Arabic language teaching at Imam Sadiq (Peace be upon him) (Case Study: Teaching methods and extra-curricular activities)

Imam Sadiq University is one of the well-known universities in Iran, which has a special stand in terms of teaching Arabic language. And although there is no Arabic language and literature major at the university, it pays close attention to teaching Arabic language skills. This research examines Arabic language teaching at Imam Sadiq University using a survey method. The tools used to gather information are questionnaires and interviews. Teaching Arabic language at Imam Sadiq University was investigated at three stages. In the first and second stages, interviews with the professors of this university, including the founder of the Arabic language department was conducted. At the third stage, 163 students and10 professors (mens’ unit) were selected. The questionnaire was distributed among the two groups to gather information. The results showed that the most important factors in the success of Arabic language teaching in the first and second levels have been the active role of students and participation in the learning process and strong motivation. Also, at the third level, the Audio-lingual method was used more in teaching than other methods and Q&A strategy was used more than other strategies. The result also showed that the use of extra-curricular activities have a great impact on the education of Arabic language at the university, and reducing of extra-curricular activities is among the reasons for weakening students’ motivation and failure of Arabic language teaching courses at the third level compared to the first and second.