The Effectiveness of the Intensive English Course on EFL Learners

Abstract

The English skills of students who newly-graduated from secondary schools are not always sufficient for studying a major in English. For this reason, most universities, particularly those in Saudi Arabia, enrol new students, who want to study a BA in English, on an intensive English course. The present study examines quantitatively through questionnaires and proficiency tests, a commonly adopted solution: an intensive English course taken immediately prior to embarking on the English BA. The main findings indicate that both male and female learners’ attitudes to the IEC are positive and their English level improves after attending the course. However, compared to international courses in other countries, learners achieve insufficient progress towards a suitable proficiency level. A key reason for this is that the course syllabus itself does not reach such a level, despite being based on international comparisons, as the number of teaching hours being sufficient for that to happen. Furthermore, students do not prioritize their need to learn academic English for their major. Implications are drawn which may resonate much more widely around the world than just in the context studied.