Code use, including codeswitching and/or style-shifting, is an important but undertaught aspect of L2 sociolinguistic competence, and an important aspect of L2 learners' translanguaging repertoires. This study examines code use in Arabic--a diglossic language with distinct social uses for the prestige variety (Modern Standard Arabic, MSA) and…

Attention is believed to help facilitate learning. Godfroid and Uggen found that attention to irregular verb morphology motivated the learning of novel second language (L2) German forms. The current study explored the generalizability of these findings to geminate and sound verbs in Arabic, a typologically different language with a novel writing…

The present study compared individual and collaborative vocabulary learning through two types of reading-based pedagogical tasks in an online elementary Arabic classroom. Fifty-two beginner learners of Arabic completed a pretest, a story-based task (either multiple-choice or gap-fill) with embedded novel vocabulary, and two posttests over a 2-week…

This article is the first large-scale study to document the speaking proficiency outcomes of intensive programs in less commonly taught languages in US higher education. Speaking proficiency was measured by pre- and postprogram ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviews (N = 484) in 14 languages: Arabic, Bengali, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Indonesian,…

Describes an Arabic distance learning course initiative. The most common distance learning formats are reviewed, and justifications for offering such courses are considered. The experiences of instructors who have pioneered the field and some basics that need to be taken into account when developing distance learning courses are presented.…

Describes proposed oral achievement test for elementary Arabic based on teaching material used at University of Michigan. The rationale for testing oral skills at the elementary level and previous types of oral testing of Arabic are outlined. A test facsimile and sample items are provided, including an exploration of the test's format, scoring…

Investigates both the explicit and implicit sociocultural messages conveyed by language textbooks. Twelve Arabic textbooks used in the junior high schools in the Hebrew educational system in Israel were examined. Findings indicate that Arab society is presented in a partial, subjective, and unbalanced manner. (Author/JL)

Discusses the status of teaching culture in the Arabic language curriculum. Ten cultural learning objectives for students of Arabic are presented, and examples of how culture capsules and culture assimilators can be used in class are included in Appendices. Three difficulties in teaching Arabic culture are described. (Author/LMO)

Examined the learning strategies used by 43 American learners of Arabic as a foreign language in their writing tasks. Learning strategies were assessed through a process of introspection. When composing, students wrote down all techniques and procedures used to perform the writing task. Results show both proficient and less proficient learners…

Paper presented at the Third Annual Meeting of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) on November 29, 1969 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (DS)

Presents the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' guidelines for determining proficiency in writing, speaking, listening, and reading Arabic. Definitions for both generic and Arabic proficiency skills are provided for low-, mid-, or high-novice, -intermediate, and -advanced levels. (CB)

The question of the sequencing of skills is an important issue in language policy and curriculum design in general, and even more so in the case of a diglossic language such as Arabic. This paper tries to investigate the implications of diglossia on the order of linguistic skills acquisition in Arabic among Hebrew speakers in Israel. (JL)

A six-month case study of 10 African-American middle school students in an inner-city school setting provided the data for this article. Contrary to previous studies on first-language second-language transfer, the study showed that the students L1 (African-American English) facilitated the learning of Arabic. (Author/JL)

Discusses the Arabic language and the motivation to acquire the language within the Israeli setting. Examination focuses on the judicial status of Arabic and its communicative functions within the community, linguistic policy of the Israeli political center and the status of Arabic within the educational system, and attitudes toward Arabic and its…

Explains Beloit College's 10-day program, designed to interest entering freshman in study of foreign languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish) and cultures. The program was successful in teaching the basics of the foreign languages and in eliminating anxiety about the study of those…