Difficulties Faced by Second Language Learners of Arabic in Academic Writing

Abstract

The current study aimed to identify the difficulties faced by second language learners of Arabic in academic writing from the learners' perspectives. For this purpose, a descriptive approach based on an analytical approach was used. A list of academic writing skills necessary for second language learners of Arabic was prepared, along with a questionnaire to identify the difficulties faced by these learners. The study sample consisted of (110) male and female learners enrolled in higher diploma, master's, and doctoral programs at various Saudi universities. The study results showed that the weighted average for the academic writing difficulties scale for second language learners of Arabic was (3.76), and according to the Likert scale, this score is considered "high." The results also indicated no statistically significant differences at a significant level (α≤0.05) attributable to the gender variable between the average responses of the study sample members regarding the academic writing difficulties of second language learners of Arabic. However, there were statistically significant differences attributable to the educational level variable. In light of these findings, the study presented a set of recommendations and suggestions to overcome the academic writing difficulties faced by learners of Arabic as a second language.