Teaching Arabic Today: Challenges, Strategies, and Opportunities in Islamic Higher Education

The teaching of Arabic in Indonesia has presented persistent difficulties shaped by linguistic, cultural, and institutional conditions. Despite its importance as both a global and religious language, Arabic instruction in the country is often constrained by outdated curricula, a heavy reliance on grammar-translation methods, and the gap between classroom use of Modern Standard Arabic and the colloquial varieties students encounter through media. While previous studies have examined Arabic education broadly, few have centered teachers’ voices in exploring these challenges, particularly within the Indonesian context. Moreover, limited attention has been given to pedagogical innovations such as translanguaging and digital integration. This study addressed these gaps through semi-structured interviews with 20 Arabic teachers working across primary, secondary, and higher education institutions in different regions of Indonesia. Data was analyzed using thematic coding to identify recurring patterns of challenges, practices, and emerging opportunities. The findings reveal enduring problems, including low student motivation, limited use of intercultural materials, and weak institutional support. Teachers responded with adaptive strategies such as translanguaging, the creative use of digital tools, and the development of locally relevant learning resources, which together open new possibilities for enhancing students’ communicative competence. The results underscore the need for curriculum renewal, sustained investment in teacher training, and more flexible policy support to make Arabic education responsive to contemporary linguistic and cultural realities. By foregrounding teachers’ perspectives, this study contributes a context-sensitive account of Arabic pedagogy in Indonesia, advancing wider discussions on multilingual education and pedagogical innovation in non-Arabic-speaking contexts.