What Languages to Include in Curriculum for Muslim Children (original) (raw)

The teaching of Arabic language and culture in UK schools

Research commissioned by the British Council's Arabic language and culture partnership in order to map out the current state of play with regard to Arabic language and culture in the UK and to assess the opportunities for extending the teaching of Arabic to more schools and learners. Original research carried out in 2013, updated early 2015

Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language in the UK: Strand 1 Research: How Arabic is being taught in schools - Review commissioned by the British Council November 2015

As part of the Arabic Language and Culture Programme, this report was commissioned by the British Council Arabic Language and Culture Programme in March 2016 and finalised in December 2016. The research team, which comprises of a consortium based at Leeds University, Edinburgh University and Goldsmiths, University of London, collates and presents data to reflect how Arabic is taught in schools in the UK. This report expands on a limited body of research in relation to Arabic teaching and learning, and focuses on how Arabic is taught including teaching methodologies, resources and learning strategies currently employed in teaching Arabic as a foreign language (TAFL) in schools. Specifically looking at the teaching of Arabic in UK schools has not previously been investigated, making this research of vital importance to teachers of Arabic, school leaders, teacher educators and policy makers. The research project aims to find answers to the following questions: 1. How is Arabic being taught in UK schools today and how it can be improved? 2. What varieties of Arabic are being/should be taught and to what extent is attention being paid to the diglossic nature of the language? 3. What are the challenges faced by Arabic learners and teachers which may have an impact on the efficiency of Arabic learning and teaching?

The teaching of Arabic as a community language in the UK

International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 2022

This paper provides an overview of UK Arabic language teaching in supplementary and mainstream schools from available research papers and provides a synopsis of recent developments in supporting Arabic teaching at school level and pathways to Higher Education. The largest study cited is the 2016 research collaboration between the British Council, the Universities of Leeds, Edinburgh, Goldsmiths, and London, and Alcantara Communications [Snowden et al. (Citation2016. Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language in the UK – Strand 1 Research: How Arabic is Being Taught in Schools. London: British Council)], exploring current teaching techniques, teachers’ perceptions of diglossia and variation in Arabic, and these are incorporated when designing teaching activities and materials. With surveys, interviews and lesson observations, Snowden et al. show teachers believe in the importance of communication as a learning aim and are familiar with the communicative approach but many base learning activities on traditional writing tasks and less on listening and speaking. It shows that Arabic diglossia remains a challenge with teachers stating that learning dialects is important, yet they struggle to find appropriate approaches and materials for it. This paper presents challenges faced by Arabic teachers including foundational teacher training, continuous professional development and material design, concluding with recent developments in supporting teaching Arabic as a community language and recommendations for addressing current challenges.

Analysis of Arabic Language Learning at Higher Education Institutions with Multi-Religion Students

Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2020

Arabic language learning, in Indonesia, is commonly addressed to those with Islamic Religion. However, there are several problems associated with learning this language in higher education institutions due to the mandated rule that students can learn it, irrespective of their religion. This research aims to reveal the institution's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats since the inclusion of the Arabic language in the higher educational institution's curriculum. A qualitative approach was conducted in this research equipped with the data sources of students, lecturers, and policy documents related to the curriculum establishment. The collected data were classified, presented, and interpreted before concluding. The result showed that the institution's strengths are the availability of lecturers with excellent Arabic language competences as well as a language and study center. In addition, by teaching Arabic, it creates more job opportunities for graduates. Meanwhile, the institution's weaknesses are lecturers' language incompetence in certain fields, which vary from different study programs or faculties. Furthermore, due to the location of the four different regencies, students from regencies are unable to utilize the provided facilities. In addition, the institution is faced with the possibility of losing prospective students that do not understand Arabic transcriptions.