Current Challenges in Teaching

/Learning English for EFL Learners:

The Case of Junior High School and
High School
By Zahra Akbari
Presented by: Rhona Sta.Ana
What is EFL (vs. ESL)?

English as a Foreign Language is learning English in a

non-English-speaking country.

English as a Second Language is learning English in a

country where English is dominantly spoken or where
English is the official language.
 Crystal, 1997
Its acquisition can guarantee the
availability of opportunities to
employment, traveling, higher education,
and even better life.
Reasons why English language is given
attention:

1
Access to and use of the latest 3
technological and scientific resources
mainly written in English
Mastery of English facilitates
cultural exchange among nations.
2
Coping with the demands of the era of
information explosion and the efficient
use of the Internet
 01
Problems on the
part of the students
 Factors that affect students

a c
no active role for English Iranian people are not allowed to
outside the classroom watch or have access to satellite TV
as one of the sources of
authentic materials.
b
d
Very few learners and/or teachers Students do not give enough attention to
travel to English speaking countries or learning a foreign language even after
have contact years of study.
with English speakers.
Reasons to consider self-directed learning
1

If the learner has not been prepared within the classroom to

take responsibility to learn autonomously outside, it is
unlikely that any learning will take place
(Carver & Dickinson, 1982; Dickinson & Carver, 1980).
Reasons to consider self-directed learning
2

Engaging students in the process of

learning and assessment would
encourage their learning efficiency.
Reasons to consider self-directed learning
3

Learner becomes more

receptive to the learning
process.
 Factors that affect students

e
students' beliefs about the
nature of learning English g
Not all students have the same
motivation or purpose for learning
f English.
students in English classes do not have
common background knowledge
 02
Problems on the
part of teachers
Problems on the part of teachers

The mistake is in educational system itself as

the teacher’s target is to “prepare” his students
for the examination
and not to make them skilled in the use of the
language they are learning (Subramanian,
1985).
Problems on the part of teachers

“A large number of teachers help

students cope with examinations in
order to preserve their reputation as
good teachers.” –
Khaniya (1990 as cited in Ghorbani,
2009),
Problems on the part of teachers

Most teachers do not attach equal

importance to four language skills,
and speaking skill is
the most neglected aspect of the four
skills in foreign language instruction.
 03
Problems on the
part of textbooks
Problems on the part of textbooks

The textbooks taught are designed

and prepared by the Ministry of
Education
Problems on the part of textbooks

The textbooks do not include

anything about the culture of
English-speaking countries.
Problems on the part of textbooks

Course books should constitute an effective resource for self-directed

learning and for presentation of material, a
source of ideas and activities, a reference source for students, a
syllabus where they reflect pre-determined learning
objectives, and support for less experienced teachers who may be
lacking in confidence (Cunningsworth, 1995 as
cited in Tsiplakides, 2011).
Inadequacy of high school
English textbooks

1 3
The use of unattractive, boring, The lack of cohesion and proper
outdated and incoherent texts in relevance among the lessons and the
the book. texts of subsequent books.

2
4
Incorrect, inappropriate and The lack of coordination between the
unattractive pictures of the book. size of contents and the time
dedicated for them.
Inadequacy of high school
English textbooks

5 7
Unattractiveness of grammar Lack of logical manner and order of
points and the shortage of difficulty in presenting grammar
variable activities. points.

6 8
Containing nonstandard questions. Lack of transparency in the general
purpose of the book.
 04
Problems on the part
of teaching methods
grammar translation method
reading comprehension and writing
are more emphasized
 The major problem
arises when most teachers do not use
appropriate techniques to guide students
in the activities included
in their textbooks to achieve the desired
goals.
 Despite its initial claim to be appropriate an
approach for EFL situation, communicative
language teaching seems to be more suitable
for ESL situations.
 Edge (1996) points out that it seems
necessary that rather than relying on expertise,
methodology, and materials controlled and dispensed by
Western ESL countries, EFL countries should strive to
develop language teaching methods that take into account
the political, economic, social, and cultural factors and most
important of all, the EFL situations in their countries.
 05
Problems on the part of
language assessment
or evaluation
 School authorities and parents in Iran believe
that good schools are schools that generate high
grades on standardized tests.
Teachers often use summative assessment and
and do not have enough knowledge and skill to
implement the new
assessment system.
The focus is still on students' performance
on exams rather than their performance
in real life situation
Teachers do not use different testing
methods
 06
Problems on the part of
the curriculum
English is not taught in Iranian
primary schools
 After five years in the primary level, students
proceed to junior high school for three years.
English is one of the key subjects taught for
Junior three hours a week at this level.
High
School
 After junior high school, students proceed to
high school for another three years
and study English for
Senior two hours per week.
High
School
 After high school, students start the pre-
university level for one year, based on a
credit-semester system in which
Pre- English is taught four hours a week.
i ty
Univers
Level
Failed attempts to incorporate a
communicative syllabus at
public schools.
Before the 1990s, English education
focused on reading skills in order to
help students read and translate
materials written in English.
-Ghorbani (2009)
 07
Political problems
English as a school subject is seen as
representing and introducing western
culture to the Iranian students.
 Iran was never colonized.
Thus, they have always been a
country with one official language
called Persian.
concept of national stability
Students do not use English as a
medium for daily communication
Thank you!
 References:

Zahra Akbari (2015). Current challenges in teaching/learning English

for EFL learners: The case of junior high school and high school

https://www.readinghorizons.com/blog/what-s-the-difference-between-esl-efl-esol-ell-and-
esp#:~:text=EFL%20meaning%3A%20English%20as%20a,non%2DEnglish%2Dspeaking
%20country.