Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Arabic is a diglossic language: What is written is different from what is spoken. For decades, students have learned written Arabic first and then spoken but this does not reflect the sociolinguistic reality of the language nor does it give students what they need to communicate. Teachers of Arabic have struggled to teach communicative skills. With the introduction of Al-Kitaab Third Edition, this method had to be established. Though there has been much discussion about "integrating Arabic," little research or evidence has been presented about it.
In this volume, Al-Batal gathers scholars who are using this method with success to present research that the method works. They will address curricular models, students' measured outcomes (with copious examples), and attitudes of students and teachers (which often change) using this methodology. Contributors are a mix of well-known and young scholars, bringing fresh voices into this discussion and making this method more established and less "experimental."
Additional data will be provided on the GUP website. Data include, tables/figures, audio, and video recordings of students showing the proposed method and outcomes from the method discussed. References to these resources will be made in the book.
Synopsis
For decades, students learning the Arabic language have begun with Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and then transitioned to learning spoken Arabic. While the MSA-first approach neither reflects the sociolinguistic reality of the language nor gives students the communicative skills required to fully function in Arabic, the field continues to debate the widespread adoption of this approach. Little research or evidence has been presented about the effectiveness of integrating dialect in the curriculum. With the recent publication of textbooks that integrate dialect in the Arabic curriculum, however, a more systematic analysis of such integration is clearly becoming necessary.
In this seminal volume, Mahmoud Al-Batal gathers key scholars who have implemented integration to present data and research on the method's success. The studies address curricular models, students' outcomes, and attitudes of students and teachers using integration in their curricula. This volume is an essential resource for all teachers of Arabic language and those working in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL).
Synopsis
Arabic as One Language gathers key scholars who have implemented the integration of dialect in Arabic curriculum to provide comprehensive evidence that teaching written and spoken Arabic together works.