Arab World English Journal 

About: Arab World English Journal is an academic journal published by Arab World English Journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Computer science & Foreign language. It has an ISSN identifier of 2229-9327. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 1464 publications have been published receiving 5993 citations.

Challenges of e-Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic Experienced by EFL Learners

Abstract: COVID-19 has disrupted most of the industries in the world Education is the only industry that is completely transferred to online mode in most countries around the world Online learning was the best solution for continuing education during the pandemic, especially in tertiary education This study aims to determine the challenges and obstacles confronted by English language learners (EFL) in Science and Arts College, Alula, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia, during switching to online learning in the second semester of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic The contribution of this study is to evaluate the learners' new experiences in online education and to assess the feasibility of the virtual methods of learning This is achieved by analyzing 184 learners' responses to the survey-based questionnaire A descriptive statistical method was used to test the validation of the study It is found that the main problems that influence and impact online EFL learning during COVID-19 are related to technical, academic, and communication challenges The study results show that most EFL learners are not satisfied with continuing online learning, as they could not fulfill the expected progress in language learning performance

The Role of Vocabulary Knowledge in Speaking Development of Saudi EFL Learners

Abstract: Speaking in a foreign language is considered to be a challenging aspect of language learning that demands competence and mastery in learning any foreign language. Vocabulary learning verifies to play an important role in oral communication. However, literature lacks the studies where both English as a foreign language (EFL) students and teachers’ views are obtained to provide analyses of the situations in which learners are not showing desired results in speaking. The current study explores the problems of lack of vocabulary that Saudi EFL students face with special focus on their speaking proficiency. It aims to seek EFL teachers’ opinions on the extent to which lack of vocabulary has influence on EFL students’ performance in listening, and conversation classes, and in expressing their ideas and feelings, and especially in speaking skill. A questionnaire was used for the responses from the students and an interview for the teachers to reveal their perceptions about the vocabulary hindrance in speaking skills. 20 EFL instructors and teachers of Preparatory Year Program (PYP) section of a public university and 110 EFL students participated in this study. The analysis of the data showed that both teachers and learners indicated that lack of vocabulary is one of the major factors in students’ inability to speaking English. In the current study, among many other suggestions it is proposed that the inclusion of mobile assisted language learning could be useful way of developing vocabulary for spoken proficiency of Saudi EFL learners.

Saudi University Students' Perceptions towards Virtual Education During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Language Learning via Blackboard

Abstract: Following the spread of COVID-19, many parts of the world have fully shifted to virtual education Issues regarding students' readiness for this mode of education have been the main concerns in countries where students are not used to virtual classes This article presents a case study that investigated the perceptions of Saudi university students towards learning via Blackboard, during the unusual mode of delivering education caused by Covid-19 The aim was to identify the merits and challenges of online learning in order to understand the students' learning experiences during the pandemic period and suggest practical solutions The participants were 25 university students majoring in the English language at the bachelor of arts level The instructor (the author) taught them classes on morphology Based on an analysis of the students' learning logs, the students preferred the asynchronous environment to the synchronous one due to its flexibility However, unlike research findings identified in relevant studies on virtual education for language learning, the present study reveals that virtual education is not always appealing for students This study is one of the few studies that compare the synchronous and asynchronous aspects of BB in the Arabian contexts It is hoped that this study will help university authorities to set out more practical educational plans in the case of emergencies Also, this study will inform the practices of university instructors and designers of professional development courses in the near future

The Genesis of the Translation of Children’s Classics: A Bourdieusian Account of ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ Ṣabrī’s Translation of Gulliver’s Travels (1909)

Abstract: Recently, Bourdieu’s sociological theory has been applied in translation studies. Based on Bourdieu’s assumption that individuals’ practices result from the interwoven relation between their habitus and the field in which they grow up and work, ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ Ṣabrī’s translation of Gulliver’s Travels (1909) was chosen as a testing ground, through which this assumption will be proven or rejected. This paper aims to contribute to the growing area of sociological research by contextualizing this translation within its socio-cultural context. To carry out this analysis, Bourdieu’s concepts – field, habitus, and doxa – are used as research tools to understand the relationship between the decisions a translator makes at the micro-level and the stimuli at the macro-level. This entails examining the genesis of the field of children’s literature in Egypt during the late nineteenth century to identify the prevalent doxic practices that conditioned cultural productions. It also requires focussing on the socio-political factors that influenced the translator’s habitus. The analysis is expected to determine to what extent the decisions taken at the textual level were affected by both the prevalent doxic practices and the translator’s habitus. This research concludes that the habitus may exert powerful effects on the translator’s strategic decisions to a greater extent than the prevalent doxic practices in the field. Examining the influences of the translator’s habitus in the translation has produced some results worthy of further analysis. It may be possible to expand on this study by including different genres in the same field, such as fantasy books for children. The same sociological theory also could be applied to other genres outside the field of children’s literature, such as the translation of political books.