LINGUISTIC FACTORS SHAPING READING COMPREHENSION IN ARABIC AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: VOCABULARY, MORPHOLOGICAL AWARENESS AND DIACRITICS

Abstract

Reading comprehension in Arabic as a foreign language requires more than accurate decoding of the Arabic script. Learners must coordinate lexical knowledge, morphological information and orthographic cues while constructing meaning from connected text. This theoretical article examines three language-specific factors that are particularly relevant to this process: receptive vocabulary knowledge, morphological awareness and the processing of Arabic diacritics. A descriptive-analytical review of eight sources in second-language reading, Arabic language pedagogy and Arabic literacy research is used to distinguish evidence obtained directly from learners of Arabic as a second or foreign language from findings based on native Arabic readers. The reviewed literature indicates that receptive vocabulary is closely associated with comprehension, that morphological structure can provide an additional route to lexical access, and that vowelization may support word recognition and comprehension, especially for less experienced L2 readers. At the same time, these findings do not justify permanent reliance on fully vowelized texts or the treatment of morphology as an isolated grammar exercise. The article argues for integrated reading instruction in which vocabulary development, morphological analysis and gradual adaptation to unvowelized orthography support one another within meaningful text work