THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPEAKING SKILLS IN ARABIC
LANGUAGE LEARNING IN INDONESIA: A LITERATURE
REVIEW
Muhammad Fariq Heemal Attruk* International Islamic University Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia Correspondent author e-mail: fariqhemal@gmail.
Abstract.
This study examines the relationship between teachersAo communicative competence and the development of maharah kalam (Arabic speaking skill.
in the context of Arabic language instruction in Indonesia.
Using a Narrative Literature Review (NLR) approach, the study synthesizes empirical and conceptual works published between 2014 and 2025, including selected foundational theoretical works, to identify thematic trends, theoretical orientations, and research gaps.
The findings indicate that teachersAo communicative competence constitutes an essential professional however, its influence on studentsAo speaking development is neither direct nor linear.
Rather than operating as an isolated variable, teacher competence functions through mediating mechanisms.
The literature consistently suggests that communicative classroom interaction and the intensity of language practice serve as key linking variables between teacher competence and the development of speaking skills.
When instruction provides sustained opportunities for dialogic exchange, contextual oral production, simulation, and repeated speaking practice, improvements in fluency, confidence, and performative speaking outcomes become more evident.
Conversely, structurally oriented and teacher-centred approaches tend to restrict meaningful language use and limit communicative development.
Based on this synthesis, the study proposes a conceptual mediation model linking teacher communicative competence, interaction quality, intensity of language practice, and the development of maharah kalam.
The review also identifies a significant research gap, namely the limited operationalization of teacher communicative competence as a measurable linguistic construct, and calls for future experimental, longitudinal, or mediation-based studies to provide stronger causal evidence in the Indonesian context.
Keywords: Teacher communicative competence.
Maharah kalam.
Classroom interaction Article info:
Submitted: 04 august, 2025 Accepted: 08 september 2025 How to cite this article:
Muhammad Fariq Heemal Attruk.
AuThe Development of Speaking Skills in Arabic Language Learning in Indonesia: A Literature ReviewAy.
EDUCATUM: Scientific Journal of Education.
Vol.
No.
3, pp.
September, 2025.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.
0 International License.
Copyright A 2025 authors https://ojs.
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php/educatum educatum70@gmail.
EDUCATUM : Scientific Journal of Education Vol.
No.
3, september, 2025
INTRODUCTION
Arabic holds a strategic position within IndonesiaAos educational system, functioning both as a religious language and as an academic language taught in madrasahs, pesantren, and Islamic higher education From a sociolinguistic perspective, language is understood as a tool of communication within therefore, language learning should not be oriented solely toward mastering linguistic forms, but also toward using language in social contexts .
Pedagogically.
Arabic language instruction is directed toward mastery of four language skills .
: istimaAo .
, kalam .
, qiraAoah .
, and kitabah .
, all of which are interconnected in shaping learnersAo communicative competence .
Among these four skills, maharah kalam occupies a central position because it represents the productive ability to use language as a real means of This aligns with the orientation of the communicative approach, which emphasizes the functional use of language in everyday situations .
, .
Theoretically, speaking ability is not limited to grammatical accuracy.
it also involves the ability to use language appropriately within social contexts.
The communicative approach views language as a tool of social interaction and positions communicative competence encompassing grammatical, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic dimensions as the primary goal of instruction .
, .
Within this framework, mastery of linguistic structures does not automatically lead to communicative ability unless it is accompanied by practice in real communicative contexts .
Language is thus understood as a skill that develops through continuous practice and active use in interaction .
Several studies indicate that Arabic language instruction still tends to focus on the mastery of nahwuAe sarf rules and the grammarAetranslation method .
, .
, .
, .
This structural orientation may produce theoretical knowledge of language, yet it does not necessarily train listening and speaking skills unless it is supported by the creation of a language environment and intensive communicative practice .
, .
Criticism of the structural approach is further emphasized in conceptual discussions of the communicative approach, which positions functional language use as the primary objective of instruction .
, .
In response to these limitations, several studies in Indonesia report the implementation of communicative approaches through dialogue, group discussions, role play, and real-life simulations, which are associated with improvements in studentsAo fluency and confidence in speaking .
, .
Quasiexperimental research demonstrates that educational interaction between teachers and students has a significant effect on Arabic learning outcomes compared to conventional teacher-centred instruction .
, .
, .
Furthermore, the use of interactive multimedia based on contextual dialogue has been reported to contribute to improvements in speaking skills, as measured through oral practice .
Beyond instructional approaches, teacher competence is a crucial factor in determining the quality of classroom interaction.
The quality of Arabic instruction has been reported to be related to teachersAo professional and pedagogical competence .
, .
, .
Competence development through MGMP forums has also been viewed as contributing to instructional success .
, while teachersAo social competence has been associated with increased student learning interest .
These findings suggest that teacher competence extends beyond content mastery to include the ability to manage communicative learning interactions Within the framework of communicative competence, the sociolinguistic dimension emphasizes the appropriateness of language use in relation to social and cultural contexts .
This implies that Arabic language instruction should not focus exclusively on structure but must provide space for contextual communicative practice so that students are able to use language appropriately in real-life situations.
Although numerous studies have discussed communicative approaches, teacher competence, instructional media, and classroom interaction, research that specifically maps trends in the development of maharah kalam within Arabic language instruction in Indonesia remains relatively limited.
Most studies are contextual and focused on specific aspects, without offering a comprehensive synthesis of paradigm shifts and the mechanisms linking key variables.
Therefore, a systematic literature analysis is needed to examine trends in the development of maharah kalam in Arabic language instruction in Indonesia.
In this article, teachersAo communicative competence is understood as a pedagogical-communicative capacity that includes: .
the ability to use Arabic actively and functionally in classroom interaction.
the ability to design communication-based learning activities.
the ability to provide contextual linguistic and .
the ability to create a learning environment that encourages sustained language practice.
This competence is positioned as a mediating variable that influences the quality of classroom interaction and studentsAo opportunities to practice maharah kalam.
Muhammad Fariq Heemal Attruk AuThe Development of Speaking Skills in Arabic Language Learning in Indonesia: A Literature ReviewAy Based on this background, this article aims to analyze trends in the development of maharah kalam in Arabic language instruction in Indonesia through a Narrative Literature Review approach, and to identify the dominant approaches, strategies, and supporting factors within instructional practice.
RESEARCH METHODS
This study employed a Narrative Literature Review (NLR) approach to map the development of scholarship, identify thematic trends, and uncover research gaps related to the development of maharah kalam in Arabic language instruction in Indonesia.
This approach was selected because the topic under investigation is conceptual and heterogeneous, involving various research designs .
uantitative, qualitative, classroom action research, and theoretical studie.
, making statistical meta-analysis inappropriate.
A Narrative Literature Review is understood as a descriptive-analytical inquiry that emphasizes conceptual synthesis through argumentative narration to construct a coherent interpretive framework from dispersed literature .
, .
, .
Although it is less rigid than a systematic review, this approach still requires transparency in search procedures, selection criteria, and literature synthesis.
Data sources were obtained from two databases: Google Scholar and GARUDA (Garba Rujukan Digita.
Google Scholar was selected for its broad coverage, encompassing national and international journals and enabling open cross-disciplinary searches.
Meanwhile.
GARUDA was used to ensure representation of Indonesian national journals relevant to the context of Arabic language instruction, considering that not all national journals are indexed in international databases.
The selection of these two databases was guided by the principle of literature representativeness rather than exhaustiveness, as required in systematic reviews .
, .
The literature search was conducted using combinations of keywords in both Indonesian and English, including: Aumaharah kalam,Ay AuArabic speaking skills,Ay Audevelopment of maharah kalam,Ay Aucommunicative approach in Arabic,Ay AuArabic teacher competence,Ay Auteacher communicative competence,Ay Aueducational interaction in Arabic,Ay AuArabic learning outcomes,Ay and Auteacher competence in Arabic language learning.
Ay Keywords were used individually and in combination with basic Boolean operators (AND.
OR) to both broaden and refine search results.
This strategy is reported explicitly as part of methodological transparency .
, .
Articles were included if they met the following criteria: .
addressed Arabic language instruction.
discussed maharah kalam, communicative approaches, teacher competence, classroom interaction, or learning outcomes.
were situated within the Indonesian context or conceptually relevant to Arabic as a foreign language instruction.
were published between 2014 and 2025, with selected theoretical works included as conceptual foundations.
were available as full-text scholarly articles.
These criteria were established to maintain thematic relevance and reduce uncontrolled selection bias in narrative inquiry .
The analysis involved full-text reading, extraction of key information .
esearch focus, design, findings, and contribution.
, and categorization of the literature into major themes: teacher competence, communicative approaches, classroom interaction, media and technology integration, and critiques of structural approaches.
Synthesis was conducted using the logic of configuration, organizing findings conceptually and argumentatively without statistical aggregation .
Through this procedure, the study seeks to maintain a balance between interpretive flexibility and methodological rigor within the Narrative Literature Review framework.
RESULTS
Teacher Competence and the Quality of Instructional Interaction Several studies indicate that teacher competence is associated with the quality of Arabic instructional interaction in the classroom.
A quasi-experimental study by Basith and NisaAo .
found that classes implementing active educational interaction achieved statistically higher learning outcomes compared to classes using a conventional teacher-centred approach.
These interactions included discussion, question-andanswer sessions, sentence construction exercises, and active supervision throughout the learning process.
contrast, the teacher-centred pattern in the control class limited student participation.
Although learning outcomes in this study were measured predominantly through cognitive aspects using objective tests, the findings suggest that more dialogic classroom interaction designs are associated with better learning Indriana and Arifin .
identified that Arabic instruction in madrasahs still tends to be teachercentred.
Through Classroom Action Research (CAR), teachers were encouraged to reflect on and improve EDUCATUM : Scientific Journal of Education Vol.
No.
3, september, 2025 their methods to enhance both instructional processes and learning outcomes.
These efforts emphasized the importance of methodological variation, group discussions, and increased active student participation as part of strengthening classroom interaction quality.
Similarly.
Ilmiani et al.
demonstrated that reflective teaching practices help teachers improve instructional strategies and classroom interaction management.
Reflection functions as an evaluative mechanism that enables teachers to adjust their approaches in accordance with classroom dynamics and studentsAo needs.
Taken together, these three studies reveal a consistent pattern: classroom interaction quality serves as an important variable linking teacher competence and Arabic learning outcomes.
However, this mediating relationship is a cross-study synthesis within the present review and does not represent an explicitly tested causal finding from any single study.
Communicative Approach and the Development of Maharah Kalam Several studies explicitly position the communicative approach as a key factor in developing maharah kalam.
Abdul Hafidz bin Zaid et al.
showed that implementing the communicative approach through dialogue, role play, group discussion, and real-life simulations enhanced studentsAo fluency and confidence in Learning orientations that provide contextual opportunities for oral practice were reported to be more effective in fostering speaking skills than approaches focusing solely on the separate mastery of grammatical rules.
A qualitative case study by Miswari.
Mufidah, and Ulil Albab .
explored the use of a WhatsAppbased communicative approach in Arabic instruction at an Islamic higher education institution.
The findings indicate that the use of voice notes, video dialogues, and group discussions encouraged students to speak more confidently and increased the intensity of oral production.
A flexible and asynchronous learning environment allowed students to re-record their oral responses before submission, thereby reducing anxiety and increasing participation.
However, the study did not quantitatively measure improvements in fluency.
Meanwhile.
Batubara et al.
, in a classroom action research study, reported a 3.
8% increase in speaking skill scores following the use of interactive dialogue-based multimedia, measured through oral In addition to improved scores, classroom observations indicated increased student engagement and confidence in speaking practice.
Collectively, these three studies consistently demonstrate that improvements in communicative interaction quality and expanded opportunities for oral practice are associated with enhanced maharah kalam performance, reflected in both quantitative indicators and qualitative findings.
Critique of the Dominance of Structural Approaches Several articles included in this project critique the dominance of structural approaches in Arabic language instruction.
Arsyad .
emphasized that the communicative approach prioritizes mastery of language proficiency rather than mere structural knowledge.
He further argued that the grammar-translation method tends to produce receptive competence and is less effective in developing productive skills, including speaking ability.
RifaAoi .
stressed that mastery of linguistic structures does not automatically result in communicative Communicative competence encompasses grammatical, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic therefore, instruction oriented solely toward structure risks limiting studentsAo communicative These conceptual critiques reinforce the argument that Arabic learning outcomes should not be measured exclusively through mastery of grammatical rules, but also through communicative performance in authentic contexts.
Accordingly, the development of maharah kalam requires instructional orientations that provide space for contextual and interactive language practice.
Teacher Competence and Learning Outcomes: Quantitative Evidence and Its Limitations Several studies quantitatively examine the relationship between teacher competence and learningrelated variables.
Nuhia et al.
found a positive correlation between teachersAo professional competence and studentsAo learning motivation .
= 0.
However, the relationship was not statistically significant, with a relatively small direct contribution .
96%).
This finding suggests that teacher competence does not always exert a strong direct influence on studentsAo affective variables.
Muhammad Fariq Heemal Attruk AuThe Development of Speaking Skills in Arabic Language Learning in Indonesia: A Literature ReviewAy Setyawan and Fathoni .
reported that the pedagogical competence of Arabic teachers was categorized as Aumoderate,Ay with a mean score of 64.
73, against the backdrop of relatively low UAMBN Arabic scores.
These findings indicate that further improvement in pedagogical competence is needed to support instructional quality more effectively.
Overall, the quantitative findings reviewed in this study suggest that the relationship between teacher competence and learning outcomes tends not to be linear or direct.
The literature synthesis points toward a conceptual model in which teacher competence influences the quality of interaction and instructional design, which subsequently determines the intensity of language practice and contributes to the development of maharah kalam before being reflected in learning outcomes.
Nevertheless, direct empirical evidence concerning the influence of teachersAo communicative competence as a linguistic variable such as teachersAo oral fluency on the development of studentsAo maharah kalam remains relatively limited in the literature reviewed.
DISCUSSION
Teacher Competence as a Professional Foundation Mediated by Interaction The synthesis of findings indicates that teacher competence constitutes an essential foundation in Arabic language instruction in Indonesia.
However, its influence on the development of maharah kalam is not direct.
As defined in this review, teachersAo communicative competence encompasses both linguistic and pedagogical-communicative dimensions namely, the ability to use Arabic actively in classroom interaction and to design activities that encourage communicative practice.
The findings of Basith and NisaAo .
demonstrate that dialogic educational interaction significantly affects Arabic learning outcomes.
Although the indicators used were predominantly cognitive, more participatory interaction designs created broader opportunities for language practice.
In contrast, the results of Nuhia et al.
, which revealed a non-significant correlation between professional competence and learning motivation, as well as the findings of Setyawan and Fathoni.
indicating that pedagogical competence was categorized as Aumoderate,Ay suggest that teacher competence does not automatically result in improved student achievement.
Analytically, these findings indicate that teacher competence operates through a mediating mechanism namely, classroom interaction quality and the intensity of language practice.
In other words, competence that is not manifested in active communicative interaction does not automatically contribute to the development of maharah kalam.
Communicative Interaction as the Linking Mechanism This review shows that communicative interaction and the intensity of language practice function as the primary linking mechanisms between teacher competence and the development of maharah kalam.
Abdul Hafidz bin Zaid et al.
demonstrated that dialogue, role play, discussion, and real-life simulations enhance studentsAo fluency and confidence in speaking.
Miswari et al.
reported that the use of voice notes and video dialogues expanded opportunities for studentsAo oral practice and increased participation and speaking confidence, although improvements were not measured quantitatively.
Meanwhile.
Batubara et .
found improved speaking skill scores using interactive dialogue-based multimedia.
Consistently, these three studies indicate that improvements in communicative interaction quality are associated with increased intensity of language practice.
It is this intensity of practice that serves as a key factor in the development of maharah kalam.
Thus, the relationship between teacher competence and speaking skill development is not direct but rather mediated by interaction quality and the frequency of language production facilitated in instruction.
The mediation model that can be formulated from this synthesis is as follows:
teacher communicative competence Ie quality of communicative interaction Ie intensity of language practice Ie development of maharah kalam Ie studentsAo performative achievement.
Reorientation from Structural to Functional-Communicative Approaches Conceptually.
Mursidin .
argues that the communicative approach emerged as a response to the limitations of structural approaches that overemphasize grammatical form without considering the context of language use.
Within the communicative approach, language is understood as a tool of social communication, and assessment is directed toward the ability to use language in authentic situations.
EDUCATUM : Scientific Journal of Education Vol.
No.
3, september, 2025 This argument aligns with the empirical findings reviewed in this study, which indicate that communicative practice rather than mere mastery of grammatical rules is associated with improved speaking Criticism of overly dominant structural orientations is further reinforced by RifaAoi .
, who emphasizes that mastery of linguistic structure does not automatically produce communicative competence.
Therefore, in the Indonesian context, reorienting from the dominance of nahwuAesarf toward a functional-communicative approach is not merely a theoretical demand.
it receives indirect empirical support through patterns of findings highlighting the importance of interaction and language practice.
Research Gap: Teacher Communicative Competence as a Specific Variable Although numerous studies discuss communicative approaches and classroom interaction, this review reveals that teachersAo communicative competence as a measurable linguistic construct is rarely operationalized explicitly.
Most studies examine educational interaction, general professional competence, or the effectiveness of instructional media, but do not directly test specific aspects such as teachersAo oral fluency, accuracy of language production, or flexibility in language use during classroom interaction.
As a result, arguments regarding the importance of fluent and communicative teachers often rely on theoretical inference and indirect evidence.
The mediation model formulated in this review offers a more systematic analytical framework for understanding the mechanisms linking variables within the context of Arabic language instruction in Indonesia.
The primary contribution of this article lies in the formulation of this conceptual model, which explains that teachersAo communicative competence does not operate linearly.
Instead, it functions through the quality of interaction and the intensity of language practice before influencing the development of maharah This model opens space for further empirical research employing more experimental designs and more specific instruments to measure teachersAo communicative competence and studentsAo oral performance.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the literature synthesis conducted in this study, it can be concluded that the communicative competence of Arabic language teachers constitutes an essential foundation in instruction.
However, its influence on the development of maharah kalam is neither direct nor linear.
The most consistent pattern of findings indicates that teacher competence operates through mediating mechanisms, namely the quality of communicative interaction and the intensity of language practice in the classroom.
When instruction provides space for dialogue, simulation, and repeated, contextualized oral production, the development of maharah kalam becomes more evident.
Conversely, approaches that are overly structural and teacher-centred tend to limit opportunities for language practice and the development of studentsAo communicative ability.
The implication of these findings is the need to reorient Arabic teacher development toward strengthening communicative classroom practice.
Training and supervision programs should not focus solely on content mastery and instructional administration, but also on the ability to build dialogic interaction, manage the intensity of speaking practice, and implement performance-based oral assessment.
In addition.
Arabic language assessment systems should allocate a more proportional emphasis on speaking skills so that studentsAo achievement is not reduced to written cognitive aspects alone.
Conceptually, the primary contribution of this article lies in the formulation of a mediation model explaining the relationship between teacher communicative competence, interaction quality, intensity of language practice, and the development of maharah kalam within the Indonesian context.
For future research, studies are needed that explicitly operationalize teacher communicative competence as a measurable linguistic construct and directly test its effect on studentsAo speaking skill development.
Experimental, longitudinal, or mediation analysis designs may be employed to generate stronger causal evidence regarding the role of teacher communicative competence in Arabic language instruction.
REFERENCES