Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 13. Number2. June 2022 Pp.

412-423
DOI: [Link]

Issues with Communicative Language Teaching Implementation in Saudi Arabia

Concerning the Government Policy, Teachers, and Students: Two Decades of Research

Ahmed O. Alharbi
School of Education, University of Glasgow
Glasgow, United Kingdom
Email: alharbiahmedo@[Link]

Received: 3/25/2022 Accepted:5/11/2022 Published: 6/24/202

Abstract
This paper focuses on the most significant empirical studies on the topic of challenges facing the
communicative language teaching approach in Saudi Arabia. The communicative language
teaching method has been used for more than two decades in Saudi Arabia and research conducted
during this period offers some insight into the main challenges of the implementation. The main
goal of this paper is to synthesize findings from research studies conducted in the past and by doing
so, suggest the possible avenues for tackling these challenges. Four broad categories of challenges
have been adopted from Li’s (1998) comprehensive framework in an attempt to structure the
challenges under meaningful labels. This, in turn, enabled us to categorize the challenges
according to their source which helped our understanding of how to resolve them. The findings
suggest that the most frequently observed policy-related challenges are the current exam system,
overcrowded classes, no AV equipment, and low quality of in-house training programs for
teachers. Teacher-related challenges mostly relate to conflicting ideas about CLT, low confidence
in these methods, preference for the traditional learning model, focus on developing skills that
feature in the exams, and deficiencies in teachers’ English. Student-related challenges are found
to be their low-level proficiency, passive learning style, lack of motivation to learn the target
language, and fear of their marks being negatively affected if they are paired with weaker peers
during communicative activities. This paper concludes that these challenges are all interconnected,
and a systematic approach is essential in trying to tackle these with the government intervention
being a potential first step.

Keywords: Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), CLT in Saudi Arabia, CLT-related

challenges, language policies in Saudi Arabia, policy-related challenges, student-related
challenges, teacher-related challenges

Cite as: Alharbi, A. O. (2022). Issues with Communicative Language Teaching Implementation in
Saudi Arabia Concerning the Government Policy, Teachers, and Students: Two Decades of Research.
Arab World English Journal, 13 (2) 412-423. DOI: [Link]
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Issues with Communicative Language Teaching Implementation in Saudi Arabia Alharbi

Introduction
In today's global context, it is recognized that the English language has become the
language of the world, and many countries have adapted their education policies to reflect the ever-
growing need for the English language. Saudi Arabia introduced a new policy regarding the way
the English language is taught in schools in the early 2000s as it became increasingly clear that the
English language was to play an essential role in various fields of the Saudi Arabian economy
(Alharbi, 2020). This new policy favours a so-called Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
approach whereby the focus is moved away from developing students’ grammar accuracy and
skills. Instead, the emphasis is placed on developing students’ communicative skills. This
communicative approach is based on the notion that learning language successfully comes from
having to communicate real meaning, therefore, when learners are engaged in real communication,
they are inclined to utilize their natural strategies for language acquisition, and this enables them
to learn the language. For this reason, learners are encouraged to use the target language in a variety
of contexts and learn language functions (Al Asmari, 2015). Such an approach is student-centred
and aims to improve listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills, while at the same time
enhancing students’ understanding of other cultures and helping them advance the target language
for everyday use (Alharbi, 2020).

On the other hand, the implementation of the CLT in Saudi Arabia cannot be described as
particularly successful and a number of studies that have been conducted throughout the last
twenty years on the topic corroborate that notion. In such studies, researchers set out to investigate
the numerous challenges of CLT implementation, but no study to date has tried to synthesize
findings from these studies in a way that would enable to get a complete overview of the challenges
and organize them in categories in such way that it enables to see the causal relationship among
them. This paper will try to fill this gap and in doing so, explore the ways in which these challenges
could be tackled.

Literature Review
The following section will firstly provide an overview of the relevant literature regarding
the CLT, and secondly, it will explore the challenges of CLT implementation in Saudi Arabia. The
latter will be achieved by exploring the studies of Abahussain (2016), Al Asmari (2015),
Almohideb (2019), Batawi (2006) and Farooq (2015).

The main objective of the CLT approach to language learning is using communicative
language teaching to develop communicative competence (Richards & Rodgers, 2014), which can
be defined as the expression, interpretation, and negotiation of meaning (Savignon, 1997).
Therefore, the goal of CLT is to enable learners to communicate in the target language and this is
attainable only if language learners acquire knowledge about the language and the ability to use
that language (Alamri, 2018). The success of language learning depends on how well learners have
developed their communicative skills or competence and how well they can apply this knowledge
of a language with sufficient proficiency to the process of communication (Al Asmari, 2015).

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The basic principles of CLT are, firstly, a classroom that is learner-oriented instead of
teacher-oriented. Secondly, the classes should include opportunities to develop a broad repository
of activities. Thirdly, it includes teachers taking on multiple roles; and lastly, it means that teachers
should make use of authentic materials (Mey, 1998). Learner-oriented classrooms mean a move
from a teacher-centred curriculum toward a student-centred curriculum. Regarding the content of
the curriculum, new strategies and techniques have been adopted that allow students to use the
language purposefully and functionally in the classroom (Alharbi, 2020), while communicative-
based activities support the natural growth of language ability (Farooq, 2015). The new curriculum
also reflects the students’ need for more space to use language, which should, in turn, help students
develop their language competency.

Due to moving from a teacher-centred to a student-centred curriculum, the role of the

teachers has also shifted, but the importance of teachers has largely remained unchanged in CLT.
In other words, although the focus has shifted to students, teachers' role remains of the utmost
importance in a classroom (Al Asmari, 2015). According to the CLT, teachers should be
considered role models for accurate pronunciation and writing and they should provide support to
learners in producing utterances that are free of errors and, ultimately, mistakes (Richards, 2006).
However, teachers should also help develop an environment in which students are comfortable
with group or pair work, instead of depending on the teacher as the sole language model (Richards,
2006). Such an environment supports students’ learning autonomy and makes their teacher a
facilitator, guide and co-learner (Al Asmari, 2015), whilst increasing students’ responsibility by
giving them more control of the learning process.

In a CLT approach, learning materials are very important and, consequently, it is important
that the textbooks that are being utilized in the classrooms conform to the CLT approach. The
Saudi Arabian education system is very centralized and mostly based on teaching from the
textbook (Ministry of Education, 2002), where the textbook can be viewed as the core of any ELT
program and it plays an important role in teaching the language since it offers suggestions on the
pedagogy, lesson content, and the manner of teaching (Alharbi, 2020). A study by Alharbi (2020)
examines the level of conformity between the CLT approach and a textbook used in Saudi Arabia.
The findings suggest that the textbook used in secondary education in Saudi Arabia may restrict
the main goals of CLT due to its relatively controlling nature. The findings from the same study
also advocate that other factors are inhibiting the CLT approach in Saudi Arabia; in particular, the
limited teaching time and high dependency on textbooks that are not organized in a way that
supports CLT. The study further puts forward the idea that a broader approach might be needed to
improve English teaching in Saudi Arabia as simply a change in the textbook may not have the
desired impact in an approach that favours communicative activities over textbook use. Lastly, a
suggestion is made to remove the less important content from the textbooks and, in this way, give
space to teachers to increase the opportunities for students to use the language in a more
meaningful way (Alharbi, 2020).
Batawi (2006) was one of the first to investigate the challenges of CLT in the context of
Saudi Arabia and the findings from this study have influenced numerous scholars who have
decided to take a similar undertaking. Batawi conducted a study that included giving a

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questionnaire to one hundred female teachers (N=100), followed by a round of interviews (N=12).
The questionnaire results revealed that the challenges these teachers faced were due to their
deficiencies in the English language, fear of “losing face”, and a lack of sufficient knowledge of
CLT. The questionnaire results also showed what the teachers thought were issues among students
and these were first and foremost related to their low proficiency levels, which hindered their
communicative development. It further highlighted students’ passive learning style, which
involved listening to explanations from teachers. Another set of obstacles was identified relating
to the textbooks that diverge from the communicative approach, overcrowded classes that make
CLT implementation impossible, and grammar-based examinations which, in turn, force teachers
to focus on grammar. The interviews, however, revealed that Saudi teachers tended to use both
traditional and CLT methods of teaching with a marginal preference for the traditional approach.
They also showed that teachers spend around 40% of their teaching time on teaching grammar and
other skills, such as reading and writing, at the expense of speaking and listening since these skills
constitute the majority of students' final grades. Most of the teachers also indicated their preference
for teacher-centred classes for several reasons, some of which related to compatibility with
students' passive learning style and ability to maintain discipline among students.

Al Asmari (2015) conducted an exploratory study on a large sample of English language

teachers (N=100), adopting a questionnaire to uncover the challenges they are facing in creating a
CLT environment. The first set of challenges seemed to be related to teachers, and it was suggested
that the major contributors in this category were teachers' misconceptions about CLT focusing
exclusively on teaching oral skills and no grammar, and their perception that CLT was challenging
because CLT norms require "an unrealistically superhuman teacher" (Al Asmari, 2015, p. 979). It
was also found that teachers lacked the time needed to develop communicative activities and
opportunities for professional training despite the in-house continuous professional development
programs. Other challenges revolved around language students, with some of the factors being the
lack of motivation among students to learn the target language, their passive style of learning,
resistance to participating in communicative activities, low confidence and preparedness in the
classroom, and low-level proficiency. Lastly, there were challenges related to education policy
and the educational system, where the biggest issues identified by teachers were overcrowded
classes, classrooms with no audio-visual equipment, lack of materials for communicative
activities, and an existing examination system that was unsuited to CLT. Also, the need for specific
teaching materials, lack of effective and efficient assessment instruments, and incompatibility of
western educational assumptions with the local context were established as CLT-related challenges
hindering the successful implementation of CLT in Saudi Arabia.

Farooq (2015) distributed a questionnaire to a group of EFL teachers (N=100) to probe

teachers' perceptions and practices regarding CLT and the impact of this on the communicative
competency of students (N=10). Some of the key issues identified in the teacher perceptions were
the lack of understanding of the basic principles of CLT and conflicting ideas of what the CLT
approach entails. More issues were discovered concerning educational policies like large classes,
lack of audio-visual aids, and lack of resources to develop communicative activities. It was also
suggested that large classes inhibit teachers from carrying out CLT activities and the current

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classroom structure is not supportive of pair or group work, which is essential in any CLT-oriented
classroom. Another important challenge was identified as the lack of any need to use the target
language in daily communication by students. During the observations, however, additional
problems were detected. These ranged from students' low-level proficiency, chairs that couldn't be
moved around and teachers providing explanations in the native language, to students' tendency to
speak in the native language if a chance presented itself, and no attempts by teachers to use
communicative activities.

Abaussain (2016) focused on exploring the challenges faced by Saudi English teachers in
their teaching practice that stop them from fully implementing CLT and a communicative approach
in their classrooms. To do so, questionnaires were distributed among state school English language
teachers (N=45) and interviews were conducted with English language teachers, educational
supervisors, and university lecturers (N=21) to probe the reasons for failing to successfully
implement all aspects of CLT. The first of the various reasons was the teachers' teaching method,
which was in line with traditional teaching instead of CLT, in which the dominant role in the
classroom is that of the teacher, while students appear to have a peripheral role. As a direct
consequence, opportunities for interactions between students were minimized, discreet skills with
emphasis on grammar and translation were taught, the focus was placed on the final product of
teaching instead of focusing on the process of teaching and learning, and instead of promoting
cooperative learning, competitive learning was encouraged. The study suggests that the reasons
for the abovementioned shortcomings in teaching conceal two broad factors: the institutional and
situational factors like the contents of in-service training programs, examination purposes and
classroom structure, and the socio-cultural factors such as the traditional role of teachers in Saudi
Arabia, the behaviourist view of education, and the secondary status of English in the Saudi
community due to the perception of "English as a threat" (Abahussain, 2016, p. 249) to the culture
and identity of the country.

A study by Almohideb (2019) set out to investigate university teachers and students’
perceptions of CLT approaches in teaching and learning English. In an attempt to identify the key
reasons for the unsuccessful implementation of the CLT-oriented teaching approach in a university
setting, the study also looked at perceived challenges for Saudi English teachers and students
through interviews with language teachers (N=5), student questionnaires (N=100), textbook
analyses, and classroom observations (N=12). This study found that teachers did use the CLT
approach in their classroom, albeit a modified version known as the "post method approach". In
such an approach, teachers adjust the way of teaching based on the needs of the students and the
teaching context, instead of strictly adhering to a teaching method. Thus, teachers believed they
were unable to teach communicatively in their classrooms, but classroom observations showed
that they were utilizing a communicative approach in their classrooms. Secondly, teachers believed
that they were unable to incorporate all the required skills into their teaching practice because they
lacked the confidence to do so and because of their limited time, while the observations showed
quite the opposite – teachers were successful in integrating the skills needed for developing
students' meaningful language use, despite their opposing beliefs. The study findings further
suggest that teachers' perceptions of obstacles in adopting CLT were to do with unified exams and

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large classes, while students perceived difficulties in working together (collaborating) as the main
obstacle because of their fear that pairing with a peer with weaker language skills would negatively
affect their grades. Another key finding of the study was that the current examination system is "at
odds with the purpose of teaching and learning English as a foreign language" (Almohideb, 2019,
p. 173), which, as a result, makes teachers less likely to concentrate on the skills and knowledge
that can be used in real-life situations, and more likely to focus on learning skills that are essential
in the exams (Ahmad & Rao, 2012).

Methods
The following section will firstly provide an overview of Li's (1998) comprehensive
framework for challenges regarding CLT implementation. This framework will then be used
against the findings of the studies conducted in Saudi Arabia which we listed above, to see how
this can help in organizing the challenges into meaningful categories and identifying key
underlying issues with CLT implementation in Saudi Arabia. The framework enables us to
organize diverse issues into four broad categories of challenges in relation to their nature: (1)
teacher-related challenges; (2) student-related challenges; (3) policy-related challenges; and (4)
CLT-related challenges. The paragraphs below provide a detailed description of each of the
categories.

Teacher-related Challenges
Li (1998) conducted an exploratory study to detect key issues with the CLT approach in
South Korean schools and several main issues are put forward in this work in relation to the
challenges teachers face in a CLT classroom. These are identified as follows: deficiencies in
spoken English; deficiencies in strategic and sociolinguistic competence in English; shortage of
training in CLT; very limited opportunities for retraining in CLT; and little time and expertise for
developing communicative materials. Even though the teachers participating in the study thought
their grammar, reading and writing skills were of a high level, they also believed that their abilities
in English speaking and listening were not sufficient to successfully conduct communicative
classes.

Another major obstacle to the successful application of CLT lay with teachers' deficiencies
in strategic and sociolinguistic competence. Many teachers acknowledged that adopting the CLT
approach may put them in a vulnerable position where they might not know answers to questions
related to the sociolinguistic aspect of English, which, in turn, would make them lose the respect
of their students. The lack of proper training or retraining opportunities in CLT also led to a
"fragmented understanding" of CLT (Batawi, 2006, p. 27). Due to this, teachers are not confident
in their CLT skills, which makes it extremely difficult and unlikely that they will adopt a
communicative approach. Another key problem was teachers’ misconceptions about CLT. Li
(1998) found that “most classroom teachers do not fully understand the principles of CLT in
practice” (Li, 1998, p. 688) and that many teachers believe CLT concentrates solely on fluency,
while accuracy should be overlooked. This belief made them feel that CLT contradicts their
personal beliefs about language learning. Lastly, teachers in Li’s study pointed out that the

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textbooks they have at their disposal are not adjusted to CLT and therefore they need to develop
these activities themselves, but with their limited time and resources, this is often impossible.

Student-related Challenges
Another set of challenges was said to stem from students, and these are labelled as student-
related challenges. Firstly, the study found that many students lacked the motivation to work on
their communicative competence and they cared much more about their grammar competence than
their communicative skills. Secondly, students were found to show significant resistance to the
shift from the teacher-oriented classroom to the student-oriented classroom because they have
become accustomed to the traditional classroom structure in which their role is much more passive
and “the teacher is expected to give them information directly” while they take notes (Li, 1998, p.
691).

Policy-related Challenges
The third set of obstacles, according to Li, is related to difficulties regarding the educational
system or policy-related challenges. One of the main issues detected in this category was class
size. Many teachers stressed that these classes are too big and as such, it becomes extremely
difficult to apply CLT activities, mostly because communicative activities and the close
monitoring they require result in large classes becoming very noisy and difficult to manage. It has
been noted that error-correcting strategies are negatively affected if the classroom is inordinately
large as teachers have a hard time moving around to guide and monitor groups. The second issue
relating to the educational system is said to emerge from the exam design since this reflects the
traditional teaching and is designed to test the four skills - reading, writing, listening, and speaking,
with a particular focus on grammar accuracy and, therefore, teachers are forced to spend
considerable class time on teaching grammar.

Challenges related to the Communicative Language Teaching method

The last set of challenges is associated with the very nature of CLT and the manner CLT
has been implemented around the world. Li (1998) puts forward the idea that there is a qualitative
difference between teaching EFL and ESL and puts forward the idea that CLT is not compatible
with the EFL context because the transfer of CLT to an EFL context inevitably creates conflicts
with the “social, cultural, and physical conditions of the recipient countries” (Batawi, 2006, p. 29).
The source of this conflict does not, however, stem from the methodology itself, but from the
educational policies that govern how CLT is implemented and the fact that language teachers tend
to adopt rather than adapt CLT (Batawi, 2006).

Findings
This section will report on the findings of the paper. In other words, it will list the findings
derived from organizing the five studies and their findings into the three categories: (1) policy-
related challenges, (2) teacher-related challenges, and (3) student-related challenges, while CLT-
related challenges were excluded from the analysis but will come into play in the discussion section
of the paper. This was done in hope of shedding more light on these challenges and finding possible
routes for improvement.

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From the four studies that were explored, policy-related challenges were extracted and
these include all the challenges that can be tackled by the Ministry of Education in various direct
or indirect ways, and although they directly affect teachers' work, they cannot be directly addressed
by the teachers, but instead, the concrete actions by the government are required. The most
frequently mentioned issue was the discrepancy between the CLT aims and the existing exam
system since CLT is focused on developing communicative skills that can be utilized in real life,
while the current exams are testing students' grammar accuracy. Another important factor was
overcrowded classes that made the implementation of communicative activities impossible since
the teachers couldn't maintain the quality of teaching and take advantage of pair or group work.
Classrooms with no audio-visual equipment and with chairs fixed to the floor were also mentioned
as these represented physical obstacles to the successful implementation of CLT. Another key
issue detected was low-quality in-house development programs for teachers, as well as textbooks
that were not necessarily adjusted to the CLT approach. This, combined with large classes and
limited time to develop their communicative activities, often puts teachers in a helpless position in
which they are expected to deliver communicative activities, but are not provided with suitable
textbooks or necessary training to develop these themselves. Further, even if the problem of their
training is removed, the problem of their workload remains.

Teacher-related challenges seen in the four studies are obstacles that arise from the teachers
themselves and therefore, the responsibility of resolving them is mainly in their hands. These were
largely ascribed to a lack of understanding, and frequently to conflicting ideas about basic CLT
principles, although this is closely related to insufficient and poor-quality training programs
offered to the teachers. Another variation of this problem is labelled as teachers' misconceptions
about CLT, mainly their confusion about the focus of the communicative approach and how the
effect that approach has on students' grammar and oral skills. A paucity of confidence in the
teaching methods they are usually utilizing in the classroom was also closely related to the same
issue of non-existent or low-quality training and development programs. It was further noted that
teachers' approaches were often more in line with the traditional teaching where the teacher has a
dominant role and students take a passive role. Another obstacle was recognized in the teachers'
attempts to switch to their native language, especially in cases where providing detailed
explanations was necessary, as well as placing the focus on developing discreet skills and
promoting competitive instead of cooperative learning. Deficiencies in their English language
proficiency were also noted as a challenge, and although this was perhaps more of an individual
issue, the support of the system is crucial nonetheless. The fear of losing the respect of their
students was another limiting factor, partly related to other abovementioned challenges, and partly
to the role of the teacher and how this role is perceived by the students and wider society.

Student-related challenges were numerous and one of the most frequently mentioned was
low-level proficiency. It is important to note, however, that some studies that found this to be an
issue were conducted with cohorts that started learning English in their seventh grade. The latest
educational reform that was introduced in 2021 lowered this age and students now start learning
English in their first grade, which could mean that if the same studies were conducted among
students of the same age in a few years' time, this may not be atop the list of challenges anymore.

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Another challenge was students' passive learning style and resistance to communicative activities
because of their fear of less proficient peers negatively affecting their grades. Further important
factors were low confidence and low motivation for learning the language, and the absence of a
real need to use the language outside the classroom. Of course, these factors are not isolated, but
instead, they work together so that a student with lower proficiency will have little or no self-
confidence and therefore will not want to participate in communicative activities and will fear for
their grades. Further, since there is no need for the target language in their daily communication,
they will not be motivated to learn the language or change their circumstance. Indeed, their passive
learning style will rob them of the feeling of responsibility for their progress and hinder their ability
to see potential in themselves because of their dependence on the teacher as the only source of
knowledge.

Discussion
When looking at the findings, it becomes apparent that the challenges of CLT
implementation in Saudi Arabia recorded through empirical research in the past two decades were
numerous. The challenges related to the current education policies are something that could be
tackled by the Ministry of Education where they could work together with schools or school
representatives to ensure smooth two-way communication.

Further implementation of policies that would limit the number of pupils per class would
enable teachers to fully utilize all communicative teaching methods without sacrificing the quality
of teaching. Moreover, adjustments to the current exam system should be made so that what is
being tested in these exams is aligned with the skills that are being developed as a part of the CLT
approach. This, for instance, could entail language use in a meaningful context instead of testing
isolated grammar accuracy. Another obstacle that could be tackled by the government is the chairs
that could not be moved around in many classrooms, and this meant that teachers could not adopt
the prescribed classroom dynamic in which students are encouraged to work together and learn
from each other, rather than each working for themselves. This, together with ensuring proper
audio-visual equipment in every classroom, is something that the government could tackle with a
heavier investing cycle in education as this is (almost) purely a matter of financial nature. Another
issue that the government should be able to help with is making sure that there are plenty of in-
house training opportunities for existing teachers as well as ensuring the high quality of these
programs. Better quality of the training programs would also lead to a better understanding of the
CLT approaches and methods by the teachers. These training programs should also place particular
stress on explaining the difference in their role in the traditional classroom versus the CLT
classroom and equip them with skills needed to maintain students’ active role when they show
tendencies to be passive in the classroom. Furthermore, it would be useful if these programs were
designed in such a way that enabled teachers to improve their English proficiency and therefore,
get rid of their fear of losing face. Improved English proficiency and confidence in their English
would also minimize the need for teachers to switch to their native language when explaining
something of particular complexity. Given the timeline of this study, students’ low proficiency
will most likely be less of an issue in the coming years owing to the latest reforms related to the
age of starting learning English. Students’ passive learning style can be counteracted with earlier

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mentioned teachers’ readiness to adapt their teaching style to the needs of the classroom while
their fear of negative influence from their peers could be avoided if they knew that the exams will
test them in skills that are communicative in nature and not purely grammar-oriented. Lastly, the
need for the English language outside the classroom should become apparent to students largely
by itself if the global market continues to move in the same direction it has been moving in the
past two decades.

As mentioned before, the studies that were conducted in the past twenty years offer
valuable insight into the issues of CLT implementation in Saudi Arabia, and this paper tried to
synthesize them in a way that helps to see the causal relationship among these challenges. It also
provided some suggestions on how to tackle these stating that the starting point could be in
pursuing the government to implement the necessary changes.

Conclusion
It is important to note that the issues put forward by this paper are not limited to the Saudi
Arabian context. As can be seen in the first part of the paper, similar problems were noted in South
Korea where the government also tried to implement CLT. This partly supports Batawi’s (2006)
notion that the challenges of CLT most probably do not stem from the CLT methodology itself,
but rather from the educational policies that govern how CLT is implemented and the fact that
language teachers tend to adopt rather than adapt (Li, 1998) CLT. This paper tried to put forward
the idea that it is (mostly) the government that can help teachers in their attempts to successfully
implement the CLT instead of copying what is prescribed by the CTL as they require support in
both direct (in-house training opportunities) and indirect (heavier financing) way. This is easily
identified when the challenges of CLT implementation in Saudi Arabia are organized in the way
used in this paper.

Moreover, although this paper has looked at the challenges to CLT in Saudi Arabia by
using Li's (1998) thorough framework and analysing each set of challenges separately, it is
important to stress that these factors never appear in isolation. In reality, it was found that they
often enforce each other, and what directly causes one set of issues will often indirectly cause
another. These connections are often not apparent, and therefore this paper has attempted to use a
systematic approach to analyze these challenges to uncover any hidden causal interaction between
them. As was seen, many policy-related challenges have had a causal effect on teacher-related
issues, while these have had the same effect on student-related challenges. When looking at these
findings, a cyclical pattern seems to emerge that reinforces the notion that only with a systematic
approach can we hope to successfully and permanently tackle these issues.

About the Author:

Ahmed Alharbi was born in Saudi Arabia in 1984. He received his bachelor’s degree from
University of Hail in 2010 in the major in teaching English. The master’s degree was received in
2014 from the University of New England in Australia in the major of |Teaching English to
Speakers of Other Languages. Currently, he is studying PhD in Glasgow university in the United
Kingdom in major related to Communicative Language Teaching implementation in Saudi Arabia.

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The experience of teaching English was three years from 2015 to 2018 in two universities in Saudi
Arabia.

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Appendices

Table 1: Key findings of the studies to date

Author Policy-related challenges Teacher-related challenges Student-related challenges CLT-related challenges

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 Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 13. Number 2. June 2022
Issues with Communicative Language Teaching Implementation in Saudi Arabia Alharbi

Farooq - overcrowded classes - insufficient time for - students’ low-level proficiency

(2015) - unsuitability of CLT in the existing developing CLT materials - lack of motivation among students
exam system - lack of materials for - no need to use the target language
- non-availability of audio-visual aids communicative activities in daily communication
- lack of assessment instruments to assess - insufficient knowledge of - low confidence
communicative competency CLT principles
- classroom structure that does not - lessons that were given in a
encourage group or pair work (fixed combination of English and
chairs) native language
Al Asmari - lack of resources for communicative - misconceptions about CLT - passive style of learning - the need for specific
(2015) materials development - inadequate training - resistance to participating in materials for teaching
- large classes - few opportunities for communicative activities - non-suitability of
- lack of audio-visual equipment development - lack of motivation to learn western educational
- no appropriate materials for - lack of knowledge of English English assumptions in the local
communicative activities culture - low-level proficiency context
- unsuitable examination system - lack of appropriate use of - low confidence and preparedness - lack of effective and
English in context for CLT efficient assessment
instruments
Batawi - textbooks do not stress real - teachers' deficiencies in the - low language proficiency of the
(2006) communication English language students
- unable to incorporate additional - low knowledge of the target - passive style of learning
materials due to a limited amount of time culture - accustomed to traditional teaching
- large classes that make communicative - lack of confidence with the style
activities impossible to use students
- grammar-based exams that force - lack of sufficient knowledge
teachers to teach what is tested in the of CLT principles
exams
Almohideb - topics in textbooks do not reflect - mismatch between teachers’ - students are reluctant to
(2019) students’ interests perceptions of their teaching participate in group or pair
- requirements to stick to the prescribed style and their actual teaching activities due to fear of being
textbook style pulled down by their less proficient
- intensive workload for students peers
- time constraints that force teachers to
avoid the interactive method (related to
large classes)
- washback effect due to exam system
- lack of time
- teaching load
Abahussain - low-quality in-service training - preference for traditional
(2016) programme for teachers methods (grammar-translation
- classroom structure method and audio-lingual
- focus on exam performance method) over CLT methods
- reluctance to try the CLT
approach
- misconceptions about CLT
- avoidance of oral skills
teaching
- gaps in educational
psychology and EFL
pedagogic content
- teachers employ traditional
teaching methods, which lead
to competitive learning
- the traditional view of
education

Arab World English Journal 423

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ISSN: 2229-9327