USING MULTIMEDIA TO ENHANCE READING SKILLS IN MODERN STANDARD ARABIC

This thesis is an attempt to develop a software program designed to enhance reading skills of learners of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) at the high intermediate level. This is one of the very few attempts at creating CALL programs for Arabic learning, a medium that is in dire need of development if Arabic language teaching is to keep up with future trends in second language learning. Research was conducted on how reading skills can best be developed through traditional means as well as on how CALL programs might achieve better and faster results than those traditional means. The CALL program designed for this thesis is based on this research. The program attempts to improve top-down reading strategies, in addition to providing helpful tips to the learner in all aspects of language – vocabulary, comprehension, connectors, transitions and syntax – at the touch of a button. It further provides feedback to correct language errors as they occur in the learning process, which research shows is the most useful kind of feedback. This should help high intermediate MSA learners enhance their reading skills and equip them with reading strategies in higher levels.