Language ideology in ELT: The role of Farsi in learning and using English in Iran

This survey study was conducted to explore the place of L1 (Farsi) in teaching and using English in Iran. The participants were 150 students of Translation Studies at Islamic Azad University of Karaj. To collect the required data a questionnaire was developed; the content validity of which was established by a panel of experts of ELT. Cronbach's alpha was employed to determine the reliability of the instrument (α= 0.74). In addition, the construct validity of the instrument was established by conducting factor analysis. The 22 items of the questionnaire were loaded under 6 factors which explained 61.66% of the total variance. The first resultant factor was attributed to apparent negative effects of using Farsi in English classes on the quality and quantity of English learning in general and learning speaking and pronunciation in particular which explained 20.311% of the total variance. After investigating the priorities of the participants regarding the items and resultant factors, suggestions for conducting further comprehensive studies were provided.