Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the relationships between EFL young Arab learners' literacy skills and their cultural awareness. The subjects of the study were 43 EFL second year preparatory stage learners, at Azza Zidan Experimental Language School. They responded to two instruments designed by the researcher: an EFL Literacy Skills Test (EFLLST), and an EFL Cultural Awareness Scale (EFLCAS). Findings of the study showed that EFL second year preparatory stage learners generally hold inadequate literacy skills and that they tend to rely more on lower order cognitive strategies such as memorization and rehearsal than higher order ones such as elaboration and critical thinking. They also tend to adopt traditional teacher-centered practices rather than constructive learner-centered ones and they exhibit low levels of cultural awareness in the EFL classrooms. Univariate and Bivariate analyses of variance were used for data treatment. Results indicated that there was a significant univariate correlation between EFL young Arab learners' literacy skills and their cultural awareness. The study presents some recommendations in the light of the results to highlight the relationship between the EFL young Arab learners' literacy skills and their cultural awareness. The study also suggests some topics for further research.