The purposes of this study were to determine a reading ability level based on the CEFR for male and female engineering students and to compare their reading levels on the CEFR and DIALANG self-assessment grids with the level based on their performance on the reading tasks. The participants were 162 Iranian male and female undergraduate students at the Iran University of Science and Technology. DIALANG and CEFR reading self-assessment grids and four reading tasks at four levels (i. e., A2, B1, B2, and C1) were administered to the participants. Considering the students’ performance on the reading tasks, the results revealed that female learners outperformed the male learners; however, a considerable number of learners (about 40%) in both groups were considered ‘ Below B1’ . The results also showed that learners’ self-assessment did not closely correspond with their performance on the reading tasks as both groups of learners rated their reading ability lower on the CEFR and DIALANG grids; nevertheless, the highest matches were related to the female learners' ratings on the DIALANG grid.

The purpose of this study was to determine a listening level based on Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for undergraduate students of engineering and also to compare the self-reporting of their listening comprehension on the DIALANG and the CEFR listening self-assessment descriptors with their level on the academic and general listening tasks. The participants of this study were 200 Iranian male and female learners (male=148, female=52) at the BS level at the Iran University of Science and Technology. The instruments of this research were the CEFR and the DIALANG listening self-assessment grids and eight listening comprehension tasks at four levels (i. e., A2, B1, B2, & C1) and in two different genres (academic and general). The results revealed that female learners performed better on the general and academic listening tasks than male learners did. The results also indicated that the learners' self-assessment did not correspond closely with their performance on the listening tasks as both groups rated their listening comprehension higher on the CEFR and DIALANG grids. The number of matches on the DIALANG grid was also greater than that of the CEFR, and the matches on the academic tasks were greater than those of the general tasks.

Previous studies have explored the significant function of writing in the language development process, the essential role of metacognition in learning, the efficacy of scaffolding in developing students’ writing skill, and the application of technology in the learning and training process. However, the relationship between writing metacognitive knowledge and scaffolding via Google Docs and academic writing achievement needs further investigation. Therefore, the present study sought to examine whether writing metacognitive knowledge mediates the relationship between English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ scaffolding via Google Docs and academic writing achievement. The participants were 90 EFL undergraduate students enrolled in a writing course. The proficiency level of the participants was assessed through an online DIALANG test. Then, a quantitative correlational design was used to test the research hypothesis. Two questionnaires were used to gather quantitative data, and students’ performance on academic writing achievement was assessed. To evaluate the data, Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, simple linear regression, and path analysis were run. The findings uncovered the hypothesized model of relationships among the variables of the study. More specifically, the results supported the mediator role of writing metacognitive knowledge.

Utilizing a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, this study investigated the effects of flipped classrooms on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. Thirty Iranian EFL learners, who were enrolled in an upper-intermediate class at a private language school in Iran, were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group (the flipped learning group) and the control group (the traditional learning group). Pre-tests and immediate post-tests were administered via the DIALANG online diagnostic test which was also utilized to assess the learners’ current vocabulary level to explore the effects of flipped classrooms on the learners’ vocabulary learning. Semi-structured interviews along with students’ weekly journals were used to collect the qualitative data. The results of paired- and independent-samples t-tests showed that the experimental group performed better in the post-test both compared to their pre-test and the control group’s post-test. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data indicated that the flipped classroom enhanced the experimental groups’ knowledge of vocabulary, class participation, interaction, and engagement, although some of the participants were not accustomed to such an instructional method and preferred being instructed by the teacher and do the activities individually in the classroom. The study implications will be discussed.

Dynamic Assessment (DA) is theoretically framed within Vygotsky‟ s Socio-Cultural Theory (SCT) and relies on reunification of assessment and instruction. This process-oriented study of reading comprehension aims at investigating the impacts of applying computerized dynamic assessment (C-DA) which is an ongoing strand of DA on promoting at-risk advanced Iranian EFL students‟ reading skills. The sample of this study comprised of 32 advanced BA students selected based on convenience sampling from Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) undergraduates from a university in Iran. In this study, the DIALANG software and the Computerized Dynamic Reading Test (CDRT) were utilized to identify the individuals‟ proficiency level and to examine the effectiveness of the enrichment program (EP) in DA respectively. Upon completion of the CDRT, the learners were presented with two mediated and unmediated scores. The formula called Learning Potential Score (LPS) was also utilized in order to measure the students‟ potential for learning. Analysis of the results showed that a pretest (unmediated) score was a sufficient indication neither for measuring individuals‟ ability nor for preparing an effective lesson plan for them. The findings of this investigation may prove to be significantly useful for those who are concerned about individuals requiring a lot of attention, that is, at-risk or retarded learners within the realm of DA.

This study was explored to seek the effect of mobile-mediated dynamic assessment on Iranian EFL learners' writing skill. The participants were 60 EFL learners from one English language institute in Shiraz, Iran, learning English at the intermediate level. Their age ranged from 15 to 30. The participants were randomly assigned to three equal groups (i.e., one control group and two experimental groups). The instruments and materials used in this study were oxford quick placement test (OQPT), the DIALANG writing test, WhatsApp, Google Docs, and the interview. To measure the participants’ general English proficiency level before the experiment, the participants took the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). The quantitative data were analyzed using using Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests of normal, descriptive statistics, paired-sampled T-tests, ANOVA, and Tukey post hoc tests. For the qualitative data analysis, the answers to the interview questions were coded and analyzed using a typology of mediation. The ANOVA test showed that there were significant differences among the groups which implies that mobile-based dynamic assessment can enhance the writing proficiency among the language learners. In other words, both T and V groups in intermediate level had a significant progress in their writing proficiency. In light of the qualitative data, nearly all of the participants supported DA due to its advantageous benefits. They felt that this approach saved them time and increased their confidence and enthusiasm for writing, which is a challenging ability.

It has been suggested that scaffolding can be an effective way to support learners in writing. Research has also indicated that teacher feedback is essential in improving the quality of FL writing. Accordingly, the present quasi-experimental study aimed to explore the differential effects of teacher mediation and learner scaffolding on EFL learners’ writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency in the Google Docs environment. A convenience sample of 97 EFL learners participated, with proficiency levels determined using the DIALANG test. The participants were assigned to two experimental and one control group. The data were collected from a timed writing task employed as the pre and post-test to measure the writing achievement of the EFL participants using Fathi and Rahimi’s (2022) list of measures and a semi-structured interview. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed, including comparing the means of pre and post-tests of the three groups in terms of the three writing indicators by MANCOVA and Pearson correlation analysis. As the results revealed, the progress of writing indicators has become statistically significant only in the second experimental group. In contrast, the first experimental group showed progress that was not statistically significant. Furthermore, a significant positive relationship was found between complexity components, accuracy, and fluency, and accuracy exhibited the most significant enhancement. In addition, the analysis of the interview revealed learners’ perceived value of scaffolding strategies, especially by peers, and a positive attitude towards the implications of Google Docs in their success in writing performance.

This study explored the autonomy of advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in reading comprehension through scaffolding and jigsaw in computer-assisted and conventional language learning contexts. After being homogenized through the reading section of the DIALANG proficiency test, 80 female, advanced EFL learners with the age range of 21 to 45 were selected as the participants of the study. They were randomly assigned to four groups; experimental group A (scaffolding in a conventional context), experimental group B (scaffolding in a computer-assisted context), experimental group C (jigsaw in a conventional context), and experimental group D (jigsaw in a computer-assisted context). Next, the autonomy in the reading comprehension (RC) questionnaire, which was designed and piloted by Ebadi and Shirzad (in press), was administered as the pretest. Then, the learners in each group took part in autonomy in reading comprehension training courses for three months (16 sessions). After the treatment, the same autonomy in the RC questionnaire was administered as the posttest. One-way ANCOVA was used to analyze the quantitative data. The results revealed that although both jigsaw and scaffolding approaches were successful in both conventional and computer-assisted contexts from pretest to posttest, the scaffolding method proved more effective. Moreover, both the scaffolding and jigsaw approaches were more effective in the computer-assisted environment compared to conventional contexts, with the scaffolding CA approach outperforming the jigsaw CA technique. The findings’ implications for learners, teachers, and syllabus designers are discussed in both contexts.