Motivational Factors Leading Young Saudi Females to Become Bilinguals

Abstract

The push for English acquisition has made countries rethink their internal academic curriculum affairs across all levels of education, K-21. Traditionally, most countries used their native official language as the mode of instruction in the classroom. In recent years, due to technological innovation, globalization and social networking, higher education institutions have created ways to adapt to and accommodate an increasing demand for English as a worldwide business language. English, which has in the past century become the second language of the world, has unofficially become the number one language of the global village, both in real terms and through the media. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not an exception. Many universities in the Kingdom have responded to the internationalization of the curriculum by facilitating mechanisms to deliver full degrees in English and have westernized their modes of instruction. But, what mechanisms have influenced the population to make English the preferred language for teaching and learning? For the purpose of this qualitative research, 67 freshman female Saudi students were asked to write about their motivation to become bilingual in English. To collect data, students wrote essays about their motivation and inspirations that drove them to learn English as a second language. The methodology incorporated the use of the five W questions approach: What, Who, When, Where and Why. Surprisingly, the primary forms of motivation to learn the language were parents at home. The second factor was social media outlets offering individuals the ability to communicate with the outside world, and thirdly, personal and professional reasons to make them more competitive and marketable in todays’ demanding business world.