Linguistics
Talieh Mansouri Jozani; Reza Morad Sahraee
Abstract
Grammar instruction presents a significant challenge in second language education. This challenge is particularly evident in teaching Persian grammar to non-native speakers. A crucial question in the field of second language acquisition is understanding the developmental stages that learners progress ...
Read More
Grammar instruction presents a significant challenge in second language education. This challenge is particularly evident in teaching Persian grammar to non-native speakers. A crucial question in the field of second language acquisition is understanding the developmental stages that learners progress through and the underlying reasons. Processability theory, a prominent framework, posits that second language acquisition follows a developmental hierarchy: learners acquire content words, function words, phrases, sentences, and subordinate clauses in a specific order. Given the complexity of Persian grammar, particularly conditional structures, this study aimed to investigate the acquisition sequence of these structures among non-native Persian learners from a processability perspective. By analyzing interviews with 120 learners at varying proficiency levels, we determined the order in which learners acquired different conditional constructions. Our findings revealed a specific acquisition order: learners typically mastered simpler conditional forms before progressing to more complex ones. Based on these results, we propose a pedagogical model for teaching conditional structures, tailored to the specific challenges and developmental stages of non-native Persian learners. This model is grounded in the processability theory, ensuring a systematic and effective approach to instruction.
Mohammad Javad Hadizadeh; Mohammad Javad Mahdavy; Rezamorad Sahraee; Ali Aalizadeh
Abstract
Task-based learning method is considered as one of the successful methods in communicative language teaching, which possess the advantages of teamwork and class interaction along with the positive components of attention to the grammatical forms. Although, few independent studies have been conducted ...
Read More
Task-based learning method is considered as one of the successful methods in communicative language teaching, which possess the advantages of teamwork and class interaction along with the positive components of attention to the grammatical forms. Although, few independent studies have been conducted on the task-based method in Persian language; numerous studies have been done on the impact of the task-based method in English language. After stating the significance of the task-based method, by selecting three types of the most common tasks in text books relating to teaching Persian language grammar to speakers of other languages(short composition, editing task and spot the differences)and registering the interactions between sixteen Persian language learners in Saadi Foundation through studying the language related episodes and meta-talks of each of them while performing these tasks in a group, the current study attempts to examine these tasks effects on drawing the language learners' attention to the grammatical forms; and then it presents a resultant from the practical application of task-based method in classroom and its advantages. Results show that performing the tasks in teamwork has obviously a positive effect on improving the grammatical ability of the language learners; the positive or negative feedback that the learners provide in their interactions are constructive in most cases; it leads to a correct decision-making, and the learners are more dominant on the grammatical categories that they learn in form of a task. Among the various types of task, editing task is the most suitable choice for teaching grammar due to having the redesigning capability for paying attention to various grammatical forms and a more specific reflection of the target grammatical categories on it.
Reza Morad Sahraee; Shahnaz Yegane
Abstract
Extended Abstract Introduction According to the studies, the grammatical metaphor has a special significance in the development of scientific writings, and it is one of the most important characteristics of the scientific language. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Persian language based ...
Read More
Extended Abstract Introduction According to the studies, the grammatical metaphor has a special significance in the development of scientific writings, and it is one of the most important characteristics of the scientific language. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Persian language based on the systemic functional linguistics framework and it will attempt to answer the fundamental question that how many types of metaphorical processes have been used in the scientific articles in various disciplines including physics, chemistry, linguistics, and political sciences within three decades. The second goal is to compare the results of all four disciplines in different decades, in order to determine the development of these mechanisms in the scientific discourse of the Persian language at different decades. Theoretical Framework The basic roles of grammatical phenomena according to systemic functional linguistics are described through three meta-functions: ideational (consisting of empirical and logical cases), interpersonal, and textual. The whole model of systemic functional linguistics is based on the relationship and interaction between these three meta-functions. The ideational meta-function has to do with how we construe our human experience in and of reality through language. The interpersonal meta-function views language as interaction. The textual meta-function is concerned with the textual organization of the language. The ideational meta-function relates to the clause through which experience is seen as being encoded in language as processes, participants in these processes and circumstances. Each of these meta-functional representations of language can be expressed through metaphorical expressions. Halliday (2004) considers grammatical metaphor as the most important feature in describing the language of science and emphasizes that many features of the language of science are the result of grammatical metaphor. Methodology The present study is a descriptive-comparative study whose structure consists of four sets of research papers related to the fields of physics, chemistry, linguistics, and political sciences. 60 Persian academic articles from reputable journals were chosen for analysis. Each field is divided into the groups of 15 articles and each group is divided into three groups of 5 articles devoted to 1981-2011 in three decades. First, the number of the occurrence of metaphorical grammatical expressions in each text was determined, and congruent equivalent for each was presented. After analyzing the grammatical metaphors of selected articles in this way, the frequency of occurrence of each type of metaphors was obtained through the division of grammatical metaphors by the total words in the whole text and, accordingly, the average percentage of the use of metaphorical grammatical expressions in each text were assessed. The results of the calculations were compared using independent t-test using SPSS software. In this research, the significance level is less than 0.05. Results and Discussion Based on these findings, metaphors type (2, 10, 5, and 6) were the most frequent metaphors respectively, and type (7, 11, 4, and 12) were the least frequent ones respectively. Chemistry has the most use of metaphorical mechanisms, and physics, political science, and linguistics are ranked next. In addition, the results, on the one hand, show that the ratio of the general use of the type of grammatical metaphors contained in the experimental texts (chemistry and physics) is significantly more than the human sciences (political science and linguistics). On the other hand, the political science text (human sciences) with the average of 5/07 grammatical metaphors are not much different from the average of 5/09 physics texts (experimental science). In addition, the order of frequency occurrence of different metaphors in this field is the same as physics and chemistry. According to the results, "apparently" there is no direct connection between the scientific nature of a field and the application of metaphor. Conclusion and Suggestions The finding of present study showed the order of the occurrence of grammatical metaphors in each text was as follow: 2 > 10> 5> 6> 1> 9> 8> 3> 12> 4> 11> 7. In addition, it showed that the order of fields in using the most number of metaphorical processes is as follows: chemistry> physics> political science> linguistics. Findings of the research do not show a direct relation between the scientific nature of these disciplines and the application of grammatical metaphor. In addition there is also no significant difference in the number of grammatical metaphors diachronically. The findings of this research can be used in determining the promotion extent of the status of Persian language among the international scientific languages, which is one of the eight major objectives in the comprehensive scientific map of the country. In addition, the findings of this research can be used in various fields including planning, teaching and writing scientific texts to teach the Persian language to non-Persian speakers.
Esmaeil Safaei Asl; Reza Morad Sahraei
Abstract
Extended abstract Introduction In generalizing/partial typology, which has been the dominant approach in typology since the early 1960s, achieving language universals was the main concern. It is noteworthy that in this approach, achieving language generalizations is based on interlanguage comparison ...
Read More
Extended abstract Introduction In generalizing/partial typology, which has been the dominant approach in typology since the early 1960s, achieving language universals was the main concern. It is noteworthy that in this approach, achieving language generalizations is based on interlanguage comparison of specific structures such as causativization, passivization, and possession. Following the generalizing/partial typology approach within the systemic functional grammar, Matthiessen (2004) has sought to achieve language generalizations. In fact, having examined the ideational (logical and experiential), interpersonal, and textual systems of the ‘clause grammar’ of different and various languages, Matthiessen (2004) has achieved a series of typological generalizations/universals in the framework of systemic functional typology. It should be noted that these generalizationsrefer both to divergences (differences) and convergences (similarities) of language systems. In terms of his proposed typological generalizations, Matthiessen (2004) has argued that they can be applied in the description of any language and in the attempt to expand the typological explanations in the framework of systemic functional grammar as well. However, he has immediately stated that “It is not yet possible to propose a generalized map; but we have to move in that direction.” In line with Matthiessen’s claim mentioned above, the present paper has attempted to describe the THEME system of Persian language on the one hand and to compare it with the THEME system of English as the dominant foreign language in the area of education in Iran, on the other hand. Theoretical Framework This study has been conducted in the framework of systemic functional typology and specifically Matthiessen (2004)’s typological generalizations in terms of the THEME system[1]. Matthiessen (2004) has identified the following areas as the principal parameters of typological variation in the THEME system of languages: (1) The treatment of unmarked and marked THEME, (2) The relationship between THEME and INFORMATION, (3) The relationship between THEME and MOOD, (4) The relationship between experiential (topical) THEME and interpersonal and textual THEME, and (5) The relationship between THEME and VOICE. In this research, in order to limit its scope, only three of the above domains have been selected as typological parametersfor describing the THEME system of Persian language and comparing it with the THEME system of English: (1) The treatment of unmarked and marked THEME (related to the subsystem of THEME MARKEDNESS), (2) The relationship between THEME and MOOD (related to the subsystem of THEME SELECTION), and (3) The relationship between experiential (topical) THEME and interpersonal and textual THEME (related to the subsystems of THEME TYPE, INTERPERSONAL THEME, and TEXTUAL THEME). Methodology This research is a ‘theoretical fundamental’ type in terms of aim and is a ‘pure descriptive’ type in terms of nature and method. Persian examples of this study have been obtained from various documents such as novel, research papers, and grammar books. However, some of the Persian examples have been made by the authors of this paper. English examples have been mainly taken from Halliday (2005) and Halliday and Matthiessen (2014). It is necessary to note that this research has described the THEME system only within the limits of the simple clause and has avoided dealing withclause complexes. Results and Discussion Studying typological behaviors of the Persian THEME system in the framework of Matthiessen (2004)’s typological generalizations and comparing those behaviors with the typological behaviors of the English THEME system showed that the two Persian and English languages (1) have similar thematic structures; Theme occurs in the initial position of the clause without any Theme marker, (2) treat both unmarked and marked Themes similarly; both marked and unmarked Themes occur in the initial position of the clause with the sequence ‘unmarked Theme + marked Theme’, (3) mark absolute Themes segmentally; Persian absolute Themes are marked by the postposition »ra« and English absolute Themes are marked by prepositions like »as to, as for, regarding«, (4) have both simple and multiple types of Themes; Theme can contain textual and interpersonal elements beside experiential one, and (5) treat the elements of a multiple Theme similarly; the elements making up a multiple Theme have all the same realizations, that is they are realized by the initial position of the clause. Another finding was that unlike English language whose THEME system is MOOD-bound, Persian language possesses a MOOD-free THEME system; in Persian language, unlike English, Subject (whetherpresent or dropped) is the unmarked Theme in all clause types except imperative clause. Conclusion and Suggestions The results of this study indicated that the two languages of Persian and English behave similarly in terms of three typological parameters out of four ones related to the THEME system. The finding number (3) as mentioned above, showed that Matthiessen (2004)’s convergence generalization in terms of THEME system, i.e. the possibility of marking Theme segmentally, is also true of Persian language. In the end, it is suggested that the typological behaviors of the THEME system of other languages spoken in Iran should be identified and introduced in the aforementioned framework. [1] The grammatical system of ‘THEME’, as one of the resources of textual metafunction, construes the clause in the guise of a ‘message’ and is represented by Theme-Rheme structure. As such, the clause in the guise of a message is made up of Theme + Rheme.
