Improving Students' English Speaking Proficiency in Saudi Public Schools

In English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts, the absence of authentic language
learning situations outside the classroom presents a significant challenge to
improving students' English communication skills. Specific obstacles in the
learning environment can also result in students’ limited use of English inside the
classroom. These issues ultimately affect students’ English speaking capacity.
Focusing on the Saudi EFL context, this paper attempted to identify the causes of
Saudi students’ low proficiency in English communication and provide some
recommendations to address these issues. The most significant findings of the
paper were: (1) reforming specific Ministry of Education and Higher Education
policies in Saudi Arabia is crucial; (2) the Saudi education system should reinforce
the use of contemporary approaches to teaching that emphasise problem solving
and critical thinking skills and put students in charge of their own learning; and (3)
the ministry should consider converting some Saudi public schools into bilingual
schools.