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Bringing Local Culture into the Advanced Arabic Curriculum: Experiences from the 2010 Summer CLS Program in Muscat, Oman
Abstract
The 2010 CLS summer Arabic program in Muscat, Oman admitted only students rated at Advanced proficiency, as determined by placement exams administered prior to the program's start. A goal of the Oman program was to introduce students to a wide variety of authentic material in all registers of Arabic. A complementary goal was to incorporate a significant number of texts, video and other materials produced in, or focusing on, Oman, its culture, history and traditions. The aim was to provide students with a greater understanding of and appreciation for the culture in which the program operated through the materials they encountered in their classes. Students were surveyed about their knowledge of Oman at the beginning and end of the program and were asked their opinions about the ways in which Omani culture was made a part of their program. The local Omani teachers were likewise asked their opinions regarding the use of localized materials in their teaching. This paper describes the results of these surveys, reports on the successes and failures of using localized cultural materials with Advanced students of Arabic, and presents suggestions for those preparing curricula for Advanced-level programs in the Arab world.
Discipline
Education
Geographic Area
Oman
Sub Area
Pedagogy