The Religious Objectives of Teaching English in Saudi Arabia

The Religious Objectives of Teaching English in Saudi Arabia:

An Annotated Bibliography

 

Reem Asiri

1436/2015

 

     In Saudi Arabia, English has received a lot of care from the Ministry of Education as well as from the community. It is taught as a foreign language, EFL. Many developments have occurred to English as a subject matter to follow up the teaching methods and techniques in the world. Al-Hajailan (2003) states that "English was taught in the elementary stage from 1348 H . . .". Now, English is taught in Saudi schools as a compulsory subject from grade four. The Saudi students attend 45 minutes a day, five days a week.

     This annotated bibliography is about the religious objectives of teaching English in Saudi Arabia. Actually, there are religious objectives for teaching English in Saudi Arabia. You may wonder what are those religious objectives! The Saudi English teacher is required to achieve a religious objective in each lesson. Teaching English has a number of Islamic objectives. Those objectives are: to spread Islam, to produce a good man, to keep the Islamic identity and others.

     What motivate me to write about the religious objectives of teaching English in Saudi Arabia is that when I was a trainer as an English teacher, my supervisor forced me to put at least one religious objective even if the study is about grammar! Then I became wondering, is it necessary to achieve the religious objective in English subject? If yes, how?, and why? Do the English textbooks in Saudi Arabia help in achieving these objectives? Do all teachers achieve these objectives? Do the students benefit from these objectives?

     In fact, there are no entire books or academic articles discussing the objectives of teaching English in Saudi Arabia. However, there are a number of articles and books which discuss teaching English in Saudi Arabia in general and discussing the objectives have come in between these books and articles. So, the selected articles for this annotated bibliography are about teaching English in Saudi Arabia. However,  all of them have stated that spreading Islam is one of the objectives of teaching English in Saudi Arabia.

 

(1)

English Language Teaching in Saudi Arabia: a World System Perspective

Faruk, S. M. G. (2013). English Language Teaching in Saudi Arabia-A World System Perspective. Buletinul Stiintific al Universitatii Politehnica din Timisoara, Seria Limbi Moderne, (12), 73-80.‏

This paper investigates how English language teaching adopted to support Saudi Arabia's policy of using English. It unravels the confluence of the socio-political and economic factors of globalizing Saudi Arabia. It analyzes the policies of Saudi English language education. The researcher stated that the Saudi people use English as a tool to spread Islam all over the world. He also states that English in Saudi Arabia can be used to spread the faith of Islam and to serve the humanity. He concludes his paper by stating the objective of teaching English in Saudi Arabia and spreading the faith of Islam is among them. English is seen as an international language, but the religious value is considered.

 

(2)

English in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Mahboob, A., & Elyas, T. (2014). English in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. World Englishes, 33 (1), 128-142.‏

This study started with a socio-historical overview. It examines the politics of teaching English language in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It discusses the debates and issues around the English language. The paper clarifies the features of Saudi English that reflect the local cultural norms and practices. The researchers have found that Saudi English reflect the religious values and beliefs in addition to the Saudi culture and society.

 

(3)

Teaching English in Saudi Arabia: Prospects and Challenges

ur Rahman, M. M., & Alhaisoni, E. (2013). Teaching English in Saudi Arabia: Prospects and challenges., pp. 112-118.

This paper reflect some issues related to teaching English in Saudi Arabia. It discusses the present status of ELT in Saudi Arabia. It stated that having the students to understand Islam is the first main purpose of education in Saudi Arabia. It is stated also that acquiring the linguistic competence to present and explain the Islamic concepts and to participate in spreading Islam as one of the objectives of Teaching English. They have to Another stated objective of teaching English is to enable students to have an awareness towards religion issues and prepare them to participate in their solutions. It stated the challenges of teaching English in Saudi Arabia. Finally, it presented some remedies for those challenges. Finally, the policy makers are asked to contribute in solving the challenges of teaching English in Saudi Arabia.

 

     From a previous analysis of the English textbooks in Saudi Arabia by me in the last semester, I interfere that most of the developed (new) textbooks of English involve few topics, words/phrases, and pictures related to Islam. On the other hand, the old textbooks have a lot of topics, words/phrases, and pictures related to Islam so that Saudi students can talk about their religion to non-Muslims. They graduate with a number of ideas, words, and phrases related to Islam. By this way, they can achieve the religious objective of teaching English in Saudi Arabia.

     It is found also that all of the Saudi English teachers achieve the religious objective in their lessons. But, most of the English teachers think that the developed textbooks of English do not help to achieve the religious objectives. However, they presented various ways of achieving the religious objective. Among 12 Saudi English teachers, five of them use some verses of Qur'an or the prophet Mohammed's words in their lessons. Four of them remind their students about the blessings of Allah and tell them to thank Allah. Three of them have different ways to achieve the religious objective like talking about ablution if the lesson about cleaning, talking about applying the Islamic behaviors, and taking the prophet Mohammed (PBUH) as a hero for us instead of the foreign heroes whose pictures are involved in the new textbooks.

     A strong evidence that achieving the religious objectives by our old English teachers succeed is that there are a number of Suadi teachers, doctors, and profs who are from King Khalid University and who participate in spreading Islam. Examples of those are: Prof. Abdullah Hadi Al-Kahtany, Prof. Mohammed Zayd, Dr. Areej Mostafa, Dr. Eman Asiri, and others. I am also as an English student has achieved the religious of English by clarifying some Islamic issues to a Kenian non-Muslim housemaid who became Muslim later on.

     In my point of view, it is a good thing to teach our students some Islamic issues with English language actually to spread Islam or at least to clarify any Islamic issue to non-Muslim if necessary. Based on my analysis of the English textbooks in Saudi Arabia,  it is suggested to involve the developed English textbooks with more basic Islamic issues related to pray, fasting Ramadan, Al-Hajj, the Holy Mosques, the Prophet Mohammed and his followers, and Qur'an. It should not be a religious subject, but to achieve the main goal of teaching English in Saudi Arabia, the English textbooks should be replanned to involve more Islamic issues.

 

References

Al-Hajailan, T. (2003). Teaching English in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh: Aldar Alsawlatia.

Faruk, S. M. G. (2013). English Language Teaching in Saudi Arabia-A World System Perspective. Buletinul Stiintific al Universitatii Politehnica din Timisoara, Seria Limbi Moderne, (12), 73-80.‏

Mahboob, A., & Elyas, T. (2014). English in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. World Englishes, 33 (1), 128-142.‏

ur Rahman, M. M., & Alhaisoni, E. (2013). Teaching English in Saudi Arabia: Prospects and challenges.‏