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... more
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?
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?
On 25 May 2018, the British Academy launched a pilot for a project aiming to map foreign language teaching and research in the UK education sector. Starting with Arabic, the interactive map shows teaching provision, capacity and pathways... more
On 25 May 2018, the British Academy launched a pilot for a project aiming to map foreign language teaching and research in the UK education sector.
Starting with Arabic, the interactive map shows teaching provision, capacity and pathways of the language, from secondary school to postdoctoral research on the culture and history of the Arabophone world.
Arabic is spoken by more than 250 million people across the Middle East and North Africa. Demand for Arabic speakers and interest in learning the language is likely to increase, given the social and political importance of the regions.
The British Academy is delighted to present a resource, which is the first in a proposed series to develop a comprehensive and interactive map of language provision throughout the UK. This follows concerns about falling student numbers for languages and cuts to university departments.
The map draws on data and reports from institutions including the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the British Council and data collected directly from universities to show:
The number of undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students learning Arabic.
The number of academic staff involved in researching and teaching Arabic.
The number and geographical distribution of higher education institutions (HEIs) offering Arabic.
The number of courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level (including joint honours e.g. Arabic and Business).
The different varieties of Arabic taught.
This online interactive tool will enable universities and employers to identify centres of activity for different languages by identifying hotspots and gaps in language provision.
With the support of universities, the map will be regularly updated to build a more accurate picture of the provision of Arabic, and if the pilot is successful, similar maps will be developed for other languages.
We hope that you will find this interactive map useful.
You can also read the report on this pilot project.
Should you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to direct them to my colleague Maxime Delattre (m.delattre@britac.ac.uk).
Professor Nigel Vincent FBA, chair of the Project Steering Group.
https://www.britac.ac.uk/arabic-mapping-project?utm_medium=email&utm_source=direct&utm_campaign=arabicmappingproject&utm_content=he&utm_term=launch
Starting with Arabic, the interactive map shows teaching provision, capacity and pathways of the language, from secondary school to postdoctoral research on the culture and history of the Arabophone world.
Arabic is spoken by more than 250 million people across the Middle East and North Africa. Demand for Arabic speakers and interest in learning the language is likely to increase, given the social and political importance of the regions.
The British Academy is delighted to present a resource, which is the first in a proposed series to develop a comprehensive and interactive map of language provision throughout the UK. This follows concerns about falling student numbers for languages and cuts to university departments.
The map draws on data and reports from institutions including the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the British Council and data collected directly from universities to show:
The number of undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students learning Arabic.
The number of academic staff involved in researching and teaching Arabic.
The number and geographical distribution of higher education institutions (HEIs) offering Arabic.
The number of courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level (including joint honours e.g. Arabic and Business).
The different varieties of Arabic taught.
This online interactive tool will enable universities and employers to identify centres of activity for different languages by identifying hotspots and gaps in language provision.
With the support of universities, the map will be regularly updated to build a more accurate picture of the provision of Arabic, and if the pilot is successful, similar maps will be developed for other languages.
We hope that you will find this interactive map useful.
You can also read the report on this pilot project.
Should you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to direct them to my colleague Maxime Delattre (m.delattre@britac.ac.uk).
Professor Nigel Vincent FBA, chair of the Project Steering Group.
https://www.britac.ac.uk/arabic-mapping-project?utm_medium=email&utm_source=direct&utm_campaign=arabicmappingproject&utm_content=he&utm_term=launch
This research aimed to investigate the current beliefs that Arabic schoolteachers in the UK have in relation to the integration of different varieties of Arabic into their teaching.... more
This research aimed to investigate the current beliefs that Arabic schoolteachers in the UK have in relation to the integration of different varieties of Arabic into their teaching.
https://www.qfi.org/research/investigating-instructor-beliefs-on-integrating-linguistic-variation-in-arabic-teaching/
https://www.qfi.org/research/investigating-instructor-beliefs-on-integrating-linguistic-variation-in-arabic-teaching/
This set of guidelines is directed at Arabic language teachers, at all types of schools, with all types of Arabic learners, regardless of age or linguistic background.