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