CEA Critic

This paper explores the shared and individual experiences of Saudi women studying English as a Second Language (ESL) in the United States at an intensive English language program prior to entering college and graduate programs. Saudi women face cultural communication practices that they would not encounter in their home country, most notably the use of the English language but also the integration of multiple gender identities in a single institution. Understanding the cultural and educational needs and preferences of this population is imperative to cultural competency and growth in the ESL classroom and beyond.

I would like to share some examples of my findings from conversations I had with five women who I will refer to as Nora, Aseel, Reem, Maryam, and Yara. The women in the study generally possessed confidence in their intellectual attributes. However, most of them described themselves as shy—and with their shyness, they were unable or unwilling to exhibit a blatant confidence in their classroom conduct, limiting their spoken interactions and adding additional challenges to their academic performance. This reticence challenges educators who seek to engage their students in classroom discussions and exercises. I examine the participants' general perceptions of their positionings and their English language learning in order to advocate for an engaging ESL classroom.

In our conversations, the participants shared the ways they positioned themselves in response to three of the most prevalent challenges they faced: balancing family and school, struggling with reticence, and overcoming stereotypes. Balancing family and school involved struggling with time management and homesickness. Aseel explained how, during class, much of her attention was focused on taking care of her family:

I think about my children when they go to new daycare—I worry about them. I thought, I think what I make dinner. [Laughter] Yea, sometime, you know when you study, class, we have ten-minute break, I make something and send my husband, I call daycare just, "What about my children?"

Aseel admitted that she sometimes neglected homework to care for her children, and she worried about her teachers' reactions: "Some teacher . . . feel me nervous when I don't do homework. [They] sometime doesn't understand that you should do. I talk with [them] sometime, 'I am mother. [End Page 284] I can't'." Yara, who had arrived in the United States shortly after getting married, expressed feelings of homesickness from being separated from her family for the first time: "When I come in here, I cried because I miss my family. . . All the time cried. I not stay still in here. I want to go to my family." The participants hoped the teacher would understand their situations if they were going through a difficult time. Sometimes they sought accommodations, such as not being marked tardy for arriving late when a child was sick, but at the least, they hoped the teacher would offer a smile and nod of understanding to show sympathy and provide encouragement. Aseel noted that some teachers went beyond their course material to learn about her and to teach her about time management to boost her academic performance:

Some teacher said me, how can you . . . better schedule. . . . because all teacher, they know, I am mother I have a lot of thing to do. . . . Some teacher not, but when my children sick, sometime I come late in class. When I talk with them, they understand. . . . They don't put late, because they understand.

Aseel credited the teachers who showed interest in getting to know her as components of her success. Demonstrating compassion for an individual student reassures her that she is welcome, that she has a place to learn, and that the teacher believes in her.

Reticence occurred in general and increased in the presence of men. The participants provided a range of responses about working with men:

Nora:

It's okay. Different gender, that's okay. . . . Anyway, I cover my head. It's okay. I respect myself. I respect my friends. It's okay.

Reem:

Yea, I no problem work with a man but no touch me. . . With [men from] my country, I very shy. With another country man...