The Impact of Translation from the Mother Tongue on Common Writing Errors Among Learners of Arabic as a Foreign Language

Abstract

This study uncovered the impact of translation from the mother tongue on common writing errors among learners of Arabic as a foreign language. This was achieved through the analysis of a sample of written work by advanced-level American students who participated in several summer courses at the Noor Majan Institute in Oman. The sample consisted of 7 students selected from a total of 20 participants. Their writings were analyzed using a Common Writing Errors Analysis Checklist designed by the researchers. The study found that writing errors among learners of Arabic as a foreign language were diverse, including spelling, syntactic, structural, and semantic errors. Syntactic errors ranked highest, accounting for 52.5% of the total, followed by semantic errors at 20.9%, while spelling and structural errors were relatively close, at 11.6% and 15%, respectively. The study ended with recommendations emphasizing the need to consider the influence of the mother tongue during teaching and in the development of Arabic curricula for non-native speakers.