For decades, students learning the Arabic language have begun with Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and then transitioned to learning spoken Arabic. While the MSA-first approach neither reflects the sociolinguistic reality of the language nor gives students the communicative skills required to fully function in Arabic, the field continues to debate the widespread adoption of this approach. Little research or evidence has been presented about the effectiveness of integrating dialect in the curriculum. With the recent publication of textbooks that integrate dialect in the Arabic curriculum, however, a more systematic analysis of such integration is clearly becoming necessary.

In this seminal volume, Mahmoud Al-Batal gathers key scholars who have implemented integration to present data and research on the method’s success. The studies address curricular models, students' outcomes, and attitudes of students and teachers using integration in their curricula. This volume is an essential resource for all teachers of Arabic language and those working in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL).

In this volume leading teachers of Arabic, many of whom have written influential textbooks for advanced learners, explore the realities and challenges of teaching Arabic as a foreign language. Topics covered include the state of the Arabic teaching profession; the institutional challenges in U.S. and study-abroad programs; the teaching of various skills such as writing, reading, speaking, and listening; the varieties of Arabic and their relevance in the classroom; the uses of technology in the classroom; and testing. Published in 1995, many of the issues raised in this volume remain relevant today.

Distributed for the American Association of Teachers of Arabic