I thought that I was the only who decided to speak about that Israeli research claiming that our Arabic language is hard on the brain to learn but I was wrong
The post received a lot of attention and there is a fantastic debate about it.
Gabriel Nada at Global Voices discussed the matter and it seems that no only me who was interested in that research.
Taha Hussein once said that our Arabic language is easy not hard , he also said that Arabic can restore its position in the society when the society itself is functioning well. The dean of Arabic knew what he was speaking about , the golden age of Islamic empire was the golden age of Arabic that was the language of science and knowledge.
The fact that Arabic was neglected from a very long since the Othman rule harmed it so much especially many Arab countries replaced the Othman rule with western colonization that fought Arabic like the British and French colonization in North Africa then came the age of globalization.
Education plays an important role and considering the deliberate attempts of Arab regimes to make their people ignorant as much as possible to role them easily harmed our language more and more , it has nothing to do with the difficulty of the language more about the education policies just like occupation forces in any country.
This is generally speaking about the Arabic as first language not as a second language. It is quite logic that learners will meet difficulty in learning a second language especially when they are getting old. The Arabic language academies must understand the challenges they are facing , they can’t stand against modernity but they can join it by using the latest techniques in education to spread Arabic language.
I think the Arabic language is very poetic regardless of it's difficulty problem as there are more difficult languages around the world.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, Arabic stopped being a modern scientific language as Arabic inventions stopped after it's golden era and thus has not evolved like English which updates it's dictionary constantly to keep up with scientific, social, demographic, etc changes.
Languages that survive through history are those that keep up with changing times and technology that is why most languages today use English words in their daily spoken or written vocabulary.
The Arabic language could do better if it modernizes and simplifies.
The Canadian.
Why you keep saying something about Arabic language? When it was all about learning how to read/write Arabic alphabet!
ReplyDeleteI don't have any research, and it obviously cannot be even made, because it would hurt Zeinobia's national pride. (accept the apology for the theory of evolution and the fact that you evolved from ape-like ancestors). But I asked and Egyptian I know spent by learning how to read/write 3 times more time than we did.
So reasonable thinking goes like this: It is worth of spending so much time to learn how to use arabic alphabet or will it be better to switch to latin and use the free time to improve math/physics/chemistry. And eventually became more competitive and also make easier for Egyptian students to learn English as well.
My native language historically used 3 alphabets and nobody really give a damn. Now we use improved latin to suit our language better. In India English is used as an language of communication between different dialects and it improves India position on global level as well.
Only psycho hateful nationalists will bark instead of thinking.
The QS World University Rankings a prestigious organization has released it's annual report on the world's 200 best universities.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the list does not include a single Arab university...what a shame!
(My point is...Emphasis should be on quality education regardless of language)
The Canadian.
I AM A 200% POSSIBLY 300% Armenian, WHO^S Born in Beirut/LEBANON...WHO disrespects any person who shows no respect to The ARABIC Language & culture or any other matters connected to LOGHAT EL DADD..aka>ARABIC!!..I do believe IF only the whole world spoke or understood Arabic,possibly,we were not in such continental mess That we are in>TODAY!!..I don^t say this,because of my love and personal efforts to grasp it/learn it/and be proud of it as a mean to express my feelings,needs and a channel for communication while growing up in LEBANON...with my environment then & NOW ,too in Britain??, I loved the ARABIC language..but most of all LOVED the people whom used & do use it ANYWHERE and in ANY accent,thanks to it I made good Neighbours/Friends male+female work colleagues/and the songs i heard,learned,and sang in my teen years to get the attention of my opposite Gender...Once i was so ignorant in it,i failed to understand Arabic words?? One day reading my Arabic AL-INSH-AAa book about A FENDEK which ordered daily; 60 linen bed covers/and same amount of blankets..i was baffled and confused/because, i did confuse: FENDEK with FINDEK?? which in Turkish and Armenian meant NUTS/walnut?? in Arabic spelled as BENDOK,..i kept wondering why A NUT/or a Walnut required those items such as 60 linen sheets??...also for weeks and weeks as a 6 ? maybe 7 year old child sang along with Mr.Farid ATTRASH on the radio HIS famous operatic-song> LAHN EL KHOULOOD..where HE says HA> HA> HA> HA> BANADI ALEIK(CALLING ON YOU) i used to wonder what HE meant by saying BANATI ALEIK meaning> MY GIRLS, BANADI/BANATI?? maybe deficiency in my hearing department?? As my Arabic vocabulary then was so Tight & POOR??..that^s why i decided to concentrate on improving it..without JUST relying on my school education,by the way ARMENIAN EVANGELICAL HIGH-SCHOOL/ at Sanayeh/Beirut,which i am honoured by attending it from 1953->1958,WAS & IS renowned as top of Armenian schools thought/still teaching Excellent Arabic in Lebanon to Armenian generation(s)..truthfully I ADMIT ,and this is NOT an advert.!!. Arabic is A very RICH language if one indulged in learning it...accents does vary ,yes, but the FOUSS-HA>>classical Arabic is... G R E A T ,once YOU or anyone grasps it for good and navigates through IT!...Popular regional accents are the EGYPTIAN + LEBANESE/ which other Arab Brothers & Sisters >do get< your drift, or what you mean anywhere, now that written + Sound & Sight means became too cosy among Arab broadcasts/..Sometimes while watching old Hollywood movies,showing Arab characters..speaking in fact babbling in some strange funny accents .. no one really understands/just NOISES? my blood boils and makes me switch it off, i consider >that< as a slur to this GREAT Language that EVEN The ALMIGHTY CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE chose it as HIS FINAL DIVINE/WARNING & SALVATION MESSAGE to Unbelievers + Humanity... CHOSE ARABIC?!...I got to tell this Fact , and it^s TRUE i swear by GOD; from 1957->1979 i used to get offended or annoyed when in LEBANON any local/Arabic person joked or tried to mock -Two Armenians- speaking Armenian one to another in the street., for him or her that was NOISE??. i used to shush him or her that intruder whom is IMITATING them i used to say :..NOT POLITE,STOP IT... BUT now and since 1979 when i arrived in London 37 years ago ..i still do the same with some ignorant individuals around of different nationalities, for those who are using Arabic when two..met..Even though i do appreciate that we should use a language (English in this case) that all around us can understand,that is of good manners issue..too,Still both parties must compromise...SOMEHOW?!/That^s my Humble opinion!!
ReplyDeleteAl Salamou Aleikom Min London/IS-HAK(Sahag)BARSOUMIAN