THE PERCEIVED VALUE OF AMERICAN ENGLISH IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSES IN SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the perceptions and preferences of Arabic-speaking English as a Second Language (ESL) learners and faculty members in Saudi Arabia regarding General American English (GAE). Situated within the broader sociolinguistic debate on English varieties, the study explores why GAE is consistently prioritized in instruction, how it is reinforced through media exposure, and what implications this has for pedagogy and curriculum design. The research adopts a qualitative design, combining open-ended questionnaires with 20 student participants and semi-structured interviews with an instructor and program coordinator at a Saudi Arabian community college. Data were analyzed thematically, following Braun and Clarke’s framework, to capture both learner perspectives and institutional practices. Findings reveal that GAE dominates learner preferences due to its perceived clarity, accessibility, and prestige, as well as its widespread presence in digital media such as Netflix, YouTube, and TikTok. Students described GAE as “normal,” “easy,” and “modern,” illustrating how emotional reactions and social associations reinforce rational judgments of intelligibility. Faculty perspectives aligned with this preference, emphasizing GAE’s pedagogical simplicity and practical utility for academic and professional success. At the same time, results showed that early starters and students with higher media exposure were more open to dialectal diversity, while late starters relied heavily on GAE as an instructional anchor. Although awareness of World Englishes was limited, both faculty members expressed cautious support for introducing dialectal variation at advanced stages, reflecting a pragmatic but forward-looking pedagogy. These results highlight a dynamic interplay between institutional choices, learner experiences, and global linguistic ideologies, with GAE functioning as both a practical learning model and a symbolic marker of modernity. The study contributes to applied linguistics by demonstrating how localized learner attitudes intersect with global language hierarchies. It recommends a tiered pedagogical approach: establishing GAE as a stable foundation at early stages, then gradually incorporating dialectal awareness to prepare learners for multilingual, multicultural communication. Future research should include longitudinal designs, cross-institutional comparisons, and investigations into the role of media literacy in shaping dialectal awareness.