Papers by Hadi Hamidi, Ph.D. in TEFL
International Journal of English Language and Translation Studies, 2020
Data Driven Learning (DDL) is a significant topic in the field of second or foreign language acqu... more Data Driven Learning (DDL) is a significant topic in the field of second or foreign language acquisition, which is in need of more rigorous research. In this regard, the present study was an attempt to investigate how DDL affects students' ability to use collocations correctly within their paragraph writing. The participants were Iranian intermediate EFL students at a private English language institute across educational levels and fields of study. Fifty-two participants, under the instructor's guidance, had access to a website with links to the Wikipedia Corpus Site (WCS)-a list of keywords, collocations, and instructional materials. After finding key words in the context in Wiki-Corpus, students worked on keyword combinations. Students' pretest paragraphs produced ample documentation of misuse of collocations, echoing previous research. Pretest and posttest paragraphs provided data for measuring improvement in accuracy of students' use of collocations in writing. Posttest paragraph results indicated a decrease in errors and better use of collocations in the treatment group. Comparing the treatment and control groups, the researcher found that there were significantly fewer errors in the use of collocations for the experimental group compared to that of the control group in the posttest. The findings proved that DDL had a positive mediating role in decreasing collocational errors in students' writing.
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Ideal Art and Cultural Institute, 2020
Abstract: For the students of foreign/second languages to acquire knowledge about language and cu... more Abstract: For the students of foreign/second languages to acquire knowledge about language and cultural competence in
the target language, a large variety of methods and approaches have been proposed such as the Sociocultural Theory of
Vygotsky. The mentioned theory emphasizes meaningful interaction among individuals as the greatest motivating force in
human development and learning. In this study, arguments are made in favor of using drama (play) as one of the most
life-like interactive tasks to teaching target languages and cultures. By reviewing important roles of drama in education in
general and its benefits in second language learning in particular, the different advantages and misconceptions of using
drama in language classes are numerated. Moreover, various techniques of utilizing drama in teaching foreign languages
are elaborated on.
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Textbooks are vital components of the language teaching programs. By using textbooks, learners ca... more Textbooks are vital components of the language teaching programs. By using textbooks, learners can go forward step by step and find their ways; on the other hand, they are a kind of plan for teachers and help them manage their time in order to enhance learning in the classroom. The present study attempted to evaluate the new textbook used in Iranian junior high schools named 'Prospect 2' which was introduced by the Iranian ministry of education in 2013. To achieve this aim, Cisar's (2000) checklist was used to reveal the merits and demerits of the textbook in terms of the communicative and cultural aspects. The sample of this study consisted of 10 teachers from Neka city. The questionnaire included 15 items containing two categories including communicative and cultural (images and culture) aspects. The instrument used in this study was a Likert-scale type questionnaire. The data were analyzed through descriptive methods using the SPSS software version 21. The findings revealed that the more courseware development integrates learners' language and learning needs, teachers' readiness to integrate the course books' orientation, as well as current research on what constitutes adequate language learning, the more they will succeed in contributing to genuine language learning. Also, the occasional inclusion of some aspects of target culture in addition to those of Iranian culture might help ameliorate the efficiency of the book. Finally, using more variety in designing textbook exercises might help increase learners' motivation.
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Portfolio assessment has been used for a long time. The portfolio is a useful teaching and learni... more Portfolio assessment has been used for a long time. The portfolio is a useful teaching and learning tool in language learning classrooms. Portfolio assessment deals with any kind of acquired learning knowledge, skills and abilities acquired through formal, informal, accidental and incidental learning. Although most teachers might be aware of the importance of a good assessment strategy, say, portfolio, rarely do they use it for any kind of assessment regarding the learning of grammatical points. Thus, the current study aimed at exploring the effect of portfolio assessment on learning English grammar by Iranian MSRT applicants. In this study, 32 MSRT applicants, both male and female, aged from 25 to 33, were chosen through convenience sampling from Poya-Simin language institute in Mazandaran province, a province in north of Iran. They were divided into two sixteen-member groups. The experimental group was asked to make a portfolio of both all the grammatical items taught to them and the tests taken each session. After reading their notes and tests, the teacher provided them with comments, corrections, and his feedback. The control group received no feedback, no additional comment, and the grammatical points were taught using the conventional ways. After the treatment, by pre-test/post-test comparison, the researcher found that participants of the experimental group, who were exposed to the techniques of portfolio assessment, gained better scores in the process of learning English grammar. Both high-stake and low-stake holders can avail from the findings of the study.
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Textbooks are a significant element of teaching English as a foreign language and are the main in... more Textbooks are a significant element of teaching English as a foreign language and are the main input for language learners in the process of language learning. Since many various textbooks have been published for teaching English as a foreign language and have been imported to the Iranian EFL contexts, selecting the proper specific textbook is getting more difficult for Iranian teachers and program developers in private language institutes. The important point is that textbooks are not used only to make language learners familiar with the linguistic aspects; rather, they include the cultural and social aspects of the English language. These cultural and social aspects can be categorized as linguistic ideologies. The purpose of the present study was to review the theories on ideology in language learning and then discuss the ideological aspects of the imported EFL textbooks in Iran. The paper also discussed that there were certainly elements of bias in the language uses and social practices, but they were often unseen or unnoticed. Our study showed that there were three major linguistic ideologies in the EFL textbooks which included hegemony, linguistic imperialism, hegemony of English, and globalization. The imported EFL textbooks in Iran represent specific types of discourse including the western cultural, social, and economical norms. These ideological assumptions have mostly been ignored by curriculum developers in Iran in selecting the appropriate textbooks for their educational programs. The discussion in the present study can be useful to material designers, teachers, and learners.
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The present study aimed to explore the relationship among Iranian EFL teachers' language teaching... more The present study aimed to explore the relationship among Iranian EFL teachers' language teaching conscience, language proficiency, and emotional intelligence. To this purpose, 82 homogenized language teachers, M.A. students and M.A. holders in TEFL, English literature, and English translation, both males and females, were taken as the participants. The result of the data analysis showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between the language teaching conscience and the emotional intelligence of Iranian EFL teachers, r s (80) = .83, p < .05, 2). There was also a statistically significant relationship between the language teaching conscience and the language proficiency of Iranian EFL teachers, r s (80) = .59, p < .05. And finally, there was a statistically significant relationship between the emotional intelligence and the language proficiency of Iranian EFL teachers, r s (80) = .52, p < .05. Teacher trainers, researchers in teacher education, and language teachers can benefit from the findings of this study.
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One of the attempts made at making language instruction and learning more effective is language n... more One of the attempts made at making language instruction and learning more effective is language needs analysis, or assessment, arising from, or in line with, the attention diverted towards ESP in second language instruction. It is the process through which the needs for which learners learn a language are arranged and prioritized. It further surveys students on their backgrounds and goals, consults faculty regarding course requirement, classifies assignments, observes students in authentic settings, and identifies linguistic and behavioral demands. This paper aimed to substantiate needs analysis in second language learning taking it into a more specific consideration from communicative perspective by assuming communicative syllabus as the requisite to language instruction in today's world where utmost need for communication is seriously tangible. In so doing, it investigated Munby's (1978) model of needs analysis, as one of the most comprehensive frameworks developed in needs analysis in second language instruction, proposed in the attempt for designing a communicative syllabus as a the requirement of today's language instruction, and elaborated on its components in detail. This paper finally made accounts of such criticisms thrown on this model as being complex, learners-centered, constrained, not yielding a sequential framework of things to be included in second language syllabus design. A Brief History of Needs Analysis Language teaching has had long history, dating back to centuries ago. Up until around a century ago there had not existed a systematic approach to language teaching in the senses that the need learners had for learning the language had not been taken into account, and all aspects of language had been taught to learners. Since a century ago, however, language instruction specialists have paid special attention to the need for which language learners are trying to learn the language , thereby omitting the instruction of language skills learners have no need for; this was called needs analysis. According to Richards (2001), from the 1960s demand for specialized language programs started and applied linguists employed needs analysis procedure in language teaching and since, according to Brindley (2004), ESP courses are often set up in response to occupational or educational demands, the detailed specification of target language behavior was a crucial step in ESP syllabus design. Therefore, it is of high importance to carry out needs analysis before, in the middle, and at the end of a specific course of instruction (Hamidi & Montazeri, 2015), especially in language teaching.
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Motivation is the inner driving force that conduces to action taken in a specific situation. The ... more Motivation is the inner driving force that conduces to action taken in a specific situation. The degree or intensity of this force has a direct impact on a successful fulfillment of the action. While orientation refers to a class of reasons for learning a language, motivation refers to a combination of the learner's attitudes, desires, and willingness to expend effort in order to learn the second language. This paper first discusses the motivation of the language learners to learn the language as a whole (combination of skills) and then discusses that there is a narrowed down type of motivation which shows the willingness to the language learners to orally express themselves. The authors concluded that this type of narrowed down motivation should be named motivation to speak rather than willingness to communicate. The authors believe that there is a necessity to develop an instrument which technically measures the motivation to speak on the part of the language learners.
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One of the attempts made at making language instruction and learning more effective is language n... more One of the attempts made at making language instruction and learning more effective is language needs analysis, or assessment, arising from, or in line with, the attention diverted towards ESP in second language instruction. It is the process through which the needs for which learners learn a language are arranged and prioritized. It further surveys students on their backgrounds and goals, consults faculty regarding course requirement, classifies assignments, observes students in authentic settings, and identifies linguistic and behavioral demands. This paper aimed to substantiate needs analysis in second language learning taking it into a more specific consideration from communicative perspective by assuming communicative syllabus as the requisite to language instruction in today's world where utmost need for communication is seriously tangible. In so doing, it investigated Munby's (1978) model of needs analysis, as one of the most comprehensive frameworks developed in needs analysis in second language instruction, proposed in the attempt for designing a communicative syllabus as a the requirement of today's language instruction, and elaborated on its components in detail. This paper finally made accounts of such criticisms thrown on this model as being complex, learners-centered, constrained, not yielding a sequential framework of things to be included in second language syllabus design. A Brief History of Needs Analysis Language teaching has had long history, dating back to centuries ago. Up until around a century ago there had not existed a systematic approach to language teaching in the senses that the need learners had for learning the language had not been taken into account, and all aspects of language had been taught to learners. Since a century ago, however, language instruction specialists have paid special attention to the need for which language learners are trying to learn the language , thereby omitting the instruction of language skills learners have no need for; this was called needs analysis. According to Richards (2001), from the 1960s demand for specialized language programs started and applied linguists employed needs analysis procedure in language teaching and since, according to Brindley (2004), ESP courses are often set up in response to occupational or educational demands, the detailed specification of target language behavior was a crucial step in ESP syllabus design. Therefore, it is of high importance to carry out needs analysis before, in the middle, and at the end of a specific course of instruction (Hamidi & Montazeri, 2015), especially in language teaching.
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Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2012
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With the advent of computer technology and educational software, hypermedia language learning mat... more With the advent of computer technology and educational software, hypermedia language learning materials made their way in foreign and second language classrooms. Today the role of hypermedia in improving communication skills is by no means deniable. This research aimed at investigating the effect of hy-permedia on the oral performance as well as the motivation of Iranian EFL Learners. A pretest-posttest control group design was used. Two classes of female students aged 17-25 from Poya-Simin Language Institute, Qa'emshahr branch, were randomly selected. Next, in order to assure the homogeneity of the participants in terms of proficiency, the Oxford Placement Test (OPT), with reasonable measures of validity and reliability, was used to screen the participants. The comparison of the two groups on the speaking pretest confirmed the homogeneity of the participants before the instruction. Afterward, the experimental group was offered the educational software, Rosetta Stone. After 20 sessions both groups were reexamined by the speaking posttest to investigate the effectiveness of the software on users' oral performance. The results of the oral test and the motivation questionnaire indicated that the participants in the experimental group made great progress in speaking and hypermedia improved their motivation towards learning English.
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—Textbooks play a crucial role in language classrooms and educational programs all over the world... more —Textbooks play a crucial role in language classrooms and educational programs all over the world. Choosing appropriate general English textbooks has always been a mind-boggling issue in Iranian English language institutes. This study aimed at evaluating two popular English textbooks including New Interchange 2 and Four Corners 3 in order to show their similarities and differences in terms of subject matters, vocabulary, structure, exercise, illustration, and physical make up. These English textbooks were compared and contrasted and their weaknesses and strengths were explained in terms of the mentioned criteria based on Daoud and Celce-Murcia's (1979) checklist. This evaluation was done by four English language teachers. The findings of the research revealed that there was no significant difference between the two mentioned textbooks; however, in some cases Four Corners 3 was found to be better than New Interchange 2.
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The textbook is the most important resource for English as a Foreign Language
(EFL) classrooms i... more The textbook is the most important resource for English as a Foreign Language
(EFL) classrooms in Brazil, defining the course to be followed and the teaching and
learning processes for language learning. Therefore, it is necessary to understand through
an educational perspective the curriculum design employed in the textbook, and the
language learning processes used based on the communicative approach, the current
favorable approach to English teaching in Brazil. Textbooks writers typically indicate
their alignment to the communicative framework. So the problem that exists is the lack of
studies on the approaches and processes used in the construction of the English textbook
for EFL and the need to identify to what extent communicative approaches guide and
frame the curriculum content.
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Abstract Evaluation is regarded as the systematic collection of information contributing to decis... more Abstract Evaluation is regarded as the systematic collection of information contributing to decision-making.
It encompasses processes for gathering an enough deal of information about a program or curriculum aimed
at being conducive to improvement. Evaluation is taken into technical account as formal interpretation and
examination of the components of a workplace development initiative so as to find out how well it is meeting its
goals, thereby allowing an organization to improve the current initiatives and enabling decisions about
support. In English language teaching, textbook evaluation helps curriculum developers and syllabus
designers choose the best possible materials for a course of study. Considering the importance of textbook
evaluation in language teaching and language syllabus design, the researchers aimed at qualitatively analyzing
the two general English textbooks; Four Corners 1 and Topnotch Fundamentals A. The evaluation was based
on the checklist of Daoud and Celce-Murcia (1979). Three expert EFL teachers who had taught the mentioned
books for about three years qualitatively analyzed the two textbooks. The analysis concluded that the two
books almost did not differ based on the checklist, though they both had some strengths and weaknesses.
Curriculum developers, syllabus designers, and EFL teachers may find the findings useful in their language
teaching practice.
Index Terms Four Corners 1, general English textbook, textbook evaluation, Top Notch Fundamentals A
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Abstract—Private speech is defined as the self-talk which many children in particular engage in. ... more Abstract—Private speech is defined as the self-talk which many children in particular engage in. It leads to the inner speech that more mature individuals use to control thought and behavior. The claim in private speech is that some learners who undergo silent period engage in private conversations with themselves, which prepares them for social speech later. Private speech eventually turns to inner speech with no external articulation. Accordingly, speech comes to reflect an advance on the earliest uses of language which are social and interpersonal. Cognitive development makes it necessary for the child to move from reliance on others to reliance on his inner speech, where the control over his mental functioning takes place. Since private speech is claimed to be a universal strategy for L1 learners, a scrutiny in its dimensions would probably be beneficial for second language studies. Therefore, the present paper briefly introduces and talks about different aspects of the private speech which might be found interesting in second language studies.
Index Terms—egocentric speech, inner speech, private speech, second language acquisition
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Papers by Hadi Hamidi, Ph.D. in TEFL
the target language, a large variety of methods and approaches have been proposed such as the Sociocultural Theory of
Vygotsky. The mentioned theory emphasizes meaningful interaction among individuals as the greatest motivating force in
human development and learning. In this study, arguments are made in favor of using drama (play) as one of the most
life-like interactive tasks to teaching target languages and cultures. By reviewing important roles of drama in education in
general and its benefits in second language learning in particular, the different advantages and misconceptions of using
drama in language classes are numerated. Moreover, various techniques of utilizing drama in teaching foreign languages
are elaborated on.
(EFL) classrooms in Brazil, defining the course to be followed and the teaching and
learning processes for language learning. Therefore, it is necessary to understand through
an educational perspective the curriculum design employed in the textbook, and the
language learning processes used based on the communicative approach, the current
favorable approach to English teaching in Brazil. Textbooks writers typically indicate
their alignment to the communicative framework. So the problem that exists is the lack of
studies on the approaches and processes used in the construction of the English textbook
for EFL and the need to identify to what extent communicative approaches guide and
frame the curriculum content.
It encompasses processes for gathering an enough deal of information about a program or curriculum aimed
at being conducive to improvement. Evaluation is taken into technical account as formal interpretation and
examination of the components of a workplace development initiative so as to find out how well it is meeting its
goals, thereby allowing an organization to improve the current initiatives and enabling decisions about
support. In English language teaching, textbook evaluation helps curriculum developers and syllabus
designers choose the best possible materials for a course of study. Considering the importance of textbook
evaluation in language teaching and language syllabus design, the researchers aimed at qualitatively analyzing
the two general English textbooks; Four Corners 1 and Topnotch Fundamentals A. The evaluation was based
on the checklist of Daoud and Celce-Murcia (1979). Three expert EFL teachers who had taught the mentioned
books for about three years qualitatively analyzed the two textbooks. The analysis concluded that the two
books almost did not differ based on the checklist, though they both had some strengths and weaknesses.
Curriculum developers, syllabus designers, and EFL teachers may find the findings useful in their language
teaching practice.
Index Terms Four Corners 1, general English textbook, textbook evaluation, Top Notch Fundamentals A
Index Terms—egocentric speech, inner speech, private speech, second language acquisition
the target language, a large variety of methods and approaches have been proposed such as the Sociocultural Theory of
Vygotsky. The mentioned theory emphasizes meaningful interaction among individuals as the greatest motivating force in
human development and learning. In this study, arguments are made in favor of using drama (play) as one of the most
life-like interactive tasks to teaching target languages and cultures. By reviewing important roles of drama in education in
general and its benefits in second language learning in particular, the different advantages and misconceptions of using
drama in language classes are numerated. Moreover, various techniques of utilizing drama in teaching foreign languages
are elaborated on.
(EFL) classrooms in Brazil, defining the course to be followed and the teaching and
learning processes for language learning. Therefore, it is necessary to understand through
an educational perspective the curriculum design employed in the textbook, and the
language learning processes used based on the communicative approach, the current
favorable approach to English teaching in Brazil. Textbooks writers typically indicate
their alignment to the communicative framework. So the problem that exists is the lack of
studies on the approaches and processes used in the construction of the English textbook
for EFL and the need to identify to what extent communicative approaches guide and
frame the curriculum content.
It encompasses processes for gathering an enough deal of information about a program or curriculum aimed
at being conducive to improvement. Evaluation is taken into technical account as formal interpretation and
examination of the components of a workplace development initiative so as to find out how well it is meeting its
goals, thereby allowing an organization to improve the current initiatives and enabling decisions about
support. In English language teaching, textbook evaluation helps curriculum developers and syllabus
designers choose the best possible materials for a course of study. Considering the importance of textbook
evaluation in language teaching and language syllabus design, the researchers aimed at qualitatively analyzing
the two general English textbooks; Four Corners 1 and Topnotch Fundamentals A. The evaluation was based
on the checklist of Daoud and Celce-Murcia (1979). Three expert EFL teachers who had taught the mentioned
books for about three years qualitatively analyzed the two textbooks. The analysis concluded that the two
books almost did not differ based on the checklist, though they both had some strengths and weaknesses.
Curriculum developers, syllabus designers, and EFL teachers may find the findings useful in their language
teaching practice.
Index Terms Four Corners 1, general English textbook, textbook evaluation, Top Notch Fundamentals A
Index Terms—egocentric speech, inner speech, private speech, second language acquisition