A Metaphorical Journey to Arabic: Foreign Language Perception of Preparatory Class Students at Kilis 7 Aralık University Faculty of Theology

Abstract

As is known, language plays a crucial role in meeting the needs of human beings for communication, understanding, and sharing. In this context, Arabic stands out as one of these communication tools, especially in terms of political, commercial, economic, and tourism relations with Middle Eastern countries, in addition to being an ancient language. In our country, Arabic Language Teaching, Arabic Language and Literature, Religious Sciences, Islamic Sciences and Theology Faculties provide Arabic courses. These institutions attach great importance to Arabic instruction, aiming not only for the acquisition of students of the language but also for them to gain the ability to understand and interpret religious sources, along with the proficiency to use a language widely spoken in the Muslim geography. However, studies related to Arabic instruction are considered insufficient. Therefore, this research aims to determine the perceptions of theology preparatory class students regarding the concept of Arabic through metaphors. Metaphors, in the context of this study, serve to abbreviate the process of understanding meanings in participants' minds through perceptual similarities, shedding light on the comprehension of the subject. Issues such as the difficulties students face in learning Arabic and the negative impacts of encountering Arabic for the first time are crucial aspects in understanding their perceptions and attitudes in their mental worlds. Therefore, it is deemed necessary to conduct research on Arabic among preparatory class students. To achieve this, initially, a semi-structured questionnaire was sent online to 180 students in preparatory classes, with data collected using an "open-ended questions form." Subsequently, experienced experts who participated in studies related to this field were assigned the task of evaluating the questionnaire results. The assessments of these experts formed the basis for the study. Personal information was not requested from the participants, and it was communicated that the data would be used only within the scope of the research. Before the data collection process, participants were provided with explanations through examples related to metaphors. Then, participants were asked an open-ended question in the format of "Arabic is like… Because…". The term "like" aims to establish a connection between the source and the subject, while "because" aims to present the logical justifications for the metaphors formed by the group. Researchers collected research data from theology preparatory class students at Kilis 7 Aralık University based on voluntary participation from March 1 to April 1, 2023, using Google Forms. The study was completed in accordance with ethical principles. It should be noted that out of 180 surveys, 66 surveys were not considered for evaluation due to inadequate completion or omission. Thus, the responses from 180 participants, consisting of 128 females and 52 males, were initially reduced to 114 valid metaphors. These 114 metaphors were then categorized into nine different themes. In the metaphor analysis phase, the generated metaphors were coded and sorted. Researchers conducted an examination of why participants produced metaphors and explanations. After eliminating inappropriate examples, a total of 114 metaphors were finally determined under nine themes. The number of participants ensured a high number of valid metaphors. Additionally, participants were classified based on characteristics such as gender, age, the high school they graduated from, and their presence in the preparatory class. In this way, it was thought that the categorization according to the participant's perceptions of the Arabic concept would contribute significantly to the literature from a sociological and language-culture perspective. Data analysis was carried out through a phenomenological approach, extracting meanings from experiences. Content analysis was performed to reveal themes describing and introducing facts and events after conceptualizing the data. Finally, findings were presented descriptively with direct quotations. This process continued until 100% consensus was achieved among researchers and experts, as this is crucial to ensure the reliability of qualitative research. Moreover, the use of quotations during the explanation and interpretation of findings aimed to enhance the external consistency and credibility of the study. In the last stage, findings on metaphors and conceptual themes were presented, and a comparison and discussion were conducted. In this context, participants touched upon the difficulty of language learning with metaphors like "mountain" and "stairs" related to the Arabic concept. On the other hand, some participants emphasized the ease of language learning with metaphors like "life" and "love." Although the research results may not offer definitive and generalizable conclusions, they can provide explanations and experiences that help us better understand the event and phenomenon. Therefore, it is expected that the research will make significant contributions to both application and literature in the field.