Indonesian Journal of Arabic Education and Learning Vol.
No.
| pp.
56-65 | doi: 10.
58363/ijael/x.
The Role of Arabic Situational Teaching for Spoken Arabic Proficiency: Case Study of Elementary School Students in Malang Apri Wardana Ritonga1*.
Muhammad Yahya Abdullah2.
Handika Ahmad Nur Prasetyo3 1As-Syifa College of QurAoanic Science Subang.
Indonesia 2Maulana Malik Ibrahim Islamic State University.
Indonesia 3International Islamic University Islamabad.
Pakistan Received: 2 July 2025 Accepted: 26 July 2025 Published: 6 August 2025 Abstract The problem of speaking Arabic (ESA) is often an important issue in teaching Arabic to students.
The situational language teaching (SLT) approach is seen as being able to be a solution to this problem.
This study aims to analyze the approach of SLT to improve the ESA skills of primary school students.
This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study method at Daarul Ukhuwwah QurAoan Basic School.
Malang.
The research sample is 45 students and 3 teachers.
Data was collected through observation, interview, and document study.
Then analyzed using the theory of Miles and Huberman.
The results of the study show that the SLT approach makes students involved in communicative situations that are similar to their daily lives, but in a more formal context and in accordance with ESA.
Teachers can arrange situations that demand the use of formal Arabic, such as class discussions, presentations, or role-plays involving situations in school or other formal environments.
The SLT approach is also a solution for improving the Arabic language skills of primary school students starting with istimaAo, kalam, qiraAoah, and kitabah in the context of real situations in everyday life.
Keywords:
Educated Spoken Arabic.
Arabic as a Foreign Language.
Situational Language.
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Please cite this article as Apri Wardana Ritonga.
Muhammad Yahya Abdullah.
Handika Ahmad Nur Prasetyo, "The Role of Arabic Situational Teaching for Spoken Arabic Proficiency: Case Study of Elementary School Students in Malang," IJAEL 1.
No.
: 56-65.
DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
58363/ijael.
The Role of Arabic Situational Teaching for Spoken Arabic Proficiency A | 57 Introduction The situational language teaching (SLT) approach appeared in linguistic studies almost 90 years ago by British applied linguists (Richards & Rodgers, 2.
Meanwhile, the Educated Spoken Arabic (ESA) approach has decorated linguistic studies for 38 years by Mitchell .
However, the question that might be asked as an opening discussion for this study is why are these two approaches not often found in Arabic language literature or its teaching.
None of the relevant literature was found in the Publish or Perish engine of the Scopus publisher in the latest study category .
ast five year.
You only find literature from local publishers and authors.
While these two approaches massive used in the study of foreign languages globally such as English (Du, 2017.
Smith & Loewen, 2.
China (Liu & Yang, 2.
Russia (Gao et al.
, 2.
and etc.
The authors sees that there is misinformation from observers of the study of Arabic and other foreign languages at the same time which may underlie the lag behind Arabic and other international languages in Indonesia.
Today.
Arabic language teaching that places students in communicative situations has serious problems due to the diglossia that differentiates Aoammiya and fusha Arabic.
Fusha, which consists of modern standard Arabic (MSA), is a formal form of Arabic used in formal events such as schools, radio and TV programs, meetings, conferences, newspapers, books, and religious events (Promadi, 2.
Whereas Aoammiya, called colloquial Arabic, is spoken Arabic and is used in informal listening and speaking situations.
Just teaching fusha and using it to speak in informal situations is the same as teaching Arabic in the wrong situation because fusha is not used for regular oral communication by groups of people in the Arab world (Promadi, 2.
It is the language of reading, writing, and preparing formal Therefore, for students to have ESA skills, we must teach them the forms of language used for everyday oral communication.
However, there will be another Teaches Arabic Aoammiya students will not develop the ability to read and write as used by Arabs because of the vocabulary used in Aoammiya is only limited to ordinary daily conversations (Masna et al.
, 2.
They only have a few scientific and technological terms as well as social, political, economic, and cultural vocabulary used in written texts such as magazines, books, newspapers, and texts prepared for radio and TV programs.
To illustrate, we can imagine a student who has completed an Arabic language course at an Aoammiya for two or three years, who may be able to speak colloquial Arabic for everyday conversation but cannot read magazines, books or newspapers or listen to the news in radio or TV (Promadi.
This is where serious problems arise and must be resolved.
During these problems, the SLT approach emerged and offered a solution to this confusion.
SLT places students in real communicative situations to facilitate natural language learning.
This approach emphasizes contextual understanding and the use Please cite this article as Apri Wardana Ritonga.
Muhammad Yahya Abdullah.
Handika Ahmad Nur Prasetyo, "The Role of Arabic Situational Teaching for Spoken Arabic Proficiency: Case Study of Elementary School Students in Malang," IJAEL 1.
No.
: 56-65.
DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
58363/ijael.
58 | Apri Wardana Ritonga.
Muhammad Yahya Abdullah.
Handika Ahmad Nur Prasetyo of language in everyday life situations (Hussain & Sajid, 2.
In the context of Arabic language learning.
SLT becomes very relevant considering the complexity of Arabic language structures and the need to develop studentsAo ESA skills.
Arabic has a significant role in the modern world, both as the liturgical language of Islam and as a rich literary language (Ritonga et al.
, 2.
In this era of globalization, the need for understanding Arabic is increasing, both for religious, cultural and business purposes (Abdelhadi et al.
, 2.
Therefore, an effective and contextual approach to learning Arabic is very important.
The emergence of SLT provides a strong foundation for developing speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.
According to SLT theory, these four skills begin with speaking skills.
The effectiveness of a solution depends on the context in which it is applied.
Therefore, before applying SLT to improve ESA in the context of Indonesian elementary school students, it is important to understand how each works and the track record of their use.
A number of scholars have discussed how SLT and ESA work in their works.
But it is still under separate discussion.
Like the results of a study by Huang et al.
, which explains the importance of implementation SLT In learning Arabic, it not only lies in the communicative aspect, but also in the ability to form a contextual understanding of language structure and vocabulary (Huang et , 2.
Through authentic situations, students can more easily internalize grammatical rules and enrich their vocabulary.
Luqyana et al.
, highlighted the effectiveness of ESA as an alternative approach to teaching Arabic as a foreign language in Indonesia (Luqyana et al.
, 2.
Thus, studying SLT-ESA simultaneously is considered important and urgent to open up space for studentsAo Arabic speaking skills actively and continuously.
Method This study includes an interpretive paradigm with a qualitative approach to understand in depth the SLT approach to be a solution to increasing the ESA of elementary school students at QurAoan Daarul Ukhuwwah Malang.
Indonesia.
qualitative approach allows researchers to explore individual contexts, perceptions and experiences of Arabic language learning.
The author uses the case study method to investigate the phenomenon of Arabic language errors in depth in a group of students to obtain detailed information from specific and contextual cases.
The total sample was 45 students in grades 4, 5, and 6, each class had 15 students.
The students consisted of 17 male students and 20 female students.
Researchers also took data from 3 teachers who taught Arabic in grades 4, 5, and 6.
The data collection technique used by the writer is through the stages of observation, interview, and documentation.
The author made a direct observation of the Arabic language learning process at SD QurAoan Daarul Ukhuwwah using the approach SLT to increase studentsAo ESA.
The authors also conducted interviews with IJAEL Vol.
No.
P-ISSN : 1234-1234
E-ISSN : 1234-1234
https://doi.
org/10.
58363/ijael/x.
The Role of Arabic Situational Teaching for Spoken Arabic Proficiency A | 59 students to gain insight into their perceptions, experiences and knowledge related to speaking Arabic.
In addition, at the documentation stage, the author collects documents such as class notes, assignments, or Arabic language tests to analyze Arabic language errors documented in formal learning contexts.
After the data was collected, the author carried out the data analysis stage using Miles and HubermanAos theory involving a systematic process for understanding, organizing and interpreting the data in depth (Miles et al.
, 2.
First, data reduction or simplification by eliminating irrelevant information to focus analysis on the most important aspects.
Second, data presentation by presenting data in a form that is easy to understand, such as tables, graphs, or matrices to see patterns or trends that emerge.
Third, data interpretation aims to reveal the meaning behind the patterns or trends found with an in-depth analysis of the implications or significance of the findings in the context of research on approaches SLT to increase the ESA of elementary school students.
Result and Discussion The SLT approach as an ESA solution at SD QurAoan Daarul Ukhuwwah The Situational Language Teaching (SLT) approach has great potential to be a solution for teaching Educated Spoken Arabic (ESA) to Daarul Ukhuwwah QurAoan Elementary School students.
ESA is a variant of Arabic that is used in formal contexts, such as at school, work and in the mass media.
In many cases.
Daarul Ukhuwwah QurAoan Elementary School students are more accustomed to dialectal Arabic or everyday Arabic used in their environment, so special teaching is needed to introduce them to ESA.
Through the SLT approach, students can engage in communicative situations that are similar to their daily lives, but in a more formal and ESA-compliant context (Smith & Loewen, 2.
Teachers can organize situations that require the use of formal Arabic, such as class discussions, presentations, or role plays involving situations in school formal environments.
Thus, students can get used to using ESA in appropriate and relevant contexts.
This helps them understand the difference between informal and formal Arabic, as well as develop their speaking skills in more standard Arabic.
In addition, through the SLT approach, students can also learn vocabulary, phrases and sentence structures commonly used in ESA.
Teachers can choose learning materials that are appropriate to the context of the communicative situation that has been prepared so that students can understand and use formal Arabic better (Adil, 2.
The use of the SLT approach also allows teachers to provide targeted feedback and guide students in the appropriate use of formal Arabic.
This helps students to continually improve their speaking skills and feel more confident in using ESA.
Using the SLT approach does provide benefits for teachers to provide targeted feedback to SD QurAoan Daarul Ukhuwwah students in the use of formal Arabic.
In the Please cite this article as Apri Wardana Ritonga.
Muhammad Yahya Abdullah.
Handika Ahmad Nur Prasetyo, "The Role of Arabic Situational Teaching for Spoken Arabic Proficiency: Case Study of Elementary School Students in Malang," IJAEL 1.
No.
: 56-65.
DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
58363/ijael.
60 | Apri Wardana Ritonga.
Muhammad Yahya Abdullah.
Handika Ahmad Nur Prasetyo context of ESA learning, appropriate feedback is essential to guide students in the development of their speaking skills.
Teachers can directly monitor student interactions in simulated communicative situations, such as classroom discussions or role plays.
Thus, they can identify errors or deficiencies in studentsAo use of formal Arabic.
Feedback provided directly and specifically helps students understand where they need to improve their use of formal Arabic (Uskov et al.
, 2.
Apart from direct feedback, teachers can also use recording or documentation techniques to provide feedback to students.
Daarul Ukhuwwah QurAoan Elementary School teacher applies the same thing.
For example, they can record student conversations or presentations, then identify areas for improvement and provide written or verbal feedback to students.
The importance of feedback in formal Arabic learning lies not only in correcting studentsAo mistakes but also in strengthening their confidence in using ESA.
By getting positive and constructive feedback from teachers, students feel supported in their efforts to master formal Arabic, which in turn increases their confidence in speaking (Karkouti et al.
, 2.
The SLT Approach Improves Arabic Language Skills Arabic has four skills, namely listening .
, speaking .
, reading .
iraAoa.
, and writing .
These four skills are core material for elementary school students.
The SLT approach is here to help improve elementary school studentsAo language skills in the context of real situations in everyday life.
Even though this concept has been known for a long time, it has not been widely adopted in Arabic language learning at the elementary school level (Ritonga et al.
, 2.
Nevertheless, the great potential for improving studentsAo speaking skills makes the use of SLT increasingly attracting attention in the world of education.
The SLT approach recognizes that language learning is not only about mastering grammar and vocabulary but also about studentsAo ability to use language in real communicative situations (Aprianto & Zaini, 2.
Therefore, teachers need to create a learning environment that allows students to engage in various communicative situations that are similar to their daily lives.
In the context of learning Arabic, the SLT approach creates situations in the classroom that imitate interactions that might occur in the environment around students, such as at home, at school, or in public places.
For example, students can act as family members talking at home, students interacting at school, or buyers and sellers at the market.
By engaging in such communicative situations, students can learn Arabic in a more natural and meaningful way.
They not only gain an understanding of vocabulary and grammar but also develop their speaking skills spontaneously and effectively (Luqyana et al.
, 2.
Although the SLT approach has not been widely used in Arabic language learning at the primary school level, its potential to improve studentsAo speaking skills makes it worthy of further exploration by educators.
IJAEL
Vol.
No.
P-ISSN : 1234-1234
E-ISSN : 1234-1234
https://doi.
org/10.
58363/ijael/x.
The Role of Arabic Situational Teaching for Spoken Arabic Proficiency A | 61 The process of teaching Arabic using the SLT approach begins with identifying communicative situations that are appropriate to the lives of elementary school Teachers need to understand studentsAo cultural and social contexts to select relevant situations.
These situations can range from interactions in class, at home, or in the neighborhood.
Once a communicative situation is identified, relevant learning materials are selected to suit the situation (Ritonga et al.
, 2.
The teacher selects vocabulary, phrases and sentences that are appropriate to the context of the chosen communicative situation.
Based on the research results of Mitchell .
, this helps students to understand and use Arabic more effectively in everyday situations.
Next, communicative situation simulations are carried out through role plays, debates, or group discussions.
Students are invited to interact and communicate using Arabic in contexts that are similar to real life.
This condition is relevant to the research results of Mustofa et al .
, this helps them to develop active speaking skills and grow self-confidence in using Arabic.
Teachers have an important role as models in communicative situations.
They not only provide examples of appropriate language use, but also provide guidance and feedback to students to help them improve their speaking skills.
Repeated practice is key in the SLT approach.
Students need to be given the opportunity to practice speaking in the same or similar situations repeatedly.
This helps them strengthen their speaking skills and increase their confidence in using Arabic.
Apart from that, reflection and evaluation are also important parts of the learning process.
Students need to be asked to reflect on their experiences in communicating and provide an evaluation of their speaking skills.
Teachers also carry out evaluations to identify student progress and areas that still need According to the teacherAos active response to student development, it triggers a passion for learning which is very effective for the cognitive development of elementary school students (Widyawulandari et al.
, 2.
Integration with other learning activities also needs to be done to enrich studentsAo learning experiences.
The SLT approach can be integrated with reading, writing and listening activities so that students can develop Arabic language skills as a whole.
By using the SLT approach, elementary school students can learn Arabic more effectively because they are involved in communicative situations that are relevant to their daily lives (Nirwansyah, 2.
This not only helps them improve their speaking skills, but also strengthens their understanding of the Arabic language as a whole.
In this context, students not only learn to speak, but also hone their listening, reading and writing skills in the context of a given communicative situation.
Through reading activities, students can expand their vocabulary and understand the use of Arabic in different contexts.
Teachers can choose reading materials that Please cite this article as Apri Wardana Ritonga.
Muhammad Yahya Abdullah.
Handika Ahmad Nur Prasetyo, "The Role of Arabic Situational Teaching for Spoken Arabic Proficiency: Case Study of Elementary School Students in Malang," IJAEL 1.
No.
: 56-65.
DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
58363/ijael.
62 | Apri Wardana Ritonga.
Muhammad Yahya Abdullah.
Handika Ahmad Nur Prasetyo are appropriate to the communicative situations discussed previously, so that students can see how Arabic is used in everyday life (Ulum et al.
, 2.
Writing activities are also an effective means of measuring studentsAo understanding of learning material.
By writing, students can express their thoughts and experiences in Arabic, as well as deepen their understanding of sentence structure and grammar.
This study has an important role in the Arabic language learning process for elementary school students because it highlights the urgency and significant interrelationships between the variables discussed.
By integrating approaches to SLT In learning Arabic, the learning process becomes more comprehensive and Teachers have a central role in facilitating learning experiences that are relevant to studentsAo daily lives, guiding them in using formal Arabic appropriately, and providing feedback that strengthens their speaking skills and self-confidence (Le et al.
, 2.
Apart from that, the integration of learning Arabic with other activities such as reading, writing and listening also supports the holistic development of language skills.
Thus, this study not only provides a deeper understanding of the importance of teaching Arabic, but also provides a solid foundation for a continuous learning process and massive improvement in Arabic language skills for elementary school students.
The SLT approach as an ESA solution at SD QurAoan Daarul Ukhuwwah The Situational Language Teaching (SLT) approach has great potential to be a solution for teaching Educated Spoken Arabic (ESA) to Daarul Ukhuwwah QurAoan Elementary School students.
ESA is a variant of Arabic that is used in formal contexts, such as at school, work and in the mass media.
In many cases.
Daarul Ukhuwwah QurAoan Elementary School students are more accustomed to dialectal Arabic or everyday Arabic used in their environment, so special teaching is needed to introduce them to ESA.
Through the SLT approach, students can engage in communicative situations that are similar to their daily lives, but in a more formal and ESA-compliant context (Smith & Loewen, 2.
Teachers can organize situations that require the use of formal Arabic, such as class discussions, presentations, or role plays involving situations in school or other formal Thus, students can get used to using ESA in appropriate and relevant contexts.
This helps them understand the difference between informal and formal Arabic, as well as develop their speaking skills in more standard Arabic.
In addition, through the SLT approach, students can also learn vocabulary, phrases and sentence structures commonly used in ESA.
Teachers can choose learning materials that are appropriate to the context of the communicative situation that has been prepared so that students can understand and use formal Arabic better (Adil, 2.
The use of the SLT approach also allows teachers to provide targeted feedback and guide IJAEL Vol.
No.
P-ISSN : 1234-1234
E-ISSN : 1234-1234
https://doi.
org/10.
58363/ijael/x.
The Role of Arabic Situational Teaching for Spoken Arabic Proficiency A | 63 students in the appropriate use of formal Arabic.
This helps students to continually improve their speaking skills and feel more confident in using ESA.
Using the SLT approach does provide benefits for teachers to provide targeted feedback to SD QurAoan Daarul Ukhuwwah students in the use of formal Arabic.
In the context of ESA learning, appropriate feedback is essential to guide students in the development of their speaking skills.
Teachers can directly monitor student interactions in simulated communicative situations, such as classroom discussions or role plays.
Thus, they can identify errors or deficiencies in studentsAo use of formal Arabic.
Feedback provided directly and specifically helps students understand where they need to improve their use of formal Arabic (Uskov et al.
, 2.
Apart from direct feedback, teachers can also use recording or documentation techniques to provide feedback to students.
Daarul Ukhuwwah QurAoan Elementary School teacher applies the same thing.
For example, they can record student conversations or presentations, then identify areas for improvement and provide written or verbal feedback to students.
The importance of feedback in formal Arabic learning lies not only in correcting studentsAo mistakes but also in strengthening their confidence in using ESA.
By getting positive and constructive feedback from teachers, students feel supported in their efforts to master formal Arabic, which in turn increases their confidence in speaking (Karkouti et al.
, 2.
Conclusion The study of the SLT approach provides broad implications for various aspects of teaching and learning Arabic, especially for the students of SD QurAoan Daarul Ukhuwwah.
By using the approach SLT In teaching ESA to elementary school students, teachers play an important role in guiding students towards mastery of formal Arabic.
Through simulating communicative situations that are relevant to studentAos daily lives, teachers provide practical experiences that enable students to understand and use formal Arabic appropriately.
In addition, the teacherAos role as a model who provides targeted feedback helps students improve their speaking skills and increase their confidence in communicating in Arabic.
Thus, the SLT approach not only provides a solution to the challenges of teaching ESA but also produces students who are more confident and competent in using Arabic in everyday communication contexts.
Several topics that could be the focus of further research in developing and improving studies about SLT in the context of teaching Arabic for elementary school students, such as measuring the effectiveness of the use of media and technology in teaching Arabic based on the SLT approach.
The next author can also develop Arabic teaching materials that are relevant to the SLT approach theory.
Please cite this article as Apri Wardana Ritonga.
Muhammad Yahya Abdullah.
Handika Ahmad Nur Prasetyo, "The Role of Arabic Situational Teaching for Spoken Arabic Proficiency: Case Study of Elementary School Students in Malang," IJAEL 1.
No.
: 56-65.
DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
58363/ijael.
64 | Apri Wardana Ritonga.
Muhammad Yahya Abdullah.
Handika Ahmad Nur Prasetyo Author Contribution Statement AWR contributed to data collection and the writing of the research results and HANP and MYA was responsible for translating the articles and validating the instruments and validated the writings and data, ensuring they met all the journal's requirements.
References