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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 17. Number 3, September 2026 Pp. 488-508
Despite its pedagogical value, narrative writing remains underutilized in Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curricula, and limited research has examined Saudi female university students’ experiences and perceptions of fictional and nonfiction genres. This study explored the integration of narrative writing as a genre into the English language teaching curriculum for university learners in Saudi Arabia, articulated the underlying theoretical framework, and examined the role of narratives in EFL classrooms. It combined quantitative and qualitative techniques to evaluate the experiences and perceptions of personal narrative writing and to inform the design of meaningful literacy tasks for language learners. Students’ narratives were analyzed using content and thematic approaches, supplemented by descriptive and linguistic analyses. Their responses to the task-completion questions were examined to understand their perceptions of the writing experience and emotional engagement. The results demonstrate that the effective and purposeful use of narrative writing can maximize learners’ creativity and engagement with the target language, enhance their language knowledge, cultivate creative writing skills, and increase enjoyment. These findings contribute to the field of English language pedagogy and support English language educators and researchers in developing strategies and methods for improving students’ writing skills. Integrating narrative writing into EFL classes is recommended to enhance language fluency, personal voices, and learner engagement.
Saaty, A. A. (2026). Exploring Saudi Female University Students’ English Narrative Writing Experiences and Perceptions in Fictional and Nonfictional Genres. Arab World English Journal, 17(3): 488-508.
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Ahdab Abdalelah Saaty, PhD. is an Associate Professor of Composition and Applied Linguistics at the English Language Institute, University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She previously served as the Vice Dean of Development and Sustainability at the Institute. Her research interests include applied linguistics, teacher development, second language composition, and creative writing. She serves on editorial boards of local and international journals.
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3350-8946