Teaching writing in English is a particularly daunting task for EFL teachers. Much of it concerns teaching accuracy in text production, development and thought expression which is usually not the teachers’ stated aim. Thus, teachers’ perceptions to the teaching of writing and the actual classroom practices need examination, which is the aim of this study, a prerequisite to recommending pedagogical changes to bridge the gap that exists between educational aims and outcomes so far as the teaching of writing to EFL learners in Saudi tertiary level educational institutions is concerned. The study applies a quantitative approach via a survey conducted with one hundred EFL teachers at Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMBSIU, henceforth), Qassim University and King Khaled University, Saudi Arabia. Results suggest that inadequate English resources and inefficient teaching methods are, in general, the main causes of poor writing skills. Further, the teachers perceive limited lexis, irregular sentences, and orthographical differences with the mother tongue as impediments in the learners’ ability to write well in English. The study concludes with some pertinent recommendations to remedy the situation.

No abstract

Muslims’ image in the West had completely changed since 9/11, 2001. This paper uses the textual analysis method to explore Leila Aboulela as a writer with a sophisticated commitment to Islam who strives to counteract the biased perception of Islam and Muslims. Drawing on the views of Wail Hassan, the study focuses on Leila Aboulela’s novel The Kindness of Enemie to examine the author’s concern of Muslims’ image in the west after the 9/11 terrorist attack and its impact on Muslims, particularly the immigrants. It argues that Aboulela uses Imam Shamil as a metaphor to debunk the terrorist attacks that target innocent people under the pretext of Islam, and on the other hand, setting a good example of the concept of jihad. The findings show that Aboulela’s primary concern is to condemn terrorist operations against innocent people worldwide. To illustrate her views, the author uses two contrasted pictures, the historical story of Imam Shamil, who embodies the proper jihadist/resistance vis-à-vis with the current so-called jihadists. The study further shows that those terrorist acts have significantly impacted Muslims’ lives and are the first cause of contemporary racism, islamophobia, and the sense of loss among Muslim immigrants in the west.

The sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent drastic changes in the education sector led to a great deal of interest being generated in educational research. The corpus so added covered a wide range of issues that mushroomed in the new scenario, and as far as language research goes, there were not many areas that did not invoke new forays. However, teaching and learning of literature courses has remained a largely virgin territory and one which this study explores. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examines the perspectives and satisfaction of EFL learners and teachers at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University (IMBSIU), Saudi Arabia, to the study of English literature in the online mode with standard online learning platforms in Imam University. This was followed by collection of quantitative data from both teachers (N= 30) and students (N= 50) using online surveys after an interventional period of six weeks during which literature lessons were delivered in a purely online mode. Data were collected via validated questionnaire supported by previous studies. Results showed that teachers reported their satisfaction due to the engagement of their students in the online literature classes. Similarly, students of the EFL literature class at IMBSIU have positive attitudes and high satisfaction on studying literature in the online mode. Furthermore, students reported gains in terms of (i) Efficacy of materials and resources; ii. Opportunities for autonomous learning; and iii. Opportunities for interaction; the teachers reported satisfaction in terms of i. Learner interaction; and ii. Professional satisfaction. The outcomes are likely to reflect on the efficacy of pedagogical practices and help enhance learning outcomes. Based on these findings, the study proposes pertinent recommendations on how online learning platforms in a tertiary setting might be utilized and enhanced over time, even when the pandemic becomes a thing of the past.

Even though many critics and researchers have noted that religion is one of the taboo issues in al-Muqri"s works, and in spite of the fact that al-Muqri"s anti-religious attitude is easily noticeable in his novels, little attention is paid to this issue. This study uses textual analysis method to critically examine al-Muqri"s antireligious stance in his selected texts, The Handsome Jew and Adani Incense. It attempts to shed light on the way he presented religious figures together with their religious discourse and the mythologies that those scholars promote among the public. The study further attempts to probe into al-Muqri"s critical techniques which he used to deliver his views. The study shows that al-Muqri utilizes different literary techniques to mock the religious figures and their fundamentalist discourse that impacts many and evoke hatred and revenge among individuals in the society. He also shows keen on interest in what I referred to as moderate Islam which he introduces in his first novel, The Handsome Jew, through Fatima"s characterization. However, his call for moderate discourse appears to be more urgent in Adani Incense where he introduces the opposite of it, extremism, in order to stress the need for moderate voice. In this sense, I would argue that al-Muqri attempts to villainize most of his religious figures in order to strengthen his views.