Hussein Elkhafaifi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Uploads
Papers by Hussein Elkhafaifi
The Modern Language Journal, 2005
Anxiety plays an important role in foreign language (FL) students' classroom performance. This st... more Anxiety plays an important role in foreign language (FL) students' classroom performance. This study presents the results of the first empirical examination of the effect of general FL learning anxiety on students' achievement in an Arabic course and of listening anxiety on students' listening comprehension. The data came from 2 measures of anxiety and a background questionnaire administered to 233 postsecondary students of Arabic as a FL. Anxiety scores were correlated with final grades and listening comprehension scores. The results indicated that FL learning anxiety and listening anxiety are separate but related phenomena that both correlate negatively with achievement. The study also revealed significant negative correlations among FL learning anxiety, listening anxiety, and selected demographic variables. These results suggest that reducing student anxiety and providing a less stressful classroom environment might enable teachers and Arabic programs to help students improve both their listening comprehension proficiency as well as their overall course performance. THE ROLE OF ANXIETY AND ITS POTENtially detrimental effect on learners in foreign or second language (FL) classes has concerned FL educators for years. Various aspects of FL learning may engender anxiety in students, but the unfamiliar writing and phonological systems, as well as the foreign cultural context of the less commonly taught languages (LCTL), such as Arabic, Japanese, or Chinese, appear to produce greater anxiety in learning many LCTLs than the more commonly taught languages. Learning Arabic seems to be very challenging for native speakers of English. The Foreign Service Institute estimates that approximately 1320 hours of instruction in an intensive program are required for such languages as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean to bring students to the same level of proficiency that may be
The Modern Language Journal, 2005
Anxiety plays an important role in foreign language (FL) students' classroom performance. This st... more Anxiety plays an important role in foreign language (FL) students' classroom performance. This study presents the results of the first empirical examination of the effect of general FL learning anxiety on students' achievement in an Arabic course and of listening anxiety on students' listening comprehension. The data came from 2 measures of anxiety and a background questionnaire administered to 233 postsecondary students of Arabic as a FL. Anxiety scores were correlated with final grades and listening comprehension scores. The results indicated that FL learning anxiety and listening anxiety are separate but related phenomena that both correlate negatively with achievement. The study also revealed significant negative correlations among FL learning anxiety, listening anxiety, and selected demographic variables. These results suggest that reducing student anxiety and providing a less stressful classroom environment might enable teachers and Arabic programs to help students improve both their listening comprehension proficiency as well as their overall course performance. THE ROLE OF ANXIETY AND ITS POTENtially detrimental effect on learners in foreign or second language (FL) classes has concerned FL educators for years. Various aspects of FL learning may engender anxiety in students, but the unfamiliar writing and phonological systems, as well as the foreign cultural context of the less commonly taught languages (LCTL), such as Arabic, Japanese, or Chinese, appear to produce greater anxiety in learning many LCTLs than the more commonly taught languages. Learning Arabic seems to be very challenging for native speakers of English. The Foreign Service Institute estimates that approximately 1320 hours of instruction in an intensive program are required for such languages as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean to bring students to the same level of proficiency that may be
BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION This chapter describes an effort to develop professional standards fo... more BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION This chapter describes an effort to develop professional standards for teachers of Arabic (PSTA). Both the process and the content are presented here in summary as the PSTA revised document will be over 150 pages long with the appendices. The standards will serve as a set of criteria against which the expected and required competencies of Arabic teaching professionals are weighted. 1 The effort, 2 years in the making, is the result of work accomplished by an American Association of Teachers of Arabic (AATA) committee with the initial proposal to enact it proposed at the 2001 AATA annual board meeting in Washington, DC. The committee views the PSTA as a continuous effort in draft from, subject to modification, as our profession evolves and progresses. The PSTA in its present form was also inspired, influenced, and based on similar work done by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC). We have added the Arabic dimension and its specificities to the standards elaborated by these professional organizations. The impetus driving our collaborative interest in sharing it with our colleagues is strongly embedded in our concern for excellence in teaching and our belief in all the positive developments represented in the so-called "paradigm shift" that has transformed the foreign language teaching field in general in the last two and a half decades (Swaffar, Arens, & Byrnes, 1991; Harper et al., 1998).
![Research paper thumbnail of MOHAMMED SAWAIE, Azmat al-mustalah al-[ayn]arabi fi al-qarn al-tasi[ayn] [ayn]ashar “La crise de la terminologie arabe au XIXe siècle. Introduction historique générale” (Damascus: Institut Français de Damas, 1999). Pp. 163](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/85026014/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](International Journal of Middle East Studies, 2001
In this slim volume, Mohammed Sawaie has expanded and enhanced his earlier work in the field of t... more In this slim volume, Mohammed Sawaie has expanded and enhanced his earlier work in the field of the lexical history of Arabic. By focusing primarily on the efforts of two distinguished Arab lexicographers, (Ahmad) Faris al-Shidyaq and Rifa[ayn]a Rafi[ayn] al-Tahtawi, Sawaie creates a lucid and readable discourse on the state of the Arabic language in the 19th century. He includes material from original contemporary Arabic sources as well as from European writers. Sawaie gives a detailed account of the challenges faced by Arab writers and scholars as their countries were flooded with new ideas. Western innovations in areas already familiar, such as agriculture, as well as modern technological developments created an immediate need for new words to describe and explain these novel concepts.
All language instructors teach their students the four communicative language skills: reading, wr... more All language instructors teach their students the four communicative language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Recently, greater emphasis on the discrete skill of listening comprehension has prompted more extensive research on this particular issue. This study presents the results of a survey of Arabic language instructors currently teaching Arabic at universities in the United States and abroad. The survey explores instructors' attitudes toward listening comprehension skill development and focuses on the methods they use to develop proficiency in their students. Analysis of the responses reveals that Arabic instructors consider listening comprehension an important element in the curriculum, and they avail themselves of a wide variety of imaginative teaching techniques and ancillary resources to improve their students' listening skills. Responses also indicate a general awareness of current listening comprehension research and a willingness to adapt researc...
The Cambridge Handbook of Arabic Linguistics
Lang Probl Lang Plan, 2003
Language Problems Language Planning, 2002
Language planning is an issue of contemporary concern around the globe. Every sovereign nation wi... more Language planning is an issue of contemporary concern around the globe. Every sovereign nation wishes to preserve its national tongue and maintain its status as a preferred medium of communication. However, the phenomenon of globalization, coupled with the increasing hegemony of English, has motivated many nations to revisit their language planning policies with a view to ensuring and strengthening the pre-eminence of their own languages, not only within their national borders, but within their geographical and commercial reach as well. The Arabic-speaking countries, while recalling with pride their historical dominance in the medieval scientific arena, are now struggling to prevent the language from an inundation of modern foreign terminology. The Arabic language-planning agencies, whose efforts to date, despite their excellent intentions, have not exhibited stellar success, must closely examine the work of other planning organizations which have succeeded in achieving many of their goals. Efforts by linguistically and ethnically diverse Scandinavian countries to promote unified technical and scientific terminology deserve close examination by the Arab nations, along with adaptation of their flourishing endeavors to the problems that beset Arabic language planning.
Foreign Language Annals, 2005
... Abstract: This study evaluated the effect ofprelistening activities and repeated listening ex... more ... Abstract: This study evaluated the effect ofprelistening activities and repeated listening exposure on listening comprehension scores of Arabic students. ... Students were also assigned to view or listen to seg-ments from Arabic television and radio. ...
The Modern Language Journal, 2005
Anxiety plays an important role in foreign language (FL) students' classroom performance. This st... more Anxiety plays an important role in foreign language (FL) students' classroom performance. This study presents the results of the first empirical examination of the effect of general FL learning anxiety on students' achievement in an Arabic course and of listening anxiety on students' listening comprehension. The data came from 2 measures of anxiety and a background questionnaire administered to 233 postsecondary students of Arabic as a FL. Anxiety scores were correlated with final grades and listening comprehension scores. The results indicated that FL learning anxiety and listening anxiety are separate but related phenomena that both correlate negatively with achievement. The study also revealed significant negative correlations among FL learning anxiety, listening anxiety, and selected demographic variables. These results suggest that reducing student anxiety and providing a less stressful classroom environment might enable teachers and Arabic programs to help students improve both their listening comprehension proficiency as well as their overall course performance. THE ROLE OF ANXIETY AND ITS POTENtially detrimental effect on learners in foreign or second language (FL) classes has concerned FL educators for years. Various aspects of FL learning may engender anxiety in students, but the unfamiliar writing and phonological systems, as well as the foreign cultural context of the less commonly taught languages (LCTL), such as Arabic, Japanese, or Chinese, appear to produce greater anxiety in learning many LCTLs than the more commonly taught languages. Learning Arabic seems to be very challenging for native speakers of English. The Foreign Service Institute estimates that approximately 1320 hours of instruction in an intensive program are required for such languages as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean to bring students to the same level of proficiency that may be
The Modern Language Journal, 2005
Anxiety plays an important role in foreign language (FL) students' classroom performance. This st... more Anxiety plays an important role in foreign language (FL) students' classroom performance. This study presents the results of the first empirical examination of the effect of general FL learning anxiety on students' achievement in an Arabic course and of listening anxiety on students' listening comprehension. The data came from 2 measures of anxiety and a background questionnaire administered to 233 postsecondary students of Arabic as a FL. Anxiety scores were correlated with final grades and listening comprehension scores. The results indicated that FL learning anxiety and listening anxiety are separate but related phenomena that both correlate negatively with achievement. The study also revealed significant negative correlations among FL learning anxiety, listening anxiety, and selected demographic variables. These results suggest that reducing student anxiety and providing a less stressful classroom environment might enable teachers and Arabic programs to help students improve both their listening comprehension proficiency as well as their overall course performance. THE ROLE OF ANXIETY AND ITS POTENtially detrimental effect on learners in foreign or second language (FL) classes has concerned FL educators for years. Various aspects of FL learning may engender anxiety in students, but the unfamiliar writing and phonological systems, as well as the foreign cultural context of the less commonly taught languages (LCTL), such as Arabic, Japanese, or Chinese, appear to produce greater anxiety in learning many LCTLs than the more commonly taught languages. Learning Arabic seems to be very challenging for native speakers of English. The Foreign Service Institute estimates that approximately 1320 hours of instruction in an intensive program are required for such languages as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean to bring students to the same level of proficiency that may be
BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION This chapter describes an effort to develop professional standards fo... more BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION This chapter describes an effort to develop professional standards for teachers of Arabic (PSTA). Both the process and the content are presented here in summary as the PSTA revised document will be over 150 pages long with the appendices. The standards will serve as a set of criteria against which the expected and required competencies of Arabic teaching professionals are weighted. 1 The effort, 2 years in the making, is the result of work accomplished by an American Association of Teachers of Arabic (AATA) committee with the initial proposal to enact it proposed at the 2001 AATA annual board meeting in Washington, DC. The committee views the PSTA as a continuous effort in draft from, subject to modification, as our profession evolves and progresses. The PSTA in its present form was also inspired, influenced, and based on similar work done by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC). We have added the Arabic dimension and its specificities to the standards elaborated by these professional organizations. The impetus driving our collaborative interest in sharing it with our colleagues is strongly embedded in our concern for excellence in teaching and our belief in all the positive developments represented in the so-called "paradigm shift" that has transformed the foreign language teaching field in general in the last two and a half decades (Swaffar, Arens, & Byrnes, 1991; Harper et al., 1998).
International Journal of Middle East Studies, 2001
In this slim volume, Mohammed Sawaie has expanded and enhanced his earlier work in the field of t... more In this slim volume, Mohammed Sawaie has expanded and enhanced his earlier work in the field of the lexical history of Arabic. By focusing primarily on the efforts of two distinguished Arab lexicographers, (Ahmad) Faris al-Shidyaq and Rifa[ayn]a Rafi[ayn] al-Tahtawi, Sawaie creates a lucid and readable discourse on the state of the Arabic language in the 19th century. He includes material from original contemporary Arabic sources as well as from European writers. Sawaie gives a detailed account of the challenges faced by Arab writers and scholars as their countries were flooded with new ideas. Western innovations in areas already familiar, such as agriculture, as well as modern technological developments created an immediate need for new words to describe and explain these novel concepts.
All language instructors teach their students the four communicative language skills: reading, wr... more All language instructors teach their students the four communicative language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Recently, greater emphasis on the discrete skill of listening comprehension has prompted more extensive research on this particular issue. This study presents the results of a survey of Arabic language instructors currently teaching Arabic at universities in the United States and abroad. The survey explores instructors' attitudes toward listening comprehension skill development and focuses on the methods they use to develop proficiency in their students. Analysis of the responses reveals that Arabic instructors consider listening comprehension an important element in the curriculum, and they avail themselves of a wide variety of imaginative teaching techniques and ancillary resources to improve their students' listening skills. Responses also indicate a general awareness of current listening comprehension research and a willingness to adapt researc...
The Cambridge Handbook of Arabic Linguistics
Lang Probl Lang Plan, 2003
Language Problems Language Planning, 2002
Language planning is an issue of contemporary concern around the globe. Every sovereign nation wi... more Language planning is an issue of contemporary concern around the globe. Every sovereign nation wishes to preserve its national tongue and maintain its status as a preferred medium of communication. However, the phenomenon of globalization, coupled with the increasing hegemony of English, has motivated many nations to revisit their language planning policies with a view to ensuring and strengthening the pre-eminence of their own languages, not only within their national borders, but within their geographical and commercial reach as well. The Arabic-speaking countries, while recalling with pride their historical dominance in the medieval scientific arena, are now struggling to prevent the language from an inundation of modern foreign terminology. The Arabic language-planning agencies, whose efforts to date, despite their excellent intentions, have not exhibited stellar success, must closely examine the work of other planning organizations which have succeeded in achieving many of their goals. Efforts by linguistically and ethnically diverse Scandinavian countries to promote unified technical and scientific terminology deserve close examination by the Arab nations, along with adaptation of their flourishing endeavors to the problems that beset Arabic language planning.
Foreign Language Annals, 2005
... Abstract: This study evaluated the effect ofprelistening activities and repeated listening ex... more ... Abstract: This study evaluated the effect ofprelistening activities and repeated listening exposure on listening comprehension scores of Arabic students. ... Students were also assigned to view or listen to seg-ments from Arabic television and radio. ...