JEDDAH, 28 August 2003 — As Saudi Arabia prepares to tailor its education system to the needs of the job market, English language skills are becoming increasingly important.
Students who graduate from public high schools and colleges often find themselves at a disadvantage because of their weak English, though with the decision made by the Council of Ministers to introduce English at sixth grade instead of seventh and improving the teaching of English, future graduates may fare better.
“It’s very important that college graduates have a strong foundation in English to apply for a job,” Nada Hawarna, a Saudi American Bank branch manager, told Arab News. “We prefer to hire applicants who are already fluent in English for our entry-level jobs,” she said. “For management level jobs and promotions we provide advanced English seminars if necessary.”
Saeed Al-Ghamdi, a front-office manager at the Sheraton Hotel, took extra classes in English to compete for his position after graduating in accountancy.
“For a person’s academic life, whether it’s at the undergraduate level or the graduate level, English is indispensable,” said Dr. Asma Siddiki, student affairs supervisor at Effat College. “At undergraduate level, students are often required to do Internet research and refer to supplementary texts that are available only in English. Also, some fields such as medicine in Saudi Arabia are only taught in English. At graduate level, students are required to do research independently, and that requires accessing journals and literature that is mostly in English,” she added.
Effat College, a private college for girls, has a pre-college English program, and since all instruction at the college is in English it was felt that in order to maintain a high standard it was important to strengthen the linguistic skills of the students before they began their studies in earnest, Dr. Siddiki said.
“In terms of career, English is crucial,” said Dr. Siddiki. “Whether it’s working in a bank, a hospital or as a secretary or in a school, being able to communicate in English is a must, not only because Saudi Arabia is in many ways a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society but also because our institutions are part of larger organizations where interaction with organizations abroad is essential,” she said.
“Students enrolled in the English program are usually comfortable speaking in English but need improvement in academic reading and writing,” said Sarah Khan, who is in charge of the program. “Most of them are scared of public speaking, and some of them find it difficult to use technology for learning English,” she added.
