Arabic pronunciation instruction

Abstract This study examined learner beliefs about Arabic pronunciation instruction and how classroom pronunciation practices affect learners’ speech comprehensibility. To this end, 10 native Arabic speakers and 16 English learners of Arabic with two different proficiency levels were recruited: novice high and intermediate, who answered questionnaires and provided samples for pre and posttests of comprehensibility. The results provided a lens through which to see the status of pronunciation instruction in Arabic language classes. The two groups of learners underlined the importance of pronunciation instruction for their learning, complained of a lack of useful pronunciation materials, and reported a desire to enhance their pronunciation accuracy. There was no change in the learners’ pronunciation on the basis of the learners’ pre- and post-test results assessing comprehensibility. Findings are discussed in relation to current research on the teaching of Arabic pronunciation to provide pedagogical implications.