Why Do Saudi EFL Readers Exhibit Poor Reading Abilities?

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to investigate the reasons behind Saudi learners' poor reading skills. To this end, the objectives were to identify the reading habits of Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) middle school learners, to understand the extent to which Saudi EFL middle school learners use reading comprehension skills and to explore the perceptions of learners, teachers and supervisors regarding Saudi EFL learners' reading abilities. The study sample consisted of 90 Saudi EFL middle school students, eight EFL teachers and six supervisors. The students were surveyed and interviewed about their reading habits and use of reading skills, while the teachers and supervisors were interviewed to explore their perceptions about reading instruction in the Saudi context. The results revealed that most Saudi EFL students lack the necessary reading habits in L1 and L2. In addition, they rarely make use of important reading skills when they read English texts. This study identified "lack of exposure to target language", "poor teaching skills and teacher training programs", "little attention to comprehension and more attention to reading aloud", "students' lack of motivation", "little emphasis on reading skills in textbooks", "unfamiliar and unsuitable reading topics", "lack of reading skills training for students", "students' limited vocabulary" and "lack of parental involvement" as the most important factors behind Saudi students' poor reading abilities. The study concluded with important recommendations and suggestions for future research.

A Systematic Review of Research on Teaching English Language Skills for Saudi EFL Students

“…Most of Saudi students lack the necessary reading habits (Al-Qahtani, 2016), and they have difficulties in different areas such as use of vocabulary, scanning, skimming, prediction and summarizing (Nezami, 2012). They rarely make use of important reading skills when they read English texts as a result of lack of exposure to the target language, poor teaching skills, little attention to comprehension, lack of motivation, unfamiliar and unsuitable reading topics, lack of reading skills training and limited vocabulary (Al-Qahtani, 2016).…”

“…Most of Saudi students lack the necessary reading habits (Al-Qahtani, 2016), and they have difficulties in different areas such as use of vocabulary, scanning, skimming, prediction and summarizing (Nezami, 2012). They rarely make use of important reading skills when they read English texts as a result of lack of exposure to the target language, poor teaching skills, little attention to comprehension, lack of motivation, unfamiliar and unsuitable reading topics, lack of reading skills training and limited vocabulary (Al-Qahtani, 2016). Regarding oral proficienc , it has been found that Saudi students have difficulties in pronouncing certain English consonant sounds (Ahmad, 2011;Hago & Khan, 2015).Pronunciation, speed of speech, insufficient vocabulary, the different accent of speakers, lack of concentration, anxiety, bad quality of recording, appropriate grammatical structures, hesitance to use the target language, conceptual knowledge, listening ability, motivation to speak, teachers' feedback during speaking activities, confidence, mother tongue, low participation time allow to speak and time allowed for preparation were the major listening comprehension problems encountered by Saudi EFL learners (AlAsmari, 2015;Hamouda, 2013a;Younes & Albalawi, 2016).…”

Dictionary Use by Saudi EFL University Preparatory Program Students

“…Some studies have reported that Saudi EFL students hardly read in English (e.g. Al-Homoud, 2003;Al-Qahtani, 2016). …”

Culture in Teaching EFL in Saudi Arabia from Learners’ Perspective

“…This huge indeterminate response requires to be addressed it may be because of their less understanding of the textbook contents resulting from their inappropriate level of English language proficiency. Studies prove that the Saudi tertiary level English students' English proficiency is not up to the expectations (Moskovsky & Alrabai, 2009;Al-Zubeiry, 2012;Al-Qahtani, 2016). Further studies are imperative to know about the indeterminate state of the learners.…”