Metacognitive Strategies in Arabic Language Learning among Senior Citizen Learners of Jamiah Dar Al Huda

Abstract

The Arabic language is considered foreign in Malaysia despite Islam being its official religion. Although Muslims in Malaysia are aware that learning Arabic enables them to understand the meaning of the holy Quran, the uptake is still low. Learners' beliefs, difficulties, and strategies are part of the challenges in their learning processes. Strategies are ways of managing the complex information received by the learners regarding the language. Thus, this study aims to find out (i) learners' awareness of the importance of learning the Arabic language, (ii) learners' learning difficulties (iii) strategies learners use to manage their learning. Ten senior citizen respondents participated in the study. A structured interview was conducted to gather the data for the study. The results show that the learners are aware of the importance of learning Arabic. The learners also shared their learning difficulties and strategies used to overcome the difficulties and achieve their goals. In conclusion, even though the learners are senior citizens above 60, they still have the determination and enthusiasm to learn Arabic effectively.