The Reality of Arabic Calligraphy Skills among Non-Native Arabic Speaking Students at the Institute of Teaching Arabic: A Descriptive Analytical Study

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the current status of Arabic calligraphy skills among learners of Arabic for speakers of other languages at the Arabic Language Institute of the Islamic University of Madinah. It also sought to explore the extent to which learners practice Arabic calligraphy, their attitudes toward it, the obstacles that hinder its development, and their suggestions for improving it.The study adopted a descriptive analytical approach. The sample consisted of (88) learners of Arabic as a second/foreign language. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the researcher.The findings revealed that the Naskh script is the most commonly used script among learners (94.3%). The results also indicated generally positive attitudes toward learning Arabic calligraphy, with a mean score of (2.86). In addition, the results showed that academic workload represents one of the most significant obstacles to practicing Arabic calligraphy, with a mean score of (3.25).Based on these findings, the study recommends integrating specialized calligraphy training units into Arabic language programs for speakers of other languages and providing extracurricular activities that support the development of Arabic calligraphy skills.