Research in English Language Education Journal (formerly JELT) | E-ISSN: 3115-7599
Abstract
Critical Cultural Awareness (CCA) is a key part of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC), but it has not been well-studied in Iran’s English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. This sequential mixed-methods study looked at how CCA is shown, the challenges it faces, and its teaching possibilities in Iran’s two educational systems: formal (public schools) and informal (private language institutes). Participants included 250 EFL teachers and 300 learners from three major cities. Data collection used surveys, textbook analysis, and semi-structured interviews. Findings showed a clear difference between the two contexts. Formal education focused mainly on source culture and had limited ICC development, while informal settings offered more exposure to target cultures (60–75% Western content) but lacked systematic critical engagement. A thematic analysis of qualitative data identified five main challenges: ideological control, teacher training gaps, learners’ struggles with identity, uncertainty in the informal sector, and resource/assessment issues. From these insights, four teaching principles emerged. They emphasized balanced cultural representation, teacher training, authentic multimodal resources, and collaboration between sectors. This study adds to global discussions on cultural teaching in contexts where English education intersects with national identity and global engagement.
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