Arabic language teaching in decline
2009-06-17
Experts meet in Tunis to discuss a deteriorating level of Arabic language teaching and a decline in the use of Arabic in public space.
By Mona Yahia for Magharebia in Tunis – 17/06/09
 [Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty Images] Arabic classes in Tunisia lag behind French and English classes in materials and technology, one teacher says. |
Experts from nine Arab countries met in Tunis from June 10th-13th at the headquarters of the Arab League Education, Culture and Science Organisation (ALECSO) to examine what they consider a deteriorating level of Arabic language instruction.
At the meeting, participants discussed ways to boost Arabic language proficiency through a project administered by ALECSO. The project focuses on the modernisation of Arabic language teaching methodologies; use of information and communication technology; adoption of the "life-learning" principle, Arabisation of sciences and technologies; and linguistic research.
The ALECSO project, approved at the Arab summit in Damascus in March 2008, also aims to localise knowledge by presenting information to the people in everyday language.
The experts agreed that Arabic suffers from substandard teaching and poor usage in all fields of life, especially in modern communication and the internet.
Participants said the state of language teaching should be confirmed by country, at all educational levels, in view of the linguistic and social environment, teachers' qualifications, work conditions, and methodologies.
"Language is the most important cultural symbol," said sociology professor Mahmoud Daouadi.
He ascribed the deterioration of the use and teaching the Arabic language to the infiltration of foreigners and their language in the Arab Maghreb countries, and said the issue differs greatly between the Middle East and the Maghreb.
"The degree of foreign [language] infiltration... in the Maghreb is higher," he said, adding that many politicians and intellectuals can't change mentalities and give priority to Arabic in everyday language.
Tunisia passed a law mandating the use of Arabic in public administration in the 1990s, but legal documents continue to be drafted in French.
In an interview with Tunisian television, Dr. Mohammed Aziz ben Achour, Director-General of ALECSO, confirmed that Arabic was in dire need of a teaching overhaul in universities and other institutions.
Nouredine, an Arabic language teacher, believes that the retraction of the Arabic language in Tunisia, whether in reading or writing, is due to outdated teaching methods, while other languages, such as French and English, employ modern technologies and state-of-the-art learning labs.
"In addition, the ministries supervising the Arabic language in the Arab countries don't involve experts and teachers," he said. "Rather, they depend on administration and bureaucrats."
At the end of the conference, participants called on ALECSO to implement the Arabic language promotion project, in order to move towards a society of knowledge.
Participants also called for greater efforts to generalise the use of Arabic in education, media, and other professional sectors. One recommendation was to establish a national centre in Tunisia to promote teaching and learning of the Arabic language.
Participants also called for the use of Arabic in media and advertising activities, multimedia, contribution to economic, social and cultural development.
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heremoana Posted 2009-06-18
I study Arabic alone in the book. I will learn Arabic very well.
SIMO Posted 2009-06-18
This decline may be justified in the aberration of certain regimes, which encourage the teaching of Berber dialects and the kids who ask nothing of them. This mediocre populist, propagandist policy is going to give the fatal blow to teaching Arabic and to the future generations, who will never pardon the above for this premeditated crime. The future belongs to international languages like, firstly, English. The rest are nothing but a masquerade, just dialects. Even Arabic is just for folklore, not for the future of our children, who are our future.
ولد الناظور Posted 2009-06-18
First of all, countries of North Africa are Amazigh. There is no “Arab Maghreb”. Arabic is not the mother tongue of North African people and not even the language of Asian Arabs. Arabic language is the mother tongue of Al Jazeera channel, Al Arabiya, and written Arab media only. No one speaks it on the street or at home. Arabs have voluntarily forsaken Arabic and chose dialects for their easiness and simplicity. Why do Saudis and Syrians want the Amazigh to speak a language which is half dead forsaken even by its original people and speakers in the deserts of Arabia and Al Sham. Amazigh people have their own Amazigh language (with its dialects and varieties). We don't want Arabization. We want Amazigh language and we want to learn English.
Yasser Posted 2009-06-18
ITS ABOUT TIME.. being an algerian i cant stand it when i meet someone and tell them where im from and they ask "oh so you speak french".. no disrespect to people of french discent or who do speak french.. but 1 million+ people died, and it wasnt so we could speak their language. Our people seem to have lost their identity. We need to bring arabic back
hasna/drafa Posted 2009-06-19
I like this article very much. Thank you so much.
bente casa Posted 2009-06-19
This is true. This is a bad problem. Arabic is a special language in the Maghreb.
أمازيغي ليبي Posted 2009-06-20
Whether you are Amazigh or Arab, the cultural component in North Africa is Arab. Arabic is our cultural component and not the other you pretend. Our Amazigh language has no alphabet up to now. As to writing in Latin, Arabic or Tifinagh, the alphabet of Touareg, I prefer the Arabic alphabet while speaking one or more languages. As a Libyan, it is supposed that I say the same as you and my motive is stronger than yours. At least we Libyans we had an alphabet in the past known as the Libyan alphabet. It is opposed to Latin and Arabic. It was published by the Tunisian edition house Dar Alif. But in spite of this I love the Arabic alphabet my cultural component and not the foreign alphabet, the alphabet of the colonizer...an alphabet which sees us underdeveloped no matter what we do and regardless of the progress we make.
hassouna /saraha raha Posted 2009-06-20
I adore this article. This is a big problem. I like this article so much.
فضل Posted 2009-06-22
There is no comment.
messi Posted 2009-09-30
I have a research project on technology. This is why I would like you to visit me in Casablanca on avenue Hassan II.
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