Attitudes of Saudi speakers toward learning English language Term Paper

Attitudes of Saudi speakers toward learning English language - Term Paper Example From the research, it is evident that motivation tends to play a key role in the attitudes of Saudi speakers towards learning the English language. This is because the investigations carried out reveal that attitude and motivation play essential roles in learning a foreign language like English. Investigations carried out among the students in the university depict that the lack of motivation for Arabic speakers cause the learners to lose interest in leaning the foreign language. From this research, it is evident that the lack of motivation tends to affect the success of the speakers in learning the English language. Research depicts that motivation also affects the rate at which Arabic speakers are likely to learn the language. For instance, investigations carried out among the students revealed that motivation played a key role in the failure or the success of the students in learning the language. It is also evident that motivation normally affects the attitudes of the speakers to wards learning the language. From this research, it was clear that lack of motivation is likely to cause learners to develop negative attitudes towards learning English. However, when Arabic speakers are motivated to learn the languages then they are likely to develop positive attitudes towards learning English (Amin, 2009). The replies in the questionnaires revealed that it was difficult for the low motivated Saudi speakers to learn the English language. This unequivocally implies that motivation was a determinant that was essential for Saudi speakers to learn English. From the research it evident that some of the Arabic speakers may be demotivated to learn the English language because of negative external factors such as school (Arani, 2004). The other factors that affected the attitudes of Arabic speakers towards learning the English language were pedagogic factors. These refer to factors related to the teaching of English in Saudi Arabia. An examination of the responses in the q uestionnaires reveals that teaching English, which is considered a foreign language in Saudi, is normally a challenge. One of the reasons for this is because the language is considered to be of very limited purpose to the Arabians. From this research, it was evident that the teaching of the language started at school level. However, the students who were interviewed attributed the negative attitudes of Saudi speakers to the English language to factors such as; the lack of qualified teachers and the use of integrated textbooks. The other pedagogic factor causing negative attitudes towards English among Arabic speakers is the purposive curriculum. It is also thought that the achievements made by the speakers who speak the language are normally below their expectations causing them not to want to learn. In the questionnaires, those interviewed recommended that diagnostic studies be carried out in the different language areas. This was to enable the teachers identify the problems associ ated with the pedagogic factors. The students interviewed thought that the evolution of compatible strategies would have helped the students to yield maximum output when learning the language. Some of the students interviewed stated that to enable the learners change their attitudes towards learning the English language, it was essential that pedagogic factors such as the