Interaction-Driven Arabic Language Acquisition in an Authentic Linguistic Ecosystem: A Case Study of Indonesian Students in Madinah

Sahla Afifah Thohiroh, Nissa Media Utami, Ade Nandang Slamet, Ulayya Dhiya Ulhaq, Rizzaldy Satria Wiwaha, Taqiyudin Abdullah

Abstract


This study explores how bi’ah lughawiyyah contributes to Arabic language acquisition among Indonesian students in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, through a qualitative exploratory case study approach. Informed by second language acquisition and sociolinguistic perspectives, this study examines how authentic Arabic-speaking environments facilitate linguistic development through interaction, participation, adaptation, and negotiation across academic, religious, and social contexts. Data were collected from 23 Indonesian students at the Islamic University of Madinah and Taibah University through questionnaires, documentation, and in-depth interviews with two selected participants. The data were analyzed through systematic coding and thematic interpretation. The findings show that bi’ah lughawiyyah functions as an authentic linguistic ecosystem where Arabic acquisition develops through communication needs, sustained interaction, repeated practice, and negotiation between fuṣḥā and ʿāmmiyyah. The analysis identifies Interaction-Driven Arabic Language Acquisition as an emerging conceptual model that contextualizes interaction processes within authentic Arabic-speaking environments rather than proposing a new conceptual paradigm. The findings provide pedagogical implications for developing immersive and interaction-oriented Arabic learning environments for non-native learners.

Keywords


Arabic language acquisition; Bi’ah lughawiyyah; Second language acquisition

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/alsuniyat.v9i2.105904

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