| With the rise of globalization and the spread of English as the global language, a set of English language teaching (ELT) pedagogical practices, standards, and models, emanating from Anglo-American language institutions, have been disseminated globally, to the extent that today they are becoming part of the everyday discourse of ELT around the world. The question as whether these standards and models are randomly diffused or systematically disseminated has triggered controversial responses. While some researchers attribute the prevalence of such models and standards to external forces, others place absolute agency on the part of local recipients. Instead of taking sides, this study builds upon the insights drawn from the filed of Educational Policy Studies to propose a new analytical device and to systematically explore not just the agents (who) but also the nature (what) and causes (why and how) of educational transfer. It argues that educational transfer is a complex process, which includes "two sides" (borrowing and lending), "three levels" (national, sub-national and supra-national), and "multiple causes" (social, political, economic and educational). In order to make a meaningful contribution to educational transfer studies, one should take into account the role of all these variables.;The subject nation of the present research is the "Islamic Republic" of Iran, which possesses a unique position with regards to ELT. Unlike most nations that enthusiastically borrow ELT practices from the English-speaking West, Iran has turned its back to the western world to follow an anti-imperialist ideology since 1979. Drawing upon diverse qualitative and quantitative data collected over a year across various state, private, and international organizations in Iran, the author argues that in spite of the notorious anti-Western and anti-foreign-influence rhetoric, the discourse of ELT in Iran is highly internationalized, and to a certain degree, even Americanized. Three sets of actors have been contributed to the internationalization of the filed of ELT in the country: politicians and government authorities, professional and elite networks, and international organizations. The causes of receptiveness towards foreign lessons and ideas are to be sought in the country's social, political, and economic conditions as well as dependency on the world market. |
