ABSTRACT
This chapter considers research that has examined in-country learning/learners of English as a second/foreign language (EFL) in Saudi Arabia. The chapter reviews recent research on the common features that characterise the EFL learning environment in Saudi Arabia, as well as characteristics of Saudi EFL learners and how they pertain to learning the second language (L2). The learning environment is represented by a range of factors influencing the process and progress of Saudi EFL learners, such as the community, culture, religion, the learners’ mother tongue (L1), teacher behaviour, teaching methods, the EFL curriculum, availability of learning facilities and resources, aspects of the learning context (e.g., amount of exposure to the L2), and aspects of the Saudi EFL educational system. The chapter examines common demographic, social, and psychological traits that Saudi EFL learners share, such as motivation, attitude, aptitude, anxiety, gender, age, learning styles, and learning strategies, and discusses the role these play in relation to EFL learning in the country.
