1

1

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Abbreviations

Abbreviation Meaning

TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language

IELTS International English Language Testing Sys-tem

GDP Gross Domestic Product

KSA Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

UAE United Arab Emirates

L2 Second language

OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

STEM Science, technology, engineering and mathe-matics

NZQA New Zealand Qualifications Authority

ELF English as a lingua franca

QS Quacquarelli Symonds/university rankings

UK United Kingdom

USA United State of America

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Table of ContentsAbbreviations ................................................................................................................................2

Introduction...................................................................................................................................5

1.1 Background .............................................................................................................................5

1.2 Problem statement .................................................................................................................7

1.3 Personal motivations ..............................................................................................................7

1.4 Research question .................................................................................................................. 8

1.4.1 Sub-questions .....................................................................................................................8

1.5 Justification of the study..........................................................................................................8

Literature review......................................................................................................................... 10

2.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................10

2.2 English as a global language ..................................................................................................10

2.3 International students in New Zealand..................................................................................13

2.4 Arabic students’ English preparation while in their home countries.....................................15

2.5 Arabic students’ experience with English in English-speaking nations .................................18

2.6 Conclusion............................................................................................................................. 19

Research methodology................................................................................................................21

3.1 Research purpose ................................................................................................................. 21

3.2.Research paradigm................................................................................................................21

3.3 The type of research .............................................................................................................22

3.4 Research design ....................................................................................................................22

3.5 Target population, sample, and sampling design ..................................................................23

3.5.1 Target population...............................................................................................................23

3.5.2 Sample and inclusion/exclusion criteria ............................................................................23

3.5.3 Sampling design..................................................................................................................23

3.6 Data collection ......................................................................................................................24

3.7 Data analysis .........................................................................................................................25

3.8 Ethical considerations ...........................................................................................................25

4.0 References.............................................................................................................................27

Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 34

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Investigating Learning Experiences of Arabic-speaking students studying English for Academic Purposes in New Zealand

5

1. Introduction

This paper presents a research proposal aimed at investigating the learning experiences of

Arabic students while learning English for Academic purposes in New Zealand. The study will also

establish whether differences between English language courses in these students’ home countries

and the demands of study in New Zealand challenge them, and how they respond to such chal-

lenges. The study will using use a qualitative research method. The proposal is organised into sev-

eral sections. The background will provide general information on the research topic. The next sec-

tion will provide the problem statement which will then give rise to the research purpose and the re-

search question. As part of the introduction, I will address my personal experience as an Arabic per-

son coming into New Zealand. In this section, I will offer insights into the key reasons I have cho-

sen to talk about this topic. The second chapter in the proposal will cover the literature review. The

themes covered in the section will include English as a global language, international students in

New Zealand, Arabic students’ English preparation while in their home countries, and Arabic stu-

dents’ experience with English in English-speaking nations. The final section will discuss the

methodology I will use to actualise the study. In this section, as suggested by Creswell (2013, p.

65), I will document the research paradigm, type of research, research design, target population,

sample, and sampling design, data collection, data analysis, and ethical considerations.

1.1 Background

The ability of the people to communicate effectively is a pertinent achievement. One sphere

where communication is highly pertinent is the education domain. As such, proper communication

plays a fundamental role in ensuring that instruction is constructive and that the student's academic

journey is productive. While this is the case, the rise and prevalence of globalisation have reshaped

how communication takes place in education and other spheres in society. One of the key after-

maths of globalisation is that it has led to the internationalisation of certain languages, with English

speakers being the primary beneficiary. Albeit in different variations, English is now used as the

communication language in almost every region of the world. Even the Arabic-speaking nations are

now integrating English as the priority L2 or second language into their societal systems. True to

this notion, Palestine, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Egypt, to name just a few, have now

made English teaching a crucial part of their curriculum ( Bailey, 2012, p. 178; Bianchi & Raqez,

2017, p. 150; Keong & Mussa, 2015, p. 25; Warschauer et al., 2002, p. 744).

6

Another major trend that has emerged with the rise of globalisation is students going to

other nations to pursue their studies. As such, as Gerritsen (2021) reveals, more and more students

from non-Native English-speaking countries are going into Native English-speaking countries to re-

ceive an education. New Zealand is one of the chief beneficiaries when it comes to this trend. Con-

sequently, Menchin (2021) and Joyce (2013) show that the education sector in New Zealand has

surged in its monetary worth. Joyce (2013) demonstrated that the education sector was the nation's

largest export industry, given that the industry contributed at least $2.6 billion to the nation’s GDP.

A more recent study by Menchin (2021) revealed that this worth had grown tremendously as the

value had reached the $4.5 billion level. The travel restrictions due to COVID-19 have reduced this

outcome phenomenally and the sector is now in a period of uncertainty. Nevertheless, there remain

many international students in NZ.

The integration of English in the Arabic worlds and the entry of international students into

Native English-speaking nations has led to considerable research interest in the differences between

English language courses in these students’ home countries and the demands of study in English-

speaking nations, including the underlying challenge, and responses to such challenge. Similarly,

there is now increasing inquiry into the experience of Arabic students within English contexts in

Native English-speaking nations as international students. Research seems to illustrate that the

preparation of Arabic students in their original countries has major loopholes. The idea has been

posited that non-Native English speaking teachers with very little knowledge of English themselves

contribute to adverse achievement of Arabic students when it comes to English proficiency (Al-

Qahtani & Al Zumor, 2016, p. 18; Üstünlüoglu, 2007, p. 63; Zghyer, 2014). Additionally, She-

hadeh and Dwaik (2013, p. 69), who cite class size, demonstrate the role of a limited number of

English classes, Bianchi and Razeq (2017, p. 150), who acknowledges the issue of time pressure,

and Shah et al. (2013, p. 107), who take issue with irrelevant classroom textbooks, also bring to the

attention of the reader the problematic preparation achievement of Arabic students in relation to

English learning.

With problematic preparationresults from their initial English learning, it is anticipated that

the Arabic students who pursue education in Native-English speaking nations usually face extreme

difficulties in their experience with the various demands of English. Indeed, there is sufficient re-

search that indicates such an outcome. Poor organisation of content, insufficient English vocabu-

lary, sentence structure, and idea expression, improper word choice, grammar, and sentence con-

struction are all problems exhibited by Arabic students in Native English-speaking nations. Other

challenges include lack of academic writing vocabulary, inadequate use of formal English language,

insufficient ability to find credible or relevant sources of information (references), and inability to

7

paraphrase materials appropriately are all problems exhibited by Arabic students in Native English-

speaking nations (Abdulkareem, 2013, p. 1552; Al Murshidi, 2014, p. 87; Ankawi, 2015, p. 54;

Keong & Mussa, 2015, p. 25)

1.2 Problem statement

There is a range of general literature about the experience of Arabic students entering ter-

tiary study overseas, but that very little of it has been undertaken in New Zealand. The Arabic stu-

dents are an important cohort within the New Zealand institutions and have been for several

decades. Therefore, it is important that we understand more about them. In the proposed study, I

will use citations from research in both Arabic and English citation. This study will be hard because

it took me enormous time to find references related to my research, which focuses exclusively on

Arabic students in New Zealand. There are not many studies can help me in such a focus. Neverthe-

less, there are many resources that can help me think and make my idea close and deep.

1.3 Personal Motivations I have studied English in throughout my whole education in Jordan. One of the key high-

lights was that I completed my bachelor's degree in English literature in Jordan. Therefore, I had a

very good background in English before coming to New Zealand. While this is the case, English

teaching and learning in Jordan during my time was very restricted in that it was only taught/learned

during English lessons. Despite the case, I considered myself excellent in speaking and writing Eng-

lish. I did my IELTS preparation and TOEFL exams in Jordan. When I first came here, in line with

Ankawi’s (2015, p. 54) thoughts, I found the English style to be very different from what I had be-

come accustomed to. I established that, unlike the case in New Zealand, my English was not stan-

dard. Therefore, I decided to continue with my English learning curve. Hence, I decided to enrol in

a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics.

At first, a result corresponding with the findings by Ankawi (2015, p. 54), I found it very

hard to pursue the underlying units. The whole method of study was different from my tertiary

study in Jordan. A few weeks into the Master's course, I felt that I was doing what was right but was

not getting desirable results, may be because I didn’t know what I should be doing to meet the

needs of the course . Thus, I found that I needed support so that I could study in the right way. Con-

sequently, I had to seek support services to help me know exactly how to write and study in an aca-

demic way. With time, I became attuned to how to understand assignment topics and produce the

kinds of assignments that were required, which put me on the right track in pursuance of my Mas-

ter's degree in Applied Linguistics. Therefore, I have intense personal experience of what it feels

like to be an Arabic-speaking student studying in an English language environment. Besides, I am

8

increasingly aware of the challenges and experiences they usually have when they get into the coun-

try, an idea echoed by Ankawi (2015). Nonetheless, I cannot rely on my prior experience. Instead, I

would like to know the experiences of others, and hence determine if my encounters are generalis-

able to other Arabic learners in NZ.

1.4 Research question

The overarching research question the research study will seek to answer is: what are the

learning experiences of Arabic students while learning English for Academic purposes in New Zea-

land? Underlying this are several sub-questions:

1.4.1 Sub-questions

• What were the early English-learning experiences of the students at school, college, or Uni-

versity?

• What were their expectations of English study in New Zealand before arrival?

• How did students prepare for their study abroad in New Zealand?

• how How have they interacted with their situation in New Zealand and what have been their

challenges and successes?

1.5 Justification of the study

It is hoped that the successful completion of the designated or proposed study is indeed im-

portant. It is anticipated that the study will help to fill the gap in the literature as identified previ-

ously in this section. Therefore, owing to this study, the knowledge on the preparation of Arabic-

speaking students in English while in their home countries and their experiences with the language

and its dynamics once they set intoarrive in a Native English-speaking context for international

studies will become more targeted. Consequently, future researchers will be provided with a better

theoretical framework to inform their studies on the same topic. The successful completion of the

study is also meaningful because it will shape the practice. For example, depending on the out-

comes of the study, teachers and other stakeholders in the Arabic-speaking nations will become bet-

ter informed on how well or badly theyto prepare their students when it comes to English language

learning. Therefore, the stakeholders will create reforms that will see them improve the practice.

Additionally, the outcomes of the proposed study will help to illustrate the experiences of the Ara-

bic-speaking students in New Zealand with English. Therefore, the education administrators in the

9

schools, universities, and college institutions in the country will make efforts to challenge the nega-

tive experiences while improving the positive encounters.

10

2. Literature Review2.1 Introduction

In this chapter, the purpose is to review, from a critical sense, the current body of knowledge

that relates to the focus research topic, namely, "The learning experiences of Arabic students while

learning English for Academic purposes in New Zealand." In pursuance of this objective, this sec-

tion will draw from a set of distinct sources, for example, peer-reviewed journal articles, scholarly

articles, books, and government sources. The literature review is organised around a set of themes

founded on the research questions I wants to address. Thus, the focus areas will include English as a

global language, iInternational students in New Zealand, Arabic students’ English proficiency while

in their home countries, and Arabic students’ experience with English in English-speaking nations.

2.2 English as a global language

English has increasingly become the global language through which people communicate. In

his study, Rao (2019, p. 65) reveals that in the 21st century, the globe has narrowed down, and be-

come sharable, accessible, and familiar for every person, and this trend has much to do with the

globalisation of the English language. The researcher documents that the primary reason for the

spread of English is the notion that the language is easily learnable relative to other languages. The

spread of English globally has led to the coinage of the phrase ELF, which translates into English as

an international language. Originally, English was identified as the language of the British. While

this is the case, it has increasingly become a language of an array of former British colonies, includ-

ing Australia, the U.S., Nigeria, Canada, India, and South Africa. In the modern -day, Rao (2019, p.

67) clarifies that English has become the principal language of nations and states influenced by

British colonialism. As if not enough, the researcher confirms that English has become the chief

language used in trade, business, commerce, and almost every social sphere. Melitz (2018, p. 1) , in

her book, echoes the ideas presented by Rao (2019, p. 65),. In correspondence, Melitz (2018, p. 1)

statinges that there has never been a language spoken more widely across the world than English.

Nonetheless, Melitz (2018, p. 1)she advances novel thoughts, which indeed expand the scope of

Rao’s (2019, p. 65) study, arguing that the expansion of English globally is propelled majorly

through the mass media, for example, songs, films, and television. Nonetheless, Melitz (2018, p. 1)

presents a puzzling claim by stating that insofar as English is a global language, several populations

consume the language even without understanding the meaning. However, Rao (2019, p. 67) shows

how the world, especially the non-native English speakers, has made efforts to meet the challenge.

Essentially, while maintaining the very fabric on which the English language is founded, these com-

munities have come up with new English variations. An example of such is Pidgin English, which a

report by BBC defines as a mixture of English and local African languages (BBC, 2016).

11

In his study, Kachru (1992) generates a World English model by dividing the world into

three essential concentric circles (see Figure 1). The innermost circle constitutes regions in which

English is the predominant language. These regions include New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Aus-

tralia, Canada, and the U.S.A . The outer circle constitutes those nations that Britain and the U.S.A

colonised, which include Singapore and India, where, even though the language is not predominant,

it has continued receiving essentially strong support (Kachru, 1992). The expanding circle consti-

tutes nations that do not fall within the outer or inner circles. The countries in this sphere are those

where English is not institutionalised as the official language, but its essence as a foreign language

is largely recognised in different institutions found within tourism, instructional settings, and inter-

national bodies (Kachru, 1992, p. 23). The countries that lie within this circle are include Egypt,

China, Korea, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.

Figure 1: World English Model by (Kachru, 1992)

Source: Kachru (1992)

The model identified above is meaningful, given that it has provided many researchers with

a framework for analysing the spread of English, and its status, at the global front. Indeed, re-

searchers such as Rao (2019, p. 67) and Melitz (2018, p. 1) all use the model, though they barely ac-

knowledge it. While this is the case, the model has some loopholes, which several researchers and

scholars have highlighted. For example, the study by Park and Wee (2009, p. 389) illustrates that

the model is insufficient since it does not account for the heterogeneity of communities that have

adopted the use of the English language. Other researchers such as Pennycook (2017, p. 47) show

that the model is inadequate because it is tied to national identities. If this is the case, it means that

the model is subjective, which implies that it is not immune to biases. The criticisms surrounding

the Kachru World English model have led to the emergence of another framework in the form of

12

ELF. According to Cogo (2018, p. 357), ELF is the medium of language contact between individu-

als or communities that do not have a mutual native language or culture, as well as those who select

English as a language for expression. Lewandowska (2019, p. 28) shows the robust nature of ELF

by asserting that the framework transcends boundaries by allowing for constant variations that re-

sult from the users' backgrounds, both sociocultural and linguistic, that influence their performance.

Lewandowska (2019, p. 28) shows that there have been criticisms of the ELF model advanced by

scholars such as Jenkins (2000, p. 45), Dewey (2006, p. 230), Breiteneder (2005, p. 3), and Seidl-

hofer (2001, p. 133). While this is the case, Lewandowska (2019, p. 28) confers that these issues

have not resulted in the ELF model developing into a codified variety, which is a problem illus-

trated by the Kachru World English model. Pennycook (2017, p. 47) adds to the value of ELF by

highlighting that ELF does not engage adequately with issues of power, an issue typical with

Kachru’s model.

Crystal (2003) reveals that in the modern era, English is dominant in every area. In

addition, the researcher expresses that the number of people that are desiring to learn the

language is increasing each day. This is demonstrated by the notion that each day, the

number of students enrolling for English language lessons is surging year after year. If

anything, there is no country across the world that does not emphasise the need for teaching

English at every education level.

و الهندسة تدريس في الرئيسية اللغة أصبحت الإنجليزية اللغة أن (2004) الجرف ريما الدكتورة تقول” متزايد بشكل   والصيدلة والحاسب الطب

”.طويلة لفترة الراهن الوضع هذا ساد وقد ، العربية الجامعات في“Al-Jarf (2004) purports that the English language has increasingly become

the key language in teaching engineering, medicine, computers, and pharmacy in the

Arabic Universities, and this status quo has prevailed for an essentially long time.”

[English language has increasingly become the key language in teaching engineering,

medicine, computers, and pharmacy in the Arabic Universities, and this status quo has pre-

vailed for an essentially long time (Al-Jarf, (2004, p. ?)]

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2.3 International students in New Zealand

New Zealand (one of Kachru’s,1992, inner circle countries) has been a beneficiary of this

growing interest in learning English. It has for a long time been a hub for international students

wanting to pursue their knowledge of English and other educational subjects within an English-

speaking environment. Gerritsen (2021), who is an education correspondent for RNZ (Radio New

Zealand), reveals that, according to recent Immigration New Zealand statistics, there are currently

only 38,954 foreign students in the nation. Nonetheless, Gerritsen (2021)he identified that there are

usually at least 86,000 foreign students in New Zealand at any one time. Additional 120,000 foreign

students pass through New Zealand’s education system over the course of any year. In light of these

statistics, it is right to claim that the recent figure (38,954) is very low. However, this does not mean

that the education quality or standards in New Zealand has have diminished. Instead, the current

Covid-19 pandemic in the name of Covid-19 has much to do with the dwindling number of interna-

tional students in New Zealand. Suffice to state that International education for foreign students is a

highly valuable economic sector. In his political press release, Stephen Joyce (2013), then Minister

of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, revealedls that the sector was the nation’s largest

export industry. In particular, the researcher claims claimed that the industry contributes at least

$2.6 billion to the nation’s GDP. However, writing for the Pie News, Menchin (2021) provided

some updates by claiming that education for international students generates an average of $4.5 bil-

lion, and this was especially the case during the pre-Covid-19 period.

While the foreign students in New Zealand come from different parts of the world, an im-

portant proportion constitutes those learners coming from Arabic-speaking countries, for example,

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Egypt. An article by the Waikato Institute of Education

(2021) provides essential insights to authenticate the assertion above. The report identifies that each

year, Arabic students come into New Zealand to pursue education at varying education levels. The

report states that most of the Arabic students who arrive in New Zealand are tertiary level learners.

However, there are also significant enrolments in the lower grades. This particular article does not

provide any statistics. Apart from this, the report but is based on what has happened over the years

at the institute. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether the information presented by the Waikato

Institute of Education (2021) about the size of Arabic students is generalisable to other schools in

New Zealand. There are, nonetheless, indications about the application of the findingsthat the same

situation applies in other educational contexts. This is particularly so given that For example, there

is a wide range of scholarship programs that strive to provide opportunities to Arabic students to

study in New Zealand, as reported by ScholarshipsAds Inc. (2021), . ScholarshipsAds, which claims

14

to be the largest online database for postgraduates, graduates, and fellowships. Therefore, the insti-

tution is a credible source of information, hence the believability of the insights it disseminates. In

2011, the number of Arabic students studying in NZ at the tertiary level shot up significantly (at

least three-fold), given that the population of these students had reached the 6,343 level. Shaw

(2009) appears to shows that the Arabic-speaking students in New Zealand are majorly from Saudi

Arabia. The researcher reasons that the enrolment of KSA students in various education centres in

the country is influenced by the presence of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque Scholarship

Programme, which is a KSA government-funded scholarship initiative that supports students to go

and study abroad. This finding, therefore, echoes the idea presented by ScholarshipsAds (2021).

Even so, Shaw (2009) claims that there has been a decline in the number of Arabic-speaking stu-

dents in the country, and this issue has been propelled by changes in the rules for the scholarship

program outlined above by the government of Saudi Arabia.

The key to the growing prominence of New Zealand as a destination for international stu-

dents is typically the quality and standard of education in New Zealand, not to mention the suffi-

ciency of the educational institutions in the country. This notion is indeed reflected in a series of

studies. For example, a report by New Zealand Immigration (2021) reveals that ensuring a good ed-

ucation for everyone is one of the main Kiwi concepts of giving each person a fair go. The report

also claims that New Zealand is comfortably in the top 20 nations for standard school and educa-

tion, an outcome that OECD affirmed in 2016. New Zealand Immigration further relays that each of

the eight universities in the country is ranked in the top 500 QS World University Rankings

2016/2017. As well, New Zealand Immigration (2021) reveals that at least 90% of the parents in the

HSBC’s 2015 Expat Explorer Survey reveal indicate that the quality of education in the nation is

the same, or even better than what was offered in the home countries. Besides, the survey showed

that almost 70% of the parents expressed that their young ones were not only more confident but

also well-rounded as a result of their time spent while living and schooling in New Zealand. There-

fore, New Zealand Immigration (2021) indicates that the country prides itself on an education sys-

tem that is world-class, responsive, and modern. The high quality of education in New Zealand has

also been reflected in a set of studies, for example, those by Wright (2010) and Naidoo (2005).

With the proliferation of international students, including Arabic-speaking ones, in New

Zealand, the authorities in the country have made efforts to make the situation for this population

even more appealing. For example, as NZQA (2016) reveals, the New Zealand government has in-

stituted the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (NZQA, 2016), which

seeks to ensure that the instruction providers in the country are active in taking care of the interna-

tional students. One of the mandatory priorities of the teachers and other school administrators is to

optimise the safety of the international students. Nevertheless, studies show that, even with the high

15

quality of education and the presence of the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International

Students, there are increasing concerns regarding the preparedness of the international students,

most of whom come from global contexts where English is not the first language, to undertake aca-

demic studies through the English medium. In response to this quagmire, authorities in New Zea-

land have developed English language proficiency tests designed to determine if the English profi-

ciency of international students is adequate (Hayes & Read, 2003).

2.4 Arabic students’ English preparation while in their home countries

In the Arabic world, English has become a pertinent part of the people's way of life. There-

fore, the language has infiltrated almost every sector, including schools. Voicing this concern,

Badry and Willoughby (2016) and Boraie et al. (2017) both agree that English has become a lan-

guage of instruction in the majority of universities and colleges in the Arabic-speaking nations. The

researchers purport that English has now become mandatory for Arabic students in Science, Tech-

nology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM) subjects. This outcome has been augmented by the no-

tion that most nations in the Arabic world have adopted education policies and reform initiatives

that emphasise the need for learning English. While this is the case, different Arabic governments

have adopted different strategies to orient their students to English. For example, Barnawi (2009, p.

62) reveals that in KSA, the government is continuing to encourage tertiary institutions in the coun-

try to engage in partnership programs with educational partners from English-speaking countries to

help the students become familiar with English.

UAE is perhaps a marker nation when it comes to preparing its students to become profi-

cient in English. Teaching English in this particular country was integrated into the school curricu-

lum in the 1910s. Consequently, English is now an L2 language taught as a compulsory subject at

every public-school level. Warschauer et al. (2002, p. 744) profile the case of Egypt, another Arab-

speaking nation. He documents that in this nation, English is the main foreign language. Conse-

quently, the Egyptian Ministry of Education found it paramount to amend its education policy so

that the regime could enhance the teaching and learning of the English language in public schools.

The agency did this by introducing English as a subject at all primary school levels. Abdel Latif

(2014, p. 50) identifies that the Egyptian government pursued the reform in two fundamental stages.

The first phase came about in 1993 after the Egyptian Ministry of Education integrated English into

the fourth and fifth-grade education process. The second phase was implemented in 2003 after the

Egyptian Ministry of Education introduced the language as part of the first-grade curriculum (Abdel

Latif, 2014, p. 51).

16

Palestine is following the trends set in the other Arabic countries, perhaps influenced by the

notion that the country is a British Mandate establishment, as Bianchi and Raqez (2017, p. 150)

highlighted. Consequently, a finding reflected in the study by Amara (2003, p. 221), the English

language and knowledge of it has increasingly become a powerful status symbol, not to mention a

class marker in the country. Hence, one would expect that English has proliferated in the school

context. This is indeed the case, owing to the notion that it is a fundamental part of the Palestinian

curriculum (Bianchi & Raqez, 2017, p. 150). Suffice to state that the administration of the English

curriculum is facilitated through partnership projects. For example, the government works hand-in-

hand with McMillan Education, a western firm known for publishing English content, to help the

students gain proficiency in the language. Dajani and McLaughlin (2009, p. 44) confirm that Pales-

tinians are oriented to English at a very early age. The researchers indicate that English in Palestine

is introduced to children early (first grade) to help them familiarise themselves with the language,

which is dominant in science and technology, a fundamental tool for pursuing tertiary education,

and a means for communicating with the wider community. Jordan follows the same system and

procedure as Palestine especially in the case of private schools. As such, students’ exposure to Eng-

lish language starts at a very early stage (Alhabahba et al., 2016).

In relation to the integration of English as part of the school curricula in the Arabic-speaking

nations, several researchers have attempted to go deeper and establish how English instruction

builds proficiency in students in the Arabic world. It appears that there is a consensus among re-

searchers that these students in Arabic worlds where English is being taught tendtend not to achieve

proficiency in the language. One of the most prominent studies in this regard is that by Keong and

Mussa (2015, p. 25). The researchers reveal that in the Arabic world, the English language is usu-

ally taught as a foreign language. Nevertheless, as Üstünlüoglu (2007, p. 63) shows, non-Native

English-speaking teachers are assigned with the mandate to teach the English language to students.

Another study by Al-Khatib (2017, p. 74) illustrates that foreign learner context, in most cases, does

not have the incentive to use the English language external to the classroom level. Another study by

Zghyer (2014) demonstrates that the chances are that the Arabic students do not have appropriate

levels of English language exposure. If this is the case, then it is highly possible that the Arabic stu-

dents cannot attain optimal English proficiency. Even though this is the case, there are several posi-

tives observed by researchers about the English teachers in Arabic-speaking countries. For example,

these teachers know exactly and understands the students’ problems. This is so because they have

passed through the same situation as the students (Ankawi,2015, p. 54).

17

The ill-poor preparation of English language learners in the Arabic world has also been in-

fluenced by systemic issues. In their study, Shehadeh and Dwaik (2013, p. 69) express that in Pales-

tine, the class size is one of the hindrances related to English teaching and learning. The researchers

established that in Asian nations, the class size might reach as high as 50 students. Shehadeh and

Dwaik (2013, p. 69) assert that excessively large class size is detrimental because it decreases the

speed of covering the teaching material. This is so given thatT teachers have to organise students

into very large groups, which makes coordination essentially challenging. Shehadeh and Dwaik

(2013, p. 69) also cite the limited duration of English classes. The problem is that it is almost im-

possible to engage in an additional practice that is in some cases necessary, especially where the

English language unit contains dense information or where some learners typify slower learning

rates and appear to fall behind. Bianchi and Razeq (2017, p. 170) add to the understanding of these

systematic challenges by highlighting the case of pressure experienced by the teachers. The re-

searchers illustrate that the non-Native English language teachers in the Arabic world, and espe-

cially in Palestine, are primarily mandated to teach English to prepare the students solely for exams.

Consequently, time pressure is a sad reality for the teachers. The problem with such an obstacle is

that it unsettles the teachers such that they are not able to teach the language in the most productive

way possible. Shah et al. (2013, p. 107) also took issue with the classroom textbooks used for teach-

ing English in the Arab world. The researchers express that the relevance of the textbooks is mini-

mal. This is so, given that theThe textbooks usually do not relate much to the local context, meaning

that they might not align well with the learning styles of the Arabic students. Consequently, the po-

tential of the students to become adept in English is diminished.

يوا التي أهمية الأكثر التحدي أن كشفت(2020) الأرياني اروى الدكتورة أجرتها أخرى دراسة في"هؤلاء السفر أثناء الطلاب جهه ان و وثقافيز علمي الاساس في هو الخارج في للدراسة

الط هؤلاء ،يعاني نفسه الوقت في .المضيف البلد في المستخدمة باللغة جيدة دراية على ليسوا الطلابإ الافتقار :نواجها التي الأخرى الرئيسية التحديات وتشمل .الإنجليزية اللغة إجادة مستوى ضعف من لابالبحث المهارات لى مهارات ضعف و الدراسة، بمجال المعرفة وتناقص التكنولوجيا، ثقافة .في

الوظائف العمل مهارات الطلاب يمتلك لا ، ذلك على علاوة و الواجبات و المناسبة ." الجماعي

“Another study by Aleryani (2020) reveals that the most critical challenge that students face

while travelling to study overseas are fundamentally scientific and cultural. Hence, these students

are not well aware of the language used in the host nation. Other key challenges faced include lack

of adeptness in the technology culture, diminishing knowledge of the field of study, and low re-

search skills. What is more, the students do not have proper teamwork, tasks, and duty skills.”

18

2.5 Arabic students’ experience with English in English-speaking nations

Another area that has attracted the interest of researchers and scholars is the experience of

Arabic students with English when they come to study in English-speaking nations. One of the most

vocal studies in this regard is that by Keong and Mussa (2015, p. 25), who investigated the writing

experiences of Iraqi students who go to Malaysia to study in higher education facilities. The re-

searcher, in line with Junina (2019, p. 65) thoughts, shows that the Iraqi students usually depict lan-

guage problems in their writing while their organisation of content, demonstrated through poor ref-

erencing, weak idea expression, and weak organisation, is severe. The language problems come in

the form of diminished vocabulary use, persistently making excessive grammatical errors, and lack

of exemplar ability to paraphrase. Abdulkareem (2013, p. 1552) also focuses on the Arabic students

in Malaysia. Like Keong and Mussa (2015, p. 25), Abdulkareem (2013, p. 1552) shows that the

Arabic-speaking students in Malaysia made persistent errors while writing in English. The most

prevalent errors were within the spectrum of vocabulary, sentence structure, and idea expression.

The findings above were echoed in the study by Al Murshidi (2014, p. 87), even though thiswhose

inquiry focuses on the case of Arabic-speaking students from The United Arab Emirates and Saudi

Arabia who go to the U.S.A. universities and colleges for studies. The researchers, also focusing on

the English writing proficiency of the subjects, established that the majority of these students do not

find it enjoyable to complete written assignments. The students were especially troubled by word

choice, grammar, and sentence construction. Nonetheless, such problems are experienced more by

Saudi students relative to their UAE peers. Therefore, the researchers indicated the need for more

coursework in academic writing to prepare the Arabic-speaking students to become better in Eng-

lish proficiency.

Another study by Bailey (2012, p. 178) shows that the Syrian students that come to study in

the United Kingdom find the writing process highly problematic for them. The researcher reveals

that the English writing process the Syrians are taught while in their home country is different from

the one encountered in the UK. For example, in Syria, the teachers ask the students to make the title

very detailed. However, in the UK, the title is succinct but comprehensive. There are also studies

performed in New Zealand, with the one byincluding Ankawi (2015, p. 117) being one of the most

prominent. The researcher establishes that the attitudes of the Saudi students in New Zealand to-

wards not only learning but also using the English language were not positive. The key reason for

such a situation, according to the researcher, was the problematic conception of English arising

from inadequate preparation for the requirement of studying through the English language. The

study illustrates that some of the most common problems faced by the Saudi students in New Zea-

land include lack of academic writing vocabulary, inadequate use of formal English language, in-

19

sufficient ability to find credible or relevant sources of information (references), and inability to

paraphrase materials appropriately.

2.6 Conclusion

This section of the research proposal has presented a critical literature review in which the

current body of knowledge that has touched on the various aspects of the topic has been assessed. It

has been established that the degree of contradictions or contrast between different studies is mini-

mal if at all there is any. There is a general agreement that international students have entered Eng-

lish-speaking worlds in pursuance of higher education. The cohort of Arabic students, as this litera-

ture review has established, is significant. New Zealand is a vivid beneficiary in this regard, and this

has much to do with high-quality educational infrastructure. The current literature has also con-

verged in that they all agree on the Arabic world’s journey in integrating English in their education

sphere. The teachers assigned with the role of imparting English language knowledge to the Arabic-

speaking students know exactly and understands the students’ problems. As such, these teachers

have passed through the same situation as the students. I have had an experience with this, hence

can ascertain the underlying positive as described above. While this is the case, the studies appear to

agree that English education in Arabic countries is largely problematic. Among the challenges the

literature review has highlighted include are the irrelevant teaching materials, exceedingly large

class sizes, and heavily accented teacher instruction. With such challenges, any reasonable person

should expect that the preparation of students from Arabic nations as they come into English-speak-

ing contexts is challenging.

This is indeed the true situation, as researchers and scholars have shown that Arabic students

in English-speaking nations such as New Zealand manifest problematic outcomes in their quest to

learn and study English. Among others, the problems most often attributable to these students in-

clude the inability to paraphrase materials, challenges expressing ideas, poor sentence structures,

and severely poor word choices. These challenges, the literature review has shown, are detrimental

because they trigger negative attitudes towards English by the Arabic students in English-speaking

worlds. There is a range of general literature about the experience of Arabic students entering ter-

tiary study overseas, but that very little of it has been undertaken in New Zealand. The Arabic stu-

dents are an important cohort within the New Zealand institutions and have been for several

decades. Therefore, it is important that we understand more about them.

20

3. Research MethodologyIn this chapter, the focus is presenting the research methodology I will use to complete the

proposed study, which is collecting the required data and analysing the information. The chapter

will cover several facets. Firstly, I will discuss the methodological paradigm or approach I will

adopt. I will indicate the type of study, including how it relates to the research paradigm selected

before shifting attention to the research design adopted in pursuance of the research objective. The

chapter will then discuss the target population, sample, and sampling design. Next, I will demon-

strate the data collection instruments and procedures followed to collect the necessary data. After

discussing the research ethics related to the proposed study, the succeeding section will define the

data analysis process. Before detailing these themes, this section provides a recap of the research

purpose, research question, sub-questions, and research objectives I want to address (see appendix

1).

3.1 Research purpose

In light of the research problem outlined above, the proposed study will seek to investigate

the learning experiences of Arabic students while learning English for Academic purposes in New

Zealand. The study will also establish how well these students are prepared in the English language

in their home countries before they come to New Zealand using a qualitative research method.

3.2 Research paradigm

Morgan (2007, p. 48) defines a research paradigm as a set of practices and beliefs that guide

scientific research. Numerous research paradigms prevail. However, the one that fits the present

study best is constructivist. According to Mason (2002, p. 67), the constructivist perspective holds

out that reality is not only a socially situated objective but also a subjective one. Accordingly, as

Creswell (2013, p. 65) asserts, there is no single truth about one context that can be generalised to

another. Besides, multiple realities are constructed through people's lived experiences. I wish to fo-

cus on the lived experiences of a group of Arabic-speaking students in New Zealand. Therefore, my

concern is in line with the principles of constructivist perspective. In addition, I want to understand

the multiple realities that the Arabic students in New Zealand have constructed about their experi-

ences with the English language and related processes in New Zealand and the nature of their Eng-

lish language while still in their nations of origin. Such a pathway is also supported by the construc-

tivist paradigm as defined above. Additionally, in accordance with the constructivist paradigm, I

will take on the role of uncovering the participants' insider view. On their part, the research partici-

pants will assist me in constructing the necessary subjective reality.

21

3.3 The type of research

There are three types of research methods: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods re-

search. However, as qualitative research is the one that fits the constructivist approach best, I will

adopt this type of inquiry. According to Creswell (2013, p. 65), qualitative research refers to a form

of inquiry in which the researcher seeks to uncover trends in opinions and thoughts, besides delving

deeper into the phenomenon under question. I will invite the participants to express their own reali-

ties in their own words without being bound by preconceptions on the part of the researcher. I want

to discover trends in the thoughts and opinions of Arabic students currently studying in New Zea-

land about their experience with English and underlying processes and their viewpoints about how

well they were prepared for the language in their host countries. Consequently, I will be provided

with an understanding of whether the experience is positive or negative and if their preparation be-

fore coming to New Zealand for the language was optimal.

3.4 Research design

A research design is the overall strategy a researcher selects to integrate all the various com-

ponents of a study in a logical and coherent manner, hence ensuring that they address the research

problem more effectively. The research design typically constitutes the blueprint for amassing, mea-

suring, and analysing data. Thus, the research design is the framework of research methods and ap-

proaches or techniques an investigator selects. In qualitative research, there are several research de-

signs available to a researcher. However, the one that fits the proposed study best is phenomenol-

ogy. According to Creswell (2013), phenomenology refers to the study of a phenomenon as it mani-

fests in people's experiences, of the way they perceive and understand the issue at hand, and of the

meaning a problem has in individuals' subjective experience. Hence, phenomenology is the study of

a person's/community's lived experience of the world (Neubauer et al., 2019, p. 92). The proposed

study is indeed in correspondence with the dynamics of a phenomenological study. I intend to un-

derstand the subjective lived experience of the Arabic students with English in New Zealand. I also

want to come into terms with the nature of preparation the Arabic students had before coming into

New Zealand to study. A major part of these motives is to know how the subjects perceive and un-

derstand their exposure to English in both contexts. In light of this context, the application of a phe-

nomenological study will come in handy.

22

3.5 Target population, sample, sampling design

3.5.1 Target population

In research, the target population reflects the entire set of units, which can be objects or peo-

ple, for which the survey data are to be used to make inferences. The target population, therefore,

for the proposed study is the entire range of Arabic-speaking students in New Zealand undertaking

an education course, whether at the high school, college, or university level. So I have chosen to

limit the location to Christchurch, a major university city and recipient of international students.

3.5.2 Sample and inclusion/exclusion criteria

I will select four Arabic-speaking students drawn from a New Zealand institute located in

Christchurch. The sample design will not be completed until they consent to take part in this re-

search (see appendices 2,3). I will employ the use of inclusion and exclusion criteria to select this

sample. For a member of the larger or target population to be eligible for participating in the study,

they must be Arabic-speaking and attending the New Zealand iInstitute. Another criterion is that for

a subject to stand a chance of being selected, he or she must have come from an Arabic country.

Therefore, the excluding criteria are that the members of the target group who do not come from an

Arabic country and attend a New Zealand Institute but who speak Arabic and study in New Zealand

will not be selected to take part in the study. The other criteriaon are is that a person, to become eli-

gible for selection, must have had an experience with English in the country from which they came

before entering New Zealand. Therefore, an Arabic-speaking student who will not havehas not had

a prior experience with English in the home country will not qualify for selection.

3.5.3 Sampling design

Sampling design refers to the framework a researcher uses to select the sample subjects

from the target population. There are two general types of sampling designs. These are random and

non-random sampling designs. In random sampling designs, a researcher gives each member of the

target sample a chance to be selected to become a member of the sample group. The non-random

sampling design involves selecting the sample subjects without employing probabilistic methods.

Therefore, the process of selecting the subjects is solely on the subjective understanding of the re-

searcher. There are different types of non-random sampling designs. However, the one that will re-

flect in the proposed study is the purposive sampling approach. In purposive sampling, the re-

searcher relies on their own judgment when selecting the study sample group. There are several

types of purposive sampling approach, one of the most prominent being the convenience sampling

method.

23

3.6 Data collection

Once I select the four convenience participants using convenience sampling, I will adminis-

ter the data collection process. I will collect data using a semi-structured interview method. I will

engage in a one-on-one session with each respondent, one at a time, in which I will ask the subjects

a set of open-ended questions. The interview guide will have several sections (see Appendix 4). The

first section will be an introductory section in which the questions will be geared towards knowing

the education background of the country from which a respondent hail. Section two will contain

questions that solicit information about the expectations or preparations for coming into New Zea-

land. The next section will contain questions asking for the challenges and positives the students

face or experience. The fourth section will ask the respondents about their interactions with their sit-

uation. The fifth section will request the respondents to present any questions or suggest advice to

future students. The essence of these questions is to ensure that the respondents express themselves

in-depth. I will interview the students in Arabic as it is the language that they are best familiar with.

Each interview session, which will take place in one secure location at the selected New Zealand

iInstitute, will take between 45 and 60 minutes. In addition, during the interviews, I will record the

presentation or responses of each sample member using a smartphone audio recorder application.

After administering the interviews, I will then administer the second instrument. At the heart

of the second instrument will be inviting the four participants to make an entry on a graphic organ-

iser for four weeks. During each week, I will send the graphic organiser containing one follow-up

question. The questions will be different each week. I will send the graphic organiser to each mem-

ber of the sample through the students' WhatsApp. Once the respondents attend to each week's

question, I will provide feedback through a personal WhatsApp chat. The key reason for using

WhatsApp is because it is the most familiar and famous App used by Arabic speakers. Through the

WhatsApp, the participants will be able to ask me any question or advice at the follow up if they

wish or need any help according to their studying.

I will use the two data collection approaches (WhatsApp and Interview) to create an effec-

tive balance. It is possible that some students will prefer meeting me face-to-face while others will

favour writing their responses out. Some students might feel tongue-tied when meeting face-to-face.

For such students, they might want to acknowledge the need for getting time to reflect on their

thoughts and then record them in writing. Other students may establish that asking them to take

time to write out the responses might be unproductive. The interview will act as a motivator of re-

flection on their experience, and that some students will then be able to reflect with insight on the

experiences they are having in class. Therefore, by using the two data collection instruments, I will

effectively balance the various stakes at hand in the data collection process. It is also worth noting

that the use of two methods of collecting data I will employ in my research will serve to ensure tri-

24

angulation. Therefore, I am assured that the results of my study will be robust while reliability will

be supported accordingly.

3.7 Data analysis

I will then perform qualitative research analysis. The precise approach used will be content

analysis. After transcribing the responses (transferring them from the audio recorder to Microsoft

Office Word), I will start the content analysis process. The procedure will be systematic. I will de-

fine the units and categories of analysis. Next, I will develop a set of rules for coding. Conse-

quently, I will code the text in line with the coding rules generated. Ultimately, I will analyse the

outcomes and draw conclusions.

3.8 Ethical considerations

I will observe the highest ethical standards when executing the study. I will not access the

likely participants before seeking authorisation from the administrators at the Institute. At the mo-

ment, I got the locality approval from the institute but now I am waiting for the consent form to be

signed by the Arabic students after they read the information letter of the research (see appendices

5,6). The institute team will email those students on my behalf and send them the information letter

and the consent form. After being granted authorisation, I will seek to invite participation in the

study. For those participants selected, I will collect informed consent to ensure that their participa-

tion is voluntary and not coerced. During the data collection, I will perform the semi-structured in-

terviews in a secret private location. The essence of doing this is to ensure that the collection of data

is privateconfidential. In addition, when recording or reporting data, confidentiality will be ob-

served. Hence, I will not require the respondents to identify themselves. Besides, when reporting the

data, no person-identifying information, such as the names of the participants, will appear. Instead, I

will identify the respondents using pseudonyms. During storage, I will assign an authentication

process to the transcribed data. However, for the recordings, I will delete them within three years of

the completion of the project. Suffice to state that any respondent will be free to leave the study at

any time without explaining the reason for such a resolution. No punitive measure will be imposed

for such a participant. This information will be clarified in the consent form, which the participants

will sign. It is also important to state that my project was assessed as low risk as a result by

MUHEC. Besides, the inquiry was considered by the ethics committee of the institute.

25

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Appendices

Appendix 1

Research Design form

Instrument One:

In the research, a semi-structured interviews will be performed. The interview will involve asking

those who will take part in the study several open-ended questions. The essence is to collect in-

depth information about the experience of the respondents in learning English for academic pur-

pose.

Research questions addressed:

The following are the research questions (RQs) I will seek to address in the research.

Overarching question:

What are the learning experiences of Arabic students while learning English for Academic

purposes in New Zealand?

Sub-questions:

32

What were the early English-learning experiences of the students at school, college, or Uni-

versity?

What were their expectations of English study in New Zealand before arrival?

How did students prepare for their study abroad in New Zealand?

How have they interacted with their situation any challenge/success?

Participants:

The participants of the study will be Arabic-speaking students drawn from New Zealand Institution.

The participants will be between four and six students. While the respondents and I have no rela-

tionship, but came from the same background. As such, we are all Arabic. No pilot study will be

performed.

Questions/tasks

The semi-structured interview process will take place in a secure place . In each session, I will en-

gage in a one-on-one interaction during which I will ask a set of questions. Each interview session

will take between 45 and 60 minutes. The following are the sections of the questions that I will ask

the respondents.

1. Section one: Introduction/Education in your country

2. Section two: Expectation/Preparation for coming

3. Section three: Challenges/Positives you faced/experienced

4. Section four: Interaction with your situation

5. Section five: Any questions/Advice

Associated documents

I will not administer a questionnaire the respondents will respond to.

Justification

The semi-structured interview will encompass open-ended question items, which means that I will

try to motivate the respondents by engaging them with friendly and pleasant conversations to give

as many details as possible necessary to answer the research questions. The sample size is small,

33

but the nature of the questions will ensure that they provide detailed and rich information to inform

the study.

Instrument Two

The second instrument will encompass inviting the participants to make an entry to respond to one

follow-up question each week, for four weeks .

Appendix 2

Consent form in English Investigating Learning Experiences of Arabic-speaking students study-

ing English for Academic Purposes in New Zealand

PARTICIPANT CONSENT FORM - INDIVIDUAL

I have read the Information Sheet and have had the details of the study explained to me. My questions have

been answered to my satisfaction, and I understand that I may ask further questions at any time.

I agree/do not agree to the interview being sound recorded or written .

I wish/do not wish to have my recordings/writing returned to me.

I agree to participate in this study under the conditions set out in the Information Sheet.

Signature: Date:

Full Name - printed

34

Appendix 3

Consent form in Arabic التحقيق في الخبرات التعليمية للطلاب الناطقين باللغة العربية الذين يدرسون اللغة

 الإنجليزية لأغراض أكاديمية في نيوزيلندا

فردية مشاركة - المشارك موافقة نموذج  و .الدراسة تفاصيل لي وشُرحت المعلومات ورقة قرأت لقد 

، بشكلٍ أسئلتي على الرد تم قد انه  مرضٍ ان الممكن من وأدركتوقت  في الأسئلة من المزيد اطرح أي

 سلي بشكل مكتوبة أو مسجلة المقابلة تكون أن على أوافق لا / أوافق 

م  معلوماتي /تسجيلاتي إعادة في أرغب لا/ أرغب  علي المنصوص للشروط وفقًا الدراسة هذه في المشاركة على أوافق  

المعلومات ورقة في ها

35

  :التوقيع  :تاريخ  - الكامل الاسم  

Appendix 4

Interview guideFramework for the interview

a) The information you provide in this session will be confidential b) There is not answers that are right or wrongc) You may opt not to answer the questions if you do not feel like doing itd) Please express yourself as much as possible

Phase one:Interview questions Q1-20

36

Introduction/Eduction in your country 1. Where are you from? Why did you choose

to study this programme in particular?

2. Tell me about your education in your own

country – tell me about your experiences

learning English – Did you enjoy studying

English? Why? Why not?

3. Tell me about your English academic

level had before coming

37

Expectation/Preparation before coming 1. Did you expect it to be the same as in your

country? What do you think might be differ-

ent? Did you try to find out more about

study in NZ/overseas? How did you do

that?

2. Did you expect it to be the same as in your

country? What did you think might be dif-

ferent? Did you try to find out more about

study in NZ? How did you do that?

3. How did you get prepared to learn aca-

demic English before came to New Zealand

(visit learning center or had some English

courses)

Challenges/Positives you faced/experienced 1. What was your level in this course (Eng-

lish for academic purposes)?

2. Can you remember your first week at

school in this Institute? What was it like

for you?

3. What do you like about studying English

at this Institute ?

38

Interaction with your situation 1. Tell me about your readiness to learn Eng-

lish for academic purpose.

2. What did you do to overcome these chal-

lenges/difficulties/Positives? if found

3. How did you get help with your academic

English learning?

4. Do you have any contact with other Arabic

speaking students/teachers as friends who

were studying/teaching in NewZealand or

have been studied in New Zealand before?

Any international students, friends, or

teachers they are/were studying/teaching in

New Zealand?If yes, Do they help you?

5. Can you think about first week of your

class, the good things that happened, the

bad things that happened? Can you tell me

about that?

6. What things do you think lecturers can do

to help students with English for academic

purposes?

39

Any questions/Advice 1. Would you like to add anything about

learning the English journey, either re-

lated to your study before you came here

or related to your study here?

2. What is your advice for friend from your

home country wants to come to study in

NZ?

3. Do you have any questions you want to

ask me?

Phase two

Follow up questions: Do you think you are equipped enough with the academic vocabulary for what are you planning to study/for your discipline? In general, how would you define (or describe?)learning English for academic purposes?  What do you think is the difference between academic English and general English? Could you expect/imagine your first year in Learning journey  at university when you come to New Zealand? Do you feel you are well prepared to come to study in New Zealand after EAP course  table during the four weeks

Your expression during the four weeks ☺ ☹

40

Appendix 5

Information Letter in English

Investigating Learning Experiences of Arabic-speaking students studying

English for Academic Purposes in New Zealand

Dear _______________________,

My name is Hadeel Harb. I am doing a research project on Arabic-speaking students’ challenges in New Zealand in trying to learn English for Academic Purposes. This project is a requirement for my Master in Applied Linguistics at Massey University. I am from Jordan and I am Arabic-English speaking student. Before studying at Massey, I was an English teacher in Jordan and I have my bachelor ’s degree in English literature from Jordanian university before I moved to live in New

41

Zealand . I would be happy to talk to you and do the interview in Arabic or English or in both lan-guages, whichever you prefer.

What is the project about?

I would like to investigate the learning experience of Arabic-speaking students at tertiary level while they are studying English for Academic Purpose in New Zealand. I plan to interview four to six students at New Zealand institution and I am interested talking with you about what it has been like for you to study English in New Zealand.

What am I going to do?

I would like to conduct an interview with you regarding your experiences learning English . I envis-age this taking between 45 to 60 minutes . I’d like to ask you about your early English-learning ex-periences and your expectations of English study in New Zealand before arrival. Also, if possible, after the interview, I would like to invite you to contribute to an individual weekly chat, answering my prompt questions for four weeks. I hope you will be able to post one message each week not-ing any challenges, puzzlements, successes or any question about your learning during that week by using WhatsApp.

Will the interview be confidential?

I will record the interview on my laptop and transcribe it afterwards, but you can ask me to turn off the recorder at any time. Also, I will use my notebook to write some notes and comments, if required. I will indeed assure the privacy and confidentiality of the respondents and their input. I will keep everything about the students, including their identities, the course they are studying, and any other private information, confidential. The interviews will be performed in a safe location. The storage of the respondents' inputs will be safeguarded. The reporting of the data will not be done in a way that others will know the identity of the students who participated in the study. Also, All the information and data will keep safely and securely with a password for the software and in a locked drawer. No one can access the data except me.The information and data collected from the respondents will be used only for the research report and presentation. The documented research report might also be used as a resource for teacher professional development.As I mentioned before, I will use some of the information you give me in my re-search project but I will not use your real name or disclose any information that might identify you. The recordings and transcripts will remain confidential. If you would like, I can give you a summary of the information when the project is finished.

42

What rights do you have as a participant?

You are under no obligation to accept this invitation. If you decide to participate, you have the right to:

- Change your mind and decide not to participate at any time;

- Ask me any questions about my study at any time.

- Talk to me knowing that I won’t use your name, unless you give me permission;

- Decide whether or not to answer any questions I might ask;

- Ask me to turn off my recorder at any time;

- Check and make any changes to my transcript of our interview, if you would like to;

- Be given access to a summary of the project findings when it is concluded.

Do you have any questions?

You can ask me any questions you might have about my research, or the inter-view, before you take part.You can contact me by email; hadeel.harb88@gmail.comor my mobile phone 0210495969

Or, you can talk to my supervisor Dr Gillian Skyrme (School of Humanities, Massey University) by email (g.r.skyrme@massey.ac.nz), or telephone (06) 356 9099 x 83572.

This project has been evaluated by peer review and judged to be low risk. Con-sequently, it has not been reviewed by one of the University’s Human Ethics Committees. The researcher(s) named above are responsible for the ethical conduct of this research.

43

If you have any concerns about the conduct of this research that you wish to raise with someone other than the researcher(s), please contact Dr Brian Finch, Director, Research Ethics, telephone (06) 356 9099 x 86015, email hu-manethics@massey.ac.nz

Appendix 6

Information Letter in Arabic

التحقيق في الخبرات التعليمية للطلاب الناطقين باللغة العربية الذين يدرسون اللغة الإنجليزية لأغراض أكاديمية في نيوزيلندا

،_______________________عزيزي

44

حرب هديل نيوزيلندا . اسمي في العربية باللغة الناطقين الطلاب تحديات حول بحثي بمشروع أقوم

الأكاديمية للأغراض الإنجليزية اللغة لتعلم محاولة درجة . في متطلبات أحد هو المشروع هذا

ماسي جامعة في التطبيقية اللغويات في العربية . الماجستير تتحدث وطالبة الأردن من أنا

درجة . والإنجليزية على وحصلت الأردن في الإنجليزية للغة مدرسًا كنت ، ماسي في الدراسة قبل

نيوزيلندا في للعيش انتقالي قبل أردنية جامعة من الإنجليزي الأدب في يسعدني. البكالوريوس

اللغتين بكلتا أو الإنجليزية أو العربية باللغة المقابلة وإجراء إليكم تفضل .التحدث .اي

المشروع؟ يدور ماذا حول

للأغراض الإنجليزية اللغة يدرسون الذين العربية باللغة الناطقين للطلاب التعلم تجارب في التحقيقنيوزيلندا في الأكاديمية

في بالتحقيق مهتم الإنجليزية أنا اللغة يدرسون الذين العربية باللغة الناطقين الطلاب تعلم .تجارب

نيوزيلندية تعليمية مؤسسة من طلاب ستة إلى أربعة لمقابلة .أخطط

بفعله؟ سأقوم ماذا

تجارب بخصوص معك مقابلة إجراء لديك أود الإنجليزية اللغة بين . تعلم ما يستغرق هذا أن أتصور

دراسة . دقيقة 60إلى45 من وتوقعاتك ، الإنجليزية اللغة تعلم في السابقة خبراتك عن أسألك أن أود

هنا، الى الوصول قبل نيوزيلندا في الإنجليزية ممكن، اللغة ذلك كان دعوتك إذا المقابلة، بعد أود

أسبوعية، فردية دردشة في أسابيع للمساهمة أربعة لمدة السريعة أسئلتي على الرد أن . وهَْي آمل

تعلمك حول سؤال أي أو نجاحات أو تحديات أي تلاحظ أسبوع كل واحدة رسالة نشر على قادرا تكون

باستخدام الأسبوع ذلك WhatsAppخلال

سرية؟ المقابلة ستكون هل

45

ولكن ، ذلك بعد بنسخها وأقوم بي الخاص المحمول الكمبيوتر جهاز على المقابلة بتسجيل سأقوم

وقت أي في المُسجل تشغيل إيقاف مني تطلب أن لكتابة . يمكنك ملاحظاتي دفتر سأستخدم ، أيضًا

الأمر لزم إذا ، والتعليقات الملاحظات سأوفر .بعض ، المشاركون بالتأكيد الطلاب وسرية خصوصية

وأي . ومداخلاتهم ، يدرسونها التي والدورة ، هوياتهم ذلك في بما ، الطلاب عن شيء بكل سأحتفظ

بسرية ، أخرى خاصة آمن . معلومات مكان في المقابلات إجراء تخزين . سيتم على الحفاظ سيتم

و المشاركون الطلاب الذين مدخلات الطلاب بهوية الآخرون يعرفها بطريقة البيانات عن الإبلاغ يتم لن

الدراسة في للبرنامج . شاركوا مرور كلمة مع بأمان والبيانات المعلومات بجميع الاحتفاظ سيتم ، أيضًا

مغلق درج أحد .وفي سواي لا البيانات إلى الوصول .يستطيع

والعرض البحث لتقرير فقط المستجيبين من جمعها تم التي والبيانات المعلومات استخدام سيتم

للمعلمين . التقديمي المهني للتطوير كمورد الموثق البحث تقرير استخدام أيضًا .يمكن

لي قدمتها التي المعلومات بعض سأستخدم ، قبل من ذكرت البحثي كما مشروعي في كمشارك

هويتك تحدد قد معلومات أي عن أفصح أو الحقيقي اسمك أستخدم لن .لكنني

سرية والنصوص التسجيلات للمعلومات . ستبقى ملخصًا لك أقدم أن يمكنني ، ذلك في ترغب كنت إذا

المشروع انتهاء .عند

كمشارك؟ حقوقك هي ما

الدعوة هذه بقبول ملزم غير لك . أنت فيحق ، المشاركة قررت إذا :و

وقت - أي في المشاركة عدم و رأيك تغير يمكنك

وقت - أي في مشروعي حول أسئلة أي تسألني ان يمكنك

بذلك - لي تسمح لم ما ، اسمك أستخدم لن أنني تعلم وأنت معي تحدث ان يمكنك

لا - أم أطرحها قد أسئلة أي على الإجابة تريد كنت إذا ما تقرر ان يمكنك

؛ - وقت أي في المسجل تشغيل إيقاف مني تطلب ان يمكنك

ذلك - في ترغب كنت إذا ، عليه تغييرات أي بإجراء وقم مقابلتنا نص من التحقق يمكنك

منه - الانتهاء عند المشروع لنتائج ملخص على الحصول يمكنك

46

اسئلة؟ لديك هل

المشاركة قبل ، المقابلة أو ، بحثي حول لديك تكون قد أسئلة أي تسألني أن .يمكنك

الالكتروني؛ البريد خلال من معي تتواصل ان hadeel.harb88@gmail.comيمكنك

المحمول هاتفي 0210495969أو

سكيرمي جيليان الدكتوره مشرفي إلى التحدث يمكنك ماسي (أو جامعة ، الإنسانية العلوم عبر) كلية

الإلكتروني الهاتف ) g.r.skyrme@massey.ac.nz(البريد أو ،)06 (356 9099 × 83572

المخاطر منخفض بأنه عليه وحُكم الأقران مراجعة خلال من المشروع هذا تقييم تتم . تم لم ، وبالتالي

بالجامعة الإنسانية الأخلاقيات لجان إحدى قبل من أعلاه ) الباحثون(الباحث . مراجعته المذكورون

البحث لهذا الأخلاقي السلوك عن .مسؤولون

الباحث غير آخر شخص مع مناقشتها في ترغب البحث هذا إجراء بشأن مخاوف أي لديك كانت إذا

هاتف ) الباحثين( ، البحث أخلاقيات مدير ، فينش برايان بالدكتور الاتصال يرجى ،)06 É(356 9099

الإلكتروني 86015× البريد ،humanethics