Needs Assessment of Saudi University EFL Teaching Assistants

Abstract

This study aims at investigating Saudi university English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching assistants’ linguistic, pedagogic and technological needs. The sample of the study involves (52) female and (32) male teaching assistants all working in the department of English language and literature at Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) in the second semester of the academic year 2016-2017. The study employed a questionnaire to answer the research questions. The results demonstrated that Saudi teaching assistants are in dire need to improve their competences. Based on their responses, technological competence ranks as the most needed skill which indicates that they were willing to implement Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in their classroom. The study also showed that linguistic competence was the second most needed competence while the pedagogic competence is the third most needed skill to be mastered. Saudi teaching assistants need systematic assessment of the linguistic, pedagogic and technological competences as the core criteria for success in the teaching process.