TBE TEACI-HNG OF ARABIC IN MALAYSIA: A STUDY OF ITS MSTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, OBJECTIVES AND METHODS OF TEACHING By JusohKadir B. A. Baghdad (1977) Cert. of TASL, Riydq (1987) Cert. of Arabic teacher inspectors, Rabat (1990) M. A. Leeds (1995) Submitted to The University Of Wales, Lampeter in fulfilment Of the Requirementsfor the Degreeof Doctor of Philosophy July 2001 ABSTRACT .C-11 -1-. 1 The dominant theme of this thesis is the teaching of Arabic in Malaysia. Emphasis is placed upon an examination of its aims and teaching methods within a historical context. The arrival and subsequentexpansion of Islam in the Malay Peninsula and the correlation between this and the growth of the Arabic language are discussed in detail. The early methods of teaching Arabic and the corresponding objectives are covered generally, whilst the '!fondoq" and "madrasah" institutions and their contributions to the development of the language are detailed. Specifically, this research examines the teaching of Arabic at the national Islamic secondary school (NISS). The modem method and the communicative approach are compared with the methods used atfondoq and madrasah. The introductory chapter deals with the background to the study, and a brief general history of language teaching. The following chapter discusses the history of Arabic language and its position in Malaysia, including Arabic teaching activities both inside and outside Malaysia. Chapter two investigates the arrival of Arabic language in Malaysia and early methods and objectives of teaching. Chapter three addresses the teaching of Arabic in traditional education institutions fondoq and madrasah. Chapter four examines Islamic knowledge and Arabic language as a subject in the educational system of Malaysia. Chapter five and six consist of observations and surveys of methods of teaching Arabic in NISS and the smart school. It has been established in this research that the development of Arabic language in Malaysia occurred in parallel to the expansion of Islam in the twelfth century A. D. The change of method in Arabic teaching in Arabic in countries general and in Malaysia in particular occurred in the early 1970s. The establishment of NISS in 1978 and the introduction of the "smart school" in 1996 led to a radical change in Arabic teaching methods. The necessity of a reform movement in the teaching of Arabic grammar has also been established. ii Istimewa Untuk Special dedication f or: I- My wife Hajah Hasnah Hassan who has always given me her full support in everything, whether it is making tea or other things. She has also sacrificedher wages and teaching post in Malaysia in order for me to complete my thesis. My daughtersand sonswith their individual behaviour: 1. Fatmawati who is alwaysworried about her examinationand alwaysworks hard to achievehigh marks in her subjectsat UKM. 2. Nazifah who alwaystakes chargesin telephoneanswering because she is good at speaking English. 3. Amirah who preparesbreakfast and lunch boxes for her brothers and sisters becauseshe is good at cooking. 4. lbtihal who was wMing to live with her grandfatherand grandmotherin Malaysia during this time and who gained7As in PMR result. 5. MuhammadIrfan who alwaysreads shoppingcatalogues and demandsto buy everythinghe likes. 6. Laila Sakinahwho is quiet and likes to go everywherewith her mum and dad and Ekeswriting and reading. 7. Abdul Fattah who still cannot enter the bathroom alone without being accompaniedby his brothers and sisters.This makesthem annoyedwith him. IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor DR Mawil Izzi Dien for his invaluable assistanceand encouragementthroughout my period of study in this department. He patiently supervised the whole of this thesis and frequently made useful and constructive suggestions for improvement. His advice and criticism have been of great value, sustaining this thesis, especially during the period of its preparation. I also wish to thank other members of the academic staff in the Department of Theology and Islamic Studies, University of Wale, Lampeter for their assistance,especially DR Dawood El-Alami, Professor Neal Robinson and Professor D. P. Davies. To Miss Jayne Chaplin and Mrs. Marlene Ablett, many thanks for their assistance throughout my period of study in this department. I am extremely grateful to the Ministry of Education, Malaysia, in particular the Scholarship Division for awarding me a scholarship to pursue my Ph.D. study in the field of Arabic teaching. I am also indebted and very grateful to the Malaysian Students Department in London, in particular the director Dr. Kamarudin Mohd. Nor and two education attaches Mr. Abdullah Omar Mohd. Yudin and Tuan Haji Anwar Ahmad. To Hahmah Kasim, Zainal Sukun and other administration staff, many thanks for their assistance throughout my period of study in the UK. V Table of Contents Thesis title Abstract Declaration Dedication IV Acknowledgement V Table of Contents VI-)G Note of Transliteration XII-XV List of Abbreviations xv TIHE INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER: A BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY AND A BRIEF FHSTORY OF LANGUAGE TEACBING A. Generalintroduction I B. Statementof main problems 4 C. Objectivesof the study 7 D. The Importance of Arabic languagein Malaysia 8 E. Someliterature review 12 E I. Linguistics 12 E 1.1. Arabic grammar 13 E1.2. Arabic phonetics 21 E2 Methods and approaches 23 E3 Materials and teachingaids 24 F. Methodology of study 26 G.'A brief history of languageteaching 28 G1. Languageteaching innovation 29 G2. Improvement in languageteaching 35 G3. Early methodsof the teaching of Arabic 37 vi CHAPTER ONE: ARABIC LANGUAGE, ITS 1-11STORY AND POSITION IN MALAYSIA 1.1 Introduction 42 1.2. Arabic as a Semitic language 44 1.2.1. The Semitic groups of language 46 1.2.2. Homelandof Semitic nations 48 1.2.3. Position of Arabic among Semitic languages 51 1.2.4. Arabic dialects 52 1.3. Arabic as a living language 60 1.4. Status of Arabic languagein Malaysia 63 1.4.1. Arabic as an early script for Malay language 64 1.5. Examplesof countries which use Arabic alphabetfor writing outside Malaysia 67 1.5.1. Iran 68 1.5.2. Turkey 68 1.6. Universal activities and programmes of Arabic teaching 69 CHAPTER TWO: THE ARRIVAL OF ARABIC LANGUAGE IN MALAYSIA 2.1. Introduction 75 2.2. A brief description of Malaysia 76 2.2.1. Geographical 76 2.2.2. Historical 78 2.2.3. Hindu and Buddhist influence 80 2.2.4. The Islamic influence 82 2.2.5. Malay traditional beliefs 84 2.2.6. Pluralism and ethnicity 87 2.3. The arrival of Arabic languagein Malaysia 89 2.4. Early ways in which Malays leamt Arabic language 92 Vil 2.4.1. According to Halijah Harun, Interview 1 94 2.4.2. According to Abdullah Yusof, Interview 2 95 2.4.3. According to Lokman, Interview 3 96 2.5. Influence of Arabic on Malay language 100 2.5.1. A-rabic "loan" words in Malay usage 100 2.5.2. Arabic grammar influence 103 CHAPTER THREE: TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION (FONDOQ AND MADR,4SAH) IN MALAYSIA 1. Introduction 112 3.1.1. The original model offondoq 113 3.1.2. How thefondoq model came to the Malay Peninsula? 114 3.2. Informal Malay traditional educational 116 3.2.1. Education in the pre Islamic era 116 3.2.2. Education in the Islamic era 117 3.3. Fondoq institution 118 3.3.1. tIalaqah (Circle) systemand its relation withfondoq 123 3.3.2. Thefondoq organisation 125 3.3.3. Statusoffondoq teacher( gurufond6q) 127 3.3.4. Fondoq curriculum and Kutub ( Books) used in it 129 3.3.5. The teaching of Arabic languageinfondoq 130 3.3.6. Methods of teachinginfondoq institutions 134 3.4. Madrasah (Arabic schools) 135 3.4.1. Definition of "Madrasah" in the Malaysiancontext 136 3.4.2. Rise of Madrasah in Malaysia 138 3.4.3. Subjecttaught and the method of teaching 140 viii CHAPTER FOUR: ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE AND ARABIC LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION SYSTEM OF MALAYSIA 4.1. Introduction 144 4.2. Language and religion 144 4.3. Islamic knowledge and Arabic language as a school subject in Malaysia 148 4.4. Status of Arabic language in Malaysian constitution 150 4.5. Historical aspect of education system in Malaysia 152 4.6. Education before the British period 155 4.7. Education during the British period 157 4.8. Education after independence 161 4.8.1. National Education Philosophy 167 4.8.1.1. Education as a continuous effort 169 4.8.1.2. Individual potential development 170 4.8.1.3. Entire and integrated potential development 170 4.8.1.4. Balanced and harmonious mankind 172 4.8.1.5. Focusing on physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual elements 172 4.8.1.6. Belief in God 173 4.8.1.7. Developing a Malaysian who is intellectual and peaceful 174 4.9. Conclusion 175 CHAPTER FIVE: THE NATIONAL ISLAMIC SECONDARY SCHOOL (NISS) AND SYSTEM OF ASSESSMENT 5.1. Introduction 178 5.2. Reform,movernent in the teaching of Arabic in Malaysia 179 5.3. National Islamic SecondarySchool (NISS) 183 5.3.1. Organisationand the administrationof the schools 184 ix 5.3-2. Admission and selectionof students 186 5.3.3. Selectionof teachersand its main problem 187 5.3-4. Syllabusand its contents 189 5.3.4.1 Contents of the syllabus 190 5.3-5. Textbooks 194 5.3.5.1. Generaldescription of textbooks 195 5.3-5.2. Linguistic contents 196 5.4. Arabic languagesyllabus used in NIS S 199 5.4.1. Languagesyllabus in general 199 5.4.2. Commentson NIS S syllabus 200 5.5. Systemof assessment 202 5.5.1. Proficiency approachto the teachingof Arabic 203 5.5.2. Advantagesof the approach 208 CHAPTER SIX: ARABIC TEACHING USING COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN MA'AHAD NITJHAMMADI (NISS) FALAHIAYYAH IN a78 KELANTAN AND IN TIIE SMART SCHOOL 1.