This paper aims at comparing the five English diphthongs, /ei/, /ou/, /au/, /ai/, /[inverted c]i/, in the aspect of length, to find out a common feature in /au/, ai/, /[inverted c]i/ and /ei/, and /ou/ and to see if there is any evidence between English low vowels and diphthongs. This study is a following research of Park (2009), and I analyzed…

Research into the factors that contribute to reading performance decrement in L2 reading among ESL university students is still being extensively researched in the context of ELT. This is because successful academic performance is highly dependent on good reading ability. While it is widely accepted that poor reading performance is due to lack of…

This study aims at evaluating Top-Notch series through a checklist devised by the researchers based on the elements of the Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory proposed by Gardner (1998). With the shift from teacher-centered classrooms to learner-centered one, more and more research is needed to be done in the realm of students' need analysis. One…

The purpose of this paper is to investigate what characteristics make American Native Speakers of English (ANSE) different from Korean Speakers of English (KSE) when they are asked to introduce themselves in English. In particular, components and topics of self-introduction, the use of word number and class, and the use of discourse markers (DM)…

The present investigation intends to make a comparison between integratively motivated students of English at Islamic Azad University of Shiraz and their instrumentally motivated peers in terms of their oral performance. To this end, 35 junior students (15 males and 20 females) were selected out of 54 initial participants based on their scores on…

The present paper reviews the traditional methodologies of translator training and proposes an eclectic multi-componential approach that involves a set of interdisciplinary skills with the ultimate objective of meeting market demand. Courses on translation for specific purposes (TSP) and think-aloud protocols (TAP) along with self-monitoring and…

The aim of this study is to investigate which pronunciations of English are difficult or different from one's first language, as well as to explore which factors are crucial for communication with people from other cultures when English is used as one of the World Englishes. Ninety-one undergraduate students (85 females and 6 males) from two…

In designing an EAP (English for Academic Purposes) course it is necessary that we consider several factors: students' objectives, needs, levels and interests, course and institution's goals, and availability of resources. In this paper it is strived to elucidate the differences between EGP (English for General purposes) and ESP (English for…

This study examines skillful EFL writers' and less skillful writers' EFL performance and perceptions of paraphrasing and inappropriate text borrowing, the extent to which their performance matches perceptions, and the factors behind their problematic text borrowing. Ninety-five postgraduates and undergraduates in Taiwan accomplished a paraphrasing…

Students' interpretations of their academic writing tasks has been a central concern in the cognitive-based writing research due to the prominent role such decision-making plays in determining students' subsequent thinking and composing strategies and ultimately in shaping their textual quality. Without a comprehensive understanding of how L2…

The phenomenon of style shift in translated texts is ascribed mainly to textual incompatibility in terms of rhetorical asymmetry and divergence at the formality level. Mandatory shifts result from a systematic dissimilarity between the source language and the target language in terms of the underlying system of syntax, semantics and rhetorical…

The utmost goal of foreign language instruction is aimed at helping the learner master the language. At the same time the learner shall become equipped with linguistic, pragmatic and social-linguistic competence. This study was done to explore if review activities in EFL classes should be mandatory for learners to learn the new knowledge. One…

The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between language proficiency and socio-cultural factors among the Iranian MA students registered and entered at Shiraz University in 2008. The second objective was to explore whether or not one or a combination of socio-cultural factors are predictors of language…

The main purpose of this research is 1) to establish a framework for the test development and the constructs of writing performance test, 2) to implement a developed writing performance assessment, and 3) to examine the degree of reliability and validity of the assessment tasks and rating scales. Construct-based processing approach to testing…

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…