تعلّم العربية للناطقين بغيرها: الصعوبات اللغوية وسبل التجاوز

Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers: Linguistic Difficulties and Strategies for Overcoming Them

Abstract

This paper examines the linguistic difficulties encountered by beginner learners of Arabic as a second language, focusing on challenges arising from structural, lexical, morphological, and phonological differences between Arabic and the learners’ first languages. These difficulties often appear in word order (verb–subject–object), the sequence of adjective and noun, and the use and placement of adverbial expressions. Drawing on findings from comparative linguistic studies, the paper suggests that such insights be applied to the design of Arabic language lessons for non-native speakers. Lessons should follow a pedagogical sequence appropriate to learners’ cognitive abilities and proficiency levels, contributing to the development of a coherent, goal-oriented curriculum. The study also emphasizes the relevance of cognitive linguistics—particularly theories of the mental lexicon—in structuring lexical instruction. Incorporating these approaches can enhance learners’ communicative competence and promote more efficient and meaningful acquisition of Arabic as a second language.