Abstract

An international language belongs to its users, not to the countries whose national languages
have become internationalized’ (Edge 1992). With an ever increasing number of L2 users it is
time we rewrote the description of the place of English among world languages. All types of
interactions, more particularly between nations, are through English, for a reason no other than
the fact that it is the only language in which non native users can possibly communicate. It is the
language of science, technology and business apart from being significant in political or
diplomatic dialogues. English Language has come to be owned by all people in the world of
work. Saudi Arabia is no exception. Almost a hundred years on Saudi schools, colleges and
universities teach English with primary and genuine concern. Still, just like non- native learners
in other nonEnglish speaking countries, Saudi learners also confront many problems in their
English Language acquisition.
This study is a humble effort to bring out the major barriers and problems that Saudi students
face while learning English; it proposes remedial measures for the said barriers and problems.
In this study, the researcher has tried to focus on the teaching methodologies and learning
atmosphere prevalent in Saudi English classroom

Research gap
After studying English for about 9 years, school leavers are, in most cases, unable to speak or
write a single flawless sentence in English. This raises many questions about the soundness of
teachers and suitability of methods employed. Without a doubt there is a major problem
confronting English education in Saudi Arabia.

Methodology
The present study, considered significant in the emerging global conditions, is aimed at finding
out the school students' language learning difficulties. Data for the study has been collected
from 7 students presently studying English at the school level. Unstructured Interviews were
also conducted with teachers and headmasters for the purpose.

Results
The above types of problems were also pointed out in various studies in other Arab countries.
For example, Zughoul (1983) conducted another study in which he agreed with the findings of
Abdul Haq and asserted that most Jordanian students enrolled in Classes held for English as
Foreign Language (EFL) had poor oral communication skill, and the students usually committed
gross lexical errors. Kambal (1980) conducted a study in Sudan in which he noted that most
students pursuing English language course/subject were weak in the following areas: tenses,
verb structure and subject-verb agreement. Kambal (1980) also found that there were problems
with students’ use of tenses like tense substitution, time sequence, tense-marker, and
uncertainty of perfect tenses.

Discussion
Unlike the situation in the past millennium, the researcher, who is a product of the current
educational system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, can proudly say that the authorities and
educational institutions alike have effectively taken up the cause of the spread of the English
language in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This does not mean that other subjects receive less
attention, but the point here is that English language teaching and learning has become center
stage in the educational system in Saudi Arabia because of its importance in the modern world.
In other words, precisely because English is not just a matter of local concern, but also a global
need.

The realization has emerged among the general public in all Third World countries, including
Saudi Arabia, that mastery of the English language is necessary to acquire knowledge from
sources inside and outside the country. With increasing globalization, the number of second
language users will increase dramatically. English will be increasingly used as a means of
achieving economic, social and humanitarian goals. From this perspective, the objectives of
teaching English in Saudi Arabia have been clearly stated in government policy. The authorities
have clearly declared that there is nothing wrong in teaching and learning English as the reality
itself reveals the slight change in outlook and now more emphasis is placed on global
interaction and participation in activities of common human interest and international
ramifications. But the problem is to know whether these goals are being achieved or not, how
big the gap is between them and, most importantly, what the status of LT2 is. Assessing the
current situation regarding pedagogical inputs, needs-based curricula, learners' level of
motivation, and learning barriers can lead us to the root of the problem of poor competence.
Except in U. K. and USA, English is the second language in other countries. Non-English
speaking countries encounter many problems in acquiring it; the problems/difficulties that are
experienced in the process are (i) the influence of the mother tongue; (ii) accent; (iii)
pronunciation; and (iv) vocabulary, and so on. Let us frankly admit that people in KSA as well
suffer from these problems/difficulties and, unfortunately, in larger dimensions.

Findings

The interviews with high school students were very informative. They were well aware of the
capabilities and capabilities of information technology. They suggested using modern teaching
methods and electronic devices to teach English for better understanding and learning with less
intervention from the teacher and to enhance interest in the language. They were specific when
they stated that teaching should be done using online games, watching movies, and social
media software.
The majority opinion suggested changing the approach, methodology and materials used in
teaching. Everyone was in favor of launching an open culture, focusing on students, and being
technologically savvy.
The major problem noted by the researcher, which includes all the other sub-problems, was
that the results (in the form of language proficiency) were painfully unsatisfactory. Imagine a
student who graduates from high school, attends language classes four hours a week in English
for six full academic years, and yet is unable to produce a single error-free pronunciation.

Conclusion
Learning English by school students in Saudi Arabia is full of difficulties. The problems stem
from policy development and implementation regarding English as an elective subject in school.
Problems also relate to teacher training, curriculum/curriculum content, teaching methodology
and tools, as well as the use of modern technology and modern infrastructure.
The specific problems are (i) introduction of English at a late stage by which time the students
have had sense of discrimination, choices, likes and dislikes; the need to acquire the new
language is not as intense as it is in childhood; (ii) the teachers are not well trained, neither as
language teachers nor as behavioural science teachers; (iii) Curriculum is outmoded; (iv)
Information and communication technology (ICT) is not used for teaching English; (v) ICT and
electronic devices are not used to make learning interesting and more effective to the students;
(vi) Direct teaching approach is not followed L-2 and so, in its absence, learning and teaching
takes place by translation through the first language (L-1); (vii) There is fear of learning in the
students’ minds as classroom atmosphere is intimidating and discourages student participation
of any sort, viewing it as an unnecessary interruption