Sharjah: Afterschool programmes could provide Arabic language learners with much needed support, according to Sharjah-based Arabic Language Academy (ALA).
Since its inception in 2018, the ALA’s Arabic Language Centre has seen the graduation of more than 100 students from more than a dozen countries, such as Philippines, India, Pakistan, United Kingdom, China and Russia. The centre also seeks to further cross-cultural communication and boost students’ integration within the UAE community.
Dr Mohammad Safi Al Mostaghanemi, secretary-general, ALA, said: “Through ALA’s Arabic Language Centre, we seek to further the concerted efforts to promote Arabic. We look forward to re-opening the centre in January next year, with all the recommended safety and precautionary protocols in place.”
Course levels
In order to reach the largest number of people, the courses have been structured to target learners at various levels of competence, starting with the ‘Beginner’ level course. The ‘Intermediate’ course is aimed at learners who can form sentences and can converse in simple Arabic. The ‘Advanced’ level course targets learners who can speak almost fluently and want to advance their knowledge of the language. At the end of the course, students are presented with a certificate of completion of the course.
So far, four batches have completed the courses offered by the centre. The inaugural course was introduced in October 2018. The second batch of courses was launched in January 2019. Two more batches followed, in April and September 2019. Classes for the fifth course will commence this month and will be offered free of cost.
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Cooperation agreements
The centre has signed agreements with American University of Sharjah (AUS) and the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies — South Korea to provide a framework of cooperation to enhance cultural dialogue through student exchange programmes as well as promote Arabic language among non-Arabs. The centre offered a package of special learning hours to non-Arab students from AUS and received 22 students from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, who were hosted in Sharjah for a month-long immersive course last January.
