By

Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah

Teachers College

King Saud University

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

18 April 2023Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah

Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula 2

• This study investigates the obstacles that stand in the way of incorporating English into the curricula of the early grades at the elementary stage.

What does the study investigate?

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

18 April 2023 3Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah

Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

Introduction:

Background:

• Saudi Arabia is the heartland and shrine of Islam.• education has been based on the study of the holy Qura'n, which gives education the status of religious duty.• Education in Saudi Arabia derives from the Islamic heritage.• Formal education in Saudi Arabia was established in 1926.

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

18 April 2023 4Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah

Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

Introduction:

Educational Structure in Saudi Arabia:

• Primary Education 6 years• Intermediate Education 3 years• Secondary Education 3 years• Tertiary Education

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

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Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

Introduction:

Importance of English in Saudi Arabia:

In addition to the popular reasons why English is an international language and is needed by Saudi citizens, there is one more fact that makes English highly important:

* English is needed as the lingua franca in Saudi Arabia by those working for international and sometimes regional companies. (Alkholi, 1989)

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

18 April 2023 6Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah

Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

Introduction:

Statement of the Problem:

* Although the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia has changed the English curricula several times, students of the intermediate and secondary stages remain deficient in the ability to acquire the language at a reasonable level.

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

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Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

Introduction:

Review of Literature:

• Many researchers take a younger-is-better position and argue that the earlier children begin to learn a second language, the better (e.g., Krashen, Long, & Scarcella, 1979; Hakuta, 1986).

• potential communicative proficiency• Pronunciation is one aspect of language learning where the

younger is-better hypothesis has validity.

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

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Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

Introduction:

Review of Literature:

Obstacles in front of incorporating English into elementary stage as highlighted in the literature:

• fear of foreign language dominance• fear of native language loss • differences and the role of religion and superstition• the lifestyles and habits imported via foreign language education

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

18 April 2023 9Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah

Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

Methodology:

Participants:

• 124 subjects divided as follows:

• 30 EFL in-service teachers working at public intermediate and secondary schools• 57 pre-service teachers doing their teaching practice at public intermediate stage schools• 15 EFL Ministry of Education supervisors• 22 parents of intermediate and secondary school EFL students

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

18 April 2023 10Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah

Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

Methodology:

Tools of Study:

• EFL in-service and pre-service teachers and the parents:

open-ended response questionnaire

• EFL supervisors: semi-structured interviews

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

18 April 2023 11Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah

Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

Methodology:

Procedures:

• Time: first semester of the academic year (2006-2007)

• The questionnaire was given to the participants as a home-take tool

• EFL supervisors were interviewed in groups of three

• Each interview lasted for about one hour and a half

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Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

What are the obstacles according to the study?

• Similar obstacles as those highlighted in the literature.

• Participants emphasized one more inhibitor: The conservation of a big sector of the Saudi society

Findings:

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

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Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

Statistics:

• 94.6 % of respondents rejected that the foreign language culture represents a distracter of the Islamic religion teachings at this young age.

• 87.3 % of the sample undermined the seriousness of the fear of foreign language dominance since the native language is used everywhere around the children.

•81 % of the parents indicated support for teaching English to their children at a young age.

Findings:

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Findings:

Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

Statistics:

•88.7 % of the subjects undermined the fear of the loss of native language as the latter is widely used and practiced at an earlier age.

•85.4 % of the subjects rejected any illusion of cultural threats stemming from the foreign language (Lambert, 1977).

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Discussion:

Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

• Incorporating a foreign language into the curricula of the early grades at the elementary stage does not affect negatively the native language or lead to native language loss.

• The incorporation of a foreign language into the curricula of the early grades at the elementary stage as findings indicated does not lead to foreign language dominance.

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Recommendations:

Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

• English should be incorporated into the curricula of the early grades at the Elementary stage.

• Fears of native language loss or foreign language dominance should be minimized.

• Cross-cultural communication should be supported.

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

THE END

An Investigation of the Difficulties of Incorporating English

into the Curricula of the Early Grades at the Elementary Stage

in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

18 April 2023Dr. Khalid Al Nafisah

Difficulties of Incorporating English into the Curricula

17

Introduction Methodology Findings Discussion Recommendations

Thank You