15 years’ experience of teaching English in Saudi Primary Schools: Supervisors’ and teachers’ perspectives

In 2004 English became a compulsory subject in the primary curriculum in Saudi Arabia, yet analyses of this reform have been limited. This mixed methods study examines the perspectives on the primary English reform of 504 long-serving ELT professionals. Based on interviews and questionnaires, the study concludes that respondents were largely supportive of the policy to start English early; they believed it had a positive effect on levels of English among Saudi state school pupils, even though it was also felt that the official targets stipulated by the Ministry of Education were over-ambitious. Most respondents believed, too, that teaching English in primary school had allowed pupils to develop more positive attitudes to English. Despite these positive views about the 2004 reform, it was also felt that primary ELT in Saudi Arabia was still characterised by a number of challenges, particularly regarding the lack of specialised teacher preparation, demanding textbooks and the limited time allocated to English in the curriculum. It is recommended that addressing such challenges should be an important element in any reforms, particularly given the recent decision in Saudi Arabia to introduce English from Grade 1.