EFL Program of the secondary schools in Qassim region (Saudi Arabia): Problems, Causes and Solutions Saleh Alresheed 2008

Outline Introduction Why Qassim Region ? Statement of the Problem Research Questions. The Purpose of the study Methodology of the research Literature Review Anticipated Benefits

Introduction The Ministry of Education in 1954 outlined the goals of teaching English in public schools and designed the curriculum for each level. English, as a foreign language, is taught in Saudi public schools at the last level of the primary schools, the intermediate and the secondary schools. The teachers of English are non-native speakers, most of them national teachers who have graduated from local universities as well as some foreign teachers from other Arab countries such as Egypt and Sudan

Why Qassim Region? Located at the heart of Saudi Arabia, and almost in the centre of the Arabian Peninsula. The researcher’s hometown. ( Teaching for 3 years) Considered as the most traditional and conservative Muslim society in Saudi Arabia.

Statement of the problem The level of students achievement in English at the secondary schools is low and the general proficiency of Saudi students is unsatisfactory .This problem requires analysis to identify the reasons that causes these unsatisfactory results.

This research aims to identify the problems of the EFL program particularly the problems of:

The cultural values that affect the learning/teaching of the EFL program.   In a society as conservative and closed as that of Saudi Arabia particularly in Qassim region it was very difficult for some Saudis to accept the idea that a language other than Arabic be taught to Saudi students. (Alfallaj 1998) People feared that teaching a foreign language might result in students adopting the culture and values of that language.( Alabdan 1996)

The teaching methods that the teachers use Teachers of English in Saudi Arabia tend to apply some aspects of methods such as the Audio-lingual Method (ALM), grammar translation method and the direct method. Teachers are not encouraged to teach communicative competence and encourage students to speak in English. The lack of methods other than traditional methods, which mainly emphasize teaching grammar, is a problem. Despite the widespread criticism of the ALM and the grammar translation method, they are still used for English instruction in Saudi Arabia. (Alsaadat 1985)

The curriculum design as perceived by the students and the teachers. The EFL textbooks contain issues which are irrelevant to the EFL program goals defined by the Ministry of Education. For example. You will find in one EFL textbook lots of dominant subjects relating to the desert life, keeping livestock especially camels and stories of ancient Arabic heroes, which make the EFL students very weak in using English in modern advanced technologies, hospitals, traveling situations , airports and the like. (Zafer .2002) It is not suitable for the Secondary schools level.

Research Questions What is the content of the textbooks and other materials of the secondary English programs in Saudi Arabia? What methods do teachers use in teaching English inside the classroom? How can the curriculum be modernized while at the same time maintain it’s sensitivity to Saudi culture?

The purposes of the study To diagnose the problems that face learning/teaching English as a foreign language in the Qassim region. To identify the causes of these problems of EFL program in the Qassim region. To offer some possible solutions for the EFL program problems in the Qassim region.

Methodology of the research The research will be qualitative and quantitative. Twenty randomly-selected classroom observations. in Qassim region. Ten in a public school and another ten in a private school, each class will be visited 4 times during the study. semi-structured interviews with teachers and students questionnaires The researcher will draw on previous studies and researches by Saudi and Western researchers to collect the data.

Literature Review Alabdan (1996) stated that the particular nature of the Saudi society is probably another cause behind the decline or lack of motivation to learn English in the Saudi public schools. Zafer (2002) surveyed intermediate and secondary English teachers, from the Qassim region in Saudi Arabia, about the teaching methods they used. He concluded that the method most preferred and used by teachers is the ALM followed by the grammar translation method. Based on that, a conclusion may be drawn that the English teaching methodology in Saudi Arabia is following the more traditional methods of teaching English and need to incorporate more modern communicative methods.

Literature Review Most studies about the EFL program in Saudi Arabia particularly in Qassim region including: (Abu-ghararh, 1986; AI·Ahaydib 1986; Al-Amr 1998; Al-Fallaj1998; Al-Hammadin. 1998; Al-AMazroou; 1988) identify these problems in the teaching/learning EFL by a number of factors. Some of those factors are: lack of motivation, attitude to English (culture), huge social distance between the two cultures, lack of exposure outside the classroom and finally the use of traditional methods in teaching.

Anticipated benefits An extensive evaluation study of the EFL program problems of the secondary schools in Qassim region. The research is expected to help enhance the methods of teaching/learning EFL in Qassim region schools and Saudi Arabia schools in general. Expected to help the Ministry of Education to achieve the goals of teaching English as a foreign language. The researcher will give his recommendations to the Ministry of Education to develop the curricula to be more relevant for the Saudi culture.

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