Iranian universities have recently displayed a growing interest in integrating CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) into teaching/learning English. The EAP (English for Academic Purposes) context, however, is not keeping pace with the current changes since EAP courses are strictly text-based and exam-oriented, and little research has thus far been conducted on using computers in EAP classes. Hence, the present action-research study was carried out to explore CALL experiences of an EAP class in an Iranian university while focusing upon the participants’ attitudes toward CALL, the constraints and affordances of CALL integration in EAP, and its effectiveness in enhancing language skills in a low-resource setting. To this aim, 25 female undergraduate students, their instructor, and a teaching assistant participated in this study. Several instruments, including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, informal discussions, non-participant observations, and diary entries were employed to collect data quantitatively and qualitatively. The outcomes of these e-experiences (e.g., blog entries, peer e-comments, and e-feedback) were also analyzed. The findings revealed that the participants generally held positive attitudes toward implementing CALL, which indicates promise for the application of technology in EAP courses. They also believed that incorporating CALL into the classroom contributed to the improvement of English language skills (particularly in reading and writing). Yet, some challenges emerged in terms of the following barriers in using CALL within EAP courses: infrastructural (e.g., lack of formal plans, policies and processes, insufficient funding resources, lack of investment and financial support), institutional (e.g., lack of organizational and administrative support, lack of professional development and training), technological (e.g., lack of equipment, facilities and resources, lack of IT support, outdated hardware, lack of appropriate software, slow internet connectivity, limited access to technology, students’ low digital literacy, technical difficulties), pedagogical (e.g., inauthentic interaction, shortage of time, faculty workloads, curricular restrictions), psychological/personal (e.g., lack of confidence, lack of motivation, technophobia, student anxiety), and sociocultural/political (e.g., the Internet filtering, security issues, copyright regulations, hegemonies of CALL). Finally, several potential solutions were suggested to ameliorate the opportunities and minimize the costs of CALL in the Iranian context. There are also implications for teachers, administrators, and teacher educators in low-tech contexts.

1. Presented by:
Parisa Mehran Mehrasa Alizadeh
EUROCALL 2015
University of Padova, Italy
August 26-29
Integrating CALL into an Iranian EAP Course:
Constraints and Affordances

2. Introduction
o The status quo of CALL at Iranian
universities
o The Iranian EAP context

3. Purpose of the Study
o To explore CALL experiences of an EAP class in
an Iranian university
The participants’ attitudes toward CALL,
The affordances of CALL integration in EAP
The constraints of CALL integration in EAP
The effectiveness of CALL in enhancing
language skills in a low-resource setting

4. Research Questions
1. What emerging themes characterize the
attitudes of participants' e-experiences?
2. What are the affordances and constraints
of CALL in EAP programs?
3. Can CALL integration in EAP programs
contribute to enhancing language skills ?

5. The Study
o Participants
25 female undergraduate students
The instructor
The teaching assistant
o Setting
An ESP class for students of Theology at Alzahra University,
Tehran, Iran
o Instrumentation
 Questionnaire: Aryadoust, Mehran, and Alizadeh (2015) and
Lee (2010)
 Semi-structured Interview
 Informal discussion
 Non-participant observation
 Research log

6. CALL Tools
o Course Website/Weblog (Webs)
o Wiki (WikiFoundry)
o Podcast (PodOmatic)
o Google Translate
o Online dictionaries (e.g., OALD)

7. Figure 1: A screenshot of the course website

8. Procedure
o Tutorial screenshots and screencasts
o CALL experiences (blogging, providing e-comments,
googling, web-surfing, using online dictionaries, etc.)
o Analysis of the participants’ attitudes toward CALL, the
affordances and constraints of CALL integration in EAP,
and the impact of CALL

9. Findings: The learners
o Positive attitudes toward implementing CALL
o The benefits of CALL integration:
 Improvement in English (particularly reading and writing
skills)
 Enhanced motivation
 Increased self-confidence
 Team work and collaboration
 Use of up-to-date materials
 Improved computer literacy and skills
 Augmented general knowledge
 Further appeal and variety
 Stress-free environment

10. Findings: The instructor and the TA
o Positive attitudes toward implementing CALL
o The benefits of CALL integration:
 More collaboration
 Sense of achievement
 Improved computer literacy and skills
 Purposeful English learning

11. Findings: Challenges
o Infrastructural
 lack of formal plans, policies and processes,
 insufficient funding resources,
 lack of investment and financial support
o Institutional
 lack of organizational and administrative support
 lack of professional development and training

12. Findings: Challenges (cont.)
o Technological
 lack of equipment, facilities and resources
 lack of IT support
 outdated hardware
 lack of appropriate software
 slow Internet connectivity
 lack of ubiquitous access to technology
 students’ low digital literacy
 technical difficulties

13. Findings: Challenges (cont.)
o Pedagogical
 inauthentic interaction
 shortage of time
 faculty workloads
 curricular restrictions
o Psychological/Personal
 lack of confidence
 lack of motivation
 technophobia
 student anxiety

14. Findings: Challenges (cont.)
oSociocultural/Political
copyright regulations
the Internet filtering
security issues

15. Discussion
o EAP practitioners’ overall positive attitude toward CALL
 Talebinezhad and Azizi Abarghoui (2013)
 Atai and Dashtestani (2013)
 Bordbar ( 2010)
 Rahimi and Yadollahi (2012)
 Dashtestani (2012)
 Park and Son (2009)
 Yashau (2006)
 Wood, Muller, Laurier, Willoughby, Specht, and Deyoung (2005)
o Positive attitude: Necessary, yet not sufficient
 Wood et al. (2005)
 Atai and Dashtestani (2013)
 Maftoon and Shahini (2012)
 Dashtestani (2012)

16. Implications and potential solutions
• Need for a fundamental change
• Providing the needed funding
• Removing political reservations from the Iranian
academic settings
• Teacher education and learner training

17. Conclusion
• Perceiving a motivating, collaborative environment which
successfully responded to learners’ needs
• Improving the status quo regarding the use of technology
in the Iranian context as a low-tech setting
• Establishing the necessary infrastructures for CALL as
soon as possible