World Applied Sciences Journal 21 (Special Issue of Studies in Language Teaching and Learning): 36-43, 2013 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2013 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wasj.2013.21.sltl.2135 Corresponding Author: Maskanah Mohammad Lotfie, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia. 36 Students' Perception of an Arabic Language Course in Humanities Degree Programmes at the International Islamic University Malaysia Maskanah Mohammad Lotfie, Badri Najib Zubir and Mohd Feham Md Ghalib Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, ¹ International Islamic University Malaysia Abstract: This study is an investigation of students’ perception of an Arabic language course taught to humanities undergraduates at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). The course, LQ 2046, is a graduation requirement taken by students after passing three lower levels of Arabic proficiency courses. The study utilised a questionnaire that was administered to students enrolled in the course. A total of 180 participants responded to 104 items on attitude towards the course, teaching techniques, teaching and learning processes, textbook as well as reading sub-skills. The students also responded to an open-ended section that sought their views and suggestions about the course. It was found that the students’ perception of the course was largely positive but they opined that a communication-based syllabus could be more beneficial for employment purposes. These findings are important in determining the future direction of the Arabic language courses for humanities students. Key words: Arabic language acquisition Humanities students Reading skills Islamic knowledge INTRODUCTION integrate the Islamic perspective with the contents of their In Malaysia, Arabic has been offered as an elective University’s mission of integration of knowledge and course for students doing English medium undergraduate infusion of Islamic values into the curriculum. programmes since the sixties in the University of Malaya. Arabic proficiency courses are made compulsory to According to M. Kamal Hassan, Arabic was available at humanities students majoring in communication, English, that time as an elective course in the Faculty of Arts, history, political science, psychology and sociology. University of Malaya for students majoring in some The medium of instruction for these programmes is academic disciplinessuch as history, geography, Malay English, yet they are required to take Arabic as a studies and Chinese studies (M. Kamal Hassan, telephone graduation requirement. Outside the Arabic speaking interview, February 15, 2013). At present, it is offered as world, particularly in Malaysia, there are hardly any other an elective course by the majority of other public institutions that impose such a requirement and this institutions of higher learning inMalaysia. However, for makes the scenario in IIUM rather unique[1]. Thus it is humanities undergraduate programmes at the interesting to find out how this requirement is perceived International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), by the students themselves. Since this scenario is rather Arabic is a compulsory component in the curriculum. unique, the writers have yet to find any studies that Students are required to take four courses up to the report on perceptions of students studying Arabic in intermediate level of proficiency in Arabic. The rationale a similar situation. This is primarily the reason that for such a requirement is to equip students with the prompted the current study. Thus, the aim of this study is language skills to read materials on Islam in Arabic, to investigate the perception of the students undertaking particularly the Qur’an and the Prophet’s traditions,since an Arabic course as part of the graduation requirements the programmes are meant to enable the students to of their English medium programmes. disciplines. This is an important step in actualising the