Welcomed but Locked Out: Exploring Teachers’ and Learners’ Beliefs about the Inclusion of English as an International Language in ELT Textbooks

Scholarship on English as an International Language (EIL) has called for more research on the beliefs of nonnative teachers and learners of English about the inclusion of linguistic and cultural norms of EIL in ELT textbooks. To address this call, the present study examined the beliefs of 251 teachers and 254 learners of English in Iranian private language institutes. Data for the study were collected through an adapted questionnaire and follow-up interviews. The results of the study unraveled the teachers' advocacy of the inclusion of cultural and language norms of nonnative English varieties into the textbooks. Regarding learners’ beliefs, the results of the study showed that they disagreed with the inclusion of nonnative varieties in language teaching materials, and agreed only with the representation of native cultures in the textbooks. Contrary to these findings, it was found that both teachers and learners disapproved of teaching EIL in ELT classrooms, signifying their preference for the prioritization of Anglo-American norms. The findings have implications for ELT materials development and the need to raise teachers' and learners' awareness of EIL.