Journal of Foreign Languages, Cultures & Civilizations

Production-Centered Classroom Environment Increases Students’ Understanding and Interest in Learning Foreign Languages
Lana Iskandarani

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The purpose of this qualitative action research is to examine the effects of implementing the production-centered classroom design principle on students’ understanding and interest in learning a critical foreign language such as Arabic. This action research took place during the spring semester of 2017 at West Chester University and included twenty-nine Arabic language students from three different learning perspectives; novice, intermediate, and advanced. For students to be centered in the classroom, they were encouraged to be independent, open minded to using technology, openly networked with peers and the community, creative in problem solving, and confident in presenting their knowledge and growth to their audience. They were also encouraged to incorporate their hobbies and interests while learning. To prepare the students to be producers in a production-centered classroom, small changes were routinely introduced into the curriculum and the related effects on the students’ achievement and enthusiasm in the subject were examined and documented in order to ensure the success of the changes. The main focus of this action research project was the students’ final cultural presentation. This task was used to evince that a production-centered classroom positively affects the students’ learning and interest. Research indicates that a production-centered classroom positively affects student achievement and identifies that working in a production-centered classroom is a crucial element which impacts student learning and interest when learning a critical foreign language, such as Arabic.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jflcc.v6n1a1