RIYADH, 18 August 2005 — Some 350 Saudi students are pursuing English language courses in London this summer, underlining a growing awareness among Saudis of the need to improve their English language skills.
Ahmed Menyawi, education promotion adviser at the British Council in Riyadh, told Arab News that the number of Saudi students this summer has increased compared to 276 students who went to London during the same period last year.
The duration of the course ranges from three weeks to three months.
He said students in this group had their visits financed entirely by their parents and are in addition to those sponsored by Saudi educational institutions.
According to statistics released by the British Council, Saudi Arabia ranks 17th in terms of student weeks, defined as one student studying ten or more hours per week.
Saudi Arabia’s tally in terms of student weeks stood at 28,799 last year. This represented an increase of 11.16 percent over 2003.
A major factor that led to the surge in enrolment for English language courses in Britain last year was said to be the problem of getting student visas for the United States.
The top five countries from where students go to Britain for English language courses (in terms of student weeks) were: Japan (135,347); South Korea (120,262); Italy (105,177); China/Hongkong (99,5506); Brazil (80,837).
Providing an overview of the English language courses, Menyawi said while there was a noticeable trend in terms of Saudis opting for English language courses, a noteworthy aspect of the statistical table was the top ranking for Japan as a catchment area for English language courses.
It was followed by other countries from the Far East. Italy occupies the third slot. “This shows the level of importance that those countries attach to English as a medium of instruction for technical courses as well as the various sciences and the arts,” he observed.
Speaking about this year’s group of Saudi students who traveled to Britain this summer, Menyawi said the visitors consisted of two categories — those in the 10-16 age group, and the other 16 years and above.
While the first group used school accommodation, the latter was staying either with British host families or in residential schools there..
The English language program is interspersed with sightseeing and visits to museums and other tourist attractions to make it a rich educational experience.
