Arabic-L:LING:What does Near Native Proficiency Mean for MSA?

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Sat 29 Sep 2012
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1) Subject:What does Near Native Proficiency Mean for MSA?

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1)
Date: 29 Sep 2012
From: david.wilmsen at GMAIL.COM
Subject:What does Near Native Proficiency Mean for MSA?

We keep seeing this diction in job announcements in our field:  "native or
near-native command in Modern Standard Arabic required."

What would a native command of Modern Standard Arabic mean in the context
of a language with no native speakers? For that matter, what would
"near-native" proficiency mean?

Is this kind of boilerplate some sort of dodge for eluding the appearance
of discrimination by national origin?

It seems to me that I see it in announcements for jobs stateside only.


David Wilmsen
Associate Professor of Arabic
Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Languages
American University of Beirut
Bliss Street, Hamra
Beirut, Lebanon
1107 2020
tel:  +961-1-350000 ext. 3850/1

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End of Arabic-L: 29 Sep 2012