“The Words Disappeared When Faced with Real Life Situations”: Communication Difficulties of Non-Native Speakers of Arabic in the Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

The learning of Arabic as a foreign language (AFL) is increasing around the world. Even so, non-native speakers learners of Arabic face an array of communication difficulties. The present study is intended to explore some of the possible communication difficulties encountered by adult learners of Arabic in the Sultanate of Oman. An interpretive approach was adopted for the study, using in-depth interviewing and participants’ diaries. The findings of the study revealed that non-native Arabic speakers face four distinct difficulties when they attempt to communicate in Arabic. These difficulties are categorized as: putting thoughts into words, maintaining continuous speaking, pronunciation-related issues and applying grammar in their speech. These findings call for improved teaching programs, bridging the gap between classroom teaching activities and authentic life situations and the placing of parallel emphasis on both standard (written) Arabic and vernacular spoken Arabic in its different contextual communities. It is recommended that more studies investigating the dichotomy between colloquial Arabic varieties and standard Arabic should be undertaken.