PHILOSOPHY

GEOGRAPHY/HISTORY:

The ability to compare and contrast is a critical thinking skill that needs to be developed in order to be successful in school and outside of school.  Students will also be able to understand how geography and history relate to each other.  In addition, the themes of the past will be brought up-to the present so that students will be able to make connections, bridge time, analyze the relevance of history in their own lives, and predict outcomes and global impact of the decisions made by individuals and governments. 

The students ability to analyze, predict, modify, and compare is to prepare them to be responsible citizens.  These necessary skills and others will be the focus of this course because they are crucial for a student's future success.  Specifically, this course will focus on reading comprehension and historical essay writing - two skills necessary for historical analysis, an essential skill needed especially for high school and college.  All these skills will be taught based on the AP (Advanced Placement) model, which have been proven to develop these skills and are just good learning methods for all students. 

ARABIC:

Foreign languages are extremely important for understanding the world around us.  Acquiring two  foreign languages (Filipino and Arabic) over the last 10 years has helped develop a philosophy, especially for learning Arabic, through the study of the Arabic language at the University of Arizona, Yarmouk University in Jordan, the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and at the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington D.C.

This philosophy is a two fold philosophy.  First, it is based on a non-native point of view of how non-native speakers of Arabic successfully learn and utilize this difficult language.  Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)- the Arabic used for reading and writing the language has traditionally been the focus in studying Arabic in school.  In the past, the teaching of MSA and the teaching of the dialects have been taught separately (almost as two different languages); however, these two parts of the language should be taught in conjunction with one of the Arabic dialects used for speaking.  The Egyptian Arabic dialect is used for this course partly because it is the most widely understood Arabic dialect.

Even though MSA and the Egyptian dialect are technically Arabic (in many ways they are similar), there are several grammatical and phonological differences.  Although combing these two parts of the language might be confusion at first, students will be able to adapt and comprehend the language quicker because they will be able to utilize the language more realistically; combining the two parts of the Arabic language will help students achieve this. 

Besides teaching the two parts of Arabic together, other techniques will be used in order to help students become proficient in the language.  Individual participation in the class is the most important part of the course.  For this reason, 50% of the grade is based on class participation.  Languages are learned by actively using the language.  If a student is more concerned about making mistakes rather than actively trying to use the language, it will hinder the students ability to learn the language.  Last but not least, crucial part of learning a foreign language (especially a one as difficult as Arabic) is engaging the students in games, activities, and "tricks" that are fun and easy to remember. 

The second part of this philosophy; however, is based on methods and standards set up by the NCLRC (the 5 Cs), which are proven methods in teaching Arabic as a second language.  This also includes the method of teaching a language using themes instead of grammar as the basis for learning a language.  This communicative methodology is what has replaced decades of grammar focus teaching known as the Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) that arose after WWII.  The communicative approach to teaching a foreign language is based on the functional view of language or method of language teaching that involves using real life communication, which allow students to express themselves at a higher level than with grammar-focused instruction.