ABSTRACT
This chapter aims at contributing to the representation of Arabic as infinitely variable and heterogeneous by analyzing samples of conditional systems derived from a peculiar genre of contemporary written Arabic. This will lead to the unveiling of a more variegated linguistic situation with regard to contemporary Arabic conditionals, compared with the description provided by Arab and Western modern and contemporary grammars. The importance of this more nuanced perspective on the present-day situation of contemporary Arabic is discussed for its implications at the level of teaching methodology and its impact on the way in which contemporary Arabic grammar is presented to students of Arabic. If the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages renders inescapable the interiorization of Arabic synchronic variation as intrinsic to the learning and teaching process, it is equally important for students to learn about the evolution of Arabic that even in contemporary times may retain forms and structures belonging to previous stages of the language.
