Patterns of Religious, Cultural, and Literary Rhetorical Elements Usage Among Non-Native Arabic Learners: A Case Study at Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities

This study investigated how non-native Arabic learners incorporate traditional rhetorical elements in their daily communication. An analysis of 20 international students at Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities examined Quranic verses, religious expressions, cultural proverbs, poetry, and modern colloquial expressions. Through interviews and focus groups, the study revealed that students' competency levels varied significantly across different rhetorical categories. Students demonstrated the strongest performance with common religious expressions in formal settings and basic cultural sayings in academic environments. The study found that modern poetry was used more frequently than classical verses. Colloquial expressions showed clear patterns based on social contexts. Students carefully considered cultural expressions in their communication. The analysis concluded that cultural understanding played a more crucial role than linguistic ability in successful rhetorical usage. These findings emphasize the need to integrate cultural context in Arabic language instruction and provide structured opportunities for authentic practice. The study recommends the development of specialized teaching materials that combine rhetorical elements with appropriate cultural contexts for academic settings.