This study seeks to examine the challenges faced by the teachers and students in schools adopting mainstream curriculum in teaching English as a second language (L2) to deaf children in Oman. This is in line with the Government of Oman’s effort in introducing an inclusive education program in 2005 in the attempt to integrate children with disabilities, including deaf children in the Omani mainstream schools. Yet adopting the mainstream curriculum for teaching English to the deaf children in Oman and other countries has raised a lot of problems and challenges for the teachers and the deaf children. Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study embarks in investigating the extent of the relevance of the existing mainstream curriculum structure and the effectiveness of the present pedagogy implemented in English language classes for the deaf children in selected schools in Oman. This includes examining attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and intention of deaf children involved. To this end, a sample of 41 from the population of 46 deaf children studying English as (L2) from (Dhofar region in Oman) and a total of 6 English teachers for the deaf children were selected to solicit their opinions on the challenges, curriculum relevance and effectiveness of the pedagogy used in teaching English. To ensure in-depth insights on the issues, a questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale was designed as well as a set of interview questions was employed along with teachers’ diaries. The data collection took four months [September – December 2019] for both the survey and interviews. The quantitative data obtained were analysed using SmartPLS (version 3), and the interview and diaries data were thematically analysed. Major findings from the quantitative survey supported two hypotheses: Attitude (H1) and Perceived Behavioural Control (H3), stating that they have significant positive effects on the intention of the deaf children towards mainstream curriculum adopted in teaching English. Findings from the qualitative data show that the inclusive curriculum is largely relevant but vary with levels of classes, while the pedagogy used in teaching English to deaf children is acceptable. Findings from the teacher’s diaries show that deaf children have difficulties comprehending abstract concepts, writing emails, and reading long sentences. Meanwhile teachers are found to lack training and professional development, teaching materials and teaching devices are also found to be inadequate. The study concludes that the attitude of the deaf children needs motivation towards learning, a special curriculum for the deaf children is required, topics in the syllabus needs review, besides the teachers needing training, and teaching devices for the deaf children should be improved.

The present study contributes to inter language pragmatic studies by revealing the relationship between English language proficiency level of Saudi English Foreign Language learners (SEFL) and their pragmatic realization and strategies of making request act. The aims were to investigate the linguistic variability i.e., the relationship between the high achievers in comparison to the low achievers, particularly in making requests besides revealing the situational variability regarding the differences in pragmatic realization of making requests. The theoretical framework underpinning this study is Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Pattern (CCSARP) and Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory. Based on the results obtained from the Touchstone Placement Test (TPT), 98 Saudi EFL undergraduate students were divided into 2 main groups – i.e., the high achievers (N=50) and low achievers (N=48). To achieve the aims, research instruments including Discourse Completion Task (DCT), and Scale Response Questionnaire (SRQ) were employed. Data encompasses request strategies on different situations identified in both DCT and SRQ. Data gained from DCT were qualitatively analyzed to identify the pragmalinguistic knowledge such as level of directness, and internal and external modifications. Additionally, quantitative analysis on the scores of the SRQ also included inferential statistical tests to assess the speaker’s knowledge of pragmatic realization (sociopragmatic knowledge) in using request act. Findings indicate there exists a significant impact of different language proficiency levels in realizing request acts. At pragmalingusitic level, High Achievers (HA) employ mostly the hedge performative and query preparatory strategy, while low achievers (LA) mostly employ mood derivable. Additionally, findings on the social variable on using request strategies revealed that HAs were more conscious of the effect of social power and distance in changing their strategy depending on the contextual variables. However, LAs showed less sensitivity to influence social distance and power though there exists a small similarity shown pertaining to their sociopragmatic and pragmalinguistic competence. The results reflect that English language proficiency has a significant influence on the production and comprehension of request strategies among Saudi EFL learners. Hence, it is necessary to benefit from these results to focus on low archivers to strengthen their ability to employ range of request strategies compared to high achievers. Thesis concludes with recommendations and pedagogical implications for instructors and policy makers to include nonconventional indirect, internal, and external modification as mitigated device in their classrooms and curriculum activities.