Analyzing Virtual English Language Learning ...

Although Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) has become popular by discourse analysis researchers, it is rather rarely used by English language virtual instructors. The aim of the present paper is to explore some aspects of CDA suggested by [1, 2, 3] in the Iranian virtual learning environment. In order to carry out the study, we have observed three virtual English classes at Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) to investigate how a number of indicators of Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework are manifested in terms of aspects of CDA in community of virtual instructors and students. Some of the results of the study indicated that: (1) students do not have power and freedom to choose what and when to study their materials and instructors who have the power in the class plan how virtual interactions should take place and how management and direction of such interactions should be carried out to ensure learning outcomes. They do not give any role of choosing the content, the pace and sequencing of learning material to their students and their classes are totally teacher-centered. (2) Affective aspects are considered important since they help to compensate for body language, facial expressions, and vocal intonations in text-based discussions, but the instructors who are in power do not make great use of conspicuous capitalization for emphasis, emoticons and repetitious punctuations in order to express their emotions. (3) Instructors, who consider themselves in the position of better information, when deciding on the sources of virtual classes, do not inject knowledge from diverse textbooks, articles and/or internet-based materials in each semester, they teach predetermined and old materials which are mostly based on Grammar Translation Method.