Abdorreza Tahriri | University of Guilan (original) (raw)
Papers by Abdorreza Tahriri
Issues in Language Studies
This study investigated the effect of dictionary use on the vocabulary learning strategies used b... more This study investigated the effect of dictionary use on the vocabulary learning strategies used by elementary level EFL learners. Seventy-five female EFL learners were randomly assigned to one of three groups (25 members each): the monolingual dictionary, the bilingual dictionary, and the bilingualised dictionary groups. Students' responses on the vocabulary learning strategies were collected through a questionnaire which dealt with the vocabulary learning strategies the participants used to understand each target item in a reading passage selected based on readability formula. The results of Chi-square analysis indicated that the participants in the bilingual group consulted their dictionaries more frequently to solve their lexical problems than those in the monolingual and the bilingualised dictionary groups. The bilingualised group reported the least use of other strategies (e.g., analysing morphemes, and using cognates), while guessing was rarely reported by the bilingualise...
Developing research performance has become an important theme in Iranian higher educational insti... more Developing research performance has become an important theme in Iranian higher educational institutions as other national and international academic institutions across the world. However, the research performance of Iranian Teaching English as a Foreign Language postgraduate candidates has been argued to be limited. In order to increase their research productivity and develop their capacity in this regard, the first critical step is to understand the influences which are associated with their academic research performance. This qualitative study focuses on a group of TEFL postgraduate candidates from five major Iranian universities with the purpose of investigating the motivational influences in conducting research, their perception of research value, and their understanding of research environment which is required for research productivity. Interviews were conducted with 20 candidates from the sample universities. It was revealed that the research related activities and efforts of the participants were driven by both external and internal needs and motivations. A multi-dimensional value was accorded to research; however, the academic research environment and requirements were the subject of various concerns. The results of this study offer several future implications for departmental and institutional research administrators to further support TEFL postgraduate candidates' research development.
International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature
Vocabulary learning in both L1 and L2 is considered important to master a language. Individuals n... more Vocabulary learning in both L1 and L2 is considered important to master a language. Individuals need to learn the words in order to express ideas and to communicate. As a result, research into word knowledge is important as it provides useful information considering the way in which words are learned and organized in individuals’ mind; however different studies have been conducted in this regard, there is a long way to fully understand individuals’ mental lexicon. So, word association tests are used to examine the word knowledge, to study vocabulary learning process, and how it occurs in the language learners’ mind. Similarly, the aim of this paper is to investigate the way in which words are stored and organized in Iranian EFL learners’ mental lexicon through a word association test. To this end, a word association test was designed including eight prompt words from different word classes and was administered to 50 Iranian EFL learners. They were randomly selected and included 22 m...
This study targeted to explore the effect of memory strategy on EFL learners' vocabulary rete... more This study targeted to explore the effect of memory strategy on EFL learners' vocabulary retention with a consideration of learners' multiple intelligences. In this study, the memory strategy consisted of three parts of grouping, acronym and images. The participants of this study were 80 male and female EFL learners of intermediate level who underwent 12 hours of instruction in a language institute. They were chosen through convenience sampling and then they were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group was directly taught how to implement memory strategies in learning vocabulary. A pre-test post-test control group design was carried out to collect the required data through vocabulary tests, memory strategy and multiple intelligence questionnaires. The results showed that the experimental group's vocabulary retention statistically improved. Moreover, the relationship between MI and vocabulary retention of Iranian EFL learner...
SAGE Open
This study sought to investigate whether there are differences among EFL instructors of various i... more This study sought to investigate whether there are differences among EFL instructors of various intelligence types in terms of the types of activities that they implement in their classes. It also sought to investigate teachers' perceptions about the theory of multiple intelligences. To this end, 30 male and female EFL instructors teaching the same textbook with the same method of teaching participated in the present study. To gather the data, three successive sessions of each class were observed and the class activities were recorded through an observation schedule. Semistructured interviews were also carried out to explore the teachers' perceptions of multiple intelligences. And finally, teachers' dominant type of intelligence was determined by Multiple Intelligences Checklist. The results of one-way ANOVA and post hoc test revealed that only teachers of logical-mathematical type were influenced by their dominant intelligence type and other intelligence types did not exert a significant influence on the types of activities being implemented in the classes. The results of this study can be a fillip at least for teachers with logical-mathematical intelligence to be careful about their dominant intelligence type, not allowing it to affect their teaching and to compel them to use activities in line with their dominant intelligence.
International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning
Although Iranian language learners spend many years in language classes, many of them have proble... more Although Iranian language learners spend many years in language classes, many of them have problems when communicating in a foreign language and their abilities to communicate and speak in the target language is lower than their capabilities in paper and pencil tests. Apart from lack of fluency, they suffer from self-confidence and anxiety. This study was conducted to examine the benefits of drama method and drama-based activities to enhance verbal communicative skill. The question whether students' attitudes employing drama method will change about English instruction was also investigated. The experiment was conducted with 20 Iranian students whose major was not English and their proficiency levels in English language were pre-intermediate. Experimental group was instructed through drama method for 18 sessions (two 1.5 hour sessions in a week). Role-play for pre/post tests and questionnaire for learners' attitude were used through this method. The findings revealed that mean score of students in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. Drama method and drama based activities provided the students with more occasions to speak the second language in classroom, and use language in activities which are like a real life situation and make declarative knowledge turned to procedural knowledge. Drama method enhanced students' self-confidence and decreased their anxiety. Being related to real life situations, drama based activities are more purposeful for learners, hence they motivate them more than usual. Generally speaking, it can be concluded that drama method enhances speaking ability of the foreign language learners, and learners' attitude toward drama-based teaching is positive.
Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2016
This study aimed to investigate the extent of Iranian EFL students’ pragmatic knowledge, and if t... more This study aimed to investigate the extent of Iranian EFL students’ pragmatic knowledge, and if there were any significant differences among EFL learners at different years of study (the freshmen, the sophomores, and the seniors) on this knowledge. To this end, 78 EFL students of University of Guilan (Rasht-Iran) were tested using a Multiple-choice Discourse Completion Test (MDCT), (Birjandi & Rezaei, 2010). The results showed that, their extent of pragmatic knowledge wasnot at satisfying level. Also, the results showed that there were significant differences between the freshmen and seniors in this regard.
International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology, 2016
Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, Mar 1, 2013
Journal of Pan Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 2009
In the present paper, three models for teaching literature including language-based, literature a... more In the present paper, three models for teaching literature including language-based, literature as content or culture, and literature as personal growth or enrichment were evaluated. Based on these models, an integrated model was suggested. An experimental study was carried out in order to examine the effectiveness of the suggested approach compared to a conventional and instructor-led one. One-hundred and twenty BA students majoring in English Literature took part in a one-semester experiment. For the experimental group, the integrated approach was utilized whereas the method used for the control group was based on content-cultural model according to which the course instructor provided all the necessary information without focusing on the linguistic or stylistic considerations. The post-test consisted of three parts: linguistic, interpretive and cultural sections. The results of the study confirmed the plausibility of the use of the suggested eclectic approach to teaching literature. Several pedagogical implications were drawn.
Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, Mar 1, 2013
Online Submission, Jul 1, 2012
Acquisition in general and first language acquisition in particular is a very complex and a multi... more Acquisition in general and first language acquisition in particular is a very complex and a multi-faceted phenomenon. The way that children acquire a language in a very limited period is astonishing. Various approaches have been proposed so far to account for this extraordinary phenomenon. These approaches are indeed based on various philosophical positions that might have quite different underlying assumptions. In the present paper, major approaches to first language acquisition, i. e., empiricism and nativism are reviewed and critically evaluated.
International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology, 2014
International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology, 2014
The present study was conducted to investigate the impact of etymological elaboration instruction... more The present study was conducted to investigate the impact of etymological elaboration instruction on EFL learners' comprehension of idioms in short reading texts. Out of 108 EFL female learners studying at Islamic Azad University of Mashhad (Khorasan Razavi province, Iran), based on the results of an Oxford Placement Test (OPT), 60 homogenous learners at upper-intermediate level (with the age range of 18-26 years old) were selected based on convenience sampling method. Afterwards, they were randomly divided into control and experimental groups, each consisting of 30 learners. To make sure that the participants were more or less at the same level according to their comprehension of idioms, a researcher-made test was administered to both control and experimental groups to make a judgment about learners' idiomatic knowledge of idioms in short reading texts, and the learners' progress after offering the treatment. The treatment of the study took five one-hour sessions, during which the participants in both groups received five idioms using different instructional techniques, i.e., 'the etymological elaboration instruction of idioms' technique for the experimental group and traditional technique (rote learning) for the control group. The results of independent samples T-test revealed that the experimental group in the post-test outperformed the control group. The results of the paired samples T-test, moreover, showed a significantly higher improvement for the experimental group compared to the control group. It was concluded that knowledge of idioms' etymology generally raised Iranian EFL learners' comprehension of idiomatic expressions in short reading texts.
Acta Scientiarum. Human and Social Sciences, 2015
Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2015
The present study aimed at exploring the relationship between Internet use and academic procrasti... more The present study aimed at exploring the relationship between Internet use and academic procrastination of a group of EFL learners across years of study (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors). The study was conducted in two phases. First, a pilot study was conducted among 30 representative university students in order to check the reliability and validity of the main instrument utilized, i.e. a questionnaire. After that, the piloted questionnaire was distributed among 380 undergraduates studying at the University of Guilan, Kharazmi University, and Ferdowsi University. Results of Spearman Rank Order Test at the .01 level of significance revealed a medium positive relationship (rho= +.47) between Internet use and academic procrastination of the participating students. Furthermore, the results of Kruskal Wallis Test at the significance level of .05 indicated that there is a significant difference in both Internet use (sig=.029, p≤ .05) and academic procrastination (sig=.007, p≤ ...
International Journal of Research Studies in Educational Technology, 2013
International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning, 2016
Issues in Language Studies
This study investigated the effect of dictionary use on the vocabulary learning strategies used b... more This study investigated the effect of dictionary use on the vocabulary learning strategies used by elementary level EFL learners. Seventy-five female EFL learners were randomly assigned to one of three groups (25 members each): the monolingual dictionary, the bilingual dictionary, and the bilingualised dictionary groups. Students' responses on the vocabulary learning strategies were collected through a questionnaire which dealt with the vocabulary learning strategies the participants used to understand each target item in a reading passage selected based on readability formula. The results of Chi-square analysis indicated that the participants in the bilingual group consulted their dictionaries more frequently to solve their lexical problems than those in the monolingual and the bilingualised dictionary groups. The bilingualised group reported the least use of other strategies (e.g., analysing morphemes, and using cognates), while guessing was rarely reported by the bilingualise...
Developing research performance has become an important theme in Iranian higher educational insti... more Developing research performance has become an important theme in Iranian higher educational institutions as other national and international academic institutions across the world. However, the research performance of Iranian Teaching English as a Foreign Language postgraduate candidates has been argued to be limited. In order to increase their research productivity and develop their capacity in this regard, the first critical step is to understand the influences which are associated with their academic research performance. This qualitative study focuses on a group of TEFL postgraduate candidates from five major Iranian universities with the purpose of investigating the motivational influences in conducting research, their perception of research value, and their understanding of research environment which is required for research productivity. Interviews were conducted with 20 candidates from the sample universities. It was revealed that the research related activities and efforts of the participants were driven by both external and internal needs and motivations. A multi-dimensional value was accorded to research; however, the academic research environment and requirements were the subject of various concerns. The results of this study offer several future implications for departmental and institutional research administrators to further support TEFL postgraduate candidates' research development.
International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature
Vocabulary learning in both L1 and L2 is considered important to master a language. Individuals n... more Vocabulary learning in both L1 and L2 is considered important to master a language. Individuals need to learn the words in order to express ideas and to communicate. As a result, research into word knowledge is important as it provides useful information considering the way in which words are learned and organized in individuals’ mind; however different studies have been conducted in this regard, there is a long way to fully understand individuals’ mental lexicon. So, word association tests are used to examine the word knowledge, to study vocabulary learning process, and how it occurs in the language learners’ mind. Similarly, the aim of this paper is to investigate the way in which words are stored and organized in Iranian EFL learners’ mental lexicon through a word association test. To this end, a word association test was designed including eight prompt words from different word classes and was administered to 50 Iranian EFL learners. They were randomly selected and included 22 m...
This study targeted to explore the effect of memory strategy on EFL learners' vocabulary rete... more This study targeted to explore the effect of memory strategy on EFL learners' vocabulary retention with a consideration of learners' multiple intelligences. In this study, the memory strategy consisted of three parts of grouping, acronym and images. The participants of this study were 80 male and female EFL learners of intermediate level who underwent 12 hours of instruction in a language institute. They were chosen through convenience sampling and then they were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group was directly taught how to implement memory strategies in learning vocabulary. A pre-test post-test control group design was carried out to collect the required data through vocabulary tests, memory strategy and multiple intelligence questionnaires. The results showed that the experimental group's vocabulary retention statistically improved. Moreover, the relationship between MI and vocabulary retention of Iranian EFL learner...
SAGE Open
This study sought to investigate whether there are differences among EFL instructors of various i... more This study sought to investigate whether there are differences among EFL instructors of various intelligence types in terms of the types of activities that they implement in their classes. It also sought to investigate teachers' perceptions about the theory of multiple intelligences. To this end, 30 male and female EFL instructors teaching the same textbook with the same method of teaching participated in the present study. To gather the data, three successive sessions of each class were observed and the class activities were recorded through an observation schedule. Semistructured interviews were also carried out to explore the teachers' perceptions of multiple intelligences. And finally, teachers' dominant type of intelligence was determined by Multiple Intelligences Checklist. The results of one-way ANOVA and post hoc test revealed that only teachers of logical-mathematical type were influenced by their dominant intelligence type and other intelligence types did not exert a significant influence on the types of activities being implemented in the classes. The results of this study can be a fillip at least for teachers with logical-mathematical intelligence to be careful about their dominant intelligence type, not allowing it to affect their teaching and to compel them to use activities in line with their dominant intelligence.
International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning
Although Iranian language learners spend many years in language classes, many of them have proble... more Although Iranian language learners spend many years in language classes, many of them have problems when communicating in a foreign language and their abilities to communicate and speak in the target language is lower than their capabilities in paper and pencil tests. Apart from lack of fluency, they suffer from self-confidence and anxiety. This study was conducted to examine the benefits of drama method and drama-based activities to enhance verbal communicative skill. The question whether students' attitudes employing drama method will change about English instruction was also investigated. The experiment was conducted with 20 Iranian students whose major was not English and their proficiency levels in English language were pre-intermediate. Experimental group was instructed through drama method for 18 sessions (two 1.5 hour sessions in a week). Role-play for pre/post tests and questionnaire for learners' attitude were used through this method. The findings revealed that mean score of students in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. Drama method and drama based activities provided the students with more occasions to speak the second language in classroom, and use language in activities which are like a real life situation and make declarative knowledge turned to procedural knowledge. Drama method enhanced students' self-confidence and decreased their anxiety. Being related to real life situations, drama based activities are more purposeful for learners, hence they motivate them more than usual. Generally speaking, it can be concluded that drama method enhances speaking ability of the foreign language learners, and learners' attitude toward drama-based teaching is positive.
Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2016
This study aimed to investigate the extent of Iranian EFL students’ pragmatic knowledge, and if t... more This study aimed to investigate the extent of Iranian EFL students’ pragmatic knowledge, and if there were any significant differences among EFL learners at different years of study (the freshmen, the sophomores, and the seniors) on this knowledge. To this end, 78 EFL students of University of Guilan (Rasht-Iran) were tested using a Multiple-choice Discourse Completion Test (MDCT), (Birjandi & Rezaei, 2010). The results showed that, their extent of pragmatic knowledge wasnot at satisfying level. Also, the results showed that there were significant differences between the freshmen and seniors in this regard.
International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology, 2016
Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, Mar 1, 2013
Journal of Pan Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 2009
In the present paper, three models for teaching literature including language-based, literature a... more In the present paper, three models for teaching literature including language-based, literature as content or culture, and literature as personal growth or enrichment were evaluated. Based on these models, an integrated model was suggested. An experimental study was carried out in order to examine the effectiveness of the suggested approach compared to a conventional and instructor-led one. One-hundred and twenty BA students majoring in English Literature took part in a one-semester experiment. For the experimental group, the integrated approach was utilized whereas the method used for the control group was based on content-cultural model according to which the course instructor provided all the necessary information without focusing on the linguistic or stylistic considerations. The post-test consisted of three parts: linguistic, interpretive and cultural sections. The results of the study confirmed the plausibility of the use of the suggested eclectic approach to teaching literature. Several pedagogical implications were drawn.
Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, Mar 1, 2013
Online Submission, Jul 1, 2012
Acquisition in general and first language acquisition in particular is a very complex and a multi... more Acquisition in general and first language acquisition in particular is a very complex and a multi-faceted phenomenon. The way that children acquire a language in a very limited period is astonishing. Various approaches have been proposed so far to account for this extraordinary phenomenon. These approaches are indeed based on various philosophical positions that might have quite different underlying assumptions. In the present paper, major approaches to first language acquisition, i. e., empiricism and nativism are reviewed and critically evaluated.
International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology, 2014
International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology, 2014
The present study was conducted to investigate the impact of etymological elaboration instruction... more The present study was conducted to investigate the impact of etymological elaboration instruction on EFL learners' comprehension of idioms in short reading texts. Out of 108 EFL female learners studying at Islamic Azad University of Mashhad (Khorasan Razavi province, Iran), based on the results of an Oxford Placement Test (OPT), 60 homogenous learners at upper-intermediate level (with the age range of 18-26 years old) were selected based on convenience sampling method. Afterwards, they were randomly divided into control and experimental groups, each consisting of 30 learners. To make sure that the participants were more or less at the same level according to their comprehension of idioms, a researcher-made test was administered to both control and experimental groups to make a judgment about learners' idiomatic knowledge of idioms in short reading texts, and the learners' progress after offering the treatment. The treatment of the study took five one-hour sessions, during which the participants in both groups received five idioms using different instructional techniques, i.e., 'the etymological elaboration instruction of idioms' technique for the experimental group and traditional technique (rote learning) for the control group. The results of independent samples T-test revealed that the experimental group in the post-test outperformed the control group. The results of the paired samples T-test, moreover, showed a significantly higher improvement for the experimental group compared to the control group. It was concluded that knowledge of idioms' etymology generally raised Iranian EFL learners' comprehension of idiomatic expressions in short reading texts.
Acta Scientiarum. Human and Social Sciences, 2015
Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2015
The present study aimed at exploring the relationship between Internet use and academic procrasti... more The present study aimed at exploring the relationship between Internet use and academic procrastination of a group of EFL learners across years of study (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors). The study was conducted in two phases. First, a pilot study was conducted among 30 representative university students in order to check the reliability and validity of the main instrument utilized, i.e. a questionnaire. After that, the piloted questionnaire was distributed among 380 undergraduates studying at the University of Guilan, Kharazmi University, and Ferdowsi University. Results of Spearman Rank Order Test at the .01 level of significance revealed a medium positive relationship (rho= +.47) between Internet use and academic procrastination of the participating students. Furthermore, the results of Kruskal Wallis Test at the significance level of .05 indicated that there is a significant difference in both Internet use (sig=.029, p≤ .05) and academic procrastination (sig=.007, p≤ ...
International Journal of Research Studies in Educational Technology, 2013
International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning, 2016