A brief history of English and English teaching in Saudi Arabia

Tariq Elyas, Michelle Picard

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This chapter explores the long history of English and English teaching in Saudi Arabia. It describes how from the iron ages onwards the inhabitants of what is now Saudi Arabia have encountered and spoken foreign languages including English because of their value to trade and social mobility, political expediency, and later, the spread of Islam. The chapter also traces shifts in attitude towards English teaching from its first formal introduction in the Schools of Higher Learning during the ‘Golden Age’ where it was part of a dynamic mixture of religious and secular learning to its virtual disappearance during the ‘Wahhabi Period’ and its reintroduction and expansion from the ‘Unification’ period to the present. The chapter examines the contested nature of English in Saudi Arabia throughout its history and traces the roots of key modern developments back to the past.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEnglish as a Foreign Language in Saudi Arabia
Subtitle of host publicationNew Insights into Teaching and Learning English
EditorsChristo Moskovsky, Michelle Picard
PublisherTaylor and Francis - Balkema
Chapter2
Pages70-84
Number of pages15
ISBN (Electronic)9781317421221, 9781315688466
ISBN (Print)9781138918498
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameRoutledge Research in Language Education
PublisherRoutledge

Keywords

  • English language teaching
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Higher education

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