Teaching English in Libya

In past and present Libya, students of all levels can learn English free of charge. From the age of 12 to the university level, students begin to learn English as one of the major subjects. Libyan teachers follow old traditional system, grammar translation method. The basics of this method is to analyze grammar rules, translate sentences and texts into student target languages, and remember many words selected from reading text.

In the 1980s, Libyan English education focused on grammar and reading courses featuring verbal training (focusing on correct grammar and pronunciation), memory vocabulary, and reading. Arabic is widely used by teachers and students in English courses. In the late 1980s, because of the political tension in Libya and the West, English education was banned at schools and universities throughout the country. As a result, the situation of English education in Libya has deteriorated markedly in the past ten years. In the mid-1990s, the adverse effects of this situation became apparent (for example, college graduates had very limited English knowledge), the main response of the Libyan government to this situation was the secondary education in 2000 It was the introduction of the new curriculum.

In this article, we will first introduce the educational and learning environment behind the use of a specific English course in Libya, followed by literature review of important evaluations. It will then evaluate in detail the part of the English grammar used by the Libyan student in the last year of Libyan English (3) developed by the Libya government in 2005. Author: Terry Phillips et al. I will explain the strengths and weaknesses of this course and lead some conclusions.