Arabic-L:LING:Culture in ME Lang programs seminar

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Mon 11 Feb 2008
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject:Culture in ME Lang programs seminar

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1)
Date: 11 Feb 2008
From:kassem_wahba at yahoo.com
Subject:Culture in ME Lang programs seminar

Dear Colleague,

You are invited to attend a one-day seminar that has been organized by  
the Arabic and Islamic Studies Department, Georgetown University.

(Please RSVP by March 20th to arabic at georgetown.edu if you plan to  
attend. Space is limited)

The title of this seminar is:

“Towards Understanding Culture in Middle Eastern Language Programs:

Critical Issues and Future Directions”

April 4th, 2008

ICC 105

   The initiative on the part of Arabic and Islamic Studies responds  
to the following situation: Developments in recent times, particularly  
as a result of 9/11, have changed the role and status of the teaching  
and learning of Middle Eastern languages in the United States.  For  
example, the huge increase of interest in learning Arabic combined  
with the varying needs of the learners in the aftermath of September  
11, 2001, has had an impact on goals, curricula, textbooks, and  
assessment. The importance of understanding other cultures,  
particularly Middle Eastern cultures, became an imperative[1] in the  
United States both in government agencies and in educational  
institutions. What should be done to develop deep cultural awareness  
and linguistic competencies for those cultures among language learners  
in the United States poses issues for learning and teaching Middle  
Eastern languages. Pressing issues include what is Arab, Turkish,  
Israeli, or Persian culture within the framework of teaching and  
learning these languages.[2]

The aims of the seminar are:


1)    To discuss the theoretical and practical issues of integrating  
culture into the Middle East language programs

2)    To bring fresh insights to the issue of teaching and learning  
culture

3)    To stimulate debate and discussion by confronting and  
challenging the current thinking


The following four sessions will take place:

1-- Middle East Cultures and Culture Studies: An Overview

The main question is:

What constitutes culture and what is specific about the Middle East  
Cultures?

2-- Language and the Culture of Islam

The main questions are:

a)     What knowledge of Islamic culture are the students of Middle  
East languages supposed to learn?

b)    What overall objectives should Middle East language programs aim  
at?

3-- Cultural Assessment

The main questions are:

a)     How is culture proficiency assessed in the language curriculum?

b)    What are the instructional objectives set for learning Middle  
East culture across different learning levels?

c)     What are the gender issues in Middle East cultures that foreign  
language learners need to be aware of?

4-- Teaching/Learning Culture in the Foreign Language Curriculum

The main questions are:

a)     How is cultural knowledge and awareness developed and practiced  
in Middle Eastern language programs for learners of Arabic, Hebrew,  
Persian, and Turkish?

b)     How is culture taught to the learners of Middle East languages?  
Is it by the target language or by the learner’s language?

c)     What issues are faced in integrating culture into teaching and  
learning those languages?

Each session tackles culture from varied perspectives. Scholars in  
each session who represent different languages and interests, are  
asked to state their views regarding a specific issue in teaching/ 
learning culture that the Middle Eastern language programs face in the  
United States, and what should be done. Following each presenter,  
there will be a discussion that seeks questions and commentary from  
attendees.

Participants:

1.       Mahdi Alosh                     United States Military Academy

2.       Reem Bassiouney              Arabic and Islamic Studies  
Department, GU

3.       Amin Bonnah              Arabic and Islamic Studies  
Department, GU

4.       Gerald Lampe              National Foreign Language Center,

University of Maryland

5.       Farima Mostowfi              Arabic and Islamic Studies  
Department, GU

6.       Margaret Nydell              Arabic and Islamic Studies  
Department, GU

7.       Sylvia Onder                     Arabic and Islamic Studies  
Department, GU

8.       Felicitas Opwis              Arabic and Islamic Studies  
Department, GU

9.        Karin Ryding               Arabic and Islamic Studies  
Department, GU

10.       Waheed Samy              University of Michigan

11.       Judith Tucker              Arabic and Islamic Studies  
Department, GU

12.       Yoel Wachtel                Arabic and Islamic Studies  
Department, GU

13.        Kassem Wahba              Arabic and Islamic Studies  
Department, GU

  Chairs of sessions:

1.     Shukri Abed                Department of Languages and Regional

Studies, the Middle East Institute

2.      Elizabeth M. Bergman       American Association of Teachers

of Arabic

3.  Dora Johnson         Center for Applied Linguistics

4.  Peter C. Pfeiffer         Georgetown University

5.  Cristina Sanz         Georgetown University


[1] The Modern Language Journal Perspectives, 88, 2, 2004.
[2] The Modern Language Association supports teaching language and  
culture in higher education – See Report from MLA Ad Hoc Committee on  
Foreign Languages, MLA, May 2007.

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End of Arabic-L:  11 Feb 2008