New Perspective on Teaching Chinese and Arabic as a Foreign Language
Abstract
There is a growing concern about the teaching “quality” of Chinese and Arabic as a foreign language; nonetheless, both the investigative and instructive efforts have focused exclusively on linguistic and cognitive aspects as they relegate the affective factors to a secondary position in the learning process. Consequently, the main purpose of the present work of research is, in the first place, to clarify the widespread belief that handicaps the learning of the two modern languages discussed in this article. Next, we also tackle the issue of the affective factors and the influence they exert over the learning process. Thirdly, there will be a brief comment on what the teaching of foreign languages consists of and its aims. Finally, with all the above mentioned, we will introduce the Natural Approach as a new proposal for teaching Chinese and Arabic for its “inclusive” and “eclectic” nature.