Distance Teaching of Arabic as a Second Language in Light of Communicative Teaching: Perspectives and Obstacles

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate instructors’ perspectives of the communicative language teaching approach in the distance teaching of Arabic as a second language and the obstacles they encountered. The study utilized a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design using an online survey consisting of 23 items to collect the quantitative data and a semi-interview data collection method to collect the qualitative data. The participants were 31 (n = 31) faculty members at the Arabic Language Teaching Institute at Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. Thirty-one participants completed the survey. Five of them were interviewed to support the data collected by the survey and to deepen an understanding of the survey results.

The participants were asked about their perspectives and the obstacles they encountered in the distance teaching of Arabic as a second language when using the communicative language teaching approach for teaching instruction.

  The results demonstrated that the instructors held positive perspectives regarding the appropriateness of communicative language teaching approach principles for Arabic distance teaching. The instructors reported that they faced some obstacles while implementing the communicative language teaching approach in Arabic distance teachings, such as the breakdown of the Internet and the over-participation or dominant participation of some students during the lectures.