Teaching Arabic as a F0reign Language (TAFL)
About the program
The Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) Program at Jordan University of Science and Technology covers all language skills, features a variety of thematic foci and strategies conducive to teaching effectiveness, and aims at catering for the needs and interests of prospective students who will not only be taught some basics of the Arabic language, but also learn about the Jordanian society and culture. Below are the main aims of the program.
Aims of the Program
1.
To teach the participants in an as realistic contexts as possible to ensure that they be able to put what they learn in class to use outside it.
2.
To give the participants the opportunity they need not only to improve their receptive language skills but also to work on their productive skills which are more difficult to acquire and develop.
3.
To give participants the opportunity to understand the Jordanian culture and Arab heritage.
4.
To develop the participants’ communication skills through interaction with native speakers of Arabic.
5.
To enable the participants to employ their acquired skills in their practical pursuits and future careers.
The program will teach the four language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) as well as grammar and some colloquial Jordanian sentences that would help the participants interact with others during their stay in Jordan. Listening attunes the participants to the fine details of the language while reading gives them a sense of the language and a feeling for the meaning and structure of sentences. Speaking equips them with the skills needed for effective communication, and writing is a skill they will need to convey their thoughts and ideas on paper. In order for these skills to be imparted to new learners, they, along with grammar, must be anchored in our instruction and curriculum.
The participants will sit for a placement test that covers the four basic skills as well as grammar to determine their language competencies and place them in appropriate groups. The participants will be given two hours of orientation in English to familiarize them with the university and its facilities and cover general issues relating to culture and society, local points of interest, and main historical and archaeological sites in Jordan. At the end of the program, three hours will be devoted to discussing topics relating to the Jordanian society. The program offers level-appropriate texts and topics covered in air-conditioned lecture halls equipped with multimedia (computers, Barco projectors, smart boards, etc.).
Following are the content outlines of the 2-week, 4-week, 6-week, and 8-week courses.
Tentative Content of a Two-Week Course Content of a Two-Week Course
1.
The course is 50 hours (5 daily or 25 weekly hours with a one-hour-break a day)
2.
The course will cover the four language skills as well as topics in grammar and the Jordanian dialect (6 weekly hours of reading, 5 of writing, 5 of conversation, 3 of listening, 4 of grammar, and 2 of dialect), distributed as follows:
Day/ Time |
8:30-9:30 |
9:30-10:30 |
10:30-11:30 |
11:30-12:30 |
12:30-1:30 |
1:30-2:30 |
Sunday |
Reading |
Writing |
Dialect |
Break |
Conversation |
Listening |
Monday |
Reading |
Conversation |
Writing |
Break |
Listening |
Grammar |
Tuesday |
Reading |
Grammar |
Listening |
Break |
Writing |
Conversation |
Wednesday |
Reading |
Writing |
Grammar |
Break |
Dialect |
Conversation |
Thursday |
Reading |
Conversation |
Writing |
Break |
Grammar |
Reading |
Tentative Content of a Four-Week Course
1.
The course is 100 hours (5 daily or 25 weekly hours with a one-hour-break a day)
2.
The course will cover the four language skills as well as topics in grammar and the Jordanian dialect (6 weekly hours of reading, 5 of writing, 5 of conversation, 3 of listening, 4 of grammar, and 2 of dialect), distributed as follows:
Day/ Time |
8:30-9:30 |
9:30-10:30 |
10:30-11:30 |
11:30-12:30 |
12:30-1:30 |
1:30-2:30 |
Sunday |
Reading |
Writing |
Dialect |
Break |
Conversation |
Listening |
Monday |
Reading |
Conversation |
Writing |
Break |
Listening |
Grammar |
Tuesday |
Reading |
Grammar |
Listening |
Break |
Writing |
Conversation |
Wednesday |
Reading |
Writing |
Grammar |
Break |
Dialect |
Conversation |
Thursday |
Reading |
Conversation |
Writing |
Break |
Grammar |
Reading |
Content of Content of a Six-Week Course
1.
The course is 160 hours (4 daily or 20 weekly hours with a one-hour-break a day)
2.
The course will cover the four language skills as well as topics in grammar and the Jordanian dialect (5 weekly hours of reading, 3 of writing, 3 of conversation, 3 of listening, 3 of grammar, and 3 of dialect), distributed as follows:
Day/ Time |
8:30-9:30 |
9:30-10:30 |
10:30-11:30 |
11:30-12:30 |
12:30-1:30 |
Sunday |
Reading |
Writing |
Dialect |
Break |
Grammar |
Monday |
Reading |
conversation |
Grammar |
Break |
Listening |
Tuesday |
Reading |
Grammar |
Writing |
Break |
Listening |
Wednesday |
Reading |
conversation |
Listening |
Break |
Dialect |
Thursday |
Reading |
conversation |
Writing |
Break |
Dialect |
Content of Content of an Eight-Week Course
1. The course is 160 hours (4 daily or 20 weekly hours with a one-hour-break a day)
2. The course will cover the four language skills as well as topics in grammar and the Jordanian dialect (5 weekly hours of reading, 3 of writing, 3 of conversation, 3 of listening, 3 of grammar, and 3 of dialect), distributed as follows:
Day/ Time |
8:30-9:30 |
9:30-10:30 |
10:30-11:30 |
11:30-12:30 |
12:30-1:30 |
Sunday |
Reading |
Writing |
Dialect |
Break |
Grammar |
Monday |
Reading |
conversation |
Grammar |
Break |
Listening |
Tuesday |
Reading |
Grammar |
Writing |
Break |
Listening |
Wednesday |
Reading |
conversation |
Listening |
Break |
Dialect |
Thursday |
Reading |
conversation |
Writing |
Break |
Dialect |
Topics
The Four Language Skills
· The Arabic Alphabet with ample exercises on pronunciation, combinations, and word
formation
· Arabic anecdotes as context for comprehension, vocabulary and structure
exercises
· he family to teach kinship terms
· Quran and Hadith for additional comprehension, vocabulary, and structure exercises
· Texts related to Jordan and the Arab World to introduce and teach the culture
Grammar
1. Parts of Speech, the focus of which will be directed towards model texts and exercises on the following:
·
Nouns (gender, types, and plurals)
·
Verbs (past and present tenses, and imperatives)
·
Particles
2. Pronouns (feminine, masculine, personal, possessive, reflexive, and relative)
3. Demonstrative Pronouns
4. Sentence Structure (nominal vs. verbal sentences)
5. WH-Questions
6. Prepositions
7. Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers
The Colloquial Jordanian Dialect
Participants will be introduced to vocabulary items and phrases needed in the following contexts:
·
sightseeing
·
travelling (at the airport)
·
accommodation (at the hotel)
·
shopping (in the market)
·
ordering food (at the restaurant)
·
studying (at the university)
The number of students in the classroom is between five and fifteen students per level, but note that the fees will increase if the number of students is small.
Cost
The tuition fees are subject to change according to separate agreements with visiting institutes and universities. The prices listed below include tuition. The tuition fees do not include international airfare, textbooks and visas. Payments can be made using cashier’s check or credit card (MasterCard or Visa).The prices do not include transportation, housing and visits to touristic places.
Track |
Description |
Price/$ |
1 |
Two-Week Course |
500 |
2 |
Four-Week Course |
1000 |
3 |
Six-Week Course |
1500 |
4 |
Eight-Week Course |
2000 |
The number of students in the classroom is between five and fifteen students per level, but note that the fees will increase if the number of students is small.
Housing
Students can choose to stay either inside the university or outside it .The cost varies according to the option chosen by the student.
Why choose Arabic at JUST?
1. Jordan is a peaceful country and has good relations with Western countries such as USA, Britain and France, so students will probably have no safety problems during their stay in the country.
2. Students will have a chance to visit tourist attractions including Petra, the ancient city carved out of mountains and one of the New Seven Wonders of the world; the Madaba Map, the ancient mosaic map of the Middle East; The Roman Theatre, an ancient 6,000-seat Roman theatre; Jerash, the Roman city; Qasr Amra, a desert castle placed in eastern Jordan; Ma’in Hot Springs, the hot mineral springs and waterfalls; Aqaba, where you can enjoy the sandy beaches; and the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth and one of the world’s most spectacular places.
3. The program is held in the city of Irbid , which combines the magic of a Middle Eastern town with the youthful nightlife of a college town. Students can also go to many places in Irbid, like traditional restaurants (Hashem Restaurant, Quasmiyyeh Restaurant), Western restaurants (McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut), Cafés (Alkamal Café, University Café), and malls (City Center, Arabella Mall, Irbid Mall, Sameh Mall).
4. Students can benefit from the language exchange partner program in which they can make conversations with native speakers of Arabic in a variety of settings and occasions.
5. The program focuses on Modern Standard Arabic and Colloqual Jordanian Arabic as used in different contexts.
How to Apply:
