Teachers’ pedagogical perception and Arabic grammar teaching: A survey-based study

This chapter explores the historical, ideological, and pedagogical factors influencing Arabic grammar instruction and teachers' perceptions in contemporary Teaching of Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL). It begins by examining how traditional Islamic linguistic thought elevated Arabic grammar to a sacred science, inextricably linked to the Qur'an and profound metaphysical speculations. The study then contrasts this traditional worldview with modern pedagogical needs, highlighting the significant resistance within the TAFL field to fully adopting communicative language teaching approaches. The author suggests that this reluctance may stem from the deep-rooted symbolic prestige of Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha) and the enduring stigma associated with colloquial varieties, which are naturally suited for real-life communicative tasks. To empirically investigate these pedagogical dynamics, the chapter presents the results of a global survey conducted among Arabic language professionals worldwide, shedding light on their distinct attitudes toward grammar rules, assessment methods, and the integration of communicative paradigms in the contemporary Arabic classroom.