, 90 EFL teachers participated in the quantitative part and answered the Technology Implementation Questionnaire. Additionally, 12 EFL teachers responded to 12 interview questions. First, the values, expectations and costs Iranian EFL teachers associate with the implementation of computer technologies in English instruction were recognized. Then, it was investigated if the factors related to school environment, demographics and computer accessibility affect Iranian EFL teachers' beliefs towards technology implementation. Then, the main obstacles hindering the process of online teaching and technology integration in English instruction in Iranian public schools were explored. These obstacles included general obstacles like the speed of internet and obstacles specific to Shad application, like the problems related to data transfer and synchronization. Finally, solutions and/or recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness and advancement of online education in Iran were offered. This study has implications for developers of national educational applications and the government officials, especially the officials in the Ministry of Education.

The present study was aimed at exploring the predictable power of class climate and how it could influence students' boredom. Additionally, it was done to examine the power of ideal L2 self and how classroom climate and ideal L2 self could anticipate learners' boredom in classroom. The construct of class climate and ideal L2 self have gained considerable attention during last decades as ways to reinforce students’ achievement and to diminish behavioral problems. Finally, the related literature uncovered that few studies have been conducted to look at the predictor power of classroom climate and ideal L2 self of Iranian EFL learners’ boredom in an EFL setting. This study expected to fill some of the existing gaps in the literature. For this reason, a total number of 235 English learners were selected to respond to the ideal L2 self-questionnaire which was based on convenience sampling. Their ages varied from 19 to 26 years old. Also, they studied bachelor’s degree. Boredom is considered as a negative feeling that has not been explored in the context of teaching and learning languages. It is resulted in low psychological arousal. If instructors provide mutual support for learners, they will feel less bored. In this case, students were requested to respond to the boredom in practical English language classes questionnaire (BPELC). This study also reported the causes of boredom and how it could influence learners' ideal L2 self and the climate of the class. Classroom climate was evaluated through learning climate questionnaire. However, additional research is required to fully comprehend the nature of boredom in practical classes as it is a multidimensional and complex phenomenon. In the future, it is expected to envisage studies that will reduce learners’ boredom in the L2 classroom.

A language learner can progress in an optimal language learning environment. On the other hand, their beliefs affect their pedagogical decisions, which can cause issues. Iran is a multilingual country and the beliefs about multilingualism held by Iranian EFL students have not been addressed sufficiently. Given the importance of the professor’s role in raising students’ awareness of multilingualism and the students’ position as an important part of the educational system, knowledge of the professors’ and learners’ opinions of multilingualism can help improve the planning process, curriculum development, and the whole educational system. In an attempt to contribute to this line of inquiry, the present study provides an account of Arabic and English students and professors’ attitudes regarding multilingualism and its role in language learning. For that purpose, a sample of 16 participants, including 3 English professors and 3 Arabic professors working in the University of Kurdistan and 5 English students and 5 Arabic students studying there, was selected through the purposive sampling technique to provide authentic, trustworthy data used to address the research questions. A semi-structured interview including open-ended questions was used for collecting the data. The method of qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. The final results demonstrated positive attitudes towards multilingualism among English professors, English students, and Arabic students, negative attitudes towards multilingualism among Arabic professors, and negative views about the educational policy and the educational curriculum among all of the participants. The findings of this research can provide useful information about the weaknesses and strengths of the educational system and efforts that can be made to eliminate the shortcomings and strengthen the positive points.

The present study examines the content of Iranian high school English course books (Vision and Prospect) and teachers' attitudes and strategies regarding morality. It aims to investigate teachers' perceptions of moral education and analyze the quantity and howness of the available moral sermons presented in those books to understand how teachers react to the values conveyed in the Iranian context and what moral values they want children to acquire. In so doing, this research uses qualitative content analysis and interviews. Data were collected through analyzing the content of the books. Also, interviews were employed to collect the demographic information of the participants and explore teachers' views and perceptions through open-ended questions. The participants were a representative number of high school teachers (N = 9) in Iran. The results of the current study suggest that English textbooks are ineffective in helping learners to become moral citizens and it appears that politicians and course book designers try to use the education system to inculcate in students some fixed and preconceived ideologies (especially Islamic ideas). It is suggested that if moral elements become the central goal in designing the content of English textbooks, most of the negative conceptions will disappear over time. And as a result automatically our society will be a better place to live.

High levels of teachers' self-efficacy have frequently been recognized as a main quality of effective teachers. The problems investigated by this study stem from the lack of research about the relationship between professional learning community variables and Iranian EFL teachers' self-efficacy. Uncovering these relationships might have numerous implications for the ministry of Education, schools, and planning of growth opportunities for teachers. To address this considerable gap, in a mixed-method research, this study explored the capacity of the six components of professional learning community in relation to participating Iranian EFL teachers' self-efficacy, measured through their Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES). On this matter, both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis were conducted. Quantitative data were collected from 122 teachers working at public schools in Sanandaj, Baneh, Kermanshah, Qhorveh through Professional Learning Community Assessment-Revised (PLCA-R) and TSES. Furthermore, qualitative data were collected via conducting individual semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers from public schools. Correlation analyses and multiple regression analyses indicated that professional learning community variables correlated significantly with Iranian EFL teachers' self-efficacy. Shared and Supportive Leadership and Shared Vision and Values appeared to be two components of effective PLCs which related significantly with Iranian EFL teachers' self-efficacy. These results prompted more examination of the particular characteristics and conditions which exit in PLCs that are associated with teachers' self-efficacy. Results of correlation analysis were further considered to recognize parts that needed more exploration. The findings of this study suggest that performing a shared leadership approach and a shared vision approach could increase Iranian EFL teachers' self-efficacy. Also, qualitative data reading teachers' perception of self-efficacy and professional learning communities revealed no strong categories. Additionally, the responses between teachers with high self-efficacy and teachers with low self-efficacy were highly reflective of each other, providing inconclusive results.

The present study investigated the effect of WhatsApp on language achievement and self-regulated learning of Iranian EFL learners through online Learning Management System (LMS) and WhatsApp as a supplementary treatment to the experimental group. To this purpose, an experimental design was used in a period of a three-month semester. The participants consisted of 24 Iranian male and female students studying in Iran Language Institute (ILI) in Sanandaj, Iran who were divided in two coeducational online classes in order to compare using LMS and WhatsApp in the experimental group (n=12) and only LMS for the control group (n=12). The data were collected through Oxford Placement Test (OPD) and Self-Regulated Scale (Seker), pre-test and post-test. In addition, the scores from the pre-tests and post-tests were analyzed via SPSS using the Kolmogorove-Smirnove test, descriptive statistics and ANCOVA analysis. The findings indicated that, WhatsApp as treatment and a supplementary medium to LMS had a significant effect on language achievement of Iranian EFL learners in the experimental group. The second finding showed that WhatsApp affected self-regulated learning of Iranian EFL learners for the same group. In both cases, the experimental group outperformed the control group due to the effectiveness of WhatsApp in the post-test. Finally, several merits and demerits of using WhatsApp along with LMS were discussed. The findings offer significant implications for online EFL classes.

Nowadays, mind mapping technique as a graphical way of representing ideas has been of growing interest among the educators in many countries, but it has not been paid much attention in Iran in some vital fields of language, especially in the realm of vocabulary teaching and learning. The current study tried to examine whether mind mapping technique has any significant effect on Iranian EFL learners’ depth and breadth of vocabulary. It also investigated the role of gender in the effectiveness of mind mapping on the EFL learners’ depth and breadth of vocabulary. The design of the present study is quantitative quasi- experimental design consisting of a pretest, treatment, experimental and control groups, and a post-test. To conduct the study, 60 out of 80 EFL learners were selected from two language institutes in Sahneh, Kermanshah. Then, they were randomly divided into two equal groups; a control and an experimental group which were basically consisted of both genders. While mind mapping technique was used to teach the experimental group, in control group the participants were taught vocabulary items using traditional procedures such as word lists and translation. The results of the study indicated that mean scores of the learners in experimental group of vocabulary breadth and depth were improved at least by about 5 points while the mean of those in the control group increased by 2.5 points. Thus, the learners’ significant improvement in both domains of vocabulary in experimental group signifies the effectiveness of mind mapping technique of vocabulary teaching in educational settings. On the other hand, the results revealed that the females’ mean scores of vocabulary depth were significantly better than the males after receiving the treatment while the males’ improvement of vocabulary breadth was better. Based on the findings of the study, applying mind mapping technique in teaching and learning vocabulary can effectively help designers, teachers and students develop creative ideas, stimulate the learners’ minds, help them maintain vocabularies actively for a longer period of time, and have a more sustainable effect on remembering and memorization of newly received vocabularies.

Cognitive linguistics believes that the structure of human mind is metaphorical or more exactly; human being conceives abstract concepts with regard to more concrete concepts. Therefore, our body- as the first available concrete domain- together with our social, cultural and geographical environment - have significant role in our metaphorical conceptualization. Following this rationale, animals also have played a remarkable role in the metaphorical formation of our cognition because they also live in the environment we do. By adopting Conceptual Metaphor Theory, this study tries to find out to what extend Kurdish and English language is similar or differs from each other in terms of using animal metaphors in their daily expressions. In order to answer the research questions, a predominantly source-domainoriented study was designed to investigate the Kurdish and English sayings, proverbs and slangs containing animal metaphors. After scanning almost 450 Kurdish and English idiomatic and proverbial expressions about animal metaphors, 15 animals were chosen for final investigation in both languages. In order to answer the research questions, the gathered data were analyzed from descriptive perspective. The descriptive analysis of data in terms of type, frequency and makeup of use of animal names in Kurdish and English proverbs can show both variation and similarity among the languages, and some points about culture-specificity and similarity between both languages at both conceptual and cultural level have been clarified. In sum, the results of the study hold up the importance of cultural and geographical environment and how both languages used the animals metaphorically in order to conceptualize human and other domains of experience.

This study aimed to explore the roles of Iranian public high schools' and language institutes' managers in English language learning, and the Iranian government’s policies in their selection process. To achieve this objective, a survey descriptive method was employed. The participants of the study consisted of 40 managers of public high schools and language institutes from different cities in Iran who had BA or MA degrees in different majors. The participants of the study were selected through convenience sampling method, and the data was collected through a semi-structured interview. The collected data from the interviews were transcribed verbatim to be analyzed. To analyze the data, the researcher used a systematic model including three steps: open coding, axial coding and selective coding. According to the results, some roles including improving the standards of schools and institutes, materializing goals of the system, encouraging students to improve their performance, keeping records of students' performance, evaluating the performance of teachers, managing the system financially, supervising the state of affairs, ordering and preparing textbooks, controlling absence and presence of teachers, evaluating students' performance, and accountability to parents and superior authorities were identified. Moreover, the researcher found no definite and clear policy on the part of the Iranian government for selecting managers in schools and language institutes. The main criteria extracted for the selection of managers in schools and language institutes were teaching experience, personal will, compliance with Islam and Islamic rules, education degree, and observing morality.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of critical awareness in EFL learners’ reading comprehension. The design of the study was Nonrandomized Control Group, Pretest--Posttest Design(Ary et al., 2019). The participants of the study were 60 BA students majoring in English language teaching/literature at the University of Kurdistan, including 34 female and 26 male students. To ensure that the participants were similar in terms of their overall English proficiency level, Oxford Placement Test(OPT) was administered as the homogeneity test. Then, the participants were assigned to two groups as experimental and control based on their scores on (OPT). As the pilot test of the study and to check the appropriacy of the test of the study for the participants at this level of knowledge and expertise, Donald Trump’s inauguration speech transcript (www.washingtonpost.com) was delivered to a group of 20 BA students majoring in English language teaching at the University of Kurdistan to analyze it and respond to its questions which were designed by the researchers. As the pre-test of the study Donald Trump’s presidential announcement speech transcript (www.time.com) was delivered to the two groups to analyze it and respond to its reading comprehension questions that were designed by the researchers. The descriptive statistics of the participants’ scores on their pre-test showed that the participants’ mean scores were close across groups which means that the two groups were similar in terms of their reading proficiency level. After administering the pre-test, the control group were instructed based on traditional reading approach, while the experimental group were instructed based on critical awareness approach. Then, Donald Trump’s final presidential campaign speech transcript (www.politico.com) was delivered to the two groups as the post-test of the study. Despite the participants’ close mean scores on the pre-test across groups, their scores on the post-test following the instructions were obviously different. There was a slight improvement in the performance of the control group on the post-test, while it was evidently viewed that the performance of the experimental group improved substantially on their post-test in comparison with their performance on the pre-test. There was a significant difference between reading comprehension ability of students who received critical awareness instructions and the students who were instructed through traditional approach. Moreover, an attitude questionnaire was designed by the researchers and it was delivered to the participants in the experimental group to respond to it. With regards to the participants’ responses to the attitude questionnaire and the related descriptive statistics, it was concluded that the participants found critical awareness approach as an efficient approach for reading instruction. To investigate the effect of gender on the participants’ attitudes toward critical awareness approach, responses of the experimental group to the attitude questionnaire categorized by their gender were analyzed. The results revealed no significant difference between males and female students in any of the participants’ responses to the attitude questionnaire. Therefore, it could be concluded that gender might not have any effect resulting in differences in participants’ attitudes toward the study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of critical awareness in EFL learners’ reading comprehension. The design of the study was Nonrandomized Control Group, Pretest--Posttest Design(Ary et al., 2019). The participants of the study were 60 BA students majoring in English language teaching/literature at the University of Kurdistan, including 34 female and 26 male students. To ensure that the participants were similar in terms of their overall English proficiency level, Oxford Placement Test(OPT) was administered as the homogeneity test. Then, the participants were assigned to two groups as experimental and control based on their scores on (OPT). As the pilot test of the study and to check the appropriacy of the test of the study for the participants at this level of knowledge and expertise, Donald Trump’s inauguration speech transcript (www.washingtonpost.com) was delivered to a group of 20 BA students majoring in English language teaching at the University of Kurdistan to analyze it and respond to its questions which were designed by the researchers. As the pre-test of the study Donald Trump’s presidential announcement speech transcript (www.time.com) was delivered to the two groups to analyze it and respond to its reading comprehension questions that were designed by the researchers. The descriptive statistics of the participants’ scores on their pre-test showed that the participants’ mean scores were close across groups which means that the two groups were similar in terms of their reading proficiency level. After administering the pre-test, the control group were instructed based on traditional reading approach, while the experimental group were instructed based on critical awareness approach. Then, Donald Trump’s final presidential campaign speech transcript (www.politico.com) was delivered to the two groups as the post-test of the study. Despite the participants’ close mean scores on the pre-test across groups, their scores on the post-test following the instructions were obviously different. There was a slight improvement in the performance of the control group on the post-test, while it was evidently viewed that the performance of the experimental group improved substantially on their post-test in comparison with their performance on the pre-test. There was a significant difference between reading comprehension ability of students who received critical awareness instructions and the students who were instructed through traditional approach. Moreover, an attitude questionnaire was designed by the researchers and it was delivered to the participants in the experimental group to respond to it. With regards to the participants’ responses to the attitude questionnaire and the related descriptive statistics, it was concluded that the participants found critical awareness approach as an efficient approach for reading instruction. To investigate the effect of gender on the participants’ attitudes toward critical awareness approach, responses of the experimental group to the attitude questionnaire categorized by their gender were analyzed. The results revealed no significant difference between males and female students in any of the participants’ responses to the attitude questionnaire. Therefore, it could be concluded that gender might not have any effect resulting in differences in participants’ attitudes toward the study.