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Jordan Journal of Modern Languages and Literature Vol.10, No. 2, 2018, pp 145-160
JJMLL
Learners’ Attitudes toward Using the Arabic Mother Tongue in Hispanic
Literature Classrooms
Ahlam Sbaihat, Hussein Al Duweiri
Department of European Languages, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
Tareq Hashem
Department of Marketing, Al-Isra University, Amman, Jordan
Raya Kalaldeh
Department of English Language and Literature, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
Received on: 25-3-2018 Accepted on: 21-5-2018
Abstract
This paper measures student attitudes towards the use of the mother tongue (Arabic) in Hispanic literature
classes at the University of Jordan, using a 14-item questionnaire. The study is carried out with a random sample of
86 out of the 160 students registered in the third and fourth year of Spanish Language and Literature major. The
findings reveals that there is a relatively positive attitude towards using Arabic (L1) in Hispanic literature classrooms.
This attitude results from a need to use Arabic by both lecturers and students. Lecturers can ensure that students
understand and are confident about their comprehension. Students consult Arabic references to support their
comprehension especially in cases where getting the general idea of the Spanish text would not suffice. Five factors
influencing students‟ attitudes towards using Arabic in Hispanic literature classes are analyzed. Two factors are
positively correlated with students‟ attitudes: students‟ linguistic competence in Spanish and the accepted ratio of
using Arabic in these classes. Three factors are not significantly influential in forming students‟ attitudes: academic
level (3rd, 4th, or 5th year), type of high school track, and GPA (University Grade Point Average out of 4).
Keywords: Student attitudes; second languages; Arabic (L1); Hispanic literature; linguistic competence; accepted
ratio of using Arabic.
1. Introduction
In the field of foreign language (FL) or second language (L2) teaching, the student's attitude is
always valued as a significant factor in the process of language acquisition. It is obvious that the learning
conditions differ according to economic, cultural or social factors. It is also undeniable that the role of
TFL has developed and changed in response to educational needs. However, literature has always been an
essential subject in TFL worldwide. Literature has its own peculiarities; teaching and learning about
literature requires a slightly different approach than the one used for grammar, translation or linguistics.
Therefore, it is expected that students‟ attitudes will differ in relation to how the literature course material
is delivered.
Being aware of the role of attitudes in general, and in Hispanic literature classes (HLC) in the double
major BA Program of Spanish/ English at The University of Jordan (UJ), the researchers of this study
have been observing for the past few years an inclination among a considerable number of students to
Sbaihat, Al Duweiri, Hashem and Kalaldeh
register in courses taught by professors of literature who use both Spanish and Arabic in the classroom.
Many Jordanian students of Spanish, Department of European Languages (DEL), at the University of
Jordan (UJ) wonder „Why is literary commentary so complicated?‟, „How can Hispanic literature serve in
professional life in Jordan?‟, or „What would interest our future bosses about literary movements, genres,
poets and literary figures?‟. In such a context, the need to investigate students‟ attitudes towards using
Arabic in (HLC) arose.
This study aims to answer the following questions:
1. What attitude exists towards the use of Arabic (L1) among students of HLC at UJ?
2. What is the role of L1 in teaching HLC?
3. Do students really need L1 in HLC?
4. Do the following five variables influence students‟ attitudes toward using Arabic at HLC?
1. Linguistic Competence in Spanish,
2. Academic Level (3rd, 4th, or 5th year)
3. High School Track (Literary, Scientific or Information Management Track)
4. GPA (University Grade Point Average out of 4) and
5. The Accepted Ratio of Using Arabic in HLC
The double major BA Program of Spanish/ English offers three compulsory and three optional
courses in Hispanic literature. The compulsory Hispanic literature courses are: Introduction to Hispanic
Literature, Hispanic Literature till the 19th Century, and Contemporary Hispanic Literature. The optional
courses are: Specific Topic in Hispanic Literature, Latin American Literature, and Hispanic Novel.
Students can take these literature courses starting their third academic year.
It is hoped that the results of the current study will allow lecturers of Hispanic literature at the UJ,
and possibly at other Jordanian and Arab universities in the region, to make use of the factors that can
contribute to improving the teaching of Hispanic literature. This study will also contribute to the literature
on the need and importance of using L1 in the process of learning a FL, specifically the literature of that
FL.
2. Literature Review
Since the emergence of the methodology of FLT, the role and use of mother tongue in the TFL
classroom has been the subject of ongoing debate and discussion by many researchers. Texidor (2007)
states that "se desecha un método, se adopta otro, y en cada uno de ellos hay un punto de vista diferente
acerca de este tópico"
1
. However, there is not a single study that investigates this subject from the
perspective of Spanish as a FL in Jordan. Some researchers recognize the inevitable and facilitator role of
L1 in the FL or L2 classroom, such as Schweers, 1999; Cook, 2001; Tang, 2002; Ramiréz Yance, 2010;
Alshammari, 2011; among others. In Jordan, the only work that has been carried out in order to
demonstrate information on attitudes towards the use of the mother tongue in FL classrooms was carried
by Khassawneh (2011). In her research, Khassawneh examines the attitudes of EFL-students at Yarmouk
Learners‟ Attitudes toward Using the Arabic Mother Tongue in Hispanic Literature Classrooms
University in Jordan. The study concludes that the attitude of the students towards the use of L1 in the
classroom is generally positive, especially among students with low English proficiency.
With the objectives that lead us to perform this research, we understand that part of this discussion
arises out of lecturers‟ professional experience, where an FL instructor begins by employing a certain
methodology and ends up using another to accommodate educational needs. Our experience shows that
sometimes there is a need to use the mother tongue in HLC. The same observation was made by Harbord
(1992, 350), who states that "many ELT (English Language Teaching) teachers have tried to create
English-only classrooms but have found they have failed to get the meaning across, leading to student
incomprehension and resentment". Therefore, the use of translation or transfer of content "is a natural
phenomenon and an inevitable part of second language acquisition regardless of whether or not the
teacher offers „permit‟ of translation." Auerbach (1993) recognizes the positive role of L1 and cites a list
of Piasecka (1988, 98-99), which suggests the following possible reasons for using L1: negotiation of
syllabus and lesson, classroom management, language analysis, presentation of grammatical,
phonological, morphological and orthographic rules, discussion of cultural issues, giving instructions and
guidance, explanation of errors and checking for understanding. Both McCann (2005) and Cameron
(2001) also consider using L1 as a type of positive translation which helps to explain the structures of the
language, to carry out comments and to maintain the classroom discipline. Cook (2001, 418) proposes
situations in which L1 can be used "deliberately and systematically" in class:
1. to provide a short-cut for giving instructions and explanations where the cost of the L2 is too great,
2. to build up the inter-linked L1 and L2 knowledge in students‟ minds,
3. to carry out learning tasks through collaborative dialogue with fellow-students,
4. and to develop L2 activities such as code-switching for later real-life use.
Cook (2001, 419) concludes that in the case of the use of the two languages, lecturers can develop
certain techniques to improve the learning process once they feel they are "free of their inhibitions about
using L1".
However, literature has its particularities. Teaching literature requires a balance among
communicative competence, linguistic, sociolinguistic and strategic discourse.
2
The traditional textbook
presents grammar lessons with an explicit source of data, explanations and examples rather than a text to
be interpreted. The beauty of literature is professed for those who study it not as a means to learn a
language but as an object of study itself. Since Spanish, our FL in this case, is only introduced to students
at the university level, the advanced students of third and fourth year differ from those of first and second
years, as they can express themselves using advanced tenses and can formulate whole paragraphs orally.
In FL classes, the process of analyzing a literary text is expected to facilitate, in one way or another, the
opportunity for students to achieve the FL linguistic competence. Of the four language skills, the skill of
reading is most often used in literature and "el acto de leer no requiere interacción con otro interlocutor"
3
(Dearworth 2012, 21). The feature that distinguishes the literary text comes from the reading strategies
that are completely different depending on the target as indicated by Sanz González (1995, 120) “No será
suficiente a veces captar el sentido general del texto y habrá que prestar mayor atención a algunos pasajes
Sbaihat, Al Duweiri, Hashem and Kalaldeh
del mismo, repitiendo su lectura incluso. Hay pues muchos tipos de textos de lectura, que requieren una
forma de lectura distinta en cada caso, según el texto y las necesidades del lector entre ellos”.
4
To make the student of Hispanic Literature capable of reading a literary text, we start by explaining
the political, economic and literary environment of the time it was written. The students then try to
deduce the topics, types and general situations reflected in the text. After that, students try to analyze
details in the linguistic units of the literary text. This way, the student "se sirve de su conocimiento del
mundo y del contexto discursivo específico para predecir, formular hipótesis e inferir, no sólo durante la
audición, sino incluso antes o después de ella”
5
. When analyzing the text, the process becomes synthetic;
the student builds a gradually more detailed mental image, increasing the perception through the phonetic,
phonological, lexical, morphosyntactic and semantic levels to form a coherent text at a pragmatic level.
To illustrate his understanding, the student consults the lecturer, dictionary, internet, grammar, etc.,
rebuilding the value of each sentence to entirely rebuild the text.
The process of comprehension is complex. Peris (2007, 5-6) recommends flexibility in the tasks
related to the skill of comprehension "entender no es dar con la respuesta correcta, eliminando las falsas;
entender es hacer una interpretación razonable […] lo importante es “entender algo” (lo que interesa, lo
que se busca), no necesariamente “entenderlo todo”
6
.Therefore, the oral speech of the lecturer differs
from his written notes or explanation. Hence, lecturers should support their speech with expressive
resources (Peris, 2007, 2). L1 is one of these resources which emerge under specific conditions controlled
by the demand and the educational objectives of the class. Listening is a receptive skill as is reading. To
perceive literature in HLC at the DEL- JU, the lecturer should depend more on sending directions and
information to learners.
3. Methodology
Out of the 160 third and fourth (and sometimes fifth) year students of the Spanish section at the DEL
at UJ, 86 were asked to fill in a paper questionnaire (see Appendix). All responses were valid. The 1age
range was (20 - 23) years.
The questionnaire has two main sections. The first includes demographic information: linguistic
competence in Spanish, academic level, high school track, GPA and accepted ratio of using Arabic in
HLC as shown in Table 1. It has been decided not to include the factor of gender in our study, since the
majority of students in this BA Program are females (94.2% of the respondents). As shown in Table 1, the
prevalent percentage of the sample‟s competence in Spanish is (Very Good) (58.1%). Most of the
respondents (72.1%) are in their fourth year. Those who did the Literary track in high school represent
(52.3%) of the sample. More than a third of the sample (39.5%) has a current GPA of (2.5~2.99 out of 4).
Finally, the majority of respondents (54.7%) believe that 25% is an accepted ratio of using Arabic when
in HLC.
Learners‟ Attitudes toward Using the Arabic Mother Tongue in Hispanic Literature Classrooms
Table 1 The respondents‟ distribution according to demographic variables
Variable
Frequency
%
Linguistic Competence in Spanish
Excellent
9
10.5
Very good
50
58.1
Good
23
26.7
Weak
4
4.7
Academic Level
3rd year
19
22.1
4th year
62
72.1
5th year
5
5.8
High School Track
Scientific
17
19.8
Literary
45
52.3
Information Management
24
27.9
GPA
3.65 - 4.00
7
8.1
3.00 - 3.64
30
34.9
2.50 - 2.99
34
39.5
2.00 - 2.49
15
17.4
Accepted Ratio of Using Arabic in HLC
0%
9
10.5
25%
47
54.7
50%
26
30.2
75%
3
3.5
100%
1
1.2
The second section of the questionnaire includes 14 statements regarding students‟ attitudes towards
using Arabic in HLC. The statements were designed after reviewing research on the use of L1 in the
classroom of Spanish and other languages. This section includes six positive statements (shaded) that
encourage the use of Arabic in HLC (3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 12) and eight negative statements that encourage
the use of Spanish only in HLC (1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14) as shown in Table 2. The questionnaire
employs the Likert (1-5) scale which allows measuring student attitudes toward using Arabic in HLC.
Table 2: The 14 statements used to investigate students‟ attitudes towards using Arabic (L1) in HLC
Statements
Strongly
agree
Agree
Do not
know
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
1
The lecturer should explain the new
terminology and expressions in Spanish.
2
The lecturer should explain the grammar
rules used in literary works in Spanish.
3
I prefer to use a Spanish-Arabic dictionary
to look up new terms.
4
I prefer to use some Arabic websites to
read about Hispanic literature.
5
I understand the literature class better if the
lecturer speaks in Spanish.
6
The lecturer should support the Spanish
class of literature by Arabic literary
examples.
Sbaihat, Al Duweiri, Hashem and Kalaldeh
Statements
Strongly
agree
Agree
Do not
know
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
7
I feel more comfortable when I use Arabic
with the lecturer in class.
8
I prefer to use Arabic with my classmates
in the class of Hispanic literature.
9
I prefer using Spanish over Arabic when
having a dialogue with the lecturer.
10
I prefer the instructor to use Arabic when
necessary.
11
I prefer a lecturer who speaks Spanish
fluently.
12
I prefer to be allowed to speak Arabic in
Hispanic literature classes.
13
I feel more enthusiastic about the class
when the lecturer explains the lecture in
Spanish rather than in Arabic.
14
I prefer that the lecturer simplifies the main
ideas in Spanish and does not translate
them in Arabic.
Cronbach's Alpha was used to test the reliability of the scale and was (0.765) for the questionnaire.
The figure is deemed satisfactory as far as reliability is concerned since it is greater than the accepted
threshold of 0.60.
4. Procedure
The questionnaire was subjected to initial test assessment through reviewing it by academics in three
specialties: Spanish, Arabic, and psychometrics. Then a pilot survey was conducted to make the necessary
modifications. The questionnaire was then presented to respondents in the classrooms where they receive
literature classes. The students voluntarily completed the questionnaire. The process took about ten
minutes. The questionnaires guaranteed the anonymity of the respondent. It was presented to respondents
in Arabic and was translated into English in the final stages of the investigation.
5. Data Analysis
Descriptive statistics were employed to describe and analyze the coded data using SPSS 22.
Independent sample One Way ANOVA was used to test the hypotheses and Scheffe test was used to
analyze the means and to figure out where the differences lie when the One-Way Analysis shows
significance (p < 0.05).
The student responses were corrected after converting the scale of verbal response to a numerical
scale (Likert scale), giving "Strongly Agree" (5), "Agree" (4) "Do not know" (3), "Disagree" (2), and
"Strongly disagree" (1) to the positive statements (3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 12). The numerical scale was reversed
with the negative statements (1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14).
We also devised an arbitrary standard for judging the attitude of students towards using Arabic in
HLC as follows: Low (1.00 - 2.25), Moderate (2.26 – 3.25) and High (3.26 - 5).
Learners‟ Attitudes toward Using the Arabic Mother Tongue in Hispanic Literature Classrooms
5.1. Results
Table 3 summarizes the scale of the students‟ answers that was used in the statistical analyses.
Students‟ answers were given numbers according to Likert‟s scale (1-5) and the values for negative
statements were reversed. Therefore, for positive statements, as the value of the answer increases above
(3), positive attitudes towards using Arabic in HLC increase. For negative statements, as the value of the
answer decreases below (3), positive attitudes towards using Arabic in HLC increase.
Table 3: Students‟ answers corrected for statistical analysis
Statements
Strongly
agree
Agree
Do not
know
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
Positive Statements
(3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 12)
← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← 3
Positive
5
4
3
2
1
Negative Statements
(1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, and
14)
1
2
3
4
5
← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← 3
Positive
Table 4 shows the mean values of the answers by all (86) respondents to the 14 statements. It can be
noticed that the mean values of all positive (shaded) statements are above the mean value of (3),
suggesting a positive attitude towards using Arabic in HLC. Also, mean values of all negative statements
are below the mean value of (3), suggesting a positive attitude towards using Arabic in HLC, as well. The
mean values of both positive and negative statements reflect agreement with these statements.
Table 4: Mean values of the answers by all (86) respondents to the 14 statements
N
Minimum
Maximum
Mean
Std. Deviation
Q1
86
1
4
2.01
.847
Q2
86
1
4
2.13
.992
Q3
86
1
5
3.93
1.071
Q4
86
1
5
3.36
1.137
Q5
86
1
4
2.87
1.072
Q6
86
1
5
4.00
1.188
Q7
86
1
5
3.45
1.175
Q8
86
1
5
3.02
1.158
Q9
86
1
5
2.55
1.036
Q10
86
1
5
1.69
.858
Q11
86
1
2
1.20
.401
Q12
86
1
5
3.42
1.090
Q13
85
1
5
2.76
1.161
Q14
86
1
5
1.64
.825
Grand Mean
86
1.93
3.64
2.7170
.36979
Valid N (list-wise)
85
Table 5 shows an arbitrary standard for judging the attitude of students towards using Arabic in HLC
based on the Grand Mean of all answers: Low (1.00 - 2.25), Moderate (2.26 – 3.25) and' High (3.26 - 5).
It can be seen that the Grand Mean (2.717) suggests that respondents‟ answers fall in the „Moderate‟
category. This indicates that, in general, students‟ attitudes towards using Arabic in HLC is neither
extremely negative (Low) nor extremely positive (High), but is rather midway (being both negative and
positive) as will be further explained in the discussion.
Sbaihat, Al Duweiri, Hashem and Kalaldeh
Table 5: Arbitrary standard for judging the attitude of students towards using Arabic in HLC based on
the Grand Mean of all answers
Category
Level
1-2.33
Low
2.33-3.66
Moderate
3.67-5
High
5.2. Influence of the Five Variables on Student’s Attitudes towards Using Arabic in HLC
5.2.1. Linguistic Competence in Spanish
Using One way ANOVA, we found that (calculated F = 7.286) is significant at (0.05) level. Hence
there are significant differences in attitudes towards using Arabic in teaching HL according to Linguistic
Competence in Spanish as shown in Table 6.
Table 6: Attitudes towards using Arabic in HLC according to Linguistic Competence in Spanish
Sum of Squares
Df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Between Groups
2.446
3
.815
7.286
0.000
Within Groups
9.177
82
.112
Total
11.623
85
P < 0.05
By using Scheffe test, it was found that these differences tend to increase for respondents with (Very
good) level as shown in Table 7. The values for (Very good) were the most significant (underlined).
Table 7: Scheffe test showing the differences trend among respondents according to Linguistic
Competence in Spanish
(I) Level
(J) Level
Mean Difference
(I-J)
Std. Error
Sig.
Excellent
Very good
-.00658-
.12113
1.000
Good
.21336
.13153
.457
Weak
.71413*
.20103
.008
Very good
Excellent
.00658
.12113
1.000
Good
.21994
.08429
.087
Weak
.72071*
.17383
.001
Good
Excellent
-.21336-
.13153
.457
Very good
-.21994-
.08429
.087
Weak
.50078
.18123
.062
Weak
Excellent
-.71413-*
.20103
.008
Very good
-.72071-*
.17383
.001
Good
-.50078-
.18123
.062
*. The mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level
Learners‟ Attitudes toward Using the Arabic Mother Tongue in Hispanic Literature Classrooms
5.2.2. Academic Level (3rd, 4th, or 5th year)
Using One way ANOVA, we found that (calculated F = 0.054) is not significant at (0.05) level.
Hence, there are no significant differences in attitudes towards using Arabic in teaching HL according to
the Academic Level as shown in Table 8.
Table 8: Attitudes towards using Arabic in HLC according to Academic Level
Sum of Squares
Df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Between Groups
.015
2
.008
.054
.947
Within Groups
11.608
83
.140
Total
11.623
85
P < 0.05
5.2.3. High School Track (Literary, Scientific or Information Management Track)
By using One way ANOVA, it was found that (calculated F = 0.0.843) is not significant at (0.05)
level. Hence there are no significant differences in attitudes toward using Arabic in teaching HL
according to type of High School Track as shown in Table 9.
Table 9: Attitudes toward using Arabic in teaching HLC according to high school track
Sum of Squares
Df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Between Groups
.080
2
.040
.286
.752
Within Groups
11.544
83
.139
Total
11.623
85
P < 0.05
5.2.4. GPA (University Grade Point Average out of 4)
Using One way ANOVA, we found that (calculated F = 2.656) is not significant at (0.05) level.
Hence, there are no relevant differences in attitudes towards using Arabic in teaching HL according to
GPA as shown in Table 10.
Table 10: Attitudes towards using Arabic in teaching HLC according to GPA
Sum of Squares
Df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Between Groups
1.030
3
.343
2.656
.054
Within Groups
10.594
82
.129
Total
11.623
85
P < 0.05
5.2.5. The Accepted Ratio of Using Arabic in HLC Classes
By using One way ANOVA, it was found that (calculated F = 10.970) is noteworthy at the (0.05)
level. Hence, there are significant differences in attitudes towards using Arabic in teaching HL according
to the Accepted Ratio of Using Arabic in Teaching HLC as shown in Table 11.
Table 11: Attitudes towards using Arabic in teaching HLC according to the Accepted Ratio of Using
Arabic in HLC
Sum of Squares
Df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Between Groups
4.084
4
1.021
10.970
.000
Within Groups
7.539
81
.093
Total
11.623
85
P < 0.05
Sbaihat, Al Duweiri, Hashem and Kalaldeh
Using Scheffe test, we found that these differences tend to increase for respondents who accept
(50%) of the lecture to be in Arabic while teaching HL as shown in Table 12.
Table 12: Scheffe test showing the differences trend of respondents
N
Mean
Std. Deviation
Std. Error
95% Confidence Interval for
Mean
Lower Bound
Upper Bound
0%
9
2.2778
.32624
.10875
2.0270
2.5286
25%
47
2.6474
.30899
.04507
2.5567
2.7381
50%
26
2.9951
.29462
.05778
2.8761
3.1141
75%
3
2.6190
.25085
.14483
1.9959
3.2422
100%
1
3.0000
.
.
.
.
Total
86
2.7170
.36979
.03988
2.6377
2.7963
6. Discussion
This paper investigates the use of the mother tongue in the HLC at the University of Jordan.
Students‟ attitudes towards using L1 in teaching FL is highly valued since it usually corresponds to the
learning conditions; economic, cultural, or social. Teaching the literature of a foreign language has its
own particularities. At the Department of European Languages- University of Jordan, a previous study
(cf. Sbaihat et al., 2013) has revealed that students of the Spanish major only take the literature courses in
their program when it is compulsory but do not choose the optional literary courses.
The first research question was „What attitude exists towards the use of Arabic (L1) among students
of HLC at UJ?‟
Table 13 summarizes the frequencies of “strongly agree” and “agree” answers to all 14 statements.
The statements are shown in order of the highest percentages of responses for “strongly agree” and
“agree”. The highest percentages almost entirely reflect the negative statements being highly supported
by students. In contrast, the positive statements regarding using Arabic in HLC are found at the bottom
end of Table 13.
Table 13: The statements in order of the highest percentages of responses for “strongly agree” and
“agree”
N.
Statement
Strongly
agree
Agree
Total
11
I prefer a lecturer who speaks Spanish fluently.
80.2
19.8
100
14
I prefer that the lecturer simplifies the main ideas in Spanish and
does not translate it in Arabic.
50.0
43.0
93.0
10
I prefer that the instructor uses Arabic when necessary.
47.7
44.2
91.9
1
The lecturer should explain the new terminology and expressions
in Spanish.
23.3
64.0
87.3
2
The lecturer should explain the grammar rules used in literary
works in Spanish.
25.6
53.5
79.1
9
I prefer using Spanish over Arabic to hold a dialogue with the
lecturer.
14.0
43.0
57.0
13
I feel more enthusiastic about the class when the lecturer explains
the lecture in Spanish rather than in Arabic.
10.5
41.9
52.4
8
I prefer to use Arabic with my classmates in the class of Hispanic
literature.
4.7
43.0
47.7
Learners‟ Attitudes toward Using the Arabic Mother Tongue in Hispanic Literature Classrooms
N.
Statement
Strongly
agree
Agree
Total
5
I understand the literature class better if the lecturer speaks in
Spanish.
10.5
32.6
43.1
4
I prefer to use some Arabic websites to read about Hispanic
literature.
3.5
29.1
32.6
7
I feel more comfortable when I use Arabic with the lecturer in
class.
3.5
27.9
31.4
12
I prefer to be allowed to speak Arabic in Hispanic literature
classes.
2.3
25.6
27.9
3
I prefer to use a Spanish-Arabic dictionary to look up new terms.
2.3
14.0
16.3
6
The lecturer should support the Spanish class of literature by
Arabic literary examples.
4.7
11.6
16.3
However, taking the statistical analyses into account, Table 4 above shows that the sample of
respondents‟ answers fall in the category of „Moderate‟ attitude towards using Arabic in HLC. This
suggests that students favor the use of Arabic in HLC depending on different variables, but would also
like to be taught HL or Spanish in general by lecturers who are fluent in Spanish and who encourage
using Spanish in class.
Furthermore, Table 1 above, shows that (54.7%) of respondents favor the use of Arabic in HLC in
25% of the time. However, Scheffe test in Table 12 shows that the most significant differences in answers
regarding the accepted ratio are by students who accept using Arabic in 50% of the time. This suggests
that the need to use more Arabic in HLC is significantly important.
Therefore, to answer the first research question, we would claim that there is, in general, a
„Moderate‟ attitude towards using Arabic in HLC reflected in the General Mean of answers (2.717). This
suggests that the attitude cannot be negative or extremely positive, but depends on different factors.
The second research question was „Do the students really need L1 in HLC?‟.
The need to use Arabic in HLC is reflected in the answers of those who favor using Arabic in 50%
of the time. In general, the lecturer is preferred to give the lesson in Spanish and, occasionally, to use
Arabic to ensure that students understand and feel more confident about their comprehension.
However, this need is related to the third research question „What is the role of L1 in teaching
HLC?‟.
The present results show a preference for using Arabic more among students themselves. Students
use Arabic when consulting Arabic references for some literary passages where getting the general idea of
the Spanish piece would not suffice (see note 4). Also, students refer to such Arabic references when
getting information not only during listening but also before or even after (see note 5).
The study suggests that using Arabic for HL purposes can be categorized in three bi-relations:
1. Lecturer-student: it is extremely needed to reinforce information by explaining the new terminology,
new grammar, or class examples.
2. Student-lecturer/student: The student feels more comfortable when discussing the material in Arabic
either with the lecturer or with classmates.
Sbaihat, Al Duweiri, Hashem and Kalaldeh
3. Student-references: Students are inclined to confirm or extend their literary information by using
Arabic references to support their comprehension (e.g.: online sources or Arabic-Spanish
dictionaries).
It was mentioned earlier that the learning conditions and needs differ according to economic, cultural
and social factors. The need to use Arabic can be further justified in terms of factors not represented in
our data. The bad economic situation in Jordan is reflected in the students‟ inability to pay high university
fees. Students prefer lecturers with whom faster and better results can be achieved. They clearly show a
preference for a fast track that will lead them to graduation and then to the work force. Additionally, a
fairly high percentage of respondents show a preference to use Spanish in HL by using simplified Spanish
to facilitate understanding, namely as it is located in the "storehouse of knowledge" of their minds. This
can be explained by referring to a previous study (cf Sbaihat et al., 2013) which shows that our alumni
study Hispanic literature as a means to expand and improve their communication and language skills, and
not as an object of knowledge itself, in order to obtain a career opportunity.
The fourth research question examines student‟s attitudes towards using Arabic (L1) when teaching
HLC in terms of five factors: Linguistic Competence in Spanish, Academic Level (3rd, 4th, or 5th year),
High Schools Track (Literary, Scientific or Information Management track), GPA (out of 4), and The
Accepted Ratio of Using Arabic in HLC. It is found that competence of Spanish and the accepted ratio of
using Arabic in HLC are significant factors in shaping students‟ attitudes towards using Arabic in HLC.
However, the three remaining factors (academic level, high school track and GPA) do not play a
significant role in students‟ attitudes in this regard.
It was expected that the linguistic competence of Spanish would influence the attitudes of students
towards using Arabic in HLC. Table 7 shows that students who label themselves as (Very Good) in
mastering Spanish have the most significant answers in increasing attitudes towards using Arabic.
Moreover, the accepted ratio of using Arabic in HLC was expected to be significant in shaping
students attitudes. As mentioned earlier, those who accepted 50% of Arabic in class have the most
significant influence in shaping positive attitudes towards using Arabic in HLC.
The Academic level factor is not found to be significant since the majority of respondents (72.1%)
are in their fourth academic year, as shown in Table 1. Fourth year students best mirror students‟
linguistic needs. By the fourth year, students would have taken all the basic courses and prerequisites;
hence, they better recognize their weaknesses and linguistic needs. Therefore, their attitudes reflect most
closely how the course material is to be delivered.
High school track results were not expected to play a role in students‟ attitudes towards using Arabic
in HLC. The majority of the students in this department are either from the Literary track or Information
Management track, and a low percentage of students are from the scientific track (and are more used to
scientific than literary subjects). This was a natural outcome as almost all students who enter the Spanish
Section would have no prior knowledge of the language and would all start as beginners. Public Schools
in Jordan do not teach foreign languages other than English. Some private schools in Jordan provide
French as another foreign language alongside English. The reason for including this factor was a
Learners‟ Attitudes toward Using the Arabic Mother Tongue in Hispanic Literature Classrooms
possibility of the advantage of having studied the literary track, which usually focuses more on languages
and languages skills (whether English or Arabic). However, our results do not support any such
advantage.
GPA was thought to reflect the linguistic competence in Spanish; hence, for it to be similarly
significant. However, this assumption was not corroborated by the results. This can be explained by the
fact that students of Spanish also study English Language and Literature courses (40% of their courses).
Therefore, their GPA would not reflect their competence in Spanish courses but only their command of
English. Moreover, the GPA reflects achievement in courses of different language skills and not only that
of reading, which is the skill most needed in better appreciating literature.
On the basis of our experience in teaching Spanish to university students, we feel that students with
low GPA generally do not prefer a strict lecturer. The lecturers of literature used to utilize Spanish only
without any intervention of L1; however, over a period of time, they ended up inserting Arabic words to
confirm comprehension of the information, to entertain the students who find such classes boring and to
give instructions.
7. Conclusion
Literature has always been an essential course in the syllabus of foreign language teaching
worldwide. Many studies have shown progress and modifications to their role responding to educational
needs. However, literature has its own particularities. Therefore, the student's attitude is different when it
comes to learning literature. Thus, the researchers, considering this specification, have decided to conduct
this study to investigate the attitudes of students towards using Arabic in HLC of the double major
Spanish/ English in the DEL at the UJ.
On the whole, the results indicate that even though students generally like to be taught by a lecturer
with fluent Spanish, there is an inclination and a need to use Arabic for certain purposes in the HLC. The
use of Arabic is highly demanded and recommended to reinforce students‟ comprehension and ability to
feel more confident when learning Spanish. Students are found to use Arabic to consult Arabic or Arabic-
Spanish references, websites, and dictionaries, particularly when reading literary texts. Furthermore, it
was found that there is no significant correlation between the students‟ attitudes towards using Arabic in
HLC and academic level, high school track, and GPA. However, there is a significant influence of the
linguistic competence in Spanish and the accepted ratio of use of Arabic in HLC on students‟ attitudes in
that regard.
However, such attitudes should be further investigated by considering other factors, such as the
socio- economic status of the students, speaking another foreign language other than English and Spanish,
future work aspirations of the students, and the linguistic competence of the students measured by the
students‟ scores in Spanish language skills. The results of investigating such factors can give us more
insight into sociolinguistic factors, the individual cognitive abilities of students, and the interplay of other
languages on learning a third or a fourth FL.
Sbaihat, Al Duweiri, Hashem and Kalaldeh
Learners‟ Attitudes toward Using the Arabic Mother Tongue in Hispanic Literature Classrooms
End Notes
1
Translation: a method is discarded, another is adopted, and in each of them there is a different point of
view on this topic.
2
The competences mentioned by Brandl, Klaus (2008: 6).
3
Translation: the act of reading does not require interaction with another interlocutor.
4
Translation: Sometimes it is not enough to get the general meaning of the text and more attention should
be paid to some passages of the same text, even to repeat reading it. There are many types of reading
materials, which require a different way of reading in each case, according to the text and the
reader's needs.
5
Centro Virtual Cervantes, Diccionario de Términos Clave de ELE.
http://cvc.cervantes.es/ensenanza/biblioteca_ele/diccio_ele/diccionario/comprensionauditiva.htm
Translation: uses his knowledge of the world and the specific discursive context to predict and formulate
hypotheses, not only during the hearing, but even before or after it.
6
Translation: Understanding is not to give the correct answer, eliminating the false ones; understanding is
to make a reasonable interpretation [...] it is most important to "understand something" (what
matters, what is sought), not necessarily "understand everything”.
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