The present study analyzed different types of errors in the EFL learners' IELTS essays. In order to determine the major types of errors, a corpus of 70 IELTS examinees' writings were collected, and their errors were extracted and categorized qualitatively. Errors were categorized based on a researcher-developed error-coding scheme into 13 aspects. Based on the descriptive statistical analyses, the frequency of each error type was calculated and the commonest errors committed by the EFL learners in IELTS essays were identified. The results indicated that the two most frequent errors that IELTS candidates committed were related to word choice and verb forms. Based on the research results, pedagogical implications highlight analyzing EFL learners' writing errors as a useful basis for instructional purposes including creating pedagogical teaching materials that are in line with learners' linguistic strengths and weaknesses.

This study sought to explore the role of language learning strategies (LLSs) in Iran as an EFL context. The major objective was to find out the strategy use of Iranian EFL learners and the possible influence of their educational level and gender on their reported strategy use. Ninety-seven EFL undergraduates studying at Payame Noor University of Guilan participated in the study. A self-reported inventory, Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, was used to determine the participants' perceived strategy use. The findings revealed that the participating EFL learners were medium strategy users irrespective of their gender and educational level. The reported LLSs which had the highest frequency were metacognitive, compensation, social, and cognitive strategies respectively. Memory and affective strategies were found to be the least frequent ones. The results of the ANOVA indicated that the differences between the educational levels were significant for metacognitive strategy use only. Except for the observed difference between sophomores and juniors, the differences between sophomores and seniors and juniors and seniors were statistically significant. Furthermore, gender differences were not found to be statistically significant. The results of the study highlight the significance of LLSs and also confirm that educational level is a determining factor in strategy use.

This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the nature and the patterns of lexical growth in content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and non-CLIL learners across three successive academic years. To pursue the purpose of the study a total of 110 female students of six classes in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades in both bilingual and monolingual schools in Tehran, Iran, were selected. The experimental group included 50 students, while the control group included 60 students. Receptive and productive vocabulary sizes of three grades from both environments were compared using the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) and the Productive Vocabulary Levels Test (PVLT). The results indicated that learners’ receptive and productive vocabulary sizes in both CLIL and non-CLIL groups are below 1,000 words, according to the results of the 2k VLT and 2k PVLT tests. In addition, both CLIL and non-CLIL groups showed a gradual increase in their receptive and productive vocabulary growth from third grade to fourth and fifth grades. Finally, across all three grades, the CLIL group showed a higher increase in their receptive and productive vocabulary growth than the non-CLIL group. The results of the study have implications for bilingual schools, language institutes, and language teachers and learners.

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Abstract-This study investigated Iranian EFL university instructors' familiarity with critical thinking, and its use in their course syllabi. To this end, 103 instructors completed an attitude questionnaire. The results revealed that the differences between EFL instructors were significant across their level of education in terms of their preparation of course syllabi, and their familiarity with CT and official syllabi. Besides, TEFL instructors were significantly superior to their linguistics and literature colleagues in terms of their familiarity with CT and its perceived importance. The results revealed that the relationships between the participants' teaching experience on the one hand and their preparation of syllabi, their familiarity with CT and official syllabi and the consideration of CT in their course syllabi on the other hand were statistically significant. The study suggests that teacher training programs and in-service training courses should aim at educating instructors continually and systematically and help them keep abreast of the recent pedagogical innovations to enhance learning outcomes.