Abstract
Factors that affect foreign/second language (L2) acquisition include internal factors related to the learners such as motivation and personality-related style preferences as well as external factors related to the learning process such as the amount and quality of input and more interestingly how the latter factors can enhance the former. This paper examines the role of input quality (instructional) during the course of L2 development by integrating arts to facilitate L2 development and boost the learners’ motivation by engaging them with masterpieces from classical art as a stimulus. A total number of 30 Arabic learners of English as a foreign language took part in this quasi-experimental study. The experimental group (n = 20) was enrolled in a teaching setting rich with input full of triggers by integrating arts including dramatization and art expedition (e.g. painting, photographing, and sculpting), whereas, the control group (n = 10) was enrolled in a traditional teaching setting. Three instruments were final examinations administered at the end of each semester. Independent-samples t-test was run to identify whether any significant difference existed in L2 proficiency of the control and experimental groups. The findings suggest that L2 learners who were exposed to the instructional settings highly enriched with robust and art-integrated input significantly performed better in L2 proficiency. This suggests that art-integrated input significantly enhanced proficiency of Saudi EFL learners.
Highlights
Saudi learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) have been reported as having poor proficiency (Alrahaili, 2013; Alrashidi & Phan, 2015; among others)
This study attempts to answer the following questions: Q1: What is the role of art-integrated input in enhancing English language proficiency of Saudi EFL learners? Q2: Do Saudi EFL learners exposed to art-integrated input outperform Saudi
The study attempted to answer the following main research question: What is the role of art-integrated input in enhancing English language proficiency of Saudi EFL learners? An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the performance of the two groups in traditional and art-integrated instructional conditions in pre-test and post-test
Summary
Saudi learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) have been reported as having poor proficiency (Alrahaili, 2013; Alrashidi & Phan, 2015; among others). This low proficiency can be attributed to a wide range of factors, including input. The role of input in improving language proficiency has been widely acknowledged. Learners need to have access to quality and quantity input to successfully master the target language. This paper sheds light on the role of input quality in enhancing EFL achievement in the Saudi context Learners need to have access to quality and quantity input to successfully master the target language. Ellis (2014: p. 38) claims that “If learners do not receive exposure to the target language, they cannot acquire it.” This paper sheds light on the role of input quality in enhancing EFL achievement in the Saudi context
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