Dialect Acquisition and Arabic Dialect Variation

This course will introduce the students to the theoretical and practical basics of studying the Arabic dialects and its social and geographical variation. Through the reading of a variety of articles and studies that examine the status of Arabic regional dialects, students will not only develop an understanding of main issues in conducting fieldwork research in the area study of dialectology, but they will also gain knowledge and understand the different linguistic structures of various Arabic dialects and the use of colloquial language in Arab mass media. The course mainly focuses on the pedagogical aspect of the learning and teaching of colloquial language and its integration in the Arabic language curriculum. Examples from daily life situations and transcribed data from interviews and talk shows either conducted by the students or recorded through the media will be discussed and analyzed. Students are also required to design sample lesson plans which highlights the learning of dialects in the Arabic language classroom.