فهرست مطالب sadegh ghobadi

The global spread of English resulted in a surge in the global demand for learning this lingua franca. The majority of English language teaching is conducted through global ELT coursebooks. However, the end users have continuously criticized the promotion of Western values, consolidation of linguistic imperialism, and hegemonic practices through these books. This study describes the process of developing localized English language teaching materials based on research findings and Tomlinson’s text-driven approach. The selection of suitable texts is essential for optimizing language learning through SLA principles, such as providing learners with ample opportunities for meaningful language use and directing their attention toward meaning. After development, these materials, along with their accompanying audio and video files, were uploaded to an online platform (www.chamranelt.ir) where language teachers could employ them in their classrooms. This is the most prominent characteristic of the platform, and it is argued that it can be a solution to the possible cultural problems caused by global English language teaching coursebooks. These materials are more learner-centered, more engaging, and can provide learners with numerous opportunities to develop their intercultural communicative competence. Due to their cost-effectiveness, they can be efficiently marketed.

The global spread of English and its role as a lingua franca has created a great demand for learning English worldwide. Up to the present time, this demand has been mostly met by major international publishers of English-speaking countries such as the United States and Britain. However, the promotion of Anglo-American cultural content and ideology through international coursebooks has long been criticized in the EFL settings in which they are used. The current study investigated the cultural appropriacy of these coursebooks for the Iranian context. The main instruments were four researcher-made questionnaires. The questionnaires were first piloted and then administered among 197 teachers and 186 students who were selected based on availability and willingness to cooperate. Next, a one-sample t-test was run on the data and the results showed that the coursebooks spread the hegemony of English. Also, it was found that the coursebooks promote a concept of gender equality which is in contrast with the Iranian concept that assumes equal rights for both sexes in primary rights and not in secondary rights. The findings also suggest that the international teaching materials do not promote nonIslamic western values. Suggestions for developing localized language teaching materials have been put forward.