English teaching in the primary schools is a hotly debated issue. Strong arguments are presented by advocates of both sides. While one group believes that knowledge of English is a basic requirement for combating our unemployment problem, some argue hotly that exposing our young children to a foreign language and culture will be a calamity for their cultural and religious upbringing.
English is today’s international language — as French and Latin once were. English today opens up countless avenues of knowledge, particularly in the areas of science and technology. The Internet can be utilized most advantageously if the user has a sound knowledge of English; the truth is that no other language plays such a wide role on the Net. Like it or not, English dominates international trade, culture and politics. Proficiency in the language is a basic qualification for higher positions in both the public and private sectors.
According to Abdul Wahid Al-Homaid, a columnist in Arabic daily Al-Riyadh, a person can work anywhere in the world if he or she has a working knowledge of English. Al-Homaid admits that it is not easy for speakers of the language of the Holy Qur’an to realize that another language is also important in their lives. We Arabs, however, cannot blame others for the unenviable backwardness in which many Arab and Muslim societies find themselves these days. We can only blame ourselves.
We must be both realistic and practical in order not to be left behind in today’s world of rapid technological development. Unless the younger generation arms itself with proficiency in English, we will surely be left even farther behind. Fearing a foreign language and suspecting it of subversion is baseless. Opposition to the teaching of English at the primary level is sadly illogical and unreasonable.
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid, editor in chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, has pointed out a number of reasons why English should be taught effectively in our schools. He laments our tendency to initially oppose every new and modern invention and achievement. While he sees the poor quality of education as the root cause of Arab backwardness in general, he also attributes the Kingdom’s thousands of unemployed young people to weakness in English. The problem is not the number of jobs — there are plenty; the problem is a lack of the language needed in order to do the job. Al-Rashid believes that the objection to English springs from the fear that Arabic will lose its importance for us. Another fear is that the new generation will lose touch with Arab traditions while their knowledge of English will expose them to dangerous ideas. He warns against being deterred by fears as our aim is progress and not backwardness.
Nadir Abdullah, another writer, disagrees with Al-Rashid, arguing that students who studied English in primary school do not demonstrably do better in their university studies than those who did not. His view is that English should be studied only by students who are interested to do it after the secondary stage. Establishing institutes specializing in fast and efficient translation from English and other languages would widen the horizons of knowledge for students and everyone in the country.
Nora Al-Saad believes that our children waste several years by studying English. Instead they should make better use of those years by studying religious law and Arabic. She believes that English should not be taught in schools; there should be special schools for English just as there are special schools for industrial and commercial studies. The language should be offered as an option to interested students.
Saad Al-Baqami suspects that learning English is a tool to spread Western culture among the Arabs. “However, it can be taught in universities as part of a specialized scheme for translation without any special stress on English at any particular stage of schooling. By our keenness to learn it and by making it a compulsory subject, we are helping the spread of a foreign culture,” he wrote. Al-Baqami stressed the need for a comprehensive solution to the weaknesses of our educational system. He believes that the number of topics studied should be reduced and that emphasis should be placed on teaching advanced theories and scientific applications. The education system should also develop creativity and logical thinking.
Sarah Yahya also favors opening specialized institutes for languages as in other countries where institutes for learning foreign languages are numerous. Such institutes in our country could undertake translations of all books relating to science and technology. Such a move would free millions of children from the burden and waste in terms of money and man-hours in learning new languages.
Ali Al-Hudaithi, an educator, fears that the additional burden of acquiring a foreign language on primary students will surely make them weak in other subjects. He suggests a 10-week intensive course of English soon after the end of primary school and before beginning intermediate school.
Saad Al-Dosari, also an educator, attributes the poor performance in English to a poor curriculum and methods of teaching at all levels. What he would like to see is not including English in primary schools but reviewing the curriculum and improving teaching methodology in order to help students learn.
While others argue on the topic, Director General of Girls Education Abdul Aziz Al-Harithi says that English will be taught to girls in primary schools two years after its introduction in boys’ schools and only after guaranteeing its advantages and eliminating its negative aspects.