IELTS and IESOL as English Proficiency Assessment Methods for Native Arab Students in a Health Sciences University in the United Arab Emirates (Published)
This study compares the performance of Arab students in the IELTS and IESOL English proficiency tests. It aims at evaluating the performance of Arabs in both tests to perceive which test suits the Arab students to be able to achieve a higher score and join universities. These tests have become a major obstacle for many Arabs who cannot start their higher education without achieving a certain score required by the universities. In the U.A.E. The students are required to achieve a minimum band score of 5 in IELTS in order to join universities. Many of them may drop higher education because of the inability to score. The study was conducted in RAK Medical and Health Sciences University in The United Arab Emirates. The participants were a group of Arab students exposed to both tests. The results were compared and analyzed to examine which test resulted in a better performance. The results showed that students scored better in IESOL than IELTS. In IESOL they were able to achieve the B2 level required whereas in the IELTS none of them was able to reach that level. The maximum score reached was 4.5 which is equal to medium B1 level.
Keywords: Arab Students, English language learners (ELLs), English proficiency tests (EPTs), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), International English to Speakers of Other Languages (IESOL), non-native English speakers (NNES)
Communication Anxiety of Arab University EFL Students (Published)
This paper explores the incidence of communication anxiety as well as evaluative anxiety among university EFL students in four countries in the Arabian Peninsula (Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE), and examines factors associated with anxiety in the classroom. The study discusses the nature, implications, some causes and effects of communication anxiety and suggests possible prevention and coping strategies to this problem.
Keywords: Arab Students, Coping Strategies, EFL, anxiety prevention., apprehension, communication anxiety
ARAB STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION IN LEARNING ENGLISH: A STUDY OF PYP STUDENTS (Published)
Motivation is the driving force that puts a person in action to achieve his/her goal. Motivation determines the direction of the action. The present study attempts to interpret what important factors affect the motivation of Saudi students in English. The study also looks at the relationship between English language learning motivation of Saudi students and their achievement in English. The data were collected from preparatory year programme, Najran university students. The quantitative approach has been used for data. The major finding of the study is that students don’t want to be looked down upon as ignorant. It has been found that students prefer to learn English due to its international hype and they want to look like English people because they are very impressed by the western culture. The findings also reveal that there is a positive correlation between Saudi students’ motivation and their achievement in English. The study shows interesting effects of motivational factors in learning English.
Keywords: Arab Students, Motivation, Preparatory Year, SLA, attitude
