Urmia UniversityIranian Journal of Language Teaching Research2322-129114120260201EDITORIAL March 202612191910.30466/ijltr.2026.121919ENKarim SadeghiDhofar University, Sultanate of OmanJournal Article20260420https://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/article_121919_28caa9b5ca79877864fb8ccb79da4bb4.pdfUrmia UniversityIranian Journal of Language Teaching Research2322-129114120260201Taiwanese EMI Teachers’ Views of the Role of Language Support for Students in their Disciplines12512191810.30466/ijltr.2026.56372.3093ENChiuhui WuDepartment of English, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, Kaohsiung, Taiwan0000-0002-7683-5712Jack C.RichardsFaculty of Education, The University of Sydney, AustraliaJournal Article20250718In EMI, an important issue concerns how content-area teachers perceive their roles in supporting students' development of English. This study addressed the issue by comparing EMI teachers across four disciplines to explore how the content they taught affected the kind of language support they provided in EMI classes. The study was conducted with 81 university-level EMI teachers in Taiwan. The findings revealed how teachers’ beliefs and perceptions of their students’ English proficiency were related to the subject matter they taught. Teachers in the “hard sciences” (e.g., engineering) gave more attention to content than language, while those in “soft sciences” (e.g., arts and humanities) subjects made greater use of strategies that developed both content knowledge and effective language skills. The study highlights the need for a discipline-based approach to EMI professional development, enabling EMI teachers to integrate language support for EMI students with disciplinary content and learner needs.https://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/article_121918_e13c3b5bc792be9281601506a3df3a96.pdfUrmia UniversityIranian Journal of Language Teaching Research2322-129114120260201Exploring the Relationship between Classroom Social Climate, Emotion Regulation Strategies and Written Corrective Feedback Engagement among Iranian EFL Learners276012192010.30466/ijltr.2026.56109.3000ENOmid MallahiDepartment of English Language Teaching, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran0000-0003-0997-6299Journal Article20250412The relationship between Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) engagement, classroom social climate, and students’ emotion regulation strategies across various proficiency levels is an under-explored area of research. In response to this gap, the present mixed-methods study examined the status of WCF engagement among a convenience sample of 54 Iranian undergraduate EFL learners with different levels of writing experiences. The required data were collected using WCF engagement, classroom social climate and emotion regulation strategy use questionnaires and focus group interviews. The correlation analyses indicated that there was a positive moderate relationship between WCF engagement and classroom social climate and a low relationship between WCF engagement and emotion regulation strategy use. Multiple regression analysis also showed that teachers’ emotional support and learners’ cognitive reappraisal strategies could best predict their WCF engagement level. Furthermore, despite the fact that learners with lower writing experiences had a higher mean score in WCF engagement compared to the mid and high writing experience groups, the ANVOA results did not show statistically significant differences among these groups of learners, which highlights the complexity of learners’ engagement with WCF and the effects of various individual and contextual factors than mere writing experience. Finally, the qualitative analyses of students’ focus group interview data revealed factors influencing their response to WCF (e.g., clarity and specificity of feedback and students’ confidence and self-efficacy), and the strategies (e.g., seeking clarification and collaboration with peers) they used to respond to the feedback offered and improve their writing performance. The results imply that writing instructors should prioritize fostering a supportive classroom environment and encourage the use of emotion regulation strategies to enhance learners' engagement with WCF.https://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/article_121920_df74aefc3fb6278584af8e9db8ddc085.pdfUrmia UniversityIranian Journal of Language Teaching Research2322-129114120260301Telecollaborative E-Feedback in EAP Writing: A Qualitative Study of Peer and Instructor Interactions618112192110.30466/ijltr.2026.121921ENImelda BangunKeiser University, Flagship, US0000-0002-8465-3919Patrick MannionKansai Gaidai University, JapanZhengjie LiInternational Department of the Affiliated High School of South China Normal University, ChinaJohn I.LiontasUniversity of South Florida, Tampa, USJournal Article20260420Integrating telecollaborative academic writing and e-feedback from peers and instructors supports English learners in constructing academic knowledge. However, such opportunities remain limited in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) contexts, constraining the development of critical thinking and academic writing skills. Guided by Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, this study examines six EAP students’ perceptions and interactions through peer and instructor feedback via Google Docs. Data from document exchanges and semi-structured interviews were thematically analyzed. Findings indicate that students engaged in both social-function exchanges and revision-oriented feedback, addressing global and local writing concerns. While learners valued peer feedback, they sought instructor validation to confirm its accuracy. Notable gains included improved comprehension, grammar, text organization, and stylistic control. Most importantly, participants reported enhanced knowledge construction and transformation through sustained social interaction within the course. These findings underscore the pedagogical value of integrating telecollaborative e-feedback platforms in EAP instruction to foster academic literacy and critical thinking.https://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/article_121921_9d98ca19746ee1e47e320858bf8e0e31.pdfUrmia UniversityIranian Journal of Language Teaching Research2322-129114120260301Unraveling the Interplay of Grit, Motivation, and Achievement among EFL Learners8310312192210.30466/ijltr.2026.56012.2968ENGülcan YılmazNational Defense University, TürkiyeTutku BaşözBalıkesir University, Türkiye0000-0002-8212-9937Journal Article20250228The present study aimed to explore the relationships among EFL learners’ L2 grit, L2 motivation, and L2 achievement. The study also investigated the role of L2 motivation and L2 achievement in predicting L2 grit. In this quantitative study, which was conducted with 500 Turkish EFL learners, the data on L2 grit and L2 motivation were collected through a questionnaire, whereas the data on L2 achievement were obtained from the composite scores of the term. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and simple standard regression analyses. The results showed a positive and statistically significant correlation between L2 grit, L2 motivation, and L2 achievement. Notably, the largest statistically significant correlation emerged between L2 grit and L2 achievement, whereas the smallest one was between L2 motivation and L2 achievement. Besides, both L2 achievement and L2 motivation contributed to the prediction of EFL learners’ grit, with L2 achievement demonstrating greater predictive power. The findings suggest practical implications for EFL instruction and for promoting learners’ grit.https://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/article_121922_337719f094d029ef5f300becdf17dcf2.pdfUrmia UniversityIranian Journal of Language Teaching Research2322-129114120260301A Critical Approach to Syllabus Type and Language Teacher Emotion Labour: The Case of Iranian and Turkish Teachers10512312192310.30466/ijltr.2026.55836.2905ENDavoud AminiDepartment of English, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran0000-0003-0607-4919Sahar SamadzadehDepartment of English, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, IranJournal Article20241226Notwithstanding the assumed role of language teaching syllabi in shaping teachers' emotional conflicts, nuanced examination of syllabus-related issues in forming teachers' emotion labour remains limited. The present study addressed this gap by exploring the emotional dissonance of 15 Iranian and 13 Turkish EFL teachers concerning their syllabi in use. Utilizing a post-structural framework and applying a thematic approach to data analysis, the research identified both similarities and differences in the origins of teachers' emotional responses to schools' syllabus policies. These policies act as “feeling rules”, both generating emotional conflicts and parcelling out resilience strategies to teachers. Drawing on narrative frames and semi-structured online interviews, the study identified three primary areas of emotional struggle: Identity crises, cultural-related struggles, and agency/autonomy-oriented conflicts. However, these conflicts manifested themselves differently in the two EFL contexts. Iranian teachers reported emotional strain concerning the teacher-learner affective bond due to syllabus policies. The findings also showed that both Iranian and Turkish teachers develop professional, social, and emotional techniques to cope with these challenges and avoid burnout. It is suggested that incorporating modules on capitalization of emotion labour into policy communication and teacher development programs and calibrating syllabi to localized sociocultural demands of EFL classroom can mitigate negative impacts of prescribed syllabi and foster teacher agency and professional identity, thereby enhancing job satisfaction and teacher retention.https://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/article_121923_b63f93f6c49ae1472763ec745b62e44c.pdfUrmia UniversityIranian Journal of Language Teaching Research2322-129114120260301Particularizing the Underlying Factors in Iranian and Canadian English Teachers’ Immunity12515012192410.30466/ijltr.2026.55376.2747ENAbdolreza KhaliliDepartment of English Language, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran0000-0002-1792-2613Parviz AlaviniaDepartment of English Language & Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran0000-0001-7539-775XJournal Article20240602The present study strove to examine the extent to which English teachers’ affective factors including their work engagement, teacher reflection, self-compassion, professional identity, emotion regulation, and grit predicted their productive and maladaptive teacher immunity in the contexts of Iran and Canada. Moreover, it investigated the differences between Iranian and Canadian language instructors’ immunity. To this end, first, the researchers selected 632 Iranian and 593 Canadian teachers in language school settings using convenience sampling. Second, they administered seven reliable and valid questionnaires concerning the aforementioned affective factors to Iranian and Canadian participants to collect the data. Lastly, they analyzed the data using Binary Logistic Regression and Chi-square tests. The results showed that while Iranian teachers’ work engagement, emotion regulation, and grit were the significant factors in their teacher immunity types, Canadian teachers’ teacher reflection, professional identity, self-compassion, and emotion regulation significantly predicted their productive and maladaptive teacher immunity. Furthermore, Canadian teachers’ immunity was more productive than that of Iranian teachers. These results may provide guidelines on the development of teacher-factor-informed education courses for English teachers in both second and foreign language contexts. https://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/article_121924_64e478f6d0d1aab2862ab09731bac530.pdfUrmia UniversityIranian Journal of Language Teaching Research2322-129114120260301Technique Feature Analysis Revisited: Enhancing Digital Game-Based Vocabulary Learning Design15117912192510.30466/ijltr.2026.56272.3050ENAmin Rasti-BehbahaniCenter for Preparatory Studies (CPS), Dhofar University, Salalah, Oman0000-0002-1507-6986Amir MashhadiDepartment of English Language and Literature, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran0000-0001-9261-3151Journal Article20250614The technique feature analysis (TFA) checklist and digital game-based vocabulary learning (DGBVL) were introduced for enhancing incidental vocabulary learning (IVL) gains. However, TFA precision was found to be random owing to factors causing cognitive overload, especially in DGBVL activities. Therefore, this study aimed to revise TFA by examining the effect of cognitive load theory (CLT)-informed DGBVL activity design on IVL. CEFR A2-level Omani-Arabic speakers (N = 140) were randomly assigned to a control and three experimental groups, where they completed DGBVL activities with optimized intrinsic (IL), extraneous (EL), or germane (GL) cognitive load for learning 10 target words incidentally. Participants were tested immediately and three weeks later on 8 aspects of word knowledge. Results showed that the experimental groups outperformed, and the TFA checklist precision was enhanced, suggesting that CLT-informed designs were effective. Pedagogically, teachers, material developers, and researchers can use our enhanced TFA checklist for designing effective DGBVL activities.https://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/article_121925_34aca8047e208625926e414f6cb4f798.pdfUrmia UniversityIranian Journal of Language Teaching Research2322-129114120260420Comparative Analysis of Neural Activation Patterns during Manual and Digital Writing: An Electroencephalography Study in University Students18120412192610.30466/ijltr.2026.55859.2917ENAntonio Hernández FernándezUniversity of Jaén, Spain0000-0002-7807-4363Claudia De Barros CamargoNational Distance Education University, Spain0000-0002-2286-8674Journal Article20250104The increasing predominance of digital writing in higher education has raised important questions regarding its cognitive and neural implications. This study examines differences in neural activation patterns and neuroeducational markers between manual and digital writing in university students using electroencephalography (EEG) with the Emotiv EPOC+ 14 system. Employing an intrasubject experimental design (n = 10), participants completed equivalent handwritten and typed reflective tasks under controlled conditions. Results revealed that handwriting elicited broader and more bilateral brain activation, associated with greater emotional engagement and sensorimotor integration. In contrast, digital writing showed more focused activation patterns and higher cognitive demand, particularly in working memory-related frequencies. Gender differences were also observed, with males displaying stronger left-hemispheric lateralization and females demonstrating more bilateral activation. These findings provide neurophysiological evidence that writing modality influences cognitive and affective engagement, offering implications for differentiated pedagogical practices in higher education.https://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/article_121926_d50f886653b8d8404ae0f66b99a55e8a.pdf