The Impact of Proficiency in First Language on Mastering English for Saudi EFL Students

Khaled ELkotb Mahmoud Elshahawy

Abstract


The study aimed at clarifying the relationship among standard Arabic language (Fus`ha) and English language proficiency concerning the three skills of speaking, reading and writing. To achieve this aim, the research participants were 100 undergraduate male and female students from the Department of Languages &Translation, English language, at a Saudi University. The study design adopted the quasi-experiential design using one experimental group to be taught the study program, Integrated Program-Based Three Skills of Arabic and English Language (I PBTSAEL), which was based on the integration of Arabic and English languages skills. A quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed. The study instruments included: Pre-post three skills test (PPTST) and semi- structured interviews. The statistical methods of the paired samples t- test and the effect size analyses were employed for interpreting the quantitative data, whereas the qualitative data were collected from the semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study indicated that the study program of IPBTSAEL improved the participants English language skills of speaking, reading and writing. This data proved the positive transfer and relation between standard Arabic (Fus`ha) and English language. The study recommended strongly applying its program in other courses and other majors for improving other EFL undergraduate students’ English language skills of speaking, reading and writing.


Keywords


Positive transfer, Standard Arabic (Fus`ha), English language Proficiency, Three Skills (Speaking, Reading, Writing).

Full Text:

PDF

References


Abu Ghwaileh, F.M.R. ( 2014). The Effect of L1 Arabic Proficiency on the L2 English Writing Skills of Emirati Grade Nine Male students. Masters of Education in TESOL Dissertation, the British University in Dubai

Al-Ghazalli, M. F. (2013). Translation Assessment of Arabic Implicit Negation into English. International Journal of English Linguistics, 3(2), 129-144.

Al-Zoubi, D. M. & Abu-Eid, M. A.(2014).The Influence of the First Language (Arabic) on Learning English as a Second Language in Jordanian Schools, and its Relation to Educational Policy: Structural Errors. Sino-US English Teaching, Vol. 11, No. 5, 355-372.

Beebe, L.M., et al. (1990). Pragmatic Transfer in ESL Refusals [C]. In Scarcella, R. C., Andersen, E., & Krashen, S. C., (eds.). Developing Communicative Competence in a Second Language [A]. New York: Newbury House,55-73.

Blum-Kulka (eds.) (1993). Interlanguage Pragmatics [A]. New York: OUP,43-59.

Dweik, B. (2000) Bilingualism and the Problem of Linguistic and Cultural Interference. In: Alharbi, L. and Azer, H. In: Arabic Language and Culture In a Borderless World. Kuwait University.

Dweik, B. (2007). The Role of Culture in EFL Textbooks. ATEL, (16),20-26.

Dweik, B. S., & Abu Al Hommos, M.D. (2007). The Effect of Arabic Proficiency on the English Writing of Bilingual-Jordanian Students. Retrieved March 10, 2018 from http://www.eric.ed.gov.

Ellis, R. (1986). Understanding Second Language Acquisition. New York. Oxford University Press.

Elsayed, A. B. (2014). The Relationship Between the Level of Acculturation in American (English-Speaking) Culture and Language Proficiency in Arabic Among Adolescents. Wayne State University Dissertations. Paper 983. Available on: digitalcommons.wayne.edu

Farran, L. K. (2010). The Relationship Between Language and Reading in Bilingual English-Arabic Children. Dissertation, Georgia State University. Available on:

https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/ece_diss/13.

Faruk, S.M.G. (2013). English Language Teaching in Saudi Arabia: A World

System Perspective. Scientific Bulletin of the Politehnica University of TimiÅŸoara

Transactions on Modern Languages Vol. 12, No. 1-2, 2013.

Freeman, Y. & Freeman, D. (2000). Closing the Achievement Gap. Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann.

Hammerly, H. (1991). Fluency and Accuracy [M]. Multilingual Matters Ltd.,

House, J., & Kasper, G.(1987). Interlanguage Pragmatics: Requesting in a Foreign Language ‘C]. In Loerscher, W., & Schulze, R., (eds.): Perspectives on Language in Performance [A]. Tuebingen: Narr.,150-88

Hussein, B. Al-Sh. (2013). Teaching and Learning English as a Second/foreign Language Through Mother Tongue: A Field Study. Asian Social Science, 9(10), 175-180.

Kasper, G. (1995). Interlanguage Pragmatics [C]. In J. Verschueren, Jan-Ola Östman & Jan Blommaert (eds.): Handbook of Pragmatics [A]. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publ. Co,1-17.

Kharma, N., & Hajjaj, A. (1989). Use of the Mother Tongue in ESL Classroom. IRAL, 27(3), 223-235.

Larsen-Freeman, D. & Long, M.H. (1991). An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition Research [M]. London: Longman.

Lu, L. (2010). Language Transfer: From Topic Prominence to Subject Prominence. A Critical Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in TESOL. University of Leeds August, 2010.

Mahmoud, A. (2000). Modern Standard Arabic vs. Non-standard Arabic: Where do Arab Students Transfer From?. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 13(2), 126-136.

Mclaughlin, B. (1987). Theories of Second Language Learning. London: Edward.

Mourssi, A. (2013). Cross linguistic Influence of L1 (Arabic) in Acquiring Linguistic Items of L2 (English): An Empirical Study in the Context of Arab Learners of English as Undergraduate Learners. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 397-403

Odlin, T. (1989). Language Transfer: Cross-Linguistic Influence in Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Olshtain, E.(1987). The Acquisition of New Word Formation Processes in Second Language Acquisition [J]. In Studies in Second Language Acquisition 9, (2):221-231.

Qaid, Y. A., & Ramamoorthy, L. (2011). A Study of Arabic Interference in Yemeni. University Students’ English Writing Language in India, 11(4), 28-37.

Rahman, M. (2015). Linguistic Transfer Example from Arabic Users of English. International Journal of Applied Research, 1(7): 804-806.Available on: www.allresearchjournal.com

Sabbah, S. S. (2015). Negative Transfer: Arabic Language Interference to Learning English. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on Translation No.4 May, 2015 Pp. 269-288.

Takahashi, T., & Beebe, M. L. (1993). Cross-Linguistic Influence in the Speech Act of Correction [C]. In Kasper, G., & Blum-Kulka, S. (eds.). Interlanguage Pragmatics [A]. Oxford: OUP, 1993:138-158.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2021 Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research