English Language Education in Iran: A Site of Struggle between Globalized and Localized Versions of English

Reviewing the ups and downs of English in Iran indicates that especially in the last two decades it has been a site of growing struggle between two rival sectors. The first one is the private sector which has been the main contributor to the spread of English in its international version and the second one is the public sector which has been the representative of the localized version of English. Due to the low efficacy of the public sector, the private sector, as a booming market, is playing the main role of English education. Considering the fact, the authors first aim to introduce these two rival sectors. Then, based on the available literature on the topic, it is attempted to delve into the reasons of this growing struggle. The findings indicate that the future will be a scene of continuing presence of English in the private sector in its globalized version and English in the public sector in its localized version