WLI Sponsors Successful TARA Conference in Bahrain... First TARA Exclusively Devoted to Arabic

The Arabian Reading Association (TARA) Arabic Conference

Arabic Literacy for the 21^st Century

The Arabian Reading Association (TARA) is a national affiliate of the International Reading Association. It has been holding annual literacy conferences in Bahrain since 1996 – local upheavals permitting! During that time it gained a reputation for being the premiere literacy conference in the region. Previous speakers and guest authors have included Mem Fox, Bonnie Campbell Hill, Naomi Shehab Nye, Margaret Mahy.

Gradually Arabic workshops and presenters were introduced to the conference program until, with the growing focus on progressive practices for teaching and learning in Arabic, the committee resolved to dedicate TARA 2013 solely to Arabic. Sponsored by the ISS World Language Initiative, the conference aimed to build and support the types of knowledge and collaboration needed for a successful Arabic professional learning community.

To this end TARA gathered pioneering educators, authors, researchers, professional developers and policy makers to share and learn from one another. Keynote presenters included Dr. Hanada Taha, Dr. Mahdi Alosh, and Dr. Dany Doueiri – all distinguished professors and authors. In their various sessions they successfully blended research, theory, data, promising practices, and their dreams and hopes for Arabic. Together they offered a program committed to providing quality Arabic education for 21st century learners.

It all combined into a significant learning experience for delegates, who left hungry for more. Many even volunteered to assist with the planning for TARA Al Arabiya 2014. In the coming months a new TARA web site will be developed. It will be used to inform and plan conferences and upcoming events, but also to reflect current thinking in this critical field. There are also plans to use video clips of the conference via a TARA You Tube channel. 21^st century tools for 21^st century learners who are hungry for more!