Why the Arabic Language Will Keep Up with the 21st Century
The Arabic language will keep up with the 21st century. This is what I have concluded from the echoes of our first annual conference “On the Horizon of Arabic Teaching and Learning” held on May 31, 2021. And let me tell you why in 5 evidence-based points:
1 - There is increased interest in improving the positioning of Arabic and modernizing its teaching and learning.
Even though our conference was held virtually, more than 2000 viewers from 18 different countries were watching. These numbers are exceptionally high for a virtual event! Let alone the live interactions and interesting discussions our attendees had in the chats. Here’s a few that are close to my heart:
2 - The future is headed towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education and it will revolutionize the learning process and enable effective data use.
During the conference’s first session, I presented alongside Mr. Nafez Dakkak, the CEO of “The Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development”, the positive results of AI when applied in Arabic classrooms based on our study.
Here’s a snippet of what Kamkalima and QRF’s research has discovered:
The graph shows the students’ sentiment analysis during Covid-19 lockdown - which was very exciting to be able to tap into such a data set. The writing of the students reflected negative emotions coinciding with the lockdown in March 2021. This directly highlights the extent to which students’ well-being was affected by the pandemic.
3 - Rising interest to upskill teachers who are able to raise a generation equipped with future skills.
We are not only talking about language and scientific skills but also various life skills such as analytical, critical, and creative thinking skills, and other technical skills like using technology tools and adapting them to the learning process. This and more was discussed during the second session of the conference “Who is the teacher of today? Who are the students of tomorrow?” with Dr. Rana Tamim, Dean of the College of Education, Dr. Samar Asso, our E-Learning Curriculum Specialist, Dr. Mahmoud Natout, founder of “L3b”, and the journalist Maya Majzoub.
4 - Arabic has already started adapting to modern changes.
The most asked question during the previous years, especially with the emergence of remote online teaching, is: “Will Arabic adapt to these contemporary changes?” Today, Arabic departments strategies in prominent school networks in UAE prove that the adaptation has started even before the pandemic. However, the pandemic accelerated the process and paved the way for new strategies that are more in line with today’s requirements. The third session presented some samples of these strategies, especially those adopted by GEMS Education, Emirate National Schools, Taaleem, and AlDar Academies. It also addressed the importance of searching for modern and engaging resources in Arabic and using educational technology effectively.
5 - We can no longer think of modernizing Arabic teaching and learning, we must act towards it.
Today, we witness creative Arabic solutions. One of these solutions is the Arabic phonics app we are about to launch with Al Futtaim Education Foundation (AFEF). This app aims at developing reading skills for early learners (from 3 to 6 years) in an engaging and fun way. Dr. Farah Sarraj, AFEF’s Acting Managing Director of Arabic, and I have revealed some exciting information about this app during the closing session.
In light of all this, I am surely optimistic that the Arabic language will position itself among the languages of the future. Just like human beings, the Arabic language’s viability depends on its adaptability to the changes around it.
How about you, where do you think Arabic is heading?
