• Article Listing
• |
• Search Articles
• |
• More Articles in Education
• |
• More Articles by Carol Fleming

Tips on Teaching Saudi Students

by Carol Fleming - 07/24/2010

"This article provides tips from a Westerner who teaches English to Saudi students."

Some expatriates may be undecided on whether or not to accept a position in Saudi Arabia teaching English. It may be due to an unknown location or perhaps in wondering just how to interact and teach English to Saudi students. One teacher who has been teaching English to Saudi students was kind enough to share her experiences and tips on teaching Saudi students. These tips can apply whether teaching Saudi students inside or outside of Saudi Arabia.

“I really enjoy teaching them, and have a lot of fun with them. I've found that I really love their sense of humor. We laugh a lot! Their sense of humor seems to involve a lot of teasing, and a bit of silliness too. The majority of them are good students who respect me. But some of them can be difficult, and I'm always nervous when I get new students that they may be difficult ones. “

Following are the challenges she has encountered and how she has chosen to respond:

They are always late, but this doesn't really bother me too much, and I've figured out ways to handle this. We have 3 breaks in our morning class which gives them 4 opportunities to be late. So I don't let them in if they are more than 10 minutes late and this works. The other thing I do is before they are allowed to sit down is I make them apologize in correct English, and they have to get it right at least once before they are allowed to sit down. Eg "I'm sorry I'm late because I was smoking." I wouldn't do this to someone who was shy because they would be mortified. However I have found that Saudis aren't the slightest bit worried about being put on the spot, or even looking silly in front of the class.

The other rules I really enforce are: no mobile phones which I enforce by asking them all personally if their phone is off, and are they sure it's off, and getting them to show me if I don't believe them. Additionally I request that they do not speak Arabic in class. This is pretty difficult to enforce, but if they speak Arabic I give them their homework and send them out of the class for 5 minutes. They always protest but I don't back down and this does seem to really work, and stop them from speaking Arabic.

A lot of them seem really unmotivated and lazy, and completely uninterested in learning. They seem to be very spoilt and pampered, and don't really need to learn anything because they're just going to work for their father anyway, who is usually some kind of businessman. Thankfully at the moment I have Saudi students who are all good and keen to learn.

They are often not very good at thinking for themselves whenever I give them written exercise where they have to work on their own. They want me to tell them the answers, or someone else to tell them the answers; they don't want to actually think. When I do get a Saudi who will sit there and work through the exercises on his own I'm so impressed.

They are very demanding. Recently one of them told me that it's rude to cut in on an elder when he is speaking. They all demand my attention at once. For example I am talking to one student, but three others are crying out "teacher! Teacher! Teacher!" And don't stop until I answer them. And they always try to cut in when I'm speaking. This doesn't bother me too much if they are generally otherwise good students.

A lot of them cheat in their weekly tests, and if they've been absent they will never tell me the truth (eg I just didn't want to come to school), they always come up with some sort of excuse.

In turn, for those who have worked in Saudi Arabia or with other Arabs, please consider sharing your own experiences and tips you have to pass on to others!

Carol Fleming

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5