task-based language learning and blended learning have become an ideology in modern EFL teaching and are considered to be an effective trend in teaching English as a foreign language. Thus, the present study explored the effect of integrating blended language learning into task-based language learning on Iranian male and female intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability. Initially, four groups including two experimental groups and two control groups were formed. The two experimental groups were taught through blended integrated task-based language learning. In so doing, Staker and Horn’ s (2012) blended learning model was integrated into Ellis’ (2017) task-based model in order to improve participants’ reading comprehension ability. In this innovative approach, learners were involved in a series of offline and online focused and unfocused task-based reading comprehension activities, whereas the control groups were taught through conventional reading comprehension methods using traditional reading strategies. Accordingly, the results of ANCOVA indicated that learners in the experimental groups obtained considerably higher scores than those in the control groups. Further, the results of two-way ANOVA depicted that there was no substantial difference between the female and male learners across groups. Finally, the pedagogical implications of this study suggested that curriculum designers and materials developers can incorporate the innovative notion of integrating blended learning into task-based language learning method to transform the learning environment into more student-centered classrooms. More importantly, the teachers can develop learners’ critical thinking and metacognitive skills by designing interactive reading comprehension online tasks.

Many books have been written to illustrate the position of the new technologies in teaching and learning a foreign or second language (L2); nonetheless, most of these books have not been successful. The Handbook of Technology and Second language Teaching and learning edited by Caral A. Chapell and Shanon Sauro and published by Wiley Blackwell in 2017, provides a comprehensive overview of the various facets of the use of technology in teaching and learning an L2. This book has not been translated into Persian and no critical review has been published for it; accordingly, this study sought to both introduce and critically review this book. The current critical review revealed some advantages including comprehensiveness of the whole book, the expertise of the writers, up-to-dateness, content and format integrity, and the use of valid sources. The main criticisms are the exclusion of some of the very recent technologies, perhaps due to the ever-changing and exponentially volatile nature of the technological improvements and expansions, the introduction of too many technologies at the theoretical level without providing information about their practical use. Generally, the book is an invaluable and academically written source for L2 practitioners, postgraduate students, and researchers.

The polite listener In England stares at the speaker attentively and blinks his eyes occasionally as a sign of interest. That eye-blink says nothing to Americans, who expect the listener to nod or to murmur something such as "mm - hmm”. And in some parts of  Far East, it is impolite to look at the other person at all during conversation.It is often argued that, in teaching foreign languages, culture and language are interwoven in a way that it is not possible to present language without its culture. However, until a new method of teaching language, called communicative approach, which is sociolinguistically oriented, had not come into existence, this belief was not used to be observed in textbooks and language classes. This method intends to create situations in the classroom in which foreign language can be used as naturally and authentically as the native speakers of target language use it for communicative purposes.The problem of teaching culture, nevertheless, does not end here. Nowadays, foreign languages are taught with different and varied objectives. Is it necessary for all foreign language learners to get familiar with the culture of foreign language they are supposed to learn? As Schumann (1984) claims, is it true that second language learning is impossible, unless one gives up his/her own native culture and adopts the culture of foreign language community? What are some relevant issues regarding teaching English in Iran? These are actually some basic questions raised in this article. Whereas definite answers are not necessarily provided in this paper, some areas of research related to culture, and teaching foreign language are put forward.

The present study is an attempt to investigate the relationship between creativity, language learning strategies and language proficiency. To measure these three variables, Nelson Quick Check Test, Strategy Inventory for language learning (SILL), and Creative Personality Measurement Questionnaire (CPM) were administered. These tests measure language proficiency, learning strategies, and creativity respectively. The results showed that creativity and degree of strategy use and also creativity and language proficiency were significantly correlated; but the degree of strategy use and language proficiency did not show any relationship. As far as the participants' strategy use scores were concerned, no particular difference among high and low creativity subjects was discovered. But they were significantly different with respect to their language proficiency. The preferred strategy type for both high and low creativity groups was the metacognitive strategies and the least preferred strategy type for both groups turned out to be affective ones. The subjects were also divided into two groups of high and low proficiency. The favorite strategy type for the high proficiency group was the compensation strategies and the favorite strategy type for the low proficiency group was the metacognitive strategies. Both high and low proficiency groups preferred the affective strategies least of all.

Teachers' awareness of students' language learning preferences can lead teachers to more realistic and useful teaching strategies which in turn will facilitate and enrich the learning process. Therefore, learners' preferences are to be identified and their skills and assumptions must be given due attention. Learners should be given the opportunity to express their learning preferences especially in reference to definition of objectives and awareness of strategies in learning. To give our students such opportunity, 320 freshmen students at Shahed University were asked to express their learning preferences by filling out a 13-item questionnaire. As a further step, 21 teachers who taught English to the same students were asked to show their awareness of the students learning preferences by filling out the same questionnaire with minor changes. Collected data revealed significant results signifying the need for a closer cooperation between students and teachers as to how learning activities should be arranged and implemented in the classroom.