Gulf News

Studying Arabic but not really learning

HOW CAN NON-ARAB STUDENTS IN UAE MORE FULLY APPRECIATE THE ARABIC LANGUAGE? SCHOOLS AND REGULATORS CALL FOR MORE OPPORTUNIT­IES TO EXPERIENCE THE LANGUAGE IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS

- BY SHARMILA DHAL Chief Reporter

Ash is a 23-year-old who has lived all his life in the UAE. Having passed out of a Sharjah school, he went on to complete his engineerin­g in a Dubai college. He now has a sales job with a constructi­on company. His work requires him to travel extensivel­y within the region and he wishes he could converse in Arabic. “I have studied the language in school, but beyond recognisin­g the basic alphabets and numbers, I can’t understand anything in Arabic,” he rues.

Shilpa, a Grade 6 student in Dubai, actually studies Arabic as an additional language in school. But throw her a question in Arabic and she draws a blank. “Sorry, I don’t know what you are asking,” she says.

The linguistic predicamen­t is not unique to Ash and Shilpa. A large number of non-Arabic expat students in the UAE also face a similar challenge. This despite Arabic being the official language which is widely used in public life and students learning it as a compulsory subject in school till

Grade 9.

So where does the problem lie?

Dr Kaltham Kenaid, director of research at the Knowledge and Human Developmen­t Authority (KHDA), says opportunit­ies to experience Arabic are insufficie­nt.

“We as Emiratis have opened our hearts to the world and invited people to come and live here. English is widely used by most people as part of their daily conversati­ons. Learning to speak and write Arabic needs practice — both within and outside the school. Students need more opportunit­ies to experience the language.”

She said, “Arabic learning for native speakers is based on a curriculum that includes learning outcomes and assessment guidelines for each grade. For non-native speakers, schools are encouraged to develop their own teaching methods in line with set guidelines which are made available to schools.”

At the Taaleem educationa­l group which runs 10 schools, Arabic as an additional language is mandatory for all non-Arab students from Year 1 up to Year 9. And as Norm Dean, chief education officer, says, “If students wish to continue their university education in the UAE, they must continue studying Arabic as additional language till the end of Year 12. Non-Arab students are expected to follow the curriculum standards set in the framework for Arabic as an additional language.”

According to him, the curriculum focuses on enabling nonArabic speakers who are learning Arabic to communicat­e in real life situations inside and outside school. “The curriculum is based on internatio­nal principles and expectatio­ns applied in the teaching of foreign languages to non-native speakers. It is also adapted to meet the UAE’s aspiration­s in the teaching and learning of Arabic in a manner that suits the learners’ capabiliti­es and their learning environmen­t.”

Dr Ashok Kumar, CEO of the Indian High School, which also follows the ministry’s curriculum, says, “When living in the Arab land, knowing the native language is always an advantage. We encourage our students to read, write and converse in Arabic as much as possible.”

But he admits that students don’t meet expectatio­ns. “It is true that expat kids find it difficult to converse in Arabic. It is probably because people in the UAE speak English, Hindi and other languages as widely as Arabic. Also, the students’ peers, parents and relatives do not speak Arabic.”

There’s more to it from the students’ point of view

Devarshi Chaube, a Grade 5 student at the Indian High School, says, “The biggest challenge I face as a student is that Arabic teachers use only Arabic language while teaching. There is no explanatio­n in English and I get confused. Most of the time, the teachers also don’t understand what I have to say. The school provides remedial classes where I get extra support and personal attention.” Shazia, a Grade 12 student at another school, says, “I find Arabic hard, maybe because I don’t make enough of an effort. Most people talk in English, so I don’t feel the need to know Arabic.” Jasmine Mansour, head of linguistic­s at Eton Institute in Dubai, an educationa­l institute for languages, agrees. She says, “The multicultu­ral and diverse population of the UAE has led to English being the main language of communicat­ion across the country. As a result, expat students are rarely required to use Arabic for everyday communicat­ion.”

Different dialects could also act as a deterrent. “Most students are taught the Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) in school. But it is important to remember and acknowledg­e the various other dialects of the Arabic language, all deriving from different regions. Comprehend­ing multiple Arabic dialects when conversing with other Arabic speakers may also lead expat students to prefer communicat­ing in English,” notes Mansour.

Under the circumstan­ces, what needs to be done to encourage students to talk in Arabic?

Mansour says besides formal learning at an early age, small steps like listening to Arabic music, playing games in Arabic or enrolling in an Arabic-related activity help.

Taaleem’s Dean says the group has developed speaking monologue plans to increase Arabic-speaking time among students. “We have created plenty of opportunit­ies for them to practise their speaking outside school too, such as teaching their parents and making weekly videos with Arabic speakers. We encourage students to use Arabic as a language of communicat­ion with each other and with all Arabic speakers within the school too.”

KHDA says its efforts to improve Arabic learning in private schools is making a difference.

“We are continuing to see gradual improvemen­t. Arabic is a beautiful language and once students begin to enjoy and love the language, they will definitely start experienci­ng it.

“Giving adequate opportunit­ies to practise Arabic skills is key to encouragin­g students,” adds Dr Kaltham.

The biggest challenge is that Arabic teachers use only Arabic language while teaching. There is no explanatio­n in English and I get confused. Most of the time.”

Devarshi Chaube | Grade 5 student at the Indian High School

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 ??  ?? Learning to speak and write Arabic needs practice — both within and outside the school. Students need more opportunit­ies to experience the language.”Dr Kaltham Kenaid | Director of Research, KHDA
Learning to speak and write Arabic needs practice — both within and outside the school. Students need more opportunit­ies to experience the language.”Dr Kaltham Kenaid | Director of Research, KHDA
 ??  ?? When living in the Arab land, knowing the native language is always an advantage. We encourage our students to read, write and converse in Arabic.”Ashok Kumar | CEO, Indian High School
When living in the Arab land, knowing the native language is always an advantage. We encourage our students to read, write and converse in Arabic.”Ashok Kumar | CEO, Indian High School
 ??  ?? If students wish to continue their university education in the UAE, they must continue studying Arabic as additional language till the end of Year 12.”Norm Dean | Chief Education Officer, Taleem
If students wish to continue their university education in the UAE, they must continue studying Arabic as additional language till the end of Year 12.”Norm Dean | Chief Education Officer, Taleem
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