Purpose: The present study aims at investigating the effect of process oriented syllabus on motivation in and attitude toward learning English at high and low general English proficiency levels.Method: Using a semi-experimental design two groups of students, namely A and B who had the General English course at bachelor’s level were studied for 14 sessions. At first, the two groups were distributed Gardner’s AMTB questionnaire for attitude and motivation to learn English as pre-test and post-test. Meanwhile, group A was instructed according to a syllabus where the overall and session by session course details and objectives were specified, while group B or the treatment group was instructed according to a syllabus where only the overall course details and objectives were specified. Data were analyzed using Co-variance statistical test in SPSS.Results: The study showed a syllabus where the overall and session by session course details and objectives are specified has a significant effect on motivation in and attitude toward learning English at high and low general English proficiency levels though no significant difference was found between the two general English proficiency levels in motivation in and attitude toward learning English. Therefore, as motivation and attitude are two important affective factors in language learning, it is recommended in order to improve these two factors the respective instructors provide a syllabus where the overall as well as session by session course details and objectives are specified.

Background: Critical thinking and learning styles are important in students’ learning processes. The study examined the relationship between critical thinking and cognitive learning styles with general English proficiency and success in examinations. Method: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 138 students at Gonabad University of Medical Sciences in 2019-2020 were selected through convenience sampling. To collect data, a critical thinking scale, a learning cognitive style questionnaire, a general English proficiency test, and a general English final exam were used. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics through SPSS V. 22. Results: Descriptive statistics showed that among critical thinking components, 35. 4% of participants had deductive and inductive reasoning components. Out of cognitive learning styles, most had divergent styles, claiming 47. 1% of the cases. ANOVA results showed a significant relationship between critical thinking and general English proficiency as well as success in the English final exam (p=0. 045 and p=0. 037, respectively). However, ANOVA results revealed no significant relationship between cognitive learning styles and general English proficiency as well as success in the English final exam among students (p=0. 41 and p=0. 06, respectively). Conclusion: It is concluded that the higher the critical thinking skills in deductive and inductive components among students are, the greater their proficiency in the English language and their success in English final exams will be. Regarding cognitive learning styles, the students would integrate concrete experimental and reflective observational methods and have the greatest ability to observe concrete situations.

In the world today, with its diverse specializations and branches of sciences, gaining an improved and more accurate understanding of scientific concepts and information is of vital significance. Chemistry is one of the fundamental sciences, the mastery of which enables individuals to make maximal use of this useful science. One of the important factors in learning chemistry is the use of the English for chemistry, which includes technical terms, accurate definitions, and experimentation methods. The use of specialized language helps individuals better understand complex concepts and easily communicate with others in the same field. The present study examines the central role of learning specialized language in studying and understanding chemical concepts as well as introducing the key points for optimal utilization by students and anyone interested in chemistry. This study demonstrates how mastering complex chemistry terminology and its unique nomenclature enhances understanding, facilitates effective communication, strengthens critical thinking, deepens content knowledge mastery, and ultimately improves the performance of chemistry learners.

The purpose of this study was to detect differentially functioning items in the University of Tehran English Proficiency Test (UTEPT) which is a high stake test of English developed and administered by the Language Testing Centre of the University of Tehran. This paper is based on the answers of 400 test takers to the test. All participants earned a master degree either in humanities or science and engineering. To achieve the purpose of this study, the participants were divided into two equal groups. The results of generalized Mantel-Haenszel indicated that out of 100 items 12 items were displaying DIF. Logistic regression procedure also flagged 14 items as exhibiting DIF. Nevertheless, the associated test of effect size for logistic regression showed that none of these effect sizes were large according to the guidelines proposed by both Zumbo and Thomas (1997) and Jodoin and Gierl (2001). Therefore, it was concluded that UTEPT doesn't show significant academic discipline DIF and is equally fair to both humanities and science and engineering groups.

Background and ObjectiveS: The difference between students and their individual needs have been the focus of many pedagogues in recent decades. With the emergence and development of a variety of technologies and the expansion of access infrastructure to emerging technologies, the condition to access a variety of educational content has been met for a wide range of learners. The flipped classroom is one of the most ambitious ideas in education, which emerged in the last decade of the twentieth century with the aim of meeting the needs of learners and promoting learner-centered learning, using very simple technologies. The flipped class can affect the teacher's instructional practice and their interaction with students and even communication with parents. The main difference between the presentation method in the flipped classroom and the traditional classroom is that the teacher becomes a guide and facilitator of the learning process instead of the lecturer and controller of the teaching process. The flipped class gives students control over the teaching process by stopping and rewinding the teacher's teaching video. In this way, students with different levels of proficiency can listen to or see the teacher's teaching over and over again, without being accused of beingretarded by their classmates. Therefore, the students themselves take the main responsibility of planning for the lesson and learn the educational materials without any worries. This study investigated the impact of flipped classroom on the development of English reading comprehension. Methods: Two general English classes were selected based on convenience sampling and were assigned into control (n=25) and experimental (n=25) groups. The participants’ reading proficiency was assessed before and after the study by PET (Preliminary English Test). The scores of pre-test showed that the groups were homogeneous prior to the study. The experimental group received instruction based on flipped approach and the control group were taught based on conventional instruction. Findings: The result of MANOVA on post-test scores indicated that flipped classroom improved students’ reading comprehension significantly. Tests of between-subjects effects show that the groups’ means of posttest scores were significantly different in four parts of PET that focus on understanding the main idea and gist of meaning. The difference between the groups was not significant in Part 5 that assesses understanding the vocabulary and grammar in a short text. Conclusion: The results showed that the use of flipped instruction in general can improve learners' reading skills and comprehension. At the same time, this method has worked better in strengthening reading skills and comprehension of the general content and message of the texts than paying attention to smaller reading units such as vocabulary and grammar. This is logical given the theoretical underpinning of the flipped class in emphasizing higher-level cognitive skills and indicates the success of a model designed to teach GE. At the same time, it is necessary to help learners to strengthen low-level skills in the reading process by designing appropriate teaching aids and teaching learning strategies to them. Also, in order for this method to be successful in lower level cognitive activities, there is a need to continue using it and familiarizing learners with this method. In this study, due to the mediocre access of students to technology, advanced technologies (such as artificial intelligence, smart applications, etc. ) were not used to prepare e-content. In addition, the flipped class was the first experience of the students participating in this study, and it is recommended to continued use of the flipped class (more than one semester) in other studies.

In the era of advancing artificial intelligence in education, this study investigates whether regular practice with AI-powered chatbots improves English speaking proficiency more effectively than traditional peer-to-peer conversation practice. Grounded in the interaction hypothesis (Long, 1996) and output hypothesis (Swain, 1985), which emphasize the role of interactive practice and feedback in language acquisition, the research employed an experimental design. Two groups of English learners participated over 12 weeks: an experimental group practiced speaking with Elsa AI, an AI chatbot equipped with natural language processing for real-time feedback on pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and fluency, while a control group engaged in peer-to-peer conversation practice. Speaking proficiency was assessed pre- and post-intervention using standardized tests (IELTS speaking), and statistical methods (e.g., t-tests or ANOVA) were used to compare proficiency gains. Statistical analyses revealed that both groups improved significantly over time, but the chatbot group achieved larger mean gains than the peer group. These findings suggest that AI chatbots offer scalable, on-demand practice with immediate corrective feedback, addressing limitations of human partners such as availability and consistency. The findings could inform the integration of chatbots in diverse English Language Teaching (ELT) settings, enhancing speaking practice opportunities globally.

The majority of Iranian universities which offer doctoral programs, have started to accept only those candidates who have a good command of English proficiency, which is usually measured either by a general English test administered by the same university, or by tests like MCHE, TOLIMO, or MOHMET which are administered by the related ministries" The results of these tests are used to make very important decisions on the fate of candidates; hence, these tests should be carefully investigated in terms of reliability, validity, and the other characteristics of the test. The English Examination of Tarbiat Modarres University (TMU) is a TOEFL-like English language proficiency test used as a prerequisite for the Ph.D. Entrance Examination at Tarbiat Modarres University. This year, 6000 male and female postgraduates from different universities and different fields took part in this exam. This study attempts to investigate its reliability, test difficulty, and speededness. To achieve the purpose of the study, the data obtained from more than 2000 male and female Ph.D. applicants were analysed through different types of reliability estimates. The reliability coefficients of the total test and its subparts were estimated through K-R21, K-R20, split half, and cronbach DC. Also the Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) was computed. Then the reliability coefficients of different types of reliability were compared for significant differences. In addition, the test difficulty as a general characteristic of the test, which may influence the size of reliability estimates, was also investigated. Related to this issue, the difficulty values of the test items are calculated. Based on the results, the relation between test difficulty and different types of reliability were discussed. This study also investigated speededness as a source of measurement error. Here, we determined if section 2 and 3 of the TOEFL-like TMU English Examination were truly speeded according to established criteria. Two exploratory techniques employing regression analyses were used in an attempt to account for the possibility Quarterly Journal of Humanities, Al-Zahra University / 57 of random 'or patterned responses at the end of each section. One technique provided an estimate of the degree to which all examinees truly reached 75 percent on the sections, and the second determined if 80 percent of the examinees truly completed the last set of items. The results revealed that although the TMU English Examination was to some extent reliable, the reliability coefficients did not meet the levels which would be required for a high-stake test. Also it was found that based on norm-referencing criteria, the TMU exam did not have an acceptable level of difficulty that is, it was too difficult for the examinees. Further, the results showed that the test was slightly speeded as far as the ETS criteria are considered. Results of this study may be of benefit to test developers in general and language test designers in particular. More specifically, policy makers and test developers of TMU, the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and other such institutes may get some benefit from this study.