Empowering Saudi EFL Learners with Life Skills - The Need of the Hour

Life skills are the abilities that help to promote mental well-being and competence in youth as they face the realities in life. They build the youth to take positive actions, protect themselves, promote healthy and meaningful social relationships. The different kinds of Life skills are cognitive skills, social skills, human skills and coping skills. The investigators being English students support the fact that ELT textbooks should focus on how to enhance cognitive skills, social skills, human skills and coping skills through life skills education which will help 21st century youth to achieve their goals, strengthen their abilities to meet the demands of the present society and lead a satisfying life. Analytical and descriptive methods of quantitative research have been used to evaluate EFL textbooks and analyze to what extent they develop life skills among Saudi EFL learners. Questionnaires have been administered to both English teachers and students to collect the data. English Teachers sample comprised of 50 English teachers from high school and university levels. Students sample comprised of 100 EFL learners from high school and university levels. The data collected by administering the life skills questionnaire has been analyzed. An analysis of the responses of the EFL teachers and learners in the life skills questionnaire showed that EFL textbooks of University, High school and Middle school develop life skills to some extent. Thereby, the investigators have known to what extent EFL textbooks develop life skills among EFL learners and further, recommended strategies to EFL teachers and suggestions to EFL learners. Life skills-based education will help to develop positive and holistic approaches to educate the future generations. Key Words: Life skills, Life skills education.