Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted INVESTIGATING INSTRUCTORS AND MA STUDENTS’S PERCEPTIONS OF FINAL PRODUCT FEEDBACK AT SOTON UNIVERSITY(University of Southampton, 2024-09) Alghamdi, Maha Ahmed; Eldjoudi, Ouacila AitThis dissertation aims to investigate the perceptions of final product feedback practices at the University of Southampton. The targeted group are the instructors and masters’ students in the University of Southampton in Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching and English Language Teaching programmes. The research used mixed-method approach with a combination of quantitated and qualitative data collection tools. The researcher conducted two questionnaires which with a total of 16 students and 8 instructors as participants. Additionally, 3 participants took part in a semi-structured interview. The main findings of the study are that teachers and students do have positive perceptions about final product feedback. Furthermore, the researcher found that specific comments and feedback on content were the two factors that contribute to learners’ improvements. The research discusses the factors that limit the usefulness of final product feedback in master’s settings and presents further recommendations for future research.19 0Item Restricted Critical Discourse Analysis in the Arab World: A critical review(Bangor University, 2023) Asiri, Tahani Mohammed; Tenbrink, ThoraStudies in the field of critical discourse analysis have shown breadth in the methods of analysis of critical discourse (Wodak, Mayer 2016). The aim of this study was to find out how Arabs perceive the concept of critical discourse analysis. This study also intended to identify the extent to which CDA has been applied to Arab discourse and the degree to which its application aligns with the approaches of its founders. The current study also targeted to introduce English scholars and readers to Arab efforts in Arab critical discourse analysis, thereby contributing to the enrichment and development of this field of study. The current research used a qualitative approach to analyze and interpret texts in order to learn the methodologies used and added by Arab researchers. Analysis and monitoring were the most appropriate methodologies for the type of study such as critical review. The studies discussed in this paper have been divided into two groups: research written in Arabic that applied CDA to Arabic discourse, and research written in English that applied CDA to Arabic discourse with the goal of establishing the difference in the application of methodologies. The findings revealed that English research that applied CDA to Arabic discourse only committed to applying the proposed methodologies while Arab studies applied the proposed methodologies and added other methodologies stemming from the nature of Arab culture and language. Since each language has its own characteristics, which cannot be applied to other languages, what is considered an advantage in one language is a criterion of weakness in another language. The study also revealed a lack of studies in the field of analysis of critical discourse in Arab culture stemming from the nature of Arab political society and Arab linguistic specificities18 0Item Restricted .Critical Discourse Analysis in the Arab World: A critical review(Bangor University, 2023) Asiri, Tahani Mohammed; Tenbrink, ThoraStudies in the field of critical discourse analysis have shown breadth in the methods of analysis of critical discourse (Wodak, Mayer 2016). The aim of this study was to find out how Arabs perceive the concept of critical discourse analysis. This study also intended to identify the extent to which CDA has been applied to Arab discourse and the degree to which its application aligns with the approaches of its founders. The current study also targeted to introduce English scholars and readers to Arab efforts in Arab critical discourse analysis, thereby contributing to the enrichment and development of this field of study. The current research used a qualitative approach to analyze and interpret texts in order to learn the methodologies used and added by Arab researchers. Analysis and monitoring were the most appropriate methodologies for the type of study such as critical review. The studies discussed in this paper have been divided into two groups: research written in Arabic that applied CDA to Arabic discourse, and research written in English that applied CDA to Arabic discourse with the goal of establishing the difference in the application of methodologies. The findings revealed that English research that applied CDA to Arabic discourse only committed to applying the proposed methodologies while Arab studies applied the proposed methodologies and added other methodologies stemming from the nature of Arab culture and language. Since each language has its own characteristics, which cannot be applied to other languages, what is considered an advantage in one language is a criterion of weakness in another language. The study also revealed a lack of studies in the field of analysis of critical discourse in Arab culture stemming from the nature of Arab political society and Arab linguistic specificities10 0Item Restricted Enhancing Social Integration: The Role of Saudi Dialect for International Students at Saudi Universities - Perspectives of International Students and the Local Community.(University of Nottingham, 2024) Alhedeeb, Saad; Helen, BucklerThis study investigates how proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic MSA and local dialects affects the social integration of international students in Saudi Arabia. Through interviews with students and native speakers, it was found that while MSA is vital for academic success and formal communication, local dialects are crucial for social interaction and cultural integration. Students fluent in local dialects experience better social connections and a stronger sense of belonging, whereas MSA is associated with formal education and cultural heritage. The study highlights the need for integrating both language varieties into educational programs to enhance students' overall integration and recommends practical language use opportunities to support international students.11 0Item Restricted Making Contextualised Intercultural Communicative Language Teaching Happen: Insights from the Saudi EFL Context(University of Reading, 2024-06-28) Alharbi, Umar; Aslan, ErhanSituated within the Saudi higher education context, this research study explores the effects of a contextualised intercultural communicative language teaching (ICLT) approach on facilitating an English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher culture teaching and developing Saudi learners’ intercultural communicative competence (ICC). To this end, the research consists of two studies. Study One explored EFL teachers’ ICLT perceptions and self-reported practices via an exploratory research approach of a questionnaire followed by interviews. Adding a fresh understanding to the literature on intercultural education, the findings indicate that the participants, despite their interculturally-oriented perspective, had limited objectives in addressing ICLT in their practices. They appeared to prioritise knowledge-oriented ICLT practices rather than the development of other ICC components, and their practices were largely textbook-based. This apparent mismatch sheds light on the influence of contextual factors on shaping ICLT practices. Consequently, a contextualised ICLT approach might move the participating teachers towards fully integrating ICLT. Informed by the findings of Study One, Study Two proceeds, in a teacher-led intervention, to construct, integrate, and evaluate a contextualised ICLT approach aimed at adapting the textbooks’ objectives and instructions. Study Two drew its data from triangulated resources, including classroom observations of four classes (two regular and two ICLT classes), students’ pre- and post-intervention assessment surveys, interviews with the EFL teachers, and focus- group interviews with the students. Contributing to the scarce empirical research on ICLT, the findings highlight the influence of a contextualised ICLT approach. Notably, there was a shift in the class dynamic from the knowledge-oriented add-on, translation-based, and teacher- centred approach to a systematic, translanguaging, and student-centred ICLT where students’ ICC reflected a positive change. The study confirms the value of contextualising ICLT approaches for ELT, as this generates novel, evidence-based insights for stakeholders, including teachers, researchers, and policymakers in Saudi or similar ICLT contexts.68 0Item Restricted The Role of L1 Dialect Phonotactics on the Production of L2 English Phonotactics by Saudi EFL Learners(University of Mississippi, 2024-05-01) Balbaid, Abdullah Ahmad; Schaefer, VinceThis study investigates the phonological challenges and adaptive strategies employed by 30 first-year university students majoring in English from three distinct Saudi Arabian dialect backgrounds—Najdi, Hijazi, and Hasawi—in perceiving and producing English onset biconsonant and triconsonant clusters. Exploring dialectal variations, the research aims to understand how these phonological characteristics influence the acquisition and intelligibility of English pronunciation among Saudi learners. Utilizing a combination of perception tasks through ABX discrimination tasks and production tasks inspired by the Labovian model, the study provides insights into the dialect-specific phonological challenges faced by the participants. Key findings reveal that Najdi speakers demonstrate higher proficiency in both perceiving and producing English consonant clusters, particularly biconsonant clusters, compared to their Hijazi and Hasawi counterparts. This proficiency underscores the significant role of L1 phonotactic knowledge in L2 phonological learning, highlighting the adaptability and cognitive flexibility of Najdi speakers in handling both familiar and unfamiliar phonological patterns. Furthermore, the study identifies distinct phonological repair strategies employed by speakers to address challenges unique to their dialects. While Najdi speakers commonly substitute /p/ with /b/, Hijazi speakers occasionally adapt by substituting /θ/ with /t/, reflecting the phonotactic constraints and opportunities within their dialect for phonological adaptation. The investigation into the impact of dialectal variations on L2 English pronunciation intelligibility indicates that Hijazi and Hasawi speakers' reliance on repair strategies and their challenges with clusters not present in their L1 dialect suggest a noticeable L1 influence, thereby affecting their pronunciation intelligibility. Contributing to a broader understanding of second language phonological acquisition, this study emphasizes the need for dialect-sensitive language instruction, advocating for pedagogical strategies that recognize the unique phonological landscapes of learners. This approach aims to enrich language teaching practices within linguistically diverse settings, fostering more effective and engaging language learning experiences across different educational levels.37 0Item Restricted Attitudes toward Arabic-English Code Switching in Saudi Society(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-16) Aldosari, Tareq; Dyer, DonaldThis study is designed to explore the attitudes of Saudi students at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University toward code switching between colloquial Arabic and English and toward borrowing from the English language in Saudi society, considering two significant variables: major studied and gender. The study utilized two tools: a) questionnaires that the participants fill out after listening to recordings demonstrating code switching, borrowing and Arabic-only and b) interviews that were conducted to explore further the participants’ attitudes and the reasons behind them. Both tools considered three dimensions: superiority, attractiveness, and dynamism of the speakers. One hundred twenty questionnaires were distributed to the participants who were divided into four groups based on their majors (English language, Arabic language, Islamic Studies, and Business Management), 30 for each group to compare the four groups’ attitudes. Then, the participants were divided into two groups, sixty male and sixty female participants, to analyze the gender differences. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS and two-way ANOVA. Twenty-four participants were interviewed: six participants for each major group, three female and three male interviewees. A thematic presentation approach was used to discuss the qualitative outcomes of the interviews. In general, the English language and management groups rated the code switching speakers higher than the other speakers. However, most groups feel that the code-switching speaker is superior to the other speakers. The qualitative result shows that the quality of education and the comfortable social class are the reason for their feelings of the code switchers’ superiority. The interviews show that national identity is behind the negative attitudes of the Arabic language and Islamic studies group toward the attractiveness and the dynamism of the code-switching speaker. Although the rate of the borrowing speaker varied between the four groups, the interviews show borrowing is a normal linguistic phenomenon in their society. The quantitative data show no significant differences between the two genders, while the interviews also revealed a difference in how each gender group expresses their attitude.67 0Item Restricted A CONVERSATION ANALYTIC STUDY OF ONLINE VIDEO-MEDIATED L2 CLASSROOMS: THE AFFORDANCES OF AUDIO ACTIVATION/DEACTIVATION FEATURES IN INTERACTION MANAGEMENT(Newcastle University, 2023-03-07) Alghamdi, Ali Mohammad; Satar, Muge; Hazel, SpencerRecent years have witnessed a rapid growth in using videoconferencing in L2 classrooms and managing interaction in these classrooms requires participants to create novel practices to ensure its success. Such a rapid growth warrants a close examination of individuals’ practices to manage these interactions in these classrooms. A review of the literature reveals the need for more work to investigate the management of talk-in-interaction in online computer-mediated-communication (Jenks, 2014), the use of the technology mediums’ affordances to organise social interaction (Arminen et al., 2016); and what teachers do in online, synchronous, video-mediated classrooms (Moorhouse et al., 2022). Against this background, the current study investigates the teachers’ and learners’ use of audio activation/deactivation features to manage turn-taking and repair in small-group online synchronous video-mediated L2 speaking classes. Using conversation analysis, this study examines 32 hours of screen-recorded L2 speaking classes on Zoom. The analysis shows how the on-mute learners project self-selection for the next turn using the audio activation feature. In addition, the analysis reveals the on-mute learners’ fine coordination of their audio activation/deactivation with the ongoing talk. The analysis also demonstrates the participants’ maintenance of boundaries between their physical space and the Zoom room using the audio activation/deactivation features. Moreover, it demonstrates how the participants employ audio activation/deactivation features to repair or pre-empt trouble caused by interference from background noises and to maintain the progressivity of the class activities. Based on these findings, it can be said that the teachers’ and learners’ use of the audio activation/deactivation features has a reflexive relationship with the management of turn taking and repair in L2 video-mediated classroom interaction. The study contributes to the knowledge of using audio activation/deactivation features to manage interaction in online synchronous video-mediated L2 speaking classrooms. Broadly, the study adds to the growing field of analysing the organisation of social interaction in online, synchronous video-mediated classrooms. Furthermore, it adds to the knowledge relating to the competencies that teachers and learners require for successful interaction in video-mediated classrooms.16 0Item Restricted Correlating the Impact of Aptitude and Anxiety toward Learning Foreign Language(2023-03-16) Albakheet, Norah; Rogers, VivienneThe main aim of this study is to investigate the impact of foreign language anxiety on learning aptitude and to investigate if there is a substantial impact of learners’ gender on foreign language anxiety, learning aptitude and language achievement. The number of participants involved is 43 international students (31 male, 12 female) studying in various subjects. In order to generate data, participants completed the following measurements: the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale developed by Horwitz (1986), the LLAMA aptitude test, and the X-lex vocabulary size test. The findings in this research suggest a moderate to strong correlation between apprentices’ learning aptitude and foreign language anxiety. In addition, the results revealed no correlation between foreign language anxiety and language performance. Furthermore, the impact of gender was in a weak relationship with language anxiety, while no correlation was found with language performance. Finally, some suggestions are made for students to overcome language anxiety and for instructors to reduce anxiety in the language classroom.28 0