This volume is a clear reflection of the realities and dynamics of language teaching in Iranian classrooms and the new trends within the Iranian EFL community over the last decade. It covers a variety of recent topics within the context of English language teaching in Iran, such as assessment and testing, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), task-based methodology, and vocabulary learning, among others. The book offers readers insights into what is actually going on in language classrooms in Iran and the most effective methods, techniques and strategies to employ in promoting learning in a foreign language context.

The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed a new era in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning and teaching by shifting EFL education from the face-to-face learning paradigm to the online and distance learning paradigm. Teachers and students have faced several challenges such as choosing appropriate web tools for presenting content either synchronously or asynchronously, motivating students to participate, and assessing students’ learning. Additionally, this shift to emergency remote online learning represents a challenge for students, particularly with managing their own learning. Taking into account that many students attend low-income schools with limited resources that lack reliable access to the internet and computers, this shift has resulted in growing equity gaps. Likewise, transitioning to emergency remote teaching has revealed a lack of digital competency and readiness amongst teachers. English as a Foreign Language in a New-Found Post-Pandemic World presents an overview of various tools, designs, and strategies utilized to provide digital teaching and assessment of the English language, shares research on using digital technologies for supporting English language learning, and identifies promising areas and directions for future innovations, applications, and research in digital English language learning and teaching. Covering critical topics such as digital teacher education, language learning environments, and online instructional tools, this reference work is crucial for administrators, policymakers, teacher educators, special educators, educational technologists, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.

Zusammenfassung: This is an open access book. It is with great pleasure and excitement that we gather here today for the annual international academic conference organized by the Mongolian National University of Education. For the past seventeen years, this conference has served as a platform for scholars and researchers to explore and discuss critical issues in higher education. Each year, we witness its growth in scope, quality, and participation, reaffirming its significance as a forum for intellectual exchange and collaboration. This conference since the last year was registered in the Atlantis Press of Springer Nature, providing open access to all the research papers presented and discussed during our time together. This development not only highlights the significance of our scholarly contributions but also amplifies the impact of our collective knowledge on a global scale. It is indeed an honor to host esteemed researchers from six countries, this international collaboration reflects the importance of cross-cultural dialogue and the shared commitment to advancing education quality. We are grateful to the participating organizations, such as the Ministry of Education and Science, Mongolian National Council of Education Accreditation, and many others, for their valuable contributions and support. Especially, thanks to the gold-level sponsor KHAN bank. Throughout this conference, a total of 29 papers will be discussed in plenary and three parallel sessions focusing on "New generation learner - learning", "New generation teacher - teaching" and "Future education policy and planning". Additionally, there will be some enlightening poster presentations, further enriching our understanding of the subject matter. The increase in research volume on higher education quality and its relevant disciplines is a testament to our collective dedication and determination to improve educational systems worldwide. It is our hope that this conference will serve as a catalyst for policy development, knowledge dissemination, and research advancement, fostering an environment of collaboration and innovation among scholars and practitioners. On behalf of the Mongolian National University of Education, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the participants, presenters, organizers, and sponsors who have contributed to the success of this event. Your presence and active engagement will undoubtedly shape the future of higher education and inspire positive change in teaching, learning, and policy implementation. May this conference be a platform for enlightening discussions, fruitful networking, and the exchange of transformative ideas. Together, let us embark on this journey of exploring the intricacies of quality assurance in higher education and building a better future for the new generation of learners

This volume offers insights on English language education policies in Middle Eastern and North African countries, through state-of-the-art reports giving clear assessments of current policies and future trends, each expertly drafted by a specialist. Each chapter contains a general description of English education polices in the respective countries, and then expands on how the local English education policies play out in practice in the education system at all levels, in the curriculum, in teaching, and in teacher training. Essays cover issues such as the balance between English and the acquisition of the national language or the Arabic language, as well as political, cultural, economic and technical elements that strengthen or weaken the learning of English. This volume is essential reading for researchers, policy makers, and teacher trainers for its invaluable insights in the role of each of the stakeholders in the implementation of policies.

Current Issues in Second/Foreign Language Teaching and Teacher Development: Research and Practice represents a collection of selected papers from the 17th World Congress of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA), which was held in August 2014 in Brisbane, Australia. The volume comprises 18 chapters presenting current research projects and discussing issues related to second language acquisition, teaching and teacher education in a variety of contexts from around the world. This collection of research papers will be of use to both new and seasoned researchers in the field of applied linguistics. Teacher educators, language teachers and language policy makers will find this volume equally useful as the papers address current issues in language education.

This book focuses on understanding the process of problem construction in oral communication in foreign language contexts, examining how speakers of English as a second language approach issues in oral communication, as well as the strategies they employ to overcome these difficulties. Using theories of general communication, and in particular current approaches to L2 oral communication and strategies in interactional discourse, the authors construct a theoretical framework for defining, identifying and classifying learners’ problems and coping strategies when speaking English as a second or foreign language. The book offers a coherent process-oriented description of the complex and multidimensional nature and typology of oral interaction problems in EFL contexts, and it will be of interest to practitioners, teachers, researchers, students, and curriculum designers in Applied Linguistics and TESOL.

The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy of Persian offers a detailed overview of the field of Persian second language acquisition and pedagogy. The Handbook discusses its development and captures critical accounts of cutting edge research within the major subfields of Persian second language acquisition and pedagogy, as well as current debates and problems, and goes on to suggest productive lines of future research. The book is divided into the following four parts: I) Theory-driven research on second language acquisition of Persian, II) Language skills in second language acquisition of Persian, III) Classroom research in second language acquisition and pedagogy of Persian, and IV) Social aspects of second language acquisition and pedagogy of Persian. The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy of Persian is an essential reference for scholars and students of Persian SLA and pedagogy as well as those researching in related areas.

Iran is More than Persia: Ethnic Politics in Iran analyses Iranian politics from a unique perspective, one that focuses on the relations between the Persian-dominated Iranian state and the country’s ethnic minorities. The book explores the stability of the ruling regime in light of the challenges that multiethnicity brings. Persians comprise less than half of the population of Iran and more than 40 percent of Iranians lack fluency in the Persian language. An overwhelming majority of non-Persian groups inhabit most of Iran’s border regions; as such the book explores Iran’s foreign policy toward neighboring states that share co-ethnic populations. Iran’s ethnic minorities inhabit the state’s poorest provinces and the country’s growing environmental and water supply challenges hit the ethnic minority provinces harder than the Persian center, adding an ominous ethnic character to what are often presented as purely environmental or economic challenges. The book further examines the potential impact of ethnic based unrest in Khuzestan on Iran’s oil production, Iran’s main oil producing region. Drawing on a rich assortment of primary data and interviews, this book offers unparalled insights into ethnic politics in Iran. It will be of interest to upper-level undergraduates and postgraduates, researchers and professionals interested in the Middle East, international relations, and ethnic studies.

Transformation and Empowerment through Education challenges the normalisation of Western discourses as the optimal choice for empowering education. The book aims to reconstruct our relationship with education and employs contemporary theories in order to understand some of the most persistent phenomena in contemporary education and its role in our lives. Written by professionals with experience of a wide range of academic and institutional conventions and traditions, and from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds, this book effectively presents a global perspective on educational practices, both inside and outside the classroom. The range of topics covered includes equity, access, inclusivity, social justice, leadership and the internationalisation of teaching. This book, based on empirical studies using key methodologies, is ideal for academics and postgraduate researchers interested in critical pedagogy, educational studies and educational linguistics, as well as educators and policymakers around the world.