An Evaluation of the Third-Grade High School English Textbook: An Iranian Case Study

Textbooks are packages with different but interrelated parts. Thus, the selection of textbooks necessitates the meticulous consideration of their weakness and strength; otherwise, the process of learning will bear some inefficiency. The present study intends to depict the educational value of the third-grade English Book in Iranian high schools and its significance in the language program. To this end, the study was equipped with questionnaire adopted from Litz (2001) which entailed four parts. This study included only two parts of this questionnaire, student textbook evaluation form and teacher textbook evaluation form. 233 students (91 male and 142 female) majoring math and science on the third grade in different high schools in Ilam and 5 teachers teaching the English book took part in the study. These questionnaires were handed to the students across 5 schools in Ilam and teacher textbook evaluation forms were given to teachers of these schools. The textbook's defects and effectiveness in Iranian pedagogical system were probed in terms of textbook package (practical consideration), layout and design, activities, skills, language type, subject and content and overall consensus. Relatively shocking overall conclusion revealed that only a low number of teachers and students (2.5 and 4.56 percentage respectively) were eager to choose the textbook to study again

The Effect of Conceptual Metaphor on Writing Creativity and Metacognitive Writing Awareness

The present paper examines the theory of conceptual metaphor, using the theoretical framework of the cognitive writing model to improve EFL learners’ writing creativity and metacognitive writing awareness. To that end, 120 male and female EFL Bachelor-of-Arts (BA) students majoring in English language from Foreign Languages Center at Islamic Karaj Azad University in Iran voluntarily participated in this research study. The participants were randomly assigned into two equal groups, with the experimental group receiving the cognitive instruction and the control group the traditional instruction. Using a two-way analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) procedure, the researchers assessed the posttest scores of both groups. The results of the analysis indicated that the experimental group significantly enhanced its scores in the posttest of metacognitive writing strategies and writing creativity compared to the control group. Findings suggest that writing is not drafting and rewriting prefabricated patterns, but it is a recursive and interactive process in which writers attempt to construct meaning and create original ideas using real-life experiences. Findings also imply that conceptual metaphors are powerful literary devices for improving EFL learners’ idea generation, writing creativity, and metacognitive writing awareness which deserve to be taught at universities

Manifestation of Derridian Différance in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

William Shakespeare’s renowned tragedy Hamlet has ascertained itself as a touchstone for students and scholars of English literature. Extrapolating on this play, T.S. Eliot once remarked that, it is the Mona Lisa of Renaissance literature. Like Da Vinci’s painting, Hamlet (the play or the man) is a faulty or flawed work of art. Foregrounding such a literary hypothesis in mind, the present article attempts to clarify that the play’s fault, as claimed by Eliot, is not uprooted in the modern rules of decorum, construction or a reproach against image of a psychic or unaesthetic antagonist, but it is, we believe, in the postmodern concept of Différance which has been so infl uential in the assessment of literature and its values - simply articulated as the dualistic chemistry of objectifying a subjective emotion. The term Différance as a pre-postmodern quality implanted in this play, now seem to have been anachronic for the literary context of the second half of the Renaissance period. However this provides a background for Derridian term Différance which calls upon the innovative perception that differs the common perception about Hamlet.Key words: Hamlet; Flaw; Impersonalize; Dualism; DifféranceRésumé Le fameux tragédie de Hamlet de William Shakespeare est constaté lui-même comme une pierre de touche pour les étudiants et les universitaires de la littérature anglaise. En extrapolant sur ce jeu, Eliot T.S. a déjà fait remarquer que, c’est la Mona Lisa de la littérature de la Renaissance. Comme la peinture de Léonard de Vinci, Le Hamlet (le jeu ou l’homme) est un travail défectueux ou imparfait de l’art. En mettant en avant une telle hypothèse littéraire à l’esprit, le présent article tente de clarifi er que la faute de la pièce, selon Eliot, n’est pas déracinés dans les règles modernes de la bienséance, la construction ou un reproche à l’image d'un antagoniste psychique ou inesthétique, mais il est , nous croyons, dans le concept postmoderne de la différance qui a eu une telle infl uence dans l’évaluation de la littérature et de ses valeurs, vous n’avez qu’à articulé que la chimie dualiste d’objectiver une émotion subjective. La différance terme comme une qualité pré-post-moderne implanté dans cette pièce, semblent maintenant avoir été anachronique dans le contexte littéraire de la seconde moitié de la période de la Renaissance. Cependant, cette offre un arrière-plan pour différance derridienne terme qui fait appel à la perception novatrice qui diffère de la perception commune à propos de Hamlet.Mots clés: Hamlet; Défauts; Impersonalize; Dualisme; Différanc

Antitumor Activity of 6-(cyclohexylamino)-1, 3-dimethyl-5(2-pyridyl)furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione and Its Ti(IV), Zn(II), Fe(III), and Pd(II) Complexes on K562 and Jurkat Cell Lines

(6-(cyclohexylamino)-1,3-dimethyl-5(2-pyridyl)furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione) abbreviated as CDP was synthesized and characterized. Ti(IV), Zn(II), Fe(III), and Pd(II) metal complexes of this ligand are prepared by the reaction of salts of Ti(IV), Zn(II), Fe(III), and Pd(II) with CDP in acetonitrile. Characterization of the ligand and its complexes was made by microanalyses, FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and UV-Visible spectroscopy. All complexes were characterized by several techniques using elemental analysis (C, H, N), FT-IR, electronic spectra, and molar conductance measurements. The elemental analysis data suggest the stoichiometry to be 1:1 [M:L] ratio formation. The molar conductance measurements reveal the presence of 1:1 electrolytic nature complexes. These new complexes showed excellent antitumor activity against two kinds of cancer cells that are K562 (human chronic myeloid leukemia) cells and Jurkat (human T lymphocyte carcinoma) cells

The Effect of Reading Experience on Using Grammar in Writing in Elementary Iranian EFL Students

Research on the effect of reading experience in enhancing writing ability supports the contribution of reading experience to better writing by EFL students. Therefore, the present study aims at investigating the influence of certain teaching methods in the domain of reading comprehension on the development of writing ability. The subjects chosen for the study were twenty female language learners studying at a private Language Institute in Ilam. In which, the subjects were divided into a control group and an experimental group. In the control group, the techniques of paragraph writing were taught and the students were given topics to write paragraphs. In the experimental group, besides the teaching of techniques, students were provided with extra reading materials. The data was collected on the topic of a paragraph that students of both groups wrote at home in the seventh session. Data analysis was done through utilizing a t-test. The results of the analysis revealed that reading experience had no effect on students' writing at this level

The Effect of Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Content-based Language Teaching (CBLT) on the Iranian Intermediate ESP Learners’ Reading Comprehension

AbstractThe present study investigated the impact of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Content-Based Language Teaching (CBLT) on reading comprehension of the Iranian intermediate ESP learners. There were two groups of thirty participants in the current research: a control group (CBLT) and an experimental group (TBLT). They were chosen randomly from the students of Islamic Azad University majoring in accounting. The subjects were given a reading comprehension pre-test (reading section of TOEFL) in order to make them homogeneous regarding EFL reading comprehension at the outset. Then, in group A, reading comprehension was taught to the subjects based on the principles of TBLT. However, in group B, reading comprehension was taught to the students through CBLT. The researcher used independent samples t-test and paired samples t-test to analyze the collected data. The data analysis using paired samples t-test showed that teaching reading comprehension in both group was influential. The data analysis using independent samples t-test revealed that the subjects in TBLT group performed better on the reading comprehension post-test than CBLT group. It means that TBLT has been more effective than CBLT in teaching reading comprehension to Iranian ESP learners. Some justifications for this priority were discussed in the final section of the paper

The Relationship Between Musical Intelligence And Foreign Language Learning: The Case of Iranian Learners of English

This study examined the relationship between musical intelligence and foreign language learning. First, it will focus on the relationship between music and language and potential advantages of inclusion of music in teaching and learning a foreign language. Second, it will present the result of the study of Persian learners of English by the age of 15 to 18. The result of study suggests that musical intelligence significantly correlates with learning foreign language and it may facilitate learning of foreign languages.

Investigating the EFL and ESP Students and Teachers’ Perception to the English Curriculum at Afghanistan Universities

This article examined the effectiveness of the EFL and ESP curricula in Afghanistan universities. Specifically, it provided an overview of the current state of English programs and learners' and instructors’ feedback on their learning and expectations. The data was collected via survey questionnaires and interviews with three groups of people. The first group is 300 Afghan EFL and ESP learners and instructors from seven different state universities of different provinces in Afghanistan who took part in this study. These universities include Nangarhar, Kandahar, Herat, Sayed Jamaluddin Afghan, Shaikh Zayed, Balkh and Kabul Education Universities. The second group is the university authorities and officials of the Ministry of Higher Education who participated in this survey. The third group of the participant is 20 EFL and ESP learners and instructors and 10 EFL and ESP curriculum planners. For the purpose of collecting data, a well-developed questionnaire was created. The collected data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 23). The result revealed that the participants had a somehow positive attitude toward teaching and learning English as a foreign language. Also, it suggested that the students, as well as their instructors, have a low degree of a positive attitude toward the teaching system and curriculum

Detection of CYP2C18 m1, and m2 Alleles within an Iranian Population (Mazandaran) Using Denaturing High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (DHPLC)

Background: Genetic polymorphisms of cytochrome p450 in humans are the main cause of differences in the metabolism. The allele and genotype frequencies of CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 have been studied in some Iranian populations. The aim of present study was to examine the frequencies of CYP2C18m1, and CYP2C18m2, alleles in the Mazandarani ethnic group among Iranian Population. Materials and Methods: In this study, genomic DNA was extracted from leucocytes of one hundred unrelated healthy volunteers. The prevalence of the common variants CYP2C18 m1 and m2 alleles were studied by using high fidelity polymerase chain reaction (HF-PCR) - DHPLC methods. Results: The frequency of CYP2C18 m1 and m2 alleles were 0.0% and 3.0%, respectively. CYP2C18 genotypes wt/wt, wt/m1, wt/m2, m1/m1, m1/m2, and m2/m2 frequencies were 97 %, 0.0 %, 3.0%, 0.0 %, 0.0%, and 0.0%, respectively. Conclusion: The result of the current study shows that impaired CYP2C18 activity in 03% of our sample population may decrease extra hepatic metabolism of some important drugs such as Phenytoin. It may also affect transdemal delivery of drug substrate for this isoenzyme