Why Arabic, Why Now, and Why the WLI?

The Context

At a time when English language instruction has become a priority around the world, there is also a growing demand by parents and governments to maintain native languages. Many parents whose children are attending English language schools are thrilled that their children are gaining the capacity to speak, think and learn in English to give them a chance to succeed in a competitive world. However, they also worry about maintaining their heritage and cultural identity, and seeing their children unable to speak and write effectively in their mother tongue confirms their fears. Additionally, the majority of students in the Arab world attend public schools that teach only in Arabic and face their own challenges.

Furthermore, there has recently been an unprecedented interest in and awareness of the importance of developing and adopting standards-based instruction for the teaching and learning of the Arabic language. For many years, Arabic took a back seat in the Arab World, especially in private schools in the region, in favor of other languages – namely English. While English language instruction blossomed, bolstered by professional development allocations and enrichment resources, little has been done to improve the quality of instruction for Arabic language teachers. The importance of applying modern methodologies to the teaching of Arabic language has become increasingly more apparent. Experts are needed to most urgently train teachers, author new textbooks and instructional materials, devise standardized and internationally benchmarked tools to measure student learning, and drastically alter the way Arabic language is taught in the classroom.

The Problem

According to Dr. Hanada Taha Thomure, a world renowned Arab linguistic expert, Associate Dean at the Bahrain Teachers College and Co-Creator of the WLI, Arabic language literacy has struggled due to three conditions:

• Lack of standards based instruction. Upon review of language curricula in several Arab countries, teachers seem to single-mindedly focus on finishing textbooks rather than on making sure that the students have acquired the needed linguistic proficiency and standards. Teachers seem to be unaware of what standards, benchmarks and performance indicators are, or they had heard of them but had no idea of how to utilize them in their classrooms. The alignment of standards to methods of instruction and to assessment remains absent from most Arabic language curricula.
• Insufficient research based best practices classroom-focused training for teachers. Without an academic body setting educational guidelines and standards, schools independently develop their own set of acceptable standards guidelines and skills to be taught, which vary considerably from one institution to another. Most teachers of Arabic have never been given an opportunity to observe a classroom in which research-based best practices are utilized to engage students in high levels of learning. Innovative practices are hampered by both a severe lack of resources and professional networks for collaboration and idea exchange. The concepts of professional development and professionalism have not yet broadened to include growth-oriented practices such as peer-coaching and collaborative planning.
• Inadequate investments in the proper resources, guidelines and support. While there are some opportunities for training in general ‘best practices’ (workshops, conferences, in-service) there is little evidence of their implementation in the classroom. In order to elevate the quality of Arabic language teaching, quality, cohesive and well-rounded teacher training programs are needed. Arabic language teachers need to be instructed in educational pedagogy or andragogy, child development, educational technology, teaching methodology, classroom management and assessment, prior to interacting with a class. Beyond the textbook, teachers are left to create or source instructional materials individually which leads to a fractured and inconsistent set of resources.

“For years, children and their parents around the world have tried to become part of the global society through an almost exclusive focus on learning English to the detriment of the own language,” stated Bassam Frangieh, professor of Arabic at Claremont McKenna College in California. “Given recent events and the growing global economies in the Middle East and East Asia, we can no longer follow such a narrow and short-sighted approach. The WLI will result in a much higher standard of Arabic inside schools whose graduates will be better prepared to contribute to a global society,” said Dr. Frangieh.

The Solution

The Arabic WLI is committed to: 1) developing professional development programs that are in line with current best practices; and 2) creating educational resources for language teachers to ensure that children acquire the skills they need to speak, read and write effectively in their native languages, celebrate their cultural identity and love their mother tongue. Currently, the initiative is focused on Arabic language instruction and English as Another Language (EAL) with plans to later expand to Mandarin Chinese.

“The WLI program is built on solid pedagogical foundations that take into consideration best practices and cutting edge research findings in both education in general, and language acquisition in particular,” stated Dr. Dany Doueiri, Professor at the California State University San Bernardino and Independent Evaluator of the RVIS WLI pilot program. “With a clearly articulated vision and a thoroughly documented understanding of the multi-faceted elements of first (native) and foreign language acquisition principals, their pilot program at the Riffa Views International School in Bahrain is positioning itself to one day pave the way Arabic language (and later on any language) ought to be taught in the 21st Century.”

The WLI has already broken new ground by creating the first comprehensive program to facilitate quality instruction in Arabic. This includes standards and benchmarks, teacher training, new curriculum materials and textbooks, and a collaborative resource center that provides state of the art training materials and support for the teaching of Arabic. These resources will form the basis for instruction of the skills and concepts that students need to acquire at each grade level. Beyond the very successful pilot program, the new Arabic standards were recently adopted by the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), and resources and teacher training have been adopted by the Emirates National Schools (ENS).

“We at ISS view the WLI to be one of our most important initiatives,” said Bruce McWilliams, ISS Vice President, Middle East Region. “It is vitally important that the first language is taught using the most effective techniques available, and that teachers receive the training and support materials they need to create truly engaging and student centered language programs. By doing so, we help to promote local language and culture and improve the quality of education in participating schools. We are committed to these goals and will continue to create partnerships and provide leadership to assist schools in this critical endeavor.”