THE INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO IMPROVE STUDENTS' ARABIC LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: A STUDY AT AN ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOL

ABSTRACT


Students' Arabic Language Proficiency
Based on Interview Results Based on the interview results, students' Arabic language proficiency is divided into five language aspects.The assessment aspects and student learning outcomes are shown in   Innovative methods encourage students to engage actively in the language learned, thus improving their communication skills.In addition, innovative methods are frequently more exciting for students, which can increase their motivation to learn the Arabic language.
Thus, using innovative methods in Arabic language learning not only helps students achieve better language skills but also makes the learning process more exciting and

Arabic
Language is an important language in the Islamic world, used in various aspects of daily life, including worship, religious studies, and inter-Muslim communication around the world.Islamic boarding schools, as traditional Islamic educational institutions, have an important role in maintaining and improving Arabic language understanding and proficiency among their students.An excellent Arabic language proficiency is necessary to understand and interpret sacred texts such as Al-Qur'an and Hadith, as well as to participate in religious discussions.However, in practice, not all students in Islamic boarding schools have adequate Arabic language proficiency.Some students may have learned Arabic earlier, while others may have started learning it at the boarding school.Therefore, an innovative approach is needed to improve students' Arabic language proficiency in boarding schools.This research will consider the factors that affect Arabic language learning in boarding schools, such as students' educational background, the teaching methods used, as well as the role of technology in the learning process.This research is supposed to provide valuable insights for teachers in boarding schools to improve the effectiveness of Arabic language teaching and help students achieve a higher level of proficiency in the Arabic language.Through innovative approaches, students in Islamic boarding schools are expected to be more motivated and more involved in learning Arabic, which in turn can improve their understanding of Islam and enable them to contribute more actively to the whole Muslim society.Research by Nasir & Basit (2021) revealed that research on the mnemonic method usage effectively affects the success of mastering Arabic language vocabulary among students before using the mnemonic method of databased keywords.Another research by Asih et al (2019) explained that from several studies, mathematical resilience has a positive impact on improving students' cognitive abilities.One of the solutions to develop mathematical resilience is implementing innovative learning models.This is related to the research by Nindy (2021) that states that Problem-Based Learning provides opportunities for students who are participating in it to improve their communication proficiency, explore information and data, the ability to work together in a group, and the ability to think critically in dealing with a problem.Traditional approaches to Arabic language teaching may not always be effective for all students.Therefore, this research will focus on identifying and implementing innovative methods and strategies that can help students in Islamic boarding schools improve their Arabic language proficiency.modification of the variables under study.In this context, the researchers will try to understand the subjective meanings given by informants related to attempts to improve creative thinking.These interpretations will assist in discovering the strategies and factors that affect this process.The research data is presented in descriptive form in the form of oral answers obtained from the observed behavior of the research object, while the data analysis uses inductive analysis.This approach allows the researcher to explore the context holistically.The population in this study includes all people involved in the implementation of ISSN 2580 -1058 DOI : 10.31932/ve.v14i2.3112innovative learning in the boarding school, including 8th-grade students of Madrasah and Arabic language teachers.The samples or informants of this study were 1 Arabic class teacher and 30 students of 8th-grade Madrasah in Al Iman Hidayatullah Islamic Boarding School.Furthermore, to determine the informants in this study, purposive sampling was used, which was chosen selectively with certain considerations following the focus of the research.The purposive technique is used to direct data collection according to requirements by selecting informants who actually have expertise in information related to the focus of research in depth as well as trustworthy to be used as informants.The selected informants are believed to have information and data follow the research objectives and are willing to provide them to researchers objectively.The primary data sources in this research are data from research informants, namely 8thgrade Madrasah teachers (mention the name of the school and the boarding) and Arabic Language Teachers.In comparison, secondary data sources are direct data collected by researchers as the support of the first source.The data is also arranged in the form of documents.In this research the documentation in this research includes lesson plan documents, teacher notes, and field notes.The data collection technique in this study used three techniques, including the following: The semi-structured in-depth interview technique was used to seek information about the teachers' understanding of innovative approaches to learning as well as the students' Arabic language skills at the boarding school.The second interview collected information about the method of teaching the Arabic language, the attitude change of students, and the difficulties encountered in teaching the Arabic language.Second, participatory observation is used to check the information teachers provide in interviews by observing and note-taking.This observation uses observation sheets, namely a) observation sheets of innovative approach including Student Involvement, Technology Utilization, social skills, and language understandings.And the last, documentation study applied in this research is through books, reading sources, literature, field notes, and official documents such as student learning results.The credibility of qualitative research results will be higher if it involves or uses this document study in its qualitative data collection.Data analysis conducted in this research was done during data collection and after the completion of data collection within a certain period.The technique used to analyze data in this research is a descriptive technique or, more specifically, an interactive model.The interactive model, according to Miles and Huberman (2014), has four types of analysis activities (Data collection, data condensation/data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawn), and data collection itself is a cyclical and interactive process.The following is figure 3.1 regarding the components in data analysis, i.e.: Data validity in this research uses the triangulation technique.The triangulation technique is a process of collecting different data get data from the same source.Researchers used triangulation techniques by comparing questionnaire, test, and interview results data.Based on the results of observations, the innovative methods and learning strategies that have been implemented in Al Iman Hidayatullah Islamic Boarding School are as follows.
related to the implementation of an innovative approach that utilizes technology in an attempt to improve students' Arabic language proficiency in Boarding Schools in (research location).The materials taught include vocabulary, grammar, reading, and text comprehension, speaking and writing skills in the Arabic language.Innovative learning methods with technology include the usage of mobile applications, online platforms, online learning platforms, and simulation methods with conference videos.Learning strategies include the use of Arabic educational software, ISSN 2580 -1058 DOI : 10.31932/ve.v14i2.3112audiovisualmedia, emphasis on speaking in Arabic language daily, the use of interactive roles and dialogs, and the use of peer review in the writing process.
Arabic, including letters, essays, and reports.Students achieve writing proficiency with a quality level of approximately 80%, and Vocabulary and Grammar Usage, students' proficiency in mastering Arabic vocabulary and grammar.At this proficiency, students have a strong knowledge of Arabic vocabulary and grammar, reaching about 90% proficiency.Based on the results of the study, it shows the success of the implementation of innovative learning methods for students in the boarding school (research location).The use of various innovative methods in learning to improve students' Arabic language skills is done to attract attention and also arouse students' enthusiasm.The use of innovative learning methods in improving students' Vol 14 No 2 Nopember 2023 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.ISSN 2580 -1058 DOI : 10.31932/ve.v14i2.3112Arabic language proficiency is very significant because innovative methods encourage student involvement, increase learning motivation, and facilitate more profound understanding.The research has shown that innovative methods in language learning can bring substantial benefits to students.For example, research by Pomerantz (2005) found that the use of innovative methods, such as role-playing and the use of technology, can improve students' speaking skills and language comprehension.
be valuable in improving Arabic writing skills.Creative methods, such as using multimedia and games, can make the learning process more fun and exciting for students.This can help students stay motivated and intrigued to improve their writing skills.The use of innovative learning methods can encourage critical thinking, such as brainstorming and imagining, which can help students expand their ideas and improve their writing skills.Research has shown that students with high critical thinking skills have more excellent Arabic writing skills.Using creative methods can provide students with various learning experiences, which can help them develop their writing skills in different ways.For example, using creative board media can help students envision ideas and organize their thoughts.Overall, using creative methods can help students improve participating in various social situations.These results are supported by the research of Hanani (2022), who examined Arabic teaching methods in three Islamic boarding schools in Kediri and ISSN 2580 -1058 DOI : 10.31932/ve.v14i2.3112concluded that the innovative teaching methods used significantly contributed to improving students' ability to read Arabic texts.On the other hand, Kurniasih (2020) explored Arabic teaching methods in the formal Diniyah program at Al-Mubarak Wonosobo Islamic Boarding School.The study identified various methods, including Grammar Translation, Audio Lingual, Direct, and Eclectic methods.In Speaking Proficiency, students' Arabic speaking proficiency is still categorized as low.The low Arabic-speaking proficiency of students in Islamic boarding schools can be caused by several factors.One of the reasons is the conventional learning method that probably focuses more on comprehension of written text than on speaking practice.Frequently, in boarding school arrangements, students tend to learn Arabic in a more theoretical way, such as reading the Quran or written religious texts, which perhaps does not put enough emphasis on speaking practice.This is supported by research conducted by Amirudin 2020 found that different boarding schools have different emphases on Arabic learning objectives, with some schools emphasizing listening and speaking skills, while others focus more on reading and writing skills.Mubaligh 2023 has highlighted the strategies used to improve Arabic speaking skills in pesantren, including direct teaching methods, regular vocabulary and conversation practice, and creating an Arabic language environment.On the other hand, Rahmaini 2023 has described strategies for learning Arabic in a pesantren, including memorizing vocabulary, singing popular songs in Arabic, and a combination of learning in madrasah and internal for students in boarding schools to be academically successful and in life.Innovative learning methods, such as multimedia and games, can make the learning process more fun and exciting for students.This can help students stay motivated and interested in improving their reading comprehension proficiency.Using innovative learning methods can provide students with varied learning experiences, which can help them develop their reading comprehension proficiency in different ways.Innovative learning methods can help to improve students' reading comprehension proficiency in boarding schools by increasing engagement, enhancing critical thinking, providing varied learning experiences, increasing vocabulary, and boosting confidence.These methods are essential to implement to help students succeed academically and in life.Writing Proficiency Ability, Vocabulary, and Grammar Usage of students' Arabic language funds can increase when teachers use innovative methods and appropriate strategies.The research of Asy'ari (2019) emphasizes the importance of applying effective methods, systems, and principles in Arabic language teaching to increase students' passion for learning.Meanwhile, Faizuddin (2016) explores Arabic teachers' experiences in using creative teaching strategies, which foster students' interest and motivation in learning Arabic as a foreign language.Izzuddin (2020) focuses on curriculum development in written Arabic language teaching, pointing out the need for improvements such as more creative teaching materials, diverse teaching methods, and the usage of multimedia.Adas (2013) examines the challenges of teaching writing to Arabic learners and suggests that integrating blended learning with traditional methods can improve students' writing proficiency.Innovative methods and appropriate strategies can help improve writing proficiency, vocabulary, and grammar usage in Arabic.Teachers can use approaches such as Insya' Muwajjah, structured methods, web-based programs, multimedia and critical thinking, and analytical studies to help students develop their writing proficiency.CONCLUSIONS Based on observations at Al Iman Hidayatullah Islamic Boarding School, innovative methods and learning strategies have successfully improved students' Arabic language skills.The results showed that the application of technology, such as mobile applications and online platforms, contributed significantly to the improvement of Arabic comprehension.From the interview results, improvements were seen in students' Listening Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, and Vocabulary and Grammar Usage.Nonetheless, Speaking Proficiency still lags behind perhaps due to conventional methods that deemphasize speaking practice.The discussion highlighted the benefits of innovative methods in increasing student motivation and engagement.Previous research has also shown the role of pesantren in developing Arabic language skills through creative strategies.Despite the positive changes, more emphasis on speaking practice in learning methods is needed.By applying the right strategies, the potential for improving students' Arabic writing, vocabulary comprehension and grammar skills can be continuously improved, making learning more interesting and effective.

Table 1 .
Observation results and student learning outcomes Table 1.above is the result of research

Table 2 :
The success of students' Arabic language proficiency