A comparative study of Iraqi and Emirati English curriculums in terms of communicative language teaching

Abstract EN

The present study is set to make a comparison between English language curriculums for Iraq and the UAE.

The sample textbooks under study are Bridge to Success, designed for the Emirati students, and English for Iraq.

The paper focuses, particularly, on the four skills that should be included in a textbook set to teach English.

While both books are designed to teach English to Arab students, their approach in terms of communicative language teaching is different.

The Emirati book, unlike the Iraqi one, concentrates on topics which persuade maximum interactions among students.

The topics presented in the book are meant to boost national pride among students and make them aware of the country‘s achievements in different areas.

English for Iraq, however, is much less coherent in terms of its topics and also the way those topics are presented to the students.

Following the analysis, the study presents certain recommendations for the designers of both curriculum, especially those who are in charge of developing the English curriculum for Iraqi students.