McDonaldization in Iranian ELT Textbooks: Absence or Presence?

The development of materials for language teaching has been retraced from different perspectives. For example, some have identified influences of a social view on designing course books and compiling materials for language classes. The purpose of this article is to focus on the specific case of ELT material, its design and priorities in the context of Iran. This article also offers a detailed analysis of the contemporary condition of Iranian context and the consequences of materials colonization in English language teaching courses.In addressing the question of “How McDonaldization is attributed to language teaching”, it is attempted to broaden the understanding of the condition of English teaching classrooms in different private language institutes and universities of Iran and show how the framework of standardization of materials is regarded as the main concern of the present educators of Iran’s context of English language teaching. Finally, the idea that uniformity of materials is an integral part of our classes is presented. Reviewing some scholars’ ideas about standardization of materials in our EFL context, the way teachers are pictured with their roles as experimenters rather than the mere designers of the detailed instructions is also highlighted. Meanwhile, increasing the amount and quality of teacher development programs and not disregarding the role of teachers would be practically useful recommendations for those involved in the process of EFL teaching in Iran.

Keywords:

McDonaldization , English Language teaching , Material Design , Standardization