Cultural representation in Arabic textbooks: unveiling intercultural gaps and pedagogical implications in Indonesian Islamic higher education

Integrating Cultural Competence into Arabic Pedagogy: Bridging the Gap Between Linguistic Proficiency and Socio-Cultural Contexts in Non-Native Settings

Arabic language learning in non-native settings often encounters a disconnection between linguistic proficiency and socio-cultural contexts, leading to mother-tongue interference in communication. This study aims to analyze the integration of cultural competence (al-kifâyah al-tsaqâfiyyah) into Arabic pedagogy to bridge this gap across six State Islamic Higher Education Institutions (PTAIN) in Java. Utilizing a multi-site comparative qualitative approach and SWOT analysis, the research evaluates environment-based language and culture learning models. Findings indicate that language acquisition effectiveness depends significantly on environmental engineering that synergizes formal and informal aspects while internalizing native patterns of thinking (anmâth al-tafkîr) and expression (anmâth al-ta’bir). Integrating Arabic-Islamic cultural content into the curriculum and syllabus through an integrated system is proven to enhance communicative skills and eliminate psychological barriers for students. This study recommends reformulating learning designs that position culture as a vital instrument in achieving authentic and functional language proficiency.

Integrating Islamic Studies and Arabic Language (ISAL) in Secular Public Schools: Educational Reforms in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region

Cultural representation in ESP textbooks used in Vietnamese higher education: A comparative content analysis

This study examines how culture is represented in two internationally published English for Specific Purposes (ESP) textbooks used in Vietnamese higher education, Professional English in Use: Finance (Cambridge University Press) and English for Logistics (Oxford University Press). Drawing on Cortazzi and Jin’s [15] tripartite classification of source, target, and international cultures, together with Byram’s [3] model of intercultural communicative competence (ICC), the study analyses both the cultural references contained in the textbooks and the learning opportunities through which those references are pedagogically addressed. The findings reveal contrasting cultural profiles. Target-culture content, particularly Anglo-American institutions and professional practices, predominates in the finance textbook, whereas international-culture references are more frequent in the logistics textbook. Both materials nevertheless display an almost complete absence of Vietnamese cultural perspectives. The two books also differ pedagogically. Whereas the finance textbook relies primarily on vocabulary-focused exercises, the logistics textbook includes a greater number of communicative tasks and a wider range of international settings. Even so, neither provides systematic support for all five components of Byram’s ICC model, and opportunities to develop critical cultural awareness remain particularly limited. These findings suggest that internationally published ESP textbooks cannot, by themselves, fully address the intercultural demands facing Vietnamese graduates. Locally relevant supplementary materials and tasks are therefore required to connect professional English with Vietnamese institutional contexts and the culturally diverse interactions characteristic of regional and international workplaces.

A Qualitative Study of Teaching Bahasa Indonesia with Integrated Islamic Values in an Indonesian Islamic Education Department

The integration of Islamic values into higher education has become increasingly significant in Muslim-majority contexts, where education is expected to cultivate both intellectual competence and moral character. In Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia serves not only as the national language but also as a medium for shaping identity, ethical awareness, and civic responsibility. However, limited empirical research has examined how Islamic values are systematically embedded in Bahasa Indonesia instruction within Islamic higher education. This qualitative case study investigates how lecturers in an Islamic Education Department integrate Islamic values into language teaching, the pedagogical strategies they employ, and the challenges and opportunities they encounter. Data were collected from six purposively selected lecturers through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis of syllabi and teaching materials. Thematic analysis with iterative coding and cross-source triangulation ensured credibility. Findings indicate that integration occurs through both explicit and implicit approaches. Explicit strategies include incorporating Qur’anic verses, Hadith, and ethically themed texts into language activities. Implicit integration is reflected in lecturers’ modeling of ethical conduct, classroom norms, and constructive feedback. Four key strategies emerged: moral text analysis, structured discussions, reflective writing, and project-based learning. While challenges include time constraints, material adaptation, and balancing linguistic and moral goals, the approach enhances engagement, supports holistic learning, and fosters ethical communication. The study underscores the transformative potential of Islamic-integrated language instruction in higher education.

Do Language Textbooks Challenge or Reinforce Cultural Stereotypes? Perspectives of Advanced Learners of Arabic

Language textbooks do more than facilitate linguistic development; they also mediate learners’ encounters with the cultural communities represented through the target language. This role becomes particularly significant in advanced foreign-language education, where learners are expected to engage critically with complex social, political, and cultural representations. This qualitative study examines how advanced learners of Arabic perceived and negotiated cultural representations in Al-Kitaab fii Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya, Part Three, with particular attention to whether the textbook challenged or reinforced pre-existing stereotypes about Arab cultures. The study draws on focus-group data collected from eight advanced American learners of Arabic specializing in diplomacy and politics at a language center in Rabat, Morocco. Participants had extensive experience using the textbook during their advanced Arabic studies. The focus-group discussion was audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymized, and subjected to iterative qualitative content analysis. Findings indicate a complex relationship between textbook representation and learner perception. Participants acknowledged the textbook’s contribution to introducing cultural, historical, and political issues related to the Arab world, yet they also perceived some representations as insufficiently diverse or critically contextualized. Rather than consistently disrupting pre-existing assumptions, certain representations were perceived as potentially confirming simplified understandings of Arab societies. Learners particularly emphasized the need for greater regional diversity, authentic voices, contemporary perspectives, sustained self-reflection, and opportunities for direct intercultural engagement. The findings suggest that cultural representation in advanced language textbooks should move beyond exposure to cultural information toward pedagogical practices that actively encourage learners to interrogate, reassess, and complicate their prior assumptions. The study contributes to discussions of textbook evaluation, intercultural learning, and cultural representation in Arabic-as-a-foreign-language education.

Towards an Integrative Framework for Arabic Language Curriculum Development in Indonesia: Philosophical, Sociological, Psychological, Pedagogical, and Juridical Perspectives

The development of Arabic language curricula has become increasingly important in response to rapid educational transformation, globalization, digitalization, and the growing need for curricula that are adaptive, holistic, and responsive to learners' needs. In Indonesia, the Arabic language holds a unique position—serving both as a means to develop communicative competence and as a gateway to Islamic knowledge—thereby making curriculum development a strategic issue in Islamic education. However, existing studies generally examine the philosophical, sociological, psychological, pedagogical, and legal foundations of curriculum development in isolation, resulting in a fragmented conceptual understanding. Therefore, this study aims to develop an integrative conceptual framework for Arabic language curriculum development by synthesizing these five educational foundations within the Indonesian educational context. The study employs a qualitative library research design utilizing qualitative content analysis. Data were collected from scholarly journal articles, academic books, government regulations, curriculum documents, and other relevant literature selected through purposive sampling. Data analysis involved document identification, coding, categorization, thematic synthesis, and interpretation to construct the integrated framework. The findings indicate that effective Arabic language curriculum development requires a systematic integration of philosophical values, sociocultural contexts, learners' psychological characteristics, pedagogical principles, and legal provisions. The results demonstrate that these five educational foundations cannot be viewed as standalone dimensions but rather as a system interacting dynamically to shape curriculum objectives, learning materials, instructional strategies, assessment systems, and the overall implementation of the Arabic language curriculum. This study proposes an Integrative Framework for Arabic Language Curriculum Development that bridges theoretical perspectives with practical curriculum design. The framework contributes to the field of curriculum studies by offering a multidimensional model capable of supporting the development of curricula that are more coherent, contextual, and adaptive within Islamic education.