Critical pedagogy(CP) as an alternative approach to ELT with the aim of social action, educational change, and the betterment of society attempting to empower learners to critically question, reflect, and act upon inequitable, undemocratic, oppressive institutions and social relations, has not long been introduced, studied, or researched in Iranian educational contexts. While in some countries over the past two decades, there exists a growing body of researches and studies challenging and addressing different aspects of this approach, in Iran much less has been reported on the respective issue so that it has remained in its primitive phases of prosperity. In deed, this qualitative study intends to firstly present an overview concerning historical background as well as core concepts of CP. Then, it will explore and discuss the problems and constraints regarding its applicability in educational system of Iran
The Peircean semiotic approach suggests a non-linear and dynamic view of culture to examine it through signs, sign systems and meaning-making processes. This approach emphasises that images, texts and tasks are considered semiotic resources, generating cultural meanings through semiotic processes. This study aims to reveal the concept of culture in a dynamic manner concerning the semiotic potential embedded in the Iranian EFL textbooks used in junior high schools from the perspective of a semiotic framework. Semiotic analysis showed that cultural meaning-making is directed through guided semiosis, hampering students’ exploration of cultural potential meanings, cultural reflection, understanding and awareness. The denotational and the indexical relationship between texts and images also does not foster students’ intercultural understanding of living and maintaining in a global community, and hence, teachers need to move towards the symbolic aspect of texts and images through unguided semiosis to develop students’ cultural understanding of self and others.
Keywords: Cultural, English textbooks, Peircean, semiotic, unguided semiosis;
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