ARABIC LANGUAGE TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: SIGNIFICANCE, PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES, AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN UZBEKISTAN

The growing importance of Arabic as a global language of international communication, diplomacy, economics, culture, and religious studies has increased the demand for effective Arabic language education worldwide. In Uzbekistan, the strengthening of political, economic, cultural, and educational cooperation with Arab countries has further intensified interest in learning Arabic, particularly within higher education institutions. This study examines the significance of Arabic language instruction in Uzbek universities, analyzes contemporary pedagogical approaches employed in the teaching process, and identifies key challenges affecting instructional effectiveness. Drawing upon classroom observations, practical teaching experience, and contemporary scholarship in foreign language education, the paper explores communicative language teaching, task-based learning, immersion techniques, educational technologies, and professionally oriented instruction as effective methods for developing students’ linguistic and communicative competence. Special attention is given to the experience of teaching Arabic as a second foreign language at the University of Journalism and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan. The findings indicate that the integration of authentic materials, multimedia resources, and profession-specific language instruction significantly enhances student motivation and language proficiency. However, challenges remain, including limited methodological resources, insufficient localization of teaching materials, and the need for continuous professional development of Arabic language instructors. The study concludes with recommendations for curriculum modernization, digital resource development, and the implementation of competency-based teaching models to improve the quality of Arabic language education in higher education institutions.