Programme overview
Introduction:
Teaching Arabic as a Second Language (TASL) methodology training is a 5-day course for instructors who teach Arabic to expatriates and international students at universities, language institutes and corporate language units, ending with a TASL Curriculum and Assessment Plan for a case organisation. Many Arabic classes for non-native speakers still move from grammar rules to translation, mix Modern Standard Arabic and dialect without a policy, and place learners by guesswork rather than rated proficiency. Nominees already teach Arabic to adult non-native speakers and work through case files of learner samples, textbook units and placement results. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this TASL methodology course.
Course Objectives:
- Choose an MSA, dialect or integrated variety policy for an Arabic course based on learner profiles and purposes
- Map Arabic course stages to ACTFL proficiency sublevels and CEFR can-do outcomes for each skill
- Teach Arabic script, sound contrasts and root-and-pattern morphology to beginners in staged sequences
- Design task-based Arabic lessons with information gap tasks and a language focus on observed errors
- Evaluate and adapt Arabic textbooks and authentic media for level, variety and learner purpose
- Build Arabic placement tests and rate speaking samples against proficiency level criteria
Target Audience:
- Instructors who teach Arabic to international students in university language centres and preparatory years
- Teachers in language institutes who deliver Arabic courses to adult expatriate learners
- Trainers who run Arabic classes within corporate language and onboarding units
- Arabic teachers who prepare placement tests and progress assessments for mixed-level groups
- Native-speaker Arabic teachers moving from teaching Arabic speakers to teaching non-native speakers
Course Outline:
Day 1: TASL Landscape, Learner Profiles and Arabic Diglossia
- Arabic Diglossia Spectrum From Fusha to Spoken Dialect
- MSA-Only, Dialect-First and Integrated Approach Comparison
- Heritage Learner Versus Foreign Learner Needs Analysis Profile
- Learner Motive Survey for Academic, Workplace and Religious Purposes
- Classroom Observation Protocol for Current Arabic Teaching Practice
Day 2: ACTFL and CEFR Proficiency Frameworks for Arabic
- ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines Sublevels Applied to Arabic Skills
- ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational Modes
- CEFR Can-Do Descriptors Rewritten for Arabic Learner Outcomes
- Approximate ACTFL to CEFR Level Crosswalk for Placement
- Arabic Level Map With Exit Outcomes per Course Stage
Day 3: Arabic Script, Phonology and Task-Based Lesson Design
- Arabic Letter Shapes, Connectors and Handwriting Sequence for Beginners
- Pharyngeal and Emphatic Consonant Contrast Drills With Minimal Pairs
- Short Vowel Marking and Gradual Removal Across Reading Levels
- Root-and-Pattern Morphology Teaching Through Word Family Charts
- Willis Task Cycle Adapted for an Arabic Information Gap Lesson
Day 4: Arabic Materials Selection, Error Patterns and Proficiency Testing
- Arabic Textbook Evaluation Checklist for Level, Variety and Authenticity
- Authentic Arabic Media Adaptation for Graded Listening and Reading
- Interlanguage Error Patterns in Gender Agreement and Broken Plurals
- Placement Test Blueprint With Skill Weighting and Item Types
- Structured Oral Interview Rating With Warm-Up, Level Checks and Probes
Day 5: Case Study TASL Curriculum and Assessment Plan
- Case Organisation Learner Data and Current Arabic Course Review
- Case Diglossia Policy and Arabic Level Map Drafting
- Case Task-Based Arabic Lesson With Script and Sound Focus
- Case Placement Test and Speaking Rating Rubric Construction
- TASL Curriculum and Assessment Plan Completion
Skills You Will Gain:
- Arabic Variety Policy Design
- Proficiency Level Mapping
- Arabic Script Instruction
- Arabic Phonology Teaching
- Task-Based Arabic Lesson Design
- Arabic Materials Evaluation
- Arabic Placement Testing
- Speaking Proficiency Rating
Why Attend This Course:
- Deliver a TASL Curriculum and Assessment Plan to the head of the Arabic unit or academic director for approval and use with the next intake
- Decide which Arabic variety each course stage teaches and at what level learners move between stages
- Avoid misplaced learners, mismatched textbooks and unrated speaking scores that stall progress and raise repeat enrolments
- Equip fellow instructors with the level map, textbook checklist and speaking rating rubric for shared use across classes
Conclusion:
Back at work, the participant presents the TASL Curriculum and Assessment Plan to the head of the Arabic unit, the academic director and the instructors who share the same levels. They use it to approve the variety policy, the level map that links course stages to proficiency outcomes, the textbook choices and the placement test for the next intake. After the first placement round and the first end-of-level speaking ratings, the unit should review misplaced learners, agreement between raters, task-based lesson outcomes and which adapted materials need revision.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What should participants know before the Teaching Arabic as a Second Language methodology course?
Participants should already teach Arabic, at any level, and read and write Modern Standard Arabic fluently. Experience with non-native learners helps but is not essential. Bringing a current textbook unit, a placement test and a few recorded learner speaking samples lets them apply the case work to their own classes.
How does Teaching Arabic as a Second Language methodology differ from an Arabic learner course or English teaching methodology?
It trains teachers rather than learners, and it is specific to Arabic: script, sound contrasts, root-and-pattern morphology, diglossia and Arabic proficiency rating. Arabic learner courses build the participant's own Arabic, and English teaching methodology courses deal with English skills, sounds and assessment.
Should Teaching Arabic as a Second Language start with Modern Standard Arabic or a spoken dialect?
It depends on learner purpose. Academic and reading-focused learners usually start with Modern Standard Arabic, while residents who need daily conversation benefit from early dialect exposure. Many institutes use an integrated approach, teaching both varieties side by side and showing learners when each one is used.
What do participants take back from the Teaching Arabic as a Second Language methodology course?
Participants take back a TASL Curriculum and Assessment Plan for a case organisation: a variety policy, a level map linked to ACTFL and CEFR outcomes, a task-based Arabic lesson with script and sound focus, a placement test blueprint and a speaking rating rubric.