The Effectiveness of Employing Semantic Field Theory in Developing the Understanding, Acquisition, and Production of Linguistic Meaning among Learners of Arabic as a Non-Native Language: An Applied Linguistic Study

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of employing semantic field theory in teaching linguistic meaning to learners of Arabic as a non-native language. It adopts a linguistic approach that links the semantic analysis of linguistic texts with practical educational application. The study utilized a descriptive–analytical method to examine the theoretical foundations of semantics and semantic field theory, and an experimental method to test the effectiveness of an instructional program based on this theory in developing learners’ skills in understanding, acquiring, and producing linguistic meaning at the upper-intermediate and advanced levels.

The study was conducted on a sample of learners studying Arabic as a second language. Participants were divided into an experimental group, which studied through instructional strategies based on semantic field theory, and a control group, which studied using the traditional method. An achievement test was used to measure the level of linguistic meaning acquisition before and after the implementation of the program.

The results revealed statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group in the skills of understanding, acquiring, and producing linguistic meaning, confirming the effectiveness of employing semantic fields in organizing vocabulary and structures within interconnected semantic networks that support a deeper understanding of meaning.

The findings also indicate that teaching meaning through the semantic relationships among lexical items contributes to the development of learners’ pragmatic linguistic competence, and enhances their ability to interpret texts and produce meaning in different communicative contexts.

The study provides an applied framework for designing instructional programs based on semantic fields that can be utilized in the development of curricula for teaching Arabic to non-native speakers.