Questioning the Status of Moral Education in the Context of EFL in Kurdistan: A Critique Review

چکیده

Language education has a broader goal beyond just developing linguistic competence, yet the primary aim of ELT in Kurdistan is solely to improve linguistic ability. While modern ELT stresses language use rather than language usage. Further, with the advent of a critical orientation, ELT now has a completely new role in facilitating learners’ growth in their sense of identity and character, in conjunction with the development of their language skills. Many countries include the study of foreign languages in their curricula to prepare students for the demands of modern life. In this regard, scholars have advocated for the integration of moral education in English language education, to promote not only language acquisition but also the development of students' moral identities and sense of social and personal responsibility. This paper provides a critical review of the ELT education system in Kurdistan, emphasizing the need to move from mainstream ELT to critical ELT. Particularly, this paper examines the gap between English language education and the needs of Kurdish learners. It underlines the significance of moral education in today's globalized world and proposes integrating it with language skill development to achieve the joint objective of promoting social development and language learning in learners. Further, the goal is to bring attention to the topic of incorporating moral education into EFL and to call the educational policies to take a more proactive stance in promoting it. It is noteworthy that policymakers at the Ministry of Education have begun to change the English curricula concurrently.