Common Mistakes Made by ESL Learners Using Arabic as Reference Language

About the Book

Purpose and Scope: This text has been produced to alert learners of English using Arabic as L1 to the most typical problem areas that tend to hinder their progress as they endeavor to overcome native language interference in the process of growing into the target language. The functions of capitalization and syntax have received special emphasis. The analytical perspective takes precedence over its pedagogical counterpart. Learner Focus: The primary readership is expected to grow beyond Arabic speakers per se and is most likely to include learners using Farsi, Urdu, or Turkish as L1. In addition, even a broad spectrum of learners using reference languages with various different alphabets (e.g. Bengali, Hangul, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Mandarin) will find the text useful to a considerable extent. Appendices: The exercises included in the three appendices are ambitiously written and intended to reveal to the learner the formidable amount of lexical material that will have to be internalized on the road to solid proficiency. ESL instructors teaching Arabic speakers are aware of the difficult and time-consuming effort involved in the acquisition of vocabulary.

About the Author

Dr. Heinz F. Tengler has taught English as a Second/Foreign Language to adults in various countries including the US, Korea, South Africa and Saudi Arabia. He taught Technical Report Writing to Engineering students since 2004. He holds a Ph.D. in Literature from the University of California, San Diego. He presently lives at 2014, Kombe Dr., Livingstone, Zambia. His e-mail: tenglerh1944@yahoo.com. Omar S. Aburizaiza is a professor of the Dept. of Civil Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He earned his Ph.D. in Water Resources Planning & Management, Civil Engineering, from Oklahoma University in 1982. In addition to teaching graduate courses, he supervises M.Sc & doctoral theses in Civil Engineering. He has an illustrious academic career and currently holds the position of General Director, Unit for Ain Zubaida Rehabilitation & Ground Water Research, King Abdulaziz University. Among the many areas of his academic interests, he has authored books and articles, and has been teaching a graduate course in Technical Report Writing (IE694: Graduate Research & Writing). E-mail: aburizaiza@hotmail.com. Dr. M. Solaiman Ali has been teaching Technical Report Writing courses at the College of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University. He holds a Ph.D. in Language Education (with emphasis on TESOL/Applied Linguistics) from Indiana University, Bloomington. E-mail address: m.s.ali.2009@gmail.com. Dr. Bibi Baqarally taught English for over 30 years in KSA. She holds a Ph.D. Language Education from Southampton, UK. She retired to her native country – Mauritius, in 2012.