Teaching English for Police Purposes in Saudi Arabia: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

—This paper aims at exploring the motives of Saudi police officers to learn English. The current study reports the results of an experiment in which the researcher taught English to 24 police officers for six months, examined the reasons why they joined this session, and investigated their views regarding the advantages and disadvantages of learning English as a foreign language. Results of the study showed that this group of learners were motivated to learn English and considered it the future language whose mastery would open wide the gates of education and global communication. In addition, the participants pointed out to some shortcomings: (1) six-month sessions are boring and not very useful; (2) participants in the session were not a homogenous group and some of them were not serious about learning; and (3) the Police Training City, the location where the session is usually held, is not an adequate setting for learning. To overcome these shortcomings the participants suggested several solutions that include limiting the duration of English language sessions to three months only, restricting admission in such sessions to serious learners who, preferably, have college degrees, moving English language sessions to the campus of a local university where good facilities are available.