Introduction:
The Arabic language is a symbol from the symbols of Islam, thus its importance is well-known and understood. It is the language of the Qur’an and the language of the Prophet Peace and Blessings be upon him. The significance of the Arabic language is further emphasized when we realize that through its preservation, the meanings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah have been preserved. And in today's world, it is a strong link that connects Muslims with their tradition.
Once that is understood, it comes as no surprise that the demand for learning Arabic has increased globally over the last few decades. With the rise of Islam as the fastest-growing religion in the world the demand for learning Arabic has also risen. Many resources, series, textbooks, and courses have been utilized internationally for teaching the language. These resources have become the staple in curriculums worldwide in a wide variety of institutions including; universities, traditional seminaries, and specialized language training institutes.
In this brief yet comprehensive essay, I wish to highlight the pros and cons of three of the most popular Arabic language courses in today's world; they are, Durūs ul-Lugha tul-ʿArabiyyah or the Arabic Course as published by Darussalam, al-ʿArabiyyatu Bayna Yadayk and al-ʿArabiyyatu Lin Nashiʾeen.
The Criteria:
Before I delve into the crux of the matter, I would like to explain the criteria and the basic rubric that I have used as a measure to comment on the elements of each course.
Firstly, I have considered the coverage of the four language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) as they form the bedrock of language acquisition. Moreover, I have given due importance to the coverage of grammar in each of the courses, in addition to whether the course contains interactive activities as they are the foundation of a fruitful learning experience for the student.
Finally, I have considered whether the course textbooks come with additional teacher resources or not, because courses with additional teacher resources lay out how the lessons should be taught and serve as a guide for the teachers making the process significantly easier for them. At the end, I have left a comment on the overall methodology of each course so that the instructor using it and the student studying it is aware of what he or she is doing and what they can aim to achieve by studying the course.
Note: There are many different methodologies used for teaching languages, and there is no consensus on which methodology is the best, different teachers have different preferences and different students have different needs. Therefore, I urge the readers to approach the article with an open mind and to consider the pros and cons of each book. Additionally, when I used the word grammar, I am referring to both Nahw (Syntax) and Sarf (Morphology).
Durūs ul-Lugha tul-ʿArabiyyah (Madinah Books)
It wouldn't be an exaggeration if we say that Durūs ul-Lugha tul-ʿArabiyyah has been the most popular Arabic course in the last couple of decades. The course was designed by Shaykh Dr. V. Abdur Rahim, an extremely competent and well-qualified scholar of the language in 1969 when he joined the Islamic University of Madinah to teach Arabic Philology.
This book has been the stepping stone to learning Arabic for many people across the globe. And many have benefited tremendously from it.
The book is based on an older method of teaching languages and that is by way of teaching grammar. But what Dr. V. Abdur Rahim did was, that he contextualized those grammar lessons and disguised them as conversations and reading activities through which students would learn these grammar rules and the correct usage of the language.
This technique for teaching grammar is still well-known and widely used in modern courses and is referred to as 'guided discovery'.
By the time the student has finished book two, he has become familiar with the essentials of Arabic grammar and sentence structure. In the 3rd book though, a more direct approach to grammar is sought but conversations are still used to simplify those concepts.
The book is also filled with a variety of interactive activities that aim to teach students the correct usage of Arabic by way of its grammar.
Most of the modern methods of language teaching have indeed moved away from the approach that considers the learning of grammar as the best method, however many teachers continue to prefer this method and it has its benefits.
From the drawbacks of this course is that it lacks purposeful speaking activities and varied writing activities. A student after studying this course is likely to come out with a good understanding of grammar and he will be able to read and understand Arabic. However, there will be deficiencies when it comes to speaking and writing. Perhaps, since the book was designed for students enrolled at the Islamic University Madinah, the author thought the students would pick up speaking by way of immersion and would develop their writing skills later as undergraduate students.
Overall, it's a good resource for those who want to learn Arabic grammar and basic Arabic reading through an easy-to-use and easy-to-understand textbook.
al-ʿArabiyyatu Bayna Yadayk
This course is from the most well-rounded and well-researched courses for teaching Arabic. Developed by Shaykh Abdur Rahman al-Fawzan and the team at Arabic for All, this series sets as its central focus the four language skills and Arabic phonetics which are practiced through a series of interactive activities.
Each textbook from the series has a reading, writing, listening, and speaking component, the difficulty of which increases with every level. At the beginning, students build a vocabulary bank by reading and repeating simple day-to-day conversations, they practice pronouncing Arabic letters and practice writing Arabic letters. By book three, they are reading complete passages from a wide variety of sources and genres on a wide variety of topics, engaging with each other through well-designed and purposeful speaking activities, and writing basic essays and passages.
The course also covers grammar to a decent level and includes all the essentials of Arabic grammar. The only drawback is that grammar is divided across all the different levels and thus the students might have a problem in developing a complete picture of Arabic grammar.
This course is based on some of the latest research in the field and is appropriate for those who want to learn how to speak, write, and understand Arabic.
al-ʿArabiyyatu Lin Nashiʾeen
This course is a unique one. It uses the audio-lingual method of language learning as the basis (also called the army method) which is also an older model for teaching languages. Based on this method, the teacher exposes students to different grammatical structures and they practice using those structures through a variety of activities.
This method also aims to teach all the four language skills but using that unique method with unique activities. This method starts with speaking and listening and then moves on to reading and writing.
The main form of listening is students listening to the teacher use correct structures. Speaking starts with students repeating the same structures and it moves on from there.
This course also teaches basic Arabic writing (writing letters) from book one. By the end of the series, students are writing essays. Reading starts with small conversations and the difficulty gradually increases. By the end of the course, students are reading complete passages.
Apart from the drilling of correct grammar structures, the book also includes a decent amount of essential grammar concepts which are taught to the students.
Overall, this book is a good resource for those wanting to learn Arabic but there focus is more so on speaking.
Conclusion:
In the end, it is important to mention that the choice of an Arabic course should be based on what you need and what you are looking for. Each course has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is also important to consult experts before picking a course to make sure that you are making the right long term decision.
And all praise belong to Allah the Almighty and may peace and salutations be upon His Messenger.
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