Abstract
The US government allows the viability of international students from different international backgrounds to study effectively in the US universities without discrimination (Rossman 2006). In this chapter, an analysis of the existing research on the difficulties of Saudi students to study their degree using a second language is provided through different concepts. This chapter is subdivided in a number of sections to provide clarity in the justification of results from the study.
Critical analysis has been made on the percent of students studying in the United States from Saudi Arabia (Al Shammari 2007). The need to travel, meet international students, enhance degree programs and learning other languages and culture are some of the reasons why students prefer studying abroad (Al Shammari 2007). Saudi Arabia students are among the students who have benefited from the inception of the act and facilitation of higher education in the United States of America.
Introduction Review
Research indicates that higher education has realized opportunities for international students since the beginning of World-War two. The United States and other developed countries have enrolled numerous students in their universities since 1946. Fulbright Act was passed in 1946 by the US congress on the viability of international students from different international backgrounds to study effectively in the US universities without discrimination. The inception of the Fulbright Act facilitated the attraction of numerous international students to the US based universities which were readily available and consisted of reputable and accessible modes of learning (Rossman 2006). Students from Saudi Arabia are among the students who have benefited from the inception of the act and facilitation of higher education in the United States of America.
The Saudi students face numerous challenges in their learning programs resulting from language barrier. The communication between the students, their fellow colleagues and their lecturers contain different forms of hiccups because English language is the commonly used media of communication between the lecturers and the students. Research shows that there has been an increase in Saudi students in developed countries and mostly in the United States of America. The percentage level of international students between 2011 and 2012 was 66%. This indicates that US is the leading country that holds the largest percent of international students. Consequently, numerous Saudi Arabian students have been enrolled in the US based Universities for higher learning (Al Shammari 2007).
The incidents of the Saudi Arabian International students undertaking their degree programs in the United States have been critically evaluated by research practitioners. The conclusion of this research by scholars shows that the highest percentage of participants in the research originates from Asia. The Saudi Arabian international students have witnessed various challenges in the process of attaining their degree programs. The use of English in learning is a challenging factor for Saudi students and other students who use English as second language.
Literature Review
In this chapter, an analysis of the existing research on the difficulties of Saudi students to study their degree in second language is provided through different concepts. This chapter is subdivided in a number of sections to provide clarity in the justification of results from the study. In section one, the conduction of research on the percent of students studying in the United States from Saudi Arabia is analyzed and their learning challenges addressed. Section two illustrates the cultural and economical background of Saudi Arabia to provide a fundamental basis of understanding the students’ incidents in the United States. (Rossman 2006). In section three, the external and internal language challenges faced by the Saudi Arabian students in the United States of America are exemplified. Section four emphasizes on the benefits realized and challenges witnessed in the process of acquiring higher learning in foreign countries.
Theoretical Framework of Saudi students studying in US
The Immigration and Citizenship Services of United States offers an act to the international students undertaking different education faculties in their universities. According to this act the international students who come to US with an aim of pursuing vocational or academic qualifications from recognized and approved institutions have the right to education but on temporary basis. This means that the students are supposed to be based in the US for the duration of time that is stipulated in their curricula programs (Al Shammari 2007). There are different reasons and perceptions that cause students to prefer studying in foreign countries. The main reason indicated by scholars illustrate that the students prefer studying abroad due to the presence of training and other educational facilities that are not common in their home countries. A certain percentage of students prefer studying abroad due to political and economical instabilities in their home countries.
Cultural Background of Saudi Arabia and effects of second language
Saudi Arabia is culturally based on Islamic and Arabic religious, family and traditional values. The traditions and cultural attitudes based in Saudi Arabia have been in existence for centuries. Arabic is usually the common and ideal language used by the Saudi citizens. The language settings and usage is completely different from English. This makes it difficult for new English learners from the Asian and Arabic countries to understand the learning procedures without prior learning of the language in advance.
Saudi is usually open to citizens from different parts of the world. In addition, Rossman illustrates in his research that Saudi Arabia achieved a significant figure from the work ratio established in the national grid in 2000 (Rossman 2006). This indicated that the Saudi government had employed approximately 66.7% and 90% from the national and private sectors respectively. This indicates that the local Saudi citizens interact with the immigrants hence it is possible for the Saudi citizens to learn other languages.
The challenges of using a second language as a means of learning and interacting are diverse. However, the availability of determination and hard work in learning, understanding and making use of the foreign language to enhance growth is paramount. Students with lack of curiosity, adventure and rigid principles fail to achieve their required degree programs in the stipulated time because of language barrier. The vigorous and courageous Saudi students taking degree programs in foreign countries undergo limited challenges in their studies and in interacting with their fellow students.
Attraction of Saudi Students in US
The need to study abroad or in a country other depends on individual reasons and attributes. However, various research practitioners have conducted their research and concluded on various issues leading to Saudi students studying in America. The main reason indicated by scholars illustrate that the students prefer studying abroad due to the presence of training and other educational facilities that are not common in their home countries.
However, the students face numerous challenges in their quest for higher learning and in attaining degrees from foreign countries. Students from Saudi Arabia are among the students who have benefited from the inception of the act and facilitation of higher education in the United States of America. Active participation in international studies by the Saudi students in furthering their education and in such of better education facilities has increased in the previous two decades. The adverse familiarity of the Saudi Arabian International students undertaking their degree programs in the United States have been critically evaluated by research practitioners. This research shows that the students are prone to diverse limitations from their classrooms to their levels of socialization.
Challenges and Benefits faced by Saudi students in US
The Saudi students tend to adjust on their cultural values in order to absorb and learn other cultures and values. The cultural adjustments made by the Saudi students enhance room for interaction with other students thus allowing efficient learning grounds (Nydell 2006). The Saudi students face strong challenges in the adoption of other cultural values in their quest to have proper and advanced academic qualifications. In addition, the students fail to interact with other students due to language barriers and related aspects. This limits the success of the students in classrooms and therefore discourages their self reliance and esteem.
The lack of communication skills between the Saudi students and their local counterparts may at times result in psychological calamities. The international students are psychologically affected and as a result, they fail to perform effectively in their studies and other activities. The search of international studies leads to disruption of ‘normal’ activities and routines.
Significance of the Research
The rise in Saudi international students in the American soil in search of advanced education facilities is increasingly noticeable. Consequently, this research paper illustrates the different reasons behind the availability of increased Saudi students in the United States and the challenges they face because of language barrier. United States are the leading countries that hold the largest percent of international students. Consequently, Saudi Arabian students have in the last two decades involved their participation to the opportunities presented by the US universities for higher learning (Nydell 2006). There are different reasons and perceptions that cause students to prefer studying in foreign countries. Students prefer studying abroad due to the presence of training and other educational facilities that are not common in their home countries whereas a certain percentage of students prefer studying abroad due to political and economical instabilities in their home countries.
Research indicates that the biggest percentage of the Saudi students studying in the United States of America has a significant number of male students (Gibbons 2002). However, the challenges faced by the Saudi students are usually regardless of gender and origin. Students from Saudi Arabia are among the students who have benefited from the inception of the act and facilitation of higher education in the United States of America but are adversely affected by the challenges of having English as their second language.
Research questions
To attain the required data and information in this research paper, there should be a number of research questions to be used as guidelines in the conduction of the research. These are some of the questions in this research paper,
- What are the indications of research on the percent of students studying in the United States from Saudi Arabia?
- What are the challenges and benefits experienced by the Saudi international students furthering their studies in US and the effects generated from English?
- Are there external and internal influences on local and foreign languages witnessed by Saudi Arabian students in the United States of America?
- How does the cultural and economical background of Saudi Arabia provide a fundamental basis of understanding the students’ experiences in the United States with respect to their cultural and economic values?
Research methodology
The conduction of this research depended on different variables. The main objective of conducting the research was to establish the reasons why the Saudi and other international students were in search of studies from other countries. Critical analysis on the percent of students studying in the United States from Saudi Arabia and the influences of their original language to the foreign languages, their learning activities and levels of interaction with students and lecturers (Gonzalez 2004).
In addition, the cultural and economical background of Saudi Arabia is dependable to the effective analyzing of the research in the provision of clarity in the reasons behind the need for Saudi students to study in US and the challenges faced using a second language. The entire research paper is aimed at evaluating the difficulties experienced by students in the course of their degree studies in America. In addition, the challenges faced due to the lack of proper understanding of the English language in and out of the learning institutions (Nydell 2006). The methods used in the conduction of this research was based on qualitative analysis and related features. This research made use of individual students from the leading universities in America. The use of questionnaires, observation, interviews and Saudi students as the participants facilitated adequate results for the research.
Ethical considerations
There are different ethical considerations that should be adopted by the research practitioners before engaging in the conduction of the physical research. Most of the ethical considerations are globally acceptable since they cater for the needs of all cultural, traditional, economical and political aspects. The first ethical consideration that should be effected before any research is the right of freedom for every individual. This indicates that permission to conduct research on someone, a group of people or inclusion of their ideas should be granted by the participants in advance. Emotional and physical damage and destruction should be avoided to facilitate conduction of an essential research (Gonzalez 2004).
The findings or answers to questionnaires should be reserved as anonymous to avoid external shortcomings after the research. Readily available materials of research should not be used in research because of their levels of attainability. On the contrary, research should be taken from different areas and aspects and a common conclusion drawn. This facilitates a wider range of research and reduces the possibilities of biasing. Research conducted in institutions or business premises require advanced approval by the concerned personnel from those institutions. The findings of the research should not be altered. Consequently, the results of the research should be represented and portrayed as witnessed or indicated during the conduction of the research.
Limitation of the research
The research conducted about the Saudi students who take university degree programs in the US exists in low volumes. The Saudi Arabian students started focusing on the American curriculum since 1950 but the research conducted on the causes of Saudi students in studying abroad have been ignored over time (Gonzalez 2004). This indicates that the research practitioners hardly based extensive research on the subject for a period of time hence limited research grounds. Language barrier is one of the limitations that exist between the researchers and participants. The lack of a common language or a translator to act between the persons being questioned and the interviewer limits the results of the research. Scarce distribution of Saudi students in the American universities prolonged the research period than expected. This indicates that the funds that were budgeted for failed to be enough since the research took longer than planned (Nydell 2006).
Expected results
This research expects to attain a conclusive explanation and factual details on the difficulties experienced by Saudi students in the process of attaining their degree programs. The paper should indicate how Saudi Arabian students have in the last two decades involved their participation to the opportunities presented by the US universities for higher learning (Gibbons 2002). There are different reasons and perceptions that cause students to prefer studying in foreign countries. Students prefer studying abroad due to the presence of training and other educational facilities that are not common in their home countries whereas a certain percentage of students prefer studying abroad due to political and economical instabilities in their home countries. Numerous Saudi Arabian students have been enrolled in the US based Universities for higher learning. The experiences of the Saudi Arabian International students undertaking their degree programs in the United States have been critically evaluated by researchers.
References
Al Shammari, MH 2007, Saudi English as a Foreign Language Learners’ Attitudes Toward Computer-assisted Language Learning, ProQuest, London. Web.
Gibbons, P 2002, Scaffolding language scaffolding learning: Teaching second language learners in the mainstream classroom, Heinemann, Portsmouth. Web.
Gonzalez, V 2004, Second Language Learning: Cultural Adaptation Processes in International Graduate Students in U.S. Universities, University Press of America, CA. Web.
Nydell, MK 2006, Understand Arabs: A guide for modern times, Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME. Web.
Rossman, GB 2006, Designing qualitative research, Thousand Oaks, Sage, CA. Web.