چكيده فارسي :
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has become a buzzword within the realm of language teaching. Perceptions about and practices of practitioners and learners toward CLT have been investigated across various contexts. However, what seems lacking in the literature on this line of inquiry has been the exploration of practitioner age and the possible influence it exercises on viewing and teaching from a CLT perspective. Along with knowledge and experience, practitioner age can have a substantial impact on how they perceive and practice CLT and on the learners. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions about and practices of CLT and the learners’ opinions about such methodology. To this end, a questionnaire was initially administered to 36 teachers (12 young teachers, 12 middle-aged teachers, and 12 elderly teachers), and a material was given to 12 teachers (4 teachers per age group) to use CLT to teach while being observed by the researcher. At the end of the study, the learners were interviewed to explore their views on the experience. The analysis of questionnaire and observation data indicated that the teachers were highly disposed to exploit CLT and employed it at the level of practice. Additionally, the results of the interview demonstrated that the learners perceived of the adopted approach in a positive sense, assisting them to develop higher proficiency across various skills and bringing about a learning-promoting atmosphere within the classroom. Furthermore, a surprising theme emerging in the learners’ responses was the potential of CLT to enlighten a livelier ambience in the class. The study suggests implications for a (re) conceptualization of CLT in Iranian English learning contexts.
