Job Discussion Forums

[nomad soul]

The following is an opinion piece from the Saudi Gazette's Editor-at-Large:

Why isn't English taught properly in our schools?
By Khaled Almaeena, Saudi Gazette | April 12, 2014
Source: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140413201680

The Education Department in the Riyadh region has pointed out several deficiencies in the teaching of English language in the nation's schools. To me this is a good sign. To admit that there is a problem is a sign that solutions are possible, if there is a will to find and implement these solutions.

Among the negative aspects in the teaching of English outlined by the Education Department were poor and incorrect pronunciation, the use of Arabic in teaching English, no homework, carelessness in writing and no practical use of English writing skills. There was also little or no utilization of books that assist in teaching the English language to those whose mother tongue is not English and no stress on elocution, dialogue or conversation. In fact the teaching of English in our schools is done in a basic and rudimentary manner. Added to that is the weakness and the inability of Saudi English language teachers to improvise.

However, I am not at all surprised at these findings. First of all I believe that teachers should be taught how to teach. They have to attend teacher training institutes where those who instruct them are themselves familiar with the latest English language teaching methodology. Those who teach English in our schools must be able to communicate. To do that they must be strong in the English language — unfortunately, many are not.

I once met someone I knew and asked him what was he doing. He said he was an English language teacher in a secondary school in Al-Ola. “But you are a chemistry graduate,” I remarked. He smiled and said that teaching English was the only position available and the Directorate of Education had sent him there to teach it. His English was atrocious. I truly felt sorry for his students. On another occasion, I ran into a group of Saudi English language teachers at Jeddah airport. I spoke to them in English. I received garbled answers in pidgin English which did not make any sense. I asked them if they read any English language newspapers. None of them had ever bought or read one. It was very disturbing. Once again I thought about the outcome for our education system. How will the students of such teachers fare in their college education abroad? It will put a big burden on them. This is why many of our students fail to achieve scholastic excellence at foreign universities.

The failure to teach English properly also causes problems for our own universities. English is taught throughout secondary schools in Saudi Arabia, and some students receive high scores in the subject in their school leaving exams. But when these same students enter our universities, they are found to have an inadequate level of ability in the language. As a result, the Kingdom's universities, at great expense, are forced to operate large English language institutes and foundation programs to try to upgrade the language skills of students who studied English for four years in our secondary schools.

However, it is not just our secondary school teachers' lack of skill in the English language which is the problem. It is also their lack of interest in teaching the language that filters through to students. This affects our students not only in education but in the work they will do later in their life. They are deprived of a good education and thus they become ignorant. They cannot access books or other reading material in English, and this adds to the frustration of many when they go abroad.

The argument by many that the teaching of English affects our language, Arabic, is also false. Studies have shown that knowing a foreign language helps develop the native language. So what should we do with these findings?

First of all, the top priority in selecting teachers is to put stress on those who have graduated with a degree in English. Identify, train and retain them. Check their aptitudes and determine their interest in teaching.

Secondly, the Ministry of Education must be made aware that no one can Saudize the mind. Bring native speakers to the Kingdom to teach English as was done in the 1960s and 1970s. This was also helpful in cultural dissemination. We will be broadening the horizons of our students which will result in a paradigm shift in their mental processes.

Thirdly, language teachers should be trained in the use of all the latest skills and methodologies. Our teachers currently know little of the latest English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching methods. In many of our classrooms, Arabic is used to talk about the English language, but students rarely hear the language itself and have no opportunity to actually practice using it. There is little effective use of language labs in which students can listen to a model of the language, record their own voice and then listen to themselves. There is a lot of EFL/ESL material available on the Internet, but teachers must be trained in the use of it.

English is not being taught effectively in our schools. We cannot afford to be complacent, and there is no time to waste. China has imported thousands of English language teachers to assist them. By 2018, they want Chinese youth to be on a par with their counterparts across the globe. This is what we should do.

There is no need to be embarrassed. Since we have identified the problems, we must underline them and make an effort to erase past mistakes. The time to do it is now!

(End of opinion)

[plumpy nut]

[grayskies]

This has been an issue for as long as I can remember. The books used for the IEP/PYP are a reflection of this point. I'm sure, if you dig deep enough, you will find similar articles dating back 30 years.

Not much has changed, in the way of change.

[plumpy nut]

There will be no change as long as teachers are abusively moved from one position to another position (in some cases fired) due to the superficial cultural sensibilities and flawed feelings of the students. As long as students do not perceive that learning English takes long and hard work and is not handed to them their will be no change period. The problems that stop education dead in its tracts are entrenched in this society due to feelings of entitlement, tribalism and religion. An admission will not produce any change whatsoever, it will take a lot more than that.

[scot47]

Take the salary and enjoy the holidays. Chill. Smoke a shisha.! Drink Bebsi teacher ! Their country, their schools, their problem.

[cmp45]

Yes, as scot 47 says so ,succinctly... it is what it is, we are here because we accepted to work here on their terms; for the money and the cheap bebsi; swim with the current rather than against it.

[scot47]

Remarkable that you can still buy a Pepsi Cola for SR1. A pound for a can in Rip-off Ukania.

[rollingk]

Apparently although they've been unable to find or train decent teachers, they do have expertise in some departments, as revealed by another cutting edge article in the Arab News, "KSA Facing Increased Cases of Withcraft"

http://www.arabnews.com/news/554956

"The commission also recently introduced training programs for field employees in Makkah on how to deal with sorcerers."


Thank goodness they're on top of that, and they're also combating a virulent outbreak of jinns . . . but perhaps if they'd just address the education issue with the same verve. It's that chicken or egg question again isn't it?

[cmp45]

My momma always said..."Don't play with fire!"

[veiledsentiments]

[johnslat]

"That old black magic has me in its spell, that old black magic that you weave so well.
Those icy fingers up and down my spine
That same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine.
The same old tingle that I feel inside, and then that elevator starts its ride
And down and down I go, round and round I go, like a leaf that's caught in the tide."

Regards,
John

[grayskies]

lol

Sing it John...lol

[plumpy nut]

Yeah sing it Baby, sing it Ow!

[nomad soul]

A related article from a couple of years ago:

Saudi grads from UK struggle with English
By Amal Al-Sibai, Saudi Gazette | 21 May 2012
Source: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=20120521124608

JEDDAH — The United Kingdom is one of the top choices for students who wish to complete their education abroad, many of who are eligible for the King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship Program. A large number of young Saudis spend between three to five years in the UK to attend university and many of them graduate and return home with university degrees but they still have poor English language skills. Some Saudi students even lack the ability to speak English fluently and they struggle to express themselves freely and confidently in this second language.

Experts in the educational field pondering this problem question how one can live up to five years in a country and not acquire the native language? Many also ask why Saudi students who have studied in the United States become more adept at speaking the English language than those who studied in the UK? To get some answers, Saudi students shared their personal experiences and shed light on the challenges they faced while studying in the United Kingdom.

Saad Al-Sulaiman who graduated from the United Kingdom with a Bachelor’s degree told Al-Watan newspaper, “Having poor English language skills is the main reason why some Saudi students fail in their studies in British universities. The first step students take upon arrival in the UK is to enroll in a language institute to study English before attending university. The problem is that many of these English language schools are commercial in nature and their main goal is financial gain and they fail to give the Saudi student the head start he/she needs to dive into the English language. The lessons at most institutes are too superficial and involve teaching the language in a more relaxed, social, and daily life setting, rather than for academic purposes. For example, the student is rarely taught how to write essays, research, extract information from massive references and list the works cited for his/her paper. As a result, language skills remain weak and many students lag behind in meeting the university’s demands. Once the student enters the university, it is too late to significantly develop his/her language skills. Students will be too busy coping with university life and studying the course material; they have no time to revise the basics of the language,” he added.

According to Al-Sulaiman, the root of the problem lies in the fact that Saudi students on scholarship programs are free to choose any English language institute, as long as it is accredited with the British Council of Education. “Students lack the necessary knowledge and expertise to select the best English language school. If the student is dissatisfied with the institute, there are strict regulations in the UK that stipulate that if a student wishes to change the language institute, she/he must travel back to Saudi Arabia and reenter with another student visa, which is a long ordeal that most students do not want to go through. I think that the university in which the student has enrolled should require students to study at only one or two particular language schools that have high standards and have a good reputation in the UK.”

Another student complained that many of the English language institutes in major British cities which are highly populated with Arab students are overcrowded. And as the student-teacher ratio in the classroom increases, the quality of teaching and the attention given to struggling students decreases. In order to avoid the problem, he said language schools should set a ceiling for the number of Saudi students they accept.

Saeed Al-Amoudi, who graduated from the UK and now holds a PhD, said the problems and obstacles faced by Saudi youth when studying the English language start at home. “One factor behind the Saudi student’s inability to excel at the English language is because the English language curriculum taught at government schools in Saudi Arabia is weak, highly lacking, and inadequate to prepare students to study abroad. Saudi students are under immense pressure and stress to do well on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam required by British universities that they become desperate and will even memorize material to pass the exam. Due to this incorrect method of studying which is only a temporary quick-fix, the student does not absorb the language nor does he/she gain the necessary skills to truly acquire the language. Students should be trained to understand the workings of a language and not just blindly memorize.”

“Another major factor that hinders the learning process of the English language is the student’s personality. Withdrawn, shy students who avoid making British friends, fail to communicate with fellow students and teachers. Many Saudi students only socialize with other Saudis and Arabs and miss out on many benefits. Of course failure to read plenty of English books and newspapers will also hamper the learning process,” added Al-Amoudi.

Muhammad Al-Swaidan, a PhD candidate currently in the United Kingdom, places the largest portion of blame on the students themselves. “Some students are inactive in university life, do not participate in events and forums, and lack the initiative to get involved in activities that would force them to interact more with their English-speaking peers and use the language more. Repeated absences, negligence in completing written assignments, and lack of participation in public speaking all contribute to the phenomenon of Saudi students leaving the UK with a degree but with poor English language skills. Some students graduate and they still struggle when speaking English, even to order a cup of coffee,” said Al-Swaidan.

To be fair to Saudi youth, Al-Swaidan pointed to the widely-held view that most British nationals are harder to approach and communicate with than the average American. Al-Swaidan said that Americans are friendlier, more talkative, and more inviting which makes it easier for Saudis and other foreigners to engage in conversation with them and thus learn and practice the English language more frequently.

Al-Swaidan urged the Ministry of Higher Education to launch a website that lists the best and highly recommended English language institutes in the United Kingdom that can help students gain both written and spoken language skills and succeed at the university level.

(End of article)

[scot47]

Astrology in the West. Witchcraft in the East. What is the difference ?