Arabic-L:PEDA:AUC MA in TAFL

[Dilworth B. Parkinson]

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1) Subject: AUC MA in TAFL

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1)
Date: 23 Sep 1999
From: Alaa elgibali <elgibali at aucegypt.edu>
Subject: AUC MA in TAFL

Master of Arts in
Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language
(WWW.AUCEGYPT.EDU)
Master of Arts

 Interest in the Arabic language has increased greatly throughout the world.
With this has come a demand for professionals trained in the field. The
master's degree program in teaching Arabic as a foreign language (TAFL) in the
Arabic Language Institute, based on modern theory and practice, is especially
designed to meet this need.

The master's degree requires two years' residence and covers the following
areas: linguistics, contrastive analysis in second-language teaching and
learning, and methods of teaching foreign languages. In addition, practice
teaching is required. The courses have been structured to promote research as
well as to develop highly trained teachers. In addition, a number of issues
related to the role of Arabic in modern society are freshly examined, such as
current methods of teaching Arabic to children, reform of the writing system,
grammar reform movements, and the problem of diglossia. The TAFL program seeks
to inspire new approaches to these problems.

Admission

Applicants for the master of arts degree in TAFL should hold a bachelor of arts
degree specializing in Arabic language, Islamic studies, Middle East area
studies, or a modern language. Applicants should also meet general University
admission requirements. Applicants with undergraduate specialization in a
modern language other than Arabic must take a number of additional courses in
the field of Arabic studies. Applicants for the master of arts degree in TAFL
should have teaching experience prior to admission into the program or must
acquire this experience concurrently with the program.

Language

 Non-native speakers of Arabic and holders of degrees other than
Arabic               language or Islamic studies must demonstrate in an
examination that their                proficiency in Arabic is adequate for
study in the program. The level of                language proficiency required
for admission is not less than the level Superior as specified by the
guidelines of the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages
(ACTFL). An applicant who is not a native speaker of English must have
sufficient command of English to qualify for admission as an AUC graduate
student. Those with less but showing exceptional promise may be recommended for
AUC preparatory training for a period not to exceed one year.

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination consists of a written examination followed by an
oral examination. It is required only of students not writing theses and may
not be taken more than twice.

Thesis

The thesis is usually required for graduation. In some circumstances and with
the adviser's approval, a candidate may be allowed to replace the thesis with
two additional courses, increasing the total number of minimum credit hours
required from 30 to 36. In such cases the candidate would be required to take
the comprehensive examination.  The student writing a thesis must produce a
professional paper on some aspect                 of TAFL. The thesis must be
prepared under the guidance and close                 supervision of a faculty
adviser and a designated committee.



                            Courses Required for the Master Degree

 A minimum of 30 graduate credit hours and a thesis are required except as
indicated in the Thesis section below. Required of all students:

                TAFL 501 Principles of Linguistic Analysis
                TAFL 503 Psychological Factors in Language Learning
                TAFL 510-511 Methods of Teaching a Foreign Language
                TAFL 515 The Phonetics of Arabic
                TAFL 520 Research Methods and Experimental Design
                TAFL 565 Observation and Evaluation of Language Teaching

 Electives should complete the required number of credit hours. Choice will
depend upon the thesis topic and the student's undergraduate field of study and
must be approved by the adviser. While they are normally selected from among
500-level TAFL courses, with the adviser's approval, electives may include up
to two non-TAFL courses. No more than two 400-level courses may be counted
toward the degree.

                Other TAFL Courses :

502 Testing and Evaluation in Language Teaching 506 Resources for Teaching a
Foreign Language
 516 The Linguistics of Arabic
 525 Contrastive Analysis in Second-Language Teaching/Learning .
 540 Selected Topics in Applied Linguistics
 550 Language Pragmatics
 551 Advanced Arabic Grammar
 553 Sociolinguistics 555 Research Seminar
 560 Supervised Study in TAFL 588
Comprehensives 599 Research Guidance and Thesis



                                 Faculty Research Interests

The research interests of the Arabic Language Institute faculty cover many
theoretical and applied aspects of Arabic language linguistics. These include:

Acquisition of Arabic as a first language
Acquisition of Arabic as a second foreign language
Sociolinguistic investigation of the language situation in the Arab World
Methodology of teaching foreign and second languages
Relationship between Arabic and current linguistic theory
Computerized analyses of Arabic/Computer assisted language learning
Textbooks and teaching materials development
Illiteracy: roots and eradication
Geopolitics of language
Contrastive studies between and/or among Arabic and other languages:
English, French, German, Japanese, Mandarim Chinese, etc.
Language related learning disabilities
Language maintenance, change and shift



                                      TAFL Faculty

BADAWI, EL-SAID Professor and Director of the Arabic Language Institute: B.A.
1954, Dar Al Ulum; M.A. 1960, Ph.D 1965, University of London.

ELGIBALI, ALAA Associate Professor of Linguistics, and Director of the TAFL
Program: B.A. 1976, Ain Shams University; M.A. 1979, American University in
Cairo; Ph.D. 1985, University of Pittsburgh.

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End of Arabic-L: 23 Sep 1999