Teaching of Arabic to learners in Muslim private schools in South Africa and Botswana

Abstract

Many learners of Arabic in Southern Africa have been unable to achieve communicative competence. An investigation into a possible link between teaching methodology and Arabic acquisition was undertaken. In the literature study, theories of language acquisition and related teaching methodologies and approaches were scrutinized. A questionnaire was developed to determine current practices in the teaching of Arabic. The results of the empirical investigation indicated that grammar-translation is the dominant teaching method. Majority of the learners are taught in a medium other than Arabic, have inadequate exposure to Arabic native speakers, are given very little opportunity to communicate in the language and spend the largest proportion of time translating to and from Arabic. The educational implications of the findings are discussed, and guidelines regarding methods of improving the acquisition of all four skills in Arabic are provided, both for teachers at schools and at tertiary academic institutions.

Meeste leerders van Arabies in Suidelike Afrika bereik nie komrnunikatiewe bevoegdheid in Arabies nie. 'n Ondersoek na 'n moontlike verband tussen die onderrigmetodes wat tans gebruik word en die verwerwing van Arabies is in hierdie studie ondemeem. In die literatuuroorsig is 'n aantal taalverwerwingsteoriee en verbandhoudende onderrigmetodologiee ondersoek. 'n Vraelys is ontwikkel om huidige praktyke met betrekking tot die onderrig van Arabies te bepaal. Die resultate van die empiriese ondersoek het aangedui dat die grammatika-vertaalmetode die dominante onderrigmetode is. Die meerderheid leerders word nie deur middel van Arabies onderrig nie, word nie voldoende aan Arabiese moedertaalsprekers blootgestel nie, het min of geen geleentheid om in Arabies te komrnunikeer nie en bestee die meeste van hul tyd aan die vertaling uit en na Arabies. Die opvoedkundige implikasies van die bevindinge is bespreek en voorstelle vir die verbetering van onderrigmetodes in Arabies is gemaak vir sowel onderwysers by skole en vir tersiere onderwysinstellings.