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VOL. 2, ISSUE 4 (2017)
Investigating the current class size arguments from the EFL Instructors’ perspectives in Saudi Arabia: A case study of the Intensive Language Program (ILP) classes at Qassim University
Authors
Abdulghani Eissa Tour Mohammed
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the class size on the overall improvement of the EFL teaching and learning settings via studying the case of the Intensive Language Program at some Saudi universities; in order to determine their influence on teaching environments; instructionally, managerially and socially. Today, it is common to teach 70 and above students in some (ILP) classes in college of Sciences and Arts, Arras, Qassim university. Therefore, the study attempts at determining the influences of such classes on teaching EFL. Moreover, the study also endeavours to investigate some detailed teaching difficulties faced by those who are currently work at college of Sciences and Arts, Arras. As appears on the university system (ILP) program aims at assisting the preliminary year students who intend to enroll in the English departments at Qassim University to acquire the fundamental English language skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking and vocabulary building). Those new comers have to go through an intensive English language program within a whole semester because they have to pass the required exams that enable them to join the English departments as level- one students. In this study, the (ILP) is only refers to intensive language program as used officially by Qassim university system. Concerning the data collection, a qualitative method is employed in which the researcher interviewed three respondents from the staff members who currently teach the largest (ILP) classes in College of Sciences and Arts, Arras, Qassim University. Additionally, the researcher has observed some EFL classes in the same college for further investigation. The aim of the observation is to determine what exactly is taking place in classes with huge number of students and limited teaching and learning facilitates. In other words, the observation attempts at identifying the kind of rapport between the teachers and the students as well as determining the real problems faced by EFL teachers in terms of grading students’ activities and time management. After collecting the data, the necessary statistical processes were conducted and the researcher finally arrived at some findings, the most important of which are as follows: 1. Simply reducing class size will not guarantee any overall improvement of teaching and learning settings. 2. Small classes are found as much better in terms of grading students’ work. 3. In large classes students feel isolated because there are no individual interactions between them and their instructors.
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Pages:227-233
How to cite this article:
Abdulghani Eissa Tour Mohammed "Investigating the current class size arguments from the EFL Instructors’ perspectives in Saudi Arabia: A case study of the Intensive Language Program (ILP) classes at Qassim University". International Journal of Advanced Education and Research, Vol 2, Issue 4, 2017, Pages 227-233
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