Pronunciation and Conversation Challenges among Saudi EFL Students Tantangan Pengucapan dan Percakapan di antara Siswa EFL Saudi
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Published:
Apr 12, 2018
Keywords:
Preparatory Year Program, Saudi students, pronunciation, conversation, teaching methods, attitudes, motivations
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(1) * Issa Mohammad Muflih Naser
Universiti Utara Malaysia
Malaysia
(2) Mohd Hilmi Bin Hamzah
Universiti Utara Malaysia
Malaysia
(*) Corresponding Author
Abstract
This study aims to identify the difficulties of pronunciation and conversation faced by EFL learners who undertook a Preparatory Year Program (PYP) in Saudi Arabia, It highlights the main issues in pronunciation and conversations (e.g., textbooks, teaching methods, and students' attitude and motivation) and techniques to address these problems. The instruments used in the study were classroom observations and teachers' discussions. The results revealed that firstly, students did not have a sound knowledge of grammar. Secondly, students' outside environment was influenced by their mother tongue. Thirdly, the teaching methods did not suit their proficiency levels. Finally, they were demotivated and thought that they have an impossible mission to improve their English pronunciation and conversation.
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Naser, I. M. M., & Hamzah, M. H. B. (2018). Pronunciation and Conversation Challenges among Saudi EFL Students. JEES (Journal of English Educators Society), 3(1), 85-104. https://doi.org/10.21070/jees.v3i1.1228
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Copyright (c) 2018 Issa Mohammad Muflih Naser, Mohd Hilmi Bin Hamzah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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References
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Rajab, H. (2013). Developing speaking and writing skills of L1 Arabic EFL learners through teaching of IPA phonetic codes. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(4), 653-659
Sudrajat, A. (2016). An analysis of English pronunciation based on student speech community at English education study program (S-1 Degree). University Of Lampung, Lampung, Indonesia.
Tsojon, I. Y., & Aji, Y. N. (2014). Pronunciation Problems Among Jukun (Wapan) English Speakers. European Journal of Research and Reflection in Arts and Humanities, 2(1).
Alfehaid, M. (2015). Pronunciation problems Arab speakers encounter while learning English. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 6 (10), 581-582.
Alhawsawi, S. (2013). Investigating student experiences of learning English as a foreign language in a preparatory programme in a Saudi university (Doctoral dissertation). University of Sussex, Sussex, England.
Al-ma’shy, A. (2011). Causes of EFL speaking weakness in Saudi secondary schools in Al-Gunfuthah City (Doctoral dissertation). King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Al-Jamal, D. A., & Al-Jamal, G. A. (2014). An investigation of the difficulties faced by EFL undergraduates in speaking skills. English Language Teaching, 7(1), 19-27.
Al kaabi, A. M. (2016). Saudi students’ motivation and attitudes toward learning English as a second language and their willingness to invest in learning it (Master's thesis). ST. Cloud State University, Minnesota, United States.
Al-Khairy, M. H. (2013). English as a foreign language learning demotivational factors as perceived by Saudi undergraduates. European Scientific Journal, 9 (32), 265-382.
Almutairi, N. H. (2008). The influence of educational and sociocultural factors on the learning styles and strategies of female students in Saudi Arabia (Doctoral dissertation). University of Leicester, Leicester, England.
Alrabai, F. (2016). Factors underlying low achievement of Saudi EFL learners. International Journal of English Linguistics, 6(3), 21-37.
Al-Saidat, E. M. (2010). Phonological analysis of English phonotactics: A case study of Arab learners of English. The Buckingham Journal of Language and Linguistics, 3, 121-134.
Al-Shamy, A. A. M. (2012). Attitudes and motivation of EFL learners towards English: A case study of PYP Saudi university students (master’s thesis). University of Sunderland, Sunderland, England.
Bani Younes, Z. M., &Albalawi, F. S. (2016). Investigating the factors leading to speaking difficulties: Both perspectives of EFL Saudi learners and their teachers. Arab World English Journal, 7 (2), 268-287.
Bollen, R., Creemers, B. P., Hopkins, D., Lagerweij, N., Reynolds, D., & Stoll, L. (2005). Making good schools: Linking school effectiveness and improvement ]e-book[. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.my/books?hl=en&lr=&id
Brown, A. (2014). Pronunciation and phonetics: A practical guide for English language teachers [e-book}. Routledge. Retreived from https://books.google.com.my/books?id=7kksAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq
Chae, R. (2014). South Korean adults’ perceptions on causes of difficulties with spoken English: A descriptive study. International Forum Journal, 11(2).
Chowdhury, M. M. H. (2014). Teaching grammar in the English language classroom in Saudi universities. Express, an International Journal of Multi Disciplinary Research, 1 (1) 1-9
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Quantitative.
Daif-Allah, A. S., &Alsamani, A. S. (2013). Motivators for demotivators affecting English language acquisition of Saudi Preparatory Year Program students. English Language Teaching, 7(1), 128-138.
Deng, J; Holtby, A; Howden-Weaver, L; Nessim, L; Nicholas, B; Nickle, K; …… Sun, M. (2009). English pronunciation research: The neglected orphan of Utopian Goals | 35 Selected Papers from the 1st Annual Conference on Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching second language acquisition studies. Prairie Metropolis Centre Working Paper Series, WP05-09, Edmonton, AB.
Fareh, S. (2010). Challenges of teaching English in the Arab world: Why can’t EFL programs deliver as expected? Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 3600-3604.
Hago, O. E. ., & Khan, W. A. (2015). The pronunciation problems faced by Saudi EFL learners at secondary schools. Education and Linguistics Research, 1(2), 85-99
Hameed, P. F. M., & Aslam, M. S. (2015). Pronunciation as a stumbling block for the Saudi English learners: an analysis of the problems and some remedies. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(8), 1578-1585.
Hamzah, M. H., Nashuha, N. M. M., & Abdullah, A. H. (2017). Explicit Phonetic Instruction in Pronunciation Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Settings: The Case of Voiceless Dental Fricatives/Ɵ/and Rhotics/r/For Chinese Learners of English. THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, 130-140.
Kalaldeh, R. (2016). English Pronunciation Errors by Jordanian University Students. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ), 7(2), 394-416.
Kumar, R. (2011). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Los Angeles: SAGE. Chicago
Levis, J., & Levelle, K. (2010). Rebuilding a professional space for pronunciation. In J. Levis & K. Levelle (Eds.). Proceedings of the 1st Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference (pp. 1-9). Iowa, United States.
Miller, M. (2008). Problem-based conversations: Using preservice teachers' problems as a mechanism for their professional development. Teacher Education Quarterly, 35(4), 77-98.
Ngangbam, H. (2016). An analysis of syntactic errors committed by students of English language class in the written composition of Mutah University: A case study. European Journal of English Language, Linguistics and Literature, 3(1), 1-13.
Noor, H. H. (1996). English syntactic errors by Arabic speaking learners: Reviewed.
Educational Resources Information Center, 1441- 1465
Pulick, C. (2005). Tips for teaching conversation in the multilingual ESL classroom. The Internet TESL Journal, 6 (4).1-1
Rababah, G. (2002). Communication problems facing Arab learners of English. Educational Resources Information Center, month 12, 1-22.
Rabab’ah, G. (2016). The effect of communication strategy training on the development of EFL learners’ strategic competence and oral communicative ability. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 45(3), 625-651.
Rajab, H. (2013). Developing speaking and writing skills of L1 Arabic EFL learners through teaching of IPA phonetic codes. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(4), 653-659
Sudrajat, A. (2016). An analysis of English pronunciation based on student speech community at English education study program (S-1 Degree). University Of Lampung, Lampung, Indonesia.
Tsojon, I. Y., & Aji, Y. N. (2014). Pronunciation Problems Among Jukun (Wapan) English Speakers. European Journal of Research and Reflection in Arts and Humanities, 2(1).