Alternative futures of English language education in Iran in the era of globalization

The crucial role of English in global communications has underscored the importance of language plan-ning to ensure successful English language education. Although language planning attempts to direct the future of languages, it rarely considers the uncertainty of the future. Scenario planning, as a popular tool for managing the uncertainty in Futures Studies, has been used rarely in ELT. This study employed sce-nario method to develop the alternative futures of ELT in Iran in the next twenty years, based on the data collected through interviews and questionnaires, from thirty policymakers, ELT professionals, and practi-tioners, selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Probable (ELT on its last legs), undesirable (ELT downfall), and desirable (ELT on the rise) scenarios were developed for ELT based on a structural analysis of ELT context and then some strategies were recommended for creating the desirable futures. These findings might contribute to planning for sustainable change in ELT in Iran.(c) 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.