Textbooks play a pivotal role in language learning classrooms. The problem is that among a wide range of textbooks in market which is appropriate for a specific classroom and a group of learners. In order to evaluate ELT textbooks theorists and writers have offered different kinds of evaluative frameworks based on a number of principles and criteria. This study evaluates a series of ELT textbook, namely, American English File by the use of Littlejohn’s (1998) evaluative framework to see what explicit features of the book are, what pedagogic values it has, whether it is in line with its claimed objectives, and what its merits and demerits are. Littlejohn believes that we should evaluate a textbook based on its own pedagogic values and we should see what is in it not what teacher and evaluators think must exist in it. Consequently his framework is claimed to be devoid of any impressionistic ideas and it is in-depth and objective rather than being subjective. Nine ELT experts and ten ELT teachers helped the researcher rate the evaluative checklists. The results of the study show that although a number of shortcomings and drawbacks were found in American English File, it stood up reasonably well to a detailed and in-depth analysis and that its pedagogic values and positive attributes far out-weighed its shortcomings. The internal consistency between ratings was computed via the statistical tool of Cronbach’s alpha that indicated a desirable inter-rater reliability.

In this paper, vegetation were studied with Anglo-American approach in Ghamisheleh Marivan. In this approach, vegetation samples which could be defined as plant species by their distribution, could be considered as groups. Systematic-random sampling with 76 plots and 256 m2 in area, was selected. Combined methods of cluster analysis, two way indicator species analysis and similarity indices were used for the determination of ecological species groups. The results of this study showed that there are 6 ecological species groups in the region. Indicator species of these groups are: Quercus libani, Quercus infectoria, Pyrus syriaca, Pistacia atlantica, Trifolium campestre and Teucrium polium.

In spite of the quintessential significance to integrate language and culture, there have been few attempts to investigate the cultural elements of English teaching textbooks based on a valid framework. Consequently, the purpose of this exploratory study was to describe how culture has been addressed in the second edition of six textbooks of American English File Series (Latham-Koenig, Oxenden, & Boyle, 2013), taught in the private institutes in Iran. To this end, a model of cultural patterns, developed by Zarei and Khalessi (2011), was utilized to analyze the content of the series. The model has four constituents of value, norm, institution, and artifact. Overall, the results indicated that textbooks are artifacts which are strongly grounded in cultural assumptions and biases. Moreover, results revealed that these instructional materials are filled with cultural values unique to the Western world, the most prevalent of which include girlfriend-boyfriend relationship, consumerism, lack of studying, Western music, artifacts, lack of trust between the couples, rate of divorce and break-up, and inculcation of Western culture. It is concluded that textbooks are carriers of cultural values that not only transfer knowledge but also inculcate the cultural values of the native speakers of that language. Therefore, the role of the English teachers in prompting intercultural competence is to preserve the Iranian cultural heritage and values and make a balance between the integration of culture and language.

The existence of various modalities for American Studies indicates the presence of different approaches tothis area of studies. American studies in Iran have also been the target of various approaches within the past century. This article seeks to shed light on the concept of American studies from a strategic Iranian perspective. In this view, first the article briefly explains the concept of "America" and the existing intellectual traditions on American studies and later proceeds to introduce titles written or translated into the Persian language on this subject within the past century. The sources introduced were randomly chosen. Contemporary American Studies comprises relevant activities undertaken both before and after the Islamic Revolution. Additionally, while providing a critique of Liberal American Studies and the critical leftist tradition for American studies, the article aims at providing readers with a new paradigm for American studies based on the indigenous and local perspectives.