Learning Arabic: Key to China's Growing Economic and Cultural Ties - Research Paper

Introduction

Understanding a foreign language enhances the expression of the right ideas among people of different cultures and backgrounds. The Arabic language has gained popularity in China over the last few years. According to Dejun and Liangyue (2013), learning Arabic has been essential to many Chinese persons because of the rising number of Muslim populations in the country and the growing relations between China and the Arab countries. Nan and Mei (2018) asserted that the ever-increasing economic and commercial ties between China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have a role to play in ensuring that writing and learning the Arabic language is a requirement when applying for jobs in Arab nations. The main aim of this research will be to analyze the method of mastering writing skills and the techniques of learning the Arabic language in Chinese universities. Importantly, the researchers will try to connect the viewpoints of scholars and distribute questionnaires to Chinese university students with the intent of collecting information for analysis purposes. Therefore, this research proposal discusses the importance of the topic of study and analyzes some of the methods that will be employed in the data collection process.

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Background of the Study

According to Aladdin (2014), Arabic has played a significant role in history, particularly in the improvement of Muslims and Arabs over the years. A study by Hasmam and Rahimi (2010) argued that over 295 million people speak the language natively. In addition to that, 1.3 billion Muslims in the world today use Arabic when making their prayer recitations and rituals (Hasmam & Rahimi, 2010). The language has mostly been used to preserve cultural unity and has fostered continuity of the Islamic religion. Over the years, Nassif (2015)asserted that Arabic had enjoyed universality hence making it one of the gigantic languages in the world.

A variety of reasons motivate students to study the Arabic language in China. The Arabic language is a requirement for one to get employment. The growing relationships between China and the Middle East countries have prompted learners to study the language for them to get jobs in the United Arab Emirates. According to Hajar (2016), some learners learn the Arabic language to get jobs within the government and non-government agencies that operate in the Arab world. Similarly, Omari (2015) indicated that the Arabic language is essential in international business trade, economy, and diplomacy. The language serves as a channel for developing relationships among countries of the world and securing peace as well (Yaakub, 2007).

Problem Statement

The teaching of Arabic to Chinese students who are non-native learners is a challenging task. A variety of challenges and problems are experienced in teaching Arabic, particularly to non-native speakers (Mall & Nieman, 2008). Notably, most of the learners who study the Arabic language often hear the language in prayers in recitations (Mahmoud & El-Hamayed, 2016). However, Baldwin (2018) argued that few students get to understand the language completely. More so, they are taught how to perform ritual prayers in the Arabic language. The expectations from the tutors are that learners can communicate effectively in the language and understand what they hear (Omari, 2015). According to Dajani (2015), learners have been taught to read and understand the Arabic language in a parrot-like manner. Most of the students can read texts from the Quran but may fail to know what they read (TahaThomure, 2008). Therefore, this research examines the difficulties experienced when teaching and learning the Arabic language.

Purpose of the Study

Importantly, few studies have been conducted on the teaching of the Arabic language to non-native speakers in China (Wekke, 2015). Thus, this study varies from previous other researches in existence. One of the distinguishing factors of this study is the processes used to collect data in a bid to understand whether the teaching techniques employed are effective in fostering the understanding of the Arabic language among Chinese learners. Mainly, this study will help other researchers. The course is expected to determine some of the challenges faced by teachers and students when teaching and learning the Arabic language. With this in mind, researchers could benefit by exploring the topic further to identify some of the solutions to the identified challenges in a bid to better the teaching process of the Arabic language.

Research Questions

Primarily, this study seeks to answer the following research questions:

• How is the Arabic language taught in Chinese universities?
• How do the perceptions of the teachers of the objectives of teaching Arabic, their fluency in the language, and beliefs about studying a second language influence their teaching practice?
• What are some challenges experienced when teaching the Arabic language?
• Are the teaching techniques effective in fostering understanding and comprehension among Chinese students?

Research Methodology

The research will rely on descriptive and analytical methods. The following techniques will be used to complete the study project:

Induction Method

In this technique, the researcher will use induction to collect data and information about the background of Arabic language study in Chinese universities. More so, the researcher will gather information about the students studying the Arabic language at some universities in China and interview the willing participants.

Descriptive Method

The technique entails using references and resources that focus on researching and writing in Arabic. Mainly, this will benefit the researchers from the theories given on learning the Arabic language.

Analytical Method

Questionnaires issued to the participants will be analyzed using the analytical technique. The questionnaires will be distributed to willing participants from selected universities in China.

Collection of Research and Samples

The sample selected from this study is Chinese students who did not study the Arabic language before entering the university. Learners who had studied the Arabic language before joining the university will be excluded from the study. Also, teachers of Arabic language in Chinese universities will be issued with informed consent and the willing participants interviewed. Unavailable participants will be provided with questionnaires.

Data Analysis

Some of the items present in the questionnaires will be related to the profile of a teacher and their language abilities. The essential variables in the section of the questionnaires are the first language of a teacher, preferred language of communication, and the rating of a teacher's ability in the four skills of the language. Several of the questions present in the questionnaire focused on the teaching of the Arabic language. The main variables of the questions were related to the perceptions of the teachers on why learners selected Arabic as a subject and the time spent on the different language activities such as translation, listening, and speaking Arabic. The data gathered will help in the data analysis process.

Conclusion

Studying the Arabic language has become prevalent in Chinese universities. Arrays of challenges surround the teaching of the Arabic language to non-native speakers. Both teachers and learners experience these difficulties, which is the main point of focus on this study. The research will use questionnaires and interviews to identify the techniques employed when teaching the Arabic language to Chinese students and analyze the data gathered to know whether or not the methods are successful.

References

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Baldwin, J. (2018). The place of Arabic language teaching in Australian universities. History of Education Review, 47(1), 77-86. doi: 10.1108/her-05-2016-0021

Dajani, B. A. S. (2015). Teaching Arabic language: towards a new beginning that stimulates creativity. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 192, 758-763. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.06.086

Dejun, K., & Liangyue, M. (2013). The history of the Arabic language in the People's Republic of China. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 5(7), 219-225. Retrieved from https://journal-archieves36.webs.com/219-225.pdf

Hajar, A. (2016). Understanding Arab students' challenges, strategy use and future vision while writing their Masters dissertations at a UK University: a qualitative inquiry. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 12(3), 260-273. doi: 10.1080/17501229.2016.1199555

Hasmam, A., & Rahimi, N. M. (2010). Types of text in books for learning Arabic as a second language: a document analysis. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 7, 50-56. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.10.008

Mahmoud, M. H., & El-Hamayed, S. H. A. (2016). An intelligent tutoring system for teaching the grammar of the Arabic language. Journal of Electrical Systems and Information Technology, 3(2), 282-294. doi: 10.1016/j.jesit.2016.04.001

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Nassif, L. (2015). Teaching and learning Arabic as a foreign language: a guide for teachers. The Modern Language Journal, 99(2), 427-428. doi: 10.1111/modl.12230

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