Returning to our SELF, Cultivating Transformative Learning: Rumi’s Stories in English Classes

English globalization intermingled with cultural and linguistic imperialism encompasses hegemonic influences, endeavoring to stealthily spread ideologies and values of the West into local cultures.   English Language Teaching (ELT) contexts are academic spheres in which such domineering forces are tangibly conceived as the curriculum and English materials can become footpaths of this monopoly whereby students and teachers (sub) consciously capitulate to oppressive colonization. However, a focus on nurturing and promoting local enriching cultures and classical literature can be a step which counterbalances such furtive movements and releases students’ nomadic potentiality in learning. As such, in this participatory action research, the researcher attempts to transcend the confines of top-down imposed curricula and embrace a non-linear curriculum inspired by Rumi’s stories and philosophies. The participants involved 18 female English learners of a private language institute at advanced level who for three semesters participated in this transformative journey.  Thematic analysis of triangulated data gathered through participant observation, semi-structured interview, field notes, and journaling unveiled themes illuminating students’ de-marginalization from governing ideologies, their roles as insiders within the curriculum, evolution of morality, spirituality, and wisdom, and critical awareness and reflective thinking growth

Iranian EFL Teachers’ Voices on the Pedagogy of Word and World

Critical pedagogy (CP) with the eventual aim of creating changes in society towards the socially just world rests upon the premise that language learning is understood as a sociopolitical event. Schools and classrooms are not merely seen as the neutral and apolitical sites or oxymoron of transmitting taken-for-granted knowledge and common sense to students but rather as the political and democratic sites in which teachers, through praxis-oriented activities, furnish opportunities for students to critically question oppressive systems, hierarchies, and sociopolitical inequalities. Through the connection of word to the world, or the relationship between classroom learning and students’ lived experiences and worlds, teachers can create social transformation and empowerment in the marginalized students’ lives. However, teachers as the transformative intellectuals can facilitate this transformative process only if they are equipped with the critical theories, theoretical underpinnings and practical implications of CP. A brief look at the CP literature reveals that most of the researches center on its theories and conceptual dimensions without presenting any pragmatic discourse or practical realizations to critical pedagogues. In fact, this study intends to investigate the problems, concerns, and frustrations that Iranian EFL teachers encounter while enacting this alternative pedagogy. So, the researchers adopted purposive sampling to choose thirty-four EFL teachers from private English language institutes in Tehran, Yazd and Shiraz, Iran; and focused interview as the appropriate data gathering instrument of qualitative research. Finally, the researchers unearthed the relevant themes concerning the practical dimensions as the supplementary components of CP in EFL context of Iran

Recasts in Language Classroom Discourse: A Comparison between Two Iranian EFL Classrooms

Recasts as a type of implicit feedback have been under the focus of extensive investigation in the field of SLA for many years. Thus far, a large number of studies scrutinized ineffectiveness or benefits of recasts but few of them have attempted to investigate this issue through making a comparison between two language classrooms which differ with respect to the cognitive maturity of learners. Accordingly, this study aims at exploring the distribution and frequency of recasts and their relationship with other Corrective Feedback (CF) techniques as well as students’ uptake and repair in adult and adolescent contexts. Twenty male/female adults and eighteen adolescents at the same level of English language proficiency from two classrooms in a private language institute in Yazd, Iran participated in the research. To collect accurate data, audio-recording was used by the teacher who taught both of English classes. Then, all the recorded data were transcribed and coded for each classroom. The data analysis showed that recasts in comparison to other types of CF were the most frequent technique used by the teacher in both classrooms mostly leading to topic continuation. In adolescent classroom, students’ repair in response to recasts included self-repair and repetition which resembled the patterns found in adult context. However, acknowledgment was regarded as the most favorite technique used by the adolescent learner. Another finding was the teacher’s use of recasts in combination with other CF techniques in both classrooms but the use of the combined forms in adolescent discourse was higher than that of adult classroom

Una exploración de la Percepción de los Profesores Iraníes de EFL sobre la Globalización y la Hegemonía del Inglés

Globalization as an increasingly influencing force has led English language to become the lingua franca of the world. However, the global spread of English is considered as linguistic and cultural imperialism of English speaking countries to exert their dominance, power, culture, ideology and language over the periphery countries. The devastating consequence of this hegemony, according to Canagarajah (2005) can be putting learners in danger of losing their languages, cultures, and identities, giving rise to the devaluation of their local knowledge and cultures. Here, the researchers administ interview to explore thirty-seven experienced Iranian EFL teachers’ (18males/19females) perceptions on English globalization and its hegemony, who were selected based on purposive sampling. The researchers’ adoption of Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) constant comparative method revealed that although Iranian English teachers admitted globalization as an inevitable reality and English language as a tool in the service of globalization to smooth communication among people, they took up a counter-hegemonic stance and resistance towards the values associated with its use. They also suggested some anti-hegemonic strategies to de-colonize the power, culture, values, and ideologies of the West which tries to marginalize other countries and people.La globalización, como una fuerza influyente, ha llevado al idioma inglés a convertirse en la lengua franca del mundo. Sin embargo, la difusión mundial del inglés es considerada como el imperialismo lingüístico y cultural de los países de habla inglesa para ejercer su dominio, poder, cultura, ideología y lenguaje en los países de la periferia. La consecuencia devastadora de esta hegemonía, según Canagarajah (2005) puede poner a los estudiantes en peligro de perder sus lenguas, culturas e identidades, dando lugar a la devaluación de sus conocimientos y culturas locales. A continuación, los investigadores realizaron entrevistas, para explorar la percepción acerca de la globalización y hegemonía del inglés, a treinta y siete experimentados maestros iraníes de EFL (18varones/19mujeres), seleccionados a través de un muestreo intencional. Los investigadores, adoptaron el método comparativo constante de Strauss y Corbin (1998) el cuál reveló que aunque los profesores iraníes de inglés admitieron la globalización como una realidad inevitable y el idioma inglés como una herramienta al servicio de la globalización para suavizar la comunicación entre las personas, ellos tomaron una postura contra-hegemónica hacia los valores asociados con su uso. También sugirieron algunas estrategias anti-hegemónicas a descolonizar el poder, cultura, valores e ideologías de Occidente que tratan de marginar a otros países y personas

Characteristics of Methadone Intoxicated Children Presenting to Emergency Department; a Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: Each year a large number of patients present to emergency departments (EDs) following accidental or intentional poisoning with methadone. This study was designed with the aim of demographic evaluation of methadone poisoning in children presenting to ED and proposing preventive measures to parents and the healthcare system. Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out on children under the age of 12 years presenting to ED of a poisoning referral center. Demographic characteristics of the child and parents, cause of poisoning, form of drug consumed, dose consumed, the symptoms of the child on admission, clinical examination, laboratory findings, and final outcome were recorded and reported using descriptive statistics. Results: 179 cases were studied (59.2% boys). Cause of consumption was accidental in 175 (97.8%) cases and consumed drug dose was unknown in 53 (53.6%) cases. On admission 6 cases were in deep coma, 133 (74.3%) had miotic pupils, and 52 (29.1%) were affected with respiratory apnea and cyanosis. In 132 (73.8%) cases drugs were obtained from unapproved stores and form of drug consumed was syrup in 146 (81.6%) cases. 177 (98.9%) cases were discharged after 2 or3 days and 2 (1.1%) cases died. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, most cases of methadone poisoning were accidental, in children residing in poor and middle-class areas, with parents who had a low level of education and had obtained the drug from unapproved stores and stored it in improper containers or at improper places. Only 64.8% of the parents were educated regarding drug storage

Identification of the Chromophores in Prussian blue

Prussian blue was the world's first synthetic dye. Its structural, optical and magnetic properties have led to many applications in technology and medicine, and provide paradigms for understanding coordination polymers, framework materials and mixed-valence compounds. The intense red absorption of Prussian blue that characterises chemical and physical properties critical to many of these applications is now shown to arise from localised intervalence charge transfer transitions within two chromophoric variants (ligand isomers) of an idealised "dimer" fragment {(NC)5FeII}(mu-CN){FeIII(NC)3(H2O)2}. This fragment is only available in modern interpretations of the material's crystal structure, with the traditional motif {(NC)5FeII}(mu-CN){FeIII(NC)5} shown not to facilitate visible absorption. Essential to the analysis is the demonstration, obtained independently using absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopies, that spectra of Prussian blues are strongly influenced by particle size and (subsequent) light scattering. These interpretations are guided and supported by density functional theory calculations (CAM-B3LYP), supplemented by coupled cluster and Bethe-Salpeter spectral simulations, as well as electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of Prussian blue and a model molecular dimeric ion [Fe2(CN)11]6-

DFNB59 gene mutations screening in non syndromic deaf subjects in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province

زمینه و هدف: وقوع ناشنوایی پیش زبانی حدود 1 در 1000 تولد است که بیش از 60 موارد آن ارثی هستند. ناشنوایی اختلالی هتروژن محسوب می شود و ممکن است به علل محیطی، ژنتیکی یا هر دو رخ دهد. اخیراً جهش های ژن DFNB59 که رمز کننده پروتئین پژواکین است به عنوان عامل ناشنوایی نوع عصبی معرفی شده اند. این مطالعه با هدف بررسی نوع و فراوانی جهش های ژن DFNB59 در 100 ناشنوای غیرسندرومی، در استان چهارمحال و بختیاری انجام شد. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی- آزمایشگاهی، فراوانی جهش های ژنDFNB59 در کل اگزون های کد کننده این ژن بررسی گردید. DNA از نمونه های خون محیطی به روش استاندارد فنل کلروفرم استخراج شد. وجود جهش های DFNB59 با روش غربالگری /Heteroduplex Analysis (HA) PCR- SSCP بررسی گردید. سپس جهش های مشاهده شده در اگزون های 2 و 4 با استفاده از روش PCR- RFlP اگزون شماره 6 با استفاده ار تکنیک Nested PCR و اگزون شماره 7 به کمک تعیین توالی تایید گردید. یافته ها: در این تحقیق 3 نوع پلی مورفیسم ژنی (793C>T 793C>G و 874G>A) و یک نوع جهش 988delG به ترتیب با فراوانی 7، 5، 2 و 1 شناسایی شد. نتیجه گیری: مطالعه حاضر و تحقیقات قبلی حاکی از نقش اندک جهش های ژن پژواکین در ایجاد ناشنوایی در استان چهارمحال و بختیاری است و نتیجه اینکه از نظر بالینی جهش های ژن DFNB59 اهمیت چندانی در این منطقه ندارند

Returning to our SELF, Cultivating Transformative Learning: Rumi’s Stories in English Classes

English globalization intermingled with cultural and linguistic imperialism encompasses hegemonic influences, endeavoring to stealthily spread ideologies and values of the West into local cultures.   English Language Teaching (ELT) contexts are academic spheres in which such domineering forces are tangibly conceived as the curriculum and English materials can become footpaths of this monopoly whereby students and teachers (sub) consciously capitulate to oppressive colonization. However, a focus on nurturing and promoting local enriching cultures and classical literature can be a step which counterbalances such furtive movements and releases students’ nomadic potentiality in learning. As such, in this participatory action research, the researcher attempts to transcend the confines of top-down imposed curricula and embrace a non-linear curriculum inspired by Rumi’s stories and philosophies. The participants involved 18 female English learners of a private language institute at advanced level who for three semesters participated in this transformative journey.  Thematic analysis of triangulated data gathered through participant observation, semi-structured interview, field notes, and journaling unveiled themes illuminating students’ de-marginalization from governing ideologies, their roles as insiders within the curriculum, evolution of morality, spirituality, and wisdom, and critical awareness and reflective thinking growth.La globalización inglesa mezclada con el imperialismo cultural y lingüístico abarca influencias hegemónicas y se esfuerza por difundir sigilosamente las ideologías y valores de Occidente en las culturas locales. Los contextos de enseñanza de la lengua inglesa (ELT, por sus siglas en inglés) son ámbitos académicos en los que tales fuerzas se conciben de manera tangible ya que el plan de estudios y los materiales en inglés pueden convertirse en senderos de este monopolio por el cual los estudiantes y los maestros capitulan (sub)conscientemente a la colonización opresiva. Sin embargo, fomentar culturas locales y literatura clásica puede ser un paso que contrarresta tales movimientos furtivos y libera la potencialidad de los estudiantes en el aprendizaje. Como tal, en esta investigación de acción participativa, el investigador intenta trascender los planes de estudio impuestos de arriba hacia abajo y adoptar un plan de estudios no lineal inspirado en las historias y filosofías de Rumi. Las participantes fueron 18 mujeres aprendices de inglés. El análisis temático de los datos recopilados a través de la observación participante, la entrevista semiestructurada, las notas de campo y los diarios revelaron temas como la marginación de los estudiantes de las ideologías gobernantes, sus roles como expertos dentro del plan de estudios, la evolución de la moral, la espiritualidad y la sabiduría, y conciencia crítica y crecimiento del pensamiento reflexivo

Iranian EFL Teache rs’ Challe nges with the New ELT Program after the Reform: From Dream to Reality

In each country, progress in education plays a significant role in human development, socio-economic growth, equal opportunities, accessibility of skillful human power, more welfare, and political stability (Rena, 2008). This view has led policy makers around the world to enormously invest in education (Rena, 2011) and make any attempt to create basic changes in the texture of education for further prosperity. Thus, to drive in this path, educational transformations and reform in curriculum are required to reflect the changes in educational theories and praxis of the modern world (Fterniati, 2006)