A Contrastive Analysis of Thematic and Information Patterning in English and Arabic Contexts

Abstract

Language acquisition is a remarkable and crucial aspect of human evolution because it is a means of communication. One of the main problems in which language is implicated is when speakers of different languages communicate. A possible solution for speakers of different languages is to learn the other’s language or to employ a translator. Contrastive analysis is the study and comparison of two different languages, such as English with Arabic. It compares the structural similarities and differences between the two languages. In this regard, it is utilized to compare the Thematic and Information Structures in English and Arabic, which is the most common focus of this study. This article aimed to examine the theme and Information structures of English and Arabic from contrastive analysis perspectives. Multiple sentences from daily language are included in the analysis, which is based on Halliday’s practical theme-rheme paradigm applied to conversational English and Arabic clauses. The researcher, an ESL instructor, used a descriptive-analytical technique to critically assess the similarities and differences in the structural aspects of themes and rheme in English and Arabic to help ESL students be well prepared for the translation job after graduation and now while learning at the college. While Arabic and English clauses are distinct, they can express the same concepts in dramatically more diverse ways, according to the findings of this study. This study also revealed the alignment of themes could alter across various ESL learners’ understanding. Personal experience or ability, among other factors, can impact topical subjects, regardless of whether they are written or spoken. Because the two systems are so dissimilar, it is critical to understand the linguistic differences between English and Arabic to help recognize the difference in meaning between them.