University of Huddersfield Repository Bagigni, Ainas The Role of English in Libya and its Implications for Syllabus Design in Libyan Higher Education Original Citation Bagigni, Ainas (2016) The Role of English in Libya and its Implications for Syllabus Design in Libyan Higher Education. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/29191/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided: • The authors, title and full bibliographic details is credited in any copy; • A hyperlink and/or URL is included for the original metadata page; and • The content is not changed in any way. For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ THE ROLE OF ENGLISH IN LIBYA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR SYLLABUS DESIGN IN LIBYAN HIGHER EDUCATION AINAS BAGIGNI A thesis submitted to the University of Huddersfield in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Huddersfield May 2016 Copyright statement i. 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Such Intellectual Property Rights and Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without the prior written permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property Rights and/or Reproductions 1 Abstract The aim of this sociolinguistically-oriented study is to determine the elements of a suitable English Language syllabus for university students in Libya. The syllabuses currently being used to teach English Language in the Libyan Higher Education sector were originally designed back in the 1980s. In view of the sweeping changes which have taken place both in the role of English in the world and also in Libya itself since that decade, and in view of concurrent developments in language teaching practice, this thesis starts from the presumption that these syllabuses and the materials used to implement them are unlikely to be adequate. It attempts to achieve its aim by three means. Firstly, using observational accounts and fieldwork, it seeks to provide a sociolinguistic profile of this major world language in Libya in order to ascertain the domains in which it is used and the role which it currently plays in Libyan society (and therefore what it is that Libyan university students might need to be able to do with it). Secondly, using an attitudinal questionnaire, it investigates the attitude of Libyan students in higher education towards learning English, the English language, and towards those who speak it as their mother tongue since research suggests that attitude can be of crucial importance in the language learning process. Thirdly, it conducts a critical evaluation of the English language syllabus and teaching materials presently in use at one university in order to identify the extent to which they follow current recommended practice in EFL course design and match the needs of learners. Findings suggest that although English does not enjoy any official status in Libya and its use in some domains remains restricted, it is currently expanding at an unprecedented rate and has already acquired the status of a second language in some domains. Questionnaire results indicate that Libyan university students hold favourable attitudes towards English, native speakers of this language and learning EFL. Crucially, many view a good level of English as a prerequisite for success in their chosen career. The evaluation of current EFL teaching materials and course syllabus reveals that these materials no longer reflect the current role of English in Libya or the needs of university learners. In addition, in methodological terms, they are out-dated, following the traditional grammar-based syllabus rather than the contemporary emphasis on the communicative approach. The thesis concludes by recommending that an integrated syllabus approach could be used to address the problems with the existing syllabus and proposes a multi- or integrated syllabus which aims to integrate grammatical components and linguistic skills to meet the needs of the learners and to address the language needs of Libyan society. 2 Table of Contents List of Tables ...................................................................................................... 8 List of Figures .................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER ONE .................................................................................................. 13 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY .......................................................................... 13 1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................. 13 1.1 The Spread of English ..................................................................................... 14 1.2 English as a Global Language ........................................................................... 15 1.3 English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) ...................................................................... 16 1.4 Speakers of English Today ............................................................................... 17 1.5 Kachru's Model of the Spread of English ............................................................ 18 1.6 The Spread of English in Libya ......................................................................... 20 1.7 Rationale for the study .................................................................................... 21 1.8 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................... 22 1.9 Purpose of the Study ...................................................................................... 22 1.10 Organization of the Thesis ............................................................................. 23 1.11 Research Questions ...................................................................................... 24 1.12 Conclusion .................................................................................................. 24 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................. 25 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ON THE CONTEXT OF THE STUDY ................................. 25 2.0 Introduction .................................................................................................. 25 2.1 Libya: The Research Context ........................................................................... 25 2.1.1 The Name ................................................................................................ 25 2.1.2 Geographical Location ............................................................................... 26 2.1.3 Demographic Profile .................................................................................. 27 2.1.4 Languages ............................................................................................... 27 2.2 Historical Influences on Libyan Education .......................................................... 29 2.2.1 General Overview ..................................................................................... 29 2.2.2 Education during the Islamic Conquest ........................................................ 29 2.2.3 Edu+cation in the Ottoman Period (1551-1911) ............................................ 30 3 2.2.4 Education under Italian Colonisation (1911-1943) ......................................... 33 2.2.5 Education during the British-French Administration (1943-1952) ..................... 34 2.2.6 Education during the Independence Period (1951 – 1969) .............................. 36 2.2.7 Education during the Gaddafi Regime (1969- 2011) ....................................... 39 2.3 The History of ELT in Libya .............................................................................. 42 2.3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 42 2.3.2 The 1940s ............................................................................................... 42 2.3.3 The 1950s ..............................................................................................