© UCLES 2013

LOA & Digital Learning:

Implications for the AFL

classroom

Hanan Khalifa, Ph.D

Dubai, December 2013

© UCLES 2013

learning

objectives

LOA in practice

course Task

Language

activity

Teacher

observation

Interpretation Record

Informal record

Teacher decision-making

Feedback & modify

learning objectives

Structured record Record of

achievement

Interpretation

Monitoring of

performance

External

exam

© UCLES 2013

Key factors contributing to effective

implementation of LOA & digital learning

1. An understanding of the context within which education

is taking place.

2. An understanding of the changing role of teachers and

students and the emerging power dynamics

3. An understanding of attitudes towards new and

different modes of learning.

→ So what does this mean for AFL?

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1. Understanding the AFL context

Nature of the Arabic language

Exposure to Arabic outside the classroom

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Demystifying the Arabic language

• Myth 1: Arabic has a very rich vocabulary with lots of synonyms “400 words for camel, 300 for lion..etc”.

• May be true in the case of classical poetry and regional varieties but not to the extent of 300 words. Lion has much fewer synonyms (Asad, Qaswarah, Ghadanfar, Layth). Some of the synonyms refer to attributes of lionhood, e.g., Abbass

• Arabic has a 3-letter root system, e.g. s-l-m means “peace” in Arabic

• Patterns are imposed on the basic root, sa/ll/ama means “to say Peace to someone”.

• Patterns have a predictable meaning: the pattern /aa-/i means “the person doing the action”. So if k/t/b has to do with “writing”, k/aa/ti/b must mean: “author, writer, scribe, clerk manuensis, writer, notary, scrivener” etc.

• This shows that Arabic is very economical in its vocabulary. Learners’ Arabic vocabulary grows very rapidly once they understand the root-and-pattern system

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Demystifying the Arabic language

• Arabic grammar is extremely complicated

• The verb system is far easier than English – just two tenses (past and non-past). The Arabic grammar is based on logic, economy and consistency

Myth 2

• The script is difficult to learn, “it’s like hieroglyphics”.

• It is a cursive alphabet of 28 letters, written right to left, which for many is easier than left to right as it involves pushing the pen, not pulling it.

Myth 3

• Arabic has too many exotic sounds impossible for NNS

• There are only 2 or 3 which are not found in English for example and these can be learned through mimicking. Myth 4

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Varieties of the Arabic Language

• Classical Arabic (which is based on the Holy Quran) serves as the

basis for …

• Modern Standard Arabic

• both versions use practically the same grammar, vocabulary and

writing system

• Regional Dialects

• Maghreb, Egyptian, Sudanese, Arabian Peninsula, Levantine,

Mesopotamian

• Literary Arabic pronunciation is affected by regional dialects

• Social Dialects (urban, rural, interior/remote)

• Educated, literate, illiterate Dialects (think of My Fair Lady,

Pygmalion, Professor Higgins)

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Key features: Diglossia and Code switching

Domain Use of Dialect Use of MSA

Both varieties constitute two poles of a continuum of styles. Differences between them

are widely exhibited in syntax, morphology, phonetics, and semantics

Study Ideally, students of Arabic would begin learning both

Modern Standard Arabic and one of the most common

spoken dialects, at the same time.

Some university programs have caught on to this, but

others lag behind, teaching only the formal, written

Arabic and ignoring the dialect forms until the student

has completed several semesters of an Arabic program.

The language of :

• written discourse,

• university courses,

• academic and scientific texts

• conferences

Social Everyday life

Films, Music, Talk shows

Dubbed movies

TV and radio news

Written translation of movie dialogues

Work Oral communication

Informal transaction

All formal written communication

All public speech

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Teaching Approaches to Arabic Diglossia

Classical Arabic approach

Modern Standard Arabic

approach

Colloquial approach

Middle Language approach

Simultaneous approach

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So key questions for curriculum/course

designers would be …..

• Which Arabic variety should be taught? Which regional vernacular?

• Which teaching approach to Arabic Diglossia is best suited to my

context? When do I introduce Arabic diglossia?

“Teaching for proficiency is a legitimate goal, but a major challenge in

the profession in the nineties remains the need for an accurate

description of the characteristics of a proficient Arabic speaker”

(ElGibali & Taha, 1995:100)

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learning

objectives

LOA in practice

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Can do descriptors for AFL

• Review the available descriptors (ACTFL, COE)

• Select the relevant ones

• Translate & adapt taking into consideration

• the nature of the Arabic language,

• the context within which it is taught,

• the teaching approach towards diglossia,

• the learning curve involved,

• the gradual progression of syntactical, phonological and morphological

difficulties

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Example 1 of overall course objectives– Your

comments

Level 1: The aim is to familiarize the students with the spoken and

written forms and grammar of the language and to enable them to

begin to express themselves in writing, simple role-play and simple

dialogues, and to begin to read simple authentic texts and translate

to and from the target language.

Level 2:The aim is to enable the students to express themselves in the

target language using more complicated grammatical structures and

a wider and more complex range of expressions. The course also

aims to introduce the students to the variability of the Arabic

language and its dialects with a focus on two major spoken dialects

(Egypt and Levantine).

© UCLES 2013

Example 2 of overall course objectives– Your

comments

Elementary I:

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

• exchange greetings and introduce themselves

• answer questions dealing with daily routines

• form simple sentences in both spoken and written Arabic

• identify the main ideas in spoken Arabic regarding familiar topics

• understand a few of the major cultural norms of the target culture

Elementary II:

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

• join sentences in paragraphs and use simple connectors appropriately, with limited mastery

• keep a conversation going on issues of public interest, with some grammatical inaccuracies

• identify the main ideas and some details on familiar topics

• demonstrate insight about cultural differences between the students’ own culture and the target

culture

© UCLES 2013

learning

objectives

LOA in practice

course Task

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LOA decisions – a sample checklist

What assessment decisions do I need to make before

the beginning, during and after my teaching course?

Do my assessment procedures consolidate what I have

taught?

Do my assessment tasks accurately represent the

learning objectives or outcomes of my course?

Is the content of my assessment procedure important

and worth learning?

Does the assessment represent appropriate use of

class time?

© UCLES 2013

learning

objectives

LOA in practice

course Task

Language

activity

© UCLES 2013

Exposure to Arabic outside the classroom

• One of the key challenges to mastering AFL is

inadequate exposure:

• “60% of people here do not speak Arabic , and even if they do,

to be honest, they don’t talk to you in Arabic because they

immediately assume you don’t know it” (Hidaya Ibrahim, a

sophomore and Intermediate Arabic 1 student, NYUAD, Mar

2013).

• In Arab states where large segments of the working population

come from non-Arabic speaking countries, students attempting

to speak Arabic in shops and restaurants are often met with

blank stares and confused responses in perfect English.

http://www.thegazelle.org/issue/2/features/arabic/

→ So what are possible solutions?

© UCLES 2013

Possible Solutions • Field Study Trips

• Souks: to rehearse bargaining

• Cafés and restaurants: to rehearse how to order a drink or food

• Museums and monuments: to learn about historical sites,

handicrafts, culture, heritage

• Informal surveys

• Find out about traditions: pearling, falconry, camel racing,

traditional uses of plants

• Guest speakers

• Traditional cooking, costumes, music, movies, ceremonies

→ Digital learning / virtual classroom/ mobile learning

© UCLES 2013

The Virtual VS Physical AFL classroom

Similarities Differences

Follow a similar learning theory, curriculum

design and teaching method.

Teaching in both focuses on the student

rather than the teacher.

Both provide academic lessons,

assignments and homework, as well as

interaction between students and the

instructor.

Relate to place, time and the size of the

class, content delivery and communication

modes.

VC content is delivered using discussion

boards, chat rooms, email, instant

messaging, journals and other online

material.

The major difference is that VC are

frequently text based and are not

necessarily completed by verbal

discussion or explanations.

© UCLES 2013

Benefits of Virtual classroom, digital learning in an AFL context

• Flexibility - Students can attend a class at times that are more convenient for them.

• Greater accessibility - students can attend classes that may not be offered in their

local area.

• An excellent substitute when physical classrooms are not in session

• Builds multitasking and parallel processing

• Has low boredom threshold

• Fosters trial and error approach to problem-solving

• Constructivist approach

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2. The changing role of students & teachers

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3. Teachers & digital learning

• Allow teachers time to learn new technologies &

rethink their methodologies

• Provide adequate professional development &

an understanding of CALL pedagogy

• Address any poor technology integration

policies

© UCLES 2013

learning

objectives

LOA in practice

course Task

Language

activity

Teacher

observation

Interpretation

© UCLES 2013

learning

objectives

LOA in practice

course Task

Language

activity

Teacher

observation

Interpretation Record

Informal record

© UCLES 2013

learning

objectives

LOA in practice

course Task

Language

activity

Teacher

observation

Interpretation Record

Informal record

Teacher decision-making

© UCLES 2013

learning

objectives

LOA in practice

course Task

Language

activity

Teacher

observation

Interpretation Record

Informal record

Teacher decision-making

Feedback & modify

learning objectives

© UCLES 2013

learning

objectives

LOA in practice

course Task

Language

activity

Teacher

observation

Interpretation Record

Informal record

Teacher decision-making

Feedback & modify

learning objectives

© UCLES 2013

learning

objectives

LOA in practice

course Task

Language

activity

Teacher

observation

Interpretation Record

Informal record

Teacher decision-making

Feedback & modify

learning objectives

Structured record Record of

achievement

© UCLES 2013

AFL teachers need to ……

Act as a facilitator VS all-knower & giver of info

Provides opportunities for reflection & self assessment

Give specific criteria for achievement levels

Provide immediate and informative feedback

Integrate differentiation into their teaching

© UCLES 2013

learning

objectives

LOA in practice

course Task

Language

activity

Teacher

observation

Interpretation Record

Informal record

Teacher decision-making

Feedback & modify

learning objectives

Structured record Record of

achievement

Interpretation

Monitoring of

performance

External

exam

© UCLES 2013

External / Internationally standardized exams

• ACTFL OPI; ACTFL Writing Test

• TELC Arabic Test (B1)

• Versant Arabic Test

• Arabic Proficiency Test (University of Michigan)

• Arabic Speaking Test (University of Michigan/Center for Applied

Linguistics)

• Arabic Language Test for Non-Speakers of English (Qiyas)

• Others?

→ Perhaps develop your own following international testing

standards and principles

© UCLES 2013

Useful references • ACTFL Preliminary Guidelines. (2001). A Revised Ed., ACTFL, Inc.

• ACTFL 2012proficiency guidelines for Arabic http://actflproficiencyguidelines2012.org/arabic

• Allen, R. (1989). ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Foreign Language Annals 22: 373-391.

• Badawi, E. (1971). mustawayaat al- ‘arabiyya al-mu’aasira fi misr (Levels of Contemporary Arabic

in Egypt). Cairo: dar al- ma’aarif.

• Badawi, E. (1985). Educated Spoken Arabic: A problem in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign

Language. In Jankowski, K.R. (Ed). Scientific and Humanistic Dimensions of language. John

Benjamin Pub. Company, pp 15-22.

• Council of Europe CEFR related scales http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/elp/elp-

reg/CEFR_Scale_EN.asp

• El-Gibali, A & Taha, Z (1995). Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language. In Al Batal, M (ed) The

Teaching of Arabic as a Foreign Language. Issues & Directions. Al- ‘Arabiyya Monograph Series

# 2: 79-100.

• Hijazi, M. F. (1998). The Arabic Language in the Modern Age: Issues and Problems. Cairo,

Qobaa Publishing House.

© UCLES 2013

Wisdom has alighted in three things

the brain of the Franks,

the hand of the Chinese,

the tongue of the Arabs.

تعلموااللغة العربية، فإنها تثبت القلوب، وتزيد في

المروءة

Abu Muslim Al-Basri, quoting the Caliph Umar,7th century AD

“Learn the Arabic language since it gives hearts endurance and increases virtue.”

© UCLES 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BqPfokU

rZI

Using the CEFR levels: A1 to C2, where

would you place the speaker? What

aspects of his speech guided your

decision?