A contrastive study on the Linguistic positions of the Arabic and English Adjectives

Abstract

This study aims at highlighting the points of contrast between the English and Arabic languages' adjectives. It concentrates on examining analytically the similarities and differences of adjectives in both languages. Great hope that this provide some solutions to the linguistic problems that EFL learners face due to the differences and similarities between the two languages in term of their adjectives. The study adopted the descriptive –analytical method. The population of the study consists of 30 students from English Multicultural Center for Training and Human Development. the data collection consist of a diagnostic test for the student , the diagnostic test aimed at measuring the student’s abilities in understanding the form and function of adjectives in both languages and to examine their background knowledge of the similarities and differences of adjectives in both languages. The researcher raised two questions; moreover, two hypotheses were formulated corresponding to the questions. (1)The lack of understanding the form and function of adjectives in both languages effect the language performance of the EFL learners, (2) there are certain types of differences and similarities between adjectives in both languages that poses difficulties to EFL learners in learning English Language. These hypotheses were all tested and confirmed. The general performanceof the students in the test revealed respondents low abilities in understanding the complexity, diversity and order of English adjectives .the collected data revealed that English and Arabic adjectives have big differences and very little similarities in their usage was the main cause of the interference .the study ended by recommendations related to the findings of the study. In addition to that, there are some suggestions for further studies in the same area.