The Development of Interactive Technology for Conveying Symbols, Signs, and Meaning for Beginning Learners of Arabic

• Main Author: Smith, Samuel Joseph Chester
• Format: Others
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2012
• Subjects: computer-assisted language; second-language instruction; Educational Psychology
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3254; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4253&context=etd

This study explored how a computer-assisted second-language instructional method introduced basic Arabic vocabulary and grammar and affected vocabulary acquisition. This instructional method used audio, text and animated images to introduce the vocabulary and grammar in a meaningful step-by-step presentation. Volunteers from Brigham Young University and Brigham Young University-Idaho were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group to participate in interactive Arabic language computer programs. The control group received Arabic instruction by means of computerized flashcards, while the experimental group received Arabic instruction by means of animated images. Following the treatment, the volunteers completed an online posttest to measure how much Arabic vocabulary and grammar they learned. Statistical analyses indicated that, overall, neither method was significantly better than the other for these groups of volunteers.