Culture

Languages are cognitive systems, but they also express ideas and transmit cultural values. When you are discussing language use with your students, don't forget to include information on the social, cultural, and historical context that certain language forms carry for native speakers. Often these explanations include reference to what a native speaker would say, and why.

Culture is expressed and transmitted through magazines and newspapers, radio and television programs, movies, and the internet. Using media as authentic materials in the classroom can expand students’ perspectives and generate interesting discussions about the relationships between language and culture.

VIDEO Video materials provide a unique opportunity to present, teach, and internalize information about the target country and increase the quantity and quality of time spent on task with the language and culture. Videos can be edited for presentation, and to focus students' attention on specific details. Teachers can create exercise materials based on the video itself.
 * Choose a short scene from a favorite film in Arabic.
 * Watch the segment with the sound turned OFF
 * Watch a clip and teach new vocabulary by asking some key questions
 * Have students fill a chart or complete sentences based on information in the clip
 * Watch the clip and then have students do Role plays

INTERNET

With our students spending more and more time on social networking sites on the Internet, why not direct some of that time and attention to language study?


 * Use Internet resources to connect with native-speakers or establish pen pals
 * Encourage interaction in a virtual community of Arabic learners and native speakers.
 * Use text, audio, video, and interactive sites to bring variety to lessons and assignments
 * Find the equivalent of Facebook or MySpace in Arabic. Have students explore and try to locate well known features such as "Search," "Click," "Enter," "Delete," etc. in the target language.

MUSIC

The benefits of using songs in the FL classroom have been well documented. Using Arabic songs and music can lead students to discover cultural norms, products and practices. Using a broad range of songs n the classroom —from classical to folk or from pop to rap—you can appeal to a diverse student body, and reach a larger population.The goal is to enable students to immerse themselves in the language, literature, and culture of the target language and help motivate them to learn the Arabic language. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In selecting songs for the classroom
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The text should fit the students’ level; the songs should not be too challenging: beginning-level students need simple, straightforward lyrics.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The text can stress a particular grammatical point or theme or re-enforce vocabulary
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The singer’s diction should be clear, so that students can understand the lyrics.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The songs can come from a variety of musical styles to create opportunities to reach the widest possible audience.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">LINKS

[] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">online radio pages, featuring a listing of online news radio, talk, information programs, and music programs

[] Arabic Radio and <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">television broadcasts and newspapers

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<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the web’s largest and most comprehensive directories of World Newspapers and Magazines, sorted by Country, region, and political affiliation.

[] [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">International Children's Digital Library Foundation: a <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5;"> collection of books that represents outstanding historical and contemporary books from throughout the world.

[|http://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu] video clips of interviews and discussions with people from many different countries and of many different ages and walks of life. Topics include family, food, education, religious and cultural customs, work, art, sport, travel, and more

[] list and links for online authentic materials in many languages