1. Issues faced by Arabic Students in an EFL Context
Ahu Burcu Hayır – Istanbul Şehir University

2. Overview Purpose of the study Setting Participants Methods Results
Implications
Limitations
Suggestions for further study

3. Purpose of the study
To raise awareness of the problems of Arabic background students
Give insight as to what we teachers can do to help them overcome these problems

4. Setting
English Preparatory program at a foundation University in Turkey
Large number of international students
Predominantly Arabic students

5. Participants Four low-level Arabic background students
From Jordan and Palestine
Had been living in Turkey for about two months
Only one could understand a little bit of Turkish

6. Methods Observations Semi-structured interview
Documentaion of assessment results

7. Method: Observations Observed over a 7-week period
Classroom: behaviour, participation, interaction with other students
Tutorial: one-on-one support
Outside classroom: interaction with other students

8. Method: Semi-structured interview
End of the 7- week module
Translated by Arabic speaking English teacher
Recorded
Listened, transcribed and analyzed

9. Method: Documentation of assessment results
In-module assessments
Various exams

10. Results According to the findings, four major themes were identified:
Academic Improvement
Social Improvement
Assessment Issues
Institutional Issues

11. Academic Improvement Improved academically Especially in writing
Resulted from factors such as the teacher, the content of the program and self- studying
Teaching methods different from their country and was helpful
Intergrated skills was a positive thing
Weakest skill: grammar
Biggest problem: need to start from zero at the beginning of the module because they didn’t know anything

12. Writing Scores (Improvement)
Student
Mid-term (20)
MET (20) A
5.5 10 B 4
10.50 C
0 (wrote in Arabic) 11 D
1.5
9.50
- All students scores increased

13. Use of English (Weakest skill)
Student
Mid-term (40)
MET (40) A
16.50 B
19.50
20.50 C
17.50 11 D 20 18
- Generally all of the students scores decreased

14. Final Course Total Student Course Total A 43.13 B 56.36 C 51.58 D
54.84
- Minimum 60 required to pass the level
- All the students failed and had to repeat the level

15. Social Improvement
Evident in their interactions with classmates in and outside of the classroom
At the beginning less communication with other students – towards the end of the module more social
Not being in the same class as Arabic friends was a positive – helped to force them to interact with the Turkish students

16. Assessment Issues Struggled with exam formats as it was new to them
Placement exam – very problematic - misinformed – didn’t understand format and thought they had to answer all the quetions so they guessed a lot of them
One student: not given sufficient feedback regarding PW
VP: gave self- confidence and improved reading and speking skills
Problems with mid-term: transferring confusing, not enough time
Not used to this exam format – needed to be informed better before the exam and do real mock exams – practicing timing and answer transfer

17. Institutional Issues
Most common problem was regarding orientation and administrative issues
Orientation: needed more help and informed in Arabic
Mentor: an Arabic speaking student would have helped
Many problems with residence permit, bank accounts, student card, dormitory procedures – didn’t get enough help from the institution
Seeked help themselves – found someone who could speak Arabic in studnet affairs office and he helped

18. Other important issues
Tutorials: very helpful, tutorials with Arabic speaking teacher extra helpful
Teachers:
one teacher speaks too much Turkish
one always tries to speak English
one was an Arabic speaking teacher (helpful)
one teacher would specifically make sure he understood everything and always gave extra tutorials
one student had extra tutorials with another teacher
sometimes teachers are too fast in class so it is difficult to follow
Student handbook: some didn’t know about it – others useful

19. Implications
The findings of this study can aid us in understanding the needs of international, especially Arabic, students
The results can provide us with a perspective of what these students go through
Can be useful in guiding us to help these students when teaching them

20. Limitations Number of participants Short period of time
Limited to one institution

21. Suggestions for further study
Further research could be conducted:
with a larger group of participants
over a longer period of time
between different institutions and be compared