Academic and Social Media Practices of Arabic Language among Malaysian Students.

Nowadays, more and more countries are paying attention to graduates’ language skill and sending their students abroad to learn languages. As an Islamic country, Malaysia has sent many students to learn Arabic language and Islamic knowledge. This paper aims at examining the level of practice of Arabic language among Malaysian students in Jordanian universities. The study seeks to answer the following questions: What is the level of practice of Arabic language (academic, social media) among Malaysian students of Jordanian universities? Do any significant differences exist in the level of Arabic language practiced by Malaysian students of Jordanian universities in relation to certain variables? Results indicate that the Malaysian students had a medium level of practice of Arabic language. Significant differences were observed among gender, marital status, and field of study variables, whereas no significant difference was identified among university, level of study, distance of residence to the university, previous school, housemate qualities, nor CGPA. INTRODUCTION Many nations have acknowledged the need to produce more graduates who are multilingual in the effort to compete in the global society. Malaysia has confirmed the importance of proficiency in a third language in order to develop human capital that helps the economy besides remaining competitive in the international arena (Zubairi & Sarudin,2009;Pufahl, Rhodes & Christian,2000). As an Islamic country, Malaysia is one of the countries paying most attention to the study and preservation of Arabic language, and it provides scholarships to support a large number of students to study abroad in different fields related to the study of Arabic (Latifah binti Abdul Latiff, 2004). According to Oberg (2006) students studying abroad undergo four stages in their adjustment and practice of the target language. In the first few weeks, most of the students were observed to have a fascination with the new environment and language. This stage may last from a few days or weeks to six months depending on circumstances. The second stage is characterized by a hostile and aggressive attitude toward the host country, resulting in troubles at home and school, in language study, transportation, and shopping, whereas the people in the host country are largely indifferent to all these troubles. The consequence is aggression and the tendency of the students to join their fellow countrymen in criticizing the host country. People who overcome the second stage stay in the host country; otherwise, they leave before reaching the stage of a nervous breakdown. If the students succeed in obtaining knowledge of the language, which is a basic requirement in learning, and begin to use the language, their learning will be facilitated. In acquiring a complete adjustment at the fourth stage, one not only adapts to the food, drinks, habits, and language, but also begins to enjoy them. Students who are in the process of practice and understanding will attain enjoyment in time. The language acquisition process does not involve a conscious or organized effort, but it is a tradition and simulation dependent on social learning theory. According to Bandura, a basic role of social learning theory is an individual obtaining opportunities in various life situations and spontaneously as required in social communication. For example, the children acquire language by exposure to many opportunities involving the practice of the language with the community and learning the origins of the language and its rules (Abdulsalam, 2012; Lightbown & Spada, 2002). So, the high interaction within a group will result in an individual learning the target language more rapidly than an individual performing self-learning because of the continued use and practice of the language. Alternatively, a student who does not engage in interaction will fall behind because of inadequate practice and use of the language (David, 1997). TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – July 2017, volume 16 issue 3