English as a language in Arab-speaking Countires

The use of English as a language within the Arab-speaking countries gained significant attraction at the turn of the millennium. In most of the schools and Universities, the official language has been Arabic while English has always been taught as a secondary language or a foreign language. This is mostly true in the gulf countries. Each year, the assessment of English language to various cohorts of students involves a complex social phenomenon that has a very deep impact on both the students and the stakeholders within the education sector. Although most of the students pass these assessment tests in their foundational years, they still fail to cope with the enormous amount of academic requirements within the departments in which they are admitted.

This is because of their lower understanding levels of the English Language. The main aim of this chapter is to explore the role played by the education stakeholders, more so focusing on teachers and instructors, in the assessment of the English language in the Arab Gulf countries and the North Africa; specifically in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The chapter examines the beliefs and role of instructors and teachers towards the assessment of the English Language in Saudi Arabia’s learning institutions. The assessment is based on two primary research questions: 1. What roles do the teachers and tutors offering English language assessment play in the implementation of practices at the foundation? and 2. How do the teachers and instructors perceive English language assessment program?

The research methodology included the use of both primary data and secondary data. Based on the findings of the study in this chapter, there is a need for further research into the beliefs and practices of teachers in the assessment of specific language skills within the various contexts. The research in this area is found to be very limited.