Abstract
The internet has redefined every aspect of human life-personal routines, business practices, and education. Advances in information and communication technology have also influenced English language learning and teaching in classrooms. This study explores the effectiveness of eLearning tools in teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses to engineering students in Saudi Arabia. To achieve the objectives of the study, a questionnaire with 15 questions about the employment of eLearning tools in Saudi universities was distributed to 60 ESP instructors selected from across universities in Saudi Arabia based on convenience sampling. The analysis of the data is inferential and interpretive. The results reveal that the adoption of eLearning tools in ESP classrooms is perceived by instructors to be effective for teaching the English language to engineering students. However, as per the result, eLearning tools along with traditional teaching methods are considered more convicing for teaching ESP to engineering students.
Highlights
The new millennium has witnessed a paradigm shift both in teaching and learning of English in Saudi Arabia
This study explores the effectiveness of eLearning tools in teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses to engineering students in Saudi Arabia
The results reveal that the adoption of eLearning tools in ESP classrooms is perceived by instructors to be effective for teaching the English language to engineering students
Summary
The new millennium has witnessed a paradigm shift both in teaching and learning of English in Saudi Arabia. Many young people have become keener to learn more English than Arabic as they feel that English is superior” (Jarf, 2008). One consequence of this shift in attitudes has been the growth of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses in Saudi Arabian universities. This study considers the effectiveness of technology in promoting the goals of ESP courses in Saudi Arabia. Thousands of students and instructors around the world today make use of Online Management Systems like Blackboard, WebCT, Online Learning, Moodle, and Nicenet in teaching all kinds of courses, including English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and ESP.
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