Running Head: CHALLENGES FACED BY SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS STUDYING ENGLISH 1

The Challenges Faced by Saudi Arabian Students Studying English Abroad

Tariq Ghazi Makki
Language and Culture Institute - Radford University

CHALLENGES FACED BY SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS STUDYING ENGLISH 2

Saudi students go to overseas universities with a set of expectations regarding

the improvements they will make in their English language skills and degrees, and
how they might achieve this through contact with people who speak English among
the local community. Thus, the aim of this research is to discover what problems
students actually have studying, interacting with native speakers and the local
community, and what opportunities or solutions they have to practice their English
skills inside and outside the classroom.
Byram and Feng (2006) illustrate that "travel broadens the mind, a proverb
familiar to most, and brings with it hopes and expectations of knowing new places
and cultures, different people and languages. A great many people also choose to
complete their school or university education abroad. As the importance of language
learning grows in order to understand society, one has to be cultured and educated
in the ways of other countries, and proficient in the languages of other lands.
This has now become something of a phenomenon, which sees students all
over the world travelling to foreign countries that speak English for long or short
periods in order to immerse themselves in their target language. Furthermore, more
people than ever before are choosing to undertake an international education. The
large-scale movement of students between education systems means that academics
need to consider the learning and teaching implications of the increased numbers of
international students in university classes.
Particularly, international students now form a large part of the diverse student
community that exists at universities. Many of these students are originally from
countries where English may be spoken as a second or third language, or where
English is only learnt as a foreign language in schools. It is important not to make
assumptions about these students learning strategies because of their cultural
background.

CHALLENGES FACED BY SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS STUDYING ENGLISH 3

Additionally, this research looks at the current and long-standing intuition

surrounding studying abroad. "It is slightly more challenging to explore
internationalizing the curriculum in terms of teaching and learning (Arkoudis,
n.d.)." This perspective is more concerned with how the content is taught and the
consequences for learning. Saudi students who study English in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia as a common language after their Arabic mother tongue start at 12 years old in
schools. For this reason, Saudi students face challenges, and the big suffering is
English language learning because of their different ages.
A number of Saudi students who go abroad to study their majors cannot speak
or write English fluently. Saudi students may face difficulties with learning the
English language rapidly because of some obstacles including: age, lack of
understanding other cultures, and careless time management, so they need solutions
that can help them to enhance their ability in language skills.
Differences between learners ages
Ryan (2005), has found that teachers are concerned about their students'
learning needs, and how to deal with those needs. Generally, most people who do not
speak English as a first language face an obstacle when they try to learn English. In
many cases, teachers do their best to teach their students; thus, teachers could teach
different age of students, and it appears that teaching adults may be more difficult
than children (Ryan, 2005). Applying that research to Saudi students in the kingdom
of Saudi Arabia, they face same problem when they start to study English after
primary schools at 12 years old.

CHALLENGES FACED BY SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS STUDYING ENGLISH 4

Definition of language acquisition device and why is it

important
Chomsky (1986) defined the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) as "a
hypothetical module of the human mind posited to account for children's innate
predisposition for language acquisition. The LAD concept is an instinctive mental
capacity which enables an infant to acquire and produce language." Therefore, why do
Saudi students who are more than 18 years old not speak English very fluently?
Studies in applied linguistics field have shown that it is difficult but not impossible to
learn a new language after 11 years old because of the Language Acquisition Device
which helps inside our mind to acquire a new language like the first or second
language. This device works very well in early age from 2 to 11 years old, but after
this age the device starts to disappear (Chomsky, 1986).Thus, it seems that Saudi
students are lazy when they start to study for their degrees using English, but in fact
they are not because they face the problem of their age and ability to learn after
Language Acquisition Device has disappeared.
Impact of the lack of the language acquisition device on
students
Students are not lazy but their LAD has disappeared. It seems that many Saudi
students go abroad to study degrees after secondary schools at 18 years old, and that
means they might receive undergraduate and postgraduate degrees overseas age
between 18 to 25 years old. The Saudi minister of education obliges students to study
English within 18 months to take the English proficiency test, such as IELTS or
TOEFL. Students face a big challenge trying to obtain the English proficiency test
through English classes. As a result, many Saudi students cannot get the required
score for English; thus, those students go back to Saudi Arabia because they did not
meet the criteria for universities' admission. The Saudi minister of education should

CHALLENGES FACED BY SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS STUDYING ENGLISH 5

apply teaching English in primary schools which start at 6 years old and finish at age
12 to be able to speak English very well, not in intermediate schools which start at 12
years old and last until 17 years old. This solution would solve that obstacle, and it
would make generations who would be able to go abroad with the high level of
English skills.
Lack of knowing of other cultures
The government in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is trying to improve the level
of Saudi ministry of higher education system. For this reason, the government sends
around 3000 students to study abroad annually. As a result, some students always get
culture shock in their new environment. This is because the government does not
prepare students well before they go abroad. Thus, an orientation should be
acknowledged to students to understand why an orientation is important.
What is an orientation and why is it important?
Although the Saudi government supports education with millions of dollars,
nevertheless it still needs improvement in giving students information about other
cultures. According to Volet (1999), "Each specific learning context appears to have
its own unique culture of learning, with some explicit but also many tacit rules and
expectations which provide subjective criteria for evaluating what are appropriate
learning behaviors in that context." This explains why Saudi students who go to study
abroad need to attend intensive orientations in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia before
they travel. Orientations will give students socio-cultural appropriateness to deal with
other new cultures.
The benefits of orientations
Without a doubt, orientations are very important for Saudi students so that
they avoid culture shock. A group of students, who are admitted to study abroad,
attend only one intensive orientation which teaches students: what they should do

CHALLENGES FACED BY SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS STUDYING ENGLISH 6

once they arrive in a new place to start to study, and how to communicate with
American people because they have different culture. It also teaches them how
students live in the United States. This way, student will come to the US or wherever
with a whole understanding of information, confidence, and good behavior to deal
with any new culture.
Time management
The main and huge problem which drives all students to deal with their
studying is lack of Time Management. They look for successes without being careful
about their system of lives and studying (Stakounis & Jarvis, 2010). Everything in this
life has a system, and the system of studying is Time Management. Students can deal
with a Time Management to be successful; thus, they should understand how to use
Time Management to arrange and solve their bad organization with time and studying.
Time Management is divided into two parts, long term and short term.
Plan for a long term
Students would be successful if they understood long term planners.
According to Create a study plan (2009), students should use a monthly chart
so that they can plan ahead. Long term planners would also serve as a reminder to
constructively plan time for students. For instance, a student should design a term
schedule that contains all tasks that are done day by day in order to avoid forgetting
and delaying.
Plan for a short term
Students would be successful if they understand the second
part, which is a short term planner to avoid forgetting and delaying
(Create a study plan, 2009). Thus, students should follow the advice:
Firstly, students should think of times when they do daily routines. They
would study English as when they are walking on streets, riding the bus, perhaps they

CHALLENGES FACED BY SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS STUDYING ENGLISH 7

have got music to listen to for their course in music appreciation, or drills in language
learning. It is a good way for students that to listen to their courses while they are
walking or biking to school. Perhaps they are in a line waiting. It is perfect for routine
tasks to play such as flash cards, or if they can concentrate, to read or review a
chapter. The bottom line is to put their time to good use, and save wasted time by
studying during daily tasks (Create a study plan, 2009).
Secondly, reviewing notes and readings just before class may prompt a
question about something students do not quite understand to ask in class, or after. It
also demonstrates to their teacher that they are interested and have prepared. For
example, students should make time to review lecture notes and lecture material
immediately after class because the first 24 hours are critical for students, and
forgetting is greatest within 24 hours without review (Stakounis & Jarvis, 2010).
Finally, a short term planner uses a daily or weekly chart by writing down
appointments, classes, and meetings in a chronological book or chart. If students are
more visual, they can sketch out their schedule. First thing in the morning, they can
check what's ahead for their next day's studying tasks, and always go to sleep
knowing they are prepared for tomorrow (Create a study plan, 2009).
Conclusion
All in all, there are lots of Saudi students hopeful who want to study abroad.
Most of them have no idea about how they can deal with their goals. Thus, this
research is important for Saudi students, it shows some methods that would help them
to achieve their study. The main challenge is a different age, English studying starts at
12 years old in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For this reason, most students go abroad
to do their undergraduate or graduate study, that means students age between 19 years
old to 25 years old may be poor in English skills. It is recommended that the English

CHALLENGES FACED BY SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS STUDYING ENGLISH 8

language classes start at age 6. Students would learn English faster and efficiently
because of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) that still works in their brains.
Furthermore, Saudi students never attend any orientation in the kingdom of
Saudi Arabia about: how to live in the US, how to organize yourself and how to study
English language there. Thus, it is important that the Saudi higher education should
teach Cultures to students who are going to study abroad. Moreover, Saudi students
bring their families from Saudi Arabia to the US to live with them. As a result they
will take more time to obtain their English proficiency.
It can be seen that the solutions to the problems of learning English abroad
faced by Saudi students include: starting to study English at age six to deal with the
LAD, attending orientations to understand new cultures before going abroad, and
understanding and having long term and short term plans for time management. These
solutions may be useful for students who want to continue their study overseas.

CHALLENGES FACED BY SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS STUDYING ENGLISH 9

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