English abstract
The current study, entitled: The Reality of qualitative Speech Activities in Developing Conversation Skill to Non-Arabic Speaking learners at the Beginning Level in the Sultanate of Oman, aimed to identify the reality of speech activities practiced by Arabic language teachers for other speakers with their students when teaching conversation skill at the beginner level (lower, middle, and advanced), in addition to explaining the role of qualitative speech activities practiced by them in developing the speaking skill of Arabic language learners, and revealing the differences in the attitudes of Arabic language teachers to non-native speakers regarding the reality of their practice of qualitative speech activities due to the variables: gender, educational qualification, and years of experience, where the study population consisted of male and female teachers of the Arabic language for non-native speakers in the Sultanate of Oman, the sample included (30) male and female teachers (11 male and 19 female) and they were chosen intentionally.
The study followed the descriptive analytical approach, and to answer the study's questions and achieve its goals, the researcher prepared two research tools: a questionnaire for teachers with a view to exploring their practices about the conversation activities they carry out with their students at the beginner level, and an observation card for the performance of a teacher in the classroom situation while teaching conversation skill. The questionnaire consisted of (30) paragraphs distributed on three domains (preparation for the conversation lesson - implementation of the conversation lesson - evaluation of the conversation lesson), while the observation card included (16) paragraphs. Both tools were applied to all members of the study sample. Then the data were analysed using the statistical program (SPSS).
The results showed that there is a practice of qualitative speech activities by Arabic language teachers for non-native speakers at beginner level, and this practice has been limited between a very high and medium level of practice. And there is a gradual and sequential dialogue that teachers run with their students and this dialogue is appropriate to the level of learners with evidence that they understand the dialogue and interact with it that contributes to developing their speaking skill. The results also showed that there are statistically significant differences between teachers of theArabic language for non-Arabic speakers in the extent of practicing qualitative speech activities to develop conversation skill among non-Arabic learners at the beginner level due to the variable gender in favor of females at the area of the implementation of the conversation lesson, while these differences did not appear in the areas of the preparation for conversation lesson and the evaluation of conversation lesson.The results of the study also showed that there are no statistically significant differences between the members of the study sample in the extent of the teaching of Arabic language teachers to qualitative activities to develop conversation skill according to the variables of the educational qualification, and years of experience in all three areas of the questionnaire: preparation, implementation, and evaluation of the conversation lesson.
Based on the previous results, the study concluded with a number of recommendations, including: the necessity for institutions and institutes to teach Arabic to non-native speakers to collaborate and to exchange experiences between them; this can be done by training teachers on how to prepare and build qualitative activities that address other Arabic language skills (listening- reading- writing) and develop them at the beginner level in particular, and the rest of the levels in general.
In addition, the Institutes that teach Arabic to speakers of other languages should take care to by choosing the appropriate curriculum that includes, within the lessons, specific activities that address the various Arabic language skills and work to develop them, and these activities diversify and multiply in the methods of their implementation; This is in order to reduce the gap that can arise between teachers as a result of gender, educational qualification or years of experience.
