Teaching EFL in Saudi Arabian Context: Textbooks and Culture

Abstract

Abstract-This article analysed the impact of foreign (L2) cultures on EFL students in Saudi universities. The investigation has been carried out on the basis of theoretical background study, an analysis of the prescribed textbooks and a survey of the L2 learners' attitudes. The research samples include two course books, Access and Interaction1 published by McGraw-Hill Education, and students of English Department, Najran University, KSA. A thorough analysis of the contents of the series showed that the textbooks largely ignore local culture (L1) and include mainly foreign cultures and cultures of other nationalities. The overall results of the survey demonstrated thatL2 learners disagree with the dominance of foreign culture in their course books. However, they simultaneously showed a very positive attitude towards foreign cultures that do not contradict with Saudi social values. This article, therefore, sought to address the cultural bias in the course books and consequent grassroots discontent among L2 learners. The findings of the study are expected to help both ELT specialists and the concerned authority in KSA to select and design textbooks which are suitable for effective pedagogy and tolerably compatible with L1 values and culture.

The Pedagogical Evaluation of Q: Skills for Success Textbooks as Perceived by EFL Instructors at Taibah University

“…Some pictures, depending on the instructors' opinions, should be revised and modified to suit the local culture of the students. This result of findings supported what had obtained by Ahmad and Shah (2014) and Aldera (2017) who found that the textbooks ignored the Saudi culture and included mainly foreign cultures. Objectives, according to Table 3, were considered to be appropriate and applicable.…”

Factors Underlying Current Saudi EFL Teachers’ Approaches to Teaching the Four Macro and Micro Language Skills

“…For example, some EFL teachers perceive teaching cultural values as a form of cultural imposition or, more accurately, as a form of linguistic globalization emanating from cultural globalization. Teachers who view instruction in culture as a covert way of imposing cultural hegemony or linguistic imperialism fear that teaching Western values or Anglo-American cultural practices is liable to alienate students from their own cultural values and erode their identities owing to the non-representation of their own context (Al-Dosari, 2013;Al-Samani, 2014;Al-Seghayer, 2016;Aldera, 2017). Some teachers also believe that teaching non-local culture may diminish students' motivation or, worse still, encourage them to adopt cultural values associated with the English language.…”

The Integration of Corpus-Based Approach with EFL Academic Writing in the Saudi Context

“…Despite the importance of improving EFL writing skills, the EFL learners in general and EFL Saudi learners in particular do not focus upon these skills. Previous studies in the Saudi context mostly focused on analyzing English textbooks by using the CA analysis approach without giving ample attention to the learners' perception such as (Aldera, 2017;Almujaiwel, 2018). Mostly, in the EFL countries including Saudi Arabia, success in English at schools and universities is measured depending on the accuracy of their writing products.…”