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[redeyes]

Guys, an open enquiry here --

I have taught Gulf/ME/Persian/North African students for many years but usually in "mixed cultural/multi national� classes, which as we know is quite different from "closed culture/mono culture" groups.

Focusing on the Gulf/ME students here , and the typical problems they faced when learning English-- I usually found their fluency skills/communicative ability to be reasonable -- but they often fell short on accuracy skills, particularly in writing, not to mention the actual forming of the letters and punctuation ( unsurprising since their script is so different).

I also encountered difficulty when asking Gulf students to form debate/objective IELTS style academic essays, in which the student would have to put forward a distinctive thesis -- and then defend and criticize it, and ultimately conclude/resolve the academic argument in the essay. Besides, there were also repeated structural problems when forming sentences/paragraphs, such as run on sentences, fragments, comma splices, and -- most of all -- relentlessly incorrect use of conventional tense structures, from mangled use of past continuous, to poor use of articles, to mixing the conditional forms.

Do those same problems arise in �closed mono culture� groups in the UAE? Any other problems you could point out/add to the list?

Also can I ask a cultural question? When I have taught Muslim students in countries other than the ME/Gulf -- I can truthfully say that most of them (not all) had a very low opinion of drinkers, even in countries where alcohol was allowed and freely available. I wonder how that is in the Gulf, where alcohol is allowed for Westerners/non Muslims? Do students/fellow (Muslim) staff typically disapprove of drinkers? How does it work? I am mainly a social drinker and quite happy living without it � but don�t drinkers in the Gulf find their fellows disapproving of them? Isn�t it better/more prudent -- to just not to drink for the most part?

Any input appreciated.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Hi there, redeyes. I've been following your posts on the Saudi board. Drinking evidence there is ABSOLUTELY verboten, but in other Gulf places (except Kuwait), the attitude is more relaxed. I'd be what most would consider a heavy drinker. I look at it in the opposite direction, I admire those who have the strength to abstain.

I try to be observant of my Muslim and abstaining friends. I, personally, have problems with people who pop up to the roof and then come down to spew their tobacco-tainted breath in my face. Most are Muslim. I keep my feelings to myself as I recognise the horrible fact that I am imperfect. If they're offended by me being a little weaker one night and tippling a little later than one should...they can kiss my lilly white a**. I don't look down on them and, to me, shame on them if they look down on me. We all chase our own demons.

Bottom line: Don't ask, don't tell. Put on your game face...always disapprove of such "nasty" habits...do your job...and soldier on...

NCTBA

[veiledsentiments]

[james van cleave]

I taught in the Gulf for years and in my-yes, granted, cynical opinion none of the Emiratis were particularly interested in learning much of anything. So, I wouldn't worry too much about technique.
One defining characteristic of UAE nationals is that they are staggeringly hypocritical. My advice... You can drink. Just make sure you never drink with them.

[redeyes]

--

[veiledsentiments]

[seven seas]

disappointed...


I thought we were going to talk about the effects of drinking on language learning in the UAE.

[veiledsentiments]

[mishmumkin]

I'd like to explore the effects of drinking on language teaching in the UAE. I think that phd is calling my name...*edited for spelling errors. tisk tisk. Need to lay off the booze so early in the morning.

[lall]

[mishmumkin]

[trapezius]

Yes, they look down upon drinkers... however, the funny/sad thing is that a big chunk of the students at private universities in the Gulf are habitual drinkers and/or recreational drug-users.

If it is true in pure Saudi Arabia, it has to be true in the smaller more liberal Gulf states.

That's just one of the hypocrisies of Gulf nationals. Another common related one: They typically look down upon Western people for having multiple partners and/or having partners before marriage. But, given the chance, a majority of them would engage in such behaviour themselves, as is evidenced by the Gulf youth who go to Western countries to study. Almost every one of them ends up sleeping with mutliple white women in several cities/states. And the ones who are married aren't far off. Rates of adultery are very high in these countries, but are typically kept hush hush. Newspapers are full of stories of husbands on the prowl in malls and other places looking for 2nd and 3rd illegal partners.

[mishmumkin]