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Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) A Peer Reviewed International Journal - http://www.rjelal.com
Vol.1.Issue.2.;2013
50 POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: ………. l ARSHAD MIRZAEI et al.,
POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: BARRIERS, ATTITUDES, AND SYMBOLS
Dr. JAVAD GHOLAMI
English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran, Email: [email protected]
ARSHAD MIRZAEI
English Department, Faculty of Letters, Islamic Azad University, Urmia Branch, Urmia, Iran.
Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT On its way to abide with current and coming demands of the future, English language
teaching has to put the tyranny of teaching methods aside and start exploring new
horizons. In this challenging era, it has opponents and proponents. Post-method
pedagogy has been the research topic of many studies conducted in EFL contexts
including Iran; however, there are only few studies that specifically deal with post-
method implementation in the Iranian private language schools. Hence, this study was
designed to investigate the Iranian EFL teachers’ understanding of English language
teaching in post-method era, predominantly the difficulties and challenges they face in
its implementation. With these ideas in mind, the current study was carried out to
illuminate the barriers facing post-method pedagogy, changes happened concerning the
new trends leading to post-method, and at last the teaching strategies teachers apply in
their classes as the symbols of post-method pedagogy. To this end, 162 language
teachers voluntarily took part in a survey and answered three open-ended questions.
The findings of the survey showed that EFL teachers in Iran, whilst aware of the
achievements of post-method era, encounter many difficulties and barriers in
implementing teaching based on its criteria. The results suggest that despite being
curious and eager to develop post-method pedagogy, Iranian teachers are rather
pessimistic about its realization unless the obstacles are removed.
Keywords: Post-method pedagogy, teaching methods, EFL, private language schools,
teachers' beliefs
RESEARCH ARTICLE ISSN 2321 – 3108
Arshad Mirzaei Khoshalani
Article Info: Received on: 05/06/2013 Revised From :06/06/2013 Accepted on:26/06/2013
Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) A Peer Reviewed International Journal - http://www.rjelal.com
Vol.1.Issue.2.;2013
51 POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: ………. l ARSHAD MIRZAEI et al.,
INTRODUCTION
Postmodernism has been the real reason of many
breakthroughs in all fields of science and technology.
Describing its main features and proponents, (Ward)
comments that the believers in postmodernism
suggest that society, culture and the lifestyle of our
time are different from the norm in 100, 50 or even 30
years ago. They are actually concerned about
development in mass media, the consuming society
and information technology. They agree that these
improvements have their undeniable impacts on
almost everything, and finally to understand the
current issues new concepts and vocabularies have to
be created.
Postmodernism as the backbone of post-method
pedagogy (Kumaravadivelu) is the era of changing
demands and aspirations of the new generations and
the incontrovertible reality of global village, in which
English language is becoming more and more versatile
and unpredictably affecting the nations all over the
world. As Pandy (cited in Meganathan) realistically
construed that English language today is almost a
compulsory second language, the non-native nations
and the governments have to adapt their postures and
policies related to this language.
Regarding the unavoidable need for real life
communications, post-method pedagogy is very keen
to explore and apply the available instructional means
in language classroom, and beside linguistic accuracy
improve fluency, too. To this end, instead of teacher-
centeredness the classes are learner-centered and
learners are regarded cooperative partners rather
than isolated competitors (Brown).
The main implications of post-method pedagogy
according to (Finch) for ELT can be summarized in
what he calls "the six deaths" including the death of
native speaker contributing to the idea that there are
other newly developed acceptable norms and accents
and pronunciations around the world, reflecting the
idea that no one is the owner of English language but
whoever speaks it. The death of structuralism leading
to CLT (communicative language teaching) and other
newly developed approaches to language learning and
language acquisition which believes that language is
acquired through communication (Ellis "The Study of
Second Language Acquisition"). The death of the
teacher or the advent of student centered class and
teaching based on learner's needs, putting an end to
teacher dominated education, which led to pair and
group work in order to use language to learn it in real-
life- like atmosphere (Richards), The death of
imperialism means the time of colonialism is over and
we are in globalization era in which there are different
voices to be heard. The death of method believing
that, the search for the ideal method suitable for all
times , all learners and in all places is over, and the last
so called The death of EFL depicting that English
language has gained new status as international and
Ligua Franca language, it is not foreign language any
more but the international language.
(Kumaravadivelu) considers post-method not as the
dead end of ELT but just a new millennium for it to
venture beyond methods by adopting three main
guide lines for post-method conditions, the first is
that instead of continuously searching for the
alternative method we are looking for an alternative
for method. The second guideline is the autonomy for
teacher in which he is the one who based on the
context, his knowledge of teaching and experience
adopts a teaching theory and approves or rejects
when implements it in real teaching and learning
contexts. The last one is principled pragmatism which
conceives how self observation, self-analysis, and self-
evaluation on behalf of the teacher can shape and
reshape classroom learning.
In practical terms postmodernism and post-method
teaching have been the cornerstone of most of newly
developments in ELT. According to (Edwards),
postmodern education promotes a kind of education
which has four main features; the first one is
advocating diversity in educational goals, learning
process, teaching methods and curriculum
development. The second feature of postmodern
education is to promote limitless growth in both space
and time not to reproduce the same society. The third
feature is rejecting universals and rigid methods, and
the last is attracting and accepting culturally diverse
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52 POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: ………. l ARSHAD MIRZAEI et al.,
learners and teachers in the same learning
atmosphere in order to achieve greater participation.
According to (Richards, Gallo and Renandya) current
approaches to teacher’s beliefs include the reality that
in the process of teacher’s development, teacher’s
beliefs play a central role, and the changes happening
in teacher’s beliefs initiate subsequent changes in
teacher’s teaching practices and at last teaching
development is a multifaceted notion resulting from
personal factors and professional contexts the
teachers teach. Regarding these personal and
professional factors, obstacles against the emergence
and even the promoting of post-method pedagogy are
categorized under two main sections of pedagogical
and ideological barriers as discussed in (Bell; FAHIM
MANSOUR; G. Hall; Kumaravadivelu).
Pedagogical barriers, inextricably interconnected,
mainly include the educational systems which are
based on transmission methods, based on preselected
and predetermined theories and knowledge packages
from method-based teacher education system. While
there is less emphasis on student teachers’ having the
opportunity to develop or even adopt critical standing
for what they regard as their own understanding of
language teaching and learning, they are forced to
accept their teacher masters as wells of wisdom
(Larsen-Freeman).
Ideological barriers outlined by (Kumaravadivelu) are
in two categories. The first one is marginalization,
reflecting the idea that unfortunately the local
knowledge and experience gained, are regarded back
warded in the field of language teaching and learning
or is tried to be deemed as less important. “This
colonial strategy of power, for instance, purposely
projects the image of western knowledge, and
deliberately diminishes the value of local knowledge”
(p. 220). The second type is self- marginalization
standing for the reality that in most periphery contexts
the language teachers and specially the experts
knowingly or unknowingly accept the native norms,
their dominance and centrally produced textbooks
and other materials uncritically which leads to self
marginalization legitimacy.
Introducing new teaching strategies like task-based
teaching and recently project-based teaching, post-
method is very eager to make class atmosphere as
much like real-life communication as possible (G.
Hall).What is more emphasized, in new approaches to
ELT, is encouraging learners and teachers to apply
effective learning and teaching strategies to help
successful communication and expressing themselves
appropriately (Ellis).
(Hazratzad and Gheitanchian) studying post-method in
Iranian high schools concluded that" EFL teachers have
different attitudes towards dominant teaching
methods but that there is no relationship between the
teachers’ attitudes towards post-method and their
students’ achievement" (p. 6).They also suggest
teachers in their pre-service or in-service courses have
not been familiar with post-method teaching and have
difficulty putting their theories into teaching practices
as the main feature of it since the traditional roles
given to teachers and learners through introducing
Lerner-centered education, opposing transitional
methods or teacher-centered education have changed
which demands teacher and learners as co-
participators (Pani). As (Utecht) pointed out, teachers
should regard themselves as a part of education to let
education flow freely and students learn to apply their
knowledge in meaningful and productive ways,
confirming the research carried out by (Sarıçoban and
Bakla) who investigated how to promote productive
language skills especially writing and speaking through
learner generated surveys. Mentioning the drawbacks
of teacher education systems (Abednia) comments
that teacher training courses have ignored that
teachers are different in their teaching strategies since
still a method based teaching like preselected and
rigid curriculum with scanty attention to student
teachers' needs, is offered in most of the cases.
Critical pedagogy (CP) is another aspect of ELT in new
era, in which teachers are encouraged to emancipate
learners to take responsibility of their learning and put
an end to oppressive educational norms created by
the hegemony of teacher in the class (Finch).Which is
an end to the idea of banking education in which
teacher deposes education like money in the learner’s
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53 POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: ………. l ARSHAD MIRZAEI et al.,
mind as criticized by (Aliakbari) .The paradoxes
inherited in ELT today needing a critical pedagogy is
studied by(G. Hall) claiming," we provide
opportunities and life-chances for learners, but are
also accused of promoting British goods, language and
culture, and of assisting the imposition of a Western
liberal-capitalist ideology around the world. For the
classroom teacher, these debates often remain
abstract, as we ask what we can do in the face of such
global forces" (Para. 1).
Having studied language teachers' beliefs concerning
post-method and the idea of availability of diversity of
teaching methods for teachers to select, (Bell)
suggests that teachers should be exposed to all
methods to ‘build’ their own methods or decide about
principles they would apply in their teaching.
Underpinning the realities of different context and
cultures and promoting the concept of glocalization,
Sharifian (2010) suggests how “English languages”
concept and cultural conceptualizations in post-
method era can reflect the ecology of language
learning and teaching. In the same line, (Akbari)
concludes that, what takes place in English language
classrooms is the only thing that can provide us with
justifiable and accurate information on post-method,
and no grand theory can meet all the specifics of many
local realities of language classes. That is why in order
to avoid being monolithic and arbitrary as methods
offer to teacher, ELT has to get its inspirations and
future guide lines from ethnographic of classrooms’
real life not theoretical and philosophical out of
context discussions.
As a proponent of post-method pedagogy, (Finch)
reckons post-method as the era of depoliticization of
ELT rather than imperialism which has led to
distributing of cultural, economic and religious values
and the idea that many of the metanarratives of
method-based pedagogy like teacher-centered
education, hegemony of textbooks and standard
pronunciation and standardized tests are culturally
driven and man-made concepts. (Samar and Davari)
suggested that imperialistic approach to English
language in Iran and its implications like native-like
accent and being worried about cultural threats it can
have for native culture are still dominant.
Reflective teaching and learning conceptualized as
forming meaningful connection between existing
knowledge and the reality of teaching practice
(Hanson), is another aspect of post-method pedagogy,
in which teachers and learners learn from their
previous experiences while experiencing the new
contexts and reflecting upon it, so reflective teaching
of post-method not only teaches what is legitimized by
the dominant paradigms of science, but the realities
needed for the reproduction of existing social and
cultural conceptions and norms (Berry).
Context-sensitivity is the backbone of post-method
pedagogy (Finch; Kumaravadivelu), so what is
appropriate for teaching in a given context with
diverse socio-cultural features cannot be applied to
another context (Hiep). Regarding these principles,
language schools are inseparable part of socio-cultural
context and the idea of ecology of language learning
and teaching proposed by (Van Lier) reflects this
principle of post-method era. Since most recent
studies concerning post-method in Iran were done in
governmental language schools or university classes,
and never studied teacher's beliefs about post-method
barriers in private language institutes as the main
sector of English language education in Iran (Ghorbani;
Gorjian, Pazhakh and Parang; Riazi and Mosalanejad),
the current study approached ELT in Iranian context
from this point of view.
METHODOLOGY
Participants: In order to understand the viewpoints of
Iranian EFL teachers in private language schools about
the barriers of post-method teaching and the attitudes
of families, learners, and government's language
policies concerning new teaching methodology and at
last the language teaching strategies they apply in
their classes as the symbols of post-method pedagogy,
the current study was carried out in six major cities,
namely Tabriz, Urmia, Mahabad, Bokan, Salmas, Khoy,
all located in the North-West part of Iran. As shown in
table 1, the participants of this survey aged from 21 to
55. They shared two different linguistic and cultural
Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) A Peer Reviewed International Journal - http://www.rjelal.com
Vol.1.Issue.2.;2013
54 POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: ………. l ARSHAD MIRZAEI et al.,
backgrounds namely Kurdish and Turkish but they all
were quite fluent in Persian as the official language
commonly used in Iran.
Instruments and procedure
A questionnaire containing three open-ended
questions was designed and reviewed several times
before being used to elicit data on different aspects of
post-method pedagogy. It was piloted on a few
language teachers, and some necessary revisions were
made to make problematic items easier to
understand, and also it was decided to allow teachers
to answer questions in Persian as piloting indicated
that some teachers had difficulties in expressing
themselves in English. Since the questionnaire was
intended to provide qualitative rather than
quantitative information, no reliability index was
estimated. However, at least four university lectures
with PhD were asked to give their opinions regarding
the validity of the items. Two hundred fifty
questionnaires along with a cover letter and a page
containing guidelines and principles of post-method
pedagogy were distributed among teachers in main
private language schools. The teachers were asked to
submit the questionnaire to the school head in one
week and 162 of them voluntarily answered and
returned the questionnaires.
RESULTS
In order to give a better coherence and organization to
the data analysis, each question is dealt with
separately and pertinent issues are accordingly
discussed.
RQ1: Have you ever made any changes in your
language teaching strategies and method according to
post-method criteria? If so, what kind of barriers do
you face on the part of language learners, their
families, language institutes, and your colleagues?
Attending teachers have mentioned different barriers
against any changes they wanted to make in language
teaching strategies and methods but mainly they can
be categorized under five titles. Table 1.
According to the surveyed teachers, families have
made obstacles against the likely changes happening
in language teaching methodology; more than 70
teachers agreed that families make obstacles when
faced with new approaches to language teaching,
Table 1. They believe if language learners do not learn,
it is the teacher's fault. “When we studied English we
learned fast and better because our teachers were
better than now." No 80 quoting from a parent, and
also according to families, teachers should give score
and do all exercises in the textbooks since they are
paid to do so.. P (Participating Teacher). No. 72 "We
have to do all homework since parents think we are
paid to do so." In families’ viewpoints, teachers who
give lots of homework and make learners write a lot in
the classes are the best. "Parents believe that
language learners should have grammar and
vocabulary notebooks and teachers dictate
grammatical rules" P. No. 8. And at last parents
believed that their children should learn in the same
way they had learned English in the past through
learning lots of grammar, memorizing vocabularies in
lists, and getting ready for University Entrance Exam,
so called KONKOOR . P. No. 32 said “many parents do
not trust or believe in the surge of new trends in
language teaching and are dubious about them, that is
why they prefer their children to learn as they learnt
in the past”.
More than 60 of the participating teachers believed
that learners resist against any changes in their
teaching, Table 1, because they consider language
classes as the only places to learn so they hardly study
before or after the class. “We just learn in the class
even if we study at home” No20, and they overheard
that one especial accent is better than the others; they
tried and even make teachers to use only L1 in
language schools. “We understand very little when the
teacher speaks in English.” P. NO. 11 quoting from his
students; learners are afraid of creativity and
everything new or different from other classes, “Why
the other classes do not study like us?” P. No. 18,
quoting from her students. Learners are mainly
concerned about Konkoor, university entrance exam in
Iran, so want more grammar and vocabulary and put
aside listening, speaking, additional resources like
magazines, articles, CDs. “For our future, Konkoor is
more important than other skills so we have to study
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55 POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: ………. l ARSHAD MIRZAEI et al.,
grammar and vocabulary.” P. No. 76 quoting from his
students, the learners try to translate everything in
their mother tongue and make comparisons between
the two languages. “When we translate in Farsi we
learn easier.” P. No. 68 quoting from his students, and
they still believe that teacher is the only language
learning resource, and at last learners suppose that
teachers are paid to do whatever learners want.” Our
students in private schools resist doing exercises at
home since they believe we get money to do them in
class,” P. No. 42.
As Figure 1 attests, more than 50% of the attending
teachers believed that language institutes make
barriers since they just try to attract as many language
learners as possible even by unprofessional ways
because it is a matter of money. No 35, “they are
concerned about the money they can make not
teacher or learners’ concerns”. Institutes have to put
families first not teachers. “If families get dissatisfied
with institutes they will enroll in some other schools
and this will make bad reputation for the school.” P.
No. 33. Moreover, if the families get dissatisfied,
institutes are afraid of governmental authorities
banning the school.
They make teachers obey their unwritten timetables
and schedules with the least changes. "Too many
language teaching strategies make chaos." P. No. 80.
Institutes never encourage or mention teachers with
creativities. They want conservative teachers (there is
no encouragement or mentioning for creative and
successful teachers” P. No.17. They force teachers
teach certain textbooks just because they are new, up-
to-date, popular, attractive, expensive. "We have to
be up to date for the books available at the market" P.
No. 71, as a senior teacher. They believe that having
different teaching strategies in the same language
school is unacceptable. "Students compare their
teachers and when there is a difference they report to
supervisors or their families and sometimes they argue
over which one is better and it makes language school
disordered" P. No. 140, and at last language schools
emphasize that some teachers especially newly
graduated ones, know little or nothing about teaching,
so they should have little or no freedom of
choices."We cannot trust the new teachers and have
to control them very closely." No 123, as a supervisor.
Cross-cultural barriers mentioned by18% of the
surveyed teachers Figure 1 , hampering the flow of
changes included difference and some time
contradictions between textbook materials and
learners' cultures and believes." Topics like chatting,
having boy friend, girl friend over internet are taboos
for families and even some institutes." P. No. 20
"Some topics are even embarrassing to talk about
especially in female classes like boy friend, drinking,
depicted in movies or textbooks " P. No.100. The
teachers said free discussions end in political, social,
and even religious taboos forbidden or making
arguments in the classes. "Students refer to
argumentative topics like religion and political
elements in most free discussions and many times
they argue over their ideas and teachers'" P. No. 37.
Also they mention some topics are censored by the
government while published in the books or forbidden
by the institutes." Topics related to other religions,
cultures and political systems and even pictures are
censored in some publications but some others have
and these are not accepted for teachers or learners" P.
No.10.
Some colleagues think that teaching a language needs
teaching or advocating its culture too, "instead of
making learners familiar with it but still respecting the
first culture and mentioning the differences between
two cultures." No 48. By using their small talks,
clothes, fashion and even make up and advertising just
positive points of western cultures, some of our
colleagues idealize some cultures and downplay the
others especially learners' own culture" N0. 46.
Inadequate facilities according to the participants,
mentioned by 14% of them Figure 1, were lack of
books and educational facilities like computers, CDs,
listening related facilities…"In most language institutes
CDs, computers and other facilities are just for
advanced levels, and even not enough for all learners
of one class" No 28. And adopting new teaching
strategies needed more time, patience and even costs
which were lacking in busy time tables of institutes or
even for families and learners. “As teachers we work a
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Vol.1.Issue.2.;2013
56 POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: ………. l ARSHAD MIRZAEI et al.,
lot and have a little time for extra and supplementary
materials and learners study many other subjects like
literature, science and mathematics. They have no
time and even families have restricted financial
properties." No 46. At last Internet as the cheapest
source for language learning was not available in most
language schools or was just for teachers in rare cases.
RQ2: Have you ever noticed any changes happening in
the learners’, their families’ or government’s attitudes
or language policies regarding English language and
its role in our life? Please give examples?
Table 2 illustrates that the attitudes of families have
changed regarding English language learning, almost
60% of the attending teachers claimed to have
witnessed the shifts in families' attitude regarding ELT,
Figure 2. They suppose that learning English language
is necessary for better future, better life and better
job, they are engaged in the process of language
learning, showing enthusiasm in their children's
progress believing that English is really needed if they
want to communicate via internet or travel even to
neighboring countries. Families also compete against
each other and English language learning has become
a matter of prestige among them. "Families regard
learning English language as a skill rather that filling
their children's free time as a kind of entertainment or
extra-curricular activity." P. NO. 48, "There has been a
steady increase in the number of children attending
English classes even before formal education of
elementary level and it means change in families'
attitudes." P. NO. 112
Language learners have recognized the need to
consider learning English language with new
perspectives. According to the survey more than 50%
of the attending teachers Figure 2, believed that
learners have made shifts in their attitudes regarding
English language because if they want to continue
their studies for higher education they need English
language, they regard it as a prerequisite to have
better job opportunities, they know that internet and
other social networks like face-book, chatting or
emigration need English.
Based on Figure 2, 30% of the surveyed teachers
mentioned the shifts happened in teachers' and
language schools' opinions concerning English
language which mainly included a dramatic rise in the
number of private language schools even in small
towns. These institutes try to hire the best teachers
and teach the best books available and fashionable.
They are trying to employ internet, CDs and movies in
their classes.
At last as Figure 2 illustrates only 4% of the teachers
believed that there were some changes in the state's
language policy and the indicators of these were as
the increased number of language schools authorized
to activate in the field, increased number of original
English movies on TV especially scientific programs
and at last recent CDs available for high school text
books. However, most teachers objected to the state
language policies as according to them, there have
been no or few changes in high school textbooks and
education system of English language in state sector
and public schools never meet learners' needs.
Teacher P. No. 45, stated: “After four years of English
language education they still have little knowledge of
it”. “English language education is still thought of as a
sign of imperialism” P. No. 25. "I feel sad when I see
the poor families who want to enroll for the higher
levels but with no support on behalf of state or
whoever responsible as this is because of poor English
language courses in state run sectors that families
have to enroll their children in private language
schools." P. No. 87, as a head teacher.
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Table1. Characteristics of participants
Number of teachers
Gender
Male 74 Female 88
Teaching Experience
1-3 years 54 More than 3 years 108
Fields of study
English teaching 78 English literature 48 Other fields 36
Educational Qualifications
MA 66 BA 94 PhD 2
Barriers of Post-method
The main barriers against post-method pedagogy Number of answers
Barriers made by families. 72
Barriers made by language learners. 61
Barriers made by Language institutes. 56
Cross-cultural barriers. 49
Inadequate facilities. 37
Table 2. Changing Sectors
Sectors of changes seen Number of answers
Changes in families attitudes 125
Changes in language learners' opinions 57
Changes in language teachers' and language schools 30
Changes in government's policies 9
I have seen no changes recently in any sectors mentioned 5
Table 3. Teaching strategies as symbols of post-method
Skills regarded as post-method teaching symbols Answers
Internet and social networks like: Email, chatting, face book, 69
Integration of four language skills 63
Using books, articles, and CDs in addition to textbook 49
Teaching according to learner needs, differences. 41
Using free discussions and group work. 40
Encouraging learners to attend decision making process. 33
Trying to make learners familiar with other cultures. 24
Encouraging learners to self study, autonomous learning. 21
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58 POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: ………. l ARSHAD MIRZAEI et al.,
Figure 1. Barriers against the implementation of post-method teaching
Figure 2. Percentage of attitude changes in various sectors
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59 POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: ………. l ARSHAD MIRZAEI et al.,
Figure 3. Distribution of teaching strategies as symbols of post-method
RQ3: Which one of these post-method strategies do
you apply in your real teaching classes? Strategies like:
integrating four skills of reading, listening, speaking
and writing; using up-to-date technology like internet
and face book or other social networks; free discussion
in the class; teaching based on learners’ needs;
teaching suitable text for social life of learners’;
sharing learners in decision making process in the
class; respecting differences among learners in terms
of language learning strategies.
According to Table 3, the surveyed teachers regarded
different language teaching strategies as the symbols
of postmethod pedagogy as far as their facilities,
language schools' policies and learners' intentions
allowed. 20% of the surveyed teachers Figure 3,
regarded using internet as a very suitable way to get
familiar with authentic language in varieties of forms.
“Many books and journals are not available here but
internet can fill these gaps” said by P. No. 66. The next
strategy was trying to teach the four skills of reading,
listening, writing and speaking at the same session,
mentioned by 63 ones of the teachers (Table 3). The
third mostly mentioned one was using books, articles
and CDs in addition to materials available in the
classes mentioned by 14% of the teachers Figure 3.
The next strategy was trying to teach according to
learners' needs and differences as much as possible
through encouraging language learners to attend
decision making processes in the class. Arranging free
discussions and group work projects was mentioned as
the sixth one Table 3, encouraging and valuing self-
study and the idea that teacher is not the only source
of English language, and at last giving information
about other cultures and asking learners to get
familiar with them and study about them through
English books or internet and report to the class.
According to Figure 3 while trying to persuade
language learners to use internet and other social
networks as new sources of language learning and
integrating the four skills in every session were
regarded by about 20% of teachers, just 6% of them
replied autonomous running classes as a symbol of
teaching in post method era. Roughly the same
percent (7%) mentioned encouraging learners to get
familiar with other cultures, reflecting another
parameter of still teacher-centered education and
English language status as still being a foreign
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language and teachers feeling less need for cross-
cultural communication as a base for ELT.
DISCUSSION
The current research revealed that postmodern
English language pedagogy in the context of Iran in
compliance with the realities of postmodernism and
combating the short comes of modernism's stiff
barriers, has to apply new strategies to survive. The
study is in the line with Edwards (1994) who describes
the main characteristics of education in our times as
the followings:
1. Education should adopt more diversity in its
main constructs like method, curricula,
targets and processes.
2. It should stop mass production and
recreation of a new society within newly
defined boarders. Since postmodernism is
regarded decentering and loosening of
limitations.
3. It has to accept more participants with more
cultural diversity without rejecting local
realities of them.
In agreement with postmodern adaptations necessary
in education, in this study English language learning
and teaching were revealed as highly politically and
culturally oriented. As Kumaravadivelu (2006)
discusses the ideological and pedagogical barriers of
implementing postmethod pedagogy, we tried to
show them in real context of TESOL in Iran. A
postmodern approach to English language recognizes
the crucial and really affective factors of localities and
never take for granted the modernistic views to
language learning such as global methods, text books,
native like pronunciation and teacher centered
education (Sharifian, 2011, Finch. 2008) , which were
dominant in English language pedagogy based on this
research. Instead of these metanarratives,
postmethod pedagogy now looks teaching with new
perspective and creativities on behalf of teachers and
learners, through introduction of new concepts like
task-based and project-based language teaching,
however the current study arrived at this points that
creativities and applying newly developed language
teaching and learning strategies were faced with
serious barriers Table 1. As an authentic study the
preceding analysis of the data gathered through a
tailor-made questionnaire indicated the status quo of
post-method pedagogy and its main barriers Table 1,
the attitudes of related sectors of families, learners,
institutes and state concerning postmethod Table 2,
and the teaching strategies Iranian teachers in private
language schools regarded as the symbols of it Table
3. According to the findings of this survey, post-
method pedagogy in Iran is faced with barrage of
barriers on behalf of families, language learners and
language institutes, even cross-cultural differences
and macro language policies of the ruling system
Figure 1.
In line with postmethod principle of ‘ecology of
language teaching and learning’, (Van Lier, 2004) who
highlights the crucial role of context driven factors in
order to apply newly teaching and learning strategies,
the current study revealed the main barriers as the
method based views of families, learners, language
institutes and macro-strategies of state (see Figure 1).
As suggested by other researchers (Abednia, 2011;
Aliakbari, 2003; Fahim, 2009), all related elements of
English language pedagogy have to start big changes
to enter postmethod era. The findings of the current
research is in line with (Ozsevik), who studying
barriers of CLT in the context of Turkey, arrived at
these points that large classes, teachers’ heavy
workload, heavily loaded program,
curriculum/assessment mismatch, students’ poor
communicative abilities, and students’ low motivation
were the main obstacles against applying new
language teaching strategies including CLT.
In the same line with Fahim and Pishghadam (2009), in
practice TESOL in Iran was revealed to be in method
based approach to teaching English. As main features
of method era the current study attested that
autonomy and self-study is not yet well founded in
Iranian context, teachers are regarded as the only
source of language and responsible for doing all
exercises and following the content of textbooks to
the letter (Finch, 2008). While Hashemi (2011) regards
no difference in practice between method and post
method and comments that looking for alternative to
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61 POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: ………. l ARSHAD MIRZAEI et al.,
method would never guarantee the future of language
pedagogy, the current study reflecting the views of
teachers puts it as imperative to adapt current
practices towards postmethod ones. In accordance
with Riazi and Mosalanejad (2010) our study showed
teaching for testing as another prevalent fact of
method based pedagogy in our country since the
English section of KONKOOR (university entrance
exam,) is based on just textbooks and can be
answered just by memorization of the vocabulary and
the structural points in them. Also reflected by the
research, there is still a misconception that learning a
language is leaning and copying its culture. Therefore,
families and teachers are very concerned about the
negative aspects of being exposed to western culture
through internet or textbooks. Language learners are
accustomed to having teacher-centered education in
their non-English courses and mainstream education
system. Given this, changing this just through English
classes while still having it in other classes seems
impossible for EFL teachers and their learners, also
emphasized by Ghorbani (2009).The findings accord
with the study done by Riazi and Mosallanejad (2010)
who argued against the prevalence of low-order
learning objective in state English language system
and the goal of language teaching which was
preparing students just for university exam. While
educational goal of postmethod is believed to be
cross-border communications as the irreversible
consequence of globalization (Hall, 2011). The findings
of the study confirmed wash-back effect of KONKOOR
forced learners, teachers and families to prefer
language-centered rather than communication-
centered classes with a heavy load of decontextualized
grammar and vocabulary teaching, multiple - choice
test and translation practices. Mirroring the same
conclusion Ghorbani (2009) arrived at while
conducting a research concerning high school
language teaching in Iran, Japan and Malaysia, the
current research indicates the external pressure,
especially particular testing system is highly restricting
applying newly developed language teaching
methodology in Iran. The policies of private language
schools as another result of the current study were
determined as economically oriented, so they
attributed more priority to textbooks, families, and
learners while paying less attention to language
teachers' creativities, in contrast with what Brown
(2007) encourages teachers to adopt an enlightened
and eclectic method or approach. This led to teachers’
witnessing lack of extrinsic motivational factors in the
same line with the results of the study done on factors
affecting teachers' motivations for professionalism by
(Hildebrandt and Eom). All of the mentioned reasons
indicate that professional development is faced with
stiff barriers and teachers are strictly controlled by
language institutes and families to obey certain rules,
not teach based on their experiences and theories and
some of most popular strategies of post-method
teaching like free discussions, out of textbook
materials, student-centered education and internet
search.
When it comes to possible explanations and
speculations, it can be argued that teaching English in
Iran still has a long way to go in order to appreciate
and implement post-method teaching and learning.
The research supports what outlined by Hashemi
(2011) that, although in many theoretical aspects
teachers in Iran have progressed a lot, they just have
to think of finding ways to translate that body of
knowledge into practice. Based on the findings of this
study, teachers' creativities are to some extent
hampered by families' and language schools'
restricting approaches (see Table 1). Which can
negatively affect professionalism as indicated in the
research carried out in the context of Turkey by
(Hildebrandt and Eom). For the better performance of
postmethod pedagogy the present study indicated the
necessity of adopting a more postmethod driven
pedagogy based on the principals of particularity,
practicality and possibility (Kumaravadivelu, 2006).
The results of the study accord with Akbari (2008) in
emphasizing on the accurate reflection of class
oriented conditions as the imminent matter of post-
method. With regard to barriers facing newly
developed pedagogical approaches as shown in Table
1, it seems inevitable that all related factors in the
field of language learning and teaching including
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Vol.1.Issue.2.;2013
62 POST-METHOD EFL TEACHING IN IRAN: ………. l ARSHAD MIRZAEI et al.,
teachers, institutes and state educational policies have
to adapt and adopt new strategies, in the same line
with Aliakbari (2011) who demands new policies as
prerequisites of our era of language teaching and
learning. In order to make successful transition from
method to post-method pedagogy, it should be
founded upon instructor's variables and these
variables should be revised based on inevitable
realities of time (Gorjian, Pazhakh and Parang) as post-
method also reflected by this research is based on the
previous experience and local knowledge of its agents
(Kumaravadivelu). In the same line with the research
done by (Samar and Davari), the findings of this study
suggest that faced with new realities resulting from
globalization and glocalization (Sharifian, 2010) who
regards thinking globally and acting locally as a key
stone of postmethod pedagogy and the status of
English as a Lingua Franca, language policy makers at
the levels of institutes and state have to think deeply
and strategically when setting new priorities.
CONCLUSION
The current study touched on a post-method
pedagogy oriented endeavor to diagnose and analyze
the teachers’ beliefs concerning barriers facing the
implementation of post-method ELT, teaching
strategies as its symbols, and at last the changes
happened in the attitudes of main stakeholders with
respect to English language. In parallel with the main
functions, the current study was also aimed at
investigating and illuminating the characteristics and
localities of ELT in Iranian context according to the
concept of particularity (Kumaravadivelu) since post-
method pedagogy regards context-sensitivity as its
main cornerstone (Van Lier). In light of evidence
provided above regarding teachers' views and
recommendations about post-method pedagogy, it
can be concluded that ELT in Iran is faced with a
barrage of barriers almost on behalf of all related
sectors. While families and learners, aware of the new
status of English language and its crucial role, still
believe in traditional and method based teaching and
learning, language institutes being concerned about
their business, competition and unwritten procedures
make teachers abide by their policies and preferred
language teaching approach. Moreover, the
educational state policies are less congruent with the
current issues of ELT. The same applies to EFL courses
offered at tertiary level in Iran, so it seems very far-
fetched to expect post-method driven ELT to emerge
out of these limiting conditions unless serious and
extensive thinking and planning are carried out by all
related elements mentioned in the study.
Regarding the unique context of this survey, the
results may be cautiously applied to other cultures and
countries especially the middle-east ones. As the
findings of the study reflect the suggestions and ideas
regarding the research topic not the real obstacles
witnessed or identified in the real classes, it would be
worthwhile to study the topic in more practical
aspects of post-method pedagogy like class-
observations. Not many language institutes were
willing to cooperate fully with the researchers and
some of them had got negative suppositions of their
teachers taking part in a survey evaluating their
language schools’ policies concerning the modern
approaches to language teaching and learning. Some
of the participating teachers were not as familiar with
the research topic as it was expected, which gives
legitimacy to doing a survey regarding pre-service
education of language teachers.
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