Strategies for Learning English as a Second Language in Saudi Arabian Universities - Research Paper Example

Strategies for Learning English as a Second Language in Saudi Arabian Universities Student Name Course Tutor Date Introduction It is true that studying English for students in Saudi Arabia can be troublesome. For the most part of their lives, Saudi students speak Arabic and this makes learning and using the English language seem like such a herculean task. The proposed research seeks to identify ways through which learning institutions – most especially universities – can make English learning an easier task for learners. The research will involve interviewing students and university departments to identify some of the effective methods that have been used in teaching English. The proposal is divided into several sections that include introduction, research background (literature review), aims and objectives, methodological framework, and a critical analysis section which details the plan for the research and the ethical considerations to be made during the actual research. Research background Language learning has been a widely discussed subject in literature because of its effect on the larger learning process. Rubin (1987, p. 22) for example notes that language learning strategies (LLS) “contribute to the development of the language system which the learner constructs and affect learning directly”. Rubin (1987) further underscores the importance of English learning strategies arguing that they facilitate students to obtain, store, retrieve and use information that is taught to them about the language, and about other subjects. Oxford (1990) draws a distinction into the various LLS used when teaching and learning the English language and states that there are direct and indirect LLS. Direct LLS include cognitive strategies, memory strategies, and compensation strategies. When used, memory strategies help enter information into the learner’s long-term memory where it can be retrieved when the need to communicate arises. Cognitive strategies on the other hand help form and revise mental models, and also aid in receiving and producing messages in the learnt language. Compensation strategies on the other hand help a person overcome any existing gaps in the knowledge of the newly learnt language (Oxford 1990, p. 71). Indirect LLS include: metacognitive, affective and social strategies. According to Oxford (1990), metacognitive strategies enable learners to plan, arrange, focus, and evaluate their learning of the English (or any other) language, and by that, the strategies enable learners to have some sort of executive control over the language acquisition process. The affective LLS strategy on the other hand helps the learners to dictate the attitudes, motivation and feelings that they have towards learning English. Finally, the social LLS strategies help learners to interact with others in what Oxford (1990, p. 71) defines as a “discourse situation”. Among the critical factors affecting the successful learning of the English language in Saudi Arabia is lack of motivation and bad or indifferent attitudes towards the language (Al-Zubeiry 2012). Motivation affects the interest that the student has towards learning a language, and is often affected by the negative or the negative attitudes that the same student has toward the language or those who speak the language (De Bot, Lowie & Verspoor 2005). The connection and importance of attitudes and motivation is further underscored by Lifrieri (2005, p. 14), who states that “Attitudes are necessary but insufficient indirect conditions for linguistic attainment. Only when paired up with motivation proper do attitudinal tendencies relate to the levels of student engagement in language learning, and to attainment”. Based on the foregoing, Midraj (2003) notes that learners have a role to identify tasks and activities that can help students generate the attitudes and motivation that will enable them become successful English learners. Attitude is defined as “a reference to the set of beliefs that a learner holds about members of the target language group... and also about his own culture” (Al-Zubeiry 2012, p. 22). El-Sayed (1993) for example noted that Arab students have low proficiency in the English language because they have authoritarian and ethnocentric attitudes towards the English culture and language. On its part, motivation is defined as “A force within the learner characterised by an arousal that drives the learner towards an anticipated goal” (Al-Zubeiry 2012, p. 26). In other words, the learner needs to understand and be inspired by the reasons why learning English is important. Al-Zubeiry (2012) divides motivation into two categories namely integrative motivation – i.e. the inspiration to learn a language with the aim of attaining membership to a group that communicates in the acquired dialect; and instrumental motivation – i.e. the desire to acquire second language communication competencies for practical or utilitarian reasons such as securing employment or gaining social mobility (Al-Zubeiry 2012). In integrative motivation, the learner would need to have positive attitudes towards the language and the people who speak it, so much that, he would be motivated to wanting to become part of that group. Instrumental motivation on the other hand is a product of the learner’s need to acquire advantages or something practical from the acquired language (Hudson 2000). While a positive attitude towards the language is desirable, learners may not find it necessary to have (or even like) people who use the same language as their native dialect. The use of technology in advancing language learning has also been cited in literature. Warschauer and Meskill (2000) for example note that although the use of technology in teaching languages requires substantial monetary and time commitments, it does not guarantee results. Notably however, when implemented appropriately, Warschauer and Meskill (2000) observe that technologies can reshape the content and processes used in teaching languages. Technologies also provide teachers with a channel through which they can plan, design and execute creative and innovation English learning activities that would have profound effects on the social and cultural collaboration intentions that learners have (Ibid.). The effectiveness of technology use in teaching language however exists, and as Zhao (2003) and Kern (2006) observe, it is related to: a lack of definition of what technology really is – i.e. does it include videos, chat rooms, tutorials or all among others?; a lack separation between technology and its uses – i.e. some ways of using technology are essentially ineffective while others are effective; and a lack of clarity on the role of mediating factors – e.g. the learners’ task and setting among other things. The use of appropriate teaching styles has also been emphasised as one of the factors affecting the success or lack thereof of the language learning. Felder and Henriques (1995), Oxford (et al. (1991) and Xiao (2006) are among scholars who emphasise that the teaching styles adopted by teachers must match the learning styles of the learners. Felder and Henriques (1995) categorise learners as: sensing and intuitive; visual and verbal; active and reflective; and sequential and global. Considering that each classroom has a mixture of all kinds of learners, Felder and Henriques (1995) advocate for what they call a ‘multi-style approach’, which is also advocated by Oxford (1990, p. 28) stating that teachers should structure class time to allow all learning styles to be accommodated either simultaneously or sequentially. Aims and objectives The aims and objectives of the proposed research are as follows: Aim: To identify the role that attitudes and motivations, use of technology and appropriate teaching styles have on students’ ability to successfully and effectively learn the English language in Saudi Arabian universities. Objectives: 1. To get specific insight on how language teachers shape perception, attitudes and the motivation that students have towards learning English in Saudi Arabian universities Although students can come to class with pre-shaped attitudes regarding the English language, teachers can create an understanding about the necessity of learning the language, and through that they can shape more positive attitudes into learners. Consequently, the students would be more inspired and motivated to learn the English language, hence the proposed research intention to identify the manner in which teachers engage students in relation to their perceptions and attitudes towards the English language. 2. To get an understanding of the technologies used in teaching English, and gauge students’ liking for the same This will enable the researcher identify the effect that technologies have on the teaching and learning of the English language. Specifically, the researcher will target identifying how computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is used in selected Saudi Arabian universities. Egbert (2005) defines CALL as the use of computer technologies in language learning and teaching in any context. 3. To gauge the appropriateness of teaching styles in comparison with the learning styles presented in English learning classrooms This will be done through observation, where the researcher will determine whether the teaching methods used by teachers are inclusive enough to allow the participation and acquiring of knowledge by all students irrespective of their learning styles. Felder and Henriques (1995) for example note that teachers cannot be expected to attend to each student by matching their learning styles with the teaching style; however, the teacher can use a multi-dimensional teaching style that caters for all learning styles represented in his/her class. Alternatively, he/she can use different teaching styles sequentially in order to cater for all the learning styles present in class. Specifically, the researcher will be looking for teachers’ ability to motivate learning, offer balanced concrete information, use structured learning approaches, and make open-minded use of visual aids as has been suggested by Felder and Henriques (1995). Methodological framework Although Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) is a common method used in investigating language acquisition successes in most studies (Alhaisoni 2012; Al-Otaibi 2004; Griffiths 2003), this research will deviate from such an approach, and instead, use a different approach that will include gathering qualitative data through interviews. The chosen method will allow the researcher to encounter both English learners and teachers with a relative open mind. As Phellas, Bloch and Seale (2011, p. 221) observe, interviews produce data that is “reliable, general and is comparable with other studies if the same measurement instruments were used”. Roulston (2011) defines an interview as socially-situated where both the interviewer (researcher) and the interviewee actively participate. As Harris and Brown (2010) observe, interviews allow the researcher to expose the inconsistencies and variables within human thinking. Based on the foregoing, the proposed research will most likely unearth some of the misconceptions that exist between English learners and teachers in Saudi Arabia. To ensure that the data obtained from the interviews will align, the researcher will do the following as suggested by Harris and Brown (2010). First, the interview questionnaire items and prompts will be structured and similar. Second, the researcher will try to collect data within a short period (one month). Additionally, the researcher will anchor responses derived from teachers and learners to a common context aligned to the aims and objectives of the research. The researcher will also use consistency and consensus procedures in order to enhance data interpretation. The interview will target 20 English teachers in Saudi Arabian universities and 200 students drawn from the same institutions of learning. The limited sample is justifiable especially due to the time-consuming nature of conducting interviews. The first step in data collection will involve contacting English and literature departments in different Saudi Arabian universities, explaining the nature of the research and getting their participation approval. Participation will be entirely voluntary and both English teachers and learners will be informed as much. To gauge teachers’ use of motivation techniques (or practices that change learners’ attitudes), and also gauge the teaching styles used, this research will adopt the Flander’s Interaction Analysis Categories (FIAC) (Appendix A). As indicated by Anderson and Hansford (1974), the FIAC can be used when the teacher is offering lectures or when he/she is using learning aids such as technology tools. FIAC has 10 categories, seven of which relate to teacher talk, two to student talk, and one which is coded as silence or confusion. The choice is of FIAC as the technique for use in the proposed research is informed by its ability to measure teachers’ directness or lack thereof while teaching, and students’ level of participation. From the results, the researcher will be able to gauge the appropriateness of the teaching styles or tools that specific teachers use in English learning classrooms in the sample universities. The tenth continuum of FIAC – i.e. silence and confusion – will specifically receive specific attention during the proposed research because as Schultz (2009) notes, silence could occur in a classroom either because students do not understand what the teacher is saying, or because they are reflecting about what the teacher says. In either case, teachers should inquire about the silence, especially because in an English language class, it could be interpreted to mean that the students have not acquired or are unmotivated to start practising speaking in English. As Schulz (2009), Anorue (2004), and Atkins (2001) observe, teachers, by the virtue of being more knowledgeable than learners, dominate the classroom. However, the same dominance can force the classroom into silence and confusion especially if the teacher is not alert enough to notice the disengagement that occurs between their teaching styles and the learner’s learning styles. Although silence could be a good indicator because it could mean that students understand and are deeply engrossed in the content being taught, confusion is not. To understand the difference between the ‘good kind of’ silence and confusion, a teacher would need to enquire. When silence is caused by a lack of interest in the subject being taught, then they would need to devise ways of shaping more positive attitudes in the students and motivate them towards learning English. Having chosen FIAC as the appropriate research tool, the researcher will need to tabulate, analyse and discuss the findings using ratios and percentages towards the conclusion of the project. The ratios will specifically be used to show teachers’ and students’ participation. An association of the behaviours exhibited in the classrooms will then be drawn especially in relation to shaping the attitudes of learners, motivating learners, and using technologies in English learning classrooms in Saudi Arabia. The data obtained will also be reviewed against existing findings; based on the foregoing, its contribution to literature will be identified, and gaps not covered in knowledge will also be identified and suggestions for future research made. The methodology will be considered as having been successful if it succeeds in meeting the aims and objectives of the proposed research. Overall however, the researcher will try to use a neat rather than scruffy method to obtain data, for the purpose of obtaining easy to analyse information. Plan, ethical considerations & critical analysis Study plan The key tasks involved in the proposed research will include: conducting a detailed literature to gain existing knowledge regarding the contributors of successful and effective English learning; identifying a research sample and contacting potential respondents for voluntary participation in the study; scheduling and conducting interviews, tabulating, analysing and discussing data obtained during the research; and writing the final report indicating the findings, recommendations, and suggesting areas for future research (See Gantt Chart appendix B). Ethical considerations Conducting the research in institutions of learning will require approval of the institutional boards in individual universities. Additionally, the researcher will also need to get the approval of English teachers whose role in classrooms will be vital. In this case, the researcher will need to prepare a consent form to be signed by the institutional boards and/or the English teachers. The consent form will indicate the purpose and nature of the research; the risks involved, and will also assure participants that their identities and privacy will be protected as suggested by Spata (2002). The researcher will also need to uphold anonymity when indicating the findings in addition to being accurate in reporting the findings. As indicated by Spata (2002) researchers also have an obligation to comply with state and federal laws. In Saudi Arabia’s context, the researcher will have to abide by relevant laws that are applicable in the Kingdom. For example, interviewing members of the opposite gender will require the researcher to follow strict guidelines as practiced in the Kingdom. Challenges and limitations One of the challenges that the proposed research is expected to face is related to time and scheduling interviews. The researcher will however try to stick to a strict time schedule in order to gather all data within a specific time period. The probability of resist interviewees as suggested by Roulston (2011) may also emerge. In such cases, the interviewer will need to reassure the interviewee of the non-injurious nature of the research. However, and being a voluntary-based participation, the interviewer will remain cognisant that the interviewee has a right to opt out of the study. Overall, the researcher will remain aware of Potter and Hepburn’s (2005, p. 505) observations that “interviewing has been too easy, too obvious, too little studies and too open to providing a convenient launch pad for poor research”. Based on the foregoing, the researcher will try to set-up the interviews in a transparent manner in order to enhance the relationship between him and the respondents. The interviewer will also try to consider how specific interactions can affect the research beforehand as recommended by Roulston (2011). Through such reflection, the interviewer will be better positioned to conduct successful interviews. Potter and Hepburn (2005) also observe that interviewers need to be cautious in regard to how they recruit interviewee and the roles they award them. In the context of the proposed research for example, the roles of the teachers as the knowledge givers and students as the knowledge recipients cannot be overlooked. Some teachers could for example try to adopt what they would consider ‘more appropriate’ teaching styles – which they do not usually use – in order to impress the interviewer. Appendices Appendix A: Flanders’ Interaction Analysis Categories (FIAC) Appendix B: Gantt chart (2013) Activities Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct Nov. Dec. 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