Genes encoding elongation factor-like (EFL) proteins, which show high similarity to elongation factor-1alpha (EF-1alpha), have been found in phylogenetically distantly related eukaryotes. The sporadic distribution of "EFL-containing" lineages within "EF-1alpha-containing" lineages indirectly, but strongly, suggests lateral gene transfer as the principal driving force in EFL evolution. However, ...

one of the main concerns of teachers in modern learner-centered approaches is whether published teaching materials can meet the needs of students at a particular leaning situation or the teachers ought to prepare their own materials. this dilemma gets worse when the teaching situation includes a textbook prescribed by an authority such as the ministry of education. in such cases, the teacher ha...

critical thinking is considered important in the field of education due to its possible effects on language learning. therefore, the reasons behind the success and failure of language learners have provoked researchers to examine different aspects of the language learning process. moreover, improving learners’ critical thinking ability in the course of learning will enable students to rely on t...

given the fact that developing an intimate relationship between teacher and students creates a safe learning environment (harran, 2006), and because teacher immediacy is proved to increase students’ motivation for learning (velez & cano, 2008), this study was an attempt to explore the relationship between iranian efl learners’ perceived teacher immediacy and their willingness to communicate...

There is a growing demand for assessment instruments which can be used in higher education, which cover a broader area of competencies than the traditional tests for disciplinary knowledge and domain-specific skills, and which measure students' most important general cognitive capabilities. Around the age of the transition from secondary to tertiary education, such assessments may serve several...

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of providing background information on students’ discourse of “Before Their Time” and “The Lottery” texts. The writer assigned these two short stories at intermediate readability level to 40 freshman and Sophomore students, chosen at random and divided into four groups. Each group was exposed to two treatment conditions. The two conditions we...

This paper presents a case study of a web-based on-line collaborative academic writing project by students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at two Higher Education institutions in the UK. The project aimed to develop the students’ academic writing in English by exploiting the informational and geographical gaps between them. The study outlines the logistical requirements of such a project...

This paper is to investigate the effectiveness of Prontest software to improve English pronunciation and proficiency for Japanese EFL learners. Several parameters such as speech duration, speech power, F0 (pitch), the ratio of vowel and consonant length and power were introduced to find out how much students made progress in English pronunciation and overall English proficiency. The study concl...

Motivation is one of the important factors that influences English learning achievement. So in order to help the students to maintain a proper strength in English learning motivation is very necessary for the teachers in the daily teaching procedure. This paper discusses the issue of motivation in foreign language learning in four main sections .It starts with the background information .Then i...

This study was a cross-sectional investigation into the request strategies used by Iranian learners of English as a Foreign Language and Australian native speakers of English. The sample involved 96 BA and MA Persian students and 10 native speakers of English. A Discourse Completion Test (DCT) was used to generate data related to the request strategies used by each group. Selection of request s...