Teaching Masculine and Feminine for Non-Arabic Speakers

Abstract

This study aims at shedding light on the problem of masculinization and feminization that non-Arabic speaking learners encounter. It also aims at providing a general frame of this problem in a way to introduce suitable solutions to some of its problematic issues. Masculinization and feminization are controversial topic and what leads to this crucial confusion is that masculinization and feminization are a multi-faceted problem; as some parts of this problem relate to phonetics and other parts to semantics, so it is really difficult to find a decisive line when it comes to differentiate between the female and male’s names because we do not find in many female names articles that indicate their feminization. The importance of this subject is maximized because it is intersected with other grammatical and morphological aspects of the language such as number, plural forms, minimization, demonstrative articles, relative pronouns... etc. This study is an analytical one and the researcher examines the material of masculinization and feminization as it is presented in two curricula that are taught to non- Arabic-speaking learners which are al-Kitab fi Taalum al-Arabyya (learning Arabic), published by George Town University, and al-Arabyya li-natiqin bi ghairiha (Teaching Arabic language for Non-Arabic- Speaking Learners), published by University of Jordan. In the light of this examination, the researcher conducts an intermediate- level exam on the subject of masculinization and feminization that shows the competence of the non- Arabic-speaking learners. She also monitors the mistakes related to masculinization and feminization in the students’ writings, and then she concludes to the results and examines them statistically. In the light of the study’s results, some solutions are suggested alongside with their mechanism and the proper ways of applying them practically by making use of the analysis of the study’s results and criticizing the mechanism of dealing with masculinization and feminization in the previous mentioned curricula.