A COMPARATIVE DETERMINATION OF BARRIERS OF ORAL ENGLISH LEARNING FACED BY PREPARATORY YEAR STUDENTS

It has been reported that Saudi students are unable to achieve desired English language proficiency in general and oral skills in particular. This study is an attempt to investigate Saudi preparatory year students (SPYS) and English language teachers at English language center, Taif University to identify the barriers that hinder oral proficiency. The participants were 142 Saudi EFL learners and 47 English language teachers who responded to a self-developed Likert-scale questionnaire. The results of this empirical study have revealed that SPYS face issues in oral proficiency though they generally have positive attitudes towards speaking skills. They strongly agree that it is an important skill to continue their studies at tertiary level. There are several factors that contribute towards this situation that need immediate attention by the faculty as well the administration. It has been found out that attitudes of SPYS towards English language, frequent use of their mother tongue not only outside the campus but also inside the classroom with their peers and teachers, their inability to command proper pronunciation, appropriate grammatical structures, necessary vocabulary items, their hesitance to use the target language in front of their class fellows because of their fear of making mistakes etc. are major oral barriers. The results of this study did not reveal any significant oral barriers in relation to the behavior of English language teachers, English textbooks as well as English contact hours. Relevant suggestions have been forwarded that have significant implications not only for SPYS but also for English language teachers and PYD administration

Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement: A Comparative, Gender-Based Study of Undergraduate English Language Learners in Saudi Arabia

There are divergent evidences regarding general levels and differences of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in males and females. The present study aimed at investigating the effects of EI on academic achievement of male and female English language undergraduates in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from 100 male and 100 female students through Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-I, 125). The responses were compared with their performance in English language tests. It was found that higher EI levels of female undergraduates had positive impact on their performance in English language tests. Females also scored better in EI constructs: intrapersonal, interpersonal, stress management and general good. However, adaptation was not significant in both genders. Results demonstrate a trend of social and educational change in Saudi Arabia as female students are performing better compared to their male counterparts. Accordingly, if EI skills are strengthened and enhanced in students of both genders, they may potentially display better levels of personal and academic achievements. Keywords: Emotional Intelligence, English language, academic achievement, gende

Redefining Pedagogical Priorities: An Investigation of EFL Teachers’ Perceptions towards Teaching English as a Lingua Franca in the Saudi Higher Education Context

The ever expanding influence of English language in the modern world has initiated an unusual era of English language teaching worldwide, and nowadays English as a foreign language (EFL) learners are nearly four times as compared to the native English speakers. This overwhelming use of English language in the expanding circle has developed more complex relationships between the communities using English in this capacity and the dialogue addressing its use as a lingua franca continues to expand. Lots of research has been produced related to English as a Lingua franca (ELF) during the last two decades highlighting the need to understand the potential change that necessitates international, mutual comprehensibility and the concept of accommodation for social and academic interactions in ELF settings. The present study intended to investigate the potential of embracing the concept of ELF in the Saudi Higher Education. This paper builds on recent research in this area and focuses on the language instructors' perceptions of ELF, while placing it up against the widely common EFL concept prominent in the expanding circle. To do this, the study investigated 218 native and non-native EFL instructors at a Saudi university to document the implications of using ELF for the purpose of learning English and the language policies related to English language teaching in the context of higher education in Saudi Arabia. The data reveal that a vast majority of the participants are familiar with the term ELF and they favour the use of ELF in ELT by suggesting exposing their students to non-native verities of English. The results also reveal contradiction in their responses which indicated that as a matter of practice they stick to a native-speaker norm when they teach. Furthermore, they have recommended native varieties of English,i.e. British, American, Canadian and Australian respectively, for pedagogical purposes in Saudi EFL context whereas non-native varieties of English were not favoured especially in written communication. It seems that this issue should be debated and investigated at much larger scale before deciding the role of ELF in English language teaching domain in Saudi higher education. Keywords: English as a lingua franca; EFL; pedagogical implication

A COMPARATIVE DETERMINATION OF BARRIERS OF ORAL ENGLISH LEARNING FACED BY PREPARATORY YEAR STUDENTS

It has been reported that Saudi students are unable to achieve desired English language proficiency in general and oral skills in particular. This study is an attempt to investigate Saudi preparatory year students (SPYS) and English language teachers at English language center, Taif University to identify the barriers that hinder oral proficiency. The participants were 142 Saudi EFL learners and 47 English language teachers who responded to a self-developed Likert-scale questionnaire. The results of this empirical study have revealed that SPYS face issues in oral proficiency though they generally have positive attitudes towards speaking skills. They strongly agree that it is an important skill to continue their studies at tertiary level. There are several factors that contribute towards this situation that need immediate attention by the faculty as well the administration. It has been found out that attitudes of SPYS towards English language, frequent use of their mother tongue not only outside the campus but also inside the classroom with their peers and teachers, their inability to command proper pronunciation, appropriate grammatical structures, necessary vocabulary items, their hesitance to use the target language in front of their class fellows because of their fear of making mistakes etc. are major oral barriers. The results of this study did not reveal any significant oral barriers in relation to the behavior of English language teachers, English textbooks as well as English contact hours. Relevant suggestions have been forwarded that have significant implications not only for SPYS but also for English language teachers and PYD administration

The Genetic Aspects of Behçet’s Disease: Role of Cytokine Genes Polymorphisms

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a complex, multisystemic inflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent oral aphthous ulcers, ocular symptoms, skin lesions, and genital ulcerations. The etiology of BD is not yet clear though various factors including environmental, genetic and immunological ones have been implicated. Genetic predisposition is a major factor in disease susceptibility and multiple host genetic factors have been suggested to be involved in the development of BD. In addition to the positive association of HLAB*51, recent studies report additional independent associations in the non HLA loci. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in various genes including cytokines have been implicated in susceptibility to BD. However, the results are inconsistent and variation are found in several ethnic populations. Therefore, further genetic studies on BD patients of different ethnicity and genes associated with immunity are expected to elucidate BD pathogenesis and will contribute to the development of more targeted therapies and biomarkers

Effects of Print Media: A Study of Reading Skills among University EFL Students

The present study is an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of reading materials of print media (hereinafter PM). The Quasi-experimental design and a structured questionnaire were selected to investigate the impact of PM, such as locally published English newspapers and magazines, to improve the reading competence of Preparatory Year Programme (henceforth PYP) students of English Language Centre of Taif University (hereinafter TUELC). One experimental group comprised of fifteen students was selected from PYP classes to determine the effectiveness of PM material among PYP students of TUELC. Four units were selected from the prescribed English for Academic Purposes (EAP) textbooks along with supporting reading materials adapted from PM for improving reading skills of the students. The results of the students’ performance were also substantiated by the opinions of the PYP teachers about the use of PM through a structured questionnaire. In an effort to address the issue relating to the use of PM, the present study tried to explore the role of PM in the interaction of the Saudi EFL classrooms with special reference to the PYP students of Taif University. The findings of the present study reveal that the Saudi PYP EFL teachers, as represented by the cohort this study, bear quite positive attitudes towards the use of materials adapted from local English newspapers and magazines. The present study concludes with recommendations on how PM can be employed to enhance reading skills in the Saudi PYP EFL classrooms. Keywords: Print media materials, reading competence, EFL classrooms, reading strategy use, and Saudi classroom interactants

PRODUCTION AND ASSESSMENT OF OVINE ANTIVENOMS FOR THE TREATMENT OF SNAKE ENVENOMING IN SAUDI ARABIA

PhDVenoms from the most poisonous snakes found in Saudi Arabia were assessed for their physical and chemical characteristics and for their enzymatic and biological activities. Venom from Atractaspis microlepidota was the most lethal in mice followed by the elapids Naja haje arabica and Walterinnesia aegyptia. Among the vipers, Cerastes cerastes venom was the most lethal whereas the remainder (Echis pyramidum, Echis coloratus and Bitfis arietans) showed similar but lower lethality. Antivenoms were raised in sheep by immunising with a low dose of venom (0.5mg) which was then doubled every four weeks. To optimise the antibody response, groups of sheep were immunised with a low, medium and high dose and the monthly bleeds were assessed by ELISA and small-scale affinity chromatography. The immunoglobulin fraction was partially purified by sodium sulphate precipitation and digested with either papain, to form Fab fragments, or with pepsin to produce F(ab)2. The different antivenom fractions produced were characterised and assessed for their ability to neutralise the enzymatic and biological activities of the corresponding venoms. Fab was equally effective as F(ab)2 in most enzymatic and biological assays but the two fractions were less efficient than IgG. The ovine Fab provided good protection in mice against the lethality of these venoms and effectively neutralised their biological and enzymatic activities. The commercial antivenoms currently available in Saudi Arabia showed only partial neutralisation of the enzymatic and biological activities of these venoms and showed in vivo protection only when using large amounts. They offered no protection against W. aegyptia venom. The monospecific ovine Fab raised against E. pyramidum and E. coloratus venoms were more efficient than the polyspecific Fab raised against a mixture of the two venoms

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The Association of Inflammatory Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms

The frequencies of alleles and genotypes of TNF-α, TNF-β, and IL-10 genes were examined in Saudi subjects including IBD patients (UC and CD) and matched controls. Venous blood samples were collected from IBD patients and healthy control subjects, and genomic DNA was extracted using commercially available kit (Qiagen, CA, USA). In order to detect TNF-α (-308G/A), TNF-β (+252A/G), IL-10 (-1082G/A), (-819C/T), and (-592C/A) polymorphisms, the TNF-α, TNF-β, and IL-10 genes were amplified using an amplification refractory mutation systems PCR methodology. Analysis of data showed that the frequencies of alleles and genotype of TNF-α (-308G/A), TNF-β (+252A/G), and IL-10 (-1082G/A), (-819C/T), and (-592C/A) polymorphisms differ between IBD patients and control subjects. Our study clearly indicated that the TNF-α (-308G/A), TNF-β (+252A/G), and IL-10 (-1082 G/A) polymorphisms are associated significantly with the risk of IBD susceptibility while other two, IL-10-819C/T and IL-10-592C/A, polymorphisms are not associated with IBD in Saudi population. However, well-designed epidemiological as well as genetic association studies with large sample size among different ethnicities should be performed in order to have better understanding of this relationship

TNF-α, TNF-β and IL-10 gene polymorphism and association with oral lichen planus risk in Saudi patients

Objectives Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory oral mucosal disease. Cytokines play an important role in the pathogenesis and disease progression of OLP. Various reports have implicated cytokine gene polymorphisms in susceptibility to develop some immune mediated conditions including OLP. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, TNF-β and interleukin (IL)-10 gene polymorphisms with the OLP risk. Material and Methods Forty two unrelated patients with OLP and 211 healthy volunteers were genotyped for TNF-α (-308 G/A), TNF-β (+252A/G), IL-10 (-1082G/A), IL-10 (-819C/T), and IL-10 (-592C/A) polymorphisms. Results The frequencies of allele A and genotype GA of TNF-α (-308G/A) were significantly higher while allele G and GG genotypes were lower in OLP patients as compared to the controls (P;0.05). However, haplotype ATA extracted from 1082G/A, -819C/T, -592C/A polymorphisms of IL-10 were more prevalent in OLP patients when compared to controls indicating its possible association with OLP susceptibility. Conclusion It is concluded that TNF-α (-308G/A), TNF-β (+252A/G) and IL-10 (-1082G/A, -819C/T and -592C/A) polymorphisms are associated with the susceptibility of OLP, thus giving additional support for the genetic basis of this disease

The Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Non-Receptor Type 22 (PTPN22) Gene Polymorphism and Susceptibility to Autoimmune Diseases

The protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene located on chromosomes 1p 13.3–13 encodes a lymphoid-specific tyrosine phosphatase (Lyp) which is involved in autoimmunity by preventing spontaneous T-cell activation and T-cell development and inactivating T-cell receptor-associated kinases and their substrates. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified in PTPN22, but only one PTPN22 C1858T has been intensively studied in relation to autoimmune diseases. The PTPN22 C1858T functional polymorphism is a strong non-HLA risk factor for several autoimmune diseases and considered to play an important role in etiology of diseases due to significant production of autoantibodies. However, available literature on PTPN22 C1858T polymorphism and autoimmune diseases shows inconsistencies and ethnic variations. Therefore, further genetic studies on patients suffering from various autoimmune diseases from different ethnicities and PTPN22 gene polymorphisms are expected to help better understand the pathogenesis and will contribute to the development of more targeted therapies and biomarkers