THE IMPACT OF TEACHING REFERENCE (BOTH TYPES) ON IMPROVING READING AND COMPREHENSION SKILLS AMONG LEARNERS OF ARABIC AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Abstract

This study addresses a textual phenomenon—namely, reference in its two types—within the field of teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, and examines its impact on improving reading and comprehension skills. It elucidates the concept of reference, in both its forms, as discussed in text-linguistic studies, emphasizing that reference constitutes one of the most important devices of textual cohesion. Such devices guide the reader and prompt them to trace the textual links that connect sentences and weave them into a coherent whole. Through recognizing these links and examining their occurrences, learners can reach the fundamental aim and original purpose of language teaching, namely communicative competence. This competence can only be achieved through engagement with complete texts rather than isolated sentences. Effective communication, in turn, is grounded in accurate reading and comprehension of written texts—that is, reading comprehension.

Presenting this phenomenon as a pedagogical mechanism enhances the effectiveness of educational programs and reinforces the principle of wholeness pursued by text-linguistic studies. The study then moves to the applied dimension, seeking to implement the theoretical framework on a group of secondary-school students. This applied component focuses on two main axes: first, an exploratory application examining students’ overall proficiency in Arabic; and second, an exploratory application investigating learners’ ability to relate textual devices, particularly referential elements, to one another. The study concludes that secondary-school students lack sufficient knowledge of textual rules, which necessitates increased use of practical exercises that clarify textual links, demonstrate the interrelatedness of sentences, and emphasize the social nature of language, as well as the impossibility of acquiring or teaching it in isolation from its context and world.