Author(s)

Ibrahem Bani Abdo, Gerald-Mark Breen

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For EFL students in Jordan, the acquisition of English is particularly challenging because of the pronounced lin-guistic differences between Arabic and English. This study proposes intersections between communication and language acquisition practices to improve delivery of EFL instruction in Jordan, a country in which English enjoys a somewhat ambiguous status in the public school system, higher education, and business and social interactions. We present the results of a quantitative and qualitative analysis of EFL students in Jordan, an area in which little EFL/ESL research has been previously reported. We examine the current EFL pedagogical framework in Jordanian schools, present a quantitative and qualitative analysis of learners’ attitudes, and present a pedagogy that distinctly addresses the needs of Jordanian EFL learners. We conclude with projections of successful EFL instruction as a resource in political, social, and commercial interactions among Jordan, its neighbors, and the United States.

Arabic, Education, English, Jordan, Middle East, Teaching, TESL

Abdo, I. & Breen, G. (2010). Teaching EFL to Jordanian Students: New Strategies for Enhancing English Acquisition in a Distinct Middle Eastern Student Population. Creative Education, 1, 39-50. doi: 10.4236/ce.2010.11007.