Adapting Teaching Strategies to Arab Student Needs in an EFL Classroom

Abstract

Despite vast research on differentiated instruction, little has been done on tailoring the instructional strategies for Arab student needs in an EFL classroom. However, language teachers endeavor to implement differentiated instruction by adapting materials and modifying teacher-talk for mixed-ability classrooms, this practice is not always treated as an indispensable strategy for implementing a relevant and effective Foreign Language (FL) teaching strategy. A classroom with distinct levels of language competencies requires instructors to address the learning needs of his/her students through means that would benefit all. The current article assesses the needs of Arab students that are different from other students and presents a model for assisting language teachers in modifying instructions in order to accommodate the needs of Arab students in English as FL classrooms. The article first presents the characteristics that language learners possess followed by a discussion on the significance of differentiated instruction in mixed-ability classrooms, a discussion on the significance of a teacher in learning and teaching, and the academic characteristics of Arab ELLs. The last part of this paper provides implications for instructors.