ELT In Iran: Globalization or Localization?

1. ELT In Iran: Globalization or Localization? Hassan Soleimani Ph.D. In Applied Linguistics, PNU

2. GlobalizationScheuerman, 2008 arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

3. Giddens (1990) arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

4. Malcolm, 1995 arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

5. Robertson, 1995 arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

6. Social Capital • Worldwide social relations’ unfettered by ‘the constraints of geography’ • Language : the medium of social interaction • New communication technologies enable individuals to have regular exchanges with distant others whom they have never met face-to-face • satellite television • Social capital:the exercise of power through language and culture (Bourdieu, 1993; Park, 2008 arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

7. History • Pre-modern phenomenon • Fifteenth century Europe when the nation-state was born • The Catholic Church began to spread worldwide and explorers began to map the planet and colonize the world arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

8. Globalization of English • A few centuries ago, English area/shores of a small island • Shakespeare’s era, English had little value outside England, not even in Ireland or Wales • Fortunes of Lg. not purely linguistically-based • Commercial/political power and prestige derived from scientific, cultural/other achievements” (Leitner, 1992) • Power and influence of their speakers • Large scale migration and settlement of native language speakers, military imposition (colonialism), arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

9. Globalization of English • Outside colonies: 19th century, Industrial Revolution • Britain the leading industrial/trading nation (Crystal, 1997) • New technology (telephone, telegraph) far-reaching communications network mainly dominated by English • Today, English the language of America • The economic/political power of America and current position of English in the world (Leith, 1997) • After WW II, the USA and USSR world superpowers • After the Cold War, collapse of Russia and communism, the USA the sole superpower (Blake, 1996) arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

10. arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

11. Linguistic Imperialism/Linguicism?Philipson, 1992 arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

12. Kachru, 1985; Swaan, 2007English Territories arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

13. GlobalizationAppadurai, 1990 arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

14. ELT Financescapes • To me, as far as globalization and ELT is concerned, the major motivation is financial and economic! • ELT materials produced/exported to Expanding Circle countries • Expanding circle authors no right for materials development in the global market • Unidirectional globalization! • increase control over markets and to protect the wealth of “inner circle” • English market in global terms arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

15. ELT Financescapes • Spread of teaching materials from IC (USA and Britain) to EC • Interchange, New interchange, Headway, Person to Person, Intercom, Streamline, …. • Interchange’ series: a pack consisting of a Student’s book, Teacher’s manual, class audio CDs and Student’s audio CDS, film • TESOL teacher training programs, conducting seminars, work shops especially in Expanding Circle countries in various ways and means through British councils or American centers arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

16. Financescapes • 75 territories with English as official or co-official language (2.24 billion people !! one third of world population) • Users of English as first lg329, 140, 800; second lg430,614,500 (Crystal, 2003: census 2000) • Nearly 600 English language book publishing companies (Wikipedia)/196 universities in the US and England • Iran’s revenue from oil export vs. revenue from ELT materials developed in the US and imported to periphery/outer circle/expanding countries in the world ! (no statistics ) arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

17. Ideoscapes: flow of ideasLinguistic Imperialism • The university of Chicago Press, the largest in the world • The Chicago Manuel Style, existing in nearly all libraries in the world • Researchers all over the world have to follow the “thinking framework, reasoning formula” imposed by American scholars! • Linguistic Imperialism?! arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

18. Linguistic Imperialism arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

19. Ideoscapes: flow of ideasNative Speakerism/proficiency • Who is a native speaker? A reality or myth?! A controversial issue • Criterion: Country of birth: then America, England (the white or black?) • What about Canada, Australia, New Zealand? • Eminent novelists: Conrad, Nabokov, Soyinka • Native speakers, the owners of English? arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

20. Native Speaker: A Myth • A politico-economic matter, not-linguistic (Lele, 2005) • Some native speakers of English see some other NSs of English as non-native speakers • Chomsky (cited in Davies, 2003): “the difference between native and non-native speaker is pointless” • ‘Everyone is a Native Speaker of the particular language states that the person has ‘‘grown’’ in his/her mind/brain. In the real world, that is all there is to say’ • Supposing native speaker is a reality, then is it achievable? arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

21. Native Pronunciation: A Myth • Psychomotor variables • Native pronunciation not achievable! • Critical Period Hypothesis • Articulators/muscles: tongue, larynx, vocal chords • Loss of plasticity after puberty (12) • Not controlled by learners, instruction no role • /θ/, /δ/, /∂/, /l/, /r/ • Exaggeration, more American than American themselves ! • Justification? Fever of native-like pronunciation arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

22. Ideoscapes: Communicative Competence • Dell Hymes: Native speaker competence • Linguistic,sociocultural,discourse, strategic • CLT example of pedagogical ideoscape, a global flow of ideas about teaching • What to teach/how to teach • Acculturation model • Luring learners into western cultures, not immediate needs of learners arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

23. Localization in Iran: authorities • Authorities to blame: No official education policy • Curriculum reform in ELT: social, political, economic, cultural, ideological • Critical pedagogy • Local needs and local realities Japan: education reform since the 1980s Kukosaika: blend Americanization, Westernization with nationalism arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

24. Localization in Iran: ELT experts • Teacher education programs • Professionalism in language teaching Teachers: needs analysts, curriculum developers, syllabus designers, materials developers Kumaravadivelu (2006): practicality, particularity, possibility arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

25. Localization in Iran: Teachers • Think globally, act locally • Reality of language learning in Expanding countries • Being realistic: ecosystem of ELT in Iran • Self-confidence • Not slaves to ELT packages • Designers of their own methods based on unique needs of Ls • Action researchers • Scientists and artists • Not imposing our perceived needs upon learners arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

26. Localization in Iran: Learners • Achievable real goals and objectives • Agency in the ecosystem of ELT • Negotiate your felt needs arshia.soleimani@gmail.com

27. Thank You for Your Attention arshia.soleimani@gmail.com