In the name of God
Mahmoud Mehrmohammadi
Professor of Curriculum Studies
Tarbiat Modares University(TMU)
Tehran.Iran
· Thanks to all sponsors, especially to my colleagues at Shahid Beheshti campus of Farhangian University (The Newly found Pre and in- service teacher education academy of the I.R Iran, currently enrolling more than 60 thousand student teachers in almost 100 branches scattered throughout the country).
· Thanks to all participants from all over the country, especially teacher and would be teachers of ESL. I wish you will take away much valuable stuff from this conference, enriching your professional skills and assisting with the improvement of your professional performance.
· Finally, our honorable international guests are also welcomed and their participation is highly appreciated.
The topic of my brief opening intervention:
How to deal with the unsatisfactory quality of ESL teaching in the
Iranian formal education system?
TELLSI 11th International Conference
Oct.30th to Nov.1st ۲۰۱۳
Mashhad,Iran
· I will start off by a disclaimer admitting that what is offered here by way of recommendations are neither noble (unprecedented) nor based on research and empirical evidence. It must therefore be viewed as an expression of opinion by a concerned citizen, partly informed about current circumstances surrounding the subject in point.
· How to go about the goal of improving the status quo which is perceived to be in a less than adequate state, depicting almost a consensual description of ESL achievements and outcomes. This is obviously despite sincere efforts that are being expended by our cadre of hardworking English teachers. So, what’s the problem? And what’s a resolution ( if not the solution)?
· I deal with the issue from a teacher education perspective, in concert with my current position and responsibility as the acting president of the teacher education academy (Farhangian University). My comments are also informed buy my area of specialty that is curriculum theory and curriculum development.
· What does an approach assuming such a perspective entail? The answer could be casted and framed in both negative and positive terms. First, what it does not entail and is not, therefore, the focus of this intervention?
o I don’t want to talk about the quality standards that should surround the training of prospective English teachers. This is an important agenda which nobody will dispute. A never-ending endeavor and an obvious strategy that must be pursued in light of evaluation of existing inadequacies. But I don’t want to fall into the trap of repeating what is obvious.
o I don’t want to address the well-established agenda pointing to the necessity of systematic continuous professional training and upgrading of existing English teachers either. Although, FU is charged with the complementary function of in-service training directed toward all human resources employed by the MoE including English teachers. This organizational duty will undoubtedly receive due attention, if not in short term, in medium term, once the pre-service function as the primary function of the university is properly settled.
· What I have in mind is the idea of acknowledging English competency as a general or basic competency that all prospective teachers, regardless of their disciplinary discretion, should attain. Or that English should not be viewed as a competency solely relevant for future English teachers.
· By way of offering a justification for this proposal … Rests on two grounds and two types of advantages. A general account and a specific account of conceivable advantages:
· General account: A teacher; be it a science teacher, an art teacher or a math teacher; is a better and more competent teacher if English becomes an integral part of his/her repertoire of competencies. That is so because such a teacher will be able to actively participate in the knowledge management enterprise in a knowledge based society in his/her knowledge domain. This will become a reality if the teacher is capable to access the knowledge and resources available on the net, evaluating and using it properly. Whether we like it or not, a major portion of knowledge available on the net is in English. His/ her quality of teaching will most probably be more satisfying and will lead to higher levels of academic achievement by students due to this very added value that he/she injects into the teaching learning process.
· Specific account: …teachers’ dispositions, personality and traits leave a long lasting impact on the character of his/her students. This phenomenon is referred to as the teacher’s teaching by way of role modeling which is more pronounced in the context of formal education system, as compared to the non-formal educational settings . Teachers are viewed as an example of educated person and are under conscious scrutiny of the eyes and the minds of their audience who are not only at a critical age stage (public schooling age range), but who openly and willingly submit their mind and soul to them as role models. The range/ scope of this scrutiny will most notably cover the general competencies displayed by the teachers (the widely known and discussed topic of hidden curriculum). It follows, then, that teachers who demonstrate competency in English, inevitably and naturally engage the students’ mind and soul and will, thus, tacitly impress in them the learning of English as a virtue and an educationally worthwhile endeavor. This, I believe is one of the most unnoticed areas where our education system has become so vulnerable when it come to the teaching of English. Much of this concern will fade away once the hidden curriculum is brought into the equation.
· Further, different subject teachers will be well advised to explicitly emphasize and reiterate the importance of English when the time and place is ripe in the classroom setting or elsewhere. He/she, therefore enters the game known as playing a secondary or reinforcing function where a subject teacher avails himself/herself for enhancing the cause and assisting in the achievement of curricular goals belonging to another subject, with English being at the receiving end in this case.
· The implications of this initiative?
o For FU and how it should go after strengthening its English departments, to prepare the ground for performing the dual functions of training English teachers as well as empowering them to extend services to other TE departments by teaching required English courses to other student teachers.
o For TELLSI, and how it should re-route its efforts and invest in the meeting of this grand national agenda at teacher education stage. For the start, I will suggest the design of ESP courses and curricula for different teachers who have opted for other subjects as their area of specialty. Genaral English courses might be incorporated in the TE program as a prerequisite due to reasons alluded to earlier (existing inadequacies in the school setting) and is currently an integral part of the TE curriculum in all fields. The gap, however, pertains to very functionally oriented ESP courses by way of preparing future teachers to take advantage of both the general and the specific accounts of potentials and advantages briefly discussed.
· Once again, hope your conference will prove to be a worthwhile professional experience and that you will all enjoy your stay in the city of Mashad, the spiritual; capitol of Iran, too.
