עמדות תלמידים בנושא רכישת העברית כשפה זרה או שנייה במערכת החינוך הערבית במזרח ירושלים

The research described in this article constitutes a pioneer study that examines the attitudes of eighth-grade pupils in the Arab education system in East Jerusalem toward several Hebrew-related topics: learning Hebrew as a foreign or second language, the pupils' readiness to communicate in that language, and the extent of the support offered by the surrounding society with regard to learning Hebrew. The research is based on Schumann's (1988) social theories concerning the acquisition of a foreign or second language, according to which the extent of the learner's integration into the society that speaks the foreign or second language determines the extent of his success in acquiring the language. The sample comprised 643 eighth-grade pupils studying the Hebrew language as an elective subject in the education system in East Jerusalem. The research questionnaire consisted of three parts: (1) attitudes toward the acquisition of Hebrew as a foreign or second language; (2) readiness to communicate in the Hebrew language; (3) social support for learning Hebrew. The main findings of the research reveal that statistically clear and positive links exist between all the variables. The attitudes were positive both with regard to the acquisition of Hebrew as a foreign or second language and with regard to readiness to communicate in that language. The pupils' attitudes toward studying Hebrew in school were more positive than their attitude toward Hebrew speakers. The parents (father or mother) expressed greater support than the pupils' friends for the fact that the pupils were learning Hebrew, and this was because of the parents' instrumental interest in this topic.