With the Arab world facing enormous challenges, from violence and war to earthquakes and flooding, it can be difficult to keep up with and process current events. As Arabic teachers, we often ask our students to use the news to practice the language through reading and discussion. While this practice is helpful, it also poses challenges.

In this workshop, Assistant Professor of Arabic at Northern Virginia Community College Sana Hilmi will first highlight controversial topics that educators must keep in mind when selecting news items for language learning to ensure that all students are welcomed and may talk freely in the classroom. She will also share activities, such as introducing novice students to Arabic media, assisting beginners with reading the news, and engaging intermediate students in talking about current events. The workshop will include in-class activities and will feature online discussion boards on Canvas or Blackboard.

Speaker:

Sana Hilmi is Assistant Professor of Arabic at Northern Virginia Community College. She previously taught at George Mason University, where she coordinated the university’s Arabic Program for over five years and received a Title VI grant to create a minor in Arabic. She has taught a variety of online courses and created an Arabic 201 course on Blackboard before shifting to using Canvas. Professor Hilmi has an M.A. in Linguistics and a TESL Certificate from George Mason University.

Event Details:

Wednesday, November 29, 2023
1:30-2:30 pm Eastern
Via Zoom

The link for the virtual event will be emailed to you.