Volume 02 - Issue 1

Article Exploring tutoring and learning gains for learners of Arabic

Author
Amer, Mahmoud
Volume
Volume 02 - Issue 1
Date Issued
2021-10-01
Keywords
tutoring; Arabic language; tutoring in Arabic; foreign language learning; learning gains
Publisher
University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center; (co-sponsored by American Association of University of Supervisors and Coordinators; Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition; Center for Educational Reources in Culture, Language, and Literacy; Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning; Open Language Resource Center; Second Language Teaching and Resource Center)
URI/DOI
10125/69859
PDF
Citation
Amer, M. (2021). Exploring tutoring and learning gains for learners of Arabic. Second Language Research & Practice, 2(1), 81–98. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/69859
Record Details
Full Record

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Abstract
The present study examined the link between tutoring sessions and students’ learning of Arabic. The language tutor in this study spent one semester with a beginner level class of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Tutoring logs following each session were used to explore the extent to which these sessions could be linked to learners’ performance in the class. Findings showed a positive and significant, albeit moderate, correlation between the number of tutoring sessions each student attended and their final grade. The analysis of the logs (n = 174) also showed that vocabulary usage, pronunciation, reading, and grammar were the most frequently requested topics during the tutoring sessions. Additionally, the logs showed that students sought tutoring around exam times. These findings offer various ways to reflect on how students utilize language learning resources, including interactions with a native-speaking tutor.