Cultural Immersion and Advanced L2 Arabic Speaking: A CEFR-Aligned Quasi-Experimental Study

بولعراس الجمعي

Article Details

Cultural Immersion and Advanced L2 Arabic Speaking: A CEFR-Aligned Quasi-Experimental Study

Authors:

بولعراس الجمعي

Publisher:

Université Oran 2 Mohamed Ben Ahmed Oran

Journal:

Traduction et Langues Vol.24 Issue 2, pp.104-135

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001416518

pISSN:

2600-6235

Keywords:

Abstract:

 This study investigates whether a culturally immersive pedagogy can measurably enhance advanced Arabic speaking proficiency among non-native learners within the CEFR framework. Using a quasi-experimental design at King Saud University, forty C1–C2 students were assigned to an experimental group receiving a 12-week immersion-based program (authentic interaction tasks, shadowing of literary/audio models, and targeted work on idiomaticity and pragmatic appropriateness) and a control group following conventional instruction. Pre/post oral assessments aligned to CEFR descriptors captured fluency, spontaneity, and sociocultural appropriateness; complementary questionnaires, focused interviews, and learner journals/audio logs documented engagement and perceived change. Quantitatively, SPSS was used to compute descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests on gain scores after assumption checks (Shapiro–Wilk; Levene). Qualitatively, NVivo supported inductive coding of interview/journal data to identify themes that might explain measured gains. Across outcomes, the immersion group demonstrated significantly larger improvements in CEFR-referenced fluency and pragmatic appropriateness (p < .05). Thematic analysis converged on three mechanisms—Cultural Awareness (calibrating register and formality, deploying culture-specific references), Spontaneous Fluency (reduced reliance on mental translation, smoother turn-taking), and Linguistic Confidence (greater command of idioms/proverbs)—which triangulated with the quantitative effects. Pedagogically, results suggest that integrating high-authenticity tasks (e.g., guided participation in community-style discussions, idiom/proverb workshops, situated simulations of service encounters) accelerates movement from accurate but monitored performance to spontaneous, contextually appropriate production targeted by CEFR C1/C2. We outline an implementable 12-week sequence and low-cost supports (record-and-reflect cycles; systematic feedback rubrics) that programs can adopt without sacrificing core grammatical progression. The study contributes (i) an operationalized immersion model for Arabic at advanced levels, (ii) mixed-methods evidence linking cultural mediation to measurable speaking gains, and (iii) practical assessment artifacts aligned with CEFR. Limitations include a single-site context and one-semester exposure; future work should examine longitudinal retention and compare face-to-face versus digitally mediated immersion.

Article Details

Cultural Immersion and Advanced L2 Arabic Speaking: A CEFR-Aligned Quasi-Experimental Study

Authors:

بولعراس الجمعي

Publisher:

Université Oran 2 Mohamed Ben Ahmed Oran

Journal:

Traduction et Langues Vol.24 Issue 2, pp.104-135

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001416518

pISSN:

2600-6235

Cultural Immersion

Advanced Fluency

CEFR Standards

Linguistic Proficiency

Arabic Language Acquisition

Cultural Awareness

Communicative Competence

Issues

Article Details

Authors: بولعراس الجمعي

Publisher: Université Oran 2 Mohamed Ben Ahmed Oran

Journal: Traduction et Langues Vol.24 Issue 2, pp.104-135

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 12/2025

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 2001416518

pISSN: 2600-6235

Issues

Authors:

بولعراس الجمعي

Publisher:

Université Oran 2 Mohamed Ben Ahmed Oran

Journal:

Traduction et Langues Vol.24 Issue 2, pp.104-135

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001416518

pISSN:

2600-6235