by Mr Hassan Almilaik Defence School of Languages, UK

1. Defence School of Languages, UK BILC Professional Seminar for NATO/PfP countriesBLED, SLOVENIA 2012

2. Teaching Specific Skills: Approaches to Teaching Listening & Speaking in the Arabic Language by Mr Hassan Almilaik Defence School of Languages, UK

3. Aim To introduce and describe: • Listening & Speaking in brief • Methodologies of Teaching L & S • The Main Challenges

4. DSL Mission • To train MOD personnel in foreign languages in order to support Defence operations and to realise the full linguistic potential of every student.

5. The Teaching of Listening • “Listening is a fundamental language skill, but often ignored by second language teachers” • Listening as Comprehension. • Listening as Acquisition. • Understanding spoken discourse.

6. Listening Strategies • Predicting – Predicting information or ideas prior to listening • Inferencing – Drawing inferences about complete information based on incomplete or inadequate information • Monitoring – Monitoring one’s own performance while listening, including assessing areas of uncertainty

7. Listening Strategies • Clarifying – Formulating clarification questions about what information is needed to make a fuller interpretation • Responding – Providing a personal, relevant response to the information or ideas presented • Evaluating – Checking how well one has understood, and whether an initial problem posed has been solved

8. Listening Strategies • Specific Listening task (MOL) • Preview the main idea before listening. • Rehearse language (e.g. Pronunciation & vocabulary). • Decide in advance which aspect of the text to concentrate on.

9. Listening Strategies • Specific Listening task (Gist) • Pre-listening activity ~ In pairs, students predict the possible words and phrases that they might hear • While listening ~ Students underline or circle those words or phrases that they have predicted correctly • Post listening ~ Pair process-based discussion–students compare what they have understood

10. Speaking • Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) • Diglossia – MSA and Regional Dialects / Variations • DSL Can deliver Training in the following dialects: • Iraqi & Gulf dialects • Egyptian & Levantine • Sudanese

11. Varied Methodologies • The Communicative Approach Focuses on aural comprehension – early speech production Individual Oral Practice (IOP). Transacting Business (Trans Bus) Situational Interpretation (Sit Int) Consecutive Interpreting

12. Varied Methodologies • The Direct Approach (Target) Lessons begin with social or military dialogue using mainly dialect or conversational style The use of transliteration

13. Varied Methodologies • The Grammar –Translation Method Reading Texts: are used for grammatical analysis Disconnected sentences: are used for translation exercises from the target language into mother tongue and vice versa

14. Varied Methodologies • Audio-Lingual Method • & Inclusion of ICT Intensive use of: Language Laboratories Visual aids Great importance is given to practise native- like pronunciation

15. Main Challenges • Intensive exposure to the Target Language • Pressure of Time • Complexity of certain areas of the Arabic Language • Ability and Motivation • Surface Learning versus Deep Learning • Fluency versus Accuracy • Final Assessment (MLA)

16. Maintaining Arabic After Training • Deployment to the Middle East • On-the-job training. (OJT) • Academic language training at unit level • Dialect training in-house or at overseas facilities • Self-directed study using ICT

17. Listening & Speaking Questions?

19. For information about this presentation, please contact: Hassan Almilaik Arabic Language Wing, Defence School of Languages, UK Office Email: Office tel/fax: DSL Website: Hassan.Almilaik108@mod.uk 044 (0) 1494 683364 www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/TrainingandExercises/DSL