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Workshop(Arabic(heritage(language(pupils:(experiences(from(Sweden(and(

Denmark(<(Brief(Notes

This%workshop%was%hosted%at%Stockholm%University%the%14/9;2015,%and%its%goal%was%to% allow%researchers%to%present%their%research%in%an%informal%matter,%exchange%experiences% with%their%peers%and%discuss%some%of%the%many%issues%relevant%to%the%Dield%today. The%presentations%themselves%will%only%be%summarized%minimally%below,%as%will%the% discussions%that%took%place.% Amanda%Waldoff%(Stockholm%University)%presented%a%part%of%her%research%on%Arabic% mother%tongue%tuition%(MTT)%in%Sweden,%focusing%on%the%heterogeneity%of%the%pupil% groups.%Pupils%in%the%same%group%may%vary%in%terms%of%age,%background,%skill%level%etc%to% the%point%where%a%pupil%with%only%rudimentary%Arabic%skills%may%be%in%the%same%group%as% a%pupil%who%has%only%recently%arrived%to%Sweden%from%a%country%where%Arabic%is%the% dominant%language.%This%variation%together%with%other%problems%such%as%MTT%focusing% on%MSA%(which%is%often%not%the%L1%of%the%pupils),%MTT%being%de;prioritized%and%having% very%little%allocated%to%it%in%terms%of%time%and%resources,%and%the%steering%documents%for% MTT%not%being%adapted%to%heterogenous%groups%creates%a%problematic%and%inefDicient% situation.%Many%questions%remain%to%be%answered%about%these%issues,%for%example%what%a% more%efDicient%grouping%mechanism%and%more%realistic%steering%documents%might%look% like.% Helen%Avery%(Jönköping%University)%also%presented%a%part%of%her%research%on% prerequisites%for%educational%development%in%MTT,%which%had%consisted%of,%among%other% things,%interviews%with%teachers%(MTT%and%other%subjects)%across%several%languages.% These%revealed%that%MTT%instructors%often%end%up%functioning%as%mediators%or%problem; solvers%and%are%relied%upon%to%an%extent%that%arguably%exceeds%their%responsibility%as% language%teachers.%Their%working%conditions%are,%in%general,%poor%with%low%status,%little% time%for%planning,%ambulatory%positions%and%unstable%employment.%Group%meetings%of% Arabic%MTT%instructors%had%revealed%problems%with%a%scarcity%of%high;quality%teaching% materials%and%useful%guidelines,%and%tensions%caused%by%the%discrepancy%between% standard%and%actual%conditions.%In%addition%they%revealed%an%atmosphere%not%always% open%to%honest%communication%about%the%problems%present,%and%a%disparaging%view%of% code;switching.%In%general,%there%is%a%great%need%for%further%research%and%improvement% in%this%area,%but%also%for%sensitivity%when%approaching%it.% Elie%Wardini%(Stockholm%University)%presented%a%brief%analysis%of%some%data%collected%by% a%BA%student%recently,%consisting%of%a%survey%taken%by%Gymnasium%pupils%born%in%Sweden% with%parents%born%in%the%MENA%region%at%two%different%schools.%The%survey%focused%on% their%view%of%and%habits%surrounding%the%Arabic%language.%Note%that%these%are%only%some% of%the%potential%patterns%discernible%in%the%data.%In%general,%the%pupils%identiDied%Arabic% as%their%mother%tongue%but%Swedish%as%their%L1.%As%much%as%63%%of%students%reported% never%speaking%Arabic,%and%those%that%did%speak%Arabic%generally%did%so%with%parents% and%other%relatives,%but%generally%not%with%peers%or%siblings.%A%fair%percentage%of%the%

students%expressed%interest%in%their%future%children%learning%Arabic,%but%considerably% fewer%expressed%interest%in%them%learning%it%in%school.%Further%analysis%will%be%done%on% the%data. Mikael%Parkvall%(Stockholm%University)%brieDly%presented%the%process%through%which%he% has%attempted%to%calculate%language%statistics%for%Sweden%by%analyzing,%among%other% things,%the%birth%countries%of%people%migrating%to%Sweden,%modiDied%to%reDlect%the% linguistic%and%socio;political%realities%of%said%countries.%These%numbers%show%an% approximation%Digure%for%the%large%number%of%Arabic%speakers%presently%living%in% Sweden.%Unlike%most%countries,%Sweden%does%not%include%language%in%its%census,%hence% the%need%for%such%calculations.% Jalal%el;Derbas%(University%of%Southern%Denmark)%presented%his%research%on%code; switching%as%a%disrupting%practice%employed%by%bilingual%students.%He%highlighted%the% inefDicient%use%of%classroom%time,%with%a%majority%of%the%time%being%spent%in%group%work% where%discussions%frequently%goes%off;topic.%In%this%situations%the%non;majority%language% is%used%as%a%disruptive%device,%for%example%to%be%able%to%use%profanity%or%tell% inappropriate%jokes%without%the%(Danish;speaking)%teacher%understanding.% Following%these%presentations,%some%general%discussion%of%the%current%situation%in%the% Dield%took%place.%The%main%topics%and%questions%from%this%discussion%were: ;%Some%universities%have%expressed%interest%in%teacher%training%programs%for%Arabic% teachers.%These%would%be%of%interest%to%teachers%of%two%different%kinds%with%different% needs:%on%the%one%hand%teachers%who%have%received%their%training%in%the%MENA%region,% who%will%likely%need%a%contrastive%approach%to%the%teaching%and%possibly%a%Dlexible% program%(perhaps%on%distance)%easily%combinable%with%family%life,%and%on%the%other%hand% (often%younger)%teachers%who%have%received%training%in%Sweden%where%there%will% perhaps%be%a%greater%need%for%focusing%on%MSA%proDiciency.%An%additional%important% question%is%how%to%create%research;based%teaching%programs%when%there%is%barely%any% research%on%the%topic%available.% ;%The%vitality,%and%scarcity,%of%adequate%materials%is%also%discussed%and%highlighted%as%a% major%problem. ;%Finally,%the%need%for%more%exchange%of%information%is%discussed,%and%a%communal% research%database%is%suggested.%To%facilitate%communication,%an%invite;only%Facebook% group%is%suggested%for%sharing%relevant%material%(this%has%now%been%created%and%can%be% found%on%Facebook%by%searching%for%“Arabic%as%a%heritage%language%in%Scandinavia”).