Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Advanced Research in Education
Year: 2025
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Perceptions of Arabic Language Difficulty Among Non-Native Learners: Implications for Self-Efficacy
Mariyam Abu Bakar
ABSTRACT:
This study investigates how non-native learners perceive the difficulty of the Arabic language and how these perceptions relate to their motivation, foreign language anxiety (FLA), and self-efficacy. Arabic’s linguistic complexity—its script, phonology, and grammar—often shapes learners’ confidence and engagement, making self-efficacy a crucial factor in navigating challenges. The research draws on major constructs highlighted in the literature, including intrinsic, extrinsic, and integrative motivation, as well as FLA, all of which influence learner persistence and performance. Using a quantitative survey distributed across three educational settings—universities, madrasahs, and language centres — 174 responses were collected and analysed using correlation and regression techniques.
Findings show that motivation, rather than anxiety, plays the most significant role in predicting self-efficacy. Intrinsic motivation emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by integrative motivation and extrinsic motivation. In contrast, FLA showed no significant relationship with self-efficacy, suggesting that Arabic learners in this context may experience lower performance-based anxiety due to cultural or religious associations with the language. Regression results further indicated that motivational variables collectively accounted for a substantial proportion of variance in self-efficacy.
These findings highlight the importance of fostering meaningful, culturally grounded, and intrinsically motivating learning experiences to strengthen learner confidence and support successful Arabic language acquisition.
Keywords: Arabic language, learner motivation, non-native speakers, self-efficacy, language difficulty