Imitation Strategies in Strengthening Arabic Speaking Skills among Bachelor of Arabic Language Studies Students at UniSZA

Abstract

Speaking skills constitute one of the main components in mastering the Arabic language and represent a challenge for students in higher education institutions in Malaysia. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of imitation strategies in strengthening Arabic speaking skills among first-year students of the Bachelor of Arabic Language Studies programme at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA). This study employs a quasi experimental design involving two groups of students, namely a control group taught using conventional methods and a treatment group taught using a combination of conventional methods and imitation strategies. The research instrument consists of a five-point Likert scale questionnaire measuring students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of this strategy. Descriptive analysis shows that the overall mean score exceeds 4.20, indicating positive student acceptance of imitation strategies in terms of vocabulary improvement, speaking confidence, and listening skills. The discussion of the study relates these findings to cognitive learning theory and social cognitive learning theory, as well as support from recent studies on the use of digital media and gamification in language teaching. This study suggests that imitation strategies should be widely implemented in the Arabic language teaching process and integrated with modern technology to enhance learning effectiveness.