Minoo Alemi — новинки

Vocabulary is an indispensable component of language that affects different aspects of it such as the communication ability. Despite its importance, vocabulary teaching and learning in EFL contexts is mostly limited to classroom which cannot provide enough input for learners. Hence, it is reasonable to look for alternative ways to help learners in the process of vocabulary learning. Mobile Assisted Language Learning is one of such ways that have created new ways to help learners in the process of language learning and has the potential to extend vocabulary learning and teaching outside of the classroom. Therefore, the present book can make a theoretical and pedagogical contribution to the field of language teaching. Its significance lies in offering a new practical approach to vocabulary instruction- i.e. MALL- that extends teaching outside of the classroom and makes language learners responsible for learning. Moreover, MALL can be used in both academic and nonacademic contexts, with large number of students and it can be used in different approaches e.g. reciprocal and nonreciprocal and at anytime and anywhere.

It is generally observed that the textbooks employed in the classrooms play a crucial role in the process of teaching and learning a second/foreign language. As a result, a number of studies have been carried out to evaluate English Language Teaching (ELT) materials. Trying to contribute to this growing body of literature, the present study was conducted to evaluate the eight most popular global textbooks which are taught in Iranian ELT institutes in terms of their task types according to Nunan’s (1999) classification of the tasks.

This work reports on an empirical study to evaluate Pacesetter Series (Strange and Hall, 2005), an EFL course book series, in four levels of starter, elementary, pre-intermediate, and intermediate, being currently instructed at several language institutes in Iran. The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriateness of the series in the Iranian EFL context. Sixty four EFL teachers rated the series and descriptive statistics was employed to interpret the data.

The present book reports on an empirical study aimed at examining whether EFL learners are willing to communicate when they are presented with communication opportunity and whether MacIntyre et al.'s proposed model (1998) is appropriate in an EFL context by shedding light on the relationship among communicative, socio-psychological, and linguistic variables in the Iranian context. A better understanding of students’ willingness to communicate in the second language helps teachers improve their use of the communicative language teaching approach to create more communication opportunities for language learners to use language for meaningful communication.

This book reports on a study aimed at exploring the advantage of Dynamic Assessment as an instructional instrument over Non-dynamic (traditional) Assessment and Non-assessment approaches in the pragmatic production of EFL learners. The target speech acts of apology, complaint, and compliment were chosen for the study. Results of the study showed that there was a significant difference between the DA group and the other two groups of NDA and NA, which was due to the positive effects of Dynamic Assessment on learning these pragmatic features.

The present book reports on an empirical study aimed at investigating critical thinking ability among EFL students. Moreover, the effects of gender, major, and critical thinking-oriented instruction through a critical reading program were examined. A better understanding of EFL students’ critical thinking ability helps teachers improve the instruction of critical thinking and consequently students can benefit from it.

This study focused on five particular communication strategies namely: 1- Paraphrase 2- Approximation 3- Hesitation 4- Words which are borrowed, invented, or anglicized, and 5- Reduction Strategies in order to promote fluency and improve communicative ability in English among intermediate level students. The study used a series of videoed and transcribed task observations based on ‘Spot the Differences’ information-gap activities. The views and beliefs of 6 teachers and 6 Pre-Sessional students all from University of Essex were also sampled using structured, in-depth interviews. The teacher interviews revealed that the more experienced teachers focused attention on fluency and helping student to ‘keep going’, while less experienced tutors focused attention on both fluency and vocabulary learning in communication tasks. The student interviews findings also indicated that students' beliefs are affected by tutor beliefs. Data from the videoed observations revealed that body language was an important element in communicating meaning.

Topic-based Listening & Speaking is a coursebook for intermediate to upper- intermediate levels and designed to promote the oral language skills of English language enthusiasts from all walks of life including academic and institutional circles. The book which is accompanied by an audio CD which is accessible by cliking on the following link (http://sharif.edu/~alemi/LSM.html), capitalizes on a collection of audio clips extracted from high- profile TV networks through the mediation of various tasks designed in a hierarchy of three main sections (Previewing, Viewing and Postviewing). It aims to inspire and engage learners in genuine, context-embedded communication with topics that are of high interest, authenticity, and informativeness to learners of all tastes. Abundant pair and group work activities, vocabulary practices and discussion-provoking questions accompany the clips with due attention to both form and content. The clips have been selected from various genres and will expose learners to a valuable mother lode of language input coupled with tasks that will elicit learner output or production in the target language as well.

English Reading for EFL Students is a textbook developed for non-native speakers of English.In this book motivating reading passages serve as springboards for reading skills development ,idiomatic expressions and quotations,vocabulary building, grammatical analysis and practice, and thought-provoking discussions. Key features: Reading skill instruction, Provocative topics, Idiomatic expressions & quotations, Vocabulary logs& vocabulary building skills, and Grammar focus

The use of games in the language classroom has been valued and appreciated in EFL/ESL contexts during the past decades. The teachers who believe in games argue that the students get so involved and excited that they may forget they are learning. “The games are a form of teaching which may be used in circumstances where ordinary approaches are not well tolerated; when attention is hard to get and harder to keep” (Nicolson and Williams, 1975, p.1).