e-Arabic Learners Portal (eALP)

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If you are 18-40 years old and want to learn Arabic, don’t miss this opportunity:

1 - Learn Arabic for Free at *Qatar University

2 - Free airline ticket.

3 - Free Housing.

If you require any further details, please get in touch with the University of Qatar:

Program Director

Abdullah Abdul Rahman Ahmed, PhD
Office Tel: (+974) 485-2295
Email: arabicprogram@qu.edu.qa

Program Administration
Suhad Abdl Rahman
Office Tel: (+974) 485-1034
Email: arabicprogram@qu.edu.qa

Office Location
corridor 3 -College of Arts &Sciences - Men’s Campus

Mailing Address
Arabic for Non-Native Speakers Program
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Qatar
P.O. Box 2713, Doha,
State of Qatar

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Eligibility:

All applicants to the Arabic for Non-Native Speakers program who meet the

following minimum criteria will be considered for admission to Qatar

University:

1. Earned a minimum of a high school diploma. (Baccalaureate degree or

institute graduates are preferred).

2. Be between 18 and 40 years of age.

3. Was not granted a scholarship to study in the Arabic for Non-Native

Speakers program in a previous year.

4. Applicants should have least one semester of formal Arabic instruction.

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Application  for a scholarship to study in the ANNS program Will Start From 21 March to 31 May 2010 (Click Here)

Applicants to the Arabic for Non-Native Speakers Program at Qatar University are required to apply using the QU online admission application.

2. Website: Apply for Admissions Application Online by visiting the

following website: http://www.qu.edu.qa/apply_for_arabic_program/

For assistance on how to apply online admission, please visit the following website:

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Requirements

Applicants - from North America - to the Arabic for Non-Native Speakers

program are required to submit the following documents:

1. If the applicant is nominated by a university as part of an established agreement with Qatar University; the applicant’s current official university transcript should be official and final.

Also, applicants are required to submit the following:

Admissions Application and Signature Page (Which should be printed on a paper at the end of  applying online, if you couldn’t print it out, just send us the user ID and the Password).

- Health Certificate

- Passport copy.

- Two colored passport size photos.

- Letter of Recommendation.

- Resume / C.V. (Curriculum Vitae).

2. If the applicant is NOT nominated by a university as part of an established agreement with Qatar University, he/she should submit the following:

- Final, official and certified transcript or certificate of the most recent earned degree (High School Diploma, Bachelor Degree, Masters Degree, Ph. D) with original attestation (certification) by:

- The Education Authority of State or State Department in Washington D.C. (if the certificate issued from the USA or Canada) and the Qatar embassy (or any GCC Embassy if Qatar Embassy is not available) in the country in which the institution is located.

-The Ministry of Education or Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country in which the institution is located; (if the certificate issued from outside the USA or Canada); and the Qatar Embassy (or any  GCC Embassy if Qatar Embassy is not available) in the country in which the institution is located.

*Applicants are required to submit the following:*

- Admissions Application and Signature Page (Which should be printed on a paper at the end of  applying online, if you couldn’t print it out, just send us the user ID and the Password).

- Health Certificate

- Passport copy.

-Two colored passport size photos.

- Letter of Recommendation.

-Resume / C.V. (Curriculum Vitae).

For applicants - from other countries - to the Arabic for Non-Native Speakers program are required to submit the following documents:

- Final, official and certified transcript or certificate of the most recent earned degree (High School Diploma, Bachelor Degree, Masters Degree, Ph. D) with original attestation (certification) by:

- The Ministry of Education or Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country in which the institution is located; and

- The Qatar Embassy (or any GCC Embassy if Qatar Embassy is not available) in the country in which the institution is located.

- Admissions Application and Signature Page (Which should be printed on a paper at the end of  applying online, if you couldn’t print it out, just send us the user ID and the Password).

-Health Certificate

- Passport copy.

-Two colored passport size photos

- Letter of Recommendation.

- Resume / C.V. (Curriculum Vitae).

*NOTES:*

1. In case that one or more of the required official documents are missing, the student’s scholarship application form will be rejected.

2. Qatar University has the right to ask for extra attestations if needed.

3. Admission to the Arabic for Non-Native Speakers program takes place in the Fall semester only.

4. For additional information on the program, please see their website at: http://www.qu.edu.qa/artssciences/anns/

A Social/Professional Network for Arabic Language Teaching Professionals

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Visit e-Arabic Teachers Network (eATNet)

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Errata:

Arabic in a nutshell

It is widely spoken by more than 280 million native speakers across the Arab world, comprising North African countries from the shores of Morocco, the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East, Arab Peninsula and the Gulf states. This is in addition to 250 million non-native speakers.

Source: Liaison Magazine, LLAS

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Follow the transcript

{slide=Hamza on the Alif}

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{slide=Hamza on the Waaw and Yaa’}

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{slide=Hamza as a stand alone}

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Can you locate the words/letters which carry the hamza in the following images:

1. Annotate the images

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If you have any questions, suggestions or comments about this eLearning resource, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Please use the comments section below.

You may comment on the following criteria:

1. Clarity of voice, sound and recording
2. Speed of recording
3. The pause between each element (sound, vocabulary, etc) to allow the listener to engage with the teacher and practice re-producing the language while listening to the podcast

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Listen

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If you have any questions, suggestions or comments about this eLearning resource, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Please use the comments section below.

You may comment on the following criteria:

Clarity of voice, sound and recording

Speed of recording

The pause between each element (sound, vocabulary, etc) to allow the listener to engage with the teacher and practice re-producing the language while listening to the podcast

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The following podcast is a recording of:

1. How to pronounce the Arabic vowel system
2. How to pronounce the 28 Arabic alphabet with all the phonetic sounds and symbols (i.e. vowel system)

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If you have any questions, suggestions or comments about this eLearning resource, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Please use the comments section below.

You may comment on the following criteria:

1. Clarity of voice, sound and recording
2. Speed of recording
3. The pause between each element (sound, vocabulary, etc) to allow the listener to engage with the teacher and practice re-producing the language while listening to the podcast

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Top Ten Tips To…Improve Your Language Learning Skills Abroad

The best way to learn any foreign language is simply to immerse yourself in the sounds and culture of your TL (target language). One authentic immersive environment in which you can improve your language dramatically is where the language is spoken and used on a daily basis. To benefit fully from your experience abroad you need to make an effort to create plenty of opportunities to interact with the locals and sample the local culture.

Glossay

• TL: target language
• TC: target country

As Featured On eHow Online Magazine

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To study a foreign language abroad is truly a life-enriching experience, so make sure you make the most of it by putting in practice the following hints and tips.

The following tips are a sure fire way to make rapid progress and improve your fluency:

1. Speak the language 24/7:

Resist the temptation to communicate in your mother tongue even with your friends, classmates or room mates. Limit your use of your mother tongue as much as possible. Order food, ask for directions and information, go shopping – basically try to conduct your day-to-day tasks in the TL. Commit yourself to communicating with the locals in the TL at all times, even when they try to switch the conversation to English. Remember they are keen to practice their English with you as much as you are keen to practice your TL!

2. Be culture shock-free!

Be ready to adapt to a different way of life. Leave your Britishness behind! Learn about the local traditions, etiquettes and courtesies. Find out more about the country by reading and purchasing an up-to-date tourist-guide before travelling abroad.

3. Get Real(ia)!

Make good use of the vast amount of authentic realia resources (i.e. real-life items) that you will be exposed to, such as magazines, newspapers, packaging, signs, notices, etc. Take photos of as many as you can. Blog about them online and explain the meaning of the script written on them. Before you go home make sure you take some with you for future study.

Example of virtual realia: Virtual Realia eGallery | Arabic Language Reading Practice

4. Signs, labels everywhere!

Familiarise yourself with foreign signs and notices especially the “warning” and the “not-allowed” signs. Pay attention to written language on labels and packaging of foreign products. Take a trip to the local supermarket. These places are packed with everyday products with multi-lingual packaging.

Public Signs & Notices: How to find your way in the Arab World?

5. Speak like a local!

Get to grips with the local lingua-franca (i.e. the spoken dialect). Learn the most-commonly used words and phrases. Tune your ears to the spoken language, idioms and day-to-day expressions. Make friends quickly with the locals. Listen to the local radio and watch how they communicate on TV and movies, both verbally and through body language.

Colloquial Arabic: Commonly-Used Words & Phrases | عبارات شائعة للمحادثة اليومية

6. Be socially brave!

Make a special effort; be courageous and sociable to interact in the TL with the locals. Avoid isolating yourself in your hotel room!  Step out of your comfort zone and the usual circle of your native friends and room-mates.

7. Make mistakes!

Yes, you are allowed to make unintentional mistakes. Don’t let your fear of mistakes discourage you from engaging in meaningful social conversations. In most cases, native speakers will understand you, even if your sentences are not perfectly accurate. As long as you try, they will be happy to offer you suggestions to improve your spoken language. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

8. Tune in to the spoken word

Listen to the local radio as frequently as you can. Get yourself a portable FM radio player. Use it whilst you are “on the go”. Research suggests that extensive exposure to the sound patterns of a language, even if you haven’t a clue what it all means, sets up the structures in the brain required to learn the words. This will enhance your ability to recall words quickly in the long-term. Needless to say, this also perfects your pronunciation too. If Internet connection is available, take advantage of online radio.

9. What’s on tonight?

Whilst abroad you will have access to a growing collection of local and satellite foreign TV. Watch them with your friends and pay attention to the body language and visual clues – have fun guessing the meaning of the dialogues or the plot of the latest soap operas!

10. Who is your tandem?

Find yourself a long-term tandem partner (i.e. language-exchange partner). Make a deal with your tandem partner. You teach them English and they teach you your TL in return. When you go home, remember to keep in touch with him/her using the wide range of online communication tools available. Use audio-visual instant messaging tools regularly to refine your speaking skills or email and social networking tools to enhance your writing skills.

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Download the article

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Under construction

Odiogo’s media-shifting technology transforms posts into high fidelity, near human quality audio files ready to download and play anywhere, anytime, on any device.

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These tips are just the tip of the iceberg.

Which hints and tips work for you?

How did you put them into practice?

Can you think of other hints and tips?

Please feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section.

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The British Council, the Association for Language Learning (ALL), CILT, the National Centre for Languages, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) and CASAW (Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World) invite you to Arabic Language and Culture in Schools on Thursday 26 March at the British Council.

CASAW (Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World) has deliverd the following presentations:

1. Introduction and welcome, by Dr. Elisabeth Kendall, Director of CASAW
2. eLearning Resources and Strategies to enhance Arabic Language Learning and Teaching within and beyond the classroom, by Mourad Diouri, eLearning Lecturer in Arabic Language Studies, CASAW

Time:

Thursday 26 March 2009, 9:45 - 16:00

Venue:

British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN

To attend the conference please RSVP by 18 March 2009 by e-mail with session options and any dietary requirements to world.links@britishcouncil.org

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Programme

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eLanguage Learning Technologies & Resources:

How to modernise and enhance Arabic Language Learning within and beyond the Classroom

Mourad DIOURI | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World | University of Edinburgh

For better viewing, click on the (Full Screen) icon

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Feedback from the British Council Staff, London, UK

” As far as staff feedback is concerned, I really enjoyed your presentation- in the past we have had speakers talk about resources (normally home made activities) and it has turned into a negqtive session about how few resources are available without any real productive outcomes to the session. The way you delivered your presentation was very upbeat with eye catching/attractive slides that really showed people that there are no excuses for Arabic lessons not to be interesting and motivating. I really liked the way you presented the 4 different learner styles followed by learning resource solutions- this made your case really convincing. The actual delivery/pace and humour of your presentation also made it overall a very enjoyable session to attend.”

Feedback received from Mahammed Bouabdallah via e-Arabic.com

“Mourad, The British Council’s conference on Arabic was very useful, and your presentation was excellent. I’m still waiting to see it on the Portal. Again many thanks for your efforts.”

Feedback received from the conference delegates

1. In my opinion Mourad gave a first-class presentation.
2. I have attended your presentation. Believe me, it was the best ever. الله يوفقك
3. I enjoyed the e-learning resources & strategies
4. The Arabic e-learning: a lot of materials and new ideas
5. Getting to know as much people as possible, with very different backgrounds, strategies & implementations.
6. Asset languages & e-learning resources & strategies for teaching Arabic because they gave chances for development & progress for Arabic Teachers
7. As a potential future Arabic / MFL teacher, this event has fully encouraged me to proceed with my studies of the Arabic Language and go into teaching post - graduation. From what I have seen today there are a lot of amazing developments to look forward to as an Arabic teacher
8. Do not re- invent the wheel with e-learning resources but collaborate with what is already developed
9. Use the items more, more different ways in teaching Arabic, make it more fun, able to access more Arabic teaching resources
10. Introduce e-resources to our school

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