UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE THE COMPLEXITIES OF LEARNING ARABIC IN THE 21ST CENTURY A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION By GENEVIEVE A. SCHMITT Norman, Oklahoma 2016 THE COMPLEXITIES OF LEARNING ARABIC IN THE 21ST CENTURY A THESIS APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND ACADEMIC CURRICULUM BY ______________________________ Dr. Lawrence Baines, Chair ______________________________ Dr. Mohammad Al-Masri ______________________________ Dr. Crag Hill © Copyright by GENEVIEVE A. SCHMITT 2016 All Rights Reserved. Acknowledgements I am humbled to take the opportunity to acknowledge the superb work of Dr. Lawrence Baines, who not only helped me complete this project but gave me the encouragement and support to pursue dreams I believed were far above my capacity. I would also like to thank Dr. Mohammad Al-Masri, a dear friend and colleague, who inspired the vision behind this project and always provided a counter argument to mine in the name of academic excellence. Lastly, I would not have completed this project without the support of Dr. Crag Hill, an invaluable scholar and teacher, and my loved ones. Thank you all for creating an environment for me to succeed and push myself past what I believed were my farthest limits, and instilling within me an everlasting desire to know more. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... iv List of Figures .................................................................................................................. ix Abstract .......................................................................................................................... xiv Chapter 1: What Is Arabic? .............................................................................................. 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 Arabic Data ........................................................................................................... 1 A Personal Interest in Arabic ..................................................................................... 4 Classical Arabic .......................................................................................................... 7 Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) .............................................................................. 17 MSA Stress ......................................................................................................... 21 Arabic Dialects ......................................................................................................... 24 Major Dialects in the Arab World ............................................................................ 27 Egypt… ............................................................................................................... 27 The Levant .......................................................................................................... 35 The Maghreb ...................................................................................................... 39 The Arabian Peninsula (The Khaleej) ................................................................ 47 Iraq (Mesopotamia) ............................................................................................ 50 Diglossia, Polyglossia, Multiglossia? ....................................................................... 51 Language Regard ...................................................................................................... 57 Chapter 2: Arabic Today ................................................................................................ 59 Arabic in Urban Areas .............................................................................................. 59 Language, Gender, and Power .................................................................................. 60 v Language Dominance ......................................................................................... 62 Religious Identity ..................................................................................................... 67 Arabic and Social Media .......................................................................................... 68 Chapter 3: A Spectrum of Approaches to Teaching Arabic ........................................... 74 Grammar-Translation ............................................................................................... 75 Cognitive Theory ...................................................................................................... 76 Direct Method (Natural Method) .............................................................................. 77 Audio-Lingual Method ............................................................................................. 79 Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) ............................................................. 80 Total Physical Response (TPR) ................................................................................ 82 Silent Way ................................................................................................................ 83 The Proficiency Movement ...................................................................................... 87 Integrated Approach ................................................................................................. 90 Modern Trends in Arabic Dialectology .................................................................... 92 Materials ................................................................................................................... 97 The “Orange Books” .......................................................................................... 97 Al-Kitaab Series ................................................................................................. 98 Chapter 4: Arabic in Institutions of Higher Education ................................................. 101 Programs in the United States ................................................................................ 103 University of Chicago ....................................................................................... 103 Middlebury Language Schools ......................................................................... 110 The Flagship Initiative ...................................................................................... 118 Programs in the Arab World ................................................................................... 123 vi CET Academic Programs ................................................................................. 124 Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) – Morocco ............... 132 Al-Mashriq Center for Arabic Instruction ........................................................ 138 Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA) ........................................................ 146 Qasid Arabic Institute ....................................................................................... 151 Amideast Education Abroad Programs ............................................................ 158 K-12 Movement ...................................................................................................... 161 Benefits of Study Abroad Programs ....................................................................... 167 Global Knowledge ............................................................................................ 167 Oral Fluency ..................................................................................................... 167 Student Perceptions .......................................................................................... 170 At Home (Intensive) Programs ............................................................................... 171 Language Development .................................................................................... 171 Tension ............................................................................................................. 173 Willingness to Communicate ........................................................................... 175 Chapter 5: Future Directions for Arabic in the United States ...................................... 178 Communication as a viable goal ............................................................................. 178 Why don’t more programs incorporate Amiyya? ................................................... 180 Arabic as It Is Spoken ............................................................................................. 183 Listen to Student Needs .......................................................................................... 186 Educate Students on the region .............................................................................. 187 Improve the materials available (proficiency based) .............................................. 191 Embrace the evolution of language as a strength ................................................... 194 vii References .................................................................................................................... 197 Appendix A: Program Summaries ................................................................................ 210 Appendix B: University of Chicago Sample Course Materials ...................................