English: The Art to Modern Communication Essay

1.0 Introduction Saudi Arabia, the oil rich country of the Middle East, has a modern military to take care of its national security. Constantly trained and supported by the western powers of the United States and United Kingdom, the King Khalid Military Academy is a prestigious institute of modern warfare. Taught by ex-British and ex-American military commanders, the institute has just about the best cadets passing out with distinction in the country. The institute is so well organized, that even the members of the Saudi Arabia national guards receive training here. The King Khalid Military Academy trains the tribal recruits who guard the royal family from external and internal uncertainties. This team, called the SANG, is the Saudi Arabia National Guards (Military, 2005). The problem facing the national guards is that they know little English, the medium of instruction by the ex-British and American military personnel. With their limited exposure, these loyal tribal have adjusted to the training programmes well. However, they are still not fluent enough to learn or understand modern techniques imparted to them through English, fast enough. This has been a drawback to the Royal family’s security. Despite the constant motivation the students get from the King Khalid Military Academy, there has not been much of a change in their outlook on the foreign language. Considering the sensitivity of such teachings, my quest to learn and then impart training in English to these students at King Khalid Military Academy assumes significance. 2.0 English as an International Language In the context of the economic, social and political dimensions, many nations are moving ahead with the objective of becoming a competitive knowledge-based economy in the world by the end of the decade. The use of English as an international language has been brought about by the spread of English globally. This has resulted in English undergoing a variety of changes on grammatical, lexical, and phonological levels. The way English is being spoken, it is almost certain that in the near future; English will become unintelligible (Teaching English as an International Language, Oxford University Press).[1] Teaching English as an international language has a lot of challenges. Cultural, social and political dimensions have to be considered in the context of teaching a foreign language. Take for instance the teaching of English in a non-national language country. The tension of globalization in language learning and teaching constitutes three very important dimensions. These are: †¢ Ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity in the local communities †¢ The prevalence of English †¢ Nationalism endorsed by linguistic and cultural essentialism. These three elements can be conceptualized in different ways. We see that the first and second dimensions have a direct bearing on a country’s national identity. These two dimensions stimulate the third dimension, nationalism. Teaching under such a situation is very challenging and must be handled with care (David Block and Deborah Cameron, 2001)[2]. English as a global language caught the imagination of people around the globe, due to globalization. Despite ethnic and cultural differences, people have accepted that there is the need for a common language to communicate at all levels. Cultural and linguistic diversity, while stimulating respect for cultural identity, traditions and religions, is essential to the development of an Information Society based on the dialogue among cultures; regional and international cooperation. It is an important factor for sustainable development. Without this, development activities would get hampered. English is prevalent in every country around the world. English has been accepted as the global language due to its frequent usage by people in the bureaucracy and aristocracy. Business dealings are made in English and unless people learn to read, speak and write in English, the chances of them being ignored is not remote (UNESCO, 2005)[3]. 3.0  Ã‚  Ã‚   Motivation Motivation is an integral part of student training. For a foreigner to learn another language requires a lot of motivation. English is perhaps a language that requires the minimum amount of strain, as it has very limited number of alphabets and is widely spoken. Considering that most people in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia speak Arabic, there is a substantial import of English speaking personnel here. Motivation to learn a foreign language has to come from within an individual. There is a lot of talk of students being motivated to perform well in studies, sports, and social activities. These come naturally, however when students are given the option to learn a foreign language or any other language, they back down immediately. Why is this so? Many parts of the Middle East speak only Arabic and to an extent Urdu. English though is spoken by the expatriates, is confined to the business and educational sectors only. English is not necessary for them manage their business or daily life. It is when they travel outside the Middle East do they require to speak another language, which is, English. This should be the motivation required for the students of the King Khalid Military Academy to learn English. In a classroom, the more the students the harder it is to motivate. No two students will think alike. Motivation becomes that much harder and the teacher is left with very little options to perform. There are no small measures to motivate students, as they all have different levels of motivation. There are various factors that determine a student’s motivation level; factors such as self confidence and self-esteem, and attitude to do well. Motivation can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic comes from within the individual, while extrinsic is what teachers try to inculcate. However, both these are related to the goal orientation of the student. Intrinsic motivation is determined by an interest in learning and mastery, curiosity and preference for challenge and leads to a mastery goal orientation. Extrinsic motivation is determined by external sources. Teachers find it easier to motivate students through external methods, which include rewards, promotions, appreciations, cash incentives, and teacher/parent approvals that lead to performance goal orientation. These two types of motivation will therefore influence the type of learning and the strategies that a student can use to progress academically. Performance goal orientation which in most cases is directed by extrinsic motivation focuses on one’s ability and self worth. But here ability is evidenced by doing better than others and/or by achieving success with little effort. Should they come across hardship, they tend to give up. On the other hand, students with intrinsic motivation are self-stressors. They try to attain further competence and are mastery goal oriented. They see school as the first step to gaining competence. They engage in learning for self-fulfillment. The use of praise and rewards as a motivating factor has been debated and researched for a long time. It is possible that rewards, in particular, may only have an effect on extrinsic motivation. On the other hand rewards are widely used; from stickers, to tokens and privileges, to encourage students to engage in a particular activity. The question is whether the rewards are effective in short-term engagements and in long-term development of meaningful learning practices. Motivation for one may be a punishment for another. Similarly, there is the danger that a reward for one student could turn out to be a punishment for another. We see that many universities in the UK and U.S.A offer scholarships to deserving students to pursue higher studies abroad. This is perhaps the best example of motivation levied to students. Under normal conditions, for a foreign or even an American student to pay fees for professional courses are exorbitantly high and out of reach. In such a situation, universities seek the best students to enhance their reputation and offer scholarships. Once the student completes the study, he/she is assured of a good job. 4.0 Consideration Considering the English is mandatory to study abroad, students in Saudi Arabia need to be motivated to learn English. Three main factors are important in the consideration of how to motivate students in the classroom Autonomy versus control Optimal challenge to the students The involvement of the teacher Teachers must be equally motivated to teach their students. In order to do so, teachers must the following conditions: A supportive learning environment An appropriate level of challenge of tasks and activities Learning objectives must be relevant and meaningful A moderate or optimal use of motivational strategies (Marilyn Robb, 2001) 5.0  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion English as an additional language has many positives. It allows people easy access to information, communicating and friendship. English is spoken by a majority of people the world over and has come to being recognized as the true international language. Universities, colleges and schools in most countries teach in English, and if we are to compete or study along with them English learning becomes a prerogative. When evaluated. The positives of English outlast the negatives. Thus we see that motivation to learn English should be given the most favored status in this country, and especially in the King Khalid Military Academy.