https://jlid.zand.ac.ir/ Language, Identity and the Digital Realm en daily 1 Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://jlid.zand.ac.ir/article_735779.html Research on language and identity has expanded considerably over the last two decades. Despite this expansion, the field remains theoretically diverse and methodologically fragmented. The present study provides a bibliometric review to map the intellectual structure, research trends, and scholarly influence within identity and language studies. Using bibliometric techniques, the study explores the relationship between author productivity and scholarly impact. Keyword co-occurrence and overlay visualization analyses are used to identify major thematic clusters and distinguish well-established topics from emerging or underexplored research areas. In addition, citation analysis is conducted to identify the most influential papers, while reference co-citation analysis is used to reveal the theoretical and conceptual foundations underpinning the field. The findings show that the higher number of papers does not necessarily lead to higher research impact. The keyword co-occurrence analysis reveals that identity and language research is organized around five interconnected thematic clusters, including sociolinguistic and ideological perspectives, bilingualism and heritage language, educational and professional identity, discourse and methodology-orientation, and psychological-affective dimensions of identity. As the overlay visualization shows, the emergence of topics such as teacher identity, professional identity, and agency reflects a growing concern. In addition, Norton (1995) and Heller (2003) are the most influential theories in the field. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of research trajectories and offers insights to guide future investigations on language and identity. https://jlid.zand.ac.ir/article_735780.html Language learning in migrant and minority contexts is closely intertwined with issues of identity, belonging, and social participation, yet little is known about how Afghan EFL learners experience and construct their cultural identity. This study investigated the cultural identity development of Afghan learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) residing in Iran, drawing on the theoretical framework of communities of practice. Recognizing language learning as a socially situated and identity related process, the study aimed to examine how Afghan EFL learners perceived their cultural identity. To achieve this objective, a survey research design was employed. Data were collected through an 18-item cultural identity questionnaire administered to 121 Afghan EFL learners in Iran. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical procedures. The results showed that learners tended to view English not merely as a linguistic skill but as a meaningful social practice that contributes to their sense of self, belonging, and cultural awareness. Moreover, participation in English learning communities played an important role in shaping learners’ perceptions of their cultural identity. Interpreted through the lens of communities of practice, the findings highlight the importance of participation, social interaction, and contextual factors in identity construction within EFL learning environments. The study concludes that the cultural identity of Afghan EFL learners in Iran is dynamic and context-dependent. The findings carry important pedagogical implications, emphasizing the need for identity-sensitive approaches in EFL instruction within similar sociocultural contexts. https://jlid.zand.ac.ir/article_735781.html One of the pivotal factors in language learning is the critical role of intelligence, which has been steadily undisputed. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between MIs (Multiple Intelligences) and vocabulary and grammar exam scores. 191 intermediate EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners participated in this study. All the participants were administered the McKenzie's MIs questionnaire and the 9th graders' English final exam. The findings of multiple regression analysis revealed a significant association between logical and linguistic intelligences with vocabulary and grammar exam scores. It was concluded that learners' intelligence typically plays a vital role in their pedagogical path and can facilitate a purposeful Personalized Learning (PL) to enhance the quality of language pedagogy. The findings of the current study might have valuable implications for EFL teachers and learners, and relevant educational stakeholders. https://jlid.zand.ac.ir/article_735847.html The present study investigated the extent to which English language teachers’ personality dimensions (i.e., extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness, and neuroticism) are associated with their EFL learners’ academic English achievement. Indeed, it sought to firstly delineate the patterns of correlation between these personality traits and the learners’ English achievement and secondly to evaluate these traits predictive efficacy and their hierarchy of relative influence on the learners’ English attainment. Employing a correlational research design and a purposive sampling, twenty English teachers completed the Big Five Inventory (BFI) and their responses were analyzed considering the English achievement scores of their twelfth-grade students (340 EFL learners). The findings revealed robust positive correlations between teacher conscientiousness (r = .73) and extraversion (r = .65) and learners’ English achievement, whereas neuroticism exhibited a strong negative association (r = −.65). Regression analyses further indicated that overall teacher personality serves as a significant predictor of EFL learners’ attainment, with extraversion emerging as the only statistically significant individual predictor. These results underscored the critical role of personality-informed approaches in teacher education and professional development programs, highlighting their potential to enhance EFL learners’ English performance. https://jlid.zand.ac.ir/article_735859.html The impact of technology addiction on the cause and/or intensification of socio-psychological disorders and misconduct is a controversial issue. The present study aimed at demystifying the role of emotional self-regulation in reducing technology addiction and taking high-risk behaviors among pre-service Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teachers. A total of 350 male and female (n=350) pre-service TEFL teachers were selected based on cluster random sampling from a population of 2640 in different branches of Farhangian University in Tehran, Shiraz, Arak, Tabriz, Bushehr, Zanjan, Esfahan, Mashhad, and Ardabil during the 2024-2025 academic year to participate in the current descriptive-correlational study. The Youth Risk Assessment, Emotional Self-Regulation (SR) Questionnaires, and Technology Addiction were among the tools that the study participants filled out. To examine the data, multivariate linear regression analysis was employed. Both technology addiction and the inclination to conduct high-risk behaviors were shown to have a strong negative connection with emotional SR (p < 0.05). Additionally, compared to technological addictions, emotional SR was a stronger predictor of the propensity to engage in high-risk behaviors among pre-service teachers. To reduce or avoid technology addiction and high-risk behavior, the results indicate that counsellors, clinical psychologists, and teacher educators should pay closer attention to the psychological traits of TEFL students, particularly emotional SR. https://jlid.zand.ac.ir/article_735951.html The effect of the shift to screen-based reading versus print-based reading on comprehension has been raised as a concern. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effect of reading modality on the reading- comprehension performance of 111 intermediate students of Iranian university studying English as a foreign language (EFL). Group homogeneity was achieved by administering the TOEFL junior placement test; the participants were randomly chosen and placed in an instructional condition of screen-based (n = 57) or print-based (n = 54). The two groups were read the same texts and provided with the same comprehension tests in over ten instructional sessions. As shown by independent sample t-test, there was no statistically significant difference between the two modalities, t(109) = 1.97, p =.051, though the print-based group had a slightly higher mean score (M = 58.90, SD = 16.63) as compared to the screen-based group (M = 52.85, SD = 15.65). A small-to-medium effect size (Cohen, d =.37) implied a slight practical benefit of print reading. Conversely, the screen-based group said that they had more positive attitudes towards digital reading. The gap between attitudes and performance reflects that a higher level of interest in using the digital platform is not always accompanied by a better understanding. On the whole, this results in the fact that modality of reading does not have a decisive impact on EFL reading comprehension. The combination of digital resources and print-based resources with explicit teaching of metacognitive reading strategies is thus advisable. https://jlid.zand.ac.ir/article_732333.html This qualitative study explored how undergraduate EFL students experience mattering and anti-mattering within their academic relationships, particularly in interactions with their instructors. Using a post-intentional phenomenological framework, the research examined the nuanced, lived realities of recognition and neglect in higher education. Data were gathered through in-depth narrative interviews with undergraduate EFL students, and six themes were constructed to capture the relational complexity of these experiences. Findings revealed that mattering was most often experienced through subtle but consistent forms of recognition—such as dialogic feedback, name recall, or personalized engagement—that affirmed students’ academic presence and identity. Conversely, anti-mattering emerged through cumulative experiences of silence, absence, and emotional distancing, particularly in contexts where students felt vulnerable or marginalized. Notably, some participants described moments of reclaiming mattering through acts of self-advocacy, suggesting that mattering is not merely given but also constructed. The study contributes to existing literature by demonstrating how mattering functions not only as a psychological construct but as a relational, interactional, and institutional process. It underscores the emotional consequences of anti-mattering and highlights the transformative potential of relational teaching practices. Practical recommendations are offered for instructors, institutions, and curriculum designers to foster recognition-rich environments. Finally, the study calls for further research on mattering across diverse linguistic, cultural, and disciplinary contexts to better understand how students navigate visibility, engagement, and belonging in academic spaces. https://jlid.zand.ac.ir/article_736097.html This study investigated the effectiveness of didactic interlingual subtitling as an extracurricular approach to enhancing English for Specific Purposes (ESP) vocabulary learning among Iranian engineering students. Using a mixed-methods repeated-measures design, 33 undergraduate engineering students at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz participated in a nine-week instructional program involving three cycles of extracurricular vocabulary learning activities: conventional vocabulary exercises, standard didactic subtitling (English-to-Persian), and reverse didactic subtitling (Persian-to-English). Data were collected through a Vocabulary Level Test, formative and summative vocabulary achievement tests, and a post-treatment perception questionnaire. The findings revealed significant differences among the three instructional conditions in both vocabulary learning and long-term retention. Standard didactic subtitling produced the highest learning gains, followed by reverse subtitling, whereas conventional vocabulary exercises yielded the lowest performance. Learners also expressed significantly more positive attitudes toward subtitling-based activities, particularly standard subtitling, which was perceived as more engaging and motivating. Positive correlations were also found between learners’ attitudes toward subtitling activities and their vocabulary learning outcomes. Practical implications for ESP instruction, curriculum design, and technology-mediated vocabulary learning are discussed.