The Linguistics Colloquium Series presents Nour El Houda Maache, Ohio University, discussing “Digital vs. Traditional: Enhancing Arabic Letter Recognition for English Learners”

Learning the Arabic writing system presents significant challenges for beginning L1 English speakers, primarily due to the changing shapes of Arabic letters depending on their position in a word (initial, medial, final). This variability impacts students’ reading and writing skills. While previous research has explored the benefits of Quizlet for vocabulary learning, its effectiveness in enhancing Arabic letter recognition remains unexamined. This action research study investigates English learners' perspectives on using the digital tool, Quizlet, versus traditional flashcards for Arabic letter recognition. Over six weeks, a group of beginning university Arabic students learned.

letter recognition first through flashcards and then through Quizlet. Qualitative data was gathered from students' reflective journals, questionnaires, and interviews, supplemented by the teacher’s journal. Preliminary results indicate that students found both flashcards and Quizlet effective for letter recognition, with a majority preferring Quizlet for its versatility and convenience.

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