Keynote address:
تفعيل جدلية النظرية والممارسة في ميدان تدريس العربية للناطقين بغيرها:
حدود الحاضر وآفاق المستقبل
Activating the Theory/Practice Dialectic in Teaching Arabic to Speakers of other languages:
Current Limitations and Future Prospects
Mahmoud Al-Batal
The presentation will be given in Arabic but will be accompanied by English Power Point slides
The presentation will begin with a brief introduction to theory and practice in language teaching and the “ideal” dialectic that should exist between them. It will then look at the AFL field and examine: 1) the state of theory that is being generated in the field, 2) the extent to which practice has been informing theory in our field, and 3) the factors that are shaping the current situation. We will argue that the field has ,by and large, been a consumer of theory and that practice has not sufficiently informed theoretical studies in the filed. We will discuss ways to address this imbalance and activate a stronger theory/practice dialectic in AFL.
Arabic as a world language: re-imagining Arabic teacher training
Tony Calderbank, Carine Allaf and Heba Elhelbawi
Our presentation will consider how the teaching of Arabic in (British) schools is evolving to embrace both heritage and non-heritage learners and the resulting challenges teachers face. We will share lessons from the professional development workshops Jazi Education and QFI have developed and we will focus in particular on how we encourage teachers to adopt a more communicative approach that reflects the linguistic reality of the Arabic speaking community, and fosters a deeper sociolinguistic understanding of how the different varieties of Arab relate to one another. In conclusion we will suggest recommendations on how we might re-imagine the training of teachers with a view to teaching Arabic as a world language in all its forms.
A recent World Bank report (Advancing Arabic Language Teaching and Learning: A Path to Reducing Learning Poverty in the Middle East and North Africa, 2021) highlights the high rates of learning poverty in Arab countries, relating this to the multiglossic nature of Arabic. Similarly, a UAE Ministry of Culture report (The Status of the Arabic Language and Its Future, 2020) considers the challenges facing Arabic in various fields due to the sociolinguistic context of the language as well as attitudes which stem from the sacred nature of Classical Arabic as the language of the Qur’an. Both reports imply that the way Arabic is taught and learned is a crucial factor in ensuring that it continues to thrive in a competitive global language market, and that the status quo is not working.
Challenges & solutions Arabic learners have in an online and blended learning context under COVID-19, utilizing an exploratory sequential MMR approach
Mohamed Mahgoub and Hany Fazza
This paper is based on empirical research that aimed to identify the challenges that Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) and Arabic Heritage (AH) learners face in online and blended courses at Georgetown University in Qatar (GUQ); it also addressed the solutions these learners proposed for overcoming these challenges. Adopting the mixed method exploratory sequential approach (Fetters, Curry, and Cresswell, 2013), it first identified these challenges and solutions from students from GUQ, using an open-ended, online questionnaire based on Arbaugh et al. (2008) and Swan et al., (2008), with a specific focus on cognitive and teaching presences as part of Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison & Archer, 2000). Subsequently, it examined the significance of these challenges with a number of high school senior students in Qatar who quantitatively ranked these challenges from most to least significant per their experiences of learning Arabic as a foreign language or heritage. In addition to sharing the key findings relating to students’ perceived challenges and solutions affecting their engagement in Arabic online and blended learning courses, this paper proposed a set of recommendations that the research participants hope AFL and Arabic Heritage programs and institutions will find beneficial.
Infographics Design: An Assessment Methodology
May George
Info-graphics design is a technological tool that can be used in class to assist students in their language learning skills. Students can design content during the learning process by using an effective visualization method to express and present certain topics. Therefore, Info-graphics are an effective method of visualization in the learning process (Azlanudin, et.al 2016).
This study explores the use of info-graphics design in comprehending long texts of readings in Arabic and/ or selected topics for presentation. I argue that students can remember most of the reading text by adopting this method of creative learning. As a result, the pedagogical process of learning can be achieved when following different steps. These steps include summarizing the topic, selecting visuals for info-graphic design, and recording the topic. These phases can be used as an assessment tool for all the language skills.
The data are collected from the quantitative analysis and students’ learning assessment. The study also explores how the info-graphic design used in students’ projects have changed the dynamics of traditional learning by adapting rich colored visualization method.
Diglossic Curriculum: An Investigation Into the Exclusion of Spoken Arabic Varieties and the Students’ Learning Outcome of National Chengchi University, Taiwan
Salim Yuhe Fang
Diglossia, whether considered as an empirical fact or an ideological concept, is a dominant socio-linguistic phenomenon in the Arabic-speaking regions and thus has a multi-layered impact on Arabic teaching strategies. As university programs worldwide have provided Modern Standard Arabic and Spoken Arabic varieties in their Arabic programs, the Department of Arabic Language and Culture of National Chengchi University, Taiwan, includes only Modern Standard Arabic in its undergraduate program. The research treats the exclusion of Spoken Arabic varieties from the curriculum as the higher education institution’s reaction to Arabic diglossia. Similarly, the students’ learning outcomes at the university are discussed as results of in/direct effects of Arabic diglossia through the curriculum, in joint with the learners’ empirical understanding of the socio-linguistic realities in the Arabic-speaking regions. By interviewing the learners who have attended the Arabic program and traveled to an Arabic-speaking country as well as the teacher who participated in the initial linguistic training of these students, the thesis investigates how diglossia affects the curriculum’s instructing approaches and students’ learning outcomes. The findings of the research aim to (1) provide a profound understanding of how the Arabic program has been designed in response to Arabic diglossia in the unique context of Taiwanese society, (2) discuss the benefits and disadvantages of excluding Spoken Arabic dialects from the program according to the students’ reflections, and (3) offer insights for Arabic programs worldwide with similar social circumstances.
Digitalised language proficiency testing & practice system (DLPTP) for Arabic
Mourhaf Kazzaz, Claudia Duttlinger, Nelly Sagirov, Gamiela Safiya, Maissa Markabi and Heba Ahmad
Teachers of Arabic face special challenges that many other languages do not pose: alongside the four language skills, they must also teach the Arabic writing system and handle diglossia within a constrained amount of time. Many researchers have stressed the need for both extensive practice and e-learning to play a central role in higher education and have investigated into what fosters successful outcomes in these areas. Effective digital learning and testing not only allow teachers to dedicate more time to practice, but also to better handle heterogeneous learner groups and more easily compare and validate results. Digitalisation enhances core tasks and processes in higher education, removing the need for teachers of Arabic to make less-than-ideal compromises in their teaching and more effectively preparing students for living and working in Arabic-language contexts after the completion of their degree.
In this paper, we present the DLPTP platform which uses digitalisation to eliminate such compromises and to save time when creating language exercises, even for heterogeneous groups. DLPTP is designed to cover a broad range of language-specific features, such as Arabic diacritics, accommodating both second language learners and heritage speakers. Currently available exercises comprise writing and listening skills, for example identifying Arabic roots or completing essay-type questions such as the C-test (one of the most widely-used placement test formats in higher education), and are planned to be extended further. DLPTP targets a wide variety of student proficiency levels utilising natural language processing techniques, and provides students and teachers with detailed individualised linguistic feedback.
Computer Mediated Discourse and Linguistic variation in TAFL
Cristina Solimando
The linguistic variation represents nowadays a central issue in the teaching practice. The Arabic linguistic world is usually described as diglossic speech communities. The diglossic representation (Ferguson, 1959), gives an idealized picture of a general linguistic situation in which a formal variety is opposed to an informal one. Despite this representation has been quite universally accepted as a paradigm of linguistic analysis that can be considered still valid, this theory has been refined through the suggestion of intermediate levels (Badawi, 1973; Meiseles, 1980).
The reconceptualisation of the diglossic theory leads to a deep reconsideration of the didactic material to use in teaching Arabic as foreign language. MSA appears as a label under which different varieties are included and represents a “simplification” that need to be overcome in teaching practice. In this perspective, the Web represents an important resource that has been only theoretically explored. The TAFL have not still considered the richness of texts emerged in last decades in Social Networks. Computer Mediated Communication is a fundamental point of reference for teachers in order to provide students new materials and to suggest innovative methodologies. Moreover, it permits to overcome the traditional opposition between MSA-written language and Vernacular-oral language giving the students a more realistic picture of Arabic reality. This approach, that will be illustrated in my presentation and that has been adopted in Arabic courses (levels A2-B1) in Roma Tre University, gave good results in terms of students’ awareness of Arabic linguistic variation and improved their communicative skills.
Spotlight on authentic and inclusive approaches in Arabic language teaching curriculum: A case study of advanced Arabic Skills Module.
Ruba Khamam
This paper will shed light on integrating a range of authentic and inclusive approaches in designing, delivery and assessment of an Arabic language teaching curriculum in the light of the rapidly changing Higher Education Environment. The aim is to provide student learners of Arabic with a truly immersive and transformative language acquisition experience.
The current paper will share the student-centred pedagogies for learning, assessment and feedback introduced and adopted in the case study of advanced Arabic Language module. Then, the discussion will focus on the impact the implemented changes had on enhancing students’ level of engagement with their learning and overall progress they made.
The session is meant to refresh teachers and practitioners’ knowledge of designing inclusive Arabic language curriculum. They will gain rich insights about tested up to date inclusive and authentic methods for teaching Arabic Language. They will go through a journey of exploration and check examples of innovative ways for encourage students’ participation and involvement in diverse aspects of curriculum design, delivery, assessment and feedback in an enjoyable and convenient way for both teachers and learners in the process.
The ultimate goal is to build a community of confident practitioners and share good practice based on pedagogically tested methods.
Multidialectal Use of L2 Arabic: A Study of Advanced Learner Profiles
Lama Nassif and Nesrine Basheer
Developing sociolinguistic competence in Arabic can be a complex process given considerations in the use of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Colloquial Arabic (CA) within a changing sociolinguistic scene in Arabic-speaking communities. Findings from empirical research suggest that L2 Arabic learners who receive multidialectal training in MSA and CA can gain awareness of sociolinguistic variation and context-related sociolinguistic expectations. However, research is yet to examine more deeply when/where leaners code-switch between MSA and CA, and how their switching patterns differ across different types of productions. It also needs to examine how L2 Arabic learners’ metasociolinguistic knowledge and language learning history associate with their language production. This study addresses these gaps. Six Advanced students enrolled in a multidialectal program participated in the study. Data included a language learning history survey, planned oral production, semi-spontaneous oral production, written production, and reflections on sociolinguistic variation. Quantitative measures were used in the analysis of MSA-CA use in the participants’ productions, and qualitative ones for the survey and interview data. The findings show common patterns in the participants’ MSA-CA code-switching that simultaneously corresponds to the variety associated with their learner profiles. Code-switching patterns and MSA-CA use also differed across types of production. Overall, the findings indicate the multi-facetedness of L2 Arabic learners’ sociolinguistic competence and how it is affected by instructional, social, and idiolectal factors. This study offers important pedagogical implications for the L2 Arabic classroom, and is linked to the rapidly growing body of scholarship on translanguaging practices and pedagogies.
Implicit or explicit oral corrective feedback: what do Arabic students prefer?
Hezi Brosh
The present study elicits undergraduate students’ preferences concerning oral corrective feedback (OCF). A sample of 97 students of Arabic as a foreign language participated, all of whom were native speakers of English. The data were collected utilizing a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that all participants believed that implicit and explicit OCF benefited them in developing their language skills; however, they preferred the explicit metalinguistic OCF. They trusted that explicit OCF helped them understand their errors better, attracted interaction with the teacher, and led them to self-correct. Similarly, participants wanted to receive the OCF immediately and in their mother tongue, English. The results suggest that the process of giving and receiving OCF is multifaceted. Teachers should find the right balance between OCF types, the language, and delivery time to facilitate learning and promote students’ academic growth.
Negotiating Arabic: language accommodation in a multi-dialect setting
Alaa Elgibali and Rana Siblini
When discussing an academic topic, which language variation(s) do Arab speakers who have different dialects use? It is often presumed that in such settings educated Arab speakers from different countries tend to, prefer to approximate, or switch to using fuṣḥā, or the modern standard variable of the language. To test and validate the above assumption in the academic context, this presentation reports the preliminary findings of an ongoing research project to investigate the linguistic behavior of a group of native Arabic speakers speaking different dialects in a graduate school setting. Empirical research, which is typically couched in the perspective of the now commonly adopted Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT), e.g., Abu Melhim (1991) and Shiri (2002), contested the aforementioned common view. Although CAT continues to receive wide attention by linguists, the research in relation to Arabic continues to be limited; hence the timely need to do so.
The current study documents and examines the various language strategies and the types of accommodations multi-dialectal graduate students undertake to discuss a topic in the humanities and social sciences. The patterns detected are correlated with sentiments of language attitudes gleaned from a questionnaire aiming mainly to validate and further understand the perception of Arabic speakers about dialects: their own and that of others, especially in consideration to current shift in the popularity and spread of some Arabic dialects versus others, due to the change during the last decades in the geopolitical situation of the Arab region.
Innovation in Arabic teacher education research for better teaching and learning practices regarding teaching communication and oral skills
Hebatalla Elhelbawi
The purpose of this study is to investigate the integration of task-based language learning activities in UK Arabic supplementary schools to develop heritage learners’ communication, advance their oral skills (speaking skills), and activate their independent learning.
The goal of this study is to set a framework and guidelines for continues professional development workshops for Arabic teachers to teach Arabic language communicatively giving attention and priority to oral skills and communication. The study uses a unique educational methodology, Design Based Research, that aims to bridge the gap between research and practice. The goal will be reached by examining three core phases. Firstly, the exploratory phase investigates the current practices in the way that oral language skills are being taught. Secondly, the iteration phase which involves the design and delivery of novel training sessions for teachers to develop their teaching skills and support them in integrating task-based language learning activities in Arabic classrooms. Lastly, the testing phase, which involves testing the new approach in a practical sense, and evaluating its efficacy in teaching communication and oral language skills to Arabic learners.
The teaching of Arabic at universities in multicultural English-dominant-Arabic-minority contexts: A review of the literature
Nadia Selim
This paper presents the findings of a structured literature review. A systematic approach was used to identify evidence-based practices used in teaching Arabic within multicultural English-dominant-Arabic-minority (EDAM) tertiary contexts (especially Australia); identify the extent to which current approaches and/or textbook choices are supported by empirical research, and chart directions for research.
Scopus and Web of Science were searched on 09/08/2022 using the terms: teaching AND Arabic AND university without time delimitations. Searches focused on English or Arabic peer-reviewed journal articles only. Three eligibility criteria were outlined. The articles needed to (1) focus specifically on teaching (or learning) Arabic as a language; (2) report original empirical research conducted in an EDAM tertiary context; (3) or present structured examinations of Arabic textbooks or resources used in EDAM tertiary contexts.
The initial searches returned 675 hits which were downloaded into Endnote X9. Preliminary deletions involved the removal of duplicates. These were followed by the removal of entries that were neither in English nor Arabic; were not from peer-reviewed journals (=355), or were irrelevant (e.g., health-related research) (=181). Subsequently, studies from non-EDAM tertiary settings were excluded (=44).
Forty-four abstracts were examined against the criteria, and 36 additional exclusions ensued. The texts of eight articles were analysed. This process revealed a paucity of pedagogically focused research that has immediate applicability to teaching practice and textbook choices in EDAM contexts. With regards to the Australian context, there is an urgent need for explorations of students’ experiences, action research, and critical examinations of popular textbooks.
تعليم اللغة العربية وتعلمها للناطقين بغيرها، منظور إدراكي.
Mahmoud Aldeeky
ينوي الباحث النظر في إمكانية الاستفادة من نتائج البحث اللساني المعرفي في مجال تعلم اللغة العربية وتعليمها للناطقين بغيرها، ومحاولة إنتاج وسائل تعليمية وتعلمية مبنية على تلك النتائج تساعد في تحقيق تعلم وتعليم فعال ومنتج . وذلك للعلاقة الوطيدة بين اللسانيات النظرية في مجالها الإدراكي واللسانيات التطبيقية في جانبها المتعلق باللسانيات التعليمية ومناهج التدريس ومقرراتها ومفاهيمها وأهدافها المحددة ، والجوانب الذهنية الإدراكة من أرضية فهم الاستراتيجيات الذهنية التي يتبعها المتعلم ، في محاولة لتجاوز التحديات والصعوبات التي تواجه تعلم اللغة العربية وتعليمها للناطقين بغيرها ، وفي سبيل الوصول إلى نتائج علمية يركن إليها ينوي الباحث فحص عدد من المقررات التعليمية المستعملة في عدد من الجامعات الغربية للوقوف على مدى استفادتها من نتائج البحث اللساتي الإدراكي .
Workshop:
Enhancing Arabic language Students’ vocabulary acquisition skills by means of innovative approaches
Ruba Khamam
The workshop will explore pedagogically tested methods and strategies for developing vocabulary and idiomatic expressions acquisition skills and techniques of Arabic Language learners.
It will be an interactive session where the focus is on sharing step by step guidance with teachers of Arabic on how to support students and teaching them how to create proper glossaries.
The second half of the workshop will be based on qualitative analysis of writing and formatting errors students made in creating their glossaries. The data was collected from a corpus of final year students’ continuous formative and informative assessment submitted in Advanced Arabic Language Module.
The teachers and practitioners will have hands on practice looking at anonymised samples of students’ glossaries, assessing them and providing appropriate feedback in line with the assessment criteria shared by the workshop leader. The assessment criteria is developed in line with the Common European Framework of Reference adopted to benchmark the development of native-like proficiency in Arabic language writing.
Finally, the workshop aims to get the teachers and practitioners of Arabic to build a generic guidance to improve students’ glossary building skills based on collating the general patterns of mistakes made and stipulating the underlying rules when applicable so that students can identify what went wrong and what to do as a next step to further enhance the quality of their glossaries.
Attention to Verbal Morphology in L2 Arabic Reading: An Eye-Movement Study
Lama Nassif, Elizabeth Huntley and Ayman Mohamed
In second Language (L2) acquisition research, attention is believed to facilitate learning. Godfroid and Uggen (2013) found that attention to irregular verb morphology motivated learning of novel L2 German forms. The current study explored the generalizability of these findings to geminate and sound verbs in Arabic, and also raised the question: How do learners’ self-reported subjective experiences align with the online and offline measures of awareness and learning? Eleven fourth-semester learners of Arabic participated in the experiment. Participants completed a language learning background survey, took a fill-in-the blank pretest, read 20 sentence pairs while an Eyelink 1000 recorded their eye movements, and answered true/false comprehension questions that appeared on-screen following each sentence. A posttest, identical to the pretest, and a prior vocabulary knowledge scale task were then conducted. Learners’ reflections were recorded in a subsequent recall task and a follow-up semi-structured interview. Descriptive analyses of the eye-tracking metrics reveal generally equivalent reading times between verb types, although participants made more direct visual comparisons between geminate- than between sound-verb conjugations. Participants did not report awareness of geminate verbs, but noticed other aspects of input (e.g., verbs, word roots), and, on average, improved their written productive knowledge by 2% after only one exposure. Alongside quantitative findings, the presentation will largely focus on qualitative data revealing participants’ noticing patterns during reading. Pedagogical implications are discussed in terms of input enhancement in a communicative L2 Arabic classroom.
Workshop:
تدريس مهارة الكتابة للمستوى المبتدئ “من الدرس الأول حتّى الأخير؛ كيف نكتب؟”
Safaa Radoan
تدريس مهارة الكتابة للمستوى المبتدئ
“من الدرس الأول حتّى الأخير؛ كيف نكتب؟”
يتميّز المستوى المبتدئ باعتماده على التواصل الحسيّ / الجسديّ نظراً لمحدوديّة المفردات المستخدمة وانعدام وجود لغة تواصل مشتركة بين الطالب والأستاذ لاسيما لدى الرغبة في عدم استخدام لغة وسيطة كالإنجليزية أوغيرها. ويزداد الأمر صعوبة عندما يصل الأمر إلى مهارة الكتابة، ونقف لنتساءل عن دور هذه المهارة في تعزيز اكتساب اللغة للطالب المبتدئ. كلّ ذلك في ضوء اختلافات وجهات النظر حول تدريس هذه المهارة خلال الساعات الصفيّة أو أنّها مهارة بإمكان الطالب أن يطوّرها بما يتناسب مع قدراته الدراسيّة.
من هنا جاءت الرغبة في تقديم هذه الورشة التي تهدف إلى مناقشة الطرق التي تعزز مهارة الكتابة عند الطالب بشكل عمليّ، وما إذا كانت هذه المهارة من المهارات الجديرة بالساعة الدرسية، وكيف لي أن أطبقها في الصف. هذا بالإضافة إلى عرض نماذج من التدريبات التي يمكن الاعتماد عليها في صف المبتدئين ودورها في تطوير قدرة الطالب على إنتاج المادة المدروسة كتابيّاً. الأمر الذي يساعد الطالب على التدرّج في الكتابة من مستوى الكلمة المنطوقة (الإملاء)، إلى مستوى كتابة الفقرة القصيرة عن الموضوعات المدروسة بلغة عربية فصيحة وسليمة من الأخطاء اللفظية والنحويّة خلال فترة ليست بالطويلة. سيأتي ذلك كله بعد عرض سريع عن المنهج المتّبع في التديس بما يتناسب مع التدريبات المعروضة.
Bridging theory and practice: Translanguaging perspectives in the Arabic language classroom
Emma Trentman
Translanguaging is a theory of language that shifts the focus from which socially constructed language individuals use to how they draw upon their full linguistic repertoires to engage with the world, including in educational settings (Otheguy et al, 2015; García & Li Wei, 2014, Li Wei, 2018). While this perspective has gained ground in some language learning settings, including bilingual education, TESOL, English medium higher education, and heritage learner education, it has had little impact on the field of world language education, where English speakers in English dominant educational settings learn other languages. In this setting, translanguaging practices are frequently described as a failure to provide the monolingual immersion viewed as necessary for language acquisition, or at best a scaffold to future monolingual production.
This paper describes the development of a Novice level Arabic curriculum in a U.S. higher education context, where translanguaging theory and pedagogy were used to inform a shift from using a textbook to an open access website. It describes why translanguaging pedagogies were appealing in this context and how they were explicitly discussed with students and integrated into classroom activities, including virtual exchange conversations. It also draws from student interviews to address the ongoing challenges with reframing and transforming monolingual language ideologies in a classroom designed to teach a specific “named” language, Arabic. Finally, it examines the power of translanguaging pedagogies to provide new perspectives on the diglossic and multidialectal nature of Arabic and the role of these varieties in the language classroom.
Critical Pedagogy for Connecting Research and Practice in TAFL. Deepen the appropriate theory to strengthen the practical approach
Letizia Lombezzi
A false elitist binarism has dominated TAFL for a long time, coupled with the claim for an absolute scientific rigorous method. Critical theory has proven that the supposed scientificity was instead scientism, grounded on the “religiosity” of research methodologies. Macedo (2019:36) defined such religiosity as “ curse” aiming at promoting “a narrative” rather than progression in learners’ outcomes. The cited detrimental religiosity is due to a misunderstanding -evidently kept alive by traditional scholars- that has occurred between the concept of scientific and objective. The two do not coincide at all, as the definition of scientific often results from a subjective claim or from agreement among the inner circles of traditional academic authorities. Objectivity instead can be only achieved after observation and practice in the classroom. In most cases indeed language practice has not reflected the scientific problematization previously posed by established epistemic authorities, then false dichotomies and silly postures were fed by these scientists (ibidem 2019: 37). Many scholars already noted that teaching should be freed form ideological approaches (Brustad 2017; Al-Batal 2019; Tochon 2019), and in order to do so functional contextualization is here individuated as the key-strategy toward the achievement of high goals, instead of high standards, being the idea of standard misleading for Arabic. Following the necessary theoretical framing, this paper suggests strategies for connecting research and practice, and exemplifies teaching modules in order to resignify Arabic teaching practices, for rendering it biographically, socially and culturally situated.
Towards a profile of Arabic Heritage Learners in European Higher Education
Hossam Ahmed
Although there are studies that look at the characteristics and motivations of Arabic heritage learners in American universities ( e.g. Husseinali, 2006; Zabarah, 2016), an understanding of this group of learners in European universities is lacking. This exploratory study uses a semi-structured interviews to identify the linguistic background, Arabic acquisition context, and motivations to learning the language of Arabic heritage learners at a European University. The findings corroborate previous studies in emphasizing integrative and cultural motivation over instrumental motivation. Although previous research notes that Arabic heritage learners may identify with religion and not only language. Learners who stepped forward to take the interviews in this study come from non-Arab background (ethnically or linguistically) in a notably higher proportion. Such demographic composition has implications on designing Arabic courses that involve heritage learners, especially in addressing questions of identify, culture, and diversity. An example project-based task shows how these considerations are implemented in practice.
Engaging And Reflective Practices in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language in the Virtual Learning Environment in The United States
Samir El Omari
This research study focuses on the teaching practices of (AFL) Arabic as Foreign Language in the (VLE) Virtual Learning Environment in the United States and highlights the Arabic instructors’ insights on the teaching and learning in the virtual classrooms at university level. This research investigates the technological tools used and implemented in the VLE for AFL curriculum and the approaches pertaining to the strategic importance of the integration of technology to enhance Arabic learners’ Foreign Language skills in virtual classrooms at university level. The data presented is from a study in which a mixed-method approach is used to obtain an understanding of Arabic instructors’ attitudes toward the use of technology in virtual classrooms. To gain greater depth of the Arabic instructors’ effective practices of this type of teaching environment, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participating Arabic instructors in the United States. Results of this study affirm that VLE and technological tools play a dynamic role in enhancing learners’ language skills. The findings also demonstrate that the VLE is in the process of becoming an integral part of the teaching and learning of AFL in the United States in the 21st Century. Respectively, the significance of this study is to provide contribution and support to the progress of the teaching and learning of AFL in the VLE in the 21st Century.
Teaching Arabic through drama: Project-based case study
Zehad Sabry
Drama is an effective way in the second language class, it brings a lot of joy and sustains the students’ attention. In addition, it creates a more natural context where language can be used freely and naturally. Drama helps students put everything they have learned into use. Thus they can perform. They can also work on their pronunciation, vocabulary, and expression, not to mention, developing writing, reading, and speaking skills. The presentation is based on a case study where a group of students worked together to write and perform a theater play for forty-five minutes in Arabic and on a stage where around 50 people were in the audience. The presentation will focus on the impact on students’ language, self-teem, and anxiety levels during and after delivering the project. In addition, a description of the steps, preparation, and students’ evaluations of this experience.
صُعُوبَاتُ تَدْرِيسِ المُذَكَّرِ وَالْمُؤَنَّثِ لِمُتَعَلِّمِي اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ لُغَةً أَجْنَبِيَّةً وَسُبُلُ تَجَاوُزِهَا
Abderrahim Chenine and Othmane Berriha
لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّ كُلَّ مُتَعَلِّمٍ لُغَةً أَجْنَبِيَّةً ـــــ لَا سِيَّمَا إِنْ كَانَتْ تَخْتَلِفُ عَنْ لُغَتِهِ الْأُمِّ اخْتِلَافًا بَيِّنًا ـــــ سَيُصَادِفُ صُعُوبَاتٍ تَزِيدُ أَوْ تَنْقُصُ تَبَعًا لِكُنْهِ اللُّغَةِ الهَدَفِ وَمَدَى بُعْدِهَا عَنِ لُغَتِهِ الْأُمِّ، وَلِعَوَامِلَ شَتَّى تَتَّصِلُ اتِّصَالًا وَثِيقًا بِأَطْرَافِ الْمُثَلَّثِ الدِّيدَاكْتِيكِيِّ “الْمُتَعَلِّمِ، وَالْمُعَلِّمِ، وَالْمُقَرَّرَاتِ الدِّرَاسِيَّةِ”، وَقَدْ تَتَعَدَّى هَاتِهِ الْأَطْرَافَ الثَّلَاثَةَ إِلَى مُؤَثِّرَاتٍ خَارِجِيَّةٍ ـــــ تَكُونُ مُسَاعِدَةً أَحْيَانًا وَمُثَبِّطَةً أَحَايِينَ أُخَرَ ــــ تَجِلُّ عَنِ الْحَصْرِ، كَالْوَسَطِ اللِّسَانِيِّ للمتعلِّمِ، وَالسِّيَاسَاتِ اللُّغَويَّةِ، وَالظُّرُوفِ الِاقْتِصَادِيَّةِ وَالِاجْتِمَاعِيَّةِ وَالثَّقَافِيَّةِ، وَغَيْرُهَا جَمٌّ كَثِير.
وَمِنَ الصُّعُوبَاتِ الْمُتَعَلِّقَةِ بِالْمُقَرَّرَاتِ الدِّرَاسِيَّةِ فِي تَعْلِيمِ اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ لِلنَّاطِقِينَ بِغَيْرِهَا تَدْرِيسُ الْمُذَكَّرِ وَالمؤَنَّثِ، وَغَيْرُ خَافٍ عَلَى ذِي لُبٍّ أَنَّ هَذَا الْمَوْضُوعَ بَالِغُ الأَهَمِّيَّةِ فِي تَعَلُّمِ العَرَبِيّةِ؛ وَلِذَا نُلْفِي الكَثِيرَ مِنَ المُؤَلِّفِينَ قَدْ حَبَّرُوا فِيهِ الفُصُولَ وَالأَسْفَارَ قَدِيمًا وَحَدِيثًا.
إِنَّ تَجْرِبَتِي مَعَ أَفْوَاجٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ مِنَ العُمَّالِ الأَجَانِبِ ــــــ الَّذِينَ جَاؤُوا إِلَى الجَزَائِرِ ضِمْنَ اتِّفَاقِيَّاتِ عَمَلٍ مِنْ دُوَلٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ مِثْلِ “كُوبَا، وَالصِّينِ، وَالِهنْدِ” عَلَى تَبَايُنِ أَهْدَافِهِمْ* وَتَعَدُّدِهَا ـــــ عَلَى مَرِّ سَنَوَاتٍ عِدَّةٍ جَعَلَتْنِي أُدْرِكُ جُمْلَةً مِنَ الصُّعُوبَاتِ لَعَلَّ مِنْ أَهَمِّهَا مَا تَعَلَّقَ بِدَرْسِ “الْمُذَكَّرِ وَالْمُؤَنَّثِ”، كَوْنَهُ قَاسِمًا مُشْتَرَكًا بَيْنَ تِلْكُمُ الأَفْوَاجِ؛ مِمَّا دَعَا هَاتِهِ الوَرَقَةَ البَحْثِيَّةَ إِلَى اعْتِمَادِهِ مَوْضُوعًا لِلدِّرَاسَة.
وَتَعْتَمِدُ هَذِهِ الوَرَقَةُ البَحْثِيَّةُ عَلَى الْمَنْهَجِ الوَصْفِيِّ التَّحْلِيلِيِّ الَّذِي سَيَسْتَعِينُ ـــــ كُلَّمَا دَعَتِ الحَاجَةُ ــــ بِالْمُقَارَنَةِ أَدَاةً إِجْرَائِيَّةً، وَبِنَاءً عَلَى ذَلِكَ سَتُبْنَى الخُطَّةُ عَلَى العَنَاصِرِ الآتِيَة:
أ- تَمْهِيد: أَهَمِّيَّةُ دَرْسِ الْمُذَكَّرِ وَالْمُؤَنَّثِ لِمُتَعَلِّمِ اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ لُغَةً أَجْنَبِيَّة.
ب- صُعُوبَاتُ تَدْرِيسِ الْمُذَكَّرِ وَالْمُؤَنَّثِ لِمُتَعَلِّمِ اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة.
1- صُعُوبَاتٌ مُتَعَلِّقَةٌ بِلُغَةِ الْمُتَعَلِّمِ الْأُمّ.
2- صُعُوبَاتٌ مُتَعَلِّقَةٌ بِاللُّغَةِ العَرَبِيَّة.
3- صُعُوبَاتٌ أُخَرُ مُرْتَبِطَةٌ بِالْمَنَاهِجِ وَالْمُقَرَّرَات.
4- صُعُوبَاتٌ تَتَعَلَّقُ بِالْمُتَعَلِّمِ.
ج- سُبُلُ مُعَالَجَةِ هَذِهِ الصُّعُوبَات.
Mentimeter: Giving every student in your Arabic as Foreign Language classroom a voice
Carla El Khoury
Previous studies in the field of Foreign Language Acquisition have shown a positive correlation between technology utilization and elevation of student engagement. Based on that finding, this study aims to specifically examine the effectiveness of using Mentimeter (MN), as one of the popular tools, in Arabic as a foreign language (AFL) class, to engage the students, promote inclusion and consolidate learning.
The technology-based classroom offers an excellent opportunity for learners to experience the enticing atmosphere of the learning process, which stimulates their engagement. Several studies on using electronic devices in language learning settings define Mentimeter as an easy-to-use application that allows students to interact by answering questions anonymously. This presentation is based on preliminary data gathered from polling of students and class observations will highlight the possible use of MN in AFL seminars, to consolidate learning through activities aiming at recycling some specific language functions in an ever-expanding context to help the students move from a conceptual understanding of some language concepts and forms to a full control.
It will also highlight how MN based activities impact student engagement by promoting inclusion and giving a voice to all the students even the most introverted ones by allowing them to voice their opinion and participate anonymously in challenging writing tasks.