Exploring the practices of Iranian ELT instructors and subject teachers in teaching EAP reading comprehension

The Content of expererimrent

The main goal of the ELC is to develop stuents reading comprehension

45 full-time teachers

Learner-centered approach

the academic year of 2009-2010

Assessment

about 1500 stuents enrolled

30 % for class participation and classroom tasks

70% for mid-term and final assignments

The Participants

Students from medicine and dentistry majors

Two group of teacher with masters degree and PHD degrees

Subject teachers with no training in English

ELT instructors had ELT education

Data collection methods

Field-notes

Semi-structured interviews with teachers

Non-participant observation

Findings

Pre-reading

While-reading

Post-reading

Similarities

Differences

No specific pre-reding activity with clear aim of activating learners background knowledge

one of the subjects teachers asked a few broad questions about the theme related to the reading text

Subject teachers have no idea about pre-reading

Similarities

Dufferences

Subject -B teacher asked students about the meaning technical words

Subject A teacher asked a set of comprehension chech question

Asking the meaning of vocabulary

Allowing students to read aloud

Similarities

Differences

Mainly doing coursebook exercise giving more emphasis to vocabulary

Subject A teacher set adequate amount of time while others not

Assigning students with lectures based on relevant articles to teach students how to develop and present their vocabulry

Subject C teacher required students to answer the comprehention check questions

Conclusion

The findings indicated that , among ELT teachers the similarities and differences overshadow the differences

The results showed that there was a considerable increase in students reading comprehension skills