Bid to engage pupils in Arabic

Teachers to start using traditional stories and trips to the theatre to get pupils more "actively engaged".

Teachers will start using traditional stories and trips to the theatre to get pupils more "actively engaged" in learning Arabic and raise the standards at public schools. The reforms, which will also include teaching English at kindergarten to prepare pupils for primary school, are part of a wider plan to reduce the use of rote learning and memorisation and introduce more modern language teaching methods. The revamped teaching strategies will be used initially in schools taking part in the Madares Al Ghad, or Schools of the Future, programme, which has seen dozens of government schools introduce reformed teaching and management practices over the past year. The new materials for teaching Arabic will be introduced this year. Dr Vincent Ferrandino, the policy and planning director at the Ministry of Education, said it was "important the students come out of the system with the ability to communicate effectively in Arabic". "The students are going to be more involved in small group activities and research activities - things that are more engaging than just sitting in straight rows behind their desks listening to the teacher." The level of knowledge that students should have in each grade has been identified, and the new curriculum aims to integrate Arabic learning with the teaching of other subjects such as mathematics, geography and Islamic studies. In a statement, the Ministry of Education said the new Arabic teaching methods aimed to make the subject more enjoyable. "We do not need more 'parrots' who do not know the essence of their native language," it said. "We aspire to build the new Arab generation who love their language and love to learn it and enjoy reading it and are able to communicate in it both orally and in writing." The importance of students developing adequate skills in their native language has been acknowledged by a proposal for a new Arabic Common Educational Proficiency Examination (Cepa) for students entering state universities. The proposed Arabic examination, announced this year, would be taken by students when they started university or college or part of the way through their course. There are already Arabic tests at Government universities and colleges, but the Cepa test aims to bring them under a single umbrella to ensure standards are applied consistently. If students perform poorly in the proposed test, trials of which are likely to begin in the 2009-2010 academic year, they could have to take part in extra Arabic lessons as part of a foundation programme. The announcement about improvements in Arabic teaching follows concern at the highest level. At a Cabinet meeting this year, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said he wanted more done to ensure Emiratis spoke and wrote Arabic well. Graduates are unlikely to improve their Arabic skills at university without extra lessons, since federal universities and many private higher education institutions teach courses in English. English will also be given a higher priority and taught at all Government kindergartens in an attempt to capitalise on the enthusiasm and aptitude young people have for learning languages. "The project also bridges the gap between kindergartens and the first education cycle by preparing the children to join the first grade at schools," the ministry said. [e-mail]