The Effects of ESA Elements on Speaking Ability of Intermediate EFL Learners: A Task-based Approach

In the history of language teaching, speaking has been the main point of interest for many researchers due to the fact that it is the first and foremost important skill by which learners are judged and needs instruction. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the development and implementation of teaching-learning techniques through the utilization of three engage, study and activate (ESA) elements involved in teaching of tasks in improving intermediate EFL learners’ speaking skills. In the current study, two intact groups of 15 participants were involved: the control group receiving regular instruction and experimental group receiving instruction through utilization of three ESA elements involved in teaching of tasks. Subjects were chosen from Chabahar Maritime University majoring in translation studies. The subjects were given a TOEFL proficiency test before the study to ensure that both are at the intermediate level of study at the outset. Then, both groups were given an FCE pretest of speaking to ensure both groups equivalence and homogeneity. After that, the control group was taught using audio-lingual method of teaching and the experimental group was taught by the utilization of ESA elements involved in teaching of speaking tasks. Finally, a posttest of speaking was administered to both groups to assess their speaking ability at the end of the study. The data analysis using independent samples t-test revealed that the subjects in the experimental group outperformed on mastering their speaking skills post-test compared with the control group

The Efficacy of Novel Pre-activity Tasks on Macroskills: The Case of Group Discussion on Reading Comprehension

The main concern of most researchers in the field of second and foreign language teaching is lessening the problems and eliminating the hinders on the way of learning a language. The importance of reading skill in the process of teaching and learning different languages is undeniable for everyone. The main aim of this study was to examine the effects of group discussion strategy as a pre- activity task on reading ability. To this aim, 27 Iranian EFL learners, who were at the same level –intermediate- studying at Shokuh and Safir Institutes, Birjand, Iran were chosen. Two groups- one control and one experimental group- were studied. In control group the conventional method was used in teaching reading, while in experimental group, group discussion pre-activity task was administered. Both groups met the same level -Intermediate. At the end, the obtained data of the tests was analyzed by SPSS software. According to the obtained data, it can be strongly concluded that group discussion has no significant effect on reading comprehension. This study can help teachers and syllabus designers in choosing and applying an effective pre-activity task which really help the learners in reading classes

An Experimental Study on the Impact(s) of Emotional Intelligence Enhancement on Answering Cloze Test among Iranian University Students

The current study was after investigating the tentative link(s) between enhancing Emotional Intelligence (EI) and progress in performance in cloze test among Iranian university students. For this purpose, 39 students in treatment and control group completed the "Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire" and answered a cloze test as pre-test; afterwards, they received instructions on EQ and strategies to enhance it. At the end of the course, the same cloze test was administered as post-test. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-test. The analysis of the data revealed that there is a significant difference in the progress of students' score in cloze test in two groups. The results help understand how students’ emotional intelligence enhancement influences cloze test scores and also possibly in a broader scale, testing

COMPUTER ADAPTIVE TESTING (CAT) DESIGN; TESTING ALGORITHM AND ADMINISTRATION MODE INVESTIGATION

Since the advent of technology to transform education, the use of computer technology has pervaded many areas of fields of study such as language learning and testing. Chapelle (2010) distinguishes three main motives for using technology in language testing: efficiency, equivalence and innovation. Computer as a frequently used technological tool has been widely inspected in the field of language assessment and testing. Compute-adaptive language test (CALT) is a subtype and subtest of computer-assisted language test because it is administered at computer terminal or on personal computer. The issue that currently needs more attention and prompt investigation of researchers is to study the testing mode and paradigm effects on comparability and equivalency of the data obtained from two modes of presentation, i.e. traditional paper-and-pencil (PPT) and computerized tests. To establish comparability and equivalency of computerized test with its paper-and-pencil counterpart is of importance and critical. Then, in this study, the researcher indicate that in order to replace computer-adaptive test with conventional paper-and-pencil one, we need to prove that these two versions of test are comparable, in other words the validity and reliability of computerized counterpart are not violated.  Article visualizations

TRANSITIONING TO AN ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT: COMPUTER-BASED TESTING AND KEY FACTORS RELATED TO TESTING MODE

Computer-Based Testing (CBT) is becoming widespread due to its many identified positive merits including productive item development, flexible delivery testing mode, existence of self-selection options for test takers, immediate feedback, results management, standard setting and so on. Transitioning to CBT raised the concern over the effects of testing administration mode on test takers’ scores compared to Paper-and-Pencil-Based testing. In this comparability study, we compared the effects of two different media (CBT vs. PPT) by investigating the score comparability of General English test taken by Iranian graduate students studying at Chabahar Maritime University to see whether test scores obtained from two testing modes were different. To achieve this goal, two versions of the same test were administered to 100 intermediate-level test takers organized in one testing group in two separate testing occasions. Using paired sample t-test to compare the means, the findings revealed the priority of CBT over PPT with .01 degree of difference at p<05. Utilizing ANOVA, the results indicated that two prior computer familiarity and attitudes external moderator factors had no significant effect on test takers’ CBT scores. Furthermore, according to the results, the greatest percentage of test takers preferred test features presented on computerized version of the test.  Article visualizations

Investigating the Role of Experience in Reflective Practice of Iranian Language Teachers

The emergence of reflective thinking in humanities touched the field of language teaching deeply. Language teaching in EFL contexts was not far from this effect, where reflection on teaching has gained a lot of attention and research in the last decade. To bring to light the different dimensions of reflective thinking in language teaching, the current study was an attempt to examine the effects of years of professional experience on practicing reflective teaching in Iranian context. To this aim, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was adopted including 29 items investigating five different dimensions of reflective teaching including practical, cognitive, affective, meta-cognitive, and critical dimensions. As our subjects, 62 EFL teachers participated in this study with 1 to 26 years of professional experience who were classified in 5 different experience groups. The results of the study showed no significant difference among 5 experience groups of teachers in their commitment to reflective practice in language classrooms

Langerian mindfulness and language learning

In the current article, the tenets of Langerian mindfulness and the principles of the main approaches towards language learning, that is, the environmentalist, innatist, and interactionist approaches will be reviewed and discussed. Through this review, we show what commonalities exist between the two sides of the study (i.e., mindfulness theory and language learning) and how mindfulness theory can cooperate in and facilitate the language learning process

A Comparative Study of Cohesive Device Usage in Paragraph Writing Among EFL Learners in Flipped, Blended, and Face-to-Face Learning Environments

The use of educational technology (Ed-Tech) and the Internet in acquiring foreign language skills has led to an increased interest in alternative teaching strategies such as flipped and blended learning. This study investigates the effects of flipped, blended, and traditional face-to-face teaching methods on the utilization of cohesive devices in paragraph writing among EFL learners. From a pool of 110 junior EFL students, 90 participants were selected. Afterwards, they were randomly divided into three groups: flipped, blended, or face-to-face. To evaluate their paragraph writing abilities, a pretest was conducted prior to the treatment. The first comparative group received instruction using the flipped teaching method, while the second group experienced a blended learning environment (combining face-to-face and online classes). The control group received traditional face-to-face instruction. Following the treatment sessions, all groups completed a posttest on paragraph writing. The findings indicated that both the flipped and blended groups demonstrated significantly better performance compared to the control group. These results provide valuable insights for EFL teachers, curriculum designers, and learners

Comparability of Computer-Based Testing and Paper-Based Testing: Testing Mode Effect, Testing Mode Order, Computer Attitudes and Testing Mode preference

With promulgation of computer technology in educational testing, computerized testing (henceforth CBT) as green computing strategy is gaining popularity due to its advantages such as effective administration, flexible scheduling and immediate feedback over its conventional paper-based testing (henceforth PBT). Since some testing programs have begun to offer both versions of a test simultaneously, the effectiveness of CBT is queried by some scholars. Regarding to this aim, this study investigated the score equivalency of a test taken by 228 Iranian undergraduate students studying at a state university located in Chabahar region of Iran to see whether scores of two administrations of testing mode were equivalent. Then, two versions of the test were administered to the participants of two testing groups on four testing occasions in a counter balanced administration sequence with four weeks interval. One-Way ANOVA and Pearson Correlation tests were used to compare the mean scores and to find the relationship of testing order, computer attitudes and testing mode preference with testing performance. Findings of the study revealed that the scores of test takers were not different in both modes and the moderator variables were not considered external factors that might affect students’ performance on CBT.