Shahab Moradkhani

This study uses Michel Foucault’s theories of power to examine how it is negotiated in Madeline Miller’s Circe, concerning the interplay of biopower, female empowerment, and patriarchal dominance. The analysis, building upon Foucault’s ideas in The History of Sexuality and Discipline and Punish, investigates how power forms women’s bodies, identities, and desire  through discipline and violence. In this light, Miller’s narrative pictures how a woman, marginalized in both divine and human society, regains agency by opposing and reusing the very systems that constrain her. Miller’s Circe is a reimagining of a marginal figure from the Homeric myth whose exile is portrayed as a place of metamorphosis. By cultivating her witchcraft, which is a type of embodied knowledge and counter-power against rationality, she empowers herself against patriarchy. In light of Foucault’s biopolitics, the study shows how Circe’s body becomes a site of resistance as well as a target of patriarchal domination. In order to emphasize how female empowerment is inscribed on the female body and how Circe resists patriarchy through self-fashioning, the study also discusses feminist theorists like Judith Butler and Sandra Bartky whose application of Foucault to feminism helps with further analyzing Circe’s motives. Ultimately, the study argues that Circe manifests a Foucauldian understanding of power as relational, simultaneously offering a feminist subjectivity against patriarchal normalization. Circe emerges not only as a figure of myth but as a complex embodiment of resistance, autonomy, and the redefinition of womanhood in a world structured by divine and masculine authority.

   One of the main questions of our time is how power structures react during times of crisis and what politics governments choose to manage these situations. This study explores how people can survive in extraordinary conditions when they are stuck between life and death in a post-apocalyptic society without hope. Using Giorgio Agamben’s theoretical framework in State of Exception, this study attempts to explore the concept of thanatopolitics as one of the main themes in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, through new lenses to examine the problem of human survival in dystopian settings. This thesis aims to illustrate the novel’s paradoxical concepts of life and death, how humanity becomes fragile in harsh situations, and how survival turns into “bare life” as governance of death is ruling. In the novel, the father and son’s journey is the portrayal of the Agambian state of exception, where survival is the ultimate goal of people at all costs, even by killing each other and taking others’ belongings because humanity is at its minimum level. The father’s selfishness is reflected in his decisio   he puts their safety above other people’s lives by refusing to help them in challenging conditions as his own survival and his son’s, in particular are his ultimate aim. This study thus follows an interdisciplinary approach to shed a new light on the problem of life and death, as explored by McCarthy in a post-apocalyptic world.

In an increasingly multilingual world, understanding teachers who instruct more than one language is crucial. This study explored how the professional identities of teachers who instruct both English and Persian in Iran shift across contexts and the factors influencing these changes. Using purposive sampling, this multiple case study focused on three teachers with varying experience levels. They taught English in private institutes to Iranian learners who shared their cultural background and Persian to international students at a university. A narrative inquiry and thematic analysis approach was employed within Clarke’s (2009) framework of identity work. The framework involved four axes of identity, namely substance, authority sources, self-practices, and telos. The study found that the language of instruction significantly shaped identity (re)constructions. In English >  

This study will examine whether there is a significant relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and their emotional intelligence, and whether and how emotional intelligence predicts of self-efficacy. To accomplish the purposes of the first phase of study (quantitative phase), a survey consisting of three sections will be administered among 200 EFL teachers to measure their self-efficacy and emotional intelligence. The first part will ask for demographic and contact information (for the subsequent interview). The second part will be the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) questionnaire, while the third part will be the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (T.E.I.Q.ue.). The results will be fed into    to figure out whether there is a significant relationship between self-efficacy and subscales of trait emotional intelligence. In particular, Pearson correlation and multiple regression will be employed to see whether teachers’ emotional intelligence subscales are strong predictors of teachers’ self-efficacy. For the aim of conducting the qualitative phase of the study (i.e., the mechanisms through which teachers’ emotional intelligence contributes to their self-efficacy), there will be some individual semi-structured interviews with selected participants. Data analysis will then be conducted by transcribing the interviews and segmenting them into meaningful units consisting of a single sentence or a group of sentences which clearly demonstrate a mechanism through which a particular subscale of the emotional intelligence can contribute to different sources of self-efficacy  

  Abstract The complex and multifaceted nature of teaching brings with itself the need for teachers to constantly broaden their knowledge and skills. The significance of this study lies in that it investigated how teacher professional development (TPD) was navigated by Iranian EFL teachers. In doing so, a cultural-historical activity theory (AT) lens was borrowed to i  ect teacher learning in more details. In particular, this study followed two aims. First, it served as an attempt to discover which TPD strategies Iranian EFL teachers considered as effective and why they perceived them as impactful. Second, the present study aimed to identify any significant difference between school/institute and experienced/novice teachers in their perception of effective TPD. To this end, data were collected from 128 Iranian EFL teachers using narrative frames and semi-structured interviews, and were analyzed through content analysis and Fisher’s exact test. The results of content analysis showed that engaging in self-study, interacting and cooperating with peers, attending courses and educational events, and using technology were best favored by Iranian EFL teachers. The results further demonstrated that Iranian teachers prioritized a TPD approach over other ones because it was practical, responsive to students’ needs and likes, in line with their own needs and likes, provided them with up-to-date knowledge and information, and gave them the opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues. What’s more, the results of the Fisher’s exact test revealed that workplace and teaching experience did not make a significant difference in Iranian EFL TPD. Attributing Iranian TPD approaches to the components of AT represented that Iranian EFL teachers oriented more toward using tools in their professional learning, and that cultural and historical backgrounds determined the way teachers pursued their professional growth. The study has implications for policy makers and school/institute principles as they need to reconsider teaching and learning policies. Keywords: Activity Theory (AT), Iranian EFL Teachers, Teacher professional development (TPD), Teaching context, Teaching experience, TPD approaches

   The rapid revolutionary advances of computer technologies have led to some major shifts in public education in general and foreign language learning in particular. Integrating technology in the EFL ), high enjoyed control group (HECG, N=16), low enjoyed experimental group (LEAG, N=14), and low enjoyed control (LECG, N=15) group. To collect the required data, three measurement instruments including Oxford Placement Test (OPT), vocabulary achievement test, as well as a Foreign Language Enjoyment Scale were employed. To answer the research questions, independent-sample t-test analysis was run. The obtained results showed that mobile–assisted mind mapping had a significant effect on both low and high enjoyed EFL learners’ vocabulary knowledge. The findings indicated that the high enjoyed   EFL learners who received pleasure reading had significantly much higher performance in vocabulary knowledge compared to the low enjoyed EFL learners’ who   received the same treatment. The findings might be conducive to Iranian language learners, giving them some fruitful insights on the possible alternative ways to learn vocabularies. They would be of significance to language teachers to gain better understanding of the alternative vocabulary teaching's techniques which may facilitate long-term retention and production of lexical items in the minds of the learners.    Key terms: Mobil-assisted Language Learning, Mind-mapping, Vocabulary Learning, EFL Learners, E-learning Enjoyment

      This study investigates family language policy among two generations of Kurdish-Persian bilingual families in the cities of Kermanshah, Ilam, and Sanandaj in western Iran. These regions have high densities of Kurdish speakers from different dialect groups. Adopting Spolsky’s theory of language management (2009), the study examines language ideologies, practices, and management strategies related to Kurdish (minority language) and Persian (dominant language) within 30 intergenerational families across high, middle, and low socioeconomic statuses. Using a mixed-methods approach, the researcher uses a questionnaire. In addition, one parent from each generation participates in an in-depth interview covering attitudes, identity, aspirations, literacy activities, explicit management efforts, and actual language use behaviors. The study aims to provide empirical insights into the maintenance and shift of minority languages during family transmission. Results reveal that while both generations of parents hold bilingual ideologies and value the use of both languages at home, a tendency toward language shift is evident among lower socioeconomic groups, favoring Persian over Kurdish. Despite this trend, many participants express a commitment to preserving Kurdish as a cultural marker. The study highlights the critical role of family language policy in sustaining minority languages and suggests that supportive policies and community initiatives are essential for the continued preservation of Kurdish.    Key Words‌: Bilingual Families, Family Language Policy, Language Management, Language Ideology  

      One of the primary issues of the 21st century is the use of technological tools in all aspects of life. However, Machine translation, as one of these tools, has not been fully taken seriously in educational environments. By comparing MT systems to handheld calculators, it becomes evident that MT has yet to be fully embraced in language dir="LTR" >   Keywords: EFL Student, Google Translate, Machine Translation, Post Editing, Translation Output

The present research aimed to explore the factors that influence motivation and Willingness to Teach (WTT) among students of English Language Teaching (ELT) who are considering a future in education. Grounded in theoretical models, such as Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), Expectancy-Value Theory (Eccles et al., 1983), Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1994), the Job Demands-Resources Model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007), and the L2 Motivational Self System (D?rnyei, 2009), the study, utilizing a mixed-methods design, sought to discern the difference in the levels of motivation and WTT among ELT students based on their interest in becoming English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, to investigate how motivation and WTT correlate in these individuals, and to pinpoint the contributing factors that sway ELT students either towards or away from teaching careers. The research adopted a sequential explanatory design, starting with a survey to gauge the motivation and WTT of 103 ELT students, recruited via purposive, convenience, and snowball sampling methods from various academic levels at Razi University, Islamic Azad University, and Jahad Daneshgahi University in Kermanshah, through distinct questionnaires. This phase was complemented by qualitative semi-structured interviews with 10 participants, offering deeper insights into the personal experiences, perceptions, and situational factors that mold their motivation and WTT. The results indicated notable disparities in the motivation and WTT among those ELT students who are inclined towards teaching careers versus those who are not. It was observed that both motivation and WTT are fluid constructs that interact in intricate ways. The study revealed various significant factors on the motivation and WTT of ELT students, encompassing internal factors like individual interest, self-efficacy, and satisfaction derived from the field, as well as external factors such as job stability, salary, and social status. Conclusively, this research adds to the existing literature on the motivation and WTT of both pre- and in-service teachers by offering both statistical and narrative evidence regarding the factors that shape these constructs. The findings hold implications for shaping educational policy, enhancing teacher education, and guiding professional development efforts, with the ultimate aim of attracting and maintaining a competent and driven EFL teaching community in Iran.   

   Abstract Needs analysis as an integral part of evaluative review of English curriculum, requires giving sufficient attention to all English language learning factors. This issue seems to be more demanding in curriculum of Iranian schools where the feasibility of current curriculum needs to be examined in Iranian contexts in which different cultural and educational backgrounds exist and as a consequence a majority of the students do not practice and achieve proficiency in content and applied learning skills. The descriptive data will be drawn from a needs analysis survey with a group of secondary EFL Iranian students in Hamedan province. Needs discrepancies will be identified and subsequently, solutions to the problems will be offered. This study was motivated by an increasing need from school administrators, English teachers, and students for the improvement of the English curriculum in Iranian secondary school and will have implications for practitioners, teachers, and curriculum developers to practice in EFL general English >Key words: Needs analysis; Iranian secondary school; Curriculum; EFL general English   

   Abstract “War Poetry” is a relatively new genre in literature but the frequent occurrence of wars has changed it to a popular and universal topic. The outbreak of the First World War (1914-1918) in Europe and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) diverted the course of writing poetry about war in Britain and Iran. This comparative study concentrating on the subject of “War Poetry” is a descriptive-analytic study on similarities and disparities between “English War Poetry” and “Iranian War Poetry”. Close reading of selected English war poems by some of the most known British war poets like Rupert Brooke, Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, … and selected Iranian war poems by some of the most known Iranian war poets like Qeysar Aminpour, Mohammadreza Abdolmalekian, Alireza Ghazveh, … reveals significant differences despite the existence of general similarities between them; a point which is an indication of a deep gap between the viewpoint of British and Iranian war poets. This study is in line with American school of comparative literature, and Steven Totosy De Zepetnek’s theories form its underlying structure. In an effort to identify the main factors in the origin and evolution of “English and Iranian War Poetry” this study examines socio-cultural and historical background of British and Iranian societies in the years leading up to and during each war. Then through a thematic analysis the main features, similarities and differences of the two types of “War Poetry” are identified and compared. The psychological concept of “Shellshock” helps to decipher and justify the cause of diverse approaches of British and Iranian war poets towards the issue of war. KEY TERMS: Comparative study, English war poetry, Iranian war poetry, Psychoanalysis, Shell shock.   ?

   This study tried to investigate teachers’ motivation in Iranian public school and private language institutes. To this end, A total of 100 Iranian EFL teachers in public schools and private language instituted were invited to take part in the study. They were chosen using a convenience sample process. Following a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, a motivation scale designed based on Kassabgy et al. (2001) and D?rnyei (2001) were administered among around 100 L2 teachers working in these two milieus. Subsequent to getting the filled questionnaires, the researcher purposefully selected 20 teachers from the sample and find out if they can take part in the interview. Then, at that point, the researcher orchestrated a period with every instructor for a meeting. Every teacher was met at her or his work environment separately. Interviews were audio-recorded for additional investigation by the researcher. The research questions were investigated using parametric statistical analyses. Descriptive statistics and frequency counts were utilized to analyze the questionnaires in this study. The t-test was used to compare the means of two bunch of questionnaires (Public School and Private Language Institute). It was used to compare the mean scores of two groups (Public School and Private Language Institute) of participants on a questionnaire measure. To analyze the interview phase, interview questions were also answered by the participants for obtaining more insights about all dimensions of teacher’s motivation when teaching and they were analyzed qualitatively. The findings indicated that there was no significant difference in the motivation levels of teachers between these two contexts. Moreover, the findings showed that motivation plays a vital role in the success and effectiveness of EFL teachers. In both public and private contexts, various factors can contribute to increasing or decreasing teachers' motivation. Key terms: EFL teachers, teachers’ motivation, public school, private language institute

   Abstract Iranian English teachers have always been teaching vocabulary in a traditional way, that is asking students to memorize long lists of unrelated vocabulary. As a result, students are often frustrated and demotivated, because individual factors such as motivation are neglected by the teachers and ) who would go through the new technique for vocabulary learning, and group-2 (N=20) who would go through the traditional way of teaching vocabulary which is common among Iranian teachers. This study has a quasi- experimental design and participants went through a pretest and a post test. DIALANG test was chosen to make sure that the participants proficiency was almost at the same level. A post- test was provided for students of both group to see which group had more progress in vocabulary learning. The results of the post-test were fed to   . In order to answer the research question, an independent sample T-test was run to see whether there is a significant difference between the students of both groups. The results suggested that students of experimental group had more progress regarding vocabulary learning. The results of this study can be helpful for Iranian teachers and they can improve their methodology by using this new technique. Keywords: Vocabulary learning, EFL Learners, Diary writing, DIALANG test, Incidental vocabulary learning

   ABSTRACT

"  پژوهش تركيبي حاضر در كرمانشاه، ايران، سطح دانش زبان انگليسي شركت كنندگان، نمرات دانش آموزان در آرمون كنكور سراسري، عوامل موثر بر دانش انگليسي محدود و راهكارهاي ممكن را مورد بررسي قرار مي دهد.با دانش آموزان دختر پايه دوازدهم از 13 مدرسه نماينده مصاحبه حضوري به عمل آمد.در حالي كه حداكثر نمره زبان انگليسي در كنكور100 مي باشد، در كرمانشاه نمره 3811 دانش آموز كمتر از صفر، نمره 7836 دانش آموز صفر و نمره 2299 دانش آموز زير 5 بوده است. ميانه نمره زبان انگليسي در 22355 دانش آموز صفر بوده است.توانايي خواندن خودارزيابي شده در دانش آموزان به طور معني داري بالاتر از ساير مهارت ها بود. اكثر دانش آموزان يادگيري زبان انگليسي را ضروري مي دانستند. اكثر دانش آموزان پخش روزانه فيلم هاي انگليسي بدون دوبله اما با زيرنويس فارسي را در بهبود دانش زبان انگليسي موثر دانستند. اكثر دانش آموزان به بهبود سطح زبان انگليسي خود تمايل داشتند و دانش انگليسي را درتوسعه اجتماعي-اقتصادي ايران موثر دانستند.مضامين و مضامين فرعي استخراج شده از تحليل محتواي ارائه شده توسط دانش آموزان درباره مزاياي يادگيري زبان انگليسي، عوامل موثر بر ضعف دانش انگليسي و راهكارهاي ممكن عبارتند از:"كسب دانش عمومي و اطلاعات"، "سفر و مهاجرت"، "گردشگري"، "فرصت هاي شغلي و اشتغال زايي""شروع يادگيري زبان در سن بالا"، "كمبود زمان اختصاص داده شده به زبان انگليسي در برنامه مدارس"، "كمبود مهارت معلمان"، "كمبود امكانات آموزشي"، "عدم توجه كافي به مهارتهاي شنيدن و صحبت كردن"، "كتاب هاي درسي نامناسب"، "كمبود انگيزه""شروع تدريس زبان انگليسي در پايه هاي ابتدايي در مدارس"، "تغيير شيوه هاي تدريس"، "توجه به ضعف هاي معلمان"، "بهبود كتابهاي درسي"، "ايجاد انگيزه"يافته هاي اين پژوهش ميتواند پيامدهاي مفيدي براي مسئولان در زمينه آموزش زبان انگليسي به عنوان يك زبان خارجي به طور كلي و به خصوص در مدارس ايران داشته باشد

   Albert Bandura's theory of “moral disengagement” that mainly discusses that within every person there are self-regulatory mechanisms with which they can actively engage and disengage their moral standards while preserving their self-respect. If they fail in doing so, the consequence of their actions might bring self-destruction to themselves and others. To prevent such destruction from happening, the human psyche decides to look away and disengage any moral standard by utilizing self-regulatory mechanisms. To activate those mechanisms in order to disengage morality and commit the harmful and immoral conduct, people use their words and thoughts in a way that justifies their harmful action, and consequently, would result in the activation of self- regulatory mechanisms. Each mechanism has its unique trait that is a related to an aspect of human behavior, such as “moral justification”, “euphemistic labelling”, “diffusion of responsibility”, and etc. Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake (2003) pictures a post-apocalyptic world which a mad scientist named Crake has caused to happen. The present thesis will investigate the psychosocial reasons behind Crake's ultimate and disastrous decision in light of Bandura's theory of “moral disengagement”. In this regard, Crake's personality and actions and the way they affect other characters in the novel are the basis around which the novel and its main events revolve. Using Bandura's psychosocial mechanisms of moral disengagement, this study endeavors to decipher the truth behind his behaviors to reveal a better understanding of the events of the novel, that is, his inhuman and immoral decision to wipe out the humanity and creating bio-engineered humans who will roam the earth, acting like a god although he completely discards the idea of religion and holiness, is done without a single feeling of remorse or guilt for the disengagement of morality is in place.

   Abstract      Environmental issues have held the attention of both scholars and literary writers as significant matter of the present day. In the meantime, there are some writers who have attempted to persuade human beings to rethink nature by looking upon it through new lenses and reconciling humanity with it. A leading concept in this regard is “anthropocentrism,” which strengthens humans’ (harsh) attitudes toward animals and non-human living things. However, Aldo Leopold’s “land ethic” theory absolutely rejects such human-centeredness in environmental issues and argues for the rights of non-humans. Richard Powers’ Bewilderment (2021) is an ecocritical novel addressing these issues, challenging anthropocentrism and advocating environmental equality for all living beings. Applying an interdisciplinary approach to the topic mentioned, the present study discusses how human beings’ treachery against the environment is questioned. The novel projects the ideology of industrial societies which take advantage of the environment for their beneficiary and neglect the future of the Earth and it also depicts the condition of those who are concerned with nature and all its components, regarded as the minority, and unable to save the Earth. In addition, it demonstrates that creating changes in societies’ perspectives requires providing a cultural context. As long as human beings look upon the environment as the owners of it, one can do nothing for the future of the Earth. Key words: Anthropocentrism, Animal Rights, Bewilderment, Biocentrism, Land Ethic, Biocentrism, Richard Powers

   Self-directed learning (SDL) has been defined as a process in which students take control of their education, attempt to identify and comprehend their learning requirements and, establish goals. The use of educational a   and websites enables SDL because they provide the opportunity for learners to initiate their learning and independently search for materials and information online at any time. The present mixed-method study aims to examine how Iranian EFL self-directed students feel about educational a   and websites. A sample of 70 students, studying at University BA level, were chosen based on convenient sampling. The participants were then administered a self-rating scale of self-directed learning or SRSSDL. To gather the required data the researchers used an adapted questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to investigate EFL self-directed learners` feelings about educational a   and websites. After the analyses of the data through suitable statistical techniques, the results showed that educational a   and websites have a positive impact on Iranian BA self-directed learners' attitudes and language learning experiences. The findings of this study could be useful in the field of language education since they will determine the attitudes of EFL learners’ toward those a   and websites. Keywords: Self-directed learners, EFL, Educational a  , Educational websites

   This dissertation presents the results of a qualitative case study that explored the effectiveness of interactionist Dynamic Assessment (DA) to develop EFL learners’ speaking fluency in a Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (SCMC) environment. This study utilized delayed mediation to overcome the problems regarding the use of mediation in improving fluency. To understand the developmental processes in developing fluency in SCMC, four Iranian EFL learners, who scored between 3.5 to 4.5 in fluency based on the IELTS speaking band descriptor, were employed through convenience and purposive sampling to participate in six one-on-one DA sessions and a Transcendence (TR) session followed by semi-structured interviews. Microgenetic analysis was used as the general framework to generate new mediation and reciprocity typologies of the primary linguistic repertoires that affected fluency negatively. Thematic analysis was also used to analyze the interviews, which aimed at discovering learners’ perceptions of the main features of the study. The findings revealed that vocabulary and grammar are the primary linguistic repertoires that cause disfluencies. Therefore, separate mediation and reciprocity typologies were generated for these two subskills. The microgenetic analysis showed that the requirement for mediation to overcome fluency problems decreased, and the learners became more responsive to mediation. Tracing the learners’ microgenetic development demonstrated the learners’ movement from other-regulation toward self-regulation. The results of the interviews also showed the learners’ positive perceptions of delayed mediation in developing speaking fluency in SCMC. This dissertation provides an in-depth example of how DA and delayed mediation can be applied to developing speaking fluency within the learners’ Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in an SCMC environment.   

   Today, people live in a digital world and everyone from children to adults is able to master technology in the form of computers and gadgets. In recent years, the use of gamification has been an important focus of attention in EFL learning. Therefore, studies on the effectiveness of digital game-based learning (DGBL) in various areas including vocabulary learning has been developed. Hence, this study is focused on the influence of using mobile games on the vocabulary improvement of young learners. A mix- quasi-experimental pre-test – post-test design was implemented in which 30 male and female young learners who were studying English as a foreign language at Iran Language Institute in Kermanshah were participated. The quantitative data was gathered through pre and post-tests and analyzed using the independent samples t-test. The qualitative data was gathered through interviews and analyzed using Maxqudia software. The results indicated a statistically significant difference between the control and experimental groups in terms of vocabulary achievement. The experimental group performed better and achieved higher results compared to the control group. However, it was found that there was no statistically significant difference between male and female students regarding their improvement in vocabulary. The results of qualitative part indicated that both male and female students exhibited a positive attitude towards the use of mobile games. The utilization of mobile games proved successful in enhancing the engagement of young learners in vocabulary acquisition. The participants expressed interest, enthusiasm, and motivation while playing the mobile games. They displayed a keen desire to expand their vocabulary knowledge and acquire new words. Moreover, the mobile games facilitated easier memorization of the words. Overall, the study suggested that incorporating mobile games can act as an effective technique to encourage active participation and enhance the learning experience for young learners in vocabulary acquisition. The findings of this study can be useful in language education. It can help EFL teachers and institutes to be aware of the importance of using games for EFL teaching so that they will be able to improve teaching quality.

   Target: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between EFL >Research Methodology: This study adopted a correlational design to answer its research questions. The sample for this investigation was taken from Gilan-e Gharb, Kermanshah province, Iran. Two groups were participated in this study. The first group was 60 male and female EFL students and the second group was 15 EFL teachers who were participated in this study based on convenience sampling. Three instruments were utilized in this study: a) Straightforward Quick Placement and Diagnostic Test (www.macmillanstraightforward.com); b) Foreign Language >Findings: The findings showed that there was a positive correlation between high school students’ level of anxiety and their beliefs toward FLL. Also, the results revealed that teachers had different beliefs about foreign language learning in comparison with students. Moreover, this study revealed that gender made no difference regarding the relationship between learners` anxiety level and beliefs toward foreign language learning. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that the language educational system should take a step in a direction that eliminates stress and negative attitudes toward foreign language learning. Furthermore, findings revealed that both male and female students have anxiety and negative attitudes toward language learning; therefore, teachers should be aware of FLCA and negative toward language learning; consequently, they should try to create a positive and anxiety-free >Key Words: Foreign language anxiety, beliefs about language learning, FLCAS, BALLI, High school EFL learners

         The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, including in Iraq, has led to a rapid transition from traditional in-person >Keywords: Google Classroom, online teaching, COVID-19, EFL, technology acceptance model, mixed-method.

Theoretically drawing on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of mind (SCT) and following a sequential exploratory mixed method design, this study investigated the impact of Computerized Dynamic Assessment (C-DA) and Group-based Dynamic Assessment (G-DA) on Iranian high school students’ grammatical ability. It also explored the impact of C-DA and G-DA mediations on learners’ grammatical ability in new and demanding problems through conducting a transcendence (TR) session. Besides, compared to non-dynamic assessment (NDA), C-DA as a diagnostic-assisting program was used to assist English teachers in unravelling learners’ performance in various grammatical structures. Moreover, a semi-structured interview was conducted to explore learners’ attitudes toward Computerized Dynamic Grammar Assessment (CDGA) and Group-based Dynamic Assessment (GDGA). This study used a convenient sample of 54 Iranian third-grade students in a private high school who prepared to participate in the Iranian University Entrance Exam (IUEE). The students of the three groups (i.e., the NEG, C-DAEG and G-DAEG groups) followed the same procedure (i.e., DIALANG test, pre-test, treatment, semi-structured interview, post-test and TR test). Quantitative findings using three Between-Subject ANOVAs and three repeated measure ANOVAs revealed that the C-DAEG and G-DAEG groups significantly outperformed the NEG group regarding grammatical ability and could apply them in more demanding circumstances. Besides, the thematic analysis of qualitative data showed that the C-DA software assisted learners to improve their grammatical abilities. The study's findings highlight the importance of applying CDGA and GDGA as mediational procedures that assist learners in developing their grammatical abilities in L2 contexts.     

  The current study comparatively investigated the

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Covid-19, which was spread in China on about March 13, forced most countries in the world to announce that schools and universities must be closed to curb suffering from Coronavirus infection. Many studies have been conducted to discover the perspective of online teachers about teaching online; however, no research has compared the challenges and benefits in Iran to those of other contexts. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the attitudes of EFL teachers in Iran about the challenges and opportunities of online teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic and compare the challenges to similar findings in other contexts. The researcher used a questionnaire and two open-ended questions to investigate the EFL teachers’ attitudes. Their attitudes revealed that teachers encountered the biggest challenges of internet connection, lack of real interaction, and low literacy of teaching online and using digital devices. Therefore, the participants recommended that these challenges should be considered and eliminated before starting teaching online. On the other hand, saving time, being location-free, getting protection from the virus, and performing better for students were the most opportunities that online teaching provided for them. Finally, the findings of the current study were not any new, and most countries experienced the same opportunities and challenges.   

in other countries.   

   Writing is one of the most difficult skills due to requiring highermental and critical thinking ability. The genre of writing is one of theimportant factors affecting the complexity level of this skill. Generally, mostof the EFL/ESL teachers provide feedback on learners’ writing errors as a partof their teaching program; however, the way in which they provide writtencorrective feedback (WCF) should be also taken into account. In other words,teachers need to consider the factors that influence their feedback provisionfor the purpose of decreasing the difficulty of writing skill. Althoughdifferent studies attempted to explore the role of those effective elements,writing genre in spite of its importance has got no attention in this regard.To address this gap, the present manuscript reports a mixed-method studyinvestigating the role of writing genre in WCF provided by EFL teachers. To dothis, 100 EFL teachers participated in this study to provide feedback on threewriting samples. These samples, that were written by EFL learners, includeddifferent genres namely, narrative, descriptive and analytic. Then, teachers’feedback regarding each writing sample was investigated separately to find outthe role of writing genre in WCF. The results of examining the quantitativephase indicated the effectiveness of writing genre both descriptively andstatistically. Furthermore, B.A. and M.A EFL teachers’ WCF was also examinedfor the purpose of discovering the role of writing genre in relation to theteachers’ academic level. The results of investigating this sectiondemonstrated the efficacy of writing genre as well. To complete the next phasewhich aimed at exploring teachers’ beliefs regarding the role of writing genrein the provision of their WCF, some of the teachers were attendedsemi-structured interviews. Anchored in qualitative content analysis, thefindings suggested different perspectives in this regard; therefore, theinterviewees were divided into two groups. The first group of teachersmentioned various points of view, such as the positive role of writing genre indetermining the use of specific structures and the aim of writing which callsfor particular kinds of WCF. These themes supported an association betweenteachers’ beliefs and practices as the quantitative phase showed, while thesecond group emphasized the other factors than writing genre, such as learners,teachers, context and educational system which led to the misalignment inrelation to their beliefs and practices. Finally, in the light of thesefindings, it is suggested to pay more attention to the writing genre in teacher

The twenty-first-century literature has experienced a shift in taste and methods of expression of ideas, as reflected in Metamodernism, introduced by Robin van den Akker and Timotheus Vermeulen to explore this shift in literary appeal. Although metamodernism is an approach in its naissance, it has drawn many twenty-first-century literary works and theorists toward itself due to its ability to connect with the contemporary audience through certain features of its artworks which have proven more incongruent with contemporary socio-cultural issues. These features are often an adjusted form of former traits used in modernism and postmodernism which have been modified to fit contemporary needs and tastes. Regardless of their heritage, these metamodern features are exclusive to twenty-first-century artworks and should not be confused with their predecessors. In this light, certain terminologies such as “infinite Real” and “historioplastic metafiction,” respectively an aversion of the “Real” in former philosophical and psychological fields and a modified form of “historiographic metafiction”, suggest that truth and reality are infinite and the past and future are connected through a plastic connection. Accordingly, A Visit from the Goon Squad (2010) by Jennifer Egan has certain metamodern features and can be used as a good example of metamodernist fiction regarding Egan’s rendering of the concepts of the “infinite Real” and “historioplastic metafiction” among others. This study, being interdisciplinary in approach with a thematic investigation, is an attempt to investigate A Visit from the Goon Squad in light of the main principles of Metamodernism in order to present the contemporary audience with an introductory guideline to read metamodernist fiction.   Key words: A Visit from the Goon Squad, Historioplastic metafiction, Infinite Real, Jennifer Egan, Metamodernism

  The present thesis takes a Marxist approach towards DonDeLillo’s White Noise (1985) and Cosmopolis (2003) by using Louise Althusser's theories. It will firstly analyze Cosmopolis and then will delve into White Noise to find the anti-capitalist common grounds between them and the way the capitalist ideologies are internalized within their characters as presented by DeLillo. White Noise represents a fight against the capitalist ideology. The reproduction that Althusser speaks of, in addition to the reproduction of labor, is also the reproduction of the conditions of production which are manifested in the novels under study. Cosmopolis, moreover, artistically portrays the financial structures of the capitalist society in America. The relationships among these structures are symbolized by the journey that Eric Packer makes around Manhattan. The most important concept in this novel is money about which DeLillo’s characters often talk regarding their betting and investments on Yen. Eric, the protagonist, symbolizes the American capitalism that DeLillo believes is coming to an end. Analyzing Cosmopolis and White Noise in light of Althusser, the researcher thus evaluates the capitalist ideology that causes the self-alienation of characters in Cosmopolis and assesses the consumerist ideology that haunts the materialist consciousness of the characters in White Noise. Finally, it will be demonstrated how the anti-capitalist structures and mechanisms contribute to the liberty of characters’ in Cosmopolis and White Noise. Keywords: Althusser, DeLillo, capitalism, ideology, self-alienation, Cosmopolis, White Noise   

The objective of the present study is to evaluate Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy in light of Gramsci’s theory of culture and hegemony. The present thesis raises the essential question of what the relationship between culture and hegemony is. Through the study of Gramsci’s views, the thesis highlights the fact that there is a direct relationship between culture and hegemony, contrary to the popularbelief that the concept of hegemony is mistakenly equivalent to the concept of coercive domination. Cultural hegemony is a kind of domination exercise mixed with consent and based on the cultural and ideological leadership of societies. The argument here is then the hypothesis that Gramsci’s elaboration on the concept of hegemony has seemingly affected or has found some manifestation in Collins' approach towards culture, politics, and ideology, as extrapolated in her description of Panem in the trilogy, leading her to focus on the issue that culture could also be one of the main causes of economic and cultural subjugation. As a result, culture, which is a key analytical notion in the present research, is defined as a productive process or a means of production. Referring to the leftist cultural ideas as well as the creation of new cultural concepts, as represented in Collins' trilogy, this thesis does not take culture as necessarily crystallizing into the highest cultural product but considers the culture of each era as a combination of past cultural elements, dominant elements, and emerging elements.Keywords: The Hunger Games, Gramsci, Hegemony, Panem, Suzanne Collins

The Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner is the story of a society which is controlled by the ideology of an apparently invisible minor group. In Dashner’s story, when Thomas, the protagonist, and a group of teenagers wake up in a strange spiraling neighborhood, they remember nothing of the outside world, except the strange dreams of a mysterious organization known as W.I.C.K.E.D. It is only by digging into the memories of the past and finding a few signs available in the maze that Thomas can hope to realize why they have come to this place and that they must find an exit from it. In The Maze Runner series, mankind is regarded not only as the subject of cognition but also as a more conflicting arrangement within which he appears. So, in the discourse of Dashner’s novels, mankind becomes aware of his limitations and endings. Therefore, the argument of this research will be based on a part of Michel Foucault’s philosophy. Foucault argues that while in the modern society rather no cruel punishment is implemented against criminals, punishment often takes different forms of surveillance. In fact, the purpose of this study is to analyze The Maze Runner trilogy in light of Foucault’s theory of discourse. In this regard, this thesis will analyze the main conflict in Dashner’s trilogy, that is, the conflict between power-holders and the subordinate characters who are controlled by them. Following this purpose, this thesis does not assume that power relations in Dashner’s trilogy are equally distributed among the citizens or social classes, but that there is a network of relations among the power-holders which is constantly expanding. In connection with analyzing the subjectivity of the characters, this research takes these power relations as the realization of a vast network that goes deep into the society with which every man is more or less involved. Keywords: Foucault, James Dashner, discourse, power relations, The Maze Runner

اهداف تحقيق: 1. نگرش معلمان زبان انگليسي و دانش آموزان ايراني نسبت به تدريس زبان انگليسي از طريق فضاي مجازي2. بررسي تاثير فضاي مجازي بر چگونگي يادگيري دانش آموزان3. درك اين موضوع كه آيا فضاي مجازي تاثيري بر موفقيت و برآورده كردن نياز هاي دانش آموزان دارد يا خير4. بررسي تغييرات و بهبود هاي احتمالي كه فضاي مجازي در روش تدريس معلمان ايجاد مي¬كندبراي جمع آوري و تجزيه و تحليل اطلاعات از روش تركيبي استفاده شده است. به منظور دستيابي به اهداف مطالعه، 10 معلم زبان انگليسي در ايران را بصورت تصادفي انتخاب شده اند كه نيمي از آن ها بصورت سنتي و نيمي ديگر با استفاده از فضاي مجازي به تدريس زبان انگليسي پرداخته اند. براي جمع آوري داده از پرسشنامه و مصاحبه نيمه ساختاري استفاده شده است. به منظور درك نگرش معلمان زبان و دانش آموزان نسبت به تدريس زبان از طريق فضاي مجازي پرسشنامه¬اي كه قبلا صحت و اعتبار آن تاييد شده است اقتباس خواهد شد. پرسشنامه شامل 20 سوال است و توسط معلمان و 5 نفر از دانش آموزان هر كلاس، كه بصورت تصادفي اتخاب شده اند، پر شده است. سپس از معلم ها و دانش آموزان، مصاحبه اي شامل 5 سوال پاسخ آزاد به عمل آمد و صداي آن ها در طول مصاحبه براي تجزيه و تحليل و رونويسي كردن ضبط شده است. همچنين به آن ها اطمينان داده خواهد شد كه اطلاعات آن ها محرمانه خواهد ماند و فقط جهت اهداف آكادميك استفاده خواهد شد. براي تجزيه و تحليل اطلاعات، داده¬هاي مربوط به بخش كمي شامل پرسشنامه ها، اطلاعات بدست آمده در نرم افزار مناسب (  ) مورد تجزيه و تحليل قرار گرفته و نتايج حاصل از آناليز نرم افزار مورد بررسي گرفته است. همچنين در بخش كيفي مطالعه، مصاحبه ها كه از قبل رونويسي و بصورت موضوعي طبقه بندي شده¬اند، با استفاده از استدلال و استنباط جهت رسيدن به نتايج لازم استفاده شده است.نتايج تحقيق نشان مي دهد كه معلمان و دانش آموزان نگرشي مثبتي نسبت به يادگيري از طريق فضاي مجازي دارند. آنها تاكيد دارند كه فضاي مجازي به يادگيري فزاينده منجر شده است. زيرا آنها توانسته اند اهداف آموزشي بالاتري را دنبال كنند. همچنين كلاس هاي آموزشي آنلاين فضاي يادگيري بهتر و بدون استرسي راي براي آنها فراهم آورده است.همچنين فضاي مجازي به بهبود رابطه ميان دانش آموزان و معلمان خود نيز كمك كرده است، بطوري كه دانش آموزان احساس راحتي بيشتري در روابط خود با معلمان نسبت به كلاس هاي حضوري داشته اند. اين تحقيق مي تواند دريچه¬ي تازه¬اي را براي تحقيق هاي جديد درباره¬ي تاثيرات تكنولوژي، مخصوصا فضاي مجازي در تدريس زبان انگليسي براي محققاني كه به اين حوزه علاقه دارند، باز نمايد.

  This study was conducted to investigate the difference between language learning through teacher’s instruction and language learning through employing mobile application. The aim of this research was twofold: First, it investigated effects of language learning through mobile application, Duolingo, as a solitary instruction to learn vocabulary, idiom and grammar from basic levels comparing with teacher’s instructions in formal context. Second, it investigated the advantages and disadvantages of using Duolingo as Mobile-learning (m-learning) tool in learner’s point of view. Therefore, 30 participants took apart in this study, who were EFL students at Razi University. They were treated for about 15-hour sessions. The experimental group used mobile application in order to learn French grammar and vocabulary and the control group used teacher’s instruction in this case. Finally, an achievement test was taken to reveal the result of the study. Then a t-test was used to compare the mean score of both group. The findings showed that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of two groups, meaning that the mean score of the students who were taught via Duolingo Application was higher than those who were taught via teacher’s instruction. In the qualitative phase, a semi-structured interview was held among five students who were selected randomly from experimental group and their answer was recorded and analyzed. The qualitative part of the study revealed that students had a positive attitude toward learning French grammar and vocabularies through mobile application while there are some limitations that they were willing to be resolved. The results of this study might be helpful for both instructor and learners to use technology in a systematic way to fulfill educational goals both in formal and informal situations. Also, computer programmers can rely on this finding to have better products for learners.Keywords: language learning, traditional teaching, mobile-learning, mobile application, Duolingo

Although reflective teaching is enumerated as a significant feature of effective teachers, there is little empirical evidence to demonstrate its influence on learners’ evaluation. This study examines the relationship between EFL teachers' degree of reflection and learners’ evaluation of teacher effectiveness. Data were collected from 71 Iranian EFL teachers teaching at the private language institutes and 296 language learners. Reflective teaching inventory designed by Akbari, Behzadpour, and Dadvand (2010) was administered to the teachers and their learners’ evaluation was elicited through Murdoch’s (2000) checklist. The statistical analysis revealed significant positive relationships between reflection subscales and learners’ evaluation. It was thus assumed that understanding how reflection can change language learners’ evaluations can shed light on the role of reflection in improving teachers' performance and consequently learners’ appraisal. Hence, ten teachers with the highest degree of reflection participated in follow-up interviews. Analysis of the interview data, indicated how reflection sub-scales contribute to teachers' in getting higher ratings from learners. In line with these findings, the implications for teachers, administrators and teacher education are discussed.   

   Abstract Today, amazing advances in tra  ortation and media and communications have led to increased awareness of farmers and access to the market for agricultural products and the opportunity to find employment and access to amenities and living facilities, boundaries between towns and villages. It has eliminated and changed the role and function of each and has created phenomena such as urban creep, dormitory villages, the expansion of second homes in the countryside. One of these phenomena is the urbanization of farmers and their spatial segregation. The purpose of the present study is to identify and prioritize the economic, social and spatial factors affecting the urbanization of farmers and the spatial segregation of dwelling from agricultural production and typology of urban farmers. The present study is descriptive and analytical in nature, in terms of purpose, applied, and case study, and is one of the exploratory researches. The statistical population includes urban farmers residing in Kermanshah city, out of 500 farmers. Identified by the Cochran Volume formula Monet was selected as a random sample of 230 people. Questionnaires and interviews were used for data collection. According to the findings of the study, the short distance between the village and the city and the ease of commuting and the quality of roads had a significant impact on the urbanization of farmers. In the social dimension, the children continue to be educated, in the economic aspect of maintaining family capital in the village and in the spatial-spatial dimension of favorable rural climate, they were identified as the most important factors in the urbanization of farmers. KEYWORDS: Urbanization of farmers, Spatial segregation of residence, Part-time agriculture, Recreational agriculture, Urbanism, Kermanshah

History is a narrative written or documented by human beings, and human beings are never free from their subjective preferences and their political as well as socio-cultural biases. Postmodern historical fiction, especially the genre of “historiographic metafiction”, highlights this issue more than traditional historical writings by foregrounding the subjective nature of historiography, at the same time as it reflects the process of writing about history. Those postmodern novels which can be called “historiographic metafiction” do in fact awaken readers to the nature of historical events and their truth values. With the fall of grand narratives, no established historical fact maintains its authority against marginalized historical events and their importance. Paul Auster’s Leviathan is a postmodern novel which can be read through Linda Hutcheon’s discussion of the characteristics of “historiographic metafiction”, since there are counter-cultural historical facts in this novel that Auster has tried to highlight. Set in the 1980s United States, Leviathan is the story of a peaceful writer who becomes a bomber against the Republican policies of the era and tries to deliver his message by exploding the replicas of the Statue of Liberty. By foregrounding the subculture of the leftists and radicals of the era, Auster has tried to let his readers know about marginalized groups whose voice could not be truthfully heard in the face of authorities, meanwhile incorporating several postmodern narrative techniques that contribute to his postmodern historiography as befits the principles of “historiographic metafiction”.

  This study is conducted to investigate the novels Nocturnal Harmony from The Wood Orchestra by Reza Ghasemi (1996) and The Last Illusion by Porochista Khakpour, focusing on the social dir=ltr>Key words: Homi Bhabha, Hybridity, Identity, Subjectivity, Porochista Khakpour, The Last Illusion, Reza Ghasemi, Nocturnal Harmony from The Wood Orchestra

Developing EFL learners' inferential reading skills through WebQuest-based flipped classroom: Exploring learners' perspectives

Although much research has investigated the impact of burnout on EFLteachers, few studies have considered the difference between teachers’ burnout atpublic schools and private language institutes in Iran and the factors that maycause this syndrome. To address this significant gap, in a mixed methodresearch, the present study examined whether there is any significantdifference between teachers’ burnout in public schools and private languageinstitutes. In this regard, both quantitative and qualitative data collectionand analysis procedures were applied. Quantitative data were collected from 180 teachers working ateither public schools or private language institutes in Sanandaj throughMaslach Burnout Inventory. Also, qualitative data were gleaned throughconducting individual semi-structured interviews with 10 of the participants (5teachers from public schools and 5 instructors from private institutes). The results of independent samples t-testshowed that there were significant differencesbetween teachers of public schools and private institutes in terms of theirtotal burnout score, Emotional Exhaustion, and Depersonalization. However, there was no significant difference between the twogroups of teachers in relation to Personal Accomplishment, meaning that both wereon the same level in burnout subscale. Examining the mean scores indicated thatprivate language institute teachers were in a worse condition than theircolleagues in public schools in terms of burnout. On the other hand, theresults of analyzing the content of the interviews revealed that economicconditions, job security, social status, lack of motivation, and lack of composurewere the main factors contributing to burnout among EFL teachers in privateinstitutes, while lack of motivation and variety in the education process werethe only factors causing burnout amongteachers in public schools. The findings ofthis study placed emphasis on the role of the environmental and motivationalfactors on reducing or increasing burnout among Iranian EFL teachers in publicschools and private language institutes. Finally, some valuable implicationsfor private language institute principals and authorities of Ministry ofEducation are provided and a number of suggestions for further research arepresented.  

Recent research in teachereducation has focused more on the factors that may influence teaching quality. Althoughit is generally believed that emotional intelligence directly influences onteachers’ performance, more research is required to provide newinsights in this regard. To address the gap, this study investigated the relationshipbetween EFL teachers’ emotional intelligence and reflective practice. To thisend, in a correlational design, 180 Iranian EFL teachers (91 males and 89females) were asked to fill out a survey including of three parts: 1) thedemographic information, 2) the Trait Emotional IntelligenceQuestionnaire–Short Form (TEIQue–SF) developed by Petrides (2009), and 3)English Language Teaching Reflective Inventory Questionnaire (ELTRI) designedby Akbari, Behzadpour, and Dadvand (2010). After collecting the responses, thedata were fed into    24. To explore whether there was any correlationbetween Iranian EFL teachers’ emotional intelligence and reflective practices,Pearson-product moment correlation was employed. In addition, step-wisemultiple regression was carried out to examine which subscales of emotionalintelligence were significant predictors of reflective practices. The resultsof Pearson correlation illustrated that all the subscales of emotionalintelligence had significant correlations with reflective practices. Inaddition, regardless the weak correlations betweenEmotionality and Practical Reflection, Emotionality and Critical Reflection, andSelf-control and Critical reflection, significant positive associations weredemonstrated between the other subscales of emotional intelligence and reflectivepractices. Onthe other hand, the results of step-wise regression indicated that, save for Emotionality,the other emotional intelligence subscales were significant predictors ofreflective practices. The results indicated that emotionally intelligentteachers are more likely to enhance their reflective practices, which in turn can develop a deeper understanding of their teaching. This study addresses theeducational policymakers and teacher educators to make their best efforts to raise preservice teachers’ emotionalintelligence competencies by designing some emotional intelligence training programs, which inturn enhance their teaching quality. Finally, some suggestions forfurther research were proposed by the researcher.  

   Abstract The present study, as a research in the field of gender linguistics, aimed at investigating the Persian spoken by women in Kermanshah based on Lakoff’s dominance approach (1975). The purpose of this study was to investigate, describe and categorize the specific features in women’s speech. It further analyzed the impact of age on the frequency of using these speech features. The data of the present study were collected using questionnaires and interviews from 90 urban middle- 0px 0px 13px; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed; direction: ltr;">   Key words: Gender Linguistics, Lakoff’s Dominance Approach, Freud’s Defense Mechanism, Kermanshahi Farsi

  Abstract   The present paper intends to read Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe from a Deleuzian perspective. In opposition to a kind of literature which is ‘majoritarian’, this paper attempts to provide an adaptation of a ‘minoritarian’ literature. If the latter is innovatory, non-conformist, and interrogative, the former represents a dominant system of rules. I argue that Achebe, an African, and marginalized novelist whose country was under the domination of the British colonization represents a great literature which is considered minor not because it deals with minority, but because it disrupts and dislocates the long established tradition of two different systems. The findings of this thesis demonstrate that readers of such literature come up with a language which is highly loaded with revolutionary thoughts and ideas. Achebe portrays a variety of mutations in the two novels under study that work toward liberation from subjugation of both tribal and British systems dominating the stories while his attempts result in deterritorialization of both.Keywords: Gilles Deleuze, Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God

Abstract  So far a large number of studies have been carried out to explore different aspects of stickers and graffiti, but very little research has been conducted on t-shirts inscriptions and the messages they convey. Therefore, the current qualitative research has been designed to investigate the t-shirt inscriptions and their messages. The purpose of this study was to categorize the t-shirt inscriptions based on their contents, and investigate the cultural messages they convey. In order to do this study the appraisal framework that was developed by Martin and White (2005) was applied in this research. The data sources in this study were 150 different t-shirt inscriptions which were gathered from the main markets and shopping centers of Kermanshah city. By using Martin and White (2005) appraisal from work, and focusing on the attitude aspect of this framework which is related to the way that people feel and express their feeling it was concluded that the T-shirt inscriptions are categorized into six main categories that were: (1) social relationship, identity, and culture; (2) Religious belief and practices; (3) Advertisement; (4) Drinks and drugs; (5) Offensive Contents; (6) Popular topics. Furthermore, the results of the study concluded that all sorts of cultural, social, and religious messages can be conveyed through the use of T-shirt inscriptions. Some of these messages convey positive, i  iring, life-related advice or some negative and insulting messages for the person who wears the T-shirts and all the people who read the inscriptions on the T-shirts.  Keywords: T-shirt, discourse, globalization, messages, society, identity, culture.

  Abstract  This study was conducted with the aim of investigating EFL learners’ attitude toward the use of smartphones in order to learn English vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and determining the factors that lead to the selection of a specific smartphone application. This research was conducted at Razi University of Kermanshah. In this research, it has been hypothesized that students have a positive attitude toward the use of smartphones for learning the English language, and factors like the capability of being updated, cheapness, and the ease of use are the main factors that lead to the selection of a particular smartphone application. To test these hypotheses, the study used a mixed methodology which is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. For the qualitative part of this study, 5 students were interviewed and their data was analyzed by using thematic coding. For the quantitative part of this study a questionnaire was designed and distributed among 55 EFL students based on the themes drawn from the qualitative part of the research and the modified version of TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) by Davis (1986). The findings of this study revealed that students have a positive attitude toward the use of smartphones for learning English and the factors like the capability of being updated, cheapness, and the ease of use are the main factors that lead to the selection of a particular smartphone application.  Keywords: Attitude, Mobile Learning, MALL, EFL learners, Smartphones’ a  , TAM