Arab Research Articles

Correlation Between Arabic Vocabulary Mastery and Arabic Speaking Ability

In the era of globalization that continues to grow rapidly, mastery of foreign languages is one of the important skills needed in various aspects of life, both in the context of education, work, and social interaction, especially Arabic, but this is not accompanied by good vocabulary mastery to support speaking skills. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the correlation or relationship between Arabic vocabulary mastery and Arabic speaking skills. The research method used in this study is a quantitative research method with a population of approximately 75 students and a sample of 30 students. The results of this study indicate that there is a negative and significant relationship between Arabic Vocabulary Mastery and Arabic Speaking Skills with a sig. (2-tailed) value of 0.023, because the sig. (2-tailed) <0.05 means that there is a significant relationship between variable X and variable Y and the r value = 0.413 with a p value <0.05 that there is a correlation between the two variables, which means that the higher the Arabic Vocabulary Mastery, the lower the Arabic Speaking Skills. So it can be concluded that Arabic vocabulary mastery influences Arabic speaking ability.

Beyond the resume: HR students’ evaluations of interview performances by first and second language speakers

PurposeHigh-stakes decision-makers, including human resource (HR) professionals, often exhibit accent biases against second language speakers in professional evaluations. We extend this work by investigating how HR students evaluate simulated job interview performances in English by first and second language speakers of English.Design/methodology/approachEighty HR students from Calgary and Montreal evaluated the employability of first language (L1) Arabic, English, and Tagalog candidates applying for two positions (nurse, teacher) at four points in the interview (after reading the applicant’s resume, hearing their self-introduction, and listening to each of two responses to interview questions). Candidates’ responses additionally varied in the extent to which they meaningfully answered the interview questions.FindingsStudents from both cities provided similar evaluations, employability ratings were similar for both advertised positions, and high-quality responses elicited consistently high ratings while evaluations for low-quality responses declined over time. All speakers were evaluated similarly based on their resumes and self-introductions, regardless of their language background. However, evaluations diverged for interview responses, where L1 Arabic and Tagalog speakers were considered more employable than L1 English speakers. Importantly, students’ preference for L1 Arabic and Tagalog candidates over L1 English candidates was magnified when those candidates provided low-quality interview responses.Originality/valueResults suggest that even in the absence of dedicated equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) training focusing on language and accent bias, HR students may be aware of second language speakers’ potential disadvantages in the workplace, rewarding them in the current evaluations. Findings also highlight the potential influence of contextual factors on HR students’ decision-making.

The Impact of the Best Speaker Program and Students’ Learning Interest on Arabic Speaking Skills

The Impact of the Best Speaker Program and Students’ Learning Interest on Arabic Speaking Skills

Syntactic priming in the classroom: using narratives to prime L2 arabic speakers

A robust finding in psycholinguistics is that prior language experience influences subsequent language processing. This phenomenon is known as syntactic priming. Most of the empirical support for L2 syntactic priming comes from lab-based experiments. However, this evidence might not reflect how priming occurs in typical language activities in the L2 classroom. As such, we conducted a classroom-based priming study. Using a between-subject design, 52 L2 Arabic speakers read and listened to eight story-reading sessions over two weeks that either included a high proportion of the fronted temporal phrase (TP) structure (experimental group) or included no fronted TPs (controls). The effect of L2 proficiency was also investigated. Results revealed that the experimental group did not significantly increase their use of fronted TPs in the immediate posttest or the one-week delayed posttest relative to the baseline. A null effect of Arabic L2 proficiency was also observed. We discuss our findings in light of related priming theories and previous findings. This study highlights the need for more research on syntactic priming via common language tasks in the L2 classroom.

Identifying Pronunciation Errors of the Phoneme Qaf in Al-Qur’an Reading by Non-Native Speakers: A Spectrographic Analysis

The accuracy of pronouncing Hijazi letters is crucial for reading the Qur'an effectively. Incorrect pronunciation not only disrupts the flow of reading but can also change the meaning of words and verses, thus deviating from the intended message. This study aims to identify and analyze the mispronunciation of the [q] phoneme by non-Arabic speakers using spectrography analysis. Spectrography analysis helps visualize the frequency, duration, and intensity of the sound produced when participants pronounce the [q] phoneme. The research utilized Praat Voice Analysis software version 6.3.17 to process voice recordings and identify differences in the pronunciation of the [q] phoneme. The research employed a comparative descriptive qualitative approach with a content analysis design. Data collection involved various techniques, including recording, listening, and transcription. Voice recordings of two 12-year-old participants and an Arabic native speaker were collected to compare the pronunciation of Surah Al-Falaq verses 1-3. The results indicated that common errors in this study included sound changes and the omission of the characteristic [q] phoneme. For instance, students often replaced the [q] phoneme with [k] due to the similarity in the articulation location of these two phonemes. Additionally, participants tended to read too quickly, not allowing sufficient time for accurate pronunciation. The study also revealed a significant difference in the articulation of Hijazi letters between male and female speaker. female speaker demonstrated more consistent pronunciation patterns, while male speaker may require further intervention to address articulation and phonological errors.

Penerapan Media Card Short Dalam Meningkatkan Keterampilan Berbicara Bahasa Arab

The development of science and technology, the power of teachers to improve education is getting stronger. Teachers have an important role in creating effective learning This research aims to find out whether the application of short card media can improve the Arabic speaking skills of class VIII students at SMPS Darul Qur'an Al-Maftuh Sungai Gelam, Muaro Jambi. This research was carried out at SMPS Darul Qur'an Al-Maftuh Sungai Gelam, Muaro Jambi. The research was carried out in January-February of the 2023/2024 academic year. This type of research is classroom action research (PTK). The data and data sources used in this classroom action research are observations, interviews, documentation and so on. This research is classroom action research (PTK), this classroom action research is action research carried out by teachers with the aim of knowing and improving the quality of implementation of learning in the classroom. The method used in this research is the classroom action practice research method (PTK). Based on the results of this research, the results of student and teacher learning activities in cycle 1 reached a score of 78.09% and in cycle II it increased to a score of 83.98% and the increase in learning outcomes based on student test scores was the largest in cycle I, namely with a score of 76 and in cycle II got a score of 90, from each cycle the average score increased to 80,5. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that the application of Short card media improves the Arabic speaking skills of class VIII students at SMPS Darul Qur'an Al-Maftuh Sungai Gelam, Muaro Jambi. Proven to improve student learning outcomes

Metacognitive Training for Depression (D-MCT) for Arabic Speaking Patients with Refugee Experience: Cultural Adaptation and Piloting

Despite high demand, culturally adapted therapies for Arabic speaking refugee patients with depression are rare. Aim of the study was to culturally adapt and evaluate the group treatment Metacognitive Training for Depression (D-MCT) for them. The cultural adaptation of the D-MCT included translation and surface adaptation as well as an expert discussion. The comprehensibility, acceptance and feasibility of the outpatient culturally adapted D-MCT (CA-D-MCT) were then tested in an uncontrolled pilot study with n=11 refugee patients. The experts rated 83% of the translations and 78% of the illustrations as unproblematic in terms of equivalence. The acceptability and feasibility of the eight modules were predominantly positive. From the patients' perspective, the adapted training shows a high acceptance and comprehensibility for culturally sensitive, interpreter-supported implementation.

SIGNIFIKANSI PENGUASAAN MUFRADAT TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN BERBICARA BAHASA ARAB DI PONDOK PESANTREN AL-KAUTSAR TANJUNGPINANG

Arabic is one of the international languages that students must master to face the increasingly advanced era of globalization. This research aims to provide an overview of the mastery of vocabulary (mufradat) and Arabic speaking patterns by the students. Whether the two have a significant relationship or influence or not. The results of the research show that the students of Al-Kautsar Islamic boarding school have good mastery of mufradat with a percentage of 74.95 and the ability to speak Arabic also shows good results with a percentage of 68.08%. Then, it is known that rxy: 0.939 > r-table at the 5% and 1% significance levels (0.939>0.203>0.264). Thus, between the mastery of mufradat and the ability to speak Arabic of the students of the al-Kautsar Islamic Boarding School, Tanjungpinang, there is a very strong significant influence.

Arabic or English? Multilingual users’ preferences in Dubai ATM transactions

Language choice or preference, that is the deliberate selection of language(s) for different purposes in different contexts, situations and domains, is a complex sociolinguistic phenomenon as it is usually motivated by numerous sociolinguistic factors. This study investigates language choice between Arabic and English during automated teller machine (ATM) transactions in Dubai, a cosmopolitan city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and aims at exploring the factors influencing these preferences. The data were collected, using a survey questionnaire, from 566 ATM users in Dubai. The findings reveal that nearly all non-Arab participants favor English over Arabic for ATM transactions, irrespective of their length of stay in the country and their proficiency level in English and Arabic, given that Dubai ATMs offer only these two languages. On the other hand, Arab participants, including UAE nationals and Arab expatriates, tend to use Arabic more frequently than English. However, those residing in Dubai show a greater preference for English compared to those living outside Dubai. Additional factors such as age, gender, level of education, occupation, and comfort with technology were also investigated. This research illuminates the prevalent use and elevated status of English in Dubai, affirming its significance among both native and non-native Arabic speakers. Furthermore, it offers insight into the linguistic resources employed by individuals in transactional exchanges, contributing to our understanding of the complex relationship between language contact, language attitudes, language choice, and technology adoption within a multilingual urban setting. The findings underscore the importance of examining linguistic preferences within specific subdomains of multilingual communities.

Reading stories in Arabic: the impact of lexico-phonological and diglossic distance level on comprehension and receptive and productive vocabulary among Arab kindergarten children

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of the lexico-phonological diglossic distance of story reading (a scaffolded storybook intervention, informed by Vygotsky’s theory of scaffolding and fading) on Arabic-speaking preschool children’s comprehension and receptive and productive vocabulary.MethodThe participants were 139 Israeli-Palestinian kindergartners: 71 composed an intervention group and 68 composed a comparison group. The intervention group heard stories gradually from the SpA, identical, cognate, and unique word forms, whereas the comparison group heard traditional stories unrelated to their lexico-phonological distances. Story 1 was read in unique spoken Arabic (SpA) form, stories 2 and 3 were read in 58 and 45% identical and cognate word forms, respectively, and story 4 was read in 70% unique word forms.ResultsThe results clearly showed that children’s vocabulary and story understanding was significantly higher after the intervention, especially noticeable in stories that contained a higher proportion of Standard Arabic (StA). Interestingly, the stories told entirely in Spoken Arabic (SpA) were the most effective, yielding the highest scores in both comprehension and vocabulary. Stories that mixed different word forms also performed well, though not as strongly as the SpA stories, while those solely in StA were the least effective.ConclusionThe findings of the study suggest that scaffolded storybook intervention may enhance the receptive vocabulary and comprehension skills of children. This study shows that, in the context of diglossia, stories should be read to children systematically and gradually according to the lexical-phonological distance of words in the stories.

Student Progress Tracing of Arabic Learning: A Qualitative Investigation of Speaking Skills Formative Evaluation in Islamic Elementary School

Formative evaluation of Arabic language proficiency plays a crucial role in identifying students' progress in the learning process, particularly in speaking skills or maharatul kalam. The aim of this study is to explore the implementation of formative evaluation on Arabic speaking skills in the third-grade class of SDIT Harapan Bunda Manado. The research adopts a qualitative approach with data collected through interviews with Arabic language teachers and observations in three different classes. The findings indicate that the types of speaking skills tests implemented in this school align with the principles of Arabic language teaching for beginners. The formative evaluation method of maharatul kalam includes reading texts aloud and identifying vocabulary words presented by the teacher. This evaluation is conducted formatively throughout the learning process. Both evaluation methods aim to measure students' reading, pronunciation, and vocabulary mastery as a foundation for developing more complex Arabic language skills in subsequent levels. Interactive evaluation, utilizing varied technologies and approaches, enables teachers to provide constructive feedback and customize learning according to individual student needs.

Language Attitudes among Second-Generation Arabic Speakers in Italy

Language Attitudes among Second-Generation Arabic Speakers in Italy

The Emergence of Verb Patterns in Arabic in Children With Developmental Language Disorder Compared to Children With Typical Development.

The Arabic verb system features a nonlinear root and pattern derivational morphology. Previous studies suggest that young Arabic and Hebrew speakers' early verb use is based on semantic complexity rather than derivational morphological structure. The present study examines the role of morphological and semantic complexity in the emergence of the verb derivational morphology in Arabic speaking children with developmental language disorder (DLD) compared to children with typical language development (TLD). Natural language data were collected from native Arabic-speaking children (40 with DLD; aged 4-6 years and 133 with TLD aged 2;6-6;0 [years;months]) using picture-based elicitation tasks, and verbs were coded morphologically for derivational features and for features of semantic complexity. The results showed that children with DLD demonstrated a more limited production of verb patterns, both in types and in tokens, than age-matched children with TLD. Also, children with DLD age 5;0-6;0 were similar in types and tokens of verb patterns to younger children with TLD at the age of 3;6-4 years. Moreover, while children with TLD at the age of 2;6-3 years used a smaller number of verb patterns than older 4;0-5;0 aged children with DLD, the two groups were not different in verb semantics. Finally, the morphological and semantic diversity demonstrated by the children with DLD was similar to the morphological and semantic diversity shown by children with TLD. Our findings support the conclusion that children with DLD and with TLD acquire the derivational verb system in the same pathway and the quantitative lexical differences between the two groups support a delay rather than a deviation from the typical developmental trajectory.

A Pragmatic Analysis of Ostensible Invitations among Moroccan Arabic Speakers

A Pragmatic Analysis of Ostensible Invitations among Moroccan Arabic Speakers

Translation and validation to the Arabic language version of the climate change anxiety scale (CCAS)

BackgroundThe Arab world is one of the global regions the most directly concerned by, and suffering from climate change’s adverse consequences. As such, there appears to be a strong need for an understanding of how Arab people may emotionally respond to climate change. Providing valid and reliable measures of climate change anxiety (CCA) can help gain a clear overview of the situation in Arab countries, and allow to intervene timely and effectively to mitigate any adverse effects on Arab people’s mental health. To this end, the present study sought to validate the Arabic language version of the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS) in a sample of native Arabic-speaking adults from the general population of Lebanon.MethodsThis study adopted a cross-sectional approach and enrolled 763 adults between July and September 2023.ResultsA confirmatory analysis of the one-factor model showed poor fit indices as follows: CFI = 0.90, GFI = 0.83, SRMR = 0.048 and RMSEA 0.131 [90% CI 0.123, 0.138). The two-factor model showed a satisfactory fit with a high CFI of and a GFI of 0.91 and a SRMR of 0.04 and RMSEA of 0.05 [90% CI 0.04, 0.06]. Both McDonald’s omega and Cronbach alpha values were high for the overall CCAS score (α = 0.96 and ω = 0.96) in the whole sample. Configural, metric and scalar invariance across gender was demonstrated. No significant difference was found between males and females in terms of total CCAS scores (24.53 ± 10.59 vs. 26.03 ± 11.17, t(761) = -1.82, p = .069). Higher CCA, functional impairment and cognitive impairment scores were significantly associated with higher depression, anxiety and stress.ConclusionThe reliability and validity of the CCAS in its Arabic version were proven. The availability of this self-report measure could offer a chance to assess CCA among Adults speaking Arabic, and to spread its future use for screening and research purposes.

ANALYSIS OF PHONOLOGICAL ERRORS IN MAHARAH KALAM PRESENTATION OF NAHWU WADHIFI BOOK

The lack of attention to the Maharah Kalam has made many Arabic language scholars unable to communicate using Arabic. Insufficient self-confidence, fear of being wrong in terms of rules and pronunciation create obstacles for students to speak Arabic, therefore an It is necessary to analyze linguistic faults so that Arabic pronunciation pays more attention and in order to avoid mistakes in Arabic pronunciation. The purpose of this study is to outline the types of phonological errors in Maharah Kalam, as well as to analyze phonological errors in student Maharah Kalam. This research is field research and is a qualitative descriptive study that employs a linguistic error analysis approach. Ways for gathering data that involve observation and recording. This observation is carried out by paying attention to students' speech and noting any grammar mistakes. Documentation is completed using recording technology. According to the study's findings, consonant sound alterations represent faults at the phonological (phoneme) level, including: changes in consonant /ث/ to consonant /س/, consonant /ع/ to consonant /أ/, consonant /ص/ becomes a consonant /س/. The other errors are errors in reducing phoneme sounds, phonological mistakes at the level of syntax, and phonological mistakes at the morphological level. It can be concluded that there are several errors in language and the factor causing language errors is a lack of attention to the language rules that should be applied. Apart from that, there is the influence of the student's mother tongue or second language, and the influence of the environment, both formal and informal, as well as the lack of application of Arabic. Several causal factors have a big influence on students' phoneme pronunciation errors. This research can provide a new platform for Arabic speakers to always pay attention to Arabic rules when speaking.

To Hedge or Not to Hedge: A Pragmatic Study of Hedging in Jordanian Arabic

This study aims to explore the frequency of use and types of hedging devices produced by Jordanian Arabic speakers. The study also seeks to ascertain the pragmatic functions of hedging in Jordanian Arabic. Two types of instruments are employed; a survey instructing the participants to provide some instances from their daily use of language, representing hedging as a linguistic device in Jordanian Arabic and notes of daily observations that take place between friends, colleagues, and family members. A total of 763 hedgers of all types are piled from the daily observations and the survey comprising 86 participants. The data are analyzed and transformed into numerical values in the form of percentages. The findings of the study depict that hedging is a common linguistic device, characterizing Jordanian Arabic and the commonest type is compound hedgers with 50% of the total instances. The findings also reveal that hedging performs various functions in Jordanian Arabic: interpersonal politeness, subjectivity markers, vagueness, fuzziness, and depersonalization. The study presents a novel syntactic categorization of hedging in Jordanian Arabic that differs from Modern Standard Arabic and English.

Civilizational Development in Andalusia in the Writings of Orientalists in the French Orientalist School Gustave Le Bon as A Model

This study intends to present the cultural development in Andalusia and indicates the most prominent writings of French Orientalists regarding this civilization, as well as their appreciation for Arab culture. In this sense, the French Orientalist Gustave Le Bon is a role model. Among the most well-known philosophers in the West, he has shown justice to the Arab people and Islamic culture. This research therefore centers on his writings, which are full of references to the contributions that Arabs and the Arab Islamic nation have made to the West. He wrote the important work "La Civilisation des Arabes" ("The Civilization of the Arabs"), which offers insightful details on Arab civilization, and he accepted that Muslims were the ones who brought civilization to Europe. Additionally, the study seeks to expose the genuine character of Western Orientalists by differentiating between those who are sympathetic to Arab Muslims and those who are hostile to both Islam and Arabs. It demonstrates how the Arabs taught the West about civilization and advancement in many spheres of life.There are three sections to the research. The history, growth, and current status of the French Orientalist School are covered in the first section. The biography, writings, and methods of French Orientalist Gustave Le Bon are the main subjects of the second half. The final segment looks at Andalusia's cultural evolution.In writing this research, I have relied on both Arab and foreign sources, and I hope it will meet the reader's approval.

Recruiting refugees to reduce labour shortages in health care professions: experimental evidence on the potential of foreign-language outreach on social media

BackgroundMany high-income countries are grappling with severe labour shortages in the healthcare sector. Refugees and recent migrants present a potential pool for staff recruitment due to their higher unemployment rates, younger age, and lower average educational attainment compared to the host society's labour force. Despite this, refugees and recent migrants, often possessing limited language skills in the destination country, are frequently excluded from traditional recruitment campaigns conducted solely in the host country’s language. Even those with intermediate language skills may feel excluded, as destination-country language advertisements are perceived as targeting only native speakers. This study experimentally assesses the effectiveness of a recruitment campaign for nursing positions in a German care facility, specifically targeting Arabic and Ukrainian speakers through Facebook advertisements.MethodsWe employ an experimental design (AB test) approximating a randomized controlled trial, utilizing Facebook as the delivery platform. We compare job advertisements for nursing positions in the native languages of Arabic and Ukrainian speakers (treatment) with the same advertisements displayed in German (control) for the same target group in the context of a real recruitment campaign for nursing jobs in Berlin, Germany. Our evaluation includes comparing link click rates, visits to the recruitment website, initiated applications, and completed applications, along with the unit cost of these indicators. We assess statistical significance in group differences using the Chi-squared test.ResultsWe find that recruitment efforts in the origin language were 5.6 times (Arabic speakers) and 1.9 times (Ukrainian speakers) more effective in initiating nursing job applications compared to the standard model of German-only advertisements among recent migrants and refugees. Overall, targeting refugees and recent migrants was 2.4 (Ukrainians) and 10.8 (Arabic) times cheaper than targeting the reference group of German speakers indicating higher interest among these groups.ConclusionsThe results underscore the substantial benefits for employers in utilizing targeted recruitment via social media aimed at foreign-language communities within the country. This strategy, which is low-cost and low effort compared to recruiting abroad or investing in digitalization, has the potential for broad applicability in numerous high-income countries with sizable migrant communities. Increased employment rates among underemployed refugee and migrant communities, in turn, contribute to reducing poverty, social exclusion, public expenditure, and foster greater acceptance of newcomers within the receiving society.

Analysis of Teacher Self-Efficacy on Increasing Student’s Learning Motivation in Arabic Speaking Skill

Arabic has four skills necessary mandatory mastered by students, and Arabic speaking skill becomes the most prominent skill. In learning Arabic speaking skills, student needs motivation from the teacher to master this skill. However not all teacher has the ability to instill the motivation to learn. That's what makes the students feel the difficult in learning Arabic speaking skills. One of the teacher's abilities to finish the problem is high self-efficacy. Therefore, this research is intended to teacher self-efficacy and pragmatic to help the problems of learning Arabic skills. To see if teacher self-efficacy can play a role in learning Arabic speaking skills, this research was presented using descriptive qualitative methods. The data is collected by field survey on teacher self-efficacy during the learning process and listening method by listening to the teacher’s speaking during the learning process to obtain oral data. Based on research results, the majority of teachers struggle to improve their self-efficacy in terms of motivating students to learn Arabic speaking skills. Pragmatic studies can assess teacher’s words in motivating the students, because that’s what can influence student’s interest in learning Arabic speaking skill. The teacher improves their self-efficacy, not only through motivating students but also by improving their ability to organize the class while teaching.