Cultural and linguistic factors in the Saudi EFL context

Alrahaili, Musaad

doi:10.4324/9781315688466-4

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Islam is the only religion allowed in Saudi Arabia, and the country is generally known for its conservative tribal culture, although it is gradually opening up. International teachers are to respect that Saudi learners uphold the Islamic faith, values, and customs (Alrahaili, 2018; Khafaji, 2004; Ministry of Education, 1970). The average Saudi EFL learner with an academic background and learning style particular to the Saudi cultural, religious, and educational settings often finds it difficult to respond to the varied teaching styles and pedagogies of language teachers coming from Western and other non-Arab countries (Bataineh and Reshidi, 2017; Richardson, 2004).…”

Section: Emotion(al) Labor In Response To Social Religious and Cultmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emotion labor and affect in transnational encounters: Insights from Western-trained TESOL professionals in Saudi Arabia

Alshakhi

Hà

2020

Research in Comparative and International Education

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Informed by an ethnographic qualitative research study conducted with expatriate teachers of English in Saudi Arabia, we examine emotion(al) labor in the context of transnational mobilities with regards to cultural and institutional tensions. Engaged with wide-ranging interdisciplinary literature on emotion and affect, we discuss the place of transnational emotion(al) labor in four inter-related manifestations: (a) struggles and efforts to interact and communicate with students; (b) internalization and resentment of privilege and deficiency underlying discourses of native speakers; (c) responses to challenges from social, religious, and cultural difference; and (d) prolonged endurance, frustration, helplessness, and resistance to prescribed curriculum, testing, and top-down policy and practice. We also incorporate our reflections and emotion(al) labor as transnationally trained academics as we engage with the participants’ accounts. We show how our study could inspire dialogues with the self and conversations among researchers for support and solidarity beyond constructed boundaries of race, language, religion, ethnicity, and nationality.

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Section: Emotion(al) Labor In Response To Social Religious and Cultmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emotion labor and affect in transnational encounters: Insights from Western-trained TESOL professionals in Saudi Arabia

Alshakhi

Hà

2020

Research in Comparative and International Education

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“…The low performance is related to the low standard of EFL learning in Saudi public schools (Springsteen, 2014;Wiseman et al, 2008). Despite ten years of learning, the Saudi students show low performance (Altwaijri, 1982), and their low score in university proves their lack of EFL skills (Al-Nasser, 2015;Alrahaili, 2014;Alrashidi & Phan, 2015;Elyas & Picard, 2010). Inadequate learning at the primary and secondary levels overburdens students with the additional effort of remediation in college and university (Al Zahrani & Elyas, 2017;Alnofaie, 2013).…”

Section: The Present Condition Of Efl Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The religious, ethnic, and linguistic identities can encumber the Saudi students with various socio-cultural barriers to the acquisition of foreign culture, language, and education. It is due to the conservative attitude of the Saudis to tribal and religious traditions (Alrahaili, 2014;Al-Saraj, 2014). According to Elyas & Picard (2010), Al Dameg (2011), Mahboob & Elyas (2014), and Al-Seghayer (2014), Saudis think that EFL learning can negatively affect the acquisition of Arabic language and culture.…”

Section: The Present Condition Of Efl Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

EFL Learning and Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia: A Critical Perspective

Al-Mwzaiji¹,

Muhammad²

2023

WJEL

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Vision 2030 is a key economic transformation plan for Saudi Arabia conceived in 2016. It envisions the shift from oil to a knowledge-based global economy. Along with this historical event, Saudi Arabia undergoes another historic transformation, i.e., the strategic growth of EFL learning in the domain of education in the second decade of the twenty-first century. Since economy and education go hand in hand, scholars wonder whether EFL learning induces Saudi Vision 2030 or vice versa. The relation between them is causal by nature, but the order of effect is inexplicit. If Saudi Vision 2030 motivates EFL learning, then its present situation is inadequate for the fulfillment of the Vision. If not, then how the inadequate EFL competency of Saudi student can contributes to the visionary transformation of Saudi Arabia. Hence, the problem is an essential concern in academic understanding since its resolution redefines both EFL learning and Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia. The study uses qualitative research on the existing scholarly books and articles on EFL learning and Saudi Vision 2030 to understand the causal order of these phenomena, to illustrate the present condition and explain interrelation of EFL Learning and Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia.

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Instruments measuring motivation to learn Arabic as a second language: evidence of validity and reliability

Alshammari,

Shaalan,

Al-onazi

2024

Humanit Soc Sci Commun

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As studies of second language (L2) learning and motivation typically focus on English as a foreign language (EFL), L2 motivation for Arabic has been less studied. Instruments measuring two sources of L2 Arabic motivation, identity-related motivation, and motivation arising from the L2 learning environment (L2LE), were developed and piloted among L2 Arabic learners. Pilot study results showed strong motivation due to Islamic identity and desire for cultural exposure, but also revealed speaking anxiety in the L2LE. In this study, the objectives were to determine: a) What evidence exists for or against the validity of the subscale measurements from these instruments? and b) how this evidence can be used to explain what appear to be contradictions in the pilot study results. In this mixed-methods study, instruments were administered twice to learners at an L2 Arabic learning institute in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and a sample was interviewed. Quantitative analysis showed evidence of instrument reliability, and analysis of interview data revealed several findings. First, consistent with pilot data, we found that learners, who were all Muslim, were motivated to learn L2 Arabic as part of desiring cultural and social exposure in KSA and to become closer to Islam. Interview data revealed that these learners aimed to adopt the customs and lifestyle of those in KSA as part of becoming closer to Islam, some of which they did through social interaction. Second, L2 Arabic learning of Classical Arabic (CA) at the institute was impeded by the learners’ lack of knowledge of the conversational Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) dialect, which made practical communication with those in KSA difficult. Recommendations are made for instrument improvement, as well as a strategy to incorporate some MSA instruction into the CA curriculum.

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Cultural and linguistic factors in the Saudi EFL context

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

Emotion labor and affect in transnational encounters: Insights from Western-trained TESOL professionals in Saudi Arabia

Emotion labor and affect in transnational encounters: Insights from Western-trained TESOL professionals in Saudi Arabia

EFL Learning and Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia: A Critical Perspective

Instruments measuring motivation to learn Arabic as a second language: evidence of validity and reliability

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