أغراض تعلم اللغة العربية وتأثيرهاعلى المهارات اللغوية (الجامعات الباكستانية والصينية نموذجاً)

The objectives of the Arabic language learning and its impact on their language learning skills A case study of Universities of Pakistan and China

Abstract

This paper aims to study the Arabic language learning objectives of Pakistanis and Chinese students and their impact on the four language learning skills.

The researcher conducted a field study; collected its information by means of questionnaire from Arabic language students studying at various universities in Pakistan and China. 235 students from 8 Pakistani universities and Chinese universities took part in this investigation. The study found that the dominant objective of learning Arabic in Pakistan is religious. 73.6% of Arabic students in Pakistan want to learn Arabic to understand the Holy Quran. And the main objective of Chinese students for learning Arabic is trading, as 32.4% of the Arabic language students in China chose this language because of joining trading profession.
The results of this research show that Chinese university students are very well in the three skills of languages; speaking, reading and writing. This is due to their desire for trade and economics. The Chinese Universities have latest instruments for learning language and the new instruments for learning language have a significant role in the development of language skills.           
Pakistani university students are excellent in listening skills only. The reason is that the Pakistani students listen the recitation of the Holy Quran which is in Arabic since their childhood and that is why they are used to this language. Moreover, 40% of the words of Urdu (official/national language in Pakistan) are from Arabic and these Arabic words are used in the daily life. There is an urgent need to review curricula, teaching methods and evaluation in the light of students' objectives and applied linguistics research in Pakistani and Chinese universities. The Arabic language teachers should also be trained in the latest educational methods.