The Path to English culturally responsive curriculum: the case of English language textbooks in the Saudi Arabian preparatory year

Saudi Arabia, ID CLEaR2015-224
This is a qualitative study that examines the Saudi Arabian cultural context to explore the need for Culturally Relevant English as a Foreign Language Curriculum (CREFLC) in higher education. From a critical pedagogue perspective, the author argues that Saudi students are taught from English textbooks that are culturally irrelevant to their culture and background. This highlights how the preparatory year curriculum which affects teachers’ pedagogical practices in the Saudi context, affects students learning enough to demotivate them because it overlooks students cultural background and first language. Through CREFLC, learning of English can be more meaningful and contribute in the development of positive student identity. Some strategies are offered in this paper to help teachers implement CREFLC .
    
Keywords: EFL culturally relevant curriculum, preparatory year, EFL education in Saudi Arabia, EFL higher education, EFL pedagogy, EFL.