THE ARABIC-SPEAKING ENVIRONMENT IN INTEGRATED RELIGIOUS PRIMARY SCHOOL (SRAI) SELANGOR

Environmental factors are capable of enhancing students’ achievement in understanding learning content as well as improving their mastery of Arabic speaking skills. A suitable and conducive learning environment also plays a crucial role in students’ acquisition of Arabic speaking proficiency. However, in the reality of Arabic language learning, even though students have been widely exposed to various learning methods and interesting textbooks, speaking skills often remain a challenge because students frequently feel insecure, lack fluency, and have limited vocabulary. This is largely due to a learning environment that has yet to provide maximum impact on the mastery of speaking skills. The purpose of this study is to examine the Arabic-speaking environment among pupils in Integrated Religious Primary Schools (SRAI) in Selangor. To collect data, this study employed a qualitative method by interviewing eight experienced Arabic language teachers from SRAI representing each district in the state of Selangor. The findings indicate that students’ Arabic speaking proficiency and the school environment still require improvement in order to enhance mastery of speaking skills. Therefore, efforts to establish an Arabic-speaking environment in these schools can be successfully implemented through the cooperation of all parties involved.