Saudi Arabian English Teachers' Perception About Teaching Speaking And Oral Communication In Secondary Public Schools

Abstract

The overarching aim of this study was to understand the experiences of teachers who teach English speaking and oral communication in Saudi secondary schools to understand the challenges and recommend appropriate interventions. This study particularly investigated the subsequently delineated research question: "How do Saudi teachers perceive teaching English speaking and oral communication as a foreign language in secondary schools?” It additionally investigated the sub-questions: How do teachers perceive their own speaking skills and use of teaching practices in oral communication? What are the challenges of teaching oral communication and speaking in the context of English as a foreign language? In response to these questions, the interviews conducted with Saudi ELT teachers in the secondary schools revealed that teaching English speaking and oral communication skills is difficult because they lack exposure to the English Language and thus have limited knowledge of it. ELT teachers' limited knowledge of English was also attributed to poor training in phonology and the inability of education courses to meet their needs during pre-service training. As a result of prevailing knowledge gaps and limited exposure to the language, the interviewed ELT teachers reported that they lacked confidence in teaching English speaking and oral communication skills and tended to revert to using the Arabic language excessively to hide their deficiencies. The interviews conducted with Saudi ELT teachers in the secondary schools also revealed that teaching English speaking and oral communication skills is difficult because of system-level factors. These system-level factors pertain to the assessment methods employed by public secondary schools and the lack of resources. The interviewed Saudi ELT teachers noted that there is an absence of speaking and listening tests in their schools, which means that they are compelled to focus on reading, writing and grammar since assessment methods are primarily written. 4 Additionally, the teachers lamented about the skewed focus on textbook evaluation which means that important resources to support students' oral proficiency, such as audio CDs, are largely ignored and not provided. Finally, the interviews conducted with Saudi ELT teachers in the secondary schools revealed that teaching English speaking and oral communication skills is difficult because of student attitudes towards learning and cognitions about what constitutes a qualified ELT teacher. The teachers reported that most of their students conceptualize English as merely a subject that must be passed instead of a language they must learn to speak to communicate effectively with others.