Second language (L2) learners hold different learning beliefs that influence their interpretation of classroom experiences and their L2 learning process. Developing a thorough understanding of such beliefs is therefore imperative. This article reports the representations of Iranian English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners' beliefs about L2…

Owing to the limitations of linguistic modes to portray aptly L2 learners' metaphors of language learning experience, growing attention has been paid to taking advantage of other modes like visual ones to ameliorate this concern. Hence, the present study sought to explore images and metaphors Iranian EFL learners may have in mind about the essence…

Metaphor analysis has been used as a cognitive tool to raise awareness about assumptions and beliefs held by teachers and learners about the process of learning and teaching. Motivated by such an ambition, this study conducted with a quantitative and descriptive design examined the metaphors produced by Iranian high school students in an EFL…

This paper employs the innovative method of Elicited Metaphor Analysis to present original research in Malaysia into students' metaphors for 'language'. We summarize reasons why language and first/ second language learning are centrally important in education, and show patterned features of language metaphors in proverbs and in teacher talk about…

The advent of social networks has provided a good platform for everyone to share information to present themselves. Instagram is a tool to participate in social reciprocity, not only by the exploration of information but also through self-praise. This study examined the self-praise by Iranian EFL learners on Instagram from a pragmatic perspective.…

This article explores the usefulness of a web-based education game for learning English idioms and examines attitudinal factors contributing to the learning of the idioms with the game. The two studies reported in this article involved two groups of English as a foreign language students in two different contexts. The students were surveyed on…

The present study aimed at investigating the effect of using collaborative translation tasks (CTTs) for teaching figurative language. The study also sought to explore the perceptions of the learners toward the efficacy of CTTs for learning figurative language through conducting interviews. The participants of the study included 60 English as a…

Employing a quasi-experimental design, this study examined the efficacy of humorous idiom video clips on the achievement of Iranian undergraduate students studying English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Forty humorous video clips from the English Idiom Series called "The Teacher" from the BBC website were used to teach 120 idioms to 61…

In this paper, I will argue that awareness of images and metaphors held by foreign language learners about the nature of the target language and its learning can be of substantial value and provide teaching practitioners with useful insights about how to deal with various language learning problems. To elicit images which learners hold about…

Employing metaphor analysis, the present study explores the nature of unconscious beliefs of PhD students. This research aims at analyzing the metaphors produced by Iranian PhD students about learning and teaching in both current and ideal situations. Using the Iranian context of education, this study intended to: first, collecting the metaphors…

This study aims to examine the metaphors selected by two hundred and forty Iranian B.A and eighty eight M.A students about their professors' roles. The participants were asked to select their preferred metaphors among twenty one metaphors of the checklist about their professors. The metaphors were then categorized based on Goffman's Footing…

The present study investigated the effect of context on the strategies the EFL learners utilized to process idioms. To do so, ten Iranian intermediate EFL learners were randomly assigned to two groups who then attended a think-aloud session. The 5 subjects in the first group were exposed to an animated cartoon including 23 unfamiliar idioms while…

The current study is an attempt to investigate whether any statistically significant relationship existed between Iranian EFL learners' ambiguity tolerance (AT) and their reading strategy use. To this end, three instruments of Survey of Reading Strategy (Mokhtari & Sheorey, 2002), Second Language Ambiguity Tolerance Scale (Ely, 1995), and a…

Following the innovations in language teaching and learning, metaphor analysis as an indirect tool of delving into individuals' beliefs has been utilized in this study to explore the use of metaphor to express the various perspectives of university students about the process of learning and teaching. In fact, this research intends to examine the…