Updating and expanding Business Arabic textbook and existing Business Arabic courses in a web-based environment
Updating and expanding Business Arabic textbook and existing Business Arabic courses in a web-based environment
Academic Year:
2013 - 2014 (June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2014)
Funding Requested:
$7,500.00
Project Dates:
-
Applicant(s):
Overview of the Project:
The latest economic and political developments in the Arab World and recent advancements in instructional technology have produced a wealth of new materials and provided us with opportunities to update and expand the content of the Business Arabic textbook and its two Business Arabic courses (AAPTIS 409 Intermediate Business Arabic and AAPTIS 410 Advanced Business Arabic) to make them available for the entire community of learners, including students, members of the business community, and government personnel. The students who took the two Arabic business courses previously expressed their desire for the addition of a web-based Atlas of the Arab World unit to the Intermediate Business Arabic course and the expansion of the Advanced Business Arabic course to include current authentic formal correspondence, economic reports, banking documents, trade and industry agreements, policies and rules for investment in the Arab and Islamic world, Islamic banking, and business contracts. The professional development and training activities associated with this project fit very well with UM's commitment to internationalizing the curriculum. The proposed project will also support the project director's scholarly research in integrating media into the teaching of Arabic language and culture and the GSMA's research interest in Arabic second language acquisition. The revision process will follow the communicative-proficiency, learner-centered approach, with a focus on incorporating effective learning strategies that encourage collaboration, sharing of information, and using videoconferencing exchange sessions with faculty and students in Arab universities that focus on critical discourse analysis of texts and cross-cultural differences in business transactions.