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This quantitative study aimed at measuring L2 lexical richness of productive vocabulary in the written production of Iranian EFL university students. In fact, this work was conducted to find out how rich the productive vocabulary of Iranian EFL university students is. Productive vocabulary knowledge is to express meaning through speaking or writing, retrieve and produce the appropriate spoken or written word form (Nation, 2001). Considering the importance of size and level of this knowledge among language learners, 210 writing samples such as final examinations and homework assignments of EFL undergraduate students majoring translation at BA level in semesters 2, 4, 6, and 8 at Islamic Azad University, Khorasgan branch, were analyzed by LFP (a tool to measure lexical richness in written texts). The generated profiles matched with available vocabulary frequency lists. The results of this work indicated an increase in the students' ability to use their lexical knowledge throughout years of study at university. However, this knowledge is under the suggested threshold proposed by recent studies. The findings of the research can shed light on the relationship between vocabulary growth and different input conditions. The results of this work can provide insights for language teachers and program planners in developing appropriate materials for enriching vocabulary among learners more effectively.

Abstract-The purpose of this study was to see whether any significant relationship exists among EFL learners' self-esteem, autonomy, and reading comprehension; and whether there is any significant difference between EFL learners' self-esteem and autonomy in predicting their reading comprehension skill. For this purpose, 121 EFL participants who were studying English Language Literature and Translation at Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch, were randomly selected. The researcher tested different ranges of students with different levels of proficiency. The Coopersmith self-esteem inventory, autonomy questionnaire and reading comprehension section of Preliminary English Test (PET) were administered. Correlation and regression analysis demonstrated that there was a significant relationship among EFL learners' self-esteem, autonomy, and reading comprehension. There was also a significant difference between EFL learners' selfesteem and autonomy in predicting their reading comprehension.

BackgroundIran has achieved a substantial decline in malaria incidence over the past decades. A common feature of malaria-endemic settings is the requirement for more sensitive techniques to describe levels of low transmission. In this study, serological and parasitological methods were used to measure transmission levels of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax during an elimination programme (2012) in Chabahar District, Sistan and Baluchistan Province, south-eastern Iran.MethodsParticipants were randomly selected from 64 different geographical clusters in Chabahar city and surrounding villages. Antibody responses to P. falciparum and P. vivax blood-stage antigens were assessed by ELISA, while microscopy and molecular testing were used to determine parasite carriage by species. Age-adjusted antibody responses were analysed using a reversible catalytic model to calculate seroconversion rates (SCR).ResultsThere was no evidence of recent transmission in the study areas, indicated by an absence of parasite infections in all ages and low or absent serological responses to either species in young children. The best model for age P. falciparum seroconversion was one with a change in exposure 21 years before sampling was done in Chabahar city (P = 0.018) and 4 years in the villages (P = 0.039). There was a higher level of recent P. vivax transmission compared to P. falciparum, based on the SCRs, in both the city and village settings.ConclusionSerological analysis identified a decline in P. falciparum transmission in the urban areas of Chabahar, consistent with a previously described decrease in malaria in the early 1990s, demonstrating the utility of this approach to reconstruct exposure history. At present, it remains unclear whether the P. vivax antibody responses reflect active transmission due to new infections or relapse infections. The absence of parasitological and serological evidence of recent malaria transmission in Chabahar District is viable evidence for certification of elimination.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-016-1432-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.