Abstract

Abstract

As Arabic is the language of the Holy Qur’an and the rich Islamic intellectual heritage, teaching Arabic to non-native speakers is an important academic and pedagogical responsibility that requires careful selection and evaluation of instructional materials based on rigorous scientific criteria. This study aims to evaluate the vocabulary content of the Arabic language textbook for second-grade junior secondary students, published by the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs in 2020, in light of Al-Khuli’s vocabulary criteria, recognizing vocabulary as a fundamental component in the development of learners’ linguistic competence. The study employed a descriptive-analytical approach using the Miles and Huberman model for qualitative data analysis. The findings indicate that the overall fulfillment rate for the vocabulary criteria was 82.8%, categorized as “highly fulfilled.” The analysis demonstrates that the textbook exhibits methodological clarity in presenting new vocabulary and adheres to the principles of frequency, usefulness, simplicity, and relevance in vocabulary selection. Furthermore, the vocabulary items correspond appropriately to learners’ objectives, daily communicative needs, and developmental stage. The density of new vocabulary is also considered suitable for learners at this educational level. However, the study identified a weakness in the vocabulary control criterion in reading texts, as numerous lexical items appeared beyond the targeted vocabulary scope, resulting in a noticeable discrepancy between the vocabulary introduced in preparatory activities and that used in the reading passages. Accordingly, the study recommends revising the reading texts to ensure alignment with the targeted vocabulary list, explicitly stating the vocabulary selection criteria in the textbook introduction, and incorporating a clear classification of active and passive vocabulary.