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Kazeminasab F. ,
Mahboobi M.H. ,
Mohebinejad M. ,
Nojoumi M. ,
Belyani S. ,
Camera, D.M. ,
Moradi S. ,
Bagheri, R. ,
Yalsharzeh, R. ,
Barati, H. ,
Hesabi, A. Current Developments in Nutrition (24752991) (4)pp. 108-122
Background: The growing prevalence of obesity and related chronic diseases has led to increased interest in interventions targeting ectopic fat reduction to which its accumulation is linked to metabolic dysfunction. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of combined exercise training combined with dietary interventions compared with dietary interventions alone on ectopic fat [visceral fat area (VFA), liver fat, intramuscular fat (IMF), pancreatic fat, renal sinus fat, and pericardial and epicardial fats] in adults with overweight and obesity, both with and without chronic diseases. Methods: Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed were searched for original articles up to 1 March, 2024, that included exercise compared with control interventions on body weight and ectopic fat in adults with overweight or obesity. Weighted mean differences (WMD) for body weight, liver fat, pancreatic fat, and renal sinus fat and standardized mean differences (SMD) for VFA, IMF, pericardial and epicardial fats, and 95% confidence intervals were determined using random-effects models. Results: Thirty-two studies, including 1488 participants and 38 intervention groups, met the inclusion criteria. The combined intervention of exercise and diet did not reduce body weight (WMD = –0.23 kg, P = 0.180), liver fat (WMD = 0.05%, P = 0.730), IMF (SMD = –0.08, P = 0.640), pericardial and epicardial fats (SMD = –0.12, P = 0.280), pancreatic fat (WMD = –0.24%, P = 0.370), and renal sinus fat (WMD = 0.01 cm2, P = 0.170) when compared with a diet-only group. Interestingly, exercise combined with diet significantly reduced VFA in participants with obesity (SMD = –0.12, P = 0.040) and healthy males (SMD = –0.33, P = 0.001) when compared with a diet-only group. Conclusions: The findings suggest that combined exercise and dietary interventions did not lead to significant reductions in most ectopic fat depots when compared with diet alone. However, a modest reduction in VFA was observed in participants with obesity and healthy males. These results highlight the nuanced impact of exercise in combination with dietary interventions and the need to consider specific fat depots and participant characteristics in obesity management strategies. The trial was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42024546770. © 2025 The Author(s)
International Journal of Language Testing (24765880) 13(2)pp. 38-55
The present study investigates the efficacy of preparation time in four speaking tasks of TOEFL iBT. As the current pre-task planning time offered by ETS is very short, 15 to 30 seconds, we intended to explore how the test-takers’ speaking quality would change if the preparation time was added to the response time, giving the respondents a relatively longer online planning opportunity. To this aim, two groups of TOEFL iBT candidates were studied under pre-task and online planning conditions. Totally, 384 elicited speaking samples were first transcribed and then measured in terms of complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF). The results yielded by a series of One-way MANOVA revealed the online planning group significantly outperformed the pre-task planning group in terms of accuracy and fluency across all four speaking tasks. Although with less robustness, the online planners had significantly higher speech complexity represented by lexical diversity and left-embeddedness. The results obtained through this study may challenge the efficacy of the currently provided preparation time in TOEFL iBT speaking subsection. ©FFC 2023.
English Text Construction (18748767) 13(1)pp. 84-107
This study aims to determine the linguistic and discoursal differences in essays produced by Iranian test-takers of TOEFL-iBT in response to integrated and independent writing tasks. A sample of 40 essays, written by 20 Iranian test-takers of scored integrated and independent writing tasks, was compared and analyzed in terms of the four latent constructs of text easability (fourteen variables), cohesion (nine variables), lexical sophistication (nineteen variables), and syntactic complexity (six variables), using the Coh-Metrix 3.0 program. Results indicate differences in the linguistic and discoursal features of integrated and independent writing tasks. The findings reveal that the scores on writing tasks of EFL test-takers can be anchored empirically through the analysis of some discourse qualities like cohesion. Independent tasks contain more connectives and particles so they can result in better discourse structure organization and the generation of more cohesive devices. Stakeholders of the test should verify test constructs in terms of particular contexts like EFL and communicative views of language proficiency. Consequently, the findings contribute to the ongoing validity argument on TOEFL-iBT writing tasks for designing and interpreting scoring schemes for the writing component of the test. © John Benjamins Publishing Company
Language Testing in Asia (22290443) 10(1)
The present study reports the process of development and validation of a rating scale in the Iranian EFL academic writing assessment context. To achieve this goal, the study was conducted in three distinct phases. Early in the study, the researcher interviewed a number of raters in different universities. Next, a questionnaire was developed based on the results of the interview along with the related literature. Later, the questionnaire was sent to thirty experienced raters from ten major state universities in Iran. Results of the country-wide survey in this phase showed that there was no objective scale in use by the raters in the context. Therefore, in the second development phase of the study, fifteen of the raters who participated in the first phase were asked to verbalize their thoughts when each rating five essays. At the end of this phase, a first draft of the scale was developed. Finally, in the last validation phase of the study, ten raters were asked to each rate a body of twenty essays using the newly developed scale. Next, eight of the raters participated in a follow-up retrospective interview. The analysis of the raters’ performance using FACETS showed high profile of reliability and validity for the new scale. In addition, while the qualitative findings of the interviews counted some problems with the structure of the scale, on the whole, the findings showed that the introduction of the scale was well-received by the raters. The pedagogical implications of the study will be discussed. In addition, the study calls for further validation of the scale in the context. © 2020, The Author(s).
3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature (01285157) 25(4)pp. 121-137
This is a report on a qualitative research in relation to the development of translation competence (TC) in academia. The study aimed to map out the cognitive processes involved in problem-solving and provide a picture of the development of strategic TC and translation-notion in translation learners. A group of 20 Iranian students volunteered to take part in a think-aloud study. The participants were divided into four groups of G1 (pretranslational), G3 (early translational), G5 and G7 (translational), based on the number of semesters of language and translation training they had received. The ecological validity was established by availing the participants of any sources of documentation they preferred to use. The verbalisations of the participants were recorded and then transcribed into think-aloud protocols (TAPs). The analysis of TAPs revealed that students activated various configurations of decision-making processes and resourcing methods, and exhibit different conceptions of the notion-of-translation at different stages of TC development. The study also showed that the portrait of TC development featured strong reliance on automatised cognitive processes at pre-translational stage and increased evaluative processes, coupled with higher chances of success, at translational stage. The findings proved that the development of TC did not follow an incremental trajectory. They further indicated that the translation programmes as offered in universities tend to boost evaluative reflections on and conscious awareness of the translation process at the cost of decreasing the unconscious automatised processes. This suggests that from a process-oriented perspective, translation programmes do not seem to prepare the learners for translation-market requirements. © 2019 Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All rights reserved.
Journal of Asia TEFL (17383102) 16(2)pp. 499-515
This study investigated the differential effects of focus-on-form (FonF: explicit instruction followed by focused tasks) and focus-on-forms (FonFS: explicit instruction followed by controlled exercises) on learning English lax vowels (i.e., /ɪ/, /ʊ/, /ʌ/) by Persian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. To this end, 48 learners took a voluntary 6-hour course: the experimental group (n = 17) received FonF, the comparison group (n = 16) received FonFS, and the control group (n = 15) engaged in theme-based discussions with no focus on the target vowels. Learners’ pronunciations were elicited in controlled read-aloud and spontaneous picture description tasks and acoustically measured for phonetic accuracy based on tongue positions (i.e., formant 1 [F1] for the height and formant 2 [F2] for the backness of the tongue). Results revealed that whereas both instructional types significantly improved learners’ phonetic accuracy (i.e., adjusting F1/F2 values) in the controlled task, only the FonF methodology proved effective in the spontaneous task with large effects in the delayed posttest. The control group revealed no improvement in any tasks. Overall, the results show that FonF instruction may offer substantial benefits to EFL learners to have more accurate pronunciations in EFL speech. The paper concludes with the pedagogical implications of the findings. © 2004 AsiaTEFL.org. All rights reserved.
Meta (Canada) (14921421) 64(1)pp. 103-124
This study uses narrative theory and the concept of narrative framing, as elaborated by Somers and Gibson (1994) and Baker (2006), to study the paratextual mediation and discursive presence of different agents in Persian translations of political texts written by Western authors about the Iran-Iraq war. By exploring the narratives dominant in the paratexts, and more specifically in the prefaces and footnotes of Persian translations, this paper examines how these have played a crucial role in reframing the narratives of Western authors through paratextual material. To this end, the narratives in the paratexts have been analyzed using four framing techniques elaborated by Somers and Gibson (1994) and Baker (2006), which are framing by temporality/spatiality, selective appropriation, labeling and participant positioning. The analysis of paratextual material shows that, apart from their introductory and explanatory functions, paratexts can be viewed as a kind of metadiscourse on the actual translations. The paper concludes that paratexts in the Persian translations are used in political and ideological ways to guide target language readers and to express the appropriate interpretations, or deemed appropriate, by the various institutional participants involved in the translation process in Iran. © 2019 Presses de l'Universite de Montreal. All rights reserved.
Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism (20687729) 9(2)pp. 248-254
The current study was an attempt to investigate whether the current textbooks applied in English for Tourism Management courses complied with the standards of such texts in the world-leading universities. In addition, it explored the instructors’ and students’ needs in relation to the quality of the texts. To this end, 5 instructors and 61 students of Tourism Management from four universities were selected. Two questionnaires were administered among the participants in the study. The obtained data were analysed through descriptive and content analysis. The findings revealed that current texts were in line with the standards of the world-leading universities. Concerning the second question, the instructors’ and students’ needs were clarified and discussed. Suggestions for further research were also reported. © 2018. ASERS Publishing. All rights reserved.
3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature (01285157) 24(1)pp. 112-127
The effects of focusing second/foreign language (L2) learners' attentions on phonological forms while communicating in meaningful discourse has recently attracted attention in L2 pronunciation research. One such treatment is focus-on-form (FonF) instruction wherein L2 learners practice and notice pronunciation features in communicative tasks rather than in decontextualized exercises and drills (i.e., focus-on-forms [FonFS]). Given this, the current study investigated the differential effects of FonF and FonFS instructions on improving Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' pronunciation of the most problematic English consonants. After identifying the problematic English consonants (i.e., /θ/, /d/, /w/, /η/) via remedial and expert judgment approaches, 45 pre-intermediate learners embarked on an 8-hour course. The experimental group received FonF, the comparison group received FonFS, and the control group had a free conversation class minus any feedback on the target consonants. Learners' pronunciations were measured in terms of phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility in controlled and spontaneous tasks. The results of immediate and delayed post-test for phonemic accuracy revealed that whereas both FonF and FonFS were equally effective in controlled tasks, only FonF instruction proved effective up to the delayed post-test in spontaneous tasks; no such improvements, however, were observed for the control group. Results also showed that improvements in phonemic accuracy led to overall comprehensibility enhancements in EFL learners' speech. The article concludes with some pedagogical implications of the findings. © 2018 Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All Rights Reserved.
Language Related Research (23223081) 8(6)pp. 137-160
Motivation for learning a new language does not have an all-or-none impact. It is gradually formed and fluctuated over time and on each timescale has varying levels of influence on a person’s endeavor to learn a language. At the present time, scholars claim that throughout the Second Language Development (SLD) different timescales interact with each other and this interaction is nonlinear, complex and dynamic in nature (de Bot, 2015). The present study attempted to investigate the motivational dynamics of a group of language learners in longer timescales composed of a number of tasks performed on shorter timescales. Moreover, it scrutinized the participants’ potential attribution for the variation in their motivational intensity. Ten participants were interviewed at the onset, while performing tasks and at the end of the course to better picture the interplay of different motivational themes over time. The findings confirmed temporal variation in participants’ motivation. Moreover, the data revealed the fact that motivational themes were not equally effective over the course and during task performance. External incentives and desired L2 proficiency as two major initial motivational factors, for instance, were gradually replaced by internal incentives and L2 learning enjoyment over the semester. However, personal pursuits in L2 learning were equally influential over these timescales. Moreover, L2 future image and positive feelings towards L2 speakers were the least referred factors over all the timescales. Gender and culture-specificity of some of the motivational themes was another finding of this study. As for the attributions behind their motivation, the participants referred to reasons such as parents’ pressure, passion for pursuing personal goals, the kind of tasks, the harmony between their character type and the task type, and gaining more experience through the course. In sum, participants’ motivation was composed of a web of interrelated and dynamic factors which varied over different timescales. Finally, some implications were driven from the findings of the study. © 2019 University of Minnesota Press. All rights reserved.
Translation and Interpreting Studies (19322798) 10(2)pp. 277-297
Advertising is an important part of marketing and greatly influences the way people behave and think. It communicates information about products and at the same time tries to persuade people to buy them, which makes the translation of advertising materials a challenging, yet necessary task. Using critical discourse analysis, this study aims to examine English print advertisements for cosmetic and hygienic products and their Persian translations. The sample consists of seven matching pairs selected from brochures and catalogs available at Isfahan drugstores between 2010 and 2012. Fairclough's framework (2010) is adopted to analyze verbal elements. In order to analyze the visual components of advertisements, Johnson's (2008) approach to the study of advertisements is employed. The analyzed data reveals significant differences between the source and target texts in terms of their textual, discoursal, and ideological features. © John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Theory and Practice in Language Studies (17992591) 4(2)pp. 313-319
It is widely accepted by both linguists and psycholinguists that our implicit linguistic knowledge consists of both abstract rules that enable speakers to construct sentences productively and exemplars that are represented in the form of unanalyzable chunks that are memorized, stored and accessed as wholes. There are two major perspectives towards the rules of language: generativist and emergentist. In this study rule-based linguistic knowledge is looked at concisely from these two perspectives and some studies concerning some related issues are introduced briefly. At the end, a possible new perspective towards our rule-based linguistic knowledge, suggested by O'Grady (2008), is introduced. © 2014 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.
Theory and Practice in Language Studies (17992591) 4(2)pp. 411-422
This study was an attempt to evaluate Iranian high school English textbooks in terms of vocabulary, grammatical structures and compatibility between reading comprehension texts and grammar exercises. Readability formula and experts' judgment were used to ensure that high school textbooks, English American headway and English American file books were at the same level of difficulty.The findings revealed that, there were a significant lack of compatibility between the grammatical structures and reading comprehension passages in each lesson and also between high school textbooks and English American headway and English American file books in terms of the order of presentation and content. © 2014 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.
Theory and Practice in Language Studies (17992591) 4(5)pp. 923-930
The fact that ELT textbooks play a crucial role in most EFL/ESL settings around the globe may not be rebuffed. This role is noticeably pivotal in language institutes in Iran where global textbooks determine much of what happens in classrooms. It is therefore crucial to know how well a textbook plays the role it is assumed to do. When decisions are to be made about selecting a proper textbook for a specific teaching situation, the idea of textbook evaluation comes true. To conduct a worthwhile evaluation of textbooks, which are supposedly "the main teaching and learning aid" (Matthews, 1985, p.202), one needs to have some criteria against which textbooks could be evaluated. This study was an attempt to set some textbook evaluation criteria based on the ideas of teachers and students who used global textbooks in language institutes of Isfahan, Iran. To do so, the researcher conducted interviews with 15 teachers and 15 students in order to find out what they thought of the textbooks they were teaching and/or learning. The data gathered from the interviews showed the specifications teachers and students take into account when judging their textbook. Finally, based on the interviews two local questionnaires were developed. © 2014 Academy Publisher Manufactured In Finland.
Davoudi-mobarakeh, S. ,
Eslami-rasekh, A. ,
Barati, H. Theory and Practice in Language Studies (17992591) 4(5)pp. 973-981
The problematic realm of ESP needs to be evaluated as any other instructional process which we hope to improve. This study investigates the students' attitude towards such courses and their teachers' views concerning their classes. The literature suggested that most of the teachers and students were dissatisfied with the students' progress in specific English courses. Data was collected by interest and motivation survey and feedback form. To carry out the study, 18 university teachers offered feedback on different aspects of their own courses. The data was analyzed qualitatively using means and percentage analysis. The survey proved that the total motivation and interest of EGP students were significantly higher than ESP students participating in the study. The results may attribute to several factors including the learning environment, the teachers, the techniques, and the material. In addition, the feedback forms show discrepancy between the views of EGP teachers and ESP teachers in some areas including the material effectiveness and students' interest. © 2014 Academy Publisher Manufactured In Finland.
GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies (16758021) 14(1)pp. 43-55
This study explored the effect of incidental vocabulary exposure on receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge, acquisition and retention among 90 Iranian EFL learners. The research focused on how exposure frequency or the number of encounters with the target words in reading passages affected different aspects of vocabulary knowledge such as receptive and productive knowledge of orthography, parts of speech, associations and meaning. In general, the findings (based on ANOVA and its non-parametric version, Kruskal-Wallis whenever normality requirement was not met) indicated that incidental exposure to second language (L2) words through reading passages might be conducive to vocabulary acquisition and retention. Particularly, it was revealed that as the number of encounters to L2 target words increased, the learners were more successful in acquiring different aspects of vocabulary knowledge. In this regard, the effect of exposure frequency was significant in both the immediate and delayed post-test for all aspects of vocabulary knowledge when the amount of exposure increased from one encounter to seven. Nevertheless, the analyses of the scores obtained from the seven subtests suggested that the effect of exposure frequency may vary for different aspects of vocabulary knowledge. Moreover, there was no marked distinction between receptive and productive aspects of vocabulary knowledge. However, the scores on the semantic subtests revealed that increasing the number of exposure frequency could mostly affect the receptive knowledge of meaning and form as well as productive knowledge of associations. These aspects were also more vulnerable with the passing of time. It is recommended that English teachers put incidental vocabulary acquisition within the perspective of a longitudinal, intensive and systematic vocabulary recycling where the learners' knowledge of vocabulary is reinforced and accumulated over time. Moreover, English teachers may make use of form-focused or explicit instruction to compensate for any lack of time or their learners' need for more incidental exposure to L2 vocabulary.
Theory and Practice in Language Studies (17992591) 3(6)pp. 968-976
In countries in which English is learned as a foreign or as a second language, children's language education has been recognized as an important factor. The present study aims to investigate the progress of EFL young learners via the two methods of Audiolingual and Natural approach. The focus therefore is on the acquisition of English words and communicative skills in a certain period of time, and on the best method for improving communication in English for EFL young learners. The participants in this study were 40 Iranian female young learners aged between 7 and 9. They were chosen randomly from two elementary schools where English was taught as an extra-program subject. In one school, English was taught through Audiolingual method and in the other, via Natural approach. The final tests' scores of each group were analyzed to see the improvement of the young learner's vocabulary and communicative skills in each method. The results indicated that young learners' vocabulary learning and communication skills improved significantly in Natural approach compared in that of Audiolingual method. © 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.
Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences (discontinued) (20392117) 4(2)pp. 59-70
The present study reports on the findings of a questionnaire which focused on the recruitment criteria of official translation agencies. To this end, 25 managers of official translation agencies in four cities of Iran were requested to complete a questionnaire about the basic requirements for becoming a member in translation agencies. The results indicate that the most important factors according to the managers are translation competence, language competence and experience in translation. Aspects such as academic degree (B.A. or M.A.) in Translation Studies do not seem to be of high value to the managers. The findings show that graduates in Translation Studies ought to improve their skills and gain practical experience in translation. Otherwise, they will not be considered qualified enough to be the members of translation agencies. Also, the results might contribute to more considerable attention to translation practice and better translation training in universities or translation institutes.
English Language Teaching (19164750) 5(7)pp. 81-89
This research is an attempt to find out if grouping learners, through using a placement test will significantly help students become more successful in learning English. 320 non-English major undergraduates studying at the University of Isfahan participated in this research. The final scores of 121 freshmen who attended their general English courses in homogenised classes were compared with those of 199 freshmen who did not undergo any placement procedure. The analysis of data suggested that grouping the learners and dividing them into different ability groups had a significant impact on the participants' academic success, in their course of general English. In addition, the results suggested that ability grouping provides sufficient ground for methodological decisions and hence sequencing of teaching materials and procedures.
English Language Teaching (19164750) 5(1)pp. 76-85
The present study aimed to explore how tolerant of ambiguity Iranian EFL learners at university level are and if gender plays a role in this regard. To this end, upon filling in the revised SLTAS scale of ambiguity tolerance 194 male and female Iranian teacher trainees were assigned to three ambiguity tolerance groups; namely, high, moderate and low. Cluster analysis of the SLTAS scores indicated that Iranian EFL learners were mostly moderate as far as tolerance of ambiguity was concerned. Examining the gender differences through an independent sample t-test manifested that female participants were less tolerant of ambiguity than their male peers. Also, the differences between the expected and observed number of participants categorized in the three AT groups were non-significant undermining the role of gender as a moderator variable in assigning participants to AT groups and further approving of SLTAS validity. Implications for classroom practice are presented in the light of findings. The results are helpful in syllabus design and teaching methodology.
English Language Teaching (19164750) 5(8)pp. 76-89
Along with a more humanitarian movement in language testing, accountability to contextual variables in the design and development of any assessment enterprise is emphasized. However, when it comes to writing assessment, it is found that multiplicity of rating scales developed to fit diverse contexts is mainly headed by well-known native testing agencies. In fact, it seems that EFL/ESL assessment contexts are receptively influenced by the symbolic authority of native assessment circles. Hence, investigating the actualities of rating practice in EFL/ESL contexts would provide a realistic view of the way assessment is conceptualized and practiced. To investigate the issue, present study launched a wide-scale survey in the Iranian EFL writing assessment context. Results of a questionnaire and subsequent interviews with Iranian EFL composition raters revealed that rating scale in its common sense does not exist. In fact, raters relied on their own internalized criteria developed through their long years of practice. Therefore, native speaker legitimacy in the design and development of scales for the EFL context is challenged and the local agency in the design and development of rating scales is emphasized.
Language Testing in Asia (22290443) 2(1)
The current study aims at investigating the impact of Audio/Voice conferencing, as a new approach to teaching speaking, on the speaking performance and/or speaking band score of IELTS candidates. Experimental group subjects participated in an audio conferencing class while those of the control group enjoyed attending in a traditional IELTS speaking class. At the end of the study, all subjects participated in an IELTS Examination held on November 2011 in Tehran, Iran. To compare the group means for the study, an independent t-test analysis was employed. The difference between experimental and control group was considered to be statistically significant (P < 0.01). That is the candidates in experimental group have outperformed the ones in control group in IELTS speaking scores. © 2012, Language Testing in Asia.
International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature (discontinued) (22003452) 1(4)pp. 1-14
This study investigated the effect of content familiarity and test format on Iranian English learners. The participants of this were advanced students studying at different language institutes in Isfahan, Iran. To sample the subjects of this study, the latest version of Oxford Placement Test was administered to 428 students studying at advanced level in 6 different language institutes. Based on the results of the OPT test and for the sake of homogeneity 70 students were considered as the target participants of the study. Each participant was given a test of reading comprehension with familiar content and unfamiliar content. Each test contained multiple choice, true/false, and fill in the blanks test items. Factorial design results indicated that test takers had a significantly better performance on content familiar tests and sub tests. It also became clear that their performance on multiple choice section either in content familiar and content unfamiliar test was superior to that of true/false and fill in the blanks. It will be of endless help to test makers and language teachers to be aware of the role test format and content of the test can play on test takers’ performance. © 2012, Australian International Academic Centre PTY LTD. All rights reserved.
Theory and Practice in Language Studies (20530692) 2(5)pp. 923-930
During the last decades, the role of mother tongue in language teaching has been the subject of a host of research studies (e.g., Block, 1986; Kern, 1994; Jimenez, Garcia, and Pearson, 1996; Upton, 1997); however, quite rarely have researchers addressed such issues as comparing the use of mother tongue and other teaching techniques like paraphrasing and translation effects on teaching specific texts in literary courses. This study aimed to explore whether paraphrases vs. translations of English poems make any significant difference in EFL students' level of comprehending literary texts. It also aims to examine whether paraphrases or translations of literary text at undergraduate level affect significantly the performance of male and female students' comprehension of such texts. The data for this study were collected through two comprehension tests and a personal questionnaire from 40 English students who study at University of Isfahan. The data were analyzed descriptively and also inferentially. The overall findings of the study indicated that there was no significant difference between the comprehension of those who received Persian translation of the poems and those who dealt with the paraphrase of the same poems. However in the group, in which students received translation of the poems, the male participants significantly outperformed the female learners whereas in the group in which students received the paraphrase of poems, the female participants significantly outperformed the male learners. The findings of the present study would help teachers and teacher trainers to construct and implement L1 and paraphrase in literature classes more effectively. © 2012 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.
English Language Teaching (discontinued) (19164742) 5(6)pp. 158-167
Previous studies on the effect of planning on language production have revealed that planning does have a positive effect on language performance in terms of fluency, complexity, and accuracy. The present study was an attempt to investigate the effects of pre-task, on-line, and both pre-task and on-line planning on fluency, accuracy, and complexity of Iranian EFL learners' written production. Forty five Iranian learners of English performed a narrative task based on a series of six pictures. The narratives, then, were coded to measure the fluency, accuracy, and complexity of the participants' production. The results of one-way ANOVA revealed that on-line planning (OLP) and pre-task plus on-line planning (PTP+OLP) had no effect on the fluency, complexity, and accuracy of the Iranian EFL learners' written narratives. However, pre-task planning (PTP) had a significant effect on one variable of fluency (i.e.syllables per minute) but it had no effect on the complexity and accuracy of the written narratives. Findings have pedagogical implications for language teachers and syllabus designers in EFL context.
