Scientific grammar and pedagogical grammar in Abdelrahman El Haj Saleh’s linguistic project: Theoretical foundations and didactic perspectives for teaching Arabic

Abstract

This research examines the linguist Abdelrahman El Haj Saleh’s conception of the relationship between scientific grammar and pedagogical grammar by analyzing the linguistic foundations underlying his project for renewing the teaching of Arabic. The research is based on the hypothesis that the problems encountered in teaching Arabic do not arise from the structure of Arabic grammar itself, but rather from the confusion between its scientific and educational functions and the failure to distinguish between its implicit and explicit forms. This has led to a failure to differentiate between the methods of teaching grammar and the critique of its body of knowledge. To this end, the study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach, examining the most important theoretical conceptions in light of traditional concepts and recent linguistic and educational studies. Within this framework, we identified the position of linguistic competence in language acquisition and examined how it should be approached from a functional perspective. We also presented the most prominent modern approaches to facilitating and teaching grammar, discussing, in this context El Haj Saleh’s conception of renewing Arabic language teaching in light of the science and methodologies of teaching methods, as well as the linguistic and educational concepts with which Arabic language teachers should be familiar. The study then reached important findings, including confirmation of the connection between the development of Arabic language teaching and the distinction required between explicit and implicit grammar; the necessity of benefiting from recent research in the field of applied linguistics; and the need to reread Arabic linguistic and educational concepts within their authentic traditional context.