Mahmood Hashemian

[ 1 ] - Rendering Strategies in Culture-Specific Items: Taboo Expressions in IRIB’s Dubbed Hollywood Movies

Translators face a number of difficulties while translating. Not only translation of cultural elements is of utmost importance in translation studies, but also it is an arduous task for translators, especially in the case of interlingual translation. One of the biggest concerns of audiovisual translators is culture-specific items amongst which taboo expressions are included. This study aimed at...

[ 2 ] - On the Interplay of Self-Esteem, Proficiency Level, and Language Learning Strategies Among Iranian L2 Learners

It is axiomatic that L2 teaching and learning is a process that requires dynamic involvement of L2 learners in the acquisition of knowledge and skills. L2 learners need to be assisted in setting individual learning goals. They should also be given the exposure to and guidance in effective language learning strategies (LLSs) in order to build a high level of confidence in the learning process. T...

[ 3 ] - Role of Monolingualism/Bilingualism on Pragmatic Awareness and Production of Apology Speech Act of English as a Second and Third Language

The present study investigated the pragmatic awareness and production of Iranian Turkish and Persian EFL learners in the speech act of apology. Sixty-eight learners of English studying at several universities in Iran were selected based on simple random sampling as the monolingual and bilingual participants. Data were elicited by means of a written discourse self-assessment/completion test (WDS...

[ 4 ] - L2 Learners’ Strategy Preference in Metaphorical Test Performance: Effects of Working Memory and Cognitive Style

Although investigating the factors that influence test scores is important, a majority of stakeholders show a paucity of attention towards individual learner differences due to having large classes of L2 learners. This study sought to explore the possible effect of working memory and cognitive style on L2 learners’ metaphorical test performance. The study was conducted in 2 phases. The first ph...

[ 5 ] - A Pragmatic Study of Speech Acts by Iranian and Spanish Nonnative English Learners

This study was an attempt to investigate Iranian and Spanish intermediate nonnative English learners’ request strategies to their faculty. To this aim, 74 (50 Iranian and 24 Spanish) nonnative English intermediate learners participated in this study. A discourse completion test (DCT) was used to elicit the request strategies used by the participants. The findings suggested the participants empl...

[ 6 ] - Exploring Different Oral Corrective Feedback Preferences: Role of Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Intelligences

This study explored corrective feedback (CF) types and their relationship to L2 learners’ intelligence types. Participants were 60 intermediate L2 learners aged 18-29 in Isfahan, Iran. Based on their intelligence types as intrapersonal and interpersonal, the participants were divided into 2 groups. McKenzie’s MI Inventory (1999) and a researcher-designed questionnaire on CF types were employed....

[ 7 ] - Exploring Relationships Between Field (In)dependence, Multiple Intelligences, and L2 Reading Performance Among Iranian L2 Learners

L2 learners’ individual differences are crucial factors that deserve attention in L2 education. Focusing on 2 main areas of individual differences (i.e., field (in)dependence and multiple intelligences), this study explored their relationships with L2 reading performance. Participants were 64 TEFL undergraduates and postgraduates. To assess the participats’ degree of field (in)dependence and mu...

[ 8 ] - EFL Teachers’ Understanding of the Teaching Portions of INSET Programs

This study aimed to identify the portions of teaching materials for English classes in Iran’s high schools. The efficiency of these materials was evaluated by (a) eliciting the teachers’ perception of the materials to identify their distribution portions and (b) studying the teachers’ satisfaction to identify whether the materials were successful to develop the EFL teachers’ knowledge and skill...

[ 9 ] - Pragmatic Awareness of the Request Speech Act in English as an Additional Language: Monolinguals or Bilinguals?

This study attempted to investigate the effect of bilingualism on pragmaticawareness and development among Iranian Turkish/Persian EFL learners. Data werecollected through a personal profile questionnaire with questions about theparticipants’ language background and a WDCT with 10 situations to determine theextent to which the bilinguals demonstrated their pragmatic awareness of requests.They w...

[ 10 ] - Relationship Between Iranian L2 Learners’ Multiple Intelligences and Language Learning Strategies

L2 learners’ multiple intelligences (MI) profile plays a central role in theirperformance on different aspects of language learning, one of which is the use oflanguage learning strategies (LLSs). Gaining insights into the relationship betweenMI and LLSs makes L2 teachers better understand their learners’ strengths andweaknesses in the use of such strategies and lets them guide the learners bett...

[ 11 ] - L2 Learners’ Stylistic Penchant and Perceived Aptness for Metaphors and Similes

Aptness, defined as how the vehicle is well able to cover the salient features of the tenor (e.g., oil is like liquid gold vs. a train is like a worm), is claimed to be an important factor in the preference for metaphors over similes, or vice versa. This study was an attempt to test for the supposed correlation between the perceived degree of aptness and a priori stylistic preference for metaph...

[ 12 ] - Why Figurative Language: Perceived Discourse Goals for Metaphors and Similes by L2 Learners

The goal of this study was to investigate the kinds of discourse goals that Iranian EFL learners perceive as the most probable reasons behind the utterance of figurative language, metaphors and similes, with reference to 4 independent variables of Figure Type (Metaphor or Simile), Tenor Concreteness (Concrete or Abstract), Context (List Format or Story), and Modality (Oral, Written, and Both). ...

[ 13 ] - In-Service Teacher Development Programs and EFL Teaching Practice in High Schools

This study sought the relationship between short-term in-service development programs for EFL teachers and their teaching practice in high schools. The objectives were to determine the relationship between: 1) the components of the programs for EFL teachers and their practice in class, and 2) EFL teachers’ perception of the programs and their practice in class. Data were collected through quest...

[ 14 ] - Lexis-Based Instruction and IELTS Candidates’ Development of L2 Speaking Ability: Use of Formulaicity in Monologic Versus Dialogic Task

Although lexis research (e.g., Lewis, 1997; Taguchi, 2008) has already evidenced the possibility of teaching formulaic sequences (FS), further research is still needed to examine the procedures or frameworks through which the approach can be applied and probe the second or foreign language (L2) areas where it demonstrates more relevance. This pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study aimed, fir...

[ 15 ] - A Pragmatic Study of Requestive Speech Act by Iranian EFL Learners and Canadian Native Speakers in Hotels

This study was an attempt to shed light on the use of requestive speech act by Iranian nonnative speakers (NNSs) of English and Canadian native speakers (NSs) of English to find out the (possible) similarities and/or differences between the request realizations, and to investigate the influence of the situational variables of power, distance, context familiarity, and L1’s (possible) influence. ...

[ 16 ] - Effects of Focus-on-Form(s) Instruction on Iranian Intermediate L2 Learners’ Metaphorical Competence Development

Recent developments in cognitive linguistics have highlighted the importance and the ubiquity of metaphors in language. Their effect has been instrumental in making significant headway into the pedagogical practice and design of teaching materials. The current study was carried out to explore the efficacy of focus-on-form (FonF) and focus-on-forms (FonFs) instructions on learning metaphorical l...

[ 17 ] - Cross-Cultural Differences and Pragmatic Transfer in English and Persian Refusals

This study aimed to examine cross-cultural differences in performing refusal of requests between Persian native speakers (PNSs) and English native speakers (ENSs) in terms of the frequency of the semantic formulas. Also examined in this study was whether Persian EFL learners would transfer their L1 refusal patterns into the L2, and if there would be a relation between their proficiency level an...

[ 18 ] - Exploring Rhetorical-Discursive Moves in Hassan Rouhani’s Inaugural Speech: A Eulogy for Moderation

Before a president practically begins his four-year term of office in Iran, a formal inaugural ceremony is held in the parliament. Being attended by national dignitaries and representatives from other countries, the inauguration of Iran's seventh president, Hasan Rouhani, was spectacular in several respects. The current study aimed at investigating the generic structure and rhetorical moves tha...

[ 19 ] - بازخورد منفی کنکور در کلاس‌های زبان انگلیسی در ایران و بررسی انتقادی عملکرد و مسئولیت‌پذیری افراد در قبال آن

توجه به آثار زیانبار آموزشی- اجتماعی آزمون‌های سرنوشت‌ساز در زندگی و آیندة شغلی داوطلبان و بررسی عملکرد افراد مختلف عرصۀ آموزش و یادگیری در جهت بازتولید یا تغییر این آثار، رویکردی نوین در آزمون‌سازی زبان به حساب می‌آید. این پژوهش سعی دارد با کنکاش در آثار زیانبار کنکور در ایران به بررسی نتایج عملکرد آموزشیِ افراد در جهت بازتولید یا تغییر آثار منفی منتج از این آزمون بپردازد. بدین‌منظور، 60 معلم ز...

[ 20 ] - Rendering Strategies in Culture-Specific Items: Taboo Expressions in IRIB’s Dubbed Hollywood Movies

Translators face a number of difficulties while translating. Not only translation of cultural elements is of utmost importance in translation studies, but also it is an arduous task for translators, especially in the case of interlingual translation. One of the biggest concerns of audiovisual translators is culture-specific items amongst which taboo expressions are included. This study aimed at...

[ 21 ] - On the Interplay of Self-Esteem, Proficiency Level, and Language Learning Strategies Among Iranian L2 Learners

It is axiomatic that L2 teaching and learning is a process that requires dynamic involvement of L2 learners in the acquisition of knowledge and skills. L2 learners need to be assisted in setting individual learning goals. They should also be given the exposure to and guidance in effective language learning strategies (LLSs) in order to build a high level of confidence in the learning process. T...

[ 22 ] - Applied Linguistics Faculty Members’ Perceptions of (Im)politeness and (In)appropriateness of L2 Learners’ E-Mail Requests

A significant amount of contribution to pragmatics research comes from cross-cultural and developmental pragmatic studies with L2 learners in focus; however, despite broad interest in such analyses, the role of lecturers has been relatively ignored. As the lectures’ perceptions/opinions of L2 learners’ e-mail requests are important, L2 learners must become familiar with their lecturers’...

[ 23 ] - A Cognitive Study of Conceptual Metaphors in English and Persian: Universal or Culture-Specific?

In the last 2 decades, studies on conceptual metaphors have profoundly increased. The development in this field was followed by Lakoff and Johnson's (1980b) work on describing the conceptual role played by metaphors and their correspondence with language and thought. This study aimed to compare conceptual metaphors in Persian and English through a corpus-based approach as well as examining both...

[ 24 ] - Comic Strips and Grammar Development among Iranian Teenage EFL Learners

This study was an attempt to examine the effect of using comic strips on improving grammar recognition and performance among Iranian young EFL learners. To this end, one experimental and one control groups were formed, each having 45 preintermediate participants chosen via convenience sampling. The researcher-made pretests of grammar and speaking assured the researchers that the participants di...