The Impact of Arabic on English Writing among Libyan EFL Students

Abstract

This paper examined the impact of Arabic on English writing among Libyan students studying English as a foreign language (EFL). Enhancing language competency and teaching methods in an increasingly globalized society requires an understanding of how these two languages interact. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study collects information on how Arabic linguistic patterns and cultural narratives influence Libyan EFL students' writing abilities through surveys, writing samples, and interviews. The results show that linguistic transfer is ubiquitous among students, leading to common mistakes in rhetorical style, vocabulary selection, and sentence construction. Furthermore, cultural context has a big influence on how pupils write, which frequently results in anxiety related to learning a foreign language and a dependence on straight translations from Arabic. These results highlight the need for customized teaching methods that leverage contrastive analysis.