A Phenomenological Study of an Effective English Language Classroom from the Iranian EFL Learners’ Perspectives at the Tertiary Level

Abstract

Since little is known about how EFL learners experience and understand effective English language classroom, this study was an attempt to find out about the Iranian EFL learners’ experiences of an effective English language classroom at the tertiary level. The design of the current research drew on a phenomenological study in which the lived experiences of EFL learners concerning the effective English language classroom were explored. The primary data collection method was in-depth interviewing with seven Ph.D. candidates (two males and five females) who had been studying English for years and were selected through purposive sampling. The data were coded and explicitated using Colaizzi’s seven-step coding strategy. The three major resulting themes were a) Teacher characteristics, b) Classroom interaction, and c) Class performance. In addition, key findings from the study suggest that two elements of personal experiences and personal beliefs constitute effective English language classroom from the Iranian EFL learners’ perspectives. Recommendations are provided for EFL researchers as the current study reveals.

Keywords

• language classroom
• perspectives
• beliefs
• experience
• learners