Sheikhbahaee University
Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Translation Studies
2645-3592
1
1
2012
04
01
The Effect of Portfolio Assessment on the Development of Metadiscourse Awareness in EFL Learners' Writing in the Academic Context
1
22
EN
Mansoor
Tavakoli
University of Isfahan
mr.tavakoli14@gmail.com
Zahra
Amirian
University of Isfahan
amirian_z@yahoo.com
10.22034/efl.2012.79155
This paper aimed at probing the implementation of portfolio assessment in the writing classroom in an attempt to examine its effect(s) on EFL learners’ metadiscourse awareness. It addressed the following questions: Does portfolio assessment as a teaching technique have positive wash back effect on the participants’ achievement in their writing ability in an academic context? And to what extent do the students develop metadiscourse awareness in their writing by the treatment of portfolio assessment?<br /> The participants were the students of English literature enrolled for their composition course. After being homogenized for their proficiency level, they were randomly divided into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). As the treatment, portfolio assessment was employed as the teaching technique for the experimental group. Data was then subjected to different statistical procedures. The results of data analysis revealed that the participants in the EG outperformed those in the CG with regard to the achievement in their overall writing ability. Second, based on chi-square results, participants in the EG used metadiscourse markers more correctly and efficiently compared with those in the CG. The results of the present study may have some implications for teaching of writing to EFL learners.
Achievement,Metadiscourse knowledge,portfolio assessment,Performance testing,Writing Ability
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79155.html
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79155_f585dd682f85eb4fb1382ef59106d525.pdf
Sheikhbahaee University
Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Translation Studies
2645-3592
1
1
2012
04
01
Objective Assessment of Oral Presentations and EFL Learners’ Speaking Development
23
38
EN
Golnar
Mazdayasna
Yazd University
gmazdayasna@hotmail.com
10.22034/efl.2012.79159
A longitudinal study was planned, and a scale was suggested for assessing EFL learners’ oral presentations. The scale had three major evaluation components: `Preparation’, `Organization’, and `Presentation’. The students were informed about the rating scale against which their performances would be evaluated. Throughout the course each student had five performances on different occasions.<br />The results of the study indicated that: (a) significant improvement was observed in the learners’ performances, (b) ANOVA results indicated that the five performances were significantly different, (c) there were high correlations between each paired performances, and (d) the rating scale was a reliable and consistent measure by means of which the instructor could assess the student’s speaking ability.
Oral presentation,Speaking Skill,EFL learners,Objective assessment,Rating Scale
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79159.html
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79159_ae21f2256f91f107d542d8a059d70312.pdf
Sheikhbahaee University
Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Translation Studies
2645-3592
1
1
2012
04
01
The Effect of L2 Learning on Learners' Perception of Culture
39
48
EN
Gholamreza
Zarei
Isfahan university of Technology
grzarei@cc.iut.ac.ir
Hossein
Pourghasemian
Qom university of Technology
hosein_710@yahoo.com
10.22034/efl.2012.79160
This study was undertaken to cast light over EFL learners' perception of culture. To that end, a group of English language learners was taught English through Interchange Series and their perception of culture was assessed using a researcher constructed questionnaire. The same questionnaire was also administered to the parents of the same learners to detect any probable differences. The results revealed that the EFL learners are largely distinct from their parents in perceptions of the designated cultural issues. While EFL learners were oriented towards Western Culture, their parents were lopsided towards domestic issues.
Interchange series,EFL,culture,English language,Iranian learners
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79160.html
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79160_0439df78819164e010c274a1baf86e47.pdf
Sheikhbahaee University
Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Translation Studies
2645-3592
1
1
2012
04
01
The Effect of EFL Learners' Gender and Second Language Proficiency on Willingness to Communicate
49
66
EN
Akbar
Afghari
Sheikhbahaee University
afghari@shbu.ac.ir
Elahe
Sadeghi
Najafabad Islamic Azad University
el_sdg2004@yahoo.com
10.22034/efl.2012.79161
With day-increasing emphasis on communication as the chief objective of second language learning, willingness to communicate (hereafter WTC) has come into focus by many researchers, teachers, and foreign language institutes. Previous studies show that WTC is highly correlated with the two variables of perceived competence and communication apprehension. This study aimed to investigate the difference in WTC between male and female English major students at Khorasgan University, Iran. Firstly, 55 English major students were asked to respond to three questionnaires on WTC, perceived competence and communication apprehension. The data was analyzed using independent sample t-test. The results showed no significant difference between male and female students in WTC, perceived competence and communication apprehension. The results related to the effect of language proficiency on WTC, perceived competence, and communication apprehensions were also analyzed using one way ANOVA. The results showed no significant differences between the three different groups of students with different levels of language proficiency in their WTC, perceived competence, and communication apprehension
willingness to communicate,perceived competence,communication apprehension
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79161.html
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79161_87645143d9a0943fcfacebec1e09cd9a.pdf
Sheikhbahaee University
Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Translation Studies
2645-3592
1
1
2012
04
01
The Effect of Self-Directed Training on ESP Learners’ Self-Directed Learning Readiness
67
82
EN
Mohammad
Mohammadi
Urmia University
moh.mohammadi@urmia.ac.ir
Parinaz
Mohammadi
Urmia University
pn.mohammadi@gmail.com
10.22034/efl.2012.79162
The major role of self-directed learning (SDL) in a successful learning at distance education has been confirmed by various studies. Although learners pass General English courses before studying any ESP courses at distance education of Iran, they usually lack the preliminary skills for independent language learning. The current study aimed to explore the effect of self-directed training (SDT) on ESP learners’ self-directed learning readiness (SDLR). Eighty-six B.A students (19 male and 67 female) studying English for Economy and Management at Tabriz Payam-e-Noor University participated in this study. A demographic questionnaire and Guglielmino’s (1978) self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS) were implemented to select the participants of the control and experimental groups. The experimental group was provided with SDT in three different stages a) an introduction to SDL, b) SDT workshop, and c) SDT pamphlet. Then, a post-test of SDLRS was given to the two groups. ANCOVA was applied to analyze the data. The results revealed that SDT could enhance ESP learners’ SDLR. The findings imply that an appropriate training is needed to improve learners’ SDLR. Higher levels of SDLR can contribute to a successful ESP learning at Payam-e-Noor University in Iran.
Distance learning,ESP,Self-Directed Learning,self-directed language learning,self-directed training
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79162.html
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79162_ad8ed2cf78a4e4f05d29b022d8bce6a2.pdf
Sheikhbahaee University
Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Translation Studies
2645-3592
1
1
2012
04
01
The Chaotic World and the Entropic Crisis in Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49
83
98
EN
Hassan
Rezaei
Kazeroon Islamic Azad University
rezaei.hsn@gmail.com
Mehdi
Azari Samani
0000-0002-1651-7632
Sheikhbahaee University
mehdiazari@shbu.ac.ir
10.22034/efl.2012.79163
Having its roots in science, “chaos theory” provides a new strategy to examine the disordered world of postmodern novels to find the hidden order underlying the apparent chaos. This study tries to clarify the ambiguous relation between Oedipa Maas, the “Tristero system” and the “Maxwell’s Demon” in Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49. Oedipa Maas, the main character of the novel is regarded as an “everyman” type character who tries desperately to make sense of the signs and mysteries proliferating around her, but she can never fulfill her quest because she is trapped in a chaotic world where there are no stable values, friends or meanings. She feels separated from the world around her and longs to regain the stability she used to have before she started her task as the “executrix” of her former lover’s vast estate. She does not manage to find “order” in the surrounding chaos, but applying the major tenets of chaos theory and examining concepts such as “the butterfly effect”, “bifurcations”, “strange attractors”, “recursive symmetry” and “entropy” , we can come to a better understanding of the order underlying the disordered world of the novel.
Chaos Theory,the butterfly effect,strange attractors – entropy,recursive symmetry – Maxwell’s demon,Thomas Pynchon
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79163.html
https://efl.shbu.ac.ir/article_79163_d08504805e30cead945db690f9a3169d.pdf