From an Appraisal of Iranian ESP Courses to Curriculum Development

The applicability of second language instruction to various situations including academic settings provides great opportunities for students and researchers to access fresh sources of knowledge. This is extended to the majority of Iranian students receiving courses such as English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) who may not find instruction compatible with their needs and aspirations. The present study intends to provide an insight into the current status of ESP and EAP courses within the Iranian context. To this end, 120 male and female university postgraduate students majoring in various non-English fields were selected and given a survey questionnaire to report on their needs and on the quality of the language courses presented to them. The results of the statistical analysis showed that 44.2 % of students believe that listening comprehension is the most required skill followed by reading, speaking and writing skills at 41.7%, 39.2% and 17% of frequency respectively. Meanwhile, the most satisfying ESP and EAP skills currently presented at universities were found to be listening, speaking and reading, in order of preference. In fact, it seems that the current instructional trend ought to be discontinued or modified in various ways. Finally, a comprehensive analytical analysis of the needs and components of each skill has been provided, discussing the potential of the current research for improving ESP and EAP instruction inside Iran

Computer Assisted Vocabulary Instruction: A Case of Applying PowerPoint Presentation into Iranian EFL Classes

Recently, with the growth of technology computer assisted language learning (CALL) has equipped teachers with new tools to transform education. In order to exploit the advantages of CALL, this study explored whether applying Power Point presentations (PPTs) brings about significant improvements in high-school learners’ English vocabulary knowledge. To this end, 120 Iranian male high-school students were divided into three experimental group and one control group. The administration of a 40- item multiple-choice vocabulary test, developed on the vocabularies to-be-instructed during the study period, demonstrated that the four groups were homogeneous in terms of their entry ability level. While all four groups received instruction in vocabulary during one and a half hour per week for six months, PPTs were employed only in the three experimental groups. Specifically, in the first group, the teacher used PPT to teach vocabulary and he exploited students’ assistance in explanation of presentation. In the second group, the students were required to prepare and present PPTs to teach vocabulary. Simultaneously, the teacher helped the students to clarify ambiguities of their presentations. The students in the third group were also demanded to have PPTs; however, the teacher did not provide them with any assistance, clarification, or explanation. Finally, the fourth group which acted as the control group was the one in which the teacher instructed vocabulary in a traditional way without the exploitation of PPT. At the end of the study, the same vocabulary test was administered as a post-test and the results of the statistical analysis indicated that the first and the fourth group significantly outperformed the other two groups

Empowerment of Refugees by Language: Can ESL Learners Affect the Target Culture?

Numerous studies have investigated the changing patterns of immigration, the growth of multicultural-multilingual societies, and the important role of language in identity construction. Unfortunately, the issue of identity construction is affected by a variety of factors such as language learning and acquisition underlying different contexts and cultures, whereas, to some extent, the effects of language attrition and acculturation on the target community have not received the necessary attention. This crisis is defined primarily as the changes that occur in societies as the result of the amalgamation of languages for communication. It has been clearly stated by Kramsch (2008) that language has the potential to affect speakers’ minds and identities. Moreover, immigrants’ liberatory autonomy can empower them to be critical thinkers in new societies (Allwright & Hanks, 2009). This raises the question of how to preserve the distinguishing features of societies from potential cultural and social changes brought about by the people who use languages other than the national language of a country. Further elaboration on the effects of language in empowering immigrants is highly recommended. In this article, given the importance of patterns of immigration underlying second language acquisition and English mainstream education, we discuss the diminishing cultural and linguistic traces of non-English-speaking immigrants as a result of the encouraged loss of their first languages. De nombreuses études se sont penchées sur les tendances changeantes de l’immigration, la croissance des sociétés plurilingues et le rôle important de la langue dans la construction identitaire. Malheureusement, alors que la question de la construction identitaire est affectée par divers facteurs tels l’apprentissage et l’acquisition d’une langue dans différents contextes et différentes cultures, les effets de l’érosion des langues et l’acculturation de la communauté cible n’ont pas reçu toute l’attention voulue. Cette crise se définit principalement par les changements qui ont lieu dans les sociétés en raison de l’amalgamation des langues pour la communication. Kramsch (2008) a affirmé clairement que la langue a le potentiel d’affecter l’esprit et l’identité des locuteurs. De plus, l’autonomie libératoire des immigrants peut les habiliter à penser de manière critique dans les nouvelles sociétés (Hanks & Allwright, 2009). Cela soulève la question à savoir comment préserver les traits distinctifs des sociétés des changements culturels et sociales qui pourraient découler des actions de personnes qui parlent des langues autres que la langue nationale d’un pays. Nous recommandons fortement de poursuivre l’étude des effets du langage sur la responsabilisation des immigrants. Compte tenu de l’importance des tendances de l’immigration sous-jacentes à l’acquisition d’une langue seconde et à l’éducation régulière en anglais, nous discutons de la diminution des traces culturelles et linguistiques des immigrants allophones découlant du manque d’encouragement à préserver leur première langue. 

Test review of Iranian English language proficiency test: MSRT test

Abstract The current article evaluates a national English language proficiency test known as the “MSRT test” which is used to determine the eligibility of candidates for admission to and completion of higher education programs in Iran. Students in all majors take this standardized, high-stake criterion-referenced test to determine if they have obtained the minimum English proficiency level and can be graduated. The present paper seeks to examine the test and its psychometrics characteristics due to the significance of such a high-stakes examination that may have social and long-lasting effects on the participants. It is claimed that the test measures participants’ “knowledge of language” for communication rather than their “knowledge about language” in a constrained context. As a result, the test dimensionality and validity are up for debate. It was found that fundamental revisions in terms of test format and content are required to improve the test quality. The current study examined the areas that are yet unexplored and attempts to describe the MSRT assessment comprehensively

The Cytoplasmic and Periplasmic Expression Levels and Folding of Organophosphorus Hydrolase Enzyme in Escherichia coli

This is an queer theoretical intersectional feminist study about sex workers experiences and the prejudices they face in the Netherlands. Dutch sex workers do no get the same chances and opportunities as other workers in society. So, the overarching research problem of this study is the consequences of certain discourses that confine Dutch sex workers in their lives. The thesis aims that people will critically reflect upon this study and that they will take into account the different discourses and the non-uniformity of sex workers and sex work, in other words, to create awareness and a better understanding of the complex, diverse and various groups of sex workers and the sex industry. This study consists of two research methods: literature review and interview study. The literature review consists of the previous research and the theoretical framework. The theoretical framework presents discourse and stigma as part of respectability. Discourse as systems of thinking, which effects and affects. Also this study presents respectability, in relation to the so-called non-respectable bodies of sex workers and the missing respect and dignity towards sex workers, as well as stigma as part of respectability, as the experience deviant from the normative discourse. The interview study consists of four semi-structured interviews, conducted both online and face-to-face with four Dutch participants. The method thematic content analysis was applied to code the interview transcripts and divide the content into themes and sub-themes. The three main themes are: the discourses around sex work, the consequences of the discourses around sex work and sex work as a form of labour. Under these main themes I present related sub-themes. In the analysis the participants share their stories about the negative attitude from people towards their profession, this negative attitude manifested itself in different ways. According to the participants, this negative attitude, or so-called stigma, confines sex workers in their personal and professional lives

Polyphenol consumption and Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease risk in adults

Abstract In this cross-sectional investigation, the primary objective was to explore the correlation between the consumption of polyphenols and the likelihood of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the adult population participating in the Hoveyzeh cohort. Data from the Hoveyzeh cohort study, part of the Persian Cohort Study, involving 10,009 adults aged 35–70, were analyzed. Exclusions were made for missing data, extreme energy intake, and liver cancer patients. Dietary habits were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and polyphenol intake was calculated using the Phenol Explorer database. Logistic regression analyses, adjusted for confounders, were performed to assess the relationship between polyphenol subclasses (total polyphenols, total flavonoids, phenolic acid, and lignin) and NAFLD. Among 9894 participants, those in the highest quintile of total polyphenol (OR 0.65, CI 0.5–0.84; P = 0.007), phenolic acid (OR 0.67, CI 0.52–0.86; P < 0.001), and lignin intake (OR 0.69, CI 0.52–0.87; P = 0.001) demonstrated lower odds of NAFLD compared to the lowest quintile, even after adjusting for confounding factors. However, no significant association was found between total flavonoid intake and NAFLD (OR 1.26, CI 0.96–1.67; P = 0.47). Subgroup analysis indicated a significant inverse association between total polyphenols and NAFLD in women (OR 0.64, CI 0.42–0.93; P = 0.001). Higher intake of total polyphenols, phenolic acid, and lignin was associated with reduced odds of NAFLD among adults in the Hoveyzeh cohort. This suggests that dietary patterns rich in these polyphenols may play a role in mitigating the risk of NAFLD. Further interventional and longitudinal studies are needed to validate these findings and explore potential preventive strategies involving polyphenol-rich diets