Taking the Arabic classroom beyond the American experience

This chapter examines the remarkable growth in Arabic studies during the current era and how its expansion has provided both an opportunity to assess the Arabic classroom and a challenge to maintain its development. The chapter analytically discusses various factors that have contributed to the emergence of different teaching methodologies in the United States, and these competing methodologies have been reflected in a limted set of Arabic textbooks. This discussion also highlights how the academic obsession with the debate over teaching Fusha or Darija has hindered a great opportunity of borrowing many successful practices of teaching and learning Arabic outside the United States.