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Standard Arabic better for students and learning, say teachers

Dubai - The move is important, because lessons are currently being taught in the Arabic dialect of the teacher's country

The Arabic language is one steeped in rich history. But with the potential of more than 20 different dialects being taught in the classroom, a decision has now been made making it compulsory for only the classical form to be taught in schools here. It's a move that has been welcomed by Arabic tutors across the country.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Education announced via Twitter that it would now be mandatory for language teachers in private and public schools across the UAE to teach all subjects in classical Arabic. The move has been made to avoid different dialects being taught across the board.
For Imad Nasr, Director of Arabic at Jumeira Baccalaureate School, this "natural approach to the language" is necessary to promote better understanding in the classroom.
"This is a really important decision. Actually, the curriculum taught in schools already states that standard Arabic should be taught. Dialects may differ slightly in the written curriculum to highlight specific cultures or traditions (like Emirati terminologies in a text to describe the UAE Eid traditions) but the oral lessons should always be taught in standard Arabic."
But unfortunately, he said, depending on the nationality of the teacher (in some schools), many lessons are being taught in the dialect of his/her country of origin. That's where complications stem from.
"Teachers here, no matter where they are from, should be using standard Arabic in the classroom. However, some aren't. By making this a mandatory requirement in schools it will hugely benefit the student. If a teacher is not following the criteria of the revised ministerial decree, the inspection process will be able to pick this up and amend practice."
Mohammed Afify is another Arabic tutor championing this move. He said a "one-size-fits-all approach" to the language is a smart step. "I work as a teacher for Arab and non-Arab students and I only use classical Arabic in my lessons. This is a good move, but the way you approach a lesson still needs to differ depending on the age of the child," he said.
With students in Grade 1 and 2, Mohammed said he teaches simple words first instead of sentences. For more complicated words, he tells his students to ask the meaning of the word in Arabic first. "This is a very good teaching method. It impacts the progress of the student and their learning, and the classical Arabic tongue is the best fit for this technique."
For Mohamed Saif, a teacher of Arabic for 20 years, classical Arabic in the classroom is a more suitable approach to learning. "It will definitely improve a student's accent and for non-native speakers, it will be easier to grasp the language. In turn they will develop a better relationship with it too."
kelly@khaleejtimes.com