There will be a meeting of the LATC executive taking place today. We have many issues to discuss, such as how we move forwards with our new ideas for the council and specifically, the best ways for us to document our activities through our website. We will be discussing preparations for our workshop at Language World in Warwick on 6th of March, what publicity materials we have, how we can start publishing audio and video for this site with Arabic students, and what's next for the executive to consider. Highlights of the meeting will be published in this blog next week.

We have now posted two survey questions that we hope you will consider answering. Your task if you wish to participate is really minimal. Reading, responding and submitting your answer should take no longer than 60 seconds for each question, and we do very much appreciate your contribution to our mini research project. If you can spare a little time to look at our surveys, please visit here. Thanks.

Methodology
Survey question adapted from British Council (2016) Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language in the UK, Strand 1 Research: How Arabic is being taught in schools.

In time we will be launching a regular schedule for our live radio broadcasts/podcasts. Whilst we plan to record material during our workshop presentation in Warwick on 8th March, we are still in the planning stage for most of our radio show content. That said, we welcome your ideas for a range of different shows. If you think we should be interviewing certain people, or making documentaries about particular historical events or places of significance, let us know. We look forward to hearing your ideas!

Methodology
Survey question adapted from British Council (2016) Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language in the UK, Strand 1 Research: How Arabic is being taught in schools.

​In November 2016, the British Council commissioned a review of the teaching of Arabic as a foreign Language in UK schools to understand 'How Arabic is being taught in schools'. The research project aims were to answer the following questions:

1. How is Arabic being taught in UK schools today and how it can be improved?

2. What varieties of Arabic are being/should be taught and to what extent is attention being 
paid to the diglossic nature of the language?

3. What are the challenges faced by Arabic learners and teachers which may have an impact on 
the efficiency of Arabic learning and teaching? 

The methodology for the study included a wide "range of quantitative and qualitative research tools employed in the data collection", such as "questionnaires for Arabic teachers", "interviews with Arabic teachers and Heads of Languages (HoLs), and "classroom observations".

Here at LATC, over the next few weeks and months, we will be blogging about and highlighting the key findings from this crucial British Council research project, as well as considering the implications of the study for the wider research area. Additionally, we have adapted the questionnaire that used in the study to create our own survey that everyone who reads this blog is invited and encouraged to complete, when and if you have a free moment. Today we launch a new series of single-question surveys, beginning with Familiarity with Language Teaching Methods. Please respond to the question so that we can gain our own understanding of 'How Arabic is being taught in schools'. Thanks in advance. 

Jess Staufenberg wrote in the publication 'Schools Week' way back in 2017 about the demand from the British Council that "Arabic must be taught in schools". In the article, the author reports that the language had been identified as "the fourth most important language for future job opportunities, after Spanish, Mandarin and French", and that "Arabic’s importance was determined by analysing job adverts, export markets and language on the internet to determine the most important languages of the future". The author also reports that researchers had discovered that "the proportion of companies citing Arabic, Mandarin and Spanish as useful for applicants had risen, while fewer demand French and German", and that "job adverts asking for proficiency in Arabic, Mandarin and Japanese have also overtaken demand for the previously popular Russian and Portuguese over the past five years". However, compared to efforts by the UK government to expand learning opportunities for Mandarin, Arabic had received "relatively little attention" and this was due in no small measure to problems with teacher recruitment.

In the article, Staufenberg writes that ​"The Qatar Foundation International, which promotes global Arabic education, has already pledged £400,000 in funding for Arabic teaching in the UK, and has instituted a foundation teacher training course at Goldsmiths University". Whilst this was a very positive step, the author highlights the need for an increase in funding at government level to allow more school children to learn Arabic, in line with the money already set-aside for other major global languages. Staufenberg quotes Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, who argues that in the past, policymakers had been “slow to realise where the influential languages are”.

​Today, just as back in 2017 when the article was published, the data is very clear with regards to the gaps in the provision and funding of Arabic language teaching in UK schools. Just as clear however, is the immense opportunity for all stakeholders, from schools and pupils, to private business, charities and related international bodies. According to Staufenberg, ​"Arabic became a GCSE subject in 1995, with 1,182 entries. By 2016, this number had nearly quadrupled to 4,211. The A-level was introduced in 2002, with 299 entries. Last year, entry had increased to around 700".