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Preparation of Teachers of EAL in Saudi Arabia: Research, Policy, Curriculum and Practice

Authors:
  • English language Institute

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In this chapter, we describe the policies, curricula and pedagogical practices guiding the preparation of teachers of English as an additional language in Saudi Arabia. We start by describing the historical context, national policy and learner and teacher populations. We then focus on English teachers’ preparation programs in the country, describing their research foundation, current policies, qualification of teacher educators, curriculum mandates and practicum requirements. After that, we explain quality assurance practices in terms of accreditation and accountability and formative and summative assessment. The chapter ends with an account of in-service teacher professional development in the country.
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... This checklist gains particular significance in English-as-a-foreignlanguage (EFL) contexts where learners' vocabulary knowledge is notably lacking. One such context is Saudi Arabia, where students finish school with a small English vocabulary repertoire and only show slight improvement after they finish college (Al-Hoorie et al., 2021;Al-Nujaidi, 2003;Masrai & Milton, 2012). This might point to issues in vocabulary teaching practices at both levels of education. ...
... The Saudi K-12 system includes four levels of education: preschool (at the age of five), primary school (6-to 12-years-old), intermediate school When it comes to the training that English language schoolteachers in Saudi Arabia receive, Al-Seghayer (2014) observes that there is a wide variation in the structure of the BA teacher-training programs in Saudi Arabia, leading to a lack of deep understanding (on the part of the teacher) of the most appropriate language-teaching methods. The situation in post-secondary education is different with a cosmopolitan atmosphere where the majority of language teachers hold MA or PhD degrees, albeit still in various specialties ranging from linguistics to literature and translation (Al-Hoorie et al., 2021). When we consider the vocabulary-teaching strategies employed by teachers at both school and college levels, there does not seem to be general guidelines or unified policies. ...
... The findings detailed earlier indicate that there are apparent gaps in both groups of teachers' (at school and at college levels) understanding of what makes a vocabulary activity successful. This echoes the calls of several Saudi scholars (Al-Hoorie et al., 2021;Al-Seghayer, 2014, see Background) for standardizing teacher-training programs in Saudi Arabia to ensure that English language teachers at both educational levels achieve acceptable levels of competence. Until then, we recommend that both schoolteachers and college-level teachers receive specialized training courses in relation to the best vocabulary teaching practices. ...
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Vocabulary learning activities are predominant in the English language classroom. Research examining teachers' awareness of effective vocabulary instructional practices is limited. The current mixed-methods study (explanatory sequential design) aims to elicit responses from schoolteachers and college-level teachers in the Saudi EFL context to evaluate their implementation of the Technique Feature Analysis criteria (Nation & Webb, 2011). A survey was administered to 86 EFL teachers in Saudi Arabia. This was followed by focused group interviews with a sub-sample of 15 teachers. Results showed that teachers at both levels frequently employed the criteria under 'motivation' and 'noticing'. However, most college-level teachers could not give students the freedom to select the words they needed to learn, did not use images to visualize vocabulary items, and were hesitant about using translation in their classrooms. Schoolteachers, on the other hand, did not pay attention to teaching individual unknown words in context. The results have important implications regarding teacher perceptions of effective vocabulary teaching and the design of language programs in Saudi Arabia.
... The past decade has witnessed a rapid growth of English-medium Instruction (EMI) programs in many higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia (Alnasser, 2022;Al-Hoorie et al., 2021;Allmnakrah & Evers, 2020;Almoaily & Alnasser, 2019;Elyas, 2008Elyas, , 2011Elyas & Picard, 2010Elyas & Badawood, 2016;Elyas & Al-Ghamdi, 2018;Phan & Barnawi, 2015;Barnawi & Al-Hawsawi, 2017;Barnawi, 2017Barnawi, , 2021aBarnawi, , 2021b. Commentators have identified several factors regarding this rapid growth of EMI in the Saudi context. ...
... The foundation year which includes intensive English courses, is currently a requirement at most Saudi universities. Outside the nation's borders, the country has also set up a generous scholarship program, mostly to English-speaking countries, that hundreds of thousands of undergraduate and graduate students have been admitted to over the years (for more on the history of teaching English in Saudi Arabia, see Al-Hoorie et al., 2021;Barnawi & Al-Hawsawi, 2017;Mahboob & Elyas, 2014;Elyas & Picard, 2018). ...
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The past decade has witnessed a rapid growth of English-medium Instruction (EMI) programs in many higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia (Alnasser, 2022; Al-Hoorie et al., 2021; Allmnakrah & Evers, 2020; Almoaily & Alnasser, 2019; Elyas, 2008, 2011; Elyas & Picard, 2010, 2013, 2018; Elyas & Badawood, 2016; Elyas & Al-Ghamdi, 2018; Phan & Barnawi, 2015; Barnawi & Al-Hawsawi, 2017; Barnawi, 2017, 2021a, 2021b). Commentators have identified several factors regarding this rapid growth of EMI in the Saudi context. These include the desire for internationalization (Phan & Barnawi, 2015), economic growth (Elyas & Picard, 2013; Elyas & Al-Ghamdi, 2018), the need to reform and shift educational policy (Allmnakrah & Evers, 2020) coupled with the desire to improve university rankings (Kirkpatrick, 2014; Tsou et al., 2017) towards a transnational world (De Costa et al., 2020). These driving forces have led to the expansion of EMI across Saudi universities, particularly in top-tier universities (De Costa et al., 2021), and the quest towards ‘global multiversities’ (Collini, 2012). The chapter reviews a range of historical and current investigations that may serve as an important resource for EMI researchers and policymakers at a time when EMI programs, particularly in Saudi Arabia, are getting increasing attention.
... In the last two decades, there has been a swift proliferation of EMI programs in various higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia (Alnasser, 2022;Al-Hoorie et al., 2021;Barnawi & Al-Hawsawi, 2017). Studies have identified various factors contributing to this rapid expansion of EMI within the Saudi context. ...
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This systematic literature review investigates the adoption and impact of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in Saudi Arabian higher education. It synthesizes findings from 18 empirical studies, primarily in applied sciences such as engineering, medicine, and computer science, while noting a dearth of research in social sciences. The review reveals a uniformity in student perceptions of EMI across disciplines, highlighting its widespread acceptance and challenges in cultural and linguistic adaptation. It also emphasizes the diversity of research methodologies used, offering insights into both teacher and student perspectives. This comprehensive analysis not only maps the current landscape of EMI in Saudi Arabia but also identifies critical areas for future research, particularly in understanding its long-term educational and socio-cultural implications.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the impact of 9/11 on education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The authors take a historical approach in order to speak more broadly about higher education policy in Saudi Arabia and show how the post 9/11 context of education in Saudi Arabia has led to a new paradigm in educational policy, which has moved away from what McCarthy et al. call “safe harbors” in schooling and education. Design/methodology/approach – The authors first define neoliberalism and then describe its manifestations and impact on the Saudi Arabian educational context, particularly post-9/11. The authors also describe the arguments against adopting a neoliberal approach and suggest a new neoliberalism that addresses the needs of a glocalized Saudi higher educational community. Findings – A neoliberalism paradigm has been adopted by education policy writers and university academics. In addition, the university learners have enthusiastically embraced neoliberalism and globalization. However, the authors argue that the local conditions make a complete transformation to neoliberalism inappropriate and that, instead, a glocalized form of neoliberalism is required to meet national and individual needs and to ensure the buy-in of local teachers/lecturers. Practical implications – This paper has implications both locally and internationally. It provides insight into the changes that occurred in the educational policy of Saudi Arabia post 9/11. This in turn explains how Saudi Arabia's sudden shift in education gears towards the local market needs. Hence, this “glocalized” neoliberalism could hopefully address the needs of local learners and teachers to operate in a globally competitive environment, as well as address the fears of local critics. Originality/value – This is the first paper in the context of Saudi Arabia that deals with a “Neoliberalism approach” in unpacking the educational policy paradigm shift post 9/11.
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The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the issues facing a developing country in implementing computer technology in subject teaching, specifically English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The observation made here were derived in the context of a wider study of processes and influencing factors in the teaching of EFL at the secondary school level in Saudi Arabia. A case study methodology was adopted, focusing on a typical state secondary school in Al-Qaseem Arae. Data were gathered primarily by means of classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with the headteacher, teachers and students in the case study school. Schools were at an early stage of technology development, characterized by the availability of computer laboratories for the teaching of Computer Studies, but a lack of classroom computers, language laboratories or other means of integrating computers into subject teaching. Access and availability were clearly linked to funding issues and uncertainty as to whose responsibility it was to provide equipment. Teacher resistance to computer technology was linked to curriculum pressures and lack of training. These factors must be addressed, if the benefits of computer integration are to be realised.
An investigation of Saudi Arabian EFL teachers' engagement with technology. Unpublished doctoral dissertation
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