An Obstacle in Presenting Academic Equality and the Lack of Personal Prestige in the Academy: The Challenges of the Hebrew Language in the Eyes of Arab-Bedouin Female Students

Abstract

The present study discusses the challenges of using written and spoken Hebrew by Arab Bedouin female students in specialization Hebrew as a second language, and how Hebrew contributes to their personal and professional life. The study was based on semi-structured interviews. The study indicates that using Hebrew as a second language poses a significant challenge for Arab-Bedouin female students; The challenge is both in the oral and written forms of the language. In addition, the study shows that the Arab Bedouin female students struggle with summarizing the learning material and with academic writing. The study indicates that the Hebrew language constitutes a breach of equality; many female students believed that the achievements of Jewish students were higher than their own because Hebrew is their mother tongue. Additional academic challenges relate to comprehending research articles in Hebrew, which poses the same degree of difficulty as articles written in English. Other challenges include submitting papers in Hebrew and participating in lectures. However, the study also indicates that despite the challenge, the acquisition of the Hebrew language contributes Arab-Bedouin female professionally, by allowing them to have as a prestigious profession in the Israeli education system, and personally, when they are required to use Hebrew outside academia, in employment and other life arenas.