Browsing by Author "Muhammad Hakim Rosly"

Studies on negative transfer with special reference to the analysis of words, phrases and sentences in different error types including morphology, lexicology, syntax and semantics have long been central to researchers. Nevertheless, negative transfer especially in Malay to Arabic translated texts need to be examined due to the lack of special focus in previous studies. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate negative transfer by extensively explaining types and causes of these problems in Malay-Arabic translated texts among Malaysian students. Errors made by these students were examined. Previous studies confined their scope in analyzing negative transfer whether words or phrases or sentences used by Malaysian students. In contrast, this study analyzes negative transfer in Malay to Arabic translated texts among Malaysian students more comprehensively. Thus, the researcher divided them into four linguistic levels: 1) Word and term level, 2) Structure and collocation level, 3) Sentence level, 4) Connective and cohesion level, and including cultural level. The theoretical part of this study discusses the concept of transfer and its types from several perspectives and interests among previous researchers in different fields. The relationship between transfer theory in second language learning and translation was examined. Furthermore, the researcher studies the reality of translation exercises in Arabic Language syllabus and books for secondary level in Malaysia because it is part of writing skills that should be acquired by Malaysian students. The data of this study were collected from 200 various texts translated from Malay to Arabic by 230 Malaysian students of Intensive Arabic Language Course conducted at Kolej Pengajian Islam Johor (MARSAH), Johor Bahru for two academic sessions (2011/2012 and 2012/2013). One of the research findings is that the majority of students preferred and followed the phrase order and sentence formation style of their mother tongue due to negative transfer from the Malay language into their translated texts. The use of some loan words from Arabic led to negative transfer as well.

This study attempts to investigate stylistic errors in Arabic essays of students sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (Malaysian Certificate of Education), as well as other language-related problems. This study will analyze stylistic errors and its features by extensively explaining why they occur in the students’ writings. Therefore, special attention will be given to theories related to the term “stylistic error” as well as views related to “style” with several principles of developing style and its elements, especially in the scope of teaching Arabic as a second language. This study adopts descriptive and analytical methods to analyze causes behind these problems by studying questionnaires and samples of students’ essays. The study has identified some of the main causes that lead to students’ problems and weaknessess in writing Arabic essays namely: 1. Lack of reading in Arabic, 2. Lack of writing drills, 3. The process of essay writing is a difficult and complicated in nature. Some of the causes of stylistic errors are: 1. Unnecessary word-by-word translation, 2. The inability to use appropriate words and phrases in the right context, 3. The inability to use appropriate Arabic connectors, 4. Repeating the same word or pronoun unnecessarily, 5. The imbalance of using Arabic noun sentence and Arabic verb sentence. In order to overcome stylistic errors, the researcher suggests that the characteristics of the Arabic Language should be mastered in order to improve their style of writing. Additionally, stylistic errors could be reduced by using writing drills repeatedly, as suggested in this study.