ERIC Number: EJ1127350
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Oct
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2322-1291
EISSN: N/A
Secondary EFL School Teachers' Perceptions of CLT Principles and Practices: An Exploratory Survey
Anani Sarab, Mohammad Reza; Monfared, Abbas; Safarzadeh, Mohammad Meisam
Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, v4 n3 p109-130 Oct 2016
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is advocated by many applied linguists as a common vehicle to curriculum innovation in many ELT contexts. It represents a change of focus in language teaching from linguistic structures to learners' need for developing communication skills. In recent years, the Iranian Ministry of Education has introduced the development of a new English curriculum for secondary schools with the aim of establishing the use of communicative activities in language classes. The present study was an attempt to investigate Iranian teachers' perception of CLT principles and practices through a survey of 75 secondary school teachers in the context of the newly introduced English language curriculum developed based on CLT principles. Based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative data using a semi-structured questionnaire supplemented with interviews with a smaller group of teachers, the results of the survey revealed that a change in classroom arrangements is required before CLT can be practiced in secondary school English classes in Iran. The results also showed that the employment of CLT procedures at the local level is at its beginning stages and might take time to take root. The conclusion is that for the suggested changes in the curriculum to be implemented and realized in English education in Iran, the findings of more comprehensive surveys complemented with observation of teachers' instructional practices is required to inform the change implementation.
Descriptors: Secondary School Teachers, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Communicative Competence (Languages), Language Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Qualitative Research, Statistical Analysis, Foreign Countries, Educational Principles, Curriculum Development, Teacher Surveys, Teaching Methods, Educational Change, Semi Structured Interviews, Questionnaires
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iran
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A