Teaching English in Saudi Arabia - Case Study Example

Teaching English in Saudi Arabia al affiliation Teaching English in Saudi Arabia After its formation in 1932, modern- day Saudi Arabia was able to prosper in trade and relations with its neighbors. The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic, but English has been emphasized as a medium of communication (CIA World Fact Book, 2010). Saudi Arabia’s oil generation, industries and Islamic pilgrimages led to an influx of people of diverse origins into the country. During the formative years, the Saudi government saw it fit for its citizens to learn English so as to facilitate communication with all these people from other regions of the world. Teaching of English was introduced in Arabian education in the late 1920s and has gone through various stages to the present day curriculum. The stages of development In 1927, English was introduced into educational system by the education directorate. There were no clear objectives for learning English at the time, although it was being taught at the elementary and secondary school levels. English was just another language that was not compulsory for learners. At this stage, English took up about 12 per cent of the Study Plan (Fishman, Conrad & Rubal-Lopez, 1996). In the late 1950s, however, the situation changed with the introduction of the intermediate stage in the Saudi Arabian educational system. This new system introduced in 1958 saw the introduction of an English syllabus borrowed from neighboring countries. The learning objectives were clearly stated in the new syllabus for grades 7, 8 and 9 respectively. This programme was named “Living English for the Arab World” (Braine, 2005).The fueling factor for this new programme was the realization by the education ministry that English was an important universal language. In addition, money generated from the numerous economic ventures in Saudi Arabia led to the establishment of many vocational institutions whose programmes were run in English. Among the reasons for teaching English to Saudi Arabians was to enable the learner to defend the Islamic religion against criticism by other global religions. According to Alharbi (2008), Saudi Arabia did not have qualified English teachers and relied mostly on staff from other Arab countries to teach English in Saudi Arabian schools. Initially, there were a total of eight periods per week for English lessons. Nevertheless, the ministry of education decided to slash down the time spent on instruction in English to four periods by the mid 1980s. Learners were less interested in learning English for career purposes and only enjoyed speaking a second language. Analysts, therefore, argued that the new syllabus was impracticable to the Saudi Arabian society and failed to arouse interest in the learners. In 1980, an English programme named “Saudi Arabian Schools English (SASE) was introduced for the intermediary level of education. The introduction of the programme was a joint effort by the ministry of education and the Macmillan Press. This new programme was seen as catering for the needs of the Saudi Arabian learners, better than its predecessor. The audio-visual method was the most widely used method of teaching English. There were language laboratories to enable learners listen to native speakers of the language. This was to compensate for the lack of native English speakers in Saudi Arabia. The role of the teacher was to facilitate class discussion. The teacher was provided with a curriculum which they had to follow strictly and complete the syllabus. Al Hajailan (2003) writes that the completion of the syllabus was more important than the students’ mastery of the English language. As a result, students were unable to verbally communicate in English, even inside the English class. An assessment of the programme revealed that it had not increased student competency and had, therefore, failed to meet its objectives. In 1990, a new syllabus named “English for Saudi Arabia” (ESA) was put in place. This time round, English was a main subject at both intermediate and secondary stages of education. Among the major objectives of teaching English at these levels was to give learners the capacity to communicate in fundamental English. The learners were required to speak, listen, read and write simple English. The ministry believed that with this basic understanding of English, the learners would be able to fit into their desired careers. The learners would be competent enough to handle issues relating transaction using English language. English was now being taught as a foreign language at both intermediate and secondary schools. The main mode of instruction was grammar translation of audio-lingual content, which was a didactic method of teaching (Pullen, Gitsaki & Baguley, 2010). The textbooks that were used had to undergo numerous changes, in order to cover content that befitted the Saudi Arabian societal needs. Teaching of English began at 6th grade up to the 12th grade. Teachers of English were non-native speakers drawn from various Arab countries, who taught for approximately six hours per week. This has been the most prevalent method of teaching English in Saudi Arabia for a long time now. From the 1990s onwards, more people gained access to English classes. More colleges and universities took up English as a mode of instruction. Private schools also emphasized the importance of teaching English to learners from the elementary stage to enable them cope with world affairs. Several changes have been made to the content, mode of instruction, and design of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). In 1999 for example, the curriculum for Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) was prepared by the ministry of education. Among the goals of TEFL was instructing learners on the fundamentals of the language, to enable them communicate with people who speak English (Liton, 2012). The main objective of TEFL in Saudi Arabia is to equip learners with a language other than their mother tongue. This second language will enable the learners to gain knowledge from other people to help in the spread of Islam and service to humanity (Al Hajailan, 2003). The government of Saudi Arabia through the ministry of education has made progress in ensuring that teaching and learning of English is effective. For instance, in 2003, the cabinet approved the teaching of English from the sixth grade, updating and improving English curricular for intermediate and secondary schools, and enhancing teacher competence (Ramady, 2010). The government also puts a lot of effort in training Saudi Arabians who want to teach English, a course which generally lasts about four years. Prospective teachers are taught grammar, literature and translation. They are also required to go for pre-service teaching for a whole semester. It has, nonetheless, been argued that overreliance on foreign teachers, mainly from other Arab countries contributes to the bad performance of students in English classes. Al- Hazmi (2003) argues that most of the imported teachers from Arabian countries are incompetent and this fact is reflected in low learner outcomes. English teachers are also motivated by good pay for their work. Collin (2005) writes that an English teaching job in Saudi Arabia could earn a person approximately 30, 000 dollars per annum. In the academic year 2008/2009, a program was launched to optimize teaching of English in secondary schools. The government, in collaboration with major international textbook and other instructional material publishers, came up with this four-year initiative. The new instructional material will cover the religious, cultural and other aspects of Saudi life, all in English. Currently, a decision by the council of ministers has seen to it that English is taught from fourth grade starting 2011/2012 academic year. Recommendations Throughout this essay, it is clear that despite many efforts by the education ministry to improve teaching of English in Saudi Arabia, learner outcomes have been very poor. One of the best ways that the government can improve this is by teaching English from first grade. This way, the learner grows up learning English and Arabic at the same time. Teaching and learning English at this stage should be fun, with no textbooks and examinations involved. This will make the learners interested in the subject, thus enhancing their desire to master it. Secondly, the curriculum should not emphasize on syllabus coverage rather, it should focus on comprehension and application of the language by the learner at the end of the course. The hours of teaching English should also be increased to give the teacher ample time to teach and interact with the students. Language laboratories in most schools are underutilized. Visual are always a good way of capturing a learner’s attention and arousing interest. More visuals and less theory should be used to enhance the understanding of the content. Teaching English should incorporate computerized methods to make it easier for learners to access material and do research on their own. Lastly, teachers especially from other Arab countries should be adequately trained on how to teach English. Simple knowledge of a language does not guarantee that one is able to teach it. Once these imported teachers arrive in Saudi Arabia, they should be taken for in-service before being allowed to teach full time. Conclusion Teaching of English in Saudi Arabia has gone through four main stages to date. Improvements have been made throughout the four phases of teaching English; from 1927 to date. Today, the Saudi Arabian government has ensured that learners get exposed to the language at a fairly young age, the curriculum is relevant, and teachers are better qualified than before. However, some of the issues that affected teaching of English in 1927 continue to be pertinent to date. Issues such as low learner interest, didactic teaching methods, inadequately qualified teachers and inadequate instructional material need to be addressed. Once the government through the ministry of education does this, then teaching English in Saudi Arabia will have more positive learner outcomes than it has had to date. References Al Hajailan, D. (2003). Teaching English in Saudi Arabia. Aldar Alsawlatiah: Riyadh. Alharbi, L. (2008). The Effectiveness Of Using Cooperative Learning Method On ESL Reading Comprehension Performance, Students Attitudes Toward CL, And Students Motivation Toward Reading Of Secondary Stage In Saudi Public Girls Schools. Virginia: ProQuest. Al-Hazmi, S. (2003). EFL Teacher Preparation Programs in Saudi Arabia: Trends and Challenges. TESOL Quarterly, 37:2. Summer 2003, Pp. 341-344. Retrieved June 17, 2012. Available at: JSTOR. Braine, G. (2005). Teaching English to the World: History, Curriculum, and Practice. New Jersey: Laurence Erlbaum Associate, Inc. CIA World Fact Book. 2010. Saudi Arabia. Retrieved June 17, 2012. Available at: http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html Collin, S. (2005). Guide To English Language Teaching Yearbook 2005. London: Modern English Publishing Ltd. Fishman, J, Conrad, A, & Rabal-Lopez, G. (1996). Post-Imperial English: Status Change In Former British and American Colonies, 1940-1990. Berlin: Walter De Gruyter & Co. Liton, H. (2012). Developing EFL Teaching And Learning Practices In Saudi Colleges: A Review. International Journal of Instruction, Vol. 5, No. 2, Pp. 130-132. Pullen, D, Gitsaki, C, & Baguley, A. (2010).Technoliteracy, Discourse and Social Practice: Frameworks and Applications in The Digital Age. Hershey: Information Science Reference. Ramady, M. (2010). The Saudi Arabian Economy: Policies, Achievements, and Challenges. New York: Springer. Read More