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Screencast technology in English writing assessment offers personalized, detailed feedback, but not dialogic. However, integrating it with ipsative assessment (IA) principles may sustain conversations between teachers and learners on students' writing development. This study explored the impact of screencast-based ipsative assessment (SIA) on developing students' writing skills in an Iranian EFL context. Screencast technology recorded teachers' feedback and facilitated students' access to and reflection on their previous works. A qualitative research design was used to analyze teacher's feedback profiles and students' reflections. The findings revealed that SIA engaged participants in ipsative self-assessment, enhanced their self-regulation skills in writing, and created a comforting and socially safe environment where they felt supported and encouraged to take risks, knowing that their mistakes could be considered part of the learning process. However, SIA caused some students to focus on their scores rather than skill development in their writing tasks. The findings suggest that English teachers can utilize screencast technology for precise, detailed ipsative feedback in an IA regime. SIA procedures may encourage student self-assessment and foster a dialog between teachers and students to seek clarification and plan their next move in writing progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractStudies on listening comprehension have increasingly used Computerized Dynamic Assessment (CDA), a new strand of Vygotsky’s dynamic assessment. This study investigated whether English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ responsiveness to CDA mediation significantly enhanced their inferential skills in multiple-choice listening comprehension tests. Moreover, it examined the role of guess-checking items in reducing the guessing effect. A sample of 94 Iranian EFL university students of B2 proficiency level (38 male and 56 female) was recruited through purposeful sampling. The researchers designed and operated CDA software delivered through a dedicated website, www.lingeli.com, to assess EFL inferential listening comprehension skills. The quantitative data obtained from the participant’s performance in the pretest and the mediation stage were analyzed using SPSS. Two paired-sample T-tests were run to compare EFL learners’ mediated and actual scores to explore the development of their inferential listening and compare the actual scores of learners with and without calculating guessing effect scores, respectively. The results showed that learners’ responsiveness to mediation significantly changed their performance on the CDA of inferential listening skills. Additionally, adding guess-checking items significantly decreased the impact of guessing in the CDA multiple-choice tests, which provided the opportunity to obtain a more comprehensive picture of learners’ abilities. The findings offered more insights into the effective role of CDA in improving EFL learners’ inferential listening comprehension skills. They called for implementing CDA programs to diagnose learners’ deficiencies and strengths and uncover their zone of proximal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the strategies Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers perceived to use to promote EFL learners' engagement in online gamification. It adopted an integrative framework accommodating the four aspects of engagement, including behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and agentic, while concomitantly incorporating the four layers of ecological systems theory (EST) consisting of microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem. Participants included 23 EFL teachers within the age range of 22 to 42. They were teaching adults at three language institutes in different cities across Iran. The data were collected via semi-structured interviews. The findings showed that the teachers used various strategies to foster student engagement. The thematic analysis of the data revealed that the strategies embraced behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and affective aspects of engagement, and at the same time, they were aligned with four layers of EST at a conceptual level. This study recommends EFL educators and teachers to adopt a holistic ecological perspective in using strategies to maximize student engagement in online gamification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis quasi-experimental study examined the effects of speaking tasks on EFL learners’ speaking skills and Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety (FLSA) using a mobile application conducted outside the classroom. A total of sixty Iranian upper-intermediate level EFL students were divided into experimental and control groups to compare the effectiveness of speaking tasks using the Clubhouse application. Data were collected using the FLSA scale and the speaking pre-and post-test scores of the participants. The speaking proficiency of the participants was assessed based on the IELTS band descriptor, which included fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. Utilizing one-way ANCOVA and Mann-Whitney U test, it was concluded that participation of the experimental group in speaking tasks at the Clubhouse improved their speaking proficiency and reduced their anxiety when speaking in the target language compared to traditional classes. The findings of the study call for the integration of synchronous mobile-based apps such as Clubhouse for out-of-class speaking tasks to improve EFL learners’ speaking skills and reduce their FLSA levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the results of a mixed-methods investigation on the impact of task-based speaking practices using the Clubhouse application outside the classroom on EFL learners' oral fluency and willingness to communicate (WTC). Sixty upper-intermediate EFL learners were divided into experimental and control groups practicing speaking skills with and without the Clubhouse application. Data was collected through participants' speaking pre- and post-tests scores (speech rate, number of pauses, and linking ideas together without hesitation), WTC scale, and focus group semi-structured interviews. A one-way ANCOVA was used to investigate whether EFL learners' participation in out-of-class speaking activities using Clubhouse makes any significant difference in their oral fluency compared to conventional classes. The pre-test fluency scores were considered as the covariate. Similarly, two One-way ANCOVAs were run to investigate measures of WTC. The thematic analysis explored participants' attitudes and perceptions toward using Clubhouse for task-based speaking practices. Quantitative results revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group regarding oral fluency; this group was more willing to communicate at the end of the experiment. The thematic analysis of the qualitative data indicated that Clubhouse activities improved the participants' oral fluency and WTC measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of supplementary language learning applications has experienced considerable growth in recent years. However, evaluations of these applications concerning their affordances and limitations have not been fully explored. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential suitability and limitations of the mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) application called "Mondly." Drawing on a framework and descriptive statistics, we sought to uncover whether Mondly met the assumptions of an appropriate learning platform. Based on a cross-sectional survey design, this study assessed the efficacy of Mondly by examining the opinions of its users. A cohort of sixty-two individuals, encompassing various genders and age groups, was selected to participate in the study. Participants had ten sessions to practice learning English. The results indicated that Mondly has the potential to benefit English as a foreign language (EFL) learning. The study highlights the importance of evaluating supplementary tools for instructional purposes and identifies some limitations. The evaluation can aid in adapting appropriate apps for specific purposes and enhance the quality of MALL applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in the educational context, particularly chatbotics, has made significant changes in learning English. This mixed-methods study is intended to explore university students' attitudes toward the potential role of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted mobile applications. Meanwhile, the role of social presence and human-likeness on learner motivation was examined through a chatbot lens. A total of 256 English as a foreign language (EFL) learners interacted with a chatbot known as Computer Simulation in Educational Communication (CSIEC). Participants' audio-recorded practices, transcriptions, three scales of social presence, learner motivation, and human-likeness, along with a semi-structured focus group interview, were used to collect data, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used for data analysis. Moreover, thematic analysis was adopted to explore the participants' attitudes and perceptions toward using CSIES. The quantitative results indicated that learner motivation was significantly predicted by social presence and human-likeness. The thematic analysis of qualitative data reflected that the attributed descriptions to the CSIEC teacher enhanced learners' motivation, eagerness, and confidence to learn English. The findings of this study may be used to guide future research in using chatbots outside the classroom to serve as learning companions, and educators can utilize them to tailor assessment and feedback procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of teacher-focused feedback (TF) and automatic writing evaluation (AWE) on global writing performance as well as syntactic complexity, accuracy, lexical diversity, and fluency (CALF) of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' narrative and argumentative writings. The participants were randomly assigned to TF and AWE groups. During the treatment, the teacher delivered instruction on the narrative and argumentative genres, followed by the participants' engagement in writing texts and getting feedback either from the teacher or AWE. The results revealed improvements in overall writing performance (formal aspects) as well as CALF measures. While there was no significant difference between the two groups in their overall writing performance, AWE yielded better scores in lexical diversity and syntactic complexity, and the TF group outperformed in fluency. Moreover, an interaction was found between feedback types (TF vs. AWE) and text genres in CALF measures. The narrative writings were characterized by higher lexical diversity, syntactic accuracy, and fluency, and the argumentative genre, yielded higher scores in syntactic complexity. The results suggest that both human and machine assessments were beneficial in improving written products in EFL contexts. Also, engaging students in writing various genres is likely to result in improvement in different CALF aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile-based extramural English (EE) activities, including watching movies, playing digital games, and listening to music outside the classroom, have played an important role in increasing learners' interest in English as a foreign language (EFL). This mixed-method design study aimed to investigate the role of EE activities in the vocabulary development of intermediate EFL learners. The study included a group of 60 learners, including 30 male and 30 female students from two language institutes. A pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest were used. The experimental group utilized WhatsApp to receive electronic vocabulary instruction four days per week for two months as part of the EE activities. In contrast, the control group received classroom instruction using the conventional approach typically employed in EFL contexts for teaching the same textbook vocabulary. A semi-structured interview was conducted to investigate the participants' beliefs regarding their preference for EE-based activities. The results of the EG group revealed that EE-based activities significantly impacted the students' vocabulary learning (p < 0.001). The findings also revealed no significant differences in vocabulary knowledge between male and female students after using EE activities (p = 0.34). The themes that emerged from the qualitative phase suggested that participants preferred EE-based activities as they can result in less mental stress, more vocabulary learning, improved conversation, and improved pronunciation and grammar. Also, the participants preferred various mobile-based EE activities, including watching movies, listening to music, playing multiple games, watching cartoons, and focusing on movie subtitles, which resulted in their vocabulary development. The findings call for language educators to integrate more virtual and online-based EE activities to supplement traditional vocabulary teaching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile technologies and factors influencing English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' willingness to integrate them into their learning processes are significant. This study aims at investigating the role of facilitating conditions, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness as factors in predicting Iranian EFL learners' perceptions toward mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). Accordingly, data were collected from 223 Iranian EFL learners who had their English language courses in the two major educational contexts (i.e., public schools and private institutes). Considering the first phase of the study, a statistically significant relationship was found between the three hypothesized factors (i.e., facilitating conditions, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness) and learners' perceptions toward MALL. Furthermore, the facilitating conditions were associated with learners' perceived ease of use. Regarding the second phase of the study, the analysis of the path coefficients indicated a significant predictive power of perceived usefulness on perceptions toward MALL. Also indicated in this study is the significant effect of facilitating conditions on learners' perceived ease of use. The results are discussed in the light of the literature, and suggestions for further research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies indicate that metacognitive knowledge has a key role in learning and that collaborative learning and knowledge sharing may affect learners' metacognition. As such, the present study set out to test a structural model of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) students' collaborative digital writing, online knowledge sharing, and metacognitive knowledge in writing, and specifically to examine the hypothesis that online knowledge sharing mediates the effect of collaborative digital writing and metacognitive knowledge in writing. With the participants of 102 Iranian TEFL undergraduate students, a structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to establish the structural model. The findings revealed the fitness of the structural model of relationships among the study variables. The results also confirmed the mediator role of knowledge sharing. The implications of the findings about knowledge sharing, attitude to collaborative digital writing, and metacognitive knowledge in writing are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a part of a more extensive computerized dynamic assessment (CDA) project delivered through a dedicated website, www.lingeli.com, this study explores EFL learners' perspectives on an online listening comprehension dynamic assessment software focusing on inferential listening skills while trying to minimize the guessing effect. The study participants were 94 Iranian EFL learners selected through convenience sampling to participate in a 1-month dynamic assessment targeting EFL learners listening comprehension using the developed software. The researchers involved half of the study participants in semi-structured interviews held in their native language (Persian) to shed light on the pros and cons of the software. Six major themes emerged from the interviews' content analysis, encapsulating participant" generally positive perceptions and some negative perspectives about the software. They perceived the CDA software as novel and interesting, stress-relieving, supportive, convenient, and cost-effective in terms of time and money, and removing the time and location limitations. In contrast, a few others assumed it was time-consuming and stressful, with limited learning and ignoring the benefits of social aspects of teaching. The study's findings recommend that learners' perspectives be considered when developing future CDA listening comprehension software to increase the validity of CDA projects by addressing their drawbacks and fully implementing the CDA test's potential to enhance EFL learners' listening comprehension abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online grammar checkers have increasingly been used in writing instruction to detect and remove English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' grammatical errors. This study investigated the effects of the automated writing evaluation software Grammarly on Iranian EFL learners' article errors which are common in EFL writing. Ninety Iranian students majoring in English language and literature were selected through convenience sampling. They were divided into three groups, with one receiving Grammarly and teacher feedback (experimental group 1), one receiving Grammarly feedback (experimental group 2), and one receiving teacher feedback (control group). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the data. In addition, one-way ANOVA, frequency analysis, and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data from pretests/posttests, questionnaires, and interviews. The results showed that the Grammarly and teacher feedback group outperformed the other groups in the post-test. This study recommends that EFL teachers consider incorporating online grammar checkers into their EFL writing courses as writing assistant tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the results of a mixed-methods investigation on the impact of a virtual reality (VR) tool on Iranian EFL learners' willingness to communicate (WTC) and oral proficiency. Twenty upper-intermediate EFL learners were divided into experimental and control groups role-playing as museum guides with and without Google Expeditions VR tool, respectively. Data collection comprised the participants' video-recorded oral performance, willingness to communicate scale, and focus group semi-structured interviews. Independent and paired sample t-test measures were used to investigate the groups' differences in terms of their WTC and oral proficiency development. Thematic analysis was also adopted to explore the participants' attitudes and perceptions toward the use of Google Expeditions in language classrooms. Quantitative findings showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in terms of oral performance and were more willing to communicate at the end of the experiment. The thematic analysis of the qualitative data indicated that the VR tool enhanced the participants' general knowledge, motivation, enthusiasm, cultural awareness, and confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of flipped vocabulary learning on the listening achievement of EFL learners. The study participants included 60 English language learners selected based on their performance on the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group was taught based on flipped vocabulary learning, while the students in the control group received no such instruction. For treatment in the experimental group, the teacher taught the unknown and new vocabulary in the listening text from the TACTICS textbook using an online dictionary to flip the classroom. The teacher offered an online dictionary and encouraged learners to check out words, synonyms, and antonyms to become more familiar with new words. Before each listening class, students memorized 20 target words, prior to taking on the listening tasks. The obtained data were analyzed using the ANCOVA procedure. The study results demonstrated that the experimental group performed significantly better than the control group. Also, the findings suggested that flipped vocabulary learning can be used as an effective instructional tool to help learners improve their listening achievement. The theoretical and practical implications for learners, teachers, and syllabus designers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretically grounded in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of mind, Dynamic Assessment (DA) provides researchers with the opportunity to investigate different aspects of learners' developmental trajectory, including the ways they overcome their errors. As a qualitative inquiry into the nature of errors reflecting learners' development in academic writing and the ways they are treated, this study examined the role of face-to-face (FTF) and Computer-Mediated (CM) contexts on the ways Iranian EFL learners dealt with their main developmental errors. In this study, the nature of developmental errors emerged out of the analysis of a writing corpus of four learners participating in a two-month DA based academic writing course. The learners' high-frequency errors were examined through the microgentic development method, which allows for investigating the moment to moment changes in learners' performance, to reveal the ways they were addressed in FTF and CM contexts of DA. The results highlighted the different effects of FTF and CM contexts on learners' pace, depth and permanency of development through not only employing different mediation forms but also encouraging the usage of different mediational tools. The findings indicated that while FTF mediation led to an inclination toward collaborative writing, CM mediation increased learners' engagement with their written texts by focusing more on difficult items and transferring development to other tasks and situations which, in turn, illustrates their progression towards self-regulation. The findings of the study shed light on the potentials of DA in guiding learners' struggle to overcome their academic writing developmental errors in both CM and FTF contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the results of a mixed-methods approach in finding the effects of the WebQuest-based flipped classroom on the EFL learners' inferential reading comprehension skills. A group of EFL learners attending an IELTS course participated in the study. T-test and one-way repeated measures ANOVA were used to analyze the quantitative data. The results showed that the WebQuest-based flipped classroom effectively developed the learners' inferential reading comprehension skills, and its long-term effect was also confirmed through the delayed post-test scores. The participants' attitudes towards the WebQuest-based flipped classroom effects were also explored by conducting semi-structured interviews analyzed by utilizing thematic analysis through which the participants' perspectives were coded and categorized. The findings revealed the EFL learners' mainly positive attitudes towards the effectiveness of this innovative approach in developing their inferential reading comprehension skills. The pedagogical implications of using WebQuest-based flipped instruction as an efficient and effective alternative to traditional classroom practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilizing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design explored the impact of mobile-based dynamic assessment (MDA) on EFL learners' writing skills. Three intact classes (N = 30), including intermediate EFL learners attending a private English language school in Iran, participated in this study. They were evenly divided into two experimental and one control groups. The DIALNG online diagnostic test was used to assess the participants' written proficiency and also as an instrument to collect the pre-and post-test scores. During the treatment sessions, the students were required to complete writing tasks over their Google Docs mobile app shared with the instructor. She provided text- and voice-based mediations to the experimental groups following an interactionist DA using both WhatsApp and Google Docs. Follow-up interviews were conducted to assess the experimental groups' perceptions towards each mediation type. T-test and ANOVA along with the thematic analysis were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. The findings showed that only the text group's post-test scores significantly improved and there was a significant difference among the three groups in their post-test scores which indicated outperformance of the voice group. The overall results showed that MDA enhances EFL learners' written proficiency as a result of the collaborations between the learners and the instructor using text and voice-based mediation. The thematic analysis of data revealed the participants' satisfaction with both mediation types in terms of being efficient, convenient, and causing less social pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of the rise of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) as an alluring field of inquiry, there seems to be a paucity of empirical studies on the actual experience of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in the adoption of technology in their classes. In an attempt to remedy this gap, this study was designed to qualitatively examine six Iranian EFL pre-service teachers' experiences in implementing CALL activities. The pre-service teachers first took the CALL-integrated teacher training course for the period of four weeks and upon the completion of the course, they subsequently implemented CALL in their own classes for seven weeks. To accomplish the objective of the present study, data were collected through observations, semi-structured interviews, and open-ended questionnaires. The thematic data analyses revealed obstacles, motivators, and maintenance, each with its own sub-themes. Obstacles to CALL implementation included transfer failure and facility conditions. The motivators were perceived usefulness and experience. Reasons for the maintenance of the program included social influence, requests of learners, and peer collaboration. Implications for CALL teacher education program are offered in light of the findings of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on Vygotskian sociocultural theory of mind and social constructivism, and adopting a sequential exploratory mixed-methods approach, this study explored the impact of online dynamic assessment (DA) on EFL learners' academic writing skills through one-on-one individual and online synchronous DA sessions over Google Docs. It also investigated the short and long term impact of the DA mediations on writing performance in new and more challenging contexts by conducting near and delayed synchronous transcendence (TR) sessions. Moreover, it explored the learners' perceptions towards the impact of online synchronous DA on academic writing skills. Three EFL university students, who were preparing themselves for the IELTS examination, were selected as the participants of the study. IELTS academic writing task 1 and task 2, marked by IELTS writing band descriptors, were used to assess the learners' academic writing skills. Moreover, a semi-structured interview was conducted to assess the learners' perceptions towards the impact of online DA on academic writing skills. Tracking the learners' microgenetic development through generated mediation and reciprocity typologies, the findings indicated academic writing development in all the four areas of task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexicon, and grammatical range and accuracy in both writing task 1 and task 2. In the TR sessions the learners showed some difficulties in transferring some parts of their developed writing skills to more challenging contexts. Thematic analysis, used to analyse the interview data, highlighted the learners' positive perceptions towards the impact of online DA on academic writing skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lexical inferencing has not led to substantial vocabulary gains. In previous studies, the learners were not obliged by design to notice the unfamiliar words and static approaches to assessment were adopted. In this quasi-experimental study, we adopted dynamic assessment (DA) approach and took measures to ensure noticing of the new words. Through purposive sampling, 80 intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students were selected as participants. They were randomly assigned to computerized dynamic assessment (CDA) and static assessment (SA) groups. Participants read five texts, one per week, and inferred the meaning of highlighted unfamiliar words. In CDA group, through a software program, struggling learners received graduated mediational hints for each target word which helped them to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words. No mediational assistance was provided to the participants of SA group. Acquisition and retention post-tests were administered to both groups one day and four weeks after reading each text, respectively. Results showed that vocabulary gains in CDA group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The findings suggest that the noticing of unfamiliar words and the adoption of DA approach could enhance vocabulary gains from lexical inferencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lexical inferencing has not led to substantial vocabulary gains. In previous studies, the learners were not obliged by design to notice the unfamiliar words and static approaches to assessment were adopted. In this quasi-experimental study, we adopted dynamic assessment (DA) approach and took measures to ensure noticing of the new words. Through purposive sampling, 80 intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students were selected as participants. They were randomly assigned to computerized dynamic assessment (CDA) and static assessment (SA) groups. Participants read five texts, one per week, and inferred the meaning of highlighted unfamiliar words. In CDA group, through a software program, struggling learners received graduated mediational hints for each target word which helped them to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words. No mediational assistance was provided to the participants of SA group. Acquisition and retention post-tests were administered to both groups one day and four weeks after reading each text, respectively. Results showed that vocabulary gains in CDA group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The findings suggest that the noticing of unfamiliar words and the adoption of DA approach could enhance vocabulary gains from lexical inferencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the application of Group Dynamic Assessment (GDA) to writing accuracy of EFL learners and explore whether secondary interactants could benefit from interactions between mediator and primary interactants. The idea of implementing DA (Dynamic Assessment) in dyads seems unworkable since teachers are required to teach the whole class (Guk & Kellog, 2007). Moreover, Lantolf and Poehner (2004) suggest a new approach to DA that is GDA, which involves applying DA with a large number of learners rather than individuals. Following a multiple case study design and interactionist DA, the development of ten students in a class of twenty five was tracked during the eight sessions of DA program. Data were collected though written artifacts, video-recording of interactions, interview, and observation. The results indicated that GDA was an effective way of helping learners overcome their linguistic problems and there were signs of microgenetic as well as macrogenetic development within the same DA session and across sessions. The present findings provide further insight into understanding how secondary interactants benefit from the interactions between mediator and primary interactants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored the impact of WebQuest-based classroom on EFL learners’ critical thinking and academic writing skills by collecting and analysing the data through a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach. Two intact classes, each with ten EFL learners, attending an IELTS course at a language institute in Sanandaj, Iran, took part in the study. California Critical Thinking Skills Test form B was used to assess the participants’ critical thinking skills, IELTS academic writing task 1 and task 2 were used to assess their academic writing skills, a semi-structured interview was conducted to assess their perceptions towards the impact ofy the WebQuest-based classroom on critical thinking and academic writing skills, and the researcher/instructor journals were used to contribute to the qualitative findings. One-way MANOVA and one-way MANCOVA were used to analyse the quantitative data. The results revealed that both the WebQuest-based and the face-to-face classrooms developed the learners’ critical thinking and academic writing skills, while the former outperformed the latter both in post- and delayed post-tests (i.e. short and long term effects) and took fewer sessions to cover the required materials. In addition, thematic analysis, used to analyse the qualitative data, uncovered a number of themes which addressed the learners’ positive perceptions towards the impact of the WebQuest-based classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grit as an interesting and significant topic in psychology has been associated with better study habits and higher grades through perseverance and passion for long term goals. The only available measurement instrument of grit (Duckworth et al. in J Personal Soc Psychol 92:1087-1101, 2007) is general both in terms of its subject matter and context. Thus, this study aims to develop and validate an English as a foreign language (EFL) grit instrument whose items are specific to EFL context to obtain a more detailed view of its components for Iranian EFL learners, and to tap on other grit related factors in the EFL context. A four component model of EFL grit was developed through reviewing the existing literature and exploring EFL experts’ perspectives. This tentative theoretical model of EFL grit encompasses overarching construct of effort including the following main components: Trying hard to learn English (THLE) having interest in learning English (ILE) practicing a lot in order to learn English (PLE) and having goal for learning English (HGLE). The model was then cross checked against the results of the interviews, and evolved into a scenario-based, 5 point Likert-scale EFL grit instrument. It was later operationalized by an instrument consisting of 26 items, i.e. 6 items for each component plus 2 items for themes 1 and 3. The piloting and testing of the tentative model through exploratory and confirmatory data analyses on a sample of 306 EFL learners indicated the reliability of 0.833 and an acceptable validity. The findings called for a more meaningful interpretation of the concept of grit in relation to Iranian EFL context and offered new insights for higher education administrators considering student academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated EFL learners' perspectives about their vocabulary learning experiences via a smartphone application. An online demographic questionnaire was used for recruiting 50 EFL learners from a language teaching channel in Telegram messenger required to use a smartphone application called Vocabulary Flashcards 2016 for a month. After finishing the sampling procedure, the participants were asked to take part in Dialang online diagnostic test to specify their vocabulary level proficiency based on CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference). The quantitative and qualitative data were collected utilizing evaluation questionnaires and semi-structured interviews respectively. The evaluation questionnaire adapted from Chapelle's (2001) evaluation criterion was used to evaluate the application from the users' perspectives. This study investigated the effects of learners' proficiency level and gender differences on using the application, and their perspectives on the negative and positive aspects of the application were also uncovered. The findings showed that the users held positive attitudes towards the application because it influenced their learning positively and provided them with both form and meaning-focused instruction, but they were dissatisfied with the app's levels and authenticity. Results of independent t-test and ANOVA respectively showed that gender and vocabulary proficiency level did not make significant difference on participants' app usage patterns. The findings of this study highlighted the users' localized needs which could be used as guidelines for customized vocabulary apps' development purposes. The study's implications for learners, teachers, and app developers are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the results of a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach to explore the impact of online peer-editing using Google Docs and peer-editing in a face-to-face classroom on EFL learners’ academic writing skills. As the study adopted a quasi-experimental design, two intact classes, each with ten EFL learners, attending an IELTS course at a language institute in Sanandaj, Iran, were selected as the participants. IELTS academic writing task 1 and task 2 were used to assess the learners’ academic writing skills, and a semi-structured interview was conducted to explore the learners’ perceptions towards the impact of online peer-editing on academic writing skills. A paired-samples t-test, an independent-samples t-test, and a one-way MANCOVA were used to analyse the quantitative data. The results indicated that peer-editing both through using Google Docs and in the face-to-face classroom significantly developed the learners’ academic writing skills, and that the former outperformed the latter both in the short and long term. Moreover, after controlling for the pre-tests, the two groups performed differently on the four areas of academic writing on both the post- and delayed post-tests. Thematic analysis, used to analyse the qualitative data, highlighted the learners’ positive perceptions towards the impact of online peer-editing on academic writing skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic Assessment (DA) is a postmodern notion in testing which sees instruction and assessment as inextricably mingled contending that learners will progress if provided with dynamic interactions. The main purpose of the study is to see if the scores generated by the computerized dynamic assessment (C-DA) which is grounded in Vygotsky's theoretical framework in congruence with the concept of DA can lead to designing a syllabus which results in the participants' reading comprehension development. In the present study, a total of 32 Iranian EFL undergraduates from a university in Iran were selected on the availability basis. The study made use of the interventionist approach (the same mediation for all individual learners) to DA due to a two-fold aim: being more economically-supported and owing to its feasibility in focusing on larger cohorts of individuals. Investigating the learners' generated scoring profiles through CDA revealed that not only did the learners have varying problem areas but also they needed different amount of mediation for identical test items. These profiles reiterated the fact that learners with different zones of proximal development (ZPDs) require customized instructional programs to reflect their individualized needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study, following Vygotskyan Sociocultural theory in education, and inspired by Rogoff's conceptualization (1995, 2003) of development, aimed at conceptual development of in-service EFL teachers. To this end, two Iranian EFL teachers with pseudonyms (Tara and Sara) were selected as participants of the study. The participating teachers were first taught the sociocultural concepts related to language, teaching, and learning taken from Johnson (2009) and Rogoff's (2003) mediatory model of development in six workshops through dialogic mediation. The data for the study comprised two semi-structured interviews, and three video-recording of critical reflection of each teacher on their video-taped classroom behavior. The recordings and transcripts were analyzed using Hatch's (2002) procedure for interpretive analysis. The results of the study showed that participating teachers, over a process of struggle with their past experiences, gradually replaced their old everyday concepts such as grammatical accuracy, correct samples, and teacher interruption with new scientific concepts such as grammatical apprenticeship, guided grammatical participation, and grammatical appropriation through assisted participation. The results of present study can be illuminating for teacher educators and teacher education programs which have aimed at changing the classroom practice of inservice teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the possible relationship between the acquaintanceship of the interviewees with the interviewers, the interviewees' gender and their oral performance in oral language interviews as a test technique in L2 situations. Among 117 participants of the study ,60 university students were chosen based on Michigan test of language proficiency and were randomly assigned into groups (A and B) of familiar and unfamiliar with the interviewer including both males and females. They were interviewed using IELTS interview framework with some modifications, 30 with familiar interviewer and 30 with unfamiliar one. The results of the study indicated that the familiarity and unfamiliarity of the interviewee with the interviewers might not affect the oral performance (scores) of the subjects .The results also evidenced that the effect of the candidates' gender was significant in their scores with the males outperforming the females. This can be due to the sex of the interviewers, all of whom were males for both male and female groups. Although the relationship between sex and oral performance was significant, the interaction effect of the candidates' sex and their acquaintanceship with the test - givers on the oral performance of the subjects was not so significant. The findings of this study have some implications for both speaking instruction and assessment of oral proficiency in EFL context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]