English abstract
The present study investigated Omani EFL tenth grade students' communicative and non-communicative classroom activity preferences. First the study aimed at identifying Omani EFL students' communicative and non communicative classroom activity, preferences. Also the study examined the differences in EFL students' preferences of classroom activities in relation to the students' gender, their English language achievement and their areas. The sample included 900 students selected from three areas in Muscat region. The researcher used a questionnaire as an instrument for the target study and it included three parts. The first part elicited information about the respondents' gender, English language achievement of the previous academic year, and the areas of the students. Part two included a list of 37 statements on students' preferences and these statements were divided to include 22 statements on communicative activities and the rest were on non-communicative activities. Part three had an open ended question that asked students to write other preferred classroom activities that were not mentioned in the questionnaire. The statistical analysis of data displayed the following results. Omani EFL students prefer non-communicative activities more than communicative activities with a significant difference at level (,05). Both Omani male and female EFL students prefer non-communicative classroom activities with mean values of (3.8), (4.00) and significant differences at (.05) levels. There is a significant difference at (.05) level with regard to students' English language achievement level. High level English language achievement-students (80-100) prefer both communicative and non communicative activities more than 1 average and low level English language achievemstudents (50-79) and (49-0). Regarding students areas there are significant differences also at 0.05) level between students in Seeb and Qurayat in favor of students in Seeb. Students in Seeb prefer non-communicative activities more than students in Qurayat. On the basis of these findings, somre commendations and suggestions are proposed at the end of the study.
