Professor Lo's Arabic Language Workshop (by Taimoor)

I recently tagged along with Professor Lo as he conducted a workshop on the Challenges and Methodologies of Teaching Arabic. The workshop was organized by two institutions: Center for Arabic Language and Eastern Studies (CALERS) and Yemen Institute for Arabic Language. About 18 Yemeni professors of Arabic language and Middle Eastern Studies attended the workshop. Professor Lo narrated his journey and experience in teaching and researching on issues related to the Arabic language and culture. He encouraged institutions in Yemen and the Middle East to take the current world interest in Arabic as an opportunity to build cultural bridges and introduce foreign students to the beauty and richness of Arabic and Islamic cultures


He also gave a description of the DukeEngage mission as a cutting edge model of redefining the way and mission of undergraduate students. “We, the Duke Islamic Studies Center will bring our students to the Arab and Muslim world as ambassadors of the Duke community in particular and the American society at large. We want them to observe, learn and share their personal experiences with these societies” he said.



Professor Lo stressed the importance of making the learning process interesting and relevant to a student’s experience. He gave a detailed account of the different reasons that American students have for studying Arabic and suggested that Professors keep in mind the student’s motivations when determining optimal teaching strategies. He argued that unless these motivations are taken into consideration, the process of learning will remain fruitless. Using findings in several surveys, Professor Lo stated that the demand for Arabic language and culture will remain high for at least the next few years, a condition that is both an opportunity and a challenge to those interested in taking the process of teaching the language to a higher level.



In another area, Professor Lo offered a survey of American universities, covering different approaches and methodologies used by different Arabic programs. He argued that diversity is healthy and good for the field, but more research is needed on the acquisition process, heritage speakers, teachers’ preparation and curriculum developments. Most Arabic programs in the United States, he lamented, have trouble moving learners from advanced level to superior.