Ozma Siddiqui | King AbdulAziz University (KAU) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (original) (raw)
Address: Jeddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
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Islamic azad University of Torbat Heydarieh, Iran
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Papers by Ozma Siddiqui
The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach has been widely popular in foreign language cl... more The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach has been widely popular in foreign language classrooms for a number of decades, but in recent years some practitioners have begun questioning the technique which prioritizes fluency over accuracy. This paper aims to record the perceptions of teachers using CLT to teach English as a foreign language at a Saudi university. It will also take into consideration some of the pitfalls and make some recommendations. A total of 35 participants, all members of faculty took part in the study. A mixed methods approach was used to collect the data. A questionnaire provided the statistical data for the study and semi-structured interviews were used to gather qualitative data. The statistical information was run through the SPSS. The findings indicate that while a substantial number of teachers at this university find the CLT approach a useful way to teach English to homogenous groups of Arabic speaking students, there is a need to be eclectic and incorporate other approaches for effective teaching.
This study reports on and investigates an institutionalized remedial approach held by an English ... more This study reports on and investigates an institutionalized remedial approach held by an English language institute (ELI) at a Saudi University in order to support foundation year struggling students who often achieve low grades or fail to pass a certain level of the English language program. The study utilizes semi-structured interviews to address three issues: (1) Screening for low-achieving learners; (2) Remedial sessions " procedure and significance; (3) Learners " attitudes and conduct during remedial sessions. Thematic analysis of interviews with teachers shows that time limitation and lack of logistical structure lower the effectiveness of remedial sessions in terms of numbers of supported learners and the remedial procedure itself. It was also found that class teachers " role is often lacking in this case-study. Low-achieving learners are rarely referred by their teachers, but instead come on their own to seek support. However, this optional nature of the process resulted in remedial sessions receiving learners who are self-motivated, have positive attitude, and exhibit different classroom conduct than students in the mainstream classes. Furthermore, the analysis yields other findings related to the usefulness and significance of remedial intervention. Learners were found to seek remedial support for two main reasons: supportive environment and simplified instruction. Much of this can be addressed in regular classrooms. The study concludes with other implications for remedial sessions " logistics and practices, as well as for the teaching/learning process of low-achievers.
Since English language teaching became a compulsory part of the curriculum in all institutes of h... more Since English language teaching became a compulsory part of the curriculum in all institutes of higher education in Saudi Arabia, different syllabi and teaching methodologies have been experimented to help adult students learn the language effectively, particularly within first-year university preparatory programs. However, despite the huge efforts in aiding the educational process of English as a foreign language (EFL), there is a large turnout of students not meeting the criteria needed to pass their preparatory year. As students are enrolled in one EFL program with the same textbook and are expected to achieve the same benchmarks, there has arisen a need to reexamine the mode in which the curriculum is being delivered. The way forward seems to be remedial intervention that addresses the inadequacies of the non-progressing learners, and utilizes an instructional approach that modifies material and instruction to meet learners' individual needs. The approach which takes into account individual differences has been known amongst educationalists as Differentiated Instruction (DI). This action research investigation seeks to explore DI as it is being implemented at an EFL remedial program, its procedures and outcomes. We hypothesize that students would benefit from the varied instruction, modified materials and flexible grouping within the class setup. Quantitative data was collected in the form of the grades of a pretest and a posttest. The differences in the results of the two sets of tests showed positive impact of implementing 90 DI on learning, and were found to be statistically significant. Also, tutors' opinions were sought through a mini questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions. It is hoped that the action research thus conducted will contribute to answering pertinent questions and benefit the EFL remedial practice as well as future studies.
The CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) approach emerged in the late 1960s as a response to the... more The CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) approach emerged in the late 1960s as a response to the prevailing discontentment with grammar-based instruction and audiolingualism in EFL (English as a foreign language) classrooms. However, the emphasis on fluency versus accuracy in the CLT approach has shown to fall short of the desired competency among non-native speakers of English. Learners typically express the need to know more vocabulary both for reading comprehension and to enable them to write on topics prescribed for their curriculum. This paper aims to identify the major components that can be combined with the communicative approach to support the teaching and learning of English in a non-native context at a Saudi university. The paper will also investigate the effectiveness of using non-native or authentic texts in the EFL classroom with reference to studies conducted in the field. The evidence for the qualitative data is collected from a Questionnaire and informally structured interviews with five volunteers who are faculty members at the university where the study was conducted. The research material used is mainly secondary. The paper will present an exploration of other researchers' work on the issue. The research hypothesis is that the CLT approach as it is being implemented at a Saudi university is ineffective in enabling language acquisition. The research findings indicate that for the CLT approach to be effective in non-native contexts, it has to be adapted to suit the needs of the context in which the English language is being taught.
The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach has been widely popular in foreign language cl... more The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach has been widely popular in foreign language classrooms for a number of decades, but in recent years some practitioners have begun questioning the technique which prioritizes fluency over accuracy. This paper aims to record the perceptions of teachers using CLT to teach English as a foreign language at a Saudi university. It will also take into consideration some of the pitfalls and make some recommendations. A total of 35 participants, all members of faculty took part in the study. A mixed methods approach was used to collect the data. A questionnaire provided the statistical data for the study and semi-structured interviews were used to gather qualitative data. The statistical information was run through the SPSS. The findings indicate that while a substantial number of teachers at this university find the CLT approach a useful way to teach English to homogenous groups of Arabic speaking students, there is a need to be eclectic and incorporate other approaches for effective teaching.
This study reports on and investigates an institutionalized remedial approach held by an English ... more This study reports on and investigates an institutionalized remedial approach held by an English language institute (ELI) at a Saudi University in order to support foundation year struggling students who often achieve low grades or fail to pass a certain level of the English language program. The study utilizes semi-structured interviews to address three issues: (1) Screening for low-achieving learners; (2) Remedial sessions " procedure and significance; (3) Learners " attitudes and conduct during remedial sessions. Thematic analysis of interviews with teachers shows that time limitation and lack of logistical structure lower the effectiveness of remedial sessions in terms of numbers of supported learners and the remedial procedure itself. It was also found that class teachers " role is often lacking in this case-study. Low-achieving learners are rarely referred by their teachers, but instead come on their own to seek support. However, this optional nature of the process resulted in remedial sessions receiving learners who are self-motivated, have positive attitude, and exhibit different classroom conduct than students in the mainstream classes. Furthermore, the analysis yields other findings related to the usefulness and significance of remedial intervention. Learners were found to seek remedial support for two main reasons: supportive environment and simplified instruction. Much of this can be addressed in regular classrooms. The study concludes with other implications for remedial sessions " logistics and practices, as well as for the teaching/learning process of low-achievers.
Since English language teaching became a compulsory part of the curriculum in all institutes of h... more Since English language teaching became a compulsory part of the curriculum in all institutes of higher education in Saudi Arabia, different syllabi and teaching methodologies have been experimented to help adult students learn the language effectively, particularly within first-year university preparatory programs. However, despite the huge efforts in aiding the educational process of English as a foreign language (EFL), there is a large turnout of students not meeting the criteria needed to pass their preparatory year. As students are enrolled in one EFL program with the same textbook and are expected to achieve the same benchmarks, there has arisen a need to reexamine the mode in which the curriculum is being delivered. The way forward seems to be remedial intervention that addresses the inadequacies of the non-progressing learners, and utilizes an instructional approach that modifies material and instruction to meet learners' individual needs. The approach which takes into account individual differences has been known amongst educationalists as Differentiated Instruction (DI). This action research investigation seeks to explore DI as it is being implemented at an EFL remedial program, its procedures and outcomes. We hypothesize that students would benefit from the varied instruction, modified materials and flexible grouping within the class setup. Quantitative data was collected in the form of the grades of a pretest and a posttest. The differences in the results of the two sets of tests showed positive impact of implementing 90 DI on learning, and were found to be statistically significant. Also, tutors' opinions were sought through a mini questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions. It is hoped that the action research thus conducted will contribute to answering pertinent questions and benefit the EFL remedial practice as well as future studies.
The CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) approach emerged in the late 1960s as a response to the... more The CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) approach emerged in the late 1960s as a response to the prevailing discontentment with grammar-based instruction and audiolingualism in EFL (English as a foreign language) classrooms. However, the emphasis on fluency versus accuracy in the CLT approach has shown to fall short of the desired competency among non-native speakers of English. Learners typically express the need to know more vocabulary both for reading comprehension and to enable them to write on topics prescribed for their curriculum. This paper aims to identify the major components that can be combined with the communicative approach to support the teaching and learning of English in a non-native context at a Saudi university. The paper will also investigate the effectiveness of using non-native or authentic texts in the EFL classroom with reference to studies conducted in the field. The evidence for the qualitative data is collected from a Questionnaire and informally structured interviews with five volunteers who are faculty members at the university where the study was conducted. The research material used is mainly secondary. The paper will present an exploration of other researchers' work on the issue. The research hypothesis is that the CLT approach as it is being implemented at a Saudi university is ineffective in enabling language acquisition. The research findings indicate that for the CLT approach to be effective in non-native contexts, it has to be adapted to suit the needs of the context in which the English language is being taught.