language environment

ABSTRACT Differences in Arabic language-use environments offer a perspective for understanding why speaking instruction does not always provide learners with comparable language experiences. This study examines mahārah taḥadduts through a comparison of the Arabic Language Education Program at UIN Raden Intan Lampung, Indonesia, and the Arabic Literature Program at Yarmouk University, Jordan. A qualitative approach was employed using a comparative case study design. Data were collected through observations, semi-structured interviews with lecturers, program heads, students, and alumni, as well as document analysis. The data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model, supplemented by within-case and cross-case analyses, while triangulation was employed to establish data trustworthiness. Both programs demonstrated relatively similar instructional patterns involving topic selection, preparation, presentations, dialogue, and question-and-answer sessions. The most notable distinction concerned their language-use environments. At UIN Raden Intan Lampung, speaking practice was largely confined to formally structured learning settings (by design), whereas at Yarmouk University, Arabic was also used in academic interactions and everyday communication (given). These differences were associated with variations in practice opportunities, forms of oral production, and affective-linguistic barriers, without treating the language environment as the sole determining factor. These findings inform the proposed Tiered Oral Production Model, which distinguishes scheduled production (Layer 1) from contextual production (Layer 2). Developing speaking proficiency therefore requires broader opportunities to use Arabic beyond the classroom, alongside further testing of the model across diverse educational contexts. ABSTRAK Perbedaan lingkungan penggunaan bahasa Arab memberikan perspektif untuk memahami mengapa pembelajaran keterampilan berbicara tidak selalu menghasilkan pengalaman berbahasa yang serupa. Penelitian ini menelaah pembelajaran mahārah taḥadduts melalui perbandingan Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Arab UIN Raden Intan Lampung dan Program Studi Sastra Arab Yarmouk University, Yordania. Kajian dilakukan dengan pendekatan kualitatif melalui desain studi kasus komparatif. Observasi, wawancara semi-terstruktur dengan dosen, ketua program studi, mahasiswa, dan alumni, serta dokumentasi digunakan untuk memperoleh data. Analisis mengikuti model Miles dan Huberman, kemudian diperdalam melalui penelaahan dalam-kasus dan lintas-kasus; triangulasi digunakan untuk memeriksa keabsahan data. Kedua program studi memperlihatkan pola instruksional yang relatif serupa, meliputi penentuan tema, persiapan, presentasi, dialog, dan tanya jawab. Pembeda yang menonjol terdapat pada ekologi penggunaan bahasa. Di UIN Raden Intan Lampung, praktik berbicara lebih banyak terikat pada ruang pembelajaran yang dirancang secara formal (by design), sedangkan di Yarmouk University bahasa Arab juga hadir dalam interaksi akademik dan keseharian (given). Perbedaan ini berkaitan dengan variasi kesempatan praktik, bentuk produksi lisan, dan hambatan afektif-linguistik, tanpa menempatkan lingkungan sebagai faktor tunggal. Temuan tersebut melandasi usulan Model Produksi Lisan Bertingkat, yang membedakan produksi terjadwal (Lapis 1) dan produksi kontekstual (Lapis 2). Pengembangan keterampilan berbicara karena itu perlu memperluas kesempatan penggunaan bahasa Arab di luar kelas sekaligus menguji model tersebut pada konteks pendidikan yang beragam.

Background and objectives Health literacy in adulthood plays a major role in an individual’s ability to use health information to benefit their health. Social determinants in early childhood initiate the development of health literacy through newborn brain development and oral language acquisition. Both of these processes are promoted by stimulation from everyday interactions with parents/caregivers at home and in the community. Unequal access to language-learning opportunities during early childhood represents a modifiable developmental and social determinant of later educational and health outcomes. There are inequities in these time-sensitive interactions—specifically language-learning opportunities—across families in the population, which are social determinants of early literacy, achievement in school, and later-life education, health, and economic and social well-being across the life span. This gap is most pronounced among children who grow up in poverty in the United States and internationally. The healthcare system in the United States effectively reaches to nearly all infants; however, language-learning opportunities are not a focus during well-child visits. The term “Language Nutrition” (LN) was coined in prior research to refer to these developmentally rich interactions known to support brain and language growth in children younger than preschool age. We developed Kansas City Brain Builders (KCBB) to address this inequity by promoting LN broadly among families and children in a community so that all children have a more equitable home language environment. The purpose of this study is to report longitudinal empirical findings on families and children related to the implementation of KCBB, a public health approach to community change, over 2 years. Methods The evaluation involved two parallel longitudinal studies: the Community study and the Family study. The Community study assessed the implementation of a KCBB multisectoral community partnership to promote LN-friendly changes in local programs, practices, and policies. The Family study involved longitudinal assessments of a sample of 83 English- and Spanish-speaking families with children younger than 36 months of age, evaluating the KCBB impacts on parental behaviors and child growth in language skills. Results KCBB led to a high level of documented program implementation and substantial LN promotion throughout the community. Repeated parent assessments indicated that participants had received LN messages from multiple community sectors over time, increased their knowledge of the importance of LN, and used LN through storybook reading, verbal responsiveness, and teaching behaviors during interactions with their children. Growth in children’s early language skills was significantly associated with the amount of LN they received. Discussion/Conclusion KCBB is one of the few multisectoral interventions designed to promote community-wide change targeting LN. It is a manualized intervention that can be replicated by other communities. This study employed three levels of measurement such that change could be evaluated in a theoretical framework of influence from community engagement to parental behavior and growth in child language skills. Findings provide preliminary evidence that a multisectoral community approach can achieve broad reach and is associated with changes in caregiver practices and child language growth. Larger, controlled, and replicated studies are needed to establish causal effects and determine whether such approaches reduce disparities in language-learning opportunities.

Arabic language communication skills have become an important competence for madrasah students, not only as an academic ability but also as a means of understanding Islamic knowledge and developing cultural identity. However, Arabic language learning at the elementary level still faces challenges in transforming vocabulary and grammatical knowledge into real communication practices. This study aims to analyze the implementation of an Arabic Language Program in improving students’ communicative competence at MIN Wonosobo. This research employed a qualitative approach with a case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis involving 13 participants consisting of the head of the madrasah, curriculum coordinator, Arabic language teacher, program mentors, and students. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed four main themes: Arabic as a madrasah identity, the transition from vocabulary mastery to communication practice, students’ emotional experiences in speaking Arabic, and challenges in developing a language environment. The study demonstrates that communicative competence is shaped through the interaction between school programs, pedagogical practices, and students’ social experiences. These findings contribute to the development of more contextual and communicative Arabic language programs in Islamic elementary education.

مهارت‌های ارتباطی زبان عربی به عنوان یکی از شایستگی‌های مهم برای دانش‌آموزان مدارس، نه تنها به عنوان یک توانایی علمی بلکه به عنوان ابزاری برای فهم دانش اسلامی و توسعه هویت فرهنگی اهمیت یافته است. با این حال، آموزش زبان عربی در سطح ابتدایی همچنان با چالش‌هایی در تبدیل دانش واژگان و دستور زبان به کاربرد واقعی در ارتباطات مواجه است. هدف این پژوهش، تحلیل اجرای برنامه زبان عربی در بهبود شایستگی ارتباطی دانش‌آموزان در MIN Wonosobo است. این پژوهش با رویکرد کیفی و با طرح مطالعه موردی انجام شده است. داده‌ها از طریق مصاحبه‌های عمیق، مشاهده و تحلیل اسناد با مشارکت ۱۳ نفر شامل رئیس مدرسه، هماهنگ‌کننده برنامه درسی، معلم زبان عربی، مربیان برنامه و دانش‌آموزان گردآوری شد. داده‌ها با استفاده از تحلیل تماتیک مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. یافته‌ها چهار مضمون اصلی را نشان داد: زبان عربی به عنوان هویت مدرسه، گذار از تسلط واژگانی به تمرین ارتباطی، تجارب هیجانی دانش‌آموزان در صحبت کردن به زبان عربی و چالش‌های توسعه محیط زبانی. این مطالعه نشان می‌دهد که شایستگی ارتباطی از طریق تعامل میان برنامه‌های مدرسه، شیوه‌های آموزشی و تجارب اجتماعی دانش‌آموزان شکل می‌گیرد. این یافته‌ها به توسعه برنامه‌های زبان عربی زمینه‌مندتر و ارتباطی‌تر در آموزش ابتدایی اسلامی کمک می‌کند.

This study aims to determine the correlation between Quran memorization ability and speaking skills (maharah kalam) among female students at the Sa'adatul Muttaqin Islamic Boarding School in Bakung Village, Muaro Jambi. A quantitative correlational method was employed using purposive sampling. The sample consisted of 30 female students who had resided at the boarding school for at least two years and memorized a minimum of five juz (parts) of the Quran. Data on memorization ability were obtained via a questionnaire (Cronbach's Alpha =0.884), while data on speaking skills were derived from existing academic records. Analysis was conducted using the Spearman's rho correlation test. The results indicate that the majority of students fell into the moderate category for both Quran memorization ability (33.33%) and speaking skills (50.0%). The correlation test yielded a value of ρ =0.140 with a significance level of 0.460 (>0.05), leading to the acceptance of the null hypothesis (H₀). It is concluded that there is no significant relationship between Quran memorization ability and speaking skills among the students, as Arabic speaking proficiency is more strongly influenced by factors such as teaching methods, practice intensity, and the language environment.

این پژوهش با هدف تعیین رابطه بین توانایی حفظ قرآن و مهارت‌های گفتاری (مهارت کلام) در میان دانش‌آموزان دختر مدرسه شبانه‌روزی اسلامی سعدت‌المتقین واقع در روستای باکونگ، موآرو جامبی انجام شده است. روش پژوهش، همبستگی کمی با استفاده از نمونه‌گیری هدفمند بوده است. نمونه شامل ۳۰ دانش‌آموز دختر بود که حداقل دو سال در مدرسه شبانه‌روزی اقامت داشته و حداقل پنج جزء از قرآن را حفظ کرده بودند. داده‌های مربوط به توانایی حفظ قرآن از طریق پرسشنامه (آلفای کرونباخ = ۰٫۸۸۴) و داده‌های مربوط به مهارت‌های گفتاری از سوابق تحصیلی موجود استخراج شد. تحلیل داده‌ها با استفاده از آزمون همبستگی اسپیرمن (Spearman’s rho) انجام گرفت. نتایج نشان داد که اکثریت دانش‌آموزان در هر دو متغیر توانایی حفظ قرآن (۳۳٫۳۳٪) و مهارت‌های گفتاری (۵۰٫۰٪) در سطح متوسط قرار داشتند. آزمون همبستگی مقدار ρ = ۰٫۱۴۰ با سطح معناداری ۰٫۴۶۰ (>۰٫۰۵) را نشان داد که منجر به پذیرش فرض صفر (H₀) شد. نتیجه‌گیری می‌شود که بین توانایی حفظ قرآن و مهارت‌های گفتاری در میان دانش‌آموزان رابطه معناداری وجود ندارد، چرا که تسلط بر مهارت گفتاری زبان عربی بیشتر تحت تأثیر عواملی چون روش‌های تدریس، میزان تمرین و محیط زبانی قرار دارد.

ABSTRACT Early childhood represents a unique window for language learning. Previous research has established reliable links between parental speech and the pace of children's language development; however, much less is known about children's naturalistic experiences in early education centers. We utilized longform recordings and the LENA technology to examine the variation in preschool teacher speech and its links to children's productive vocabulary in government‐run early education centers in Slovenia. The sample included 80 children (2.5–4 years, 38 girls) and ~350 h of naturalistic data from 8 classrooms. Children's language environments were shaped by activity context, with “Morning Circle” being the most interactive and “Indoor Play” the least interactive activity. Adult words varied primarily at the classroom level, while conversational turns varied primarily at the individual child level. Conversational turns, but not the sheer amount of adult speech, were associated with children's productive vocabularies. Many children worldwide spend a significant amount of time in early education settings; our results underscore the importance of considering these contexts in debates around providing supportive language environments for all children.

چکیده: اوایل کودکی یک بازه زمانی منحصربه‌فرد برای یادگیری زبان محسوب می‌شود. پژوهش‌های پیشین ارتباطات قابل اعتمادی میان گفتار والدین و سرعت رشد زبانی کودکان را نشان داده‌اند؛ با این حال، اطلاعات بسیار کمتری درباره تجارب طبیعی کودکان در مراکز آموزش ابتدایی وجود دارد. ما با استفاده از ضبط‌های طولانی‌مدت و فناوری LENA به بررسی تنوع گفتار معلمان پیش‌دبستانی و ارتباط آن با واژگان بیانی کودکان در مراکز آموزش ابتدایی دولتی اسلوونی پرداختیم. نمونه شامل ۸۰ کودک (۲.۵ تا ۴ سال، ۳۸ دختر) و حدود ۳۵۰ ساعت داده طبیعی از ۸ کلاس بود. محیط‌های زبانی کودکان بر اساس زمینه فعالیت شکل می‌گرفت؛ به‌طوری‌که «دایره صبحگاهی» تعاملی‌ترین و «بازی درون‌کلاسی» کم‌تعاملی‌ترین فعالیت بود. تعداد واژه‌های بزرگسالان عمدتاً در سطح کلاس متفاوت بود، در حالی که نوبت‌های مکالمه عمدتاً در سطح کودک فردی تفاوت داشت. نوبت‌های مکالمه، اما نه صرفاً میزان گفتار بزرگسالان، با واژگان بیانی کودکان ارتباط داشت. بسیاری از کودکان در سراسر جهان زمان قابل توجهی را در محیط‌های آموزش ابتدایی سپری می‌کنند؛ یافته‌های ما بر اهمیت توجه به این زمینه‌ها در مباحث مربوط به فراهم‌سازی محیط‌های زبانی حمایتی برای همه کودکان تأکید می‌کند.