A number of Saudis going abroad to study English as a second language has increased drastically, according to an adviser to the British Consul. Zaher Daou, Educational Adviser to the British Consul said the number of students, between 17-18 years of age from Saudi Arabia,who travel to the United Kingdom for summer courses has increased to at least 8,000 in recent years. Roughly 11,000 Saudis are currently studying in the United States. “The Foundation Year Program is considered as an excellent program to teach non English speakers English for 6-9 months which is the equivalent of secondary school levels in Britain and Saudi Arabia. Programs like this prepare them to study with proficiency in English at British Universities,” Daou said. The Foundation Program is aimed at helping students find what they want to specialize in at university, Daou said. “One of the reasons, Saudi students travel to Britain is because they have a strong desire to speak fluently with British people in every aspect of life; whether it is in the market, in hospitals or in coffee shops,” said Mahde Al-Ardi, president of the English department at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah. Al-Ardi said the facilities available to learn English in the Kingdom is good but practicing English in an English environment like the UK or the US allows Saudis to be able to both speak and listen in a language other than Arabic. Roughly 30 travel agencies in Jeddah work with the British mission to monitor the number of students who travel to the UK to learn English. A scholarship program called the “King Abdullah Scholarship Program” is available for students who score highly in secondary school and are eager to study in the United Kingdom, “Around 6,000 secondary school, college and university students in the Kingdom are willing to take the King Abdullah Scholarship to study in Britain in 2008,” Daou said. In addition, students can also use the British Scholarship Program (BSP) which is geared towards students who have already completed higher education such as the Summer Research Program (SRP) for PhD students. The BSP and the SRP both cooperate with Saudi universities as well as the British consulate. Daou said one reason why many students prefer to study in Britain is because getting visas are easier than the US and Australia – which could sometimes take more than one month. Britian is also a place of interest for Saudis because it is nearer than the US or Australia. As a result, 5 to 6 percent of Saudis are more likely to study in Britain every year, Daou said. One additional reason is the growing Islamic community in Britain; Muslims have migrated and formed communities in several cities such as Nottingham, Birmingham, London and Manchester. “Saudi families and students are preferring to go to Manchester rather than Ireland and New Zealand despite all three are offering English language courses and tourism for children and adults at low cost,” said Husam Al-Madani, director general of Al-Mosae'd Agency for Travel and Tourism. __
