Arabic-speaking Learners Of English Research Articles

Including underrepresented language learners in SLA research: A case study and considerations for internet-based methods

This article contributes to recent discussions on internet-based methods as a way to include more diverse samples in research (Casler et al., 2013; Newman et al., 2021). Discussion specifically focuses on designing psycholinguistic research that maximises accessibility and minimises harm for adults learning languages across writing systems in fragile contexts (Fox et al., 2020). Recommendations are offered based on a case study of the author's experiences conducting internet-based research with Arabic-speaking learners of English, some of whom were navigating combinations of displacement, limited host language proficiency and/or limited formal schooling. This leads to the exploration of vulnerability as layers rather than labels (Luna, 2019) as a more instructive route towards ethical and accessible research design. Both practical and ethical considerations are outlined, as well as the value of in-person research when seeking to include adult language learners with diverse migration and educational backgrounds in linguistic research.

Crosslinguistic Influence of the First Language: Interlingual errors in the writing of ESL Saudi learners

Writing as a productive skill is challenging for the learners as it requires rich linguistic and cognitive abilities to match words with ideas well. A learner of any language as Second Language (SL), for example English, Arabic, Chinese, or German, enters an early, natural, and inevitable stage of making various errors in writing compositions. The errors could be due to dissimilar linguistic systems of the two languages (L1 and L2) or the lack of understanding the SL linguistic rules. This study focuses on investigating the frequent and common inter-lingual errors (the negative influence) committed by Arabic-speaking learners of English as Second Language (ESL). The study is based on Error Analysis (EA) of the essays of a group of English major undergraduate students from the University of Bisha, Al-Namas, Saudi Arabia. Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) is included to predict most of the errors in the collected samples. The findings of the study show that common errors in the data are interlingual (54.03%). The errors within the Grammatical Category include the misuse of tenses, dropping the subjects, dropping verb to be-copular and word order misplacement. The majority of errors in the study are due to the interference of L1 linguistic system including the different orthographic, phonological, morpho-syntactic components. For instance, the participants’ dropping subjects in English can be attributed to the fact that Arabic as L1 and as Null Subject Language (NSL), unlike English, allows subject drop. The results also find that within the Lexical Category, preposition and article errors are the most frequent errors and that spelling errors are the most dominant errors within the Mechanics Category. The study gives some pedagogical implications and suggestions to avoid and minimize the interlingual errors of such type. For instance, teachers need to focus more on enlightening their students about the contrastive language systems from the early stage of learning ESL.

The Ineffectiveness of Overt Input on the Problematic Grammatical Features of Tense Usage and Verb Conjugation for Native Arabic Speaking Learners of English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

ThisstudyexaminestheeffectivenessoftheprovisionofspecificinputontheuseofverbconjugationandtensestopreparatorystudentsatImamAbdulrahmanBinFaisalUniversity,Dammam,SaudiArabia.Thisisawell-documentedgrammaticalissuefornativeArabicspeakers, and was undertaken due to this factor, as well as the students under instruction having made numerous errors in their initial written work. Consequently, it was focussed on in the classroom, with the students’ post-input formal writing compared with the production of students fromanotherclass,atthesamelevel,who,incontrast,hadnotreceivedspecificinputonthisgrammatical feature. The results conclude that such overt input has no discernible effect, due to the errors produced by both groups being extremely similar with reference to both quantity andcause,withverbconjugationandmissingverbsfeaturingprominentlyforbothgroups,particularly the inability to use third person ‘s’. As a result, despite language acquisition being a gradual process, I will desist from focusing on this grammatical feature due to the lack of effect of the input, but, will continue to germane errors when providing feedback on student writing in order to provide a less explicit and time consuming focus on this issue, while attempting to improve grammatical accuracy.

Write to improve: exploring the impact of an automated feedback tool on Bahraini learners of English

The development of written accuracy among learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) has always been a primary concern for ESL teachers and researchers in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition (SLA). While a vast body of research has examined written corrective feedback on students’ written products, few studies have focused on the development of written accuracy among Arabic speaking learners of English using automated feedback tools. This case study first examined the level of written accuracy of Bahraini learners of English in their second year at a higher education institute, highlighting the frequency of errors influenced by their first language (Arabic). The course following this first stage included a significant component of automated feedback on students’ writing; and this study explored the impact that the use of these feedback tools had on learners’ writing in English, tracking development over the course of an academic semester. A corpus of students’ initial writings and subsequent revisions was analysed to identify whether there was an improvement in the accuracy of students’ texts; and students’ perceptions were elicited. ﻟط ﺎﻟ ﻣﺎ ﻛﺎ ن ﺗ طوﯾ ر اﻟدﻗﺔ ﻓ ﻲ ﻣﮭﺎ رة اﻟ ﻛﺗﺎﺑﺔ ﺑﯾ ن ﻣﺗ ﻌﻠ ﻣ ﻲ اﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ ا ﻹﻧ ﺟﻠﯾ زﯾﺔ ﻛﻠ ﻐﺔ ﺛﺎﻧﯾﺔ اﻟ ﺷـ ﻐ ل اﻟ ﺷـﺎ ﻏل ﻟ ﻣﻌﻠ ﻣ ﻲ اﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ ا ﻹﻧﺟ ﻠﯾ زﯾﺔ واﻟﺑﺎﺣ ﺛﯾ ن ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻠ ﻐو ﯾﺎ ت اﻟ ﺗ ط ﺑﯾﻘﯾ ﺔ و ا ﻛﺗ ﺳ ـﺎ ب اﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ اﻟ ﺛﺎﻧﯾ ﺔ. ﻓ ﻲ ﺣ ﯾ ن أ ن ﻣ ﺟ ﻣو ﻋ ﺔ ﻛﺑﯾ ر ة ﻣ ن ا ﻷ ﺑ ﺣ ﺎ ث ﻗد د ر ﺳ ـ ت ﻣ ﻼ ﺣ ظ ﺎ ت ﺗ ﺻ ـ ﺣ ﯾ ﺣ ﯾ ﺔ ﺧ ط ﯾ ﺔ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻛﺗﺎﺑﺎ ت اﻟط ﻼ ب ، ﻓﻘ د رﻛز ت د را ﺳ ــﺎ ت ﻗﻠﯾﻠ ﺔ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺗ ط وﯾ ر اﻟ دﻗﺔ ﻓ ﻲ ﻣﮭﺎ رة اﻟ ﻛﺗﺎﺑ ﺔ ﺑﯾ ن ﻣﺗ ﻌﻠ ﻣ ﻲ اﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ ا ﻹ ﻧ ﺟ ﻠﯾ زﯾ ﺔ اﻟﻧﺎ ط ﻘﯾ ن ﺑﺎﻟ ﻌرﺑﯾ ﺔ ﺑﺎ ﺳ ــﺗ ﺧ دا م أدو ا ت اﻟ ﺗ ﻐذﯾ ﺔ ا ﻻ ﺳ ـــﺗ ر ﺟ ﺎ ﻋ ﯾ ﺔ ﻋ ﺑ ر ا ﻹ ﻧﺗ ر ﻧ ت . ﺗ ﺗ ﻧ ﺎ و ل د ر ا ﺳ ـ ـ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﺣ ﺎ ﻟ ﺔ ھ ذ ه أ و ﻻً ﻣ ﺳ ـ ـ ﺗ و ى ا ﻟ د ﻗ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﻣ ﻛ ﺗ و ﺑ ﺔ ﻟ ﻠ ﻣ ﺗ ﻌ ﻠ ﻣ ﯾ ن ا ﻟ ﺑ ﺣ ر ﯾ ﻧ ﯾ ﯾ ن ﻟ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ ا ﻹ ﻧ ﺟ ﻠ ﯾ ز ﯾ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ ﺳـ ﻧﺗ ﮭم اﻟﺛﺎﻧﯾ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ ﻣؤﺳـ ﺳـ ﺔ ﻟﻠﺗ ﻌﻠﯾم اﻟﻌﺎﻟ ﻲ ، ﻣﻊ اﻟﺗ رﻛﯾ ز ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﺗﻛرا ر أ ﺧطﺎ ء اﻟﺗدا ﺧل ﺑﯾ ن اﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ ا ﻻوﻟ ﻰ واﻟﺛﺎﻧﯾﺔ. ﺛم ﺗ ﺳـﺗﻛ ﺷـ ف اﻟد را ﺳـ ﺔ ﺗﺄﺛﯾ ر أ دو ا ت اﻟ ﻣ ﻼﺣظﺎ ت ﻋﺑ ر ا ﻹﻧﺗ رﻧ ت ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﻛﺗﺎﺑﺔ اﻟ ﻣﺗ ﻌﻠ ﻣﯾ ن ﺑﺎﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ ا ﻹﻧ ﺟﻠﯾ زﯾﺔ ﻛﻠ ﻐﺔ ﺛﺎ ﻧﯾ ﺔ، وﺗ ﺗﺑ ﻊ اﻟﺗ طور ﺧﻼل اﻟﻔ ﺻ ـــ ل اﻟ د را ﺳـــ ﻲ. ﯾﺗ ﺿ ـــ ﻣ ن ا ﻟ ﺗ د ﺧ ل ا ﻟ ﻣ ط ﺑ ق ﻟ ﺗ ﺣ ﺳـ ﯾ ن ﺗ ﻧ ﻣ ﯾ ﺔ ﻣ ﮭ ﺎ ر ا ت ا ﻟ ﻣ ﺗ ﻌ ﻠ ﻣ ﯾ ن ﻣ ﻛ و ﻧًﺎ ﻣ ﮭ ﻣً ﺎ ﻟ ﻠ ﺗ ﻌ ﻠ ﯾ ق ﻋ ﺑ ر ا ﻹ ﻧ ﺗ ر ﻧ ت . ﻗ ﺎ ﻣ ت ا ﻟ د ر ا ﺳـ ﺔ ﺑ ﺗ ﺣ ﻠ ﯾ ل ﻣ ﺟ ﻣ و ﻋ ﺔ ﻣ ن ا ﻟ ﻛ ﺗ ﺎ ﺑ ﺎ ت ا ﻷ و ﻟ ﯾ ﺔ وا ﻟ ﻣرا ﺟﻌﺎ ت اﻟ ﻼﺣ ﻘﺔ ﻟﻠط ﻼ ب ، ﺑﺎﻹ ﺿ ﺎﻓﺔ إﻟ ﻰ ﻣر ا ﺟ ﻌﺎ ت اﻟ ﻧ ظ ر ا ء، ﻟﺗﺣ دﯾد ﻣﺎ إ ذا ﻛﺎ ن ھﻧﺎ ك ﺗ ﺣ ﺳ ن ﻓ ﻲ دﻗﺔ اﻟﻧ ﺻ و ص اﻟﻣﻛﺗ و ﺑ ﺔ ﻟﻠط ﻼ ب .

Pronunciation for the Arab Learners of EFL: Planning for Better Outcomes

Arabic and English belong to two different linguistic families: resultantly, some Arabic speaking learners of English in both SL and FL situations have a major obstacle to overcome to be intelligible to other users, especially in the international context. Of the various skills one needs to acquire to become ‘proficient’ in a language Pronunciation is perhaps the one most relevant to real time usage. However, this is ironically also an area of training that is relegated to the ‘not so important’ category in the EFL classroom in Saudi Arabia as a result of which learner aspirations are not fulfilled in learning English. The current study empirically evaluates the present pronunciation proficiency of Saudi learners at Qassim University, KSA and checks the outcomes of a pronunciation intervention programme. Its aim is to document the specific linguistic elements of difference using empirical means. It further aims to suggest methods to bring the Arab learners’ pronunciation closer to an optimum level of universal communication as well as arrive at generalizations to enable policy changes commensurate with learner aspirations.

Effectiveness of Interactional Feedback: Implicit Learning of English Contracted Forms

The role of implicit and explicit negative feedback in language acquisition has been of major concern, especially in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Research in SLA has demonstrated that implicit negative feedback such as recast and implicit expansion are potential triggers of language development and learning. Data from two experiments, using a pretest-posttest experimental control design, of two separate groups of Arabic-speaking learners of English, one at Georgetown University (GU), and the other at American University Cairo (AUC), provides some evidence that implicit negative feedback can facilitate the acquisition and development of a complex linguistic feature, i.e., English contracted question forms. An interlanguage analysis framework, A Psycholinguistic Interlanguage Analysis Framework was devised to investigate learner’s output. Interlanguage analysis findings indicate that recast can be effective in making a learner notice the contracted wh- & yes/no questions, provided that it follows a pattern known to the learner and focuses on one point only, and that the learner is linguistically ready to learn the linguistic element.