Arabic Orthography Research Articles

Reading and spelling error analysis of native

This study was an investigation of reading and spelling errors of dyslexic Arabic readers (n=20) compared with two groups of normal readers: a young readers group, matched with the dyslexics by reading level (n=20) and an age-matched group (n=20). They were tested on reading and spelling of texts, isolated words and pseudowords. Two research questions were the focus of this study: What are the reading and spelling profile errors of dyslexic native Arabic speakers? What is the effect of the Arabic orthography on these types of errors? The results of the reading error analysis revealed a clear contribution of the uniqueness of the Arabic orthography to the types of errors made by the three different groups. In addition, the error profiles of the dyslexic readers were similar to the error profiles made by the younger reading-level-matched group in percentages and in quality. The most prominent types of errors were morphological and semiphonetic, which highlighted the contribution of the Arabic orthography to these types of errors. Consistently, the profile of the spelling errors was similar in percentages and quality among the dyslexics and the reading-level-matched group but different from the age-matched group on the spelling measures. The analysis of the spelling errors revealed that the dominant type of error was mostly phonetic due to the limited orthographic lexicon. In addition, the Arabic orthography also contributed to these types of errors because many spelling mistakes were made due to poor knowledge of the spelling rules. The results of the reading and spelling errors are discussed from a reading development point of view. Further, two models are suggested, one for reading and one for spelling, to illustrate the cognitive processes that underlie the reading and spelling mistakes in this type of orthography.

A computational approach to the variations in Arabic verbal orthography

This paper introduces a finite-state computational approach to four main types of orthographic variations in Arabic which are: the variations in the writing of verb-initial glottal stop, verb-medial glottal stop, verb-final glottal stop, and verb-final weak letters. This approach is based on a linguistically motivated account for 42 types of variations. This account captures generalizations governing such variations, and it is based on syllabification.

Reading in a root–based–morphology language: the case of Arabic

The reading process in Arabic as a function of vowels and sentence context is reviewed. Reading accuracy and reading comprehension results are reviewed in the light of cross–cultural reading, in order to develop a more comprehensive reading theory. Phonology, morphology and sentence context are considered key variables in explaining the reading process in Arabic orthography. Phonology (in the form of short vowels) affects reading accuracy as well as reading comprehension, regardless of reading level, age, material and reading conditions. Initial visual–orthographic processing identifies the morphology (i.e. the triliteral/quadriliteral roots of Arabic words) which then enables access to the mental lexicon. Sentence context is also essential in reading Arabic orthography regardless of the reader’s level, age, material and reading condition. The phonology, morphology and sentence context of Arabic are presented in two suggested reading models for poor/beginner Arabic readers and for skilled Arabic readers.

The characteristics of Arabic orthography slow its processing.

The present study was designed to evaluate whether the complexity of Arabic orthography increases its perceptual load, thus slowing word identification. Adolescent Arabic speakers who mastered Hebrew as a second language completed oral and visual versions of the Trail Making Test (TMT; J. E. Parington & R. G. Lieter, 1949) in both languages. Oral TMT required declaiming consecutive numbers or alternation between numbers and letters. Visual TMT required connecting Arabic or Indian numbers and alternation between letters and numbers. Performance in Hebrew and Arabic oral TMT did not differ. Performance was significantly slower in Arabic visual TMT. These results indicate that Arabic speakers process Arabic orthography (1st language) slower than Hebrew orthography (2nd language) and suggest that this is due to the complexity of Arabic orthography.

Arabic Orthography and African Place-names in the Sudan

Arabic Orthography and African Place-names in the Sudan

The effect of Arabic vowels on the reading comprehension of second- and sixth-grade native Arab children.

This study investigated the effect of Arabic vowels on the reading comprehension of native Arabic speakers. This issue has not been addressed yet. Two groups of native Arabic speakers were randomly sampled, one from two elementary schools in the Haifa area, and the other from two elementary schools in Nazareth. Both groups in both experiments read Arabic texts in two reading conditions, vowelized and unvowelized; the older group (n = 74) answered 10 multiple-choice comprehension questions about each story, and the younger group (n = 71) answered seven multiple-choice comprehension questions. The results revealed that vowels were a significant facilitator of reading comprehension in both age groups. Considering these results, reading in Arabic orthography is not an autonomous word recognition process. An alternative approach is suggested for reading Arabic.

Designs on Indonesia's Muslim Communities

On october 15, 1991, Haji Muhammad Soeharto, President of Indonesia, became the first official calligrapher for theAl-Qur'an Mushaf Istiqlal—The National Independence Illuminated Qur'an—by inking in the initial letter of theBasmallahin the opening sura (Al-Fatihah, the prologue; see Fig. 1). Four years later, just after commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of Indonesian independence, he put the finishing touch to the closing sura of the Qur'an (An-Naas, or “Humanity,” Suta 114), signed the completed manuscript, and presented it to the people of Indonesia and to the Muslim world community. Although he is adept at using or reciting the Qur'anic Arabic needed for daily prayer, the profession of faith, and the verbal exchanges that bond Muslims with each other, Soeharto is a decidedly unpracticed calligrapher when it comes to Arabic orthography.

Reading Arabic texts: Effects of text type, reader type and vowelization

While much is known about Latin orthography little is known about Arabic orthography. This study investigates the effect of vowels on reading accuracy in Arabic orthography. Participants were 64 native Arabic speakers. Four kinds of written Arabic texts were administered: narrative, informative, poetic and Koranic. Three texts of each kind were presented in three reading conditions: correctly vowelized, unvowelized and wrongly vowelized. Results indicated that vowels had a significant effect on reading accuracy of poor and skilled readers in reading each of the four kinds of texts. The results are discussed in light of the concept that more cross-cultural considerations should be made in reading theory today.

The Need for Cross–Cultural Considerations in Reading Theory: The Effects of Arabic Sentence Context in Skilled and Poor Readers

This study was designed to investigate whether Arabic orthography differs from the Latin orthography of English texts regarding context effects among poor and normal readers. Usually, Arabic texts are presented without vowels for normal readers, and with vowels for younger and beginning readers. The Arabic vowels are mostly not alphabetic letters, but strokes above and/or below the letters. The subjects were 60 native Arab eighth graders, 20 poor readers and 40 normal readers of Arabic. Subjects were required to read vowelled and unvowelled words with and without context in Arabic. The results showed that normal as well as poor readers significantly improved their reading accuracy when they read vowelled and unvowelled words in context. Further, normal readers significantly improved their reading of vowelled and unvowelled words in context more than did the poor readers. The findings of this study illustrated the significance of cross‐cultural linguistic considerations for the development of comprehensive reading theory.

Reading in Arabic orthography: the effect of vowels and context on reading accuracy of poor and skilled native Arabic readers in reading paragraphs, sentences, and isolated words.

This study investigated the effect of vowels and context on the reading accuracy of poor and skilled native Arabic readers in reading paragraphs, sentences, and words. Central to this study is the belief that reading theory today should consider additional variables, especially when explaining the reading process in Arabic orthography among poor and normal/skilled readers. This orthography has not been studied. Reading theory today is the sum of conclusions from studies conducted in Latin orthography. The subjects were 77 native Arabic speakers, 34 of them poor readers and 44 normal/skilled readers. The subjects had to read in Arabic 15 paragraphs, 60 sentences, and 210 words. There were three reading conditions: fully vowelized, partially vowelized, and unvowelized texts. The results showed that vowels and contexts were important variables to facilitate word recognition in poor and normal/skilled readers in Arabic orthography.

Reading in Arabic orthography: The effect of vowels and context on reading accuracy of poor and skilled native Arabic readers

This study investigated the effect of Arabic vowels and Arabic context on reading accuracy of poor and skilled native Arabic readers reading narrative stories and newspaper articles. Central to this study is the belief that reading theory today should consider additional variables, especially when explaining the reading process in Arabic orthography among poor and skilled readers. This orthography has not been studied: reading theory today is the sum of conclusions from studies conducted in Latin orthography. The subjects were 109 tenth-grade native Arabic speakers, 39 of them poor readers and 70 skilled readers. Subjects had to read Arabic narrative stories and newspaper articles. There were four reading conditions for each text type: vowelized text, unvowelized text, vowelized word naming, and unvowelized word naming. The results showed that vowels and contexts were important variables to facilitate word recognition in poor and skilled readers in Arabic orthography. A new Arabic reading model for skilled readers is suggested.

The role of vowels and context in the reading of highly skilled native Arabic readers

The role of context and vowels among highly skilled native Arabic readers was investigated in this study. Sixty-eight high school participants were selected after reading a list of isolated words. Only the highly skilled students participated in this study. Each participant individually had to read aloud vowelized and unvowelized paragraphs, and vowelized and unvowelized lists of words. The results showed that vowels and context were significant facilitators of word recognition in Arabic orthography.

LEARNING TO READ IN ARABIC: READING, SYNTACTIC, ORTHOGRAPHIC AND WORKING MEMORY SKILLS IN NORMALLY ACHIEVING AND POOR ARABIC READERS

ABSTRACT While many studies point to a positive relationship between phonological skills and reading in English, little is known about these relationships for children learning to read in Arabic. Arabic orthography is considered deep if it is not vowelized but shallow if it is vowelized. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among reading ability, phonological, semantic, orthographic and syntactic skills in Arabic. The participants were 143 Arab children, aged 8‐11, in Arab villages of central Israel. They were administered working memory, visual, oral close, phonological, word recognition, spelling, orthographic, and word attack tests. The results showed that word recognition test was highly correlated with phonological skills, semantic processing, syntactic knowledge and short‐term memory. Poor readers showed a significant lag in the development of these skills, the problems being most significant at phonological and semantic levels and less so at the visual levels. The similarities and differences between the acquisition of reading skills in Arabic and English are discussed.

DIFFERENT ORTHOGRAPHIES DIFFERENT CONTEXT EFFECTS: THE EFFECTS OF ARABIC SENTENCE CONTEXT IN SKILLED AND POOR READERS

Abstract This study was designed to investigate whether Arabic orthography differs from an alphabetic orthography regarding context effects among poor and skilled readers. Usually, Arabic texts are presented without vowels to skilled readers, and with vowels for younger and beginning readers. The Arabic vowels are not alphabetic letters, but strokes above and/or below the letters. The subjects were 40 eighth graders, 20 poor readers and 20 skilled readers of Arabic. Subjects were required to read voweled and unvoweled words with and without context in Arabic. The results showed that skilled as well as poor readers significantly improved their reading accuracy when they read voweled and unvoweled words in context. Further, skilled readers significantly improved their reading voweled and unvoweled words in context more than did the poor readers. The findings of this study showed the significance of linguistic considerations for the development of reading theory.

The historical background of the vowel ṣere in some Hebrew verbal and nominal forms

One of the most important sources for our knowledge of the length of vowels in the Tiberian tradition of Biblical Hebrew is a corpus of manuscripts containing transcriptions of the Hebrew Bible into Arabic letters. In most of the manuscripts the Arabic transcription employs the orthography of Classical Arabic to represent the sounds of Hebrew. Since Classical Arabic orthography used matres lectionis systematically to mark long vowels we are able to reconstruct the distribution of long and short vowels in Tiberian Hebrew. The transcriptions show us that the main factors determining vowel length were stress and syllable structure.

Hausa

The following description of Hausa is based on the variety of the language spoken in Kano, Nigeria. The sample text is transcribed from a recording of a male native of Kano in his late 30's. This variety of Hausa is considered “standard”. Though Kano is a large urban center with some internal variation in speech, the sound inventory is relatively homogeneous within the city and surrounding area. Kano Hausa is the variety most commonly heard on national and regional radio and television broadcasts in Nigeria as well as most international broadcasting, such as the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Radio Moscow, and Voice of America. Kano Hausa is therefore familiar throughout the Hausa speaking areas of Nigeria as well as Hausa speaking communities in Niger, Ghana, and other areas outside northern Nigeria. Hausa has a standard orthography, in use since the 1930's and also based on the Kano variety. It is familiar to all Hausa speakers literate in the Romanized orthography. (Many Hausas are also literate in Arabic orthography, a variety of which has been used to write Hausa, probably for several centuries. The Arabic orthography for Hausa is less standardized than the Roman orthography and has little formally published literature.)

On Processing the Roman and Arabic Orthographies of Malay: Some Implications from the Stroop Color-Word Test

Malay, the language spoken in Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia, is transcribed by both Arabic and Roman orthographies. Skilled Malay readers are trained in reading their language printed in these two dissimilar orthographies. This unique feature of Malay enables a study of the effects of orthography on processes of reading independently of language constraints. Using a Stroop Color-Word paradigm, naming the color of the ink used to print incongruent Malay color words in Roman is significantly longer (and more error-prone) than naming the same colors used to write incongruent color words in Arabic orthography. The results are discussed in relation to the effects of orthography on perceptual processes mediating lexical access.

Formal Spoken Arabic: Basic Course

Using a field-tested, non-grammar-based approach, this book teaches a standardized variant of spoken Arabic and introduces beginning students to standard Arabic orthography.