Still after having studying English for many years, many people in Arab countries believe that their English is not very good. So, a question often asked is: Why?
Part of the difficulty is that we simply much time to learn a foreign language. You must learn a new grammar of the system, and thousands of new words. It also takes much practice to build up speaking, listening, reading and writing in a new language. Therefore, learning a foreign language usually takes years.
Part of the difficulty is that we simply much time to learn a foreign language. You must learn a new grammar of the system, and thousands of new words. It also takes much practice to build up speaking, listening, reading and writing in a new language. Therefore, learning a foreign language usually takes years.
This is especially true if you are learning a language that is very different from yours. German people can learn English quickly because German grammar is similar to English grammar in some respects, and also because the two languages contribute to many of the same vocabulary. However, grammar and vocabulary of Arabic is very different from English, and this makes it more difficult for Arabs to learn English.
However, the major problem lies more in the study of Arab students in English. In fact, the real goal of many students in Arab countries is not to learn English in fact their real purpose is to pass exams in English. Thus, most of their time and attention is listening carefully on good exam results rather than on learning. When the examination is completed, students were often quickly forget what they learned, and then they ignore their English studies until the next event occurs. (Students in Western countries who are studying foreign languages often have exactly the same problem.)
While studying for tests can help students learning English, passing tests is not the same as learning English. In fact, it is possible to obtain good test scores and never develop many useful skills in English. If students are actually learning English well, their focus should be on strengthening English language skills (such as the ability to speak or read English), not just passing tests.
Perhaps more importantly, students who really want to learn English need to take charge of their own language learning, instead of just passively do what their teachers tell them to do. They must choose for themselves the skills they want to control and actively carry out a plan for developing these skills whether there is a test.