> It is very common for Iranian students to attend extracurricular English courses at one of the
many private language institutes. In fact, for many young Iranians, attending English classes is
considered to be a recreational activity similar to arts, music or sports classes. Perhaps due to
their commercial nature, private language schools offer classes that are very different from what
is found in schools. First of all, with only a few exceptions, the textbooks used are by
international publishers. The classes are very student-centered and communicative, and a greater