Doha: Language is a custodian of identity, and our Arabic identity cannot be preserved without our Arabic, according to a group of Arabic language teachers at Qatar Academy Doha, one of the schools under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education.
The teachers also emphasised the importance of children growing up to love the Arabic language, and to realise its role in promoting cultural and national belonging.
“At Qatar Academy Doha, we are keen to instil a love for the Arabic language in the hearts of our students by making them aware that it is one of the basic components of our existence and identity,” said Mahmoud Amer, an Arabic language teacher for middle and high school and head of the Arabic language department at Qatar Academy Doha (QAD).
“There is no value to a person without his language, and he who cherishes his language will gain more respect from other cultures.”
“By speaking a ‘Fusha’ Arabic language in the classroom, we constantly strive to encourage students to speak Arabic ‘Fusha’. But students often need someone to follow them or communicate with them, and, as teachers, we must speak this language as much as possible so that the student feels when they hear it as smooth and easy.”
Amer pointed to the role that schools in Qatar play in promoting the Arabic language, by focusing on national programs such as Islamic studies, the Arabic language, and heritage and history programs, saying: “The series of national subjects included by Qatar Foundation is designed to enhance the Arabic language, as it helps students to listen to the language permanently.
“Without listening, they cannot care for or develop themselves, or be proud of this language.” Amer says the Arabic language element is essential within the International Baccalaureate program, especially the importance that Qatar attaches to the Arabic language, and this gives Arabic language teachers a strong incentive to continue to support and enhance the language among students.
Teacher Othman Al Omar, an Arabic language teacher at QAD, said, “As teachers, our interest in this language is reflected in our performance and means students interact with us in a better way, because when a student sees their teacher say something and apply it in front of them, it attracts the student and improves their interaction with the language.
“Qatar Foundation carries the message that the Arabs are an integral part and an essential component of this national civilization, and that our language is our identity." Discover PUE — a virtual event organised by QF’s Pre-University Education — will this month provide an opportunity for parents in Qatar to meet representatives of the 15 schools within QF’s education ecosystem. It will be held from 10am to 6pm on Wednesday. January 13.