A Comparative Study between Iranian and Japanese Students' Conceptions of 'Ideal English Lesson'

With the shift in language teaching towards a more learner-centered approach, there is now an emphasis on considering learners' views on what goes on in the classroom. Involving learners in selecting and evaluating classroom activities as well as listening to their voices and preferences can be helpful for teachers in planning lesson and designing materials. With this idea in mind, the present study focuses on the tertiary students' perceptions of 'ideal English lesson' in Iran and Japan. 115 Iranian students completed a questionnaire designed by Littlewood (2010). The results were compared with the Littlewood's (2010) study with Japanese students as well as students from three Asian countries (Hong Kong, Singapore, and Mainland China). The findings show that for Iranian students non-communicative activities were regarded as an 'ideal English lesson'. Japanese students expressed generally more conservative preferences than their counterparts in Iran and the three other Asian countries. The results suggest that learners' beliefs about language learning, proficiency level, and future needs may affect their current preferred classroom activities. Implications for lesson planning and curriculum development are also discussed in this paper. Adapted from the source document