https://ijpie.org/ International Journal of Practical and Pedagogical Issues in English Education en daily 1 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://ijpie.org/article_245979.html https://ijpie.org/article_236844.html AbstractResearch on English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) in language teaching has increased significantly due to its importance in facilitating communication among speakers from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. However, the construct of ELF awareness among Iranian English as a foreign language teachers and its relationship with their self-efficacy beliefs is still unknown. This study involved the development and validation of a 41-item language teachers’ ELF awareness inventory (TELFAI) with 198 convenience sampled Iranian EFL teachers. The exploratory factor analysis results showed its four-component construct including perceptions about ELF-informed ELT practices (17 items), nativespeakerism (8 items), English language varieties (10 items), and ELF-informed teacher education (6 items). As the study’s second aim, the relationship between 96 convenience sampled EFL teachers’ TELFAI scores and their teaching self-efficacy beliefs was investigated through a Pearson correlation. The results revealed a positive, but moderate, relationship. The study provides insights into ELF awareness and its impact on teachers’ characteristics such as self-efficacy and also practices. It supports educators in designing better training courses, benefits learners through improved instruction, and aids policymakers in developing relevant language education policies. https://ijpie.org/article_237069.html Advances in mobile technology have transformed language education, enabling innovative approaches like mobile-assisted blended and backward design learning. However, the combined effects of these instructional models with intensive versus extensive reading remain underexplored. As such, this quasi-experimental study compared the effects of mobile-assisted blended learning and backward design, integrated with intensive and extensive reading, on the reading comprehension of Iranian intermediate-level learners of EFL. Eighty participants were randomly assigned to four experimental groups: blended intensive, blended extensive, backward intensive, and backward extensive reading. All groups received intervention via Telegram, followed by pre- and post-testing using parallel TOEFL reading comprehension tests. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore their perceptions of learning experiences. One-way ANOVA revealed significant differences among the groups. The backward extensive reading group significantly outperformed all other groups. Furthermore, the blended extensive group outperformed the blended intensive group. However, no significant difference was found between the backward intensive and blended intensive groups. The qualitative analysis of the interviews revealed that learners in the backward extensive group placed a great emphasis on pre-class preparation, which fostered confidence and readiness for in-class collaborative activities. Also, the learners in both of the extensive reading groups reported that they enjoyed the course more than the students in the intensive groups. The accessibility and ease of use of the Telegram platform were also lauded across all groups for promoting consistent engagement. The findings suggest that mobile-assisted extensive reading within a backward design framework is highly effective for enhancing Foreign language (FL) reading comprehension. https://ijpie.org/article_237708.html This mixed-methods study has set its goal on evaluating the effectiveness of an in-service teachers’ development course on the dialogic inquiry approach to language teaching to make EFL teachers ready to practice the approach in order to enhance learners’ dialogic classroom talk. To reach this aim, the researchers held an in-service teachers’ development course by considering social-constructivist principles for teachers’ professional development. The course was held by the participation of 3 EFL teachers teaching at Mehr Language Institute, Eghlid, Fars, Iran. Then, the teachers practiced the approach for a whole term. The sessions were video-recorded and analyzed, and interpreted by Wells’s (2001) Discourse Analysis Coding Protocol. The researchers also scrutinized the learners’ perception on the application of the approach to foster their dialogic classroom talk. To do this, the learners were surveyed by a researcher-modified questionnaire developed by Lee (2014) after finishing the term. To triangulate the results of the questionnaire, the researchers selected 9 students by a random sampling method to participate in in-depth interview sessions. The results of analyzing the qualitative and quantitative data revealed that the teachers’ development course was positively effective in the accurate application of the dialogic inquiry approach by the teachers to enhance learners’ classroom talk dialogically. https://ijpie.org/article_237736.html Recent technological innovations have significantly influenced the process of language learning. Among these, language learning applications have emerged as a major development that has gained substantial attention in empirical research. Duolingo, in particular, has become one of the most widely used applications globally, largely owing to its user-friendly features. The current study explored the effects of Duolingo-based language instruction on EFL learners’ Self-Regulated Language Learning (SRLL), Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE), and Language Engagement (LE). It further investigated learners’ attitudes toward this instructional approach. To achieve this, the researcher employed a mixed-methods design. At the quantitative phase, 50 intermediate-level male EFL learners from a language institute in Urmia (Iran) were selected as participants, and data were gathered through pretests, instructional sessions, and posttests. At the qualitative phase, a semi-structured interview protocol was used to elicit learners’ views on this approach. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using T-test, MANOVA, and thematic analysis, respectively. Findings revealed that Duolingo-based instruction exerted significantly positive effects on learners’ SRLL, FLE, and LE. The study offers valuable insights for teacher education program developers, syllabus designers, and instructors regarding the incorporation of Duolingo into language classrooms in foreign language settings. https://ijpie.org/article_237788.html Educators constantly seek innovative and engaging methods to engage students and ensure their academic achievement. Using humor in the classroom is one of the strategies which can promote classroom environment and facilitate teacher-student rapport. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of using humor techniques through synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) in enhancing EFL teacher-student rapport. The population of this quasi-experimental study consisted of 70 Iranian female EFL intermediate learners and eight TEFL instructors. Initially, the Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was initially administered to the language learners in two English classes. Subsequently, the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) was administered to both teachers and students to gather their feedback. Afterward, the treatment began and lasted for twelve sessions. The control group received speaking skill instruction through traditional face-to-face teaching without humor techniques, while the experimental group received instruction incorporating humor techniques through SCMC using WhatsApp. After the treatment period, both student and teacher groups completed the QTI post-test. Upon data collection, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze potential differences in teacher-student rapport between the two independent groups at both the beginning and end of the study. The results indicated that the experimental group demonstrated a significant improvement in teacher-student rapport from both student and teacher perspectives, whereas the control group showed only minimal improvement. The results emphasize the potential of humor to serve as an effective means for fostering a positive and engaging learning environment, particularly in online or blended learning contexts. https://ijpie.org/article_238736.html Designing practical professional development (PD) for language teachers remains a persistent concern, particularly in settings where linguistic, cultural, and institutional dynamics are intertwined. This study explored the experiences of 30 Iranian English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teachers teaching in public junior high schools in a synergistic PD model integrating class-based reflection, ICT-mediated collaboration, and AI-driven support within communities of practice. Adopting a qualitative narrative inquiry approach grounded in sociocultural theory, the researchers collected the data over nine months from multiple sources, including reflective essays, interviews, AI interaction logs, WhatsApp discussions, and observational field notes. For data analysis, MAXQDA 24 was utilized, and results from thematic analysis revealed six related themes: relational foundations of reflection, ICT as connective tissue, AI both as a supporter and a distractor, professional identity renewal, contextual constraints and inequities, and cultural translation of technology. The findings indicate that the synergistic integration of human and AI-mediated reflective practice can enhance teacher learning, agency, and resilience, underscoring the need to thoughtfully incorporate relational, cultural, and structural conditions. Implications for teacher education, policy, and AI-supported PD design are discussed. https://ijpie.org/article_240654.html Boredom is one of the most frequently experienced emotions in academic contexts, and research has demonstrated its detrimental effects on students’ academic achievements. Despite its significance, little attempt has been made to understand students’ boredom coping strategies in the English as a foreign language (EFL) learning context. Therefore, this research employed a multimodal design comprising video recordings of class sessions, motometer, and interviews to investigate the behaviors demonstrated by EFL students at universities while they were experiencing boredom in their EFL classes within the context of Iran. This study was undertaken with the participation of 12 EFL students who were chosen through extreme case sampling. These participants were chosen from an Advanced English Grammar (AEG) course. The data collection was done over a period of two months and during seven classroom sessions. The multimodal analysis of the data conducted by MAXQDA software resulted in the identification of 16 boredom coping strategies among Iranian EFL students, categorized at four levels of Nett et al.’s (2010) taxonomy of boredom coping strategies (i.e. cognitive approach, behavioral approach, cognitive avoidance, and behavioral avoidance). The findings of this study shed some insight into how EFL students and their teachers collaborate to find solutions and strategies for coping with boredom when attending EFL classes. https://ijpie.org/article_235557.html This article examines Caryl Churchill’s The Skriker to theorize the destabilization of the liberal humanist subject through the intertwined concepts of sensible transcendence and the hysteric subject. It argues that the Skriker, as a shape-shifting, cross-gendered entity, materially embodies Luce Irigaray’s notion of sensible transcendence, reconceiving transcendence not as disembodied escape but as an emergent process rooted in corporeal difference and intercorporeal flux. Simultaneously, the Skriker’s fragmented language and protean identity perform the role of the Lacanian hysteric subject, exposing the economy of sacrifice inherent to liberal and neoliberal orders, which demand psychic fragmentation and the abjection of non-normative identities for their reproduction. By placing Irigaray’s and Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological frameworks in dialogue with psychoanalytic theory, this analysis demonstrates how Churchill’s dramaturgy uses the Skriker’s radical embodiment to subvert hegemonic gender binaries, challenge patriarchal symbolic structures, and render visible the psychic and social costs of a system sustained by sacrificial logic. https://ijpie.org/article_241439.html This study examined the interplay among second language form type (easy vs. difficult), the individual difference factors captured by the new Second Language Motivational Self-system (L2MSS), and the type of L2 knowledge (explicit vs. implicit), focusing on how newly bifurcated self-guides relate to knowledge of two target forms, using a quasi-experimental design. Participants received explicit form-focused instruction (deductive) on easy and difficult L2 forms, followed by explicit and implicit knowledge tests for the two forms and completion of the new L2MSS questionnaire. The sample comprised 259 Iranian ESP university students (134 males, 125 females), aged 18–25, with an average pre-intermediate English level. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling. Two target forms (easy and difficult) were tested for explicit/implicit knowledge. The Roehr and Ganem-Gutierrez’s (2009) taxonomy of form difficulty and Papi et al.’s (2019) new four-factor model of L2MSS were utilized to examine the interrelationships between type of L2 forms, type of Iranian EFL learners’ motivation, and type of L2 knowledge. SEM analyses were conducted to examine direct, indirect, and total effects among L2MSS sub-dimensions and explicit/implicit knowledge across form difficulties The findings illustrated that; ideal L2 selfown and ought-to L2 selfown were significant positive predictors of explicit and implicit knowledge, and the explicit knowledge was a significant positive predictor of implicit knowledge of both easy and difficult L2 forms. The outcomes underscore the substantial role of bifurcated L2MSS self-guides in shaping explicit and implicit knowledge, with explicit knowledge facilitating implicit knowledge. These results have implications for designing form-focused instruction. https://ijpie.org/article_241440.html Modern technologies continually advance digital diagnostic assessment tools that provide tailored, immediate feedback to L2 learners’ writing in higher education. However, the synergetic role of L2 teachers’ contextual and professional attributes, such as institutional affiliation and teaching experience, has remained insufficiently explored in pedagogical diagnostic assessment. To explore such nuances, this quasi-experimental study cross-examined how novice and experienced ELT professors employed diagnostic assessment in physical and virtual classrooms at State Universities and Islamic Azad University (IAU) Branches in Iran to improve EFL undergraduates’ academic writing performance. To do so, 320 EFL undergraduates were non-randomly selected and assigned to eight groups, grounded in ELT professors’ teaching experience (novice versus experienced), university affiliation (State versus IAU Branches), and diagnostic assessment modality (in real classroom versus Google Meet). Participants who collaborated on writing tasks received teacher diagnostic assessments and ratings across 14 sessions, based on the IELTS writing task rubric. Incorporated repeated measures two-way ANOVA tests demonstrated that ELT professors’ productive classroom-based diagnostic assessment was not interfaced with their teaching experience or university affiliation. Yet, their e-diagnostic assessment, teaching experience, and university affiliation showed notable interactions. In other words, experienced ELT professors at State Universities and novice ELT professors at IAU Branches achieved better results with e-diagnostic assessment than their counterparts. These controversial findings imply the superiority of ELT professors’ digital literacy to teaching experience or institutional affiliation in virtual L2 learning platforms. Moreover, regular and systematic institutional support for technology-mediated EFL learning is endorsed in higher education. https://ijpie.org/article_241441.html Despite extensive research on self-efficacy, motivation, and artificial intelligence (AI) in English as a foreign language (EFL) education, their interrelationships remain underexplored. This study targets Iranian EFL teachers' self-efficacy in writing, their writing motivation, and tendency to use AI in academic writing by examining the relationship between these constructs. A quantitative, correlational design was employed. A total of 250 EFL teachers were selected via convenience sampling and completed three validated scales: The Academic Writing Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AWSEQ) to measure writing self-efficacy, the Motivation in Writing Questionnaire (Cahyono & Rahayu, 2020) to measure writing motivation, and the AI Acceptance in Academic Writing scale (Farahian & Rezaee, 2025) to measure AI acceptance. Pearson correlation analyses indicated a strong, positive relationship between self-efficacy and motivation, and weaker but significant relationships between motivation and AI acceptance and self-efficacy and AI acceptance. Furthermore, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) revealed that teachers' self-efficacy in writing acted as a significant predictor influencing motivation and the tendency to use AI in writing. Furthermore, motivation in writing was identified as a significant partial mediator between self-efficacy and AI acceptance. This suggests that while teachers' confidence directly encourages AI use, a portion of its influence works by first boosting their motivation to write. The results of the study are analyzed in the light of the available literature and suggestions for further studies have been presented. https://ijpie.org/article_244032.html The introduction of a research article is an important area of study, as writers need to cohesively state the significance and current status of research, identify and define the gap, and clearly show how this gap is addressed. To write cohesive research article introductions, writers need to keep track of several linguistic features, among which is the theme. Thus, this study aims to investigate the types, frequencies, and communicative purposes of the marked theme in research article introductions across four disciplines. To this end, a corpus of 40 research article introduction sections from four disciplines—namely applied linguistics, psychology, chemistry, and environmental engineering—was randomly selected to meet the aims of this study. The research article introductions were extracted from articles published in the 2020–2023 issues of international high-impact journals. The corpus was analyzed based on Ebrahimi's (2014) taxonomy of marked themes. The findings suggested that most of the marked theme types were realized frequently in different manners, indicating disciplinary differences. The findings reported that the communicative purposes of marked themes were influenced and guided by the rhetorical functions of research article introductions and the disciplinary conventions of writing. The findings of this study could be included in EAP writing courses, highlighting the relationship between the rhetorical functions of research article introductions and the disciplinary conventions of writing on one end and the conscious use of marked theme types on the other end. https://ijpie.org/article_245295.html This article here reimagines English classrooms by positioning Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable as a catalyst for empathic, justice-oriented learning. Using the Affective–Aesthetic–Activist (AAA) framework, the study synthesizes affect theory, aesthetic education, and critical pedagogy to show how literary emotion, form, and classroom praxis can move learners from feeling to reflection to ethical action. A qualitative, interpretive design includes close textual analysis of affective nodes (humiliation, shame, compassion) and a simulated teaching module that operationalizes reflective journaling, dialogic circles, and creative reimagination. Findings indicate that Anand’s critical realism enables narrative empathy while foregrounding caste as a lived, affective structure; when mediated through AAA-aligned activities, students’ emotional responses can be scaffolded into moral reasoning and civic consciousness. Implications include reframing assessment to value emotional literacy alongside analytic skill and establishing facilitative norms that transform discomfort into critical insight. The model is transferable to Indian and international contexts addressing social inequality through literature. https://ijpie.org/article_246098.html This study examines the psychosocial aspects of technostress among male and female English teachers in advanced learning environments in Iran. The study emphasizes the impact of the increasing utilization of digital tools—such as computers, smart boards, and tablets—on the pedagogical environment in which these educators function. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating correlational research with qualitative analysis to investigate the relationships between technostress and factors including job performance, job satisfaction, and career commitment. A sample of 120 EFL teachers, equally distributed by gender and aged 25-40, was selected from private educational institutions in Urmia, West Azerbaijan province. Participants were chosen via convenience sampling to ensure a representation of both novice and seasoned educators who are actively incorporating technology into their pedagogical practices. The findings indicated that teachers encountered a moderate degree of technostress while exhibiting elevated levels of work performance, job satisfaction, and career commitment. A substantial negative correlation was found between technostress and work performance; however, no such correlation existed with job satisfaction or career commitment. Qualitative data indicated that techno-overload, techno-invasion, and a perceived disconnection from students were significant stressors. The results show that EFL teachers have moderate levels of technostress, with higher levels in certain demographic groups and a clear negative effect on their work performance. These results show that we need more targeted interventions and better support systems to reduce technostress and keep the quality of education high in classrooms that use technology. https://ijpie.org/article_246099.html In many Iranian EFL classrooms, vocabulary instruction still depends largely on teacher-centered and traditional teaching practices. In these contexts, principles associated with Neuroscience-Informed Instruction (NII) are also rarely incorporated. This situation has increased interest in instructional approaches that are more consistent with how learners process and recall information. Accordingly, this study investigated the effects of NII on vocabulary development and long-term retention among Iranian EFL learners. Twenty-eight intermediate EFL learners (18–31 years old) from a private language institute in Kerman, Iran were selected through the Oxford Placement Test (OPT) and assigned to two intact classes. The experimental group received instruction based on NII principles, including spaced repetition, retrieval practice, multimodal input, emotional engagement, and brief metacognitive reflection. The control group received conventional vocabulary instruction. The intervention was carried out over twelve 90-minute sessions across six weeks. A researcher-made test measured vocabulary knowledge through a pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed post-test. The data were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests and mixed-design repeated-measures ANOVA. Both groups improved over time; however, the experimental group achieved higher scores on both the immediate and delayed post-tests. The repeated-measures analyses also revealed a statistically significant Time × Group interaction, with the experimental group demonstrating stronger vocabulary growth and retention over time. These findings suggest that instructional practices informed by cognitive neuroscience principles may support more effective vocabulary learning and retention in EFL contexts. The findings highlight the potential value of neuroscience-informed instructional practices for vocabulary teaching in EFL contexts. https://ijpie.org/article_246213.html Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has introduced itself as a field that plays a significant role in improving teaching quality. Though the issues and topics related to SEL have been individually studied in the realms of English for General Purposes (EGP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP), there has been little analysis, if any, undertaken in the past between the two realms at the same time. This study investigated teachers’ SEL across six criteria, well-being, teacher self-reflection, teaching efficacy, educating all students, school climate, and professional learning, while considering teachers’ experience and academic degree as covariates. This was done by conducting a Purposive and Snowball sampling method on a total of 128 EGP and ESP teachers in the Iranian educational system through the Panorama Social-Emotional Learning survey questionnaire. Descriptive statistics showed slightly higher overall SEL means for ESP teachers compared to their EGP counterparts. With the Trace of Pillai in 2 x 3 x3 factorial MANOVA, the multivariate main effect of teacher type was statistically significant, and teaching experience and academic degree showed statistically detectable multivariate effects, but the interaction effects of teacher type were not statistically significant. Follow-up univariate tests showed that the ESP teachers rated higher than their EGP counterparts on well-being, teaching efficacy, educating all students, and school climates. However, differences in teacher self-reflection and professional learning were not statistically significant. The findings highlight the need for targeted professional development initiatives for novice teachers to promote inclusive, supportive classroom environments and improve student outcomes in both contexts. https://ijpie.org/article_246215.html This quasi-experimental study investigated the impact of reflective thinking (RT) and self-evaluation (SE) interventions on improving academic mindfulness, subjective well-being, and second language performance, specifically speaking and writing proficiency, among Iranian intermediate EFL learners. The principal objective of this study was to examine whether these metacognitive interventions could improve learners’ mindfulness, emotional well-being, and productive language outcomes throughout the training period. Three groups of thirty intermediate EFL students were made up of the same number of students. A reflective thinking group utilizing Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle, a self-evaluation group employing TOEFL iBT-based checklists, and a control group undergoing traditional instruction. During this eight-week instructional period, participants completed all requisite pre- and post-assessments, evaluating alterations in academic mindfulness, subjective well-being, and productive language proficiency. Both RT and SE interventions demonstrated substantial enhancements across all assessed variables relative to the control group. The findings indicated that reflective thinking can more effectively enhance academic mindfulness, while self-evaluation results in greater improvements in subjective well-being and in both speaking and writing proficiency. The findings reveal that each of these approaches can differently affect learning, and such an impact is due to differences in metacognitive processes. Accordingly, such results emphasize the importance of designing instructional interventions that consider the specific developmental needs of EFL learners. https://ijpie.org/article_246322.html The present study aimed to investigate the relationship among assertiveness, self-consciousness, and L2 oral ability of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. To this end, 45 intermediate EFL learners were selected by convenience sampling. The participants were provided with Self-consciousness Scales and Rathus Assertiveness Schedule to determine their level of self-consciousness and assertiveness. Afterward, an interview was conducted to assess their L2 oral ability so 10 to 15 questions were asked during a twenty-minute interview. Finally, Kanda Group Oral Discussion Test Descriptor Bands were used for assessing the students’ L2 oral ability in terms of pronunciation, fluency, grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills. The results revealed: (a) a negative correlation was found between self-consciousness and L2 oral ability, (b) a positive correlation was found between assertiveness and L2 oral ability; (c) among the five constructs of oral ability, the highest level of assertiveness was related to communication skills, (d) the highest level of self-consciousness was negatively related to communication skills, pronunciation, and vocabulary, respectively, and finally, (e) private self-consciousness influenced L2 oral ability more than public self-consciousness. The findings of this study shed light on the importance of individual differences in L2 language learning, i.e., this study reminds English teachers to be aware of individual differences in their classrooms, and they are recommended not to attribute their students’ failure only to whether they can learn L2. https://ijpie.org/article_246863.html This critical ecological multiple-case study investigated how EFL teachers and learners collaboratively co-create shaped affordances to transform foreign language boredom (FLB) within highly constrained private language institutes in northeastern Iran. Guided by Kyttä’s (2002) four-level affordance actualization model and Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) nested ecological systems framework, and employing a modern social science hermeneutics approach, the research examined four intact B1-level teenage classes (N = 4 teachers + 22 learners). Data collection methods used in the research included non-participant classroom observations totaling 36 instances, two semi-structured interviews with each teacher, one with the learners, member validation procedures, and reflexive field notes gathered over the course of one academic semester. The results showed that the teachers and the learners shared perceptions of 24 of the 28 potential affordances in the teacher domain, the learner domain, and the activity domain. They were able to successfully create 14 shaped affordances using four distinct relational practices that involved the four agentive acts of joint material supplementation, strategic translanguaging, learner-initiated activity redesign, and collective reflection rituals. These relational practices effectively buffered the constraints of the exosystem, including English-only policies, syllabi, and school-induced fatigue, to create demonstrably boredom-proof classrooms that were characterized by heightened levels of voluntary engagement. The research adds to the body of knowledge created by earlier studies that used the single-case research design by highlighting the role of distributed teacher-learner agency as a means of creating change in the constrained EFL classrooms. https://ijpie.org/article_246864.html As a multimodal media, graffiti are regarded as the systematic means for expressing meaning. Interpersonal meta-functions and interactional meanings in L1 and L2 graffiti have drawn the attention of linguistics researchers. Likewise, the present descriptive contrastive critical discourse analysis was conducted to identify the interpersonal meta-functions and interactional meanings in 360 randomly selected pieces of graffiti, 180 in English and 180 in Persian. The English data were collected from Vancouver, Canada, and Sydney, Australia; the Persian data were collected from Tehran and Tabriz, Iran. The researchers took advantage of Halliday’s interpersonal meta -function analysis (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2004; Halliday & Matthiessen, 2014; Thompson, 2014), and Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2006) framework to identify the interpersonal meta-functions and interactional meanings, respectively. Consequently, the graffiti devoid of clauses and pictures were removed, and 27 English and 26 Persian clauses along with 22 Persian and 18 English pictorial graffiti were selected as the data of the study. To describe, interpret, and explain the data, we took advantage of Fairclough’s (1995) framework. The results manifested similarities and differences in terms of interpersonal meta-functions and interactional meanings in the English and Persian graffiti. The findings underscore the need to raise teachers’ and learners’ awareness of graffiti, interpersonal meta-functions, interactional meanings, and critical discourse analysis in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts. https://ijpie.org/article_246865.html This mixed-methods study explores how politeness strategies are used in Iranian EFL classrooms and their effects on face management and learner engagement. Drawing on Brown and Levinson’s (1987) framework, the study examines four main politeness strategies: positive politeness, negative politeness, bald-on-record, and off-record. The research investigates how these strategies influence students’ emotional and behavioral engagement. Participants included 150 students and 10 experienced teachers, who completed a 23-item Politeness Strategies in Language Classroom scale (validated using Rasch analysis) and a Learner Engagement Inventory. In addition, eight hours of classroom observation were conducted, and discourse data were analyzed qualitatively to capture authentic classroom interactions. Rasch analysis confirmed the scale’s reliability and unidimensionality. Results indicate that teachers mainly use positive politeness strategies, which are linked to higher student engagement, including motivation, willingness to communicate, and active participation. Bald-on-record and off-record strategies were less frequent and context-specific. Classroom observations also highlighted the role of culturally motivated compliment¹ behaviors in shaping classroom discourse and managing face. These findings underscore the interaction between cultural norms and second language pragmatics, emphasizing the need for culturally informed teaching practices to enhance EFL learning. https://ijpie.org/article_247246.html Generative AI (GenAI), particularly large language models such as ChatGPT, is increasingly used in English language education, but the conditions supporting meaningful personalization remain unclear. This interpretivist qualitative case study examined GenAI adoption in higher-education and language-institute contexts through three stakeholder groups: educators (n = 8), adult learners (n = 12), and AI professionals (n = 3). Data comprised semi-structured narrative interviews, mixed-role focus groups, four weeks of student reflective journals, and AI-mediated artifacts. Framework Analysis in NVivo was combined with source triangulation to examine convergence and dissonance, and Critical Discourse Analysis was applied to purposively selected artifacts. GenAI supported adaptive scaffolding, real-time formative feedback, profile-sensitive task design, engagement, creative risk-taking, and critical reflection. Four constraints qualified these benefits: unequal access and AI literacy; opaque privacy and data-governance practices; over-reliance that weakened metacognitive monitoring; and inconsistent handling of cultural-pragmatic nuance and affective resonance. The findings position GenAI as a personalization engine within a human-led pedagogical framework in which teachers curate, contextualize, and ethically oversee AI use. The study supports stronger AI literacy, assessment redesign, equitable access, and transparent data governance, while highlighting the need for longitudinal evaluation of durability, transfer, and inclusivity. https://ijpie.org/article_247957.html This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the Total Physical Response Storytelling (TPRS) method in enhancing listening comprehension and willingness to communicate (WTC) among Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Using a quasi-experimental design, 41 participants from a single class participated in a 14-session intervention. Pre-tests and posttests, including a standardized listening comprehension test and a WTC questionnaire, were administered to measure changes in both listening ability and WTC. The TPRS method integrated immersive storytelling with physical responses, created an interactive and meaningful learning environment. Results of paired samples t-tests indicated statistically significant improvements in both listening comprehension and WTC, attributed to the supportive and low-anxiety learning environment provided by integrating multimodal input—visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. This approach boosted learners’ confidence, motivation, and active participation, making language learning more enjoyable and effective. The findings suggest that TPRS offers a promising, student-centered alternative to traditional methods, especially in contexts like Iran where emotional and situational barriers often limit language use. Overall, the study highlights TPRS’s potential to foster more dynamic, communicative EFL classrooms by addressing both linguistic competence and affective factors. Implications and suggestions for further research were also highlighted. https://ijpie.org/article_250389.html Learners’ attitudes play a crucial role in learning different grammatical structures in general and English conditionals in particular. Emphasizing on a cognitive linguistic perspective of conditional sentences, this paper reports on a qualitative-quantitative study that investigated the learners’ attitudes towards the effectiveness of this approach on their learning. As such, thirty Iranian EFL learners who attended a Cognitive Linguistic (CL)-based course on English conditionals were selected to be explored about their attitudes and perceptions about the efficiency of the course. Due to the qualitative and quantitative nature of the present study, both a thirty-item Likert scale questionnaire and a stimulated recall interview (SRI) were administered to collect the required data concerning participants’ attitudes and perceptions. The findings demonstrate that participants had a positive attitude towards the efficiency of CL approach and its application in learning English conditional sentences, and they acknowledged it as an effective approach. The participants, moreover, admitted that particular aspects of this approach, like the pedagogic tasks and instructional PowerPoints, the focus on meaning, text repair task, and the focus on production, were helpful for them. However, a few problems, such as time limitations, inactive partners, and a few animations and videos, were considered to be the negative aspects of this approach. Finally, this paper proposes some pedagogical implications for further study to crystalize the possible effects of the CL approach and learners’ ideas and opinions about its efficiency. https://ijpie.org/article_250390.html Reading comprehension is a critical skill for EFL learners, yet the effectiveness of instructional strategies may vary depending on learners' individual differences, including their cognitive tempo. This quasi-experimental study examined whether concept mapping differentially benefits Iranian impulsive and reflective EFL learners' immediate and long-term reading comprehension. Eighty-one male intermediate learners (aged 16–20) in Alvand, Qazvin, during the 2025–2026 academic year were assigned to Reflective (n = 27), Impulsive (n = 27), and Control (n = 27) groups. The two experimental groups received an eight-session concept mapping intervention; the control group followed conventional instruction with no concept mapping practice. Reading comprehension was assessed via a 40-item multiple-choice immediate posttest and a four-week delayed reading comprehension test. Concept maps were scored for structural quality. ANCOVAs controlling for pretest showed that the Reflective group significantly outperformed the Impulsive group on the immediate posttest (adjusted M = 16.0 vs. 15.0, p = .012, d = 0.73) and the delayed posttest (adjusted M = 12.5 vs. 10.5, p = .018, d = 0.68); both experimental groups outperformed the control group. Bootstrapped mediation analyses indicated that map quality partially mediated group differences on both immediate (indirect effect β = 0.52, 95% CI [0.19, 0.94]) and delayed (β = 0.48, 95% CI [0.16, 0.87]) comprehension. Results demonstrate that the effect of concept mapping is moderated by cognitive tempo and that map quality serves as a mechanism driving both immediate and long-term comprehension gains. Differentiated scaffolding is recommended for impulsive learners. https://ijpie.org/article_250391.html This qualitative study looks at how in-service Iranian EFL teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is connected to their involvement in Continuing Professional Development (CPD), with attention to the role of institutional support. Fifteen teachers from universities and language institutes in Kurdistan Province took part because the study wanted detailed, context-based ideas. The researcher used semi-structured interviews and reflective journals to gather information, and the researcher used thematic analysis to study the information and find repeated patterns. The findings show five connected themes: the slow growth of TPACK through experience and reflection, the central role of institutional support which helps teachers take part in CPD, the emotional and psychological sides of professional growth, the value of working with peers, and the effect of contextual barriers and structural limits on teachers’ work. The study shows that teachers are motivated and strong, yet weak institutional support and limited resources often stop teachers from fully using their TPACK. The findings show the need for CPD programs which are supportive, cooperative, and suitable for the local context, and which deal with both cognitive and emotional sides of teacher growth. https://ijpie.org/article_250834.html This paper examines Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day using Walter D. Mignolo’s decolonial ideas of territorial epistemology and border thinking. Most of Ishiguro’s works, except for those from his earlier Japanese phase, have been confined to Western locations, thus making it difficult to determine whether his works are a challenge to Eurocentric values. The paper positions Stevens’s story within a hierarchical space that fits Mignolo’s territorial epistemology of dominant center and marginal periphery; “ladder” and “wheel” are used metaphorically to illustrate the power of Darlington Hall and Stevens’s commitment to the code of ethics of the aristocracy, all of which contribute to the existence of a closed system of epistemology that promotes the naturalization of social inequality and the exclusion from access to alternative knowledge. Stevens’s interactions with Miss Kenton, Harry Smith, and Mr. Cardinal also show his refusal to engage in border thinking, as he refuses to consider any view that could threaten the pre-existing source of authority. Although the author reflects on these problems through Stevens’s feelings of regret, it provides the reader with an understanding of how socially created hierarchies create moral blindness. Stevens’ late recognition of his misguidance does not lead to genuine border thinking but rather to what Mignolo calls rewesternization—a transfer of loyalty from one master to another that leaves the underlying structure of hierarchy and service intact, revealing how even regret and learning can be co-opted into reproducing the very systems they appear to question. https://ijpie.org/article_251204.html This research investigated the effects of online immediate feedback on the reading comprehension of 56 Iranian female learners, randomly assigned to experimental (receiving online immediate feedback) and control (receiving teacher-immediate feedback) groups. The study was performed through a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design, using the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) proficiency examination and a semi-structured questionnaire as research tools and Read Theory as the online platform. Statistical analysis revealed that the groups were initially equivalent, and the posttest results revealed considerable improvements in the experimental group’s performance, with a large effect size (d=2.31). As expressed by the participants in this group, online feedback made the errors clearer, reduced anxiety, and increased motivation (M=3.94 for comprehension and 3.89 for motivation). Qualitative investigations revealed that feedback was an effective tool helping learners notice and correct their mistakes, and consequently deal with the challenging reading material. The control group reported positive evaluations of teacher feedback, appreciating the clarity, individualized approach, and motivating effects of teacher feedback, although limited time and unequal attention were reported as some drawbacks. The findings highlight the significant contribution of both online and teacher feedback to comprehension and motivation enhancement. However, the generalizability of the results may be influenced by several limitations, including technical problems, classroom environment, and participant homogeneity. https://ijpie.org/article_251207.html This study presents learner agency as the central principle for ensuring successful artificial intelligence (AI) integration in English language teaching and learning. While AI-enabled tools offer a wide range of possibilities for personalized feedback, individualized language training, and access to extensive learning resources, their educational value depends on the extent to which they strengthen learners’ autonomy rather than foster dependence on technology. Drawing on theoretical models of human agency, self-regulated learning, learner autonomy, sociocultural learning, and second language acquisition, the study introduces the AI-Supported Learner Agency Framework for English Language Learning. Within this framework, AI functions as a mediating resource intended to enhance learners’ cognitive, linguistic, and metacognitive abilities rather than replace them. The study emphasizes inquiry-based learning, AI literacy, teacher-scaffolded guidance, feedback literacy, authentic assessment, and ethical oversight. Particular attention is given to English language learning contexts where learners increasingly rely on generative AI to compose essays, translate texts into other languages, develop vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and communicate verbally. More specifically, the study argues that the central educational question is no longer “whether learners use AI,” but “how do learners use it”: as passive recipients of machine-generated answers or as independent and critical thinkers in their engagement with AI. https://ijpie.org/article_251968.html With the increasing use of AI technologies in education, it has become important to examine teachers' readiness and ability to use these technologies. Despite numerous studies on the application of generative AI in language teaching, limited research has examined the sequential relationships among teachers' cognition, attitudes, AI skills, and pedagogical application and reflection, particularly in the Iranian EFL context. The present study aimed to examine these relationships from the perspective of language teachers. This study was conducted with a quantitative approach using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Data were collected from 300 Iranian EFL teachers through an online questionnaire in October and November 2025. The research instrument consisted of 11 items in four dimensions: cognitive, attitudinal, skill, and application and reflection, adapted from Zhen (2025). The results of the model evaluation showed that the structural model had an acceptable fit (SRMR = 0.047, NFI = 0.892). Path analysis revealed that the cognitive dimension had a strong positive relationship with teachers’ attitudes (β = 0.669, t = 21.022, p < 0.001), indicating that greater AI cognition was associated with more positive attitudes. Furthermore, positive attitudes significantly enhanced AI skills (β = 0.573, t = 15.092, p < 0.001), which in turn positively influenced pedagogical application and reflection (β = 0.588, t = 14.428, p < 0.001). https://ijpie.org/article_251969.html Testing in second language (L2) research is of utmost importance as the type of measure employed can substantially influence the observed outcomes and the theoretical as well as pedagogical claims derived from them. Currently, L2 research is heavily biased toward using offline measures, most of which do not tap into learners’ authentic L2 competence. This article, therefore, proposes alternative assessment measures in L2 research. These measures, referred to as online measures or tests, are informed by psycholinguistic approaches to real-time language processing. The article begins by providing a justification for the need to use online tests in L2 research and moves on by discussing the nature of language and language acquisition in order to establish the rationale behind adopting these tests. It then elaborates on these measures by providing detailed explanations and illustrative examples. To further elaborate on how online measures may be employed in L2 research, the article also reviews a number of studies adopting these measures in their design. Finally, the article discusses the methodological and interpretative considerations associated with the use of online measures and concludes by highlighting the importance of incorporating these measures into L2 research. https://ijpie.org/article_252884.html This research provides a cognitive analysis of Buchi Emecheta’s In the Ditch (1972) through Patrick Colm Hogan’s concepts of situatedness, practical and categorial identity, and emotional memory. Although feminist, postcolonial, migration, and formalist studies have illuminated Emecheta’s representation of social marginality, its cognitive and affective dimensions remain underexplored. Focusing on Adah’s experiences of precarious housing, welfare institutions, racial categorization, work, cultural alienation, and community, the paper examines how material and social environments shape perception, affective judgment, self-conception, and behaviour. Hogan’s distinction between practical and categorial identity clarifies the tension between socially imposed labels and Adah’s practical identity, reflected in skills and strategies developed to navigate disadvantaged circumstances. Repeated exclusion shapes her emotions and expectations through emotional memory. The analysis concludes that Emecheta presents marginality not as deterministic but as dynamic, allowing trust, recognition, and solidarity to gradually revise previously learned expectations and support adaptive forms of social and emotional engagement. https://ijpie.org/article_252885.html The present book review examines Andrea Wulf’s biography of George Forster, an eighteenth-century travel writer, naturalist, world voyager, and revolutionary. With her feather-light sentences and evocative style, Wulf meticulously traces Forster’s rich life from his expedition to Russia, through his circumnavigation of the world, to his death in Paris. In this biography, Wulf successfully brings Forster’s rebelliousness to the fore and demonstrates how he challenged the dominant norms of eighteenth-century Europe. As an enlightened and tolerant travel writer, he refrained from dehumanizing and stereotyping Indigenous islanders while Kant, Linnaeus, Buffon, and Meiners emphasized their supposed inferiority and savagery. As a scientist, he adopted a holistic approach to nature, at a time when classification and categorization were central scientific methods of the Enlightenment. As a son, he rebelled against his controlling and exploitative father, and as a husband, he tolerated his wife’s lovers. Finally, as a firm believer in human equality, he became involved in the French Revolution and the establishment of a short-lived republican government in Mainz. Although this book review primarily highlights the book’s strengths, it also identifies areas in which Wulf’s analysis could be further developed. Finally, it considers the book’s potential readership.