APPLIED RESEARCH ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Year:2012 | Volume:1 | Issue:2|Papers Count:8

I am pleased to announce the publication of the second issue of Applied Research in English. The articles published in the current issue are theoretical as well as research-based. I would like to extend my most profound gratitude to all the authors who submitted their papers to our journal. Additionally, I could hardly deny myself the pleasure of thanking Dr. Vahid Parvaresh, Dr. Mohammadtaghi Shahnazari and Mrs. Nadia Kazemi for all their invaluable help and support. I am also very grateful to the International Editorial Board members and also to the anonymous reviewers who have contributed greatly with their comments.

This paper focuses on some pragmatic expressions that are characteristic of informal spoken English, their possible equivalents in some other languages, and their use by EFL learners from different backgrounds. These expressions, called general extenders (e.g. and stuff, or something), are shown to be different from discourse markers and to exhibit variation in form, function and distribution across varieties of English, as well as in other languages. In EFL contexts, students are reported to use fewer pragmatic expressions and a smaller range of possible forms. They also tend to favor expressions more often associated with writing and formal speaking (e.g. and so on), include literal translation equivalents from their first language that are not used in English (e.g. and, and, and), or used only in restricted contexts (e.g. or so), and often seem not to realize that some forms may carry negative connotations (e.g. and blah, blah, blah). The possibility of fostering better pragmatic awareness among EFL students is discussed in terms of an explicit cross-linguistic focus on the forms and functions of pragmatic expressions.

Intake is a concept that has long fascinated second language researchers as it provides a window onto the crucial intermediary stage between input and acquisition. A better understanding of this intermediary stage can help us to distinguish between input that is used for immediate (e.g. communicative) purposes only and input that is drawn on for learning. This article traces the different components from which intake can occur, reviews existing definitions of intake and suggests alternatives for its operationalization.

This essay focuses on met discourse, a name for elements of texts that convey meanings other than those that are primarily referential. The essay provides some theoretical background to the study of met discourse, briefly reviews a taxonomy of met discourse, and explores four reasons why the study of met discourse is interesting and important: (a) Such study shows how intricately structured language is, (b) Such study opens up intriguing questions about ethics and language use, (c) Such study reveals differences in how met discourse is used in similar texts in different languages, (d) And such study provides reasons why met discourse deserves a special place in second-language instruction.

To communicate effectively, learners have to become proficient in both the language and the culture of the target language. Being aware of socio-cultural frameworks does not mean that as an outcome of instruction learners have to become "native-like," but an awareness of L2 cultural norms can allow learners to make their own informed choices of how to become competent and astute language users. This paper provides an overview of practical approaches and techniques to teaching culture in the classroom in conjunction with instruction in the essential language skills. It is important to keep in mind, however, that this brief review of strategies and tactics for cross-cultural teaching and learning is minimalist, and a number of additional sources of pedagogical techniques are currently available.

The present study was an attempt to investigate EFL learners’ perception of task difficulty. Twenty adult Iranian learners participated in this study on a volunteer basis. Drawing upon current models of task difficulty, the researchers managed to operationally define four oral narrative tasks of varying degrees of complexity. Having performed the tasks, the participants attended a round of retrospective interviews. The qualitative analysis brought to light five major themes. To explore how current models of task difficulty would explain the learners’ attitude toward task demands, these categories were juxtaposed with Skehan’s model and Robinson’s triadic componential framework. In this connection, the protocols were investigated from a cognitive, information-processing perspective on task-based language teaching and the most relevant implications were discussed.

Translation of culture-bound terms is of special importance in translation theory and practice. The present study is an attempt to examine the procedures used in translating these terms in the English translations of the Holy Qur’an. As such, English equivalents of terms related to Practical laws of religion (Furu al-Din) in five English versions of the Qur'an are identified and the translation procedures used in them in addition to the frequency of occurrence of each procedure have been examined. The study reveals that literal translation is not only the most frequently used procedure but also the most appropriate one in translating such terms.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of using Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) on the learners’ achievement in L2 grammar and reading in an EFL context and to further investigate whether the students’ classroom performances would predict their final exam results. To conduct this study, two classes, each containing 30 female students, were selected among the existing 1st grade high school classes in a high school. Prior to the treatment, all participants were given both reading and grammar tests so as to make sure of any initial differences among them. CBM was randomly implemented in one of these classes (as an experimental group) once a week over a 12-week period to monitor their progress in reading and grammar. At the end of the treatment, all participants took the achievement test. The results of two independent-samples t-tests indicated that CBM significantly improved students’ L2 reading and grammar achievement during the term. Also, the results of two linear correlations revealed that CBM outcomes during a semester significantly predicted final exam results.