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AN EXAMINATION OF TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE FOR

SAUDI ARABIAN AND CHINESE STUDENTS

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

DEPARTMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE

BY

NIDAA BRINJEE

CLINTON, MS

MAY 2, 2016

TEACHING ENGLISH 2

Abstract

This paper examines teaching the English language in Saudi Arabia and China. It also

discusses the importance of establishing a bilingual program in Saudi Arabia and China public

schools. The author includes teacher opinions about how they teach the English language in

Saudi Arabia and China through interview questions of twelve teachers from each country. Both

groups of teachers were confident in their ability to teach the English language and believed

national teachers were as effective as native speaking teachers.

TEACHING ENGLISH 3

An Examination of Teaching English as a Second Language for

Saudi Arabian and Chinese Students

Teaching is complex and teaching a different language is even more complex – it is

dependent on many factors related to the learner’s age and ability, the teacher’s skill and

training, and the complex nature of the language being learned. For example, teaching English to

Spanish speakers is easier than teaching Arabic to English speakers. Also, teaching a foreign

language to younger children is simpler than teaching a foreign language to older children and

adults (Zhang & Ishino, 2009). Learning multiple languages is very important. For example,

nurses and doctors need to know more than one language because in their work they meet a lot of

different people from different countries. Sometimes patients cannot speak the nurse’s native

language; they also cannot speak English Therefore, the nurses and doctors should know several

languages so that they can help and communicate with their patients (Festini et al., 2009).

Another reason to learn multiple languages, or at least more than one language, is that

many languages are important because they are used by many people groups around the world.

The Arabic language is important like English because there are a lot of countries that use this

language, such as half of the continent of Asia and three-quarters of the continent of Africa. At

least 6.66% of the world’s population speaks Arabic (http://arabic.rt.com). Furthermore, 18.05%

of the world’s population speaks Chinese (http://arabic.rt.com).

It is not only important to learn to speak other languages, people need to learn to read and

write other languages. The effect of reading and writing in multiple languages is to improve

communication across countries. International commerce and global stability is based on

multilingual communication increasing the importance of understanding oral and written forms

of other languages (Vyatkina, 2012).

TEACHING ENGLISH 4

The student who speaks and writes other languages is more culturally open, aware, and

accepting than those who are only fluent in one language. Knowledge of multiple languages

makes communication easier between the different peoples of the world. Therefore, learning

languages is important and essential for the development of people and the progress of society.

In order to make this progress happen and students more knowledgeable, they must be taught

other languages in schools (Su, 2011).

The English language has indisputably become the language of international

communication (Crystal, 2003). As English has gradually become the leading language of

international politics, scholarship, and business, it has been accorded a uniquely high priority that

has significant implications for foreign languages teaching and learning in advancing countries

such as China (Yang, 2001). Many Saudi Arabians also have a more positive attitude towards

learning English. One study was conducted to help instructors understand students' approaches to

studying English and the type of goals they should adopt to avoid mismatches between

classroom practices and students’ beliefs. The study revealed that Saudi university students have

positive and realistic beliefs about the nature of language learning, communication strategies,

and motivation and expectations about learning English as a foreign language (Daif-Allah,

2012). In many other non-English-speaking developing countries there is a strong concern about

the use of the English language. There exists a tension between the need to preserve the native

language and the acknowledgment that English is the common language of academia (Knight,

1975).

No other language has spread around the globe so extensively. The size or capacity of the

spread is not as impressive as the speed at which this expansion has taken place since the 1950s.

TEACHING ENGLISH 5

English dominates international scholarly publications. Like Greek and Latin before it English

has become the new global language (Crystal, 2003) .

England/Great Britain, an English-speaking country, became a world power after the

defeat of the Spanish Armada. At the height of British power, England was known as the empire

on which the sun never sets. British influence reached around the world through its colonies

bringing with it the English language. Once the United States gained its independence from

Great Britain, it grew in power, economy, and importance over time, especially with the

industrial revolution. The U.S. became known as the land of opportunity. People from all over

the world wanted to come to the U.S. to try to have better lives. This prosperity has had a

positive influence on the spread of the English language. For example, there is a widespread

acknowledgment among Chinese academics of the importance of English as a global language of

international communication in politics, economy, culture, and science and technology (Yang,

2001).

To say that English has become a global language does not mean that everyone in the

world is content to accept English. It does not imply that every country in the world recognizes

English as an official language. Nor is it right to say that everyone in the world speaks English.

Nonnative English speakers may be strongly motivated to learn English because they know it

will put them in touch with more people than any other language. They may also feel that

mother-tongue speakers of English have an unfair advantage over them (Yang, 2001).

The evolution of a global language has little to do with the number of people who speak

the language, but rather, has much more to do with who these speakers are. When the language

users succeed on the international stage, their language succeeds with them. The chief reason for

TEACHING ENGLISH 6

a language to become an international language is the political and economic power of its people

(Crystal, 1997).

In 2014-15 there were 974,926 international students attending U.S. universities. Of this

number China contributed 31.2% and ranks as the number one nation sending students to be

educated in America. Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest contributor of students at 6.1% of the

international student population (Institute, 2015). These two countries alone make up nearly two-

fifths of the total number of foreign students. These students struggle to converse with their

professors, ask for help, and accomplish many other daily life tasks due to the language barrier.

Since interaction and context are important factors for students to learn English being in an

English speaking country affords these students more chances to use the language (Lin Jiang,

personal communication, November 26, 2015).

The thesis of this paper is focused on the perceptions about teaching the English language

of English teachers who are not native born. This paper is a phenomenological based approach

because I came to the United States to learn the English language and to obtain a master’s

degree. Learning a second language is difficult for most people. I chose to examine Saudi Arabia

and China for several reasons. First I am Saudi by birth, second I have friends that are Chinese,

and third both languages are extremely different from English and from each other.

My interest in this phenomenon of language learning is personal. I began to study

English in middle school and continued until I completed my Bachelor’s Degree for a total of 10

years. I then participated in a 12 level English language program through Level 5. But, when I

came to the United States I was required to take a Placement Test. Based on my test score my

English skills were at level one. So, how could I study the language for 10 years and still be at

such a low skill level?

TEACHING ENGLISH 7

The purpose of this paper was to explore the views of English language teachers from

China and Saudi Arabia about the teaching of English in their countries. The purpose, methods

and cultural differences will be examined. As an English language learner, I hope to bring some

of my own experiences into the discussion.

Literature Review

A child’s brain is growing – allowing for more acquisition of new information – whereas

the adult brain has reached its full size and the rate of acquisition slows. Furthermore, children

can be taught other languages with their native language which is an easier way of learning other

languages than after the native language is set in the mind. Children are effective verbal learners.

If they are born to monolingual parents, they typically acquire the language spoken by their

parents and become fully capable users of that language in both its use and understanding. If the

parents expose the children to two languages from birth, the children typically develop bilingual

skills and both understand and speak two languages or they become passive bilinguals and speak

one language but understand two. The process is often represented as bilingual first language

acquisition or BFLA (De Houwer 2009; Scheffler, 2015).

There are two different views of language learning during childhood (Scheffler, 2015)

that can be identified. One argument is that children are born with a built in universal grammar

that provides guidance as to what language should be (Meisel, 2011). Some linguists hold that

language structure is learned through usage and becomes stronger with usage (Tomasello, 2005).

We should take advantage of that and teach the children as much as we can from different

languages (Lorenzo, 2007).

Language is a critical component of the education of children. Especially if they are from

diverse cultures; because, most children are educated in the majority tongue. If the majority

TEACHING ENGLISH 8

language is not the same as the mother tongue the students may not develop competence in their

own language. This can result in poor performance at school and low academic achievement

overall (Ilhan & Aydin, 2015). The teacher should be bilingual when they teach other languages.

The collaboration between teachers and students can flow more logically through the use of the

primary language (Baker, 2001). They can exchange ideas on meaning, bring about hands-on

teaching and learning as well as encouraging mental growth toward the affective domain

(Cummins, 2000).

Gilakjani & Ahmadi (2011) state that a person must begin learning a second language

during childhood if he or she wants to become fluent in that language and speak it without a

foreign accent. They believe a native accent is virtually impossible to attain if the learning is

delayed until adulthood.

Qualifications or abilities of the teacher

Teachers should be bilingual when they teach other languages. For example, when the

teacher wants to explain something for younger children, he or she can use their native language

to help the children understand. However, for older children and adults the teacher should not let

them know if she speaks their native languages. She does this not only to understand how they

are thinking, but to make them try to learn the new language faster (Kerkham & Comber, 2007).

Al-Mutawa and Kailani (1989) observed that if the teachers do not have a real-world command

of the second language, their poor understanding of the English sound system, language rules

and vocabulary, and poor communication skills, will fail them in the classroom. Good language

teaching methods necessitate the language teacher to have advanced ability in the target language

(Cullen, 1994). According to Medgyes (as cited in Wu & Ke, 2009) native-speaking English

teachers should demonstrate a high degree of aptitude in the learners’ mother language. While

TEACHING ENGLISH 9

some believe that native-English speaking teachers speak more accurate English than nonnative-

English speaking teachers others argue that this is not inherent with the native-English speaker

(Wu & Ke, 2009).

If the teacher is aware of the disconnect between the students’ mastery level of a

language and where the students think their level is, then the teacher can seek methods to assist

the students to improve their understanding about their performance level and enjoy the learning

process more. Teachers’ beliefs about how to teach a general English course and the methods

they use to teach it are of great importance too. Some teachers focus too much on grammar and

translation while others barely touch on grammar at all or ignore new and improved teaching

strategies. Hence, there needs to be a raise in both teachers’ and students’ beliefs and

teaching/learning practices. Teachers can participate in teacher education programs to update and

improve their knowledge of a language and the techniques and methods for how to teach it. Then

learners would be able to benefit from their effective teachers and enjoy the learning process

more (Kojour & Heirati, 2015).

Teacher accents

Beliefs of learners toward teachers can be influenced by teacher accents. While everyone

speaks with an accent, the term describes situations where pronunciation by the speaker differs

from the listeners’ (Gluszek & Dovidio, 2010) or where the pronunciation of the speaker is

influenced by the speaker’s primary language (Boyd, 2003). While some students prefer United

States English, Evans and Imai (2011) found that Japanese students’ preferred United Kingdom

English over United States English. The Acculturation Model of language acquisition

(Schumann, 1986) holds that accent exhibits a high degree of influence over speech production.

Ethnic identity is believed to play a significant role in second language acquisition and when

TEACHING ENGLISH 10

linked to accent affects the learner’s approach toward learning the target language (Ellis, 2012;

Amimi Sa'd, & Modirkhamene, 2015).

The issue of beliefs towards accent, predominantly the target language accent, in contrast

to one’s mother tongue accent has been extensively studied (Amimi Sa'd, & Modirkhamene,

2015). Scales, Wennerstorm, and Wu (2006) reported that over half of the language learners in

their study preferred to sound like a native speaker although most was not able to identify the

accents of recordings presented to them. Among English Foreign Language learners the tendency

to maintain a Target Language accented speech when speaking English is taken to be a symbol

of acculturation into the target culture (Amimi Sa'd, & Modirkhamene, 2015).

How does gender affect learning a language:

Learning is an intricate educational process of how people internalize information and

experiences and change them into knowledge, skills, behavior and attitudes. Education,

especially English language acquisition, is vital to advancing one’s career and ensuring

economic success. Education creates the power needed for people to survive and prosper in

meeting the needs of existing and future generations (Zu, 2009).

Individual learning styles are influenced by personal characteristics, as well as ethnic,

cultural and educational backgrounds (Kang, 1999). In the learning of English as a Second

Language (ESL), the use of learning styles to enhance the teaching and learning has increase in

this area (Kang, 1999; Wu, 2010). Girls have been found to be inherently attracted to learning a

foreign language and boys are generally less interested in learning foreign languages (Williams,

Burden, & Lanvers 2002; Wong, 2014). However, there is no variance in the male and female

brain; therefore, they learn language in the same way (Matteini, 2014).

TEACHING ENGLISH 11

When to teach a language

A child’s brain is growing – allowing for more acquisition of new information – whereas

the adult brain has reached its full size and the rate of acquisition slows. Furthermore, children

can be taught another language along with their native language which is an easier way of

learning other languages than after the native language is set in the mind. Surely, children love to

play; therefore, the best way to make children interested in learning a language is to support

strategies within the context of play (Roberts et al., 2014). Other ways to motivate children to

learn languages is to allow them to learn by watching foreign films and television and by reading

to them in foreign languages as well as their native language. To help the student learn other

languages faster, they should be encouraged to discuss in the other languages as well. Through

discussion students understand more and are not afraid to speak in the new language which they

are learning. With practice students will learn easier, faster, and better (Zhang & Stahl, 2011).

The Chinese method

In China teaching the English language is a high priority, so they teach it from

kindergarten through university. Chinese students are sent to the U.S. to learn the English

language. (Su, 2011). Most of the teachers who teach the English language in China are Chinese

teachers, so most of them learn the English language in China. They learn in Chinese universities

from Chinese teachers, and most of them never travel to places where English is spoken as the

native language. Consequently, these teachers do not have experience hearing English from

native speakers and lack practice speaking with cultural influence from native English speakers.

So, this situation will cause some problems when they teach the English language to Chinese

students. For instance, many teachers are unable to understand the curriculum well enough to be

able to explain it to their students. Also, the teacher explains the English language with the

TEACHING ENGLISH 12

Chinese language, and the teacher, not the students, speaks for most of the class period.

Sometimes up to 90% of a class period is teacher lecture instead of students practicing. The

teachers should be equipped in a better way, especially English teachers, not just cognitively but

emotionally, and better equipping these teachers can easily be started by using more texts and

stories with more emotional expression in primary education (Ma, 2012).

Most Chinese teachers still teach English in more traditional style with rote memorization

and repetition. The science of the language and the grammar rules are taught. However, this

strategy leads to problems for Chinese students who come to the USA to earn degrees from

American universities. Chinese students do not know how to write in a more individualistic and

critical thinking style. They write English, but in the collective thought of the Chinese language.

Teachers lecture and students listen and take notes. Therefore, Chinese students are not prepared

for the common practice of group discussion and reasoning in American universities and schools.

Only recently have Chinese universities began to try to incorporate more Western styles,

strategies, and ideas of teaching (Zhao & Coombs, 2012).

Challenges teaching English for China

There are only 300 words in the Chinese language used to make sentences. In the same

way there are more than 10,000 English words. Also, most of the Chinese words begin with

“Cha”. Another challenge is that Chinese is a tonal language with four tones that can have very

big effects on the meanings of a word. English has no such tones. Also, the Chinese have a

problem with the pronunciation of the English language because they cannot say some words

like “the.” They say it “za.” “Some English phonemes do not have Chinese counterparts and are

difficult to learn. Others resemble Chinese phonemes, but are not identical to them in

pronunciation, and thus cause confusion” (Chen, 2013, p. 83).

TEACHING ENGLISH 13

These are not the only problems faced by the Chinese students when they want to learn

English language. Chinese students have a lot of subjects in the curriculum and the classes are

very rigorous and difficult, so Chinese students have a hard time finding the necessary time to

focus on learning the English language. Furthermore, they have problems with the books they

use in the schools. The books only have a small part for grammar, and they do not have much

vocabulary. This means the books are not good enough for teaching the English language (Lam,

2002).

In the Chinese system of education there is public and private school. In the public

schools they teach the English language in middle school, which means in the 7th grade. Also the

public schools have a better teaching method in high school and college. On the other hand, the

private schools teach the English language from kindergarten. The private schools in China are

better on kindergarten and elementary school levels (Lam, 2002).

In China they have two different kinds of private schools – regular and international. The

regular private school teaches all subjects in Chinese except the English subject. In the

international private school, they teach all subjects in the English language. The students who

learn in international private schools have amazing accents and they pronounce words better

because the teachers there are international teachers (Swindall, 2006).

The Saudi Arabian method

The English language is very important in Saudi Arabia, so the Saudi Ministry of

Education receives a lot of pressure to teach the English language. Why does the government

stress the importance of learning English? According to http://Arabic.rt.com, the English

language is spoken by 25% of the world’s population. “English language is most popular

language in the world, so we need to learn this language to deal with non-Arabic speakers”

TEACHING ENGLISH 14

(Duaa Mohammed, personal communication, November 27, 2015). Therefore, Saudi Arabians

consider learning English to be necessary as a way to communicate with other countries and

cultures. Communicating with other countries is particularly needful in today’s society due to the

global economy and the interconnectedness of business, trade, and life in general around the

world. A Saudi Arabian teacher agrees, “There are many reasons to learn English. English is

commonly spoken language throughout the world. It is the language of communication, science

and industry. Nowadays English language is considered as a requirement to get a good job”

(Nouf Saud, personal communication, November 28, 2015).

English is taught in Kindergarten, elementary school, secondary school, high school and

in the university. Not only that, but the Saudi government sends a large number of students to the

U. S., UK and other countries. The government believes it is very important for Saudi students to

learn English. However, there are some problems found concerning the learning of the English

language in Saudi Arabia especially in the public schools (Hussain, 2012).

Challenges teaching English for Saudi Arabia

Teachers of English use Arabic to explain the English language to the students, which

can cause confusion for the students. They are speaking Arabic in the classroom when they

should speak only English to force the students to learn and practice. The reason for this

occurrence is that many teachers only learn the English language at the university from Arabic

teachers who also explain the English language in Arabic.

Another problem is the teachers do most of the talking in class leaving the students little

time for speaking or practicing. Furthermore, the teachers should explain to the students how to

learn English and how to monitor their learning. A good way to do that is for the teacher to make

the students try to use English outside of the class. For example, students can use English to

TEACHING ENGLISH 15

order from restaurants, to talk to a nurse in hospital, to watch some moves in English, and to read

some novels.

For example, students can use English to order from restaurants, to talk to a nurse in

hospital, to watch some moves in English, and to read some novels. If the Saudi Ministry of

Education would bring more teachers whose native language is English to teach the English

language at the schools, the students could learn English better and even learn to speak English

with a native accent.

Some Saudi students believe it is not important to learn the English language because

they do not need to use it in Saudi Arabia. They think it is only a subject they take in school, so

they never try to learn it. They just want to pass the class. The way to solve this problem is to

make the students realize how important it is to learn the English language by focusing on the

benefits of learning the English language such as, communicating with other people in other

countries, completing and improving your education, and finding a good job.

Another challenge, especially in small villages or areas with people of more radical

beliefs, is that some Saudis think one of the two genders, males, need to learn English more than

the other gender, female. But the fact is that both of the genders need to learn languages because

both genders work in occupations that require them to interact with people of different countries

and languages. Also, there is no variance in the male and female brain; therefore, they learn

language in the same way (Matteini, 2014). Fortunately, this old belief system has mostly died

away in Saudi Arabia.

TEACHING ENGLISH 16

Strategies, practices, and resources

There is a problem with the some of the resources used in Saudi schools. For instance, the

English textbook used in the schools is very simple, and the activities it contains are not enough

to make the students learn English well. Furthermore, the grammar is not that very clear and

confuses the students. Therefore, the textbooks need to be changed. Another resource that is

problematic is technology which is often outdated or in short supply. Therefore, more technology

should be brought in to improve the instruction.

There are also issues with strategies for teaching English. Fortunately, one main problem,

that of not teaching English until secondary school, has already been corrected (Heba, 2015).

Another issue is the lack of emphasis on pronunciation. “Pronunciation has a positive effect on

learning a second language and learners can gain the skills they need for effective

communication in English” (Gilakjani & Ahmadi, 2011, p. 74). While English language

instruction and strategies in Saudi Arabia is correctly focusing on the four major areas of

language development: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, pronunciation is only stressed

during the first year of teaching. This lack of emphasis is due to the lack of importance held by

pronunciation (Elliott, 1995). According to Gilakjani & Ahmadi (2011), “Learners need to be

taught pronunciation, as all other aspects of language, in a communicative method (p. 79).”.

They believe that while “communicative methods for teaching vocabulary, grammar and

pragmatics have been around for decades, there has been little development of a communicative

method for pronunciation teaching” (p. 79). Gilakjani & Ahmadi (2011) believe that teachers

should incorporate strategies that emphasize “elements such as sounds, syllables, stress and

intonation.” (p. 81) Therefore, to improve English instruction in Saudi Arabia the teachers should

inspire the production of students, build their awareness of pronunciation and increase their

TEACHING ENGLISH 17

practice time in class. This will gradually build listening and speaking skills in both formal and

informal settings. “With careful preparation and integration, pronunciation can play an important

role in supporting the learners’ overall communicative power” (Gilakjani & Ahmadi, 2011, p.

81). So, if these other problems can be solved, then maybe English instruction in Saudi Arabia

can improve (Faisal, 2012).

The private schools:

Private schools in Saudi Arabia are different from the public schools. There are two types

of private schools, the original private school and the International private school. The original

private school teaches all their classes in Arabic and they teach English from kindergarten as a

second language. The teacher who teaches in this school is an Arabic teacher. The International

private schools, teach all their subjects in the English language, also they offer extra English

classes for their students. Most of the teachers in the International private schools are native

English speakers and the others are Arabic native speakers, but the Arabic teachers are proficient

in English language. So students who attend this type school are excellent English speakers

(Mekheimer & Aldosari, 2011).

Method

To augment this paper twelve Chinese and twelve Saudi Arabian English language

teachers were interviewed by E-mail to obtain their opinions about teaching and learning English

in their countries. The following questions were asked of both groups and the responses were

summarized.

1. What is the purpose of learning English in your country?

2. In your opinion how can students improve their English?

TEACHING ENGLISH 18

3. In your opinion how long do the students need to learn English well?

4. Do you think the students will learn the English language better in their country or in the

USA?

5. Do you think your accents make it more difficult for you to teach English to students who

are trying to learn English?

6. What is it that makes learning the English language difficult for your students?

7. Do you think if American teachers teach in your country, the students will learn English

well? Why?

8. What is the most important thing the students should focus on to learn English (reading,

writing, listening, or speaking)?

Finally, while conducting the research for this paper, I searched for information about

teaching foreign languages in different countries. I focused on Saudi Arabian and Chinese

students learning English in the United States because these languages are so different from the

English language. In the words of a Chinese instructor, “For both Chinese and Saudi students,

they have to learn a new alphabet, which is difficult but actually not the most difficult thing. For

Chinese students, they have to learn to be outgoing and not afraid to make mistakes when they

use English. For Saudi or Arabic-speaking students, they have to learn English spelling rules,

and improve their reading and writing” (Judy Wren, personal communication, November 30,

2015). I wanted to gather personal opinions and experiences, like the one given above, about the

difficulties of learning English from several Saudi Arabian and Chinese teachers who would

have first and second hand knowledge of this topic.

TEACHING ENGLISH 19

Teacher Interview Summaries

Chinese and Saudi Arabian English teachers were asked several questions to understand

their view of teaching English as a second language in their own countries. The first question

was about their perceived purpose for teaching English in their countries. The Chinese and

Saudi teachers agreed that learning English is important for communicating in the modern world.

English was seen as a universal language. Both reported that being able to speak English well

resulted in promotions and salary increases. Chinese teachers stated that English is required for

acceptance into better schools, both at the high school and university levels. As one Chinese

teacher said, “Actually, we work really hard on English so as to get high scores. After we enter

University, we learn English so that we can be more competitive in job interviews…’’.

When asked how students can improve their English, the Chinese and Saudi Arabian

teachers stressed the learning of vocabulary. Most of the teachers said that interacting with native

speakers, reading English novels, watching films, and writing English diaries were also good

ways to expose them to English speaking context. Practice and culture were emphasized by one

Saudi teacher when she said “In my opinion, practicing any language on daily basis and in

everyday life situations is the best way to improve a language. Another important way is

exposing oneself to the culture of the homeland of the language. I believe that if you understand

the culture of the language that you are learning, you will better understand the language and

therefore makes learning it more fun and more meaningful.”

When asked about the length of time needed to learn English, the responses varied across

both sets of teachers. In general the length of time depends on the ability of the student. The

recommended length of time ranged from two to ten years. Two of the teachers included age as

an important factor in the learning curve. “It depends on when the learner starts learning the

TEACHING ENGLISH 20

language. If a learner starts learning a language from infancy, he is more apt to learn it and use it

more confidently than a learner who starts learning it at the age of 12.”

The teachers were asked if students learn the English language better in their country or

in the USA. All of the Chinese teachers said definitely in the United States. The Saudi Arabian

teachers were not unanimous; some of them said if the students have a great teacher and good

classmates, they will get the best learning experience regardless of the location. Others indicated

that English was best learned in an English speaking country, but some of them said there is no

difference. Mashaeel, a Saudi teacher, points out how international students sometimes slow

down their own learning process by segregating themselves. “I think that learning English in an

English-spoken country will definitely help improving [sic] it faster only if the student do not

confide himself to groups that speaks his language. For example, many Saudi students only use

the language in class, on campus and in restaurants. The rest of their time is spent with their

Arabic friends and this affects their use of English.”

The issue of teacher accents was explored with these teachers. They were asked if having

a native accent interfered with teaching English. The response was mixed for both groups of

teachers, but no one expressed a major concern. One of the Chinese teachers said, “Everyone

speak with an accent, in my opinion, as long as the English teacher’s pronunciation is accurate,

the accent won’t be a problem for teaching English, especially when he/she can express ideas in

English fluently and authentically.”

The Chinese and Saudi Arabian teachers were asked what they believed was the greatest

obstacle their students faced while learning the English language. One common point was the

perceived value of the language. Both groups indicate a lack of motivation or willingness to learn

was because the students did not see the need to learn English. The second point was the lack of

TEACHING ENGLISH 21

opportunities to use the language on a regular basis. The second language, in this case English, is

not frequently used in the students’ everyday activities in the native country reducing practice

time. One of the Saudi teachers said, “. . . The most important one is the use of language . . . if

the learner only uses the language in class, then he uses it in a very limited manner . . . I believe

the more opportunities the learner of the language is given to use and practice his language in

and outside the classroom and school the better chances he gets to improve his language.” Both

groups also mentioned the reluctance of students to speak in public for fear of making a mistake,

which again limits practice time. Differences between the language structures in China and

America were also seen as a learning hurdle. As one Chinese teacher explained, “Chinese and

English are two different language systems. There are so many differences between the two

languages. Such as constitute of words, grammar and even the order of a sentence. The most

importantly, we usually tend to use Chinese speaking habits to express English. In China, we call

that Chinglish (Chinese English).”

The last question asked of the teachers was whether students would benefit from

American born teachers teaching in China or Saudi Arabia. The responses varied across both

groups. Some believe the experience would be positive for students. One of the Chinese teacher

said, “We have so many foreign teachers teach English in China. You can find foreign teachers

in every school, even in kindergarten. It shows that we learn better. . . . So it means you have

more opportunities to use English. Actually their English is more authentic than Chinese

teachers. About 90% of Chinese teacher teach English have not been to any English speaking

country. They picked up their English from book or other Chinese. It's not correct sometimes.”

On the other hand one of the Chinese teachers said, “For beginners, foreign teachers are

not very helpful.” One Saudi Arabian teacher echoed this sentiment when she stated, “Not

TEACHING ENGLISH 22

necessarily. . . I believe that there are a number of important factors that needs to be taken into

consideration in regards to a language teacher. One important factor is the structure of the taught

language. A language teacher must have the understanding of the different structures of each

language we learn. For example, the structure of Arabic as a language is different from that of

English. If the teacher understands this important fact, then this teacher knows the difficulties

second language learners face when they are learning a second language and this helps the

teacher in designing the teaching methods in a way that accommodates such differences between

languages. I believe that not every native speaker has the ability to be a language teacher unless

he has the appropriate knowledge and experience of teaching a language.”

The teaching of English is seen as an important component to global education and is

used as a means to advance careers and ensure financial success. Successful English teachers in

China and Saudi Arabia have a strong understanding of the language structures of both the native

language and the second language. It is also important for the teacher to understand the culture of

their students and how culture impacts learning. While grammatical correctness is important, the

ability to relate to students was seen as a key ingredient to success. In order to learn and be

proficient in the second language, students must avail themselves of every opportunity to engage

the language. If not immersed in the language students will revert to what is easy and

comfortable, thus hindering their own learning.

TEACHING ENGLISH 23

Conclusion

The teaching of English is seen as an important component to global education and is

used as a means to advance careers and ensure financial success. Successful English teachers in

China and Saudi Arabia should have a strong understanding of the language structures of both

the native language and the second language. It is also important for teachers to understand the

culture of their students and how culture impacts learning. While grammatical correctness is

important, the ability to relate to students was seen as a key ingredient to success. In order to

learn and be proficient in the second language, students must avail themselves of every

opportunity to engage the language. If not immersed in the language, students will revert to what

is easy and comfortable, thus hindering their own learning. A Saudi Arabian teacher gave the

following response when asked how students could improve their English:

PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE. In my opinion, practicing any language on daily

basis and in everyday life situations is the best way to improve a language. Another

important way is exposing oneself to the culture of the homeland of the language. I

believe that if you understand the culture of the language that you are learning, you will

help better understand the language and therefore makes learning it more fun and more

meaningful (Mashael Al-Saleh, personal communication, November 27, 2015).

In other words, engage others who speak the language and immerse yourself through

conversations, books, movies and television. You should find the way that best suits your

learning style (Cherednichenko, 2009) and wherever you are from try to learn other languages.

TEACHING ENGLISH 24

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