A Critical Review of the CELTA Syllabus within the Context of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The focus of this paper is on the cultural aspects of the internationally, well-recognised and accepted international teacher training course known as Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA), or rather, the lack of it. In what follows, we will first discuss the various aspects related to the importance of culture and its inclusion in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT). Next, we will discuss the main highlights of the CELTA course and its main components and present a practical suggestion for implementing a short 'culture' component that can be easily integrated into the course where it will increase cultural awareness amongst new teachers embarking on a career abroad in a foreign country and hopefully achieve pedagogical competence when working abroad.

Glocalizing English Language Teaching in the Arabian Gulf: Professional Development's Mediating Influence

“…Therefore, the current study makes a unique contribution by exploring a professional development program that enabled CLT implementation in the Saudi Arabian EFL context through the contextualization of CLT principles and methodologies. "Glocalizing" the CLT method in the Saudi EFL teaching scenario was essential to make it digestible for both learners and teachers (Al-Asmari, 2016;Sulaimani & Elyas, 2015).…”

“…Unfortunately, these programs often fail to address the evolving needs of learners in the face of contemporary educational and economic changes (Al-bargi, 2019), with inappropriate teaching methods identified as a major contributor to students' underachievement in language learning (Al Asmari, 2016). Despite the unique complexities of the Saudi EFL context compared to other EFL settings (Afzal & Omar, 2021;Al-Asmari, 2016;Sulaimani & Elyas, 2015), efforts to localize global ELT methods and approaches have been lacking. English language teaching approaches in the Saudi EFL context typically align with prescriptive teaching methods, paying limited attention to contextualizing practices for local teachers and learners (Alshaikhi, 2018).…”

“…English language teaching approaches in the Saudi EFL context typically align with prescriptive teaching methods, paying limited attention to contextualizing practices for local teachers and learners (Alshaikhi, 2018). While imported teaching theories and methods have found success in other contexts, their suitability in Saudi Arabia, particularly with regard to communicative language teaching (CLT) principles, has been questioned (Al-Mohanna, 2010;Farooq;2015;Sulaimani & Elyas, 2015). CLT often conflicts with traditional text-based, teacherfronted language teaching approaches, especially in developing countries (Liu & Littlewoods, 1997).…”