Abdullah Gharbavi | Payam Nour University (original) (raw)
Papers by Abdullah Gharbavi
Traditionally the cultural values and norms would comprise an important part of language classroo... more Traditionally the cultural values and norms would comprise an important part of language classroom teaching. However, recent opposing ideas especially from policies with increasing tensions call for less adherence to culture-bound values but instead to intelligibility (Richards, 2002). In our country, for example, due to the political tensions with the west, teachers are not normally familiarized with English cultural values in their formal education. In addition, after graduation, they are required to teach materials that purposefully marginalize the cultural aspects of the target language (TL). Although, in the non-native setting, this aspect can play a subsidiary role, for it can be compensated by a simple recourse to mother culture, in the native to non-native interaction this unfamiliarity can lead to serious communication breakdowns. Given all these observations, in this study, it is intended to explore how conflicting policies can cause cultural separation among nations and h...
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014
Many communicative teachers consider teacher talk as an obstacle that restricts students' learnin... more Many communicative teachers consider teacher talk as an obstacle that restricts students' learning opportunities. This paper analyzes teacher talk's quality and quantity within the framework of the communicative approach. The primary purpose is to raise teachers' awareness of the effectiveness or pitfalls of their talk in classrooms. The focus of the analysis consists of a typewritten script of an audio-taped lesson of the communication which took place during classroom interactions. Teacher talk was benchmarked in terms of its alignment or congruence with some authors' pedagogical recommendation and language learning theories. The finding indicated that the teacher was not successful to create genuine or authentic communication. The talk was repetitive and monotonous and it followed the IRF sequence which allowed the teacher more turns and talk. The teacher talk was not consonant with theories of second language acquisition, i.e. interactionist, functionalist and cognitive perspectives. The talk was hurtful and stressful and it could block the learning opportunities.
The primary focus of research on employment of language learning strategies has been on identific... more The primary focus of research on employment of language learning strategies has been on identification of adoption of different learning strategies. However, the relationship between language learning strategies and proficiency levels was ignored in previous research. The present study was undertaken to find out whether there are any relationship between the employment of different strategies and learners ' levels of language proficiency. To this end,
Asian Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 2014
Traditionally the cultural values and norms would comprise an important part of language classroo... more Traditionally the cultural values and norms would comprise an important part of language classroom teaching. However, recent opposing ideas especially from policies with increasing tensions call for less adherence to culture-bound values but instead to intelligibility (Richards, 2002). In our country, for example, due to the political tensions with the west, teachers are not normally familiarized with English cultural values in their formal education. In addition, after graduation, they are required to teach materials that purposefully marginalize the cultural aspects of the target language (TL). Although, in the non-native setting, this aspect can play a subsidiary role, for it can be compensated by a simple recourse to mother culture, in the native to non-native interaction this unfamiliarity can lead to serious communication breakdowns. Given all these observations, in this study, it is intended to explore how conflicting policies can cause cultural separation among nations and h...
We all drink water on a daily basis unconsciously. If someone asks us what water is, we cannot of... more We all drink water on a daily basis unconsciously. If someone asks us what water is, we cannot often give an accurate answer. Likewise, we read literature on a daily basis and numerous universities offer literature courses to students. In addition, these universities require students to do thesis on literary works but what is the identity of literature? What is the best or genuine literary work? There are burning questions to ask with respect to literature? The answers to some of questions are indefinite and infinite. The present study is a reflection on the identity of the Literature, the main purpose of which to shed light on four questions: 1) Can literature be defined? 2) What is literary value? 3) What is the canon? 4) How does the canon affect us, as readers? To achieve the aim of the study, a library method of research was utilized. Having selected the area of the study, the present researcher made notes of the words and phrases of the topic under study. Afterwards, the res...
We all drink water on a daily basis unconsciously. If someone asks us what water is, we cannot of... more We all drink water on a daily basis unconsciously. If someone asks us what water is, we cannot often give an accurate answer. Likewise, we read literature on a daily basis and numerous universities offer literature courses to students. In addition, these universities require students to do thesis on literary works but what is the identity of literature? What is the best or genuine literary work? There are burning questions to ask with respect to literature? The answers to some of questions are indefinite and infinite. The present study is a reflection on the identity of the Literature, the main purpose of which to shed light on four questions: 1) Can literature be defined? 2) What is literary value? 3) What is the canon? 4) How does the canon affect us, as readers? To achieve the aim of the study, a library method of research was utilized. Having selected the area of the study, the present researcher made notes of the words and phrases of the topic under study. Afterwards, the researcher did readings on different sources available on the topic and notes were made on research cards. Next, the collection of data was followed by critical discussion and finally a summary of the discussion was purveyed.
Micro-teaching is an opportunity for new teachers to put into practice theoretical issues they he... more Micro-teaching is an opportunity for new teachers to put into practice theoretical issues they hear in theoretical classes. In order to provide novice teachers with efficient and effective teaching strategies, many ELT programs use microteaching. Understanding the perceptions and concerns of student teachers is crucial for promoting teacher education programs " outcomes. The aim of this article was to investigate the views of sixty one freshly-employed English teachers in one province in Iran regarding the microteaching component offered in two courses of English language teaching methods. A combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques was employed for the purpose of gathering the data. Mainly, a questionnaire and a focus group interview were used as the main tools for data collection. The findings indicated that prospective teachers had positive attitude toward the utilization of microteaching and it helped them improve their language proficiency, discover their stre...
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014
The purpose of the present study was to explore if providing recast and prompt would have differe... more The purpose of the present study was to explore if providing recast and prompt would have different effects on the grammatical development of Iranian learners of English. In other words, the study investigated the effect of corrective feedback on learners' grammatical achievement. After administering a proficiency test, forty-five participants out of sixty were selected from the intact classes at a language institute in Ahwaz. These forty-five participants were randomly assigned to three groups namely, prompt, recast and no-feedback group or and control group each comprising of fifteen participants. Picture description tasks, referred as focused tasks (Ellis, 2012) were used as treatment. Two pen-and-paper tests were used as data collection tool. One was a grammatical judgment test and the other was a metalinguistic knowledge test. Data analysis through one-way ANOVA and Tukey test revealed significant differences between recast and prompt groups (p<.05). The results also showed that though both recast and prompt enhance the grammatical development of the learners, learners in prompt group achieved more than those in both recast and control groups. The results would benefit those teachers dealing with grammar instruction and error correction techniques. Moreover, teacher educators can use the findings of this study in their teacher education courses for pre-service or inservice teachers.
Micro-teaching is an opportunity for new teachers to put into practice theoretical issues they he... more Micro-teaching is an opportunity for new teachers to put into practice theoretical issues they hear in theoretical classes. In order to provide novice teachers with efficient and effective teaching strategies, many ELT programs use microteaching. Understanding the perceptions and concerns of student teachers is crucial for promoting teacher education programs" outcomes. The aim of this article was to investigate the views of sixty one freshly-employed English teachers in one province in Iran regarding the microteaching component offered in two courses of English language teaching methods. A combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques was employed for the purpose of gathering the data. Mainly, a questionnaire and a focus group interview were used as the main tools for data collection. The findings indicated that prospective teachers had positive attitude toward the utilization of microteaching and it helped them improve their language proficiency, discover their strengths and weaknesses, enhance their confidence in teaching and develop their awareness of their teaching competence. In light of the study results, it was recommended that microteaching programs should be given due attention in Iranian education system and different teacher training centers and universities should consider incorporating microteaching programs in their curriculum.
The purpose of the present study was to explore if providing recast and prompt would have differe... more The purpose of the present study was to explore if providing recast and prompt would have different effects on the grammatical development of Iranian learners of English. In other words, the study investigated the effect of corrective feedback on learners' grammatical achievement. After administering a proficiency test, forty-five participants out of sixty were selected from the intact classes at a language institute in Ahwaz. These forty-five participants were randomly assigned to three groups namely, prompt, recast and no-feedback group or and control group each comprising of fifteen participants. Picture description tasks, referred as focused tasks (Ellis, 2012) were used as treatment. Two pen-and-paper tests were used as data collection tool. One was a grammatical judgment test and the other was a metalinguistic knowledge test. Data analysis through one-way ANOVA and Tukey test revealed significant differences between recast and prompt groups (p<.05). The results also showed that though both recast and prompt enhance the grammatical development of the learners, learners in prompt group achieved more than those in both recast and control groups. The results would benefit those teachers dealing with grammar instruction and error correction techniques. Moreover, teacher educators can use the findings of this study in their teacher education courses for pre-service or inservice teachers.
Many communicative teachers consider teacher talk as an obstacle that restricts students' learnin... more Many communicative teachers consider teacher talk as an obstacle that restricts students' learning opportunities. This paper analyzes teacher talk's quality and quantity within the framework of the communicative approach. The primary purpose is to raise teachers' awareness of the effectiveness or pitfalls of their talk in classrooms. The focus of the analysis consists of a typewritten script of an audio-taped lesson of the communication which took place during classroom interactions. Teacher talk was benchmarked in terms of its alignment or congruence with some authors' pedagogical recommendation and language learning theories. The finding indicated that the teacher was not successful to create genuine or authentic communication. The talk was repetitive and monotonous and it followed the IRF sequence which allowed the teacher more turns and talk. The teacher talk was not consonant with theories of second language acquisition, i.e. interactionist, functionalist and cognitive perspectives. The talk was hurtful and stressful and it could block the learning opportunities.
This study intends to explore students' perceptions aboutteachers' qualifications to help student... more This study intends to explore students' perceptions aboutteachers' qualifications to help students learn the communicative skills as theyare taught in schools.Another purpose was to determine the most frequently taught communication strategy in high school classrooms in Khouzestan province.Ninety seven high school students participated in this study. A questionnaireand an interview were used. They ticked statements about the support they received and the frequency of communication strategies taught by the teachers. The statements were to be rated on a 6-point Likerttype classification from Strongly Disagree (rated as 1) to Strongly Agree (rated as 6). The findings showed that many students considered the problem of " my teachers did not use English to run the class (M=6.2) and" my teachers did not help me when I stopped to talk and they always turned to better students" (M=5.1) as preventing them from leaning to communicate more than "the lack of use of group, pair-work or role plays" (M=4.6). The mean differences of the two groups were statistically significant (p=.00).
This study intends to explore students' perceptions aboutteachers' qualifications to help student... more This study intends to explore students' perceptions aboutteachers' qualifications to help students learn the communicative skills as theyare taught in schools.Another purpose was to determine the most frequently taught communication strategy in high school classrooms in Khouzestan province.Ninety seven high school students participated in this study. A questionnaireand an interview were used. They ticked statements about the support they received and the frequency of communication strategies taught by the teachers. The statements were to be rated on a 6-point Likerttype classification from Strongly Disagree (rated as 1) to Strongly Agree (rated as 6). The findings showed that many students considered the problem of " my teachers did not use English to run the class (M=6.2) and" my teachers did not help me when I stopped to talk and they always turned to better students" (M=5.1) as preventing them from leaning to communicate more than "the lack of use of group, pair-work or role plays" (M=4.6). The mean differences of the two groups were statistically significant (p=.00).
There are many programs which can help teachers to meet the challenges of classroom and workplace... more There are many programs which can help teachers to meet the challenges of classroom and workplace. One of such programs is practicum which is a school-based experience in teacher education curriculum. It can help teacher learners to make transition from their academic program to the realities of teaching in a school. To this end, the teacher education program must aim to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes of pre-service teachers to prepare them to teach effectively in the schools systems. It is, therefore, argued that the academic program of the teacher education should be coupled with an important and integral component called school -based experiences i.e. practicum which provides students with supervised experiences and help the student teachers to understand the full scope of teachers role. Many have also suggested that these experiences are very powerful in shaping pre-service teachers as they are real in contrast to the artificial environment of the tertiary education courses. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to address the need of and justification for school based practicum experience. Attempt was also made to show the current debates and future direction of practicum in teacher education.
Key words: Teacher education, school-based preparation, practicum, pre-service teachers
This study aims at probing the relationship between the national English language policy and its ... more This study aims at probing the relationship between the national English language policy and its implementation at the local level in Iran schools through the eyes of in-service teachers. To this end, first, policy awareness of EFL teachers in secondary schools in one province in Iran was examined through interview. Then, content analysis was employed to analyze the data to show that EFL teachers were not following the instructions in the national English curriculum to guide their classroom teaching, but were rather critical to the objectives and requirements described in the curriculum. The rationale behind this was revealed to be the gap between the curriculum policy and the modern language needs of the learners. The results suggested that involving classroom teachers in policy making may help the national language curriculum more applicable and implementable. This may shed light on the question of whether teachers are just implementers or whether they help to shape and develop policy.
Key words: Curriculum implementation,English language education, language education policy, teacher role, learners' needs
Traditionally the cultural values and norms would comprise an important part of language classroo... more Traditionally the cultural values and norms would comprise an important part of language classroom teaching. However, recent opposing ideas especially from policies with increasing tensions call for less adherence to culture-bound values but instead to intelligibility (Richards, 2002). In our country, for example, due to the political tensions with the west, teachers are not normally familiarized with English cultural values in their formal education. In addition, after graduation, they are required to teach materials that purposefully marginalize the cultural aspects of the target language (TL). Although, in the non-native setting, this aspect can play a subsidiary role, for it can be compensated by a simple recourse to mother culture, in the native to non-native interaction this unfamiliarity can lead to serious communication breakdowns. Given all these observations, in this study, it is intended to explore how conflicting policies can cause cultural separation among nations and h...
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014
Many communicative teachers consider teacher talk as an obstacle that restricts students' learnin... more Many communicative teachers consider teacher talk as an obstacle that restricts students' learning opportunities. This paper analyzes teacher talk's quality and quantity within the framework of the communicative approach. The primary purpose is to raise teachers' awareness of the effectiveness or pitfalls of their talk in classrooms. The focus of the analysis consists of a typewritten script of an audio-taped lesson of the communication which took place during classroom interactions. Teacher talk was benchmarked in terms of its alignment or congruence with some authors' pedagogical recommendation and language learning theories. The finding indicated that the teacher was not successful to create genuine or authentic communication. The talk was repetitive and monotonous and it followed the IRF sequence which allowed the teacher more turns and talk. The teacher talk was not consonant with theories of second language acquisition, i.e. interactionist, functionalist and cognitive perspectives. The talk was hurtful and stressful and it could block the learning opportunities.
The primary focus of research on employment of language learning strategies has been on identific... more The primary focus of research on employment of language learning strategies has been on identification of adoption of different learning strategies. However, the relationship between language learning strategies and proficiency levels was ignored in previous research. The present study was undertaken to find out whether there are any relationship between the employment of different strategies and learners ' levels of language proficiency. To this end,
Asian Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 2014
Traditionally the cultural values and norms would comprise an important part of language classroo... more Traditionally the cultural values and norms would comprise an important part of language classroom teaching. However, recent opposing ideas especially from policies with increasing tensions call for less adherence to culture-bound values but instead to intelligibility (Richards, 2002). In our country, for example, due to the political tensions with the west, teachers are not normally familiarized with English cultural values in their formal education. In addition, after graduation, they are required to teach materials that purposefully marginalize the cultural aspects of the target language (TL). Although, in the non-native setting, this aspect can play a subsidiary role, for it can be compensated by a simple recourse to mother culture, in the native to non-native interaction this unfamiliarity can lead to serious communication breakdowns. Given all these observations, in this study, it is intended to explore how conflicting policies can cause cultural separation among nations and h...
We all drink water on a daily basis unconsciously. If someone asks us what water is, we cannot of... more We all drink water on a daily basis unconsciously. If someone asks us what water is, we cannot often give an accurate answer. Likewise, we read literature on a daily basis and numerous universities offer literature courses to students. In addition, these universities require students to do thesis on literary works but what is the identity of literature? What is the best or genuine literary work? There are burning questions to ask with respect to literature? The answers to some of questions are indefinite and infinite. The present study is a reflection on the identity of the Literature, the main purpose of which to shed light on four questions: 1) Can literature be defined? 2) What is literary value? 3) What is the canon? 4) How does the canon affect us, as readers? To achieve the aim of the study, a library method of research was utilized. Having selected the area of the study, the present researcher made notes of the words and phrases of the topic under study. Afterwards, the res...
We all drink water on a daily basis unconsciously. If someone asks us what water is, we cannot of... more We all drink water on a daily basis unconsciously. If someone asks us what water is, we cannot often give an accurate answer. Likewise, we read literature on a daily basis and numerous universities offer literature courses to students. In addition, these universities require students to do thesis on literary works but what is the identity of literature? What is the best or genuine literary work? There are burning questions to ask with respect to literature? The answers to some of questions are indefinite and infinite. The present study is a reflection on the identity of the Literature, the main purpose of which to shed light on four questions: 1) Can literature be defined? 2) What is literary value? 3) What is the canon? 4) How does the canon affect us, as readers? To achieve the aim of the study, a library method of research was utilized. Having selected the area of the study, the present researcher made notes of the words and phrases of the topic under study. Afterwards, the researcher did readings on different sources available on the topic and notes were made on research cards. Next, the collection of data was followed by critical discussion and finally a summary of the discussion was purveyed.
Micro-teaching is an opportunity for new teachers to put into practice theoretical issues they he... more Micro-teaching is an opportunity for new teachers to put into practice theoretical issues they hear in theoretical classes. In order to provide novice teachers with efficient and effective teaching strategies, many ELT programs use microteaching. Understanding the perceptions and concerns of student teachers is crucial for promoting teacher education programs " outcomes. The aim of this article was to investigate the views of sixty one freshly-employed English teachers in one province in Iran regarding the microteaching component offered in two courses of English language teaching methods. A combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques was employed for the purpose of gathering the data. Mainly, a questionnaire and a focus group interview were used as the main tools for data collection. The findings indicated that prospective teachers had positive attitude toward the utilization of microteaching and it helped them improve their language proficiency, discover their stre...
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014
The purpose of the present study was to explore if providing recast and prompt would have differe... more The purpose of the present study was to explore if providing recast and prompt would have different effects on the grammatical development of Iranian learners of English. In other words, the study investigated the effect of corrective feedback on learners' grammatical achievement. After administering a proficiency test, forty-five participants out of sixty were selected from the intact classes at a language institute in Ahwaz. These forty-five participants were randomly assigned to three groups namely, prompt, recast and no-feedback group or and control group each comprising of fifteen participants. Picture description tasks, referred as focused tasks (Ellis, 2012) were used as treatment. Two pen-and-paper tests were used as data collection tool. One was a grammatical judgment test and the other was a metalinguistic knowledge test. Data analysis through one-way ANOVA and Tukey test revealed significant differences between recast and prompt groups (p<.05). The results also showed that though both recast and prompt enhance the grammatical development of the learners, learners in prompt group achieved more than those in both recast and control groups. The results would benefit those teachers dealing with grammar instruction and error correction techniques. Moreover, teacher educators can use the findings of this study in their teacher education courses for pre-service or inservice teachers.
Micro-teaching is an opportunity for new teachers to put into practice theoretical issues they he... more Micro-teaching is an opportunity for new teachers to put into practice theoretical issues they hear in theoretical classes. In order to provide novice teachers with efficient and effective teaching strategies, many ELT programs use microteaching. Understanding the perceptions and concerns of student teachers is crucial for promoting teacher education programs" outcomes. The aim of this article was to investigate the views of sixty one freshly-employed English teachers in one province in Iran regarding the microteaching component offered in two courses of English language teaching methods. A combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques was employed for the purpose of gathering the data. Mainly, a questionnaire and a focus group interview were used as the main tools for data collection. The findings indicated that prospective teachers had positive attitude toward the utilization of microteaching and it helped them improve their language proficiency, discover their strengths and weaknesses, enhance their confidence in teaching and develop their awareness of their teaching competence. In light of the study results, it was recommended that microteaching programs should be given due attention in Iranian education system and different teacher training centers and universities should consider incorporating microteaching programs in their curriculum.
The purpose of the present study was to explore if providing recast and prompt would have differe... more The purpose of the present study was to explore if providing recast and prompt would have different effects on the grammatical development of Iranian learners of English. In other words, the study investigated the effect of corrective feedback on learners' grammatical achievement. After administering a proficiency test, forty-five participants out of sixty were selected from the intact classes at a language institute in Ahwaz. These forty-five participants were randomly assigned to three groups namely, prompt, recast and no-feedback group or and control group each comprising of fifteen participants. Picture description tasks, referred as focused tasks (Ellis, 2012) were used as treatment. Two pen-and-paper tests were used as data collection tool. One was a grammatical judgment test and the other was a metalinguistic knowledge test. Data analysis through one-way ANOVA and Tukey test revealed significant differences between recast and prompt groups (p<.05). The results also showed that though both recast and prompt enhance the grammatical development of the learners, learners in prompt group achieved more than those in both recast and control groups. The results would benefit those teachers dealing with grammar instruction and error correction techniques. Moreover, teacher educators can use the findings of this study in their teacher education courses for pre-service or inservice teachers.
Many communicative teachers consider teacher talk as an obstacle that restricts students' learnin... more Many communicative teachers consider teacher talk as an obstacle that restricts students' learning opportunities. This paper analyzes teacher talk's quality and quantity within the framework of the communicative approach. The primary purpose is to raise teachers' awareness of the effectiveness or pitfalls of their talk in classrooms. The focus of the analysis consists of a typewritten script of an audio-taped lesson of the communication which took place during classroom interactions. Teacher talk was benchmarked in terms of its alignment or congruence with some authors' pedagogical recommendation and language learning theories. The finding indicated that the teacher was not successful to create genuine or authentic communication. The talk was repetitive and monotonous and it followed the IRF sequence which allowed the teacher more turns and talk. The teacher talk was not consonant with theories of second language acquisition, i.e. interactionist, functionalist and cognitive perspectives. The talk was hurtful and stressful and it could block the learning opportunities.
This study intends to explore students' perceptions aboutteachers' qualifications to help student... more This study intends to explore students' perceptions aboutteachers' qualifications to help students learn the communicative skills as theyare taught in schools.Another purpose was to determine the most frequently taught communication strategy in high school classrooms in Khouzestan province.Ninety seven high school students participated in this study. A questionnaireand an interview were used. They ticked statements about the support they received and the frequency of communication strategies taught by the teachers. The statements were to be rated on a 6-point Likerttype classification from Strongly Disagree (rated as 1) to Strongly Agree (rated as 6). The findings showed that many students considered the problem of " my teachers did not use English to run the class (M=6.2) and" my teachers did not help me when I stopped to talk and they always turned to better students" (M=5.1) as preventing them from leaning to communicate more than "the lack of use of group, pair-work or role plays" (M=4.6). The mean differences of the two groups were statistically significant (p=.00).
This study intends to explore students' perceptions aboutteachers' qualifications to help student... more This study intends to explore students' perceptions aboutteachers' qualifications to help students learn the communicative skills as theyare taught in schools.Another purpose was to determine the most frequently taught communication strategy in high school classrooms in Khouzestan province.Ninety seven high school students participated in this study. A questionnaireand an interview were used. They ticked statements about the support they received and the frequency of communication strategies taught by the teachers. The statements were to be rated on a 6-point Likerttype classification from Strongly Disagree (rated as 1) to Strongly Agree (rated as 6). The findings showed that many students considered the problem of " my teachers did not use English to run the class (M=6.2) and" my teachers did not help me when I stopped to talk and they always turned to better students" (M=5.1) as preventing them from leaning to communicate more than "the lack of use of group, pair-work or role plays" (M=4.6). The mean differences of the two groups were statistically significant (p=.00).
There are many programs which can help teachers to meet the challenges of classroom and workplace... more There are many programs which can help teachers to meet the challenges of classroom and workplace. One of such programs is practicum which is a school-based experience in teacher education curriculum. It can help teacher learners to make transition from their academic program to the realities of teaching in a school. To this end, the teacher education program must aim to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes of pre-service teachers to prepare them to teach effectively in the schools systems. It is, therefore, argued that the academic program of the teacher education should be coupled with an important and integral component called school -based experiences i.e. practicum which provides students with supervised experiences and help the student teachers to understand the full scope of teachers role. Many have also suggested that these experiences are very powerful in shaping pre-service teachers as they are real in contrast to the artificial environment of the tertiary education courses. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to address the need of and justification for school based practicum experience. Attempt was also made to show the current debates and future direction of practicum in teacher education.
Key words: Teacher education, school-based preparation, practicum, pre-service teachers
This study aims at probing the relationship between the national English language policy and its ... more This study aims at probing the relationship between the national English language policy and its implementation at the local level in Iran schools through the eyes of in-service teachers. To this end, first, policy awareness of EFL teachers in secondary schools in one province in Iran was examined through interview. Then, content analysis was employed to analyze the data to show that EFL teachers were not following the instructions in the national English curriculum to guide their classroom teaching, but were rather critical to the objectives and requirements described in the curriculum. The rationale behind this was revealed to be the gap between the curriculum policy and the modern language needs of the learners. The results suggested that involving classroom teachers in policy making may help the national language curriculum more applicable and implementable. This may shed light on the question of whether teachers are just implementers or whether they help to shape and develop policy.
Key words: Curriculum implementation,English language education, language education policy, teacher role, learners' needs