Juma Al Majid Center for Culture and Heritage in Dubai organized a virtual symposium entitled “The Reality of the Arabic Language in Japan,” in which Dr. Akiko Sumi, Professor of Arabic Literature at the University of Notre Dame in Kyoto, Japan, and Dr. Qasim Muhammad Wahba, Professor of the Arabic Language, lectured. and Applied Linguistics at the American University in Dubai. The symposium was moderated by Professor Sheikha Abdullah Al-Mutairi, Head of the National Culture, Public Relations and Media Departments at the Centre.
The symposium aimed to identify the reality of the Arabic language in Japan and identify the most important challenges it faces in light of contemporary international changes, in addition to discussing ways and mechanisms for developing the reality of the Arabic language in Japan.
The symposium began with Dr. Akiko, who presented the challenges facing Arabic language teaching in Japanese universities, which she addressed in four main points: the status of Arabic language teaching in Japan compared to other foreign languages, and the change in the number of universities that teach Arabic as a second language in twenty years. the past, the motivations behind Japanese students’ interest in learning the Arabic language, and the challenges facing teaching the Arabic language in Japan in general.
Akiko said: “The ultimate goal of Arabic language programs should be to provide effective, useful and enjoyable education that satisfies both learners and teachers so that more Japanese people will study the Arabic language. With linguistic ability, they will be able to communicate with Arabs and deepen their understanding of Arab culture, and this is very important for the future.” the world”.
Dr. Qasim Wahba then spoke from his teaching experience in Japanese universities about the history of teaching the Arabic language in Japan, the goals and types of Arabic language programs in universities, the motivations of the Japanese learner that are often not taken into consideration, especially when choosing the educational material presented to him, and the role of experimental academic research in Developing Arabic language teaching, the renewal of Arabic teacher preparation programs needed in their teaching methods, and the urgent need to evaluate the needs of Arabic teaching in Japanese universities while establishing clear foundations for evaluating performance in the learner’s language.
