The study identifies appropriate Mind mapping techniques to enhance the EFL learners' writing ability. It reviews and examines the traditional techniques used in teaching writing to the Saudi intermediate learners and identifies appropriate Mind mapping techniques along with an application procedure to enhance the writing skill. The sample included 40 intermediate learners and 20 English language teachers at the English Language Institute. The study divided into two phases; a Survey Phase and an Experiment Phase; started with the learners' placement test and a questionnaire distributed in EL teachers to collect the data on practicing usual techniques and problems faced while teaching writing. Since, the main focus of the study was to identify the appropriate Mind mapping techniques to enhance the learners' writing ability, the experiment phase continued for 7-8 weeks. The statistical analysis of the data was carried out by using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. The results indicated that the learners, who were taught through Mind maps, improved cohesion and coherence; content paragraph structure and length in writing. The results manifested that the hierarchical structure of the Mind mapping techniques used in the pre-writing process enhanced the EFL learners' writings.

The study highlights English a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' perceptions about integrating Blended Learning (BL) to facilitate them completing their foundation year English courses at a Saudi university. The focus of the study was to investigate "the EFL learners' perception about integrating blended learning in their English Language Teaching (ELT) process". For this purpose, a survey was constructed in three subsections investigating the learners' viewpoints about BL as a platform: a) to improve learners' interaction, b) to increase their interests, and c) to provide autonomous learning. A mixed approach was adopted for the study to be conducted in one of the largest universities in Saudi Arabia. The participants (n=120) taken as sample were studying intensive English courses at four different levels as per the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) during their first year at university. The data was collected by using the designed survey consisting sixteen closed and an open-ended question to investigate the learners' perceptions in depth. The results indicate an overall positive attitude of the learners towards BL integration. ANOVA analysis of the variables shows insignificant effect of the 'level of computer proficiency' and the 'level of learners' language skills' on their perceptions. The results conclude that the learners' perceptions are found in favour of BL. Thus, it is recommended to integrate BL to increase the learners' interest, interaction, and autonomy.

Metacognitive knowledge, knowledge about knowledge, was found to have a positive effect on learners’ performance, self-regulation, and academic success (Hartman, 2001; Wenden, 2001 & McCormick, 2013). However, little research has been done about the use of metacognitive knowledge and strategies applied in EFL writing in a Saudi context. The present study investigated the university learners’ metacognitive abilities in relation to writing including other variables like learners’ educational background and years of studying English. The study examined the correlation between the learners’ metacognitive abilities and their writing performance affected by their metacognitive knowledge and its regulation. Data were collected using a modified version of the Metacognitive Components of Planning Writing Self-inventory developed by Escorcia and Gimenes (2020) to analyze the learners’ metacognitive writing strategies. The survey consisted of three factors, metacognitive conditional knowledge, covert self-regulation, and environmental self- regulation. Participants were 190 female learners, first-year students studying English in a comprehensive program including writing at the University of Jeddah. Learners were asked to complete the survey adapted by the end of their course. The level of metacognition was checked for its effect on learners’ writing through Linear Regression. Findings indicate a positive significant correlation between the learners’ metacognitive conditional knowledge and writing performance. Also, a significant impact was predicted on learners’ writing performance. However, findings also specify a negative correlation between environmental self-regulation and learners’ writing performance. Additionally, the ‘years of studying English’ highly correlate with the learners’ metacognitive abilities, unlike learners’ educational background.

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The study highlights English a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' perceptions about integrating Blended Learning (BL) to facilitate them completing their foundation year English courses at a Saudi university. The focus of the study was to investigate "the EFL learners' perception about integrating blended learning in their English Language Teaching (ELT) process". For this purpose, a survey was constructed in three subsections investigating the learners' viewpoints about BL as a platform: a) to improve learners' interaction, b) to increase their interests, and c) to provide autonomous learning. A mixed approach was adopted for the study to be conducted in one of the largest universities in Saudi Arabia. The participants (n=120) taken as sample were studying intensive English courses at four different levels as per the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) during their first year at university. The data was collected by using the designed survey consisting sixteen closed and an open-ended question to investigate the learners' perceptions in depth. The results indicate an overall positive attitude of the learners towards BL integration. ANOVA analysis of the variables shows insignificant effect of the 'level of computer proficiency' and the 'level of learners' language skills' on their perceptions. The results conclude that the learners' perceptions are found in favour of BL. Thus, it is recommended to integrate BL to increase the learners' interest, interaction, and autonomy.