Saudi EFL students' perspectives on the influence of informal activities in learning English

Abstract

This research arose from my own experiences in trying to learn English as a citizen of Saudi Arabia. I studied English as a Foreign Language (EFL) for six years in middle and high school. When I went to university, English was used in the curriculum as both subject and medium of instruction. This was when I realized that after six years of studying English, I had a weak grasp of the English language when it came to speaking, listening, writing, and reading. However, once I began to use English in informal contexts, I found that my English language skills were surprisingly getting better each day. While there has been considerable scholarly interest in informal learning globally, there has been only limited research into learning English through informal activities in a Saudi Arabian context. The objective of this study is to enhance our understanding of the influence of informal English language activities on English learning by EFL learners in a Saudi Arabian higher education context. The study employs a qualitative multiple case study approach to understand the ways in which 16 EFL students from different levels and subject streams at the Western University (pseudonym) in Saudi Arabia engaged in informal activities to learn English and/or to improve their English skills. After recruitment of participants, three stages of interviews were conducted individually with each participant. The findings provide a useful window into the participants' perspectives on the influence of informal activities on their English learning. Generally speaking, considerable differences were identified between learning English formally in class and using it informally during their daily lives. The participants believed that the informal activities had a critical positive impact on their English learning process and influenced their engagement with the language in ways that formal education did not. Overall, the findings of the thesis suggest that the learning of English should not be limited to the classroom, as the learning process can take place effectively at any time and place without being bound to specific formal instruction. Informal English language learning activities thus deserve to be considered from an EFL learners' perspective specifically, and from that of educators and education authorities in general. This thesis also offers a number of recommendations and implications for future research.

Date of Award	2021
Original language	English