ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a proposal for comprehensive professional standards for certification of teachers of Arabic. These standards serve as a framework for achieving pedagogical and professional competencies and effectiveness in teaching Arabic across the P-16 levels with important caveats regarding context specific issues. The purpose is to spell out what professionally prepared teachers of Arabic are capable of achieving improve the knowledge base, attitudes, and skill set of teachers of Arabic in field-informed ways; better align with current professional standards for language teaching; enhance the quality of instruction in Arabic classrooms and meet language learners' needs, and ensure the continued improvement of teaching of Arabic as a foreign language across the P-16 learning continuum. The chapter articulates these standards such that they may serve as a starting point for teacher educators engaged in preparing and training pre- and in-service Arabic language teachers.
