Empowering Future Teachers: Cultivating Critical Thinking in Student-Led Sociolinguistic Classrooms in Kuwait (Published)
This study explores the role of student-led classrooms in developing critical thinking, sociolinguistic awareness, and collaborative skills among pre-service English teachers in Kuwait. Employing a qualitative case study design, it examines the application of active learning in a sociolinguistic educational context. The results indicate that this approach enhances critical engagement with sociolinguistic issues, fosters analytical abilities, and promotes collaboration through peer feedback. However, challenges such as resistance to new methodologies, varying language proficiency, and institutional constraints underscore the need for structured support and alignment with institutional objectives. With the necessary adjustments in place to support teachers and students alike, the findings highlight the transformative potential of active learning. With consideration of the challenges highlighted, as well as room for flexibility to respond to issues arising throughout the course, this paper proposes strategies to tailor the active learning model to the specificity of Kuwait’s educational environment. Furthermore, proposing that future studies should examine its long-term effects and explore cross-cultural and digital adaptations.
Keywords: Critical thinking, Sociolinguistics, Student-led classrooms, Teacher Education
The Impact of a Global Englishes Course on Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Teaching English as a Global Language (Published)
In this study I aimed to investigate the impact of a Global Englishes for Language Teaching course on teachers’ attitudes towards teaching English as a global language. I employed an intervention research design to make a comparison between a control group and an intervention group. Forty-four Saudi preservice and inservice teachers participated in the study. The findings of the pre-questionnaire for both groups showed positive attitudes towards global perspectives on English language teaching and a slight attachment to traditional perspectives on English language teaching. The statistically significant difference between the pre-questionnaire and post-questionnaire of the intervention group showed the Global Englishes course could raise the intervention group’s appreciation of global perspectives on English language teaching and encourage a willingness to detach from traditional perspectives on English language teaching.
Keywords: English language teaching, Global Englishes, Teacher Education, attitude
English Language Teaching in Saudi Arabia: A Book Review (Published)
English Language Teaching in Saudi Arabia: An Introduction is a book by Yousif A. N. Alshumaimeri published in 2019 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The first part of the book provides an overview of the study of the English language. The second part analyses the various approaches and teaching methods used in English language instruction. At the end of each chapter, discussion activities for teachers and students are outlined. English is currently being taught in most public learning institutions worldwide. Despite this, there are not enough books available to assist international student teachers from various backgrounds and cultures with different first languages who are studying to be English teachers. Alshumaimeri’s book identifies several methods and approaches that can be used when teaching English, discusses their advantages and disadvantages and describes the roles of teachers and students in these methods. While it targets students of English, this book provides a rich history of teaching English as a foreign language in Saudi Arabia. These factors make the book relevant for student teachers of English.
Keywords: EFL, English language teaching, Saudi Arabia, Teacher Education, Teaching Methods, Undergraduate Students
The Effectiveness of Teacher Education Program: Identifying the Difficulties and Challenges Faced by the Pre-Service English Teachers (Published)
The purpose of this study is to investigate to what extent pre-service teachers apply the methods, theory, and training received during training in the teacher training program into their classroom teaching. The sample involved in the study were pre-service teachers from the Bachelor in Education TESL program who had just completed their 3-month teaching practicum and are currently in the final semester. This study employed a qualitative research design and the data sources included (open-ended) pre-service teacher questionnaires and document analysis. The questionnaire distribution phase was conducted with 68 pre-service teachers who came for a one-day post mortem of their teaching practicum. From the analysis of the qualitative data, the findings derived four themes that best described the codes from the participants’ responses: dealing with students in class, the pre-service teachers’ self-belief, the supervisors, and the schools, which reflect the difficulties and challenges faced by the pre-service teachers.
Keywords: Challenges in Teaching, Pre-Service Teachers, Teacher Education