Research on Learning Strategies in Arabic Language Education

The learning of Arabic language like any other foreign language contains four main aspects; reading, writing, speaking and understanding while listening.[i] This learning process can be enhanced if the most appropriate Learning Strategy is used. In this paper the most appropriate Learning Strategy of Arabic Language is suggested. The course outlines for Arabic language are thoroughly studied and several professors and experts of Arabic Language from Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Sudan are interviewed. The author, who himself has vast experience in teaching Arabic language, also had the opportunity to sit in the Arabic language classes to observe various strategies and methodologies adopted by different professors while teaching Arabic. In this paper the time spent on teaching Arabic to the students is also discussed. The appropriate size of the class room i.e, the number of students in Arabic language class also matters in improving the quality of Arabic among the students. The matter of teaching Arabic in Arabic only or in the native language of the students will also be touched in here. As the time has changed and the world is moving ahead on a fast pace, it seems necessary to apply the “Direct Method” while teaching Arabic or any foreign language.[ii] This paper will shed light on what is meant by “Direct Method”. The idea of making the student sit and memorize the dry rules of grammar has become obsolete. The idea of telling the student what part of the phrase is subject or predicate, or what is object and what is a noun or verb, may come later. The idea of memorizing the bulk of new vocabulary in the beginning can also be postponed. Hence a paradigm shift is needed here while talking about the Methodology of Teaching Arabic Language, under the heading of “Direct Method”.   [i]     Muhammad Abdul Khaliq, Professor of Arabic and co-author of 'al-Arabia baina Yadaik'. The author of this research paper had a personal interview with him on 21.03.2014, in the Institute of Arabic Language, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [ii]    This method is adopted roughly by some great scholars of Arabic language like Dr. V. Abdur Rahim who taught Arabic language for decades in the Islamic University of Madina, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The author was fortunate to meet with him many times and get benefitted from his experience. See for details: Abdurrahim, V. (1999), Arabic Course for English-Speaking Students, Leicester: UK Islamic Academy. See also: Abdullah, F. Ibrahim. (1999), Iqra Arabic Reader. Chicago: Iqra International Educational Foundation. Moreover see: Fawzan, Abdurrahman and others. (2004), Al-Arabia Baina Yadaik, Riyadh: Ministry of Education.

Synthesis and Characterization of Cobalt Ferrite Nanostructures

Coprecipitation method was used to prepare pure and doped CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles. Ferric and cobalt salts were used as precursors while oleic acid was used as surfactant. X- ray Diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy analysis confirmed single phase of nanoparticles with particle size ~20 nm. Electron transport in CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles was investigated using impedance spectroscopy from 300 K to 400 K over wide frequency range (20 Hz - 2 MHz). Impedance spectroscopy of CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles revealed a semiconductor to metal transition at ~330 K. The semiconductor to metal transition was attributed to existence of mixed valance states of Fe cations, reverse cation distribution among octahedral and tetrahedral sites and various types of interactions between these cations. Variation of exponent “s” with temperature suggested that overlapping large polaron tunneling was the dominant conduction mechanism in cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. The Mössbauer spectroscopy demonstrated the mixed inverse spinel structure of the CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy analysis was carried out to study the oxidation states and environment of Fe and Co cations. Electrical properties of Sn 2+ and La 3+ doped CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles were studied in detail. The change in dielectric constant and ac conductivity of CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles were observed with dopant concentration. The temperature induced delocalization of charge carriers and metallic phase in Co 0.6 Sn 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticles was explained using M(H) loops and impedance spectroscopy. Metallic nature of Co 0.6 Sn 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticles above 360 K was attributed to dominancy of delocalized charge carriers Fe 3+ –Fe 2+ /Co 3+ – Co 2+ interactions over localized charge carriers Fe 3+ –O 2− –Fe 3+ /Co 2+ –O 2− –Co 2+ interactions. This was suggested that the wasp - waist magnetic hysteresis loop was due to simultaneous existence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic domains in the system. The M(H) loops of Co 0.6 Sn 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticles indicated that at lower temperatures the superexchange interaction was dominant as compared to double exchange interaction while at higher temperatures double exchange interaction becomes more strong. The open M(H) loops of Co 0.6 Sn 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticles indicated the absence of magnetic saturation. The temperature dependent electrical behavior of the grain boundaries was reported and discussed in terms of depletion space-charge layer in the vicinity of grain boundaries.