The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), participated in the workshop ‘Professional Development and Training – Teachers’, to enhance teachers’ capacities in various fields of Arabic language teaching, determining potential challenges, developing effective solutions to address them, and exploring the obstacles associated with teaching Arabic grammar in schools.
The session also included an introduction to the works of calligrapher and artist Mohammed Mandi, who led a practical workshop in Arabic calligraphy for participants.
After the workshop, the Centre honoured last cycle’s winners of its annual Arabic Pals competition, which encourages young people to take an interest in and strive to master the Arabic language, while shedding light on the aesthetics of the language and inspiring non-Arabic speakers to learn and use it in their daily lives. The competition targets Arab and non-Arab students aged 8 to 16 and invites contestants to film short video clips on topics that reflect their experiences with the Arabic language.
His Excellency Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of the ALC, said: “The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre has an overarching mission of elevating the status of Arabic as a language of science, culture, and knowledge; one that is flexible and comprehensive, capable of meeting and expressing every need people have for language in their daily lives. We have a strong strategic focus on engaging youth, who are our future leaders and the ones who will keep the Arabic language relevant. To achieve this goal, we are designing and implementing innovative initiatives that target this group and reinforce the standing of the Arabic language among both native speakers and non-speakers.”
H.E. Al Tunaiji urged parents and teachers to encourage students to participate in the competition and submit innovative videos that showcase their relationship with the Arabic language and offer inspiring examples.
The ALC will begin receiving applications for participation in the next Arabic Pals cycle on 28 August, with the submission deadline set for 28 October. Videos submitted to the competition can cover a range of themes, falling under three categories: recitation of verses of Arabic poetry by native and non-native speakers; providing an overview of the history of the UAE or the achievements of its Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan; or showcasing a participant’s personal experience in learning Arabic as a non-native speaker.
The terms and conditions of the competition include a number of criteria. The video must have clear audio and image showing the contestant; the content must adhere to the topic of the competition; the video must be free of any religious, social, or humanitarian abuse; and videos should be sent in MP4 format. The competition’s committee will present AED 10,000 prizes to the top three winners.
The process of evaluating submissions to the Arabic Pals competition and announcing the shortlist will take place in November, and the winners of the competition will be announced in mid-December. ALC will receive participation requests through its website (https://alc.ae/), where the parental consent form, the ID of the student and their guardian, and the participating videos can be sent to arabicpals@dctabudhabi.ae or submitted on the website.
