A review on life and legacy of Dr. V. Abdur Rahim in light of Arabic linguistics and language pedagogy

Dr. V. Abdur Rahim (1933–2023), a prominent Arabic linguist, researcher, and University professor, accomplished a revolutionary work for Arabic language education for non-native speakers. He was fluent in a few international languages. Though, he played a significant role to the regular education system, over the time, his command of Arabic continued to improve gradually. Eventually, he reached a level that qualified him to pursue a Master’s degree, M.Phil. and Ph.D. programs, under the Faculty of Arabic Language. After completing his higher studies in Arabic linguistics, he came to realize that a higher level of Arabic language pedagogy is strongly required for Non-native Arabic speakers. And he found out the actual gap in learning the Arabic language; and he introduced some unique methodologies for Non-native Arabic language speakers. Later on, he authored some widely-used textbooks and redefined the different teaching approaches. This paper explores his academic background of Arabic linguistics, philosophy of Arabic Language Learning, and global impact on Arabic Language Education. This study is based on secondary sources of data such as books, journals, magazines, newspapers, video documentaries, and some focus group discussions. The study found that he played a crucial role in disseminating the knowledge and exercise of Arabic language and education for the Non-native speakers across the world. The methodology he used in his Arabic linguistics and teaching is, of course, very popular, acceptable and easier to the learners compared to the other contributors.