Arabic Pronunciation Among Vocational High School Students Not Enrolled in Islamic Boarding Schools: Phoneme Substitution and Omission of Mad

Abstract

Accurate pronunciation is a fundamental aspect of learning Arabic because differences in sound can affect the form and meaning of words. This issue is particularly important in non-pesantren vocational high schools (SMK), which do not have an Arabic-language environment as intensive as that found in madrasahs or pesantren. This study aims to describe the types of phonological errors made by students when reading Arabic texts, their underlying causes, and the efforts made by teachers to minimize these errors. The study employed a qualitative approach using field research with 10th-grade students at SMK IT Karya Cendikia in Batukliang Utara. Data were collected through observation, oral tests of Arabic text reading, interviews, and documentation, and were then analyzed using descriptive-qualitative methods. The results revealed 20 cases of phonological errors, consisting of 16 phoneme substitutions (80%) and 4 phoneme omissions (20%); no phoneme additions were found. The errors primarily took the form of consonant substitutions and the omission of long vowels (mad). Contributing factors included low interest and concentration, the perception that Arabic is difficult, unengaging learning materials, limited resources, parental support, and the influence of the mother tongue and the environment. These findings imply the need for systematic phonological practice, individualized attention, reading practice, and the use of audio media in Arabic language instruction at vocational high schools.