The interactive website devised by the British Council www.go4english.com has the largest number of hits from Saudi Arabia as compared to other Arabic speaking countries, according to the office of the British Council in Khobar. It is very popular with people of all ages as it caters to the needs of people learning English at all levels, including parents and kids. It also helps in IELTS preparation, says Michael Manser, English Language Training Consultant at the British Council. The website, developed in Cairo, specifically for Arabic speakers is one of its kind learning portal for Arabic language speakers wanting to improve their English language skills. It also comes with the added advantage of learning the language at one's own pace in the comfort of one's own home. Not that the eagerness to learn English is stopping men and women from stepping out of their homes and taking classes to improve their English. “I feel it is an excellent site to improve my language and also for my kids who can access it and learn a lot,” says a parent. More and more men and women are feeling the need to learn English to help them in the work places, to communicate with non-Arabic speakers or to simply help them get on with the daily life. One of the reasons for learning this particular foreign language might be the scores of expatriates in various divisions of retail, business and services sector, many of whom do not speak Arabic fluently or may be not at all. Hence English seems to be the common ground for communication. English can be described the Lingua Franca or the common language needed for communication in a place which is home to a diverse community with people of various nationalities. “More people use English at some or the other level in this country owing to the multinational population here,” says Manser. For example an Englishman would have to use English as a means of communication with a Pakistani because of his ignorance of Urdu and the latter's lack of knowledge of Arabic. Also, with many Saudi women going abroad for higher studies, learning the language has become a necessity rather than being only a status symbol or an additional language to tackle with. Many companies in the Kingdom have English as the main language of communication owing to their contracts with foreign companies where communication in other languages hinders daily work. Rawabi Holding group, one of the fastest growing companies in the Kingdom, requires that their employees be fluent in English. “Since we deal with international companies, it is obligatory for our employees to have the basic know-how of the English language,” a company representative said. Scores of institutes are offering classes in English. The British Council is very popular, with close to 1,000 women in Khobar alone taking English language classes every year. In Riyadh, the figures are much higher: Around 5000 men and women take classes and in Jeddah 4,000 take the course every year. The British Council, Khobar has “different levels of learning for people with different needs,” says Mehera Ramadan, registrar at the British Council. In all they have 15 levels, from the basic to the advanced. The council has plans to expand its services and training to businesswomen and professionals soon. Linguaphone Group's Direct English is one such institute which offers English language training combining distance learning with face-to-face tutorials, conversation classes, online resources and social activities. The Linguaphone Group is the world's leading provider of assisted learning and distance learning language training solutions, operating under the internationally recognized Pingu's English, Linguaphone and Direct English brand names. Direct English is managed in Saudi Arabia by the Al-Khaleej Training and Education. It offers various levels of courses besides a foundation course for those who want to start from scratch. Shareen Saleh Al-Abdur Rahman, branch manager of Al-Khaleej (Ladies Section) in the Eastern Province feels that the English language has become a necessity. “It has become a language of communication in the country and abroad. English is widely used when communicating with foreigners in our country and also when we travel.” Saeeda Hadafi, a graduate in social sciences agrees that English has become a requirement even in the Kingdom as a means of communication. “Although salesmen in shops know Arabic, very often they are not able to understand exactly what we want and then explaining to them in English and getting what we want becomes easier.” Come summer and the number of students enrolling for these classes is expected to increase as the break gives time for working women and students to study the language. “We have women from all walks of life who come to take these courses. A major portion of these women are employed or looking for employment.” __
