Report titled 'Arabic for Life' submitted to Mohammed Bin Rashid
Doha 13 May 2013
The Commission for the Modernization of Teaching Arabic has submitted to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Report on the Modernization of Teaching Arabic entitled, 'Arabic for Life'.
The report highlights the challenges and potential in developing Arabic language education, and includes a wide array of recommendations to improve Arabic teaching methods in line with international best practices.
At a press conference in Dubai today, the Commission praised the unstinting support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed to its efforts, which enabled the Commission to complete the tasks related to the report. These included the study of the current state of the Arabic language and of the teaching methodologies, reflecting the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed to strengthen the position of Arabic language among other languages in the world.
The Commission announced the outcomes of the Report on the Modernization of Teaching Arabic at the press conference led by Dr. Farouk El Baz, Chairman of the Commission, in the presence of a group of intellectuals, researchers, experts, academics, students, and others. The report is available on www.arabicforlife.ae.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. El Baz said the report focuses on developing modern educational tools for Arabic, by leveraging advanced technologies and modern communication methods that suit the younger generations and their interests.
The report presents a significant opportunity to make fundamental changes in teaching approaches by building on the crucial relevance of Arabic in the region, and on the increased awareness of the necessity to build knowledge in the local language.
Arabic for life
The Committee chose 'Arabic for Life' as the title of the report to firmly root its work in the language's current reality and in the technical and scientific developments surrounding it, taking into account the growing interest among non-speakers to learn it in various academic institutions around the world.
'Arabic for Life' was chosen to declare that the most important functions of Arabic as a language of daily communication should be the platform on which to build new curricula and design the most appropriate teaching materials that would transform the teaching of Arabic.
"Modernization is not incompatible with tradition. The great Arab thinkers never stopped the process of improvement and modernization which allowed major advances in various fields of knowledge, including in language teaching" said Professor Yasir Suleiman, a member of the Commission professor of Modern Arabic Studies and Fellow of King's College at the University of Cambridge.
Comprehensive Plan
The report draws from latest scientific research and studies in the field of language teaching and learning. Several surveys were conducted with experts to explore teaching methods and the challenges in modernizing Arabic teaching.
Report Elements
The report provides an overview of the current state of Arabic teaching based on five main themes: curriculum development, culture of reading, teachers, the role of the media in supporting the teaching of Arabic and teaching Arabic to non-native speakers. It also offers recommendations and solutions that can be implemented within a reasonable timeframe to achieve quick success in the modernization of Arabic teaching as well as long-term strategic solutions.
Curriculum development is one of the most important elements of the report, said Farouk Shosha, Secretary General of the Arabic Language Academy in Egypt and a member of the Committee, calling for updating Arabic teaching by selecting literary texts that are relevant to the modern era and introducing students to texts of increased complexity during their years of schooling rather than the current approach of studying literature starting from old texts which surprise students and feel alien to them.
Reading as a key knowledge development tool
The Commission stressed the importance of strengthening the culture of reading because of its decisive effect on teaching and learning standards, and its positive impact on students' writing skills.
According to the report, 42% of the students in the Arab world read only once a week or less. 64% of those who read, do so in standard Arabic. Based on these findings, the report offers a strategy to nurture the culture of reading that involves the family, school and the wider community.
Social Media
The Commission recommended the active use of modern technology, especially social media, in classroom activities and team projects that encourage students to develop their reading habits. It also recommends the development of electronic libraries to reach increased numbers of students with a variety of books.
The report called for the publication of simplified editions of renowned Arabic literary masterpieces, which could speak to today's generation. Versions in easy-to-understand language, targeting various levels of education, would introduce students to their literary heritage and encourage them to read more advanced texts as their language skills develop.
The report also highlighted the importance of leveraging digital media to reach out to young people who spend substantial amount of time on social media platforms. It said education system must fully understand the new media landscape to develop the right approaches to reach students. Surveys conducted during the Commission's work have confirmed, for example, that broadcast television is increasingly losing ground, as an activity among young Arabs, when compared to internet-based media
The Commission stressed the opportunity this new media landscape can represent: social networks could be a tool used to motivate students and involve teachers and parents through channels of communication. In this context, the report highlighted the need to upgrade the skills of teachers to enable them to effectively and creatively utilize social media tools and new technologies.
Teacher's indispensable role
Keeping in mind the primary role of teachers in the education process, the report recommended the strict selection of highly qualified teachers capable of translating this modern curriculum into new practices in the classroom. It also calls for a renewed effort to train and develop teachers, particularly along two dimensions: efforts to enrich their knowledge of best practice teaching, and empowering them with skills and practical training to activate this knowledge.
The Committee also proposed an integrated system for the certification of Arabic language teachers, including selection criteria, training provision..
Non-Arabic Speakers
In view of the growing interest among non-native speakers to learn Arabic and learn about the Arab culture, the Commission recommended strengthening the status of Arabic language as a universal language and a language of science and culture. This is to be achieved by establishing specialised Arabic teaching centres and exchange programs between academic institutions with a global reputation in language training. It also recommended establishing a programme to train teachers specialized in the teaching of Arabic for non-native speakers as well as the creation of a global translation centre.
Crowdsourced Mapping
The Commission has used crowdsourced mapping, an approach that was used for the first time in Arabic language development projects, to produce a mind map of how students, teachers, principals, academics, curriculum experts, media professionals and parents, perceive the main factors that influence the process of improving the quality of the teaching of Arabic.
-Ends-
For further information, please contact:
Nedal Al Asaad / Samer El Zein
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
Tel: (+971 4) 4507600; Fax: (+971 4) 4358040
E-mail: nedal.alasaad@bm.com, samer.elzein@bm.com
© Press Release 2013
