Mobile language learning applications have become the integral part of modern life in recent years. However, evidence on their effectiveness on L2 learning outcomes remains limited. Due to the important role of reading comprehension in the foreign language learning process, this study aims to investigate the impact of a mobile language learning app, Sayra, on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension. The research was conducted at Iran Language Institute in Iran. A total of 57 intermediate-level students were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (N=30) or a control group (N=27). Focusing on short story comprehension, the experimental group was trained using the Sayra Language Learning App, while the control group continued with traditional classroom instruction. Both groups underwent pre- and post-tests to assess their reading comprehension. The results obtained showed improvements in reading comprehension skill for both groups. However, the treatment group achieved significantly better results than the control group on the post-test. With respect to the students’ perceptions, the students perceived Sayra’s user-friendliness, gamification, and competitive nature as its benefits. These findings suggest that incorporating MALL apps, like Sayra, into language instruction can be a valuable complement to traditional methods.

One of the fundamental issues in mankind’s pursuit of greater development is the protection of the environment and other subordinated groups, which has been a major concern of ecofeminists in recent decades. Claiming that environmental issues are feminist issues, ecofeminists argue that the domination of women correlates with the exploitation of nature and there are critical linkages between the two. Val Plumwood, one of the most distinguished environmental philosophers, describes the oppression of humans and nature as a phenomenon stemming from a system of dualistic structures. According to this notion, these structures are psychologically manifested through the identity of the Master Model in which the Self recognizes the Other not as a distinct center of agency but rather as either a hindrance to or a resource for its needs. Examining various forms of oppression, Barbara Kingsolver in Prodigal Summer illustrates the social inequalities and the destructive attitudes toward nature and argues that they stem from the existing hierarchical dualisms in society. Accordingly, the article aims to portray these dualistic structures, their consequences, and the ways through which they are manifested psychologically. The article concludes that the domination of women and nature are correlated and lie behind many environmental degradations and oppressive attitudes toward women.