Exploring Saudi Arabia’s EFL student identity: A narrative critical approach

Abstract

This article explores the English Foreign Language (EFL) learning identities of first year Education students against the backdrop of post 9/11 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The study makes use of narrative analysis (Benwell & Stokoe, 2006) identifying the types of stories (master narratives) the respondents identify with, as well as how they perform their identities within these stories. The data indicate that in contrast to conservative forces within Saudi Arabia that promote a fixed Islamic/Arab identity, the student respondents firmly aligned themselves with master narratives relating to globalisation, the information age and individuality, thus pre-empting educational reforms. This study is significant since it highlights the complex learning identities of Arab youth and the need for a more sophisticated curriculum development within this context.