MESA Banner
An Online Teaching Model to Enhance Vocabulary/Sentence Building, and Conversational Skills in the Foreign Target Language: A Focus on Arabic
Abstract
This Presentation is an integral part of the broader context of our panel, discussing how online teaching and learning provides many additional advantages to our students and how the library facilitate this leaning opportunity. This virtual course model is a compelling vision for online language education, with a focus on teaching Arabic remotely. The main focus is on Arabic. Using live virtual zoom students can access the course sessions on a determined schedule that the course syllabus will clearly structure. Based on my long experience teaching Arabic language, culture and literature online, this shift to purely teach language in a cultural context is a great opportunity provided by the Covid-19 pandemic need for virtual teaching. The project uses two cultural components including food and music/song to enhance and strengthen students’ Arabic vocabulary and sentence building as well as conversational skills in the target language. This is an upper intermediate level class. Using zoom and you tube, through our ASU library facilities, the class shares screen to play songs from you tube and videos on Arabic food. Following playing a song in Modern Standard Arabic, different words and lyrics from the song will be written on the screen board. Students will be asked to translate these words into English. Another exercise is to help students conjugate verbs from present to past tense and vise-versa. Students can use their note books to remember the words. Then volunteers will be asked to write the words on the screen and share their screens. Next is to use those words in sentences in Arabic and have students converse in groups in the target language. The same applies to using videos on food items. The next step is to correct any mistakes and share with the entire class on the zoom screen. Short group presentations in the target language constitute a fun class activity as well, that students love. Repetition and routine are some of the most effect approaches in teaching foreign languages that help students stay in the target language and resist the temptation to use English. Assessment and evaluation of students’ work will be based on the ACTFL criterion. Virtual office hours will help students practice speaking in the target language with the Professor who will simultaneously answer any of their questions. The course is a great reflection of vocabulary/sentence building, and of enhancing students’ conversational skills in the target language. .
Discipline
Language
Geographic Area
Arab States
Sub Area
Middle East/Near East Studies