Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2009. / Thesis Advisor(s): Kadhim, Abbas ; Russell, James. "December 2009." Author(s) subject terms: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Oil Rentier, Foreign policy, Wahhabism, domestic policy. Description based on title screen as viewed on Jan. 27, 2010. Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-62). Also available in print.

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A great expansion is underway in the Saudi higher education system as it moves from an elite to a mass form of higher education. The number of universities, for example, has jumped from eight universities in 2000 to more than 24 in 2011. Given the scale of investment called for, questions are being increasingly asked about the effectiveness of the higher education system. As a contribution to those processes of greater scrutiny, the present study explores the perceptions of Saudi students of learning and teaching in translation studies. The broad aim of the study is to throw some light on how students learn and regulate their learning in translation studies, and how they are influenced by the course design. While the strongest emphasis of this study was on students’ self-regulation of their learning, this is presented as one aspect of their approaches to learning, and in order to illuminate these self-regulated approaches to learning, students’ perceptions of the teaching and learning environments (TLEs), and their orientations to learning were examined as well. Three contrasting undergraduate courses were examined using a mixed method approach combining Likert-style questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. A total of 352 students were surveyed using an adapted version of Vermunt’s Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS). This was complemented by interviews with 34 students. Six case studies were drawn out from the interview data for indepth analysis of students’ experience of studying in this particular context. In order to capture the richness and distinctiveness of the learning in translation studies, it was necessary to distinguish two contrasting approaches; one of them is a deep self-regulated approach, and the other is a surface unregulated approach to studying. Each of these approaches is contextualised within the learning in translation studies. There were some important environmental influences on these approaches including: course characteristics, classroom teaching, and feedback and assessment. In addition to this, four types of orientations were discerned among those group of students; academic, personal, vocational, and social. All of these types have intrinsic and extrinsic forms except the personal and the social which had intrinsic forms only. The study concludes with conceptual, methodological, and practical implications drawn from the findings. Perhaps the most important implication is the need to improve students’ skills in self-regulation over the course of their studies. This research provides insights into the experience of learning of this group of students, at the same time it emphasises the need for more studies on this under-researched group of students.

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This research investigates the differences between how men and women greet and take leave of someone of the same sex in Saudi Arabia, a gender segregated society. Age, social status, relationship between participants, and setting were also tested to see if they have any effect on how Saudis greet and take leave of each other.A total of 237 participants: 127 males and 110 females were recorded in naturally occurring conversations. The participants were from all social classes and included three age groups: 18-30, 31-50, and over 50. Relationship between participants included close friends, relatives, acquaintances, and strangers. Data was collected in social and family gatherings, work, school, and the hospital. The data was analyzed in light of Brown and Levinson's (1987) politeness theory. Variables like formulaic expressions, length, and hyperbole were also tested.The results of the study indicate that age had a significant affect on how Saudis greet, take leave/reply to a leave-taking of someone of the same sex. Based on my corpus, social status had no significant affect on how Saudis greet/reply and take leave/reply of someone of the same sex. The relationship between participants showed a significant correlation with how Saudis greet/reply and take leave/reply of someone of the same sex. Setting had no significant affect of how Saudis greet and take leave of someone of the same sex. But it did show a significant affect of how Saudis reply to greetings and leave-takings of someone of the same sex. Gender did not on any significant affect on how Saudis greet and reply to greetings of someone of the same sex. Whereas, gender showed a significant correlation with how Saudis take leave and reply to a leave-taking.Results of the study indicate that women consistently took longer to greet and take leave of someone of their own sex, regardless of age, social status, relationship between participants, or setting. Women also used more metaphors and superlatives while greeting or taking leave of someone of their own sex. Women were found to repeat their greetings and leave-takings more than men. / Department of English