Effects of Learning Culture on English-Language Learning for Saudi EFL Students

Abstract

This quantitative study aimed to investigate the influence of incorporating English-culture learning into English-language learning by observing the perspectives of Saudi EFL learners. It illustrated if there is an effect of learning culture on English language competence to the students of Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. The studyʼs methodology included a questionnaire administered to 70 undergraduate female students in the English department at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. Results show that Saudi students recognized that culture and language are related to each other and the learning process cannot be fully realized without consideration of both aspects. Moreover, the study found that learning the English language with its corresponding cultural elements will enhance the speed and enjoyment of Saudi studentsʼ learning process. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that learning a foreign language not only involves studying syntactic structures or learning new vocabularies, but also should incorporate some cultural elements. From Saudi students' point of view, the only difficulty that might face them is the differences between Arabic and English cultures. Finally, this study recommends that further research can investigate the effect of culture on learning from the teachers' point of view.