The present study aimed to investigate the comparative impacts of input-based and output-based activities on vocabulary knowledge of Iranian EFL learners. To fulfil this objective, 54 intermediate EFL students out of 70 from a private language institute were chosen through administering the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). The selected participants were divided into one control group (n = 18) and two experimental groups including the input-based group (n = 18) and the output-based group (n = 18). Afterwards, all three groups took a productive vocabulary test as pre-test. Then, the experimental groups received the treatment. The experimental group 1 (input-based group) received the instruction through input-based activities and the experimental group 2 (output-based group) received the instruction through output-based activities. The whole treatment lasted for 9 sessions of 50 min. After the treatment, the post-test of productive vocabulary test was administered to the all groups. Also, after two weeks, a delayed post-test was administered to the learners to examine the effect of different input and output-based activities on EFL learners' vocabulary retention. The results of, one-way ANOVA, and Scheffe post hoc tests revealed that both input-based and output-based groups outperformed the control group on the post-test and delayed post-tests. However, there was not a significant difference between the performances of the experimental groups on the post-test and delayed post-tests. The findings provide further evidence that both inputbased and output-based activities lead to both productive vocabulary knowledge. In general, the results show similar levels of effects for input-based and output-based activities on vocabulary acquisition. The implications and suggestions for future research are also presented.

The core of self-assessment (CSA) and critical thinking (CT) empower learners to observe and evaluate themselves. Although the literature on CSA and CT reflects a long history, little is known about their contributions to the learners’ academic engagement (AE) and self-esteem (SE), particularly in the EFL context. Therefore, the present investigation intended to explore a structural model of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students’ CSA, CT, and SE. Accordingly, the Core of Self-assessment Questionnaire (CSAQ), Watson–Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal-form A (WGCTA), The SInAPSi Academic Engagement Scale (SAES), and The Foreign Language Learning Self-esteem Scale (FLLSES), were administered to 427 Iranian EFL university learners. The results of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) indicated that EFL university students with high levels of CSA were more engaged and could build up high SE. Moreover, the effective role of CT in boosting AE and SE was also confirmed. The implications of this study may unveil new prospects for implementing learning-oriented assessment in the classroom and CT practices in language learning instruction and assessment.

This article reports on a mixed methods study that examined the effect of reference of comparison (self-referential vs. normative) and regulatory focus (promotion-focused vs. prevention-focused) on willingness to communicate (WTC) among learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). One hundred female English learners were randomly assigned to the self-referential, normative, prevention, promotion, and control feedback groups. They received different types of feedback for 15 sessions. The students were tested for their WTC, anxiety and communication competence before and after the intervention. The results of MANOVA and paired samples comparisons indicated that self-referential, normative, and promotion feedback positively improved WTC and communication competence and decreased anxiety. However, prevention feedback decreased WTC and communication competence and increased anxiety. Follow-up interview data indicated that feedback influenced WTC by providing learning checks or affecting learners’ self-confidence, reducing anxiety, fostering motivation, and decreasing peer pressure. Finally, it was suggested that teachers should mainly present feedback to emphasize task accomplishments and growth and to inform the students about their progress over time.

Assessment is an inseparable part of teaching and learning, and it helps teachers and students to modify their teaching and learning processes. One type of assessment is peer assessment (PA), and its effects were examined on developing Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension (RC), reading motivation (RM) and vocabulary learning (VL) in this research. To achieve this goal, 60 Iranian EFL students at the intermediate level and with the age range of 18 to 26 years were selected based on a convenience sampling method and divided into two groups: the control group (CG) and experimental group (EG). After that, the groups took the pre-tests of RC, RM, and VL. The EG then was divided into six sub-groups of five, and PA was applied to evaluate their reading and vocabulary performances. The learners in the EG checked their classmates’ performances in peers with the teacher’s help. In the CG class, the participants themselves assessed their own performances after each test with the help of the teacher. After a 15-session treatment, the post-tests of vocabulary, RM, and RC were carried out on both groups. The outcomes of the one-way ANCOVA tests demonstrated that the EG outflanked the CG on the three post-tests of RC, RM, and VL. In fact, the results indicated that using PA generated positive effects on Iranian EFL learners’ RC, RM, and VL. It can be claimed that the PA is a practical technique to improve EFL learners’ language learning. The implications of this research can reduce students’ dependency on teachers and increase their independence in the evaluation process.