The present study aims to investigate the role that Web 2.0 tools can play in the enhancement of productive and receptive language skills of students of Arabic as a foreign language. The study is part of an ongoing project on the integration of Web 2.0 tools in teaching Arabic as a foreign language and the attitudes of the learners towards them. The design of the study is pre-post, experimental-control group. The sample consisted of (30) students: an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15), doing their BA in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the International Peace College South Africa (IPSA). The experiment took place in the Language Skills module for 12 weeks. A technology-enhanced programme that utilises a myriad of Web 2.0 tools was used in teaching the experimental group. The control group students, however, were taught using a traditional teaching methodology in a brick-and-mortar classroom and they did not receive any technology-enhanced instruction. The study concluded that the use of Web 2.0 tools has contributed to the enhancement of the language skills and vocabulary of the students. The findings indicated that there was a significant statistical difference between the scores of the two groups in the language skills and vocabulary post-test in favour of the experimental group.
Disruptive technologies are widely used in education today. They aim to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies of students. The field of applied linguistics, in general, and foreign language teaching, in particular, have benefited immensely from the developments taking place in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). However, meaningful learning cannot be achieved by using technology indiscriminately; an understanding of educational theories and key instructional design models is urgently required. The present study argues that the adoption of established instructional design models will yield effective learning materials not only for the less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) but also for language classrooms in general. It investigates the use of ADDIE instructional design model for designing and developing a blended syllabus for teaching Arabic as a foreign language in South African institutions of higher learning. The study also deals with the attitudes of the students towards the designed blended syllabus. The proposed syllabus is based on a wide range of web-based tools and e-learning specifications such as Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) and Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM). This study serves as a guideline for developing instructional materials for teaching Arabic, as well as other languages.
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