The Reality of Undergraduate in Writing Arabic Numerals

The Students of the Department of Arabic Language, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka as a sample

Abstract

The Arabic language has various fields, and one of the most important fields is Numerals. Consequently, the students of the Department of Arabic Language, especially those who are studying in the Department of Arabic Language at the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, face difficulties and challenges in writing numerals in Arabic correctly. According to this, this research aims to identify the common errors and problems in the usage of numerals among students who are learning Arabic as a second language. This research uses descriptive analytical methodology through a quantitative approach. It uses a questionnaire for gathering primary data among the 2nd, 3rd and 4th year specialization students of the Department. On the other hand, secondary data were gathered from books, research, journal articles, and website articles. The data obtained through the questionnaire were analysed by MS Excel. The research finds that the specialization students of the Department have sufficient knowledge about numerals. However, a low percentage of the students make mistakes in using Arabic numbers and numerals within sentence structures and phrases due to lack of attention, negligence, irregular learning, and limited usage. The errors in the usage of numerals can be categorized into three main areas: masculine and feminine, Accusative of specification (Tamyeez) and Possessive Expression.