Chapter 14. Whither Arabic?
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John C. Eisele
Abstract
This chapter examines the past and current state of Arabic with a view towards contemplating some possible changes it may undergo in the near future. After noting the current state of Arabic and how it is characterized by multidimensional variation and diversity, past, present, and future, the analysis brings together research on linguistic diversity (retrospective views) with notions of futurology (prospective views) to propose a revised list of procedures for carrying out a futurological project. Arabic will then be examined within this framework in order to evaluate possible scenarios for its future development. Aside from contemplating a future for Arabic, an additional goal is to outline a program of future research which will address the questions of future language development in a more disciplined fashion.
Abstract
This chapter examines the past and current state of Arabic with a view towards contemplating some possible changes it may undergo in the near future. After noting the current state of Arabic and how it is characterized by multidimensional variation and diversity, past, present, and future, the analysis brings together research on linguistic diversity (retrospective views) with notions of futurology (prospective views) to propose a revised list of procedures for carrying out a futurological project. Arabic will then be examined within this framework in order to evaluate possible scenarios for its future development. Aside from contemplating a future for Arabic, an additional goal is to outline a program of future research which will address the questions of future language development in a more disciplined fashion.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Acknowledgments ix
- Chapter 1. Applied linguistics research in the Middle East and North Africa 1
-
Section I. Language in society
- Chapter 2. When the president loses his voice, the people capture speech 11
- Chapter 3. Religion and identity in modern Egyptian public discourse 37
- Chapter 4. English between Egyptians 61
- Chapter 5. The age of global English 89
- Chapter 6. The linguistic landscape of Cairo from the Rosetta Stone to the Ring Road billboards: Signs of their times 115
- Chapter 7. The ongoing rivalry between English and French in Lebanon 161
-
Section II. Language in education
- Chapter 8. A Qatari case for authenticity in the investigation of reading abilities and strategies 185
- Chapter 9. The development and validation of an Arabic language test in Saudi Arabia 203
- Chapter 10. A survey of English language proficiency requirements for admission to English-medium universities in Arabic-speaking countries 227
- Chapter 11. Student teachers’ computer-mediated narratives-in-interaction 249
- Chapter 12. Arabic language teacher education 269
- Chapter 13. Corpora and the study of Arabic vocabulary 289
-
Section III. Future directions of applied linguistics in the MENA countries
- Chapter 14. Whither Arabic? 307
- Chapter 15. A forward-looking conceptual framework for Arabic curriculum design and instructional methodology 343
- Chapter 16. Applied linguistics in the MENA countries 363
- Biographies 377
- Author index 383
- Subject index 387
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Acknowledgments ix
- Chapter 1. Applied linguistics research in the Middle East and North Africa 1
-
Section I. Language in society
- Chapter 2. When the president loses his voice, the people capture speech 11
- Chapter 3. Religion and identity in modern Egyptian public discourse 37
- Chapter 4. English between Egyptians 61
- Chapter 5. The age of global English 89
- Chapter 6. The linguistic landscape of Cairo from the Rosetta Stone to the Ring Road billboards: Signs of their times 115
- Chapter 7. The ongoing rivalry between English and French in Lebanon 161
-
Section II. Language in education
- Chapter 8. A Qatari case for authenticity in the investigation of reading abilities and strategies 185
- Chapter 9. The development and validation of an Arabic language test in Saudi Arabia 203
- Chapter 10. A survey of English language proficiency requirements for admission to English-medium universities in Arabic-speaking countries 227
- Chapter 11. Student teachers’ computer-mediated narratives-in-interaction 249
- Chapter 12. Arabic language teacher education 269
- Chapter 13. Corpora and the study of Arabic vocabulary 289
-
Section III. Future directions of applied linguistics in the MENA countries
- Chapter 14. Whither Arabic? 307
- Chapter 15. A forward-looking conceptual framework for Arabic curriculum design and instructional methodology 343
- Chapter 16. Applied linguistics in the MENA countries 363
- Biographies 377
- Author index 383
- Subject index 387
