Teaching Arabic as a FL in Gaza: A seed for mutual cultural understanding

The Islamic University of Gaza
Case Study 5: Teaching Arabic as a FL in Gaza
A seed for mutual cultural understanding
Dr. Nazmi Al-Masri
May 26-28, 2014 – Glasgow - UK

Greetings to all from besieged Gaza
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Sorry & apology
Gaza border crossings are closed until unknown period
for not being able to participate in person in this symposium
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Wishing you a very pleasant, successful & fruitful Symposium
•
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Special thanks
To Prof Alison Phipps, Project Coordinator
To all my colleagues participating in the project
To Lauren Roberts, Lauren Roberts
Pleasure & honour to work with distinguished professors & professionals
specialised in different disciplines,
working for different universities
coming from different countries & cultures
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Outline
1.Context: Facts and Figures: Gaza Strip
2.Why Arabic?
3.Why learn in Gaza?
4.Rationale behind initiating a center for TAFL
5. Challenges faced in Gaza
6.Challenges to be overcome
7.Case Study 5: A suggested plan
8.Conclusions6

Context: Facts & figures - Gaza Strip
• Population Density: one of the most densely
populated areas around the world, with of over
4,500 people per km2
• Total area: 365 km2 (45km long, 6-12km wide)
• Population: approx. 1.9 million
• Registered Refugees: 70%
• Number of refugee camps: 8
• Unemployment: 35-40%
• Youth unemployment rate: 57.2 %
• poverty rate: 38%
Source: The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (12/02/2014)
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Why learn Arabic?
One of 6 official languages used by UN
Official language of 22 member states of
UNESCO
Used by more than 422 million speakers
in the Arab world
Used by more than 1.5 billion Muslims
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Why learn Arabic?
Arabic provides better insights into
Arabs' rich cultural heritage: unique art,
literature & cuisine
Knowing Arabic can promote deeper
intercultural understanding between
individuals, institutions & peoples
Knowing Arabic fosters deeper
academic, religious & business relations
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WhylearninGaza?WhylearninGaza?WhylearninGaza?WhylearninGaza?
• Palestinian urban dialects resemble northern Levantine Arabic dialects, that
is, the colloquial variants of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Palestinians in Gaza
speak Arabic dialect that is close to standard Arabic.
• Gaza people are kind, sociable and hospitable to foreigners.
• Palestinian urban dialects resemble northern Levantine Arabic dialects; the
colloquial variants of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
• Gaza people are kind, sociable and hospitable to foreigners.
• Gaza weather is mild in both summer and winter.
• Gaza is located on the Mediterranean Sea, near the crossroads of Africa,
Asia, and Europe. Gaza is bordering Egypt and less than 100km away from
Jerusalem.
• Being under military occupation & siege for years, Gaza has many
international supporters for ethical & humanistic reasons
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RationalebehindinitiatingaCenterforTeachingArabicasaForeignRationalebehindinitiatingaCenterforTeachingArabicasaForeignRationalebehindinitiatingaCenterforTeachingArabicasaForeignRationalebehindinitiatingaCenterforTeachingArabicasaForeign
Language(TAFL)Language(TAFL)Language(TAFL)Language(TAFL)
National factors
• Political factors: to interact with international community & break the
Israeli-imposed siege & isolation on Gaza
• Economic factors: to employ some qualified teachers & hence
participate in reducing unemployment & poverty through creating new
job opportunities
• Social factors: foreign wives married to Palestinians & foreigners
working for international institutions located in Gaza
• Cultural factors: as language & culture are interrelated, learning
Arabic as a FL can boost cultural mutual understanding &
collaboration
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International factors
Casing rapidly increasing demand on learning Arabic:
1. The September 11th attacks on New York City: The study of Arabic at U.S.
colleges increased 126.5% between 2002 and 2006, according to the Modern
Language Association.
2. The recent & current political changes happening in the Middle East
3. Impact of technology and web-based programs and tools
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Regional & professional factors
1. The Academic visits of the presenter to different countries
including Turkey, Malaysia, UK, Spain & South Africa
2. Professional & personal drive of the presenter to translate some of
his expertise in the advanced pedagogy of teaching English to
poor pedagogy of teaching Arabic.
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ChallengesChallengesChallengesChallenges
related to the key components of teaching any foreign language
1.Complete absence of teachers with the basic capabilities required for teaching
Arabic for international learners
2.Complete absence methods that can enable international learners to learn
Arabic as a foreign language
3.Absence of learners intending to come from multi linguistic & cultural
backgrounds
4.Lack of effective learning and teaching materials
The only components available are
•the clear vision and the strong determination of the presenter
•the encouragement of IUG president and other senior administrators
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StepstakentoovercomeChallengesStepstakentoovercomeChallengesStepstakentoovercomeChallengesStepstakentoovercomeChallenges
1.Learning visit (Jan 2013) to several Jordanian universities offering Arabic
courses for foreigners
2.Initial teacher training (Jan 2013 – May 2013) to pre-selected 27 Arabic &
English language teachers in collaboration & coordination with two Arab
partners:
– The Saudi- Based institution Arabic for All (Riyadh)
– The Egyptian-based The National Council for Women (Sinai – Arish)
3.Visiting many websites of well-reputed Arabic & English language centres to
learn more about the pedagogy of teaching Arabic & the regulations they use.
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StepstakentoovercomeChallengesStepstakentoovercomeChallengesStepstakentoovercomeChallengesStepstakentoovercomeChallenges
4. Collecting print & soft copy resources for teachers & learners
5. Shifting emphasis from on campus teaching to developing online courses
due to the impossibility of foreigners coming to Gaza during the last year
6. Current coordination with Arabic for All to prepare & offer joint online
courses
7. This week, I received an Erasmus Mundus staff mobility scholarship to
spend one month at Almeria University, Spain, to exchange professional
knowledge, skills and expertise in the field of learning and teaching foreign
languages (Spanish, English and Arabic).
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To achieve this objective of Case Study 5:
to equip researchers and practitioners of Arabic as a foreign language in
Gaza to access and work with international researchers in intercultural
language education, with a view to ensuring the provision of a high quality,
academically rigorous programme of Arabic, delivered for online tutors in
the Gaza strip and with account taken of technological innovations and
restrictions.
regular exchange site visits & meetings between the Principal Investigator, Prof
Alisopn Phips, the research Assistant Dr Mariam Attia & the International Partner
Al Masri are necessary to
develop first hand understanding of the real context of teaching Arabic in
Gaza
offer professional research assistance on the ground: training program,
preparing online teaching materials, policies and regulations & technical
skills
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CaseStudyCaseStudyCaseStudyCaseStudy5555 andIUGCenterforTAFL:AsuggestedplanandIUGCenterforTAFL:AsuggestedplanandIUGCenterforTAFL:AsuggestedplanandIUGCenterforTAFL:Asuggestedplan
conduct interviews with administrators, potential teachers, IT experts &
stakeholders
co-prepare & co-participate in conducting on campus and online teacher
training sessions
co-prepare & co-participate in delivering a pilot teaching Arabic course in
Glasgow and possibly in other partner universities (e.g. Arizona – USA)
co-prepare & co-participate in delivering a pilot online teaching Arabic
course to interested professional at the partner universities participating in our
project
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Plan B
If these visits and interviews cannot be
conducted, we can do what I am doing
now: using Skype.
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ConclusionsConclusionsConclusionsConclusions
This case is not only about enhancing the pedagogical skills of teaching Arabic as a
foreign language in Gaza but also about
Teaching Arabic as a seed for mutual cultural understanding & collaboration
among project participants & among peoples
Demonstrating how foreign language education and research can be a tool for
overcoming poverty, siege and cultural misunderstanding
Promoting using technology in teaching foreign languages with more focus on
Arabic
Showing exemplary collaboration between professionals from three continents:
Europe, America and Asia
Translating the way English is taught into how Arabic should be taught
These conclusions would make this case really very interesting & insightful to all
concerned with teaching and learning Arabic.
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Teaching Arabic as a FL in Gaza: A seed for mutual cultural understanding

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Teaching Arabic as a FL in Gaza: A seed for mutual cultural understanding