نوع مقاله : مقاله علمی پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 دانشگاه شهید بهشتی
2 دانشکده زبانهای خارجی دانشگاه امام صادق
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Abstract
This study investigates the perceptions of novice Iranian English language teachers regarding English as an International Language (EIL) and its role in fostering intercultural communication in EFL classrooms, both before and after attending a 30 hour professional development workshop. The workshop was designed around EIL principles and the integration of culture into language teaching. Findings revealed that teachers’ attitudes shifted from a native-speaker norm orientation toward a more inclusive view of multilingualism and multiculturalism. Teachers increasingly saw themselves as intercultural mediators, supporting learners in preserving their local cultural identity while developing skills for effective international communication. The study underscores the importance of embedding both local and global cultures into curricula to address identity concerns and counterbalance Western-centric content in textbooks. It concludes that targeted professional development can enhance teachers’ intercultural competence and promote culturally responsive EFL instruction.
Background of the Study: In today’s interconnected world, cross-cultural communication has become a central skill for global citizenship (Anani Sarab & Monfared, 2024; McKay, 2018). English, functioning as a lingua franca, plays a pivotal role in facilitating communication across cultures. Scholars argue that adopting an EIL perspective positions English not merely as the property of native speakers but as a shared resource bridging diverse nations and cultures (Nguyen et al., 2021; Kirkpatrick, 2015; Matsuda, 2019; McKay, 2018).
In the Iranian context, English language education faces the dual challenge of maintaining Islamic-Iranian cultural values while engaging with the cultural content embedded in global English use. This tension is heightened by the presence of Western lifestyle representations in textbooks, which may conflict with local traditions (Sharifian, 2017; Sadeghpour & D’Angelo, 2022; Monfared & Najjar, 2024). The question of how to balance local and foreign cultures in EFL curricula is therefore critical. While international research has explored teachers’ and learners’ perceptions of culture in language education, there is a scarcity of empirical studies in the Iranian context examining novice teachers’ views on EIL and intercultural competence (Sadeghi & Sepahi, 2018; Shin et al., 2021). Therefore, the present study addresses this gap by exploring how professional development can influence teachers’ attitudes toward EIL and their perceived role in promoting intercultural communication.
Methodology: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design (Creswell & Creswell, 2018) was employed. The quantitative data was collected through a 15 item six-point Likert scale questionnaire administered to 352 novice English teachers—graduates in English translation, literature, or language teaching—selected via purposive sampling before and after a 30-hour workshop, incorporating lectures, slide presentations, and discussions, all grounded in EIL principles and the integration of intercultural content. The qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 35 volunteer participants from the initial sample. All interviews were recorded with participants’ consent. Quantitative data were analyzed by comparing the mean scores before and after the workshop to assess attitude changes toward EIL. Qualitative data were coded and thematically analyzed using MAXQDA software, enabling deeper insights into the reasons behind observed changes and the ways teachers envisioned integrating intercultural elements into their teaching.
Conclusion: The study demonstrates that targeted professional development can positively shift novice teachers’ attitudes toward EIL, encouraging them to embrace multilingualism and multiculturalism in their teaching practice. Teachers emerged from the workshop with a stronger sense of their role as intercultural mediators, committed to helping students maintain their local identity while engaging effectively in global communication. The findings highlight the necessity of embedding both local and global cultural content into EFL curricula, not only to enhance linguistic competence but also to foster intercultural awareness
کلیدواژهها [English]
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