Syrian Students’ Dreams of Studying Abroad Hit New Roadblocks
Syrian students have been traveling to Beirut for interviews and tests. That complicated and costly process has gotten tougher with coronavirus lockdowns and new U.S. sanctions in place.
Arab Women Writers Struggle to Get the Readers They Deserve
Women who write in Arabic face a double problem: They’re translated less often than men, and when they are, their books are often wrongly characterized.
Poet Zeina Hashem Beck: Not Choosing Between Arabic and English
The acclaimed Lebanese poet moves easily between modes and languages. She writes for the page but also performs, and she juxtaposes English and Arabic in ways that make both feel new.
Universities in France Help Refugees Succeed as Students
University leaders have embraced programs that provide language training and social support to migrants as they make the transition from exiles to students.
The Latest in Language Confusion: Morocco Switches Back from Arabic to French
Morocco, which switched instruction in schools from French to Arabic in the 1980’s, is now reversing course, to the dismay of some educators. The change is intended in part to improve the performance of university students.
Artificial Intelligence Speeds Efforts to Enhance Online Arabic Content
The Arabic language is seriously underrepresented online. Computer science researchers in Qatar are developing tools to change that,
Despite a Blue Chip Education, Unemployed and Desperate in Palestine
After earning a bachelor’s degree at an American college campus in Jerusalem and then a master’s degree in London, a young Palestinian returns home to discover her degrees aren’t valued.
Emoji Don’t Stifle Communication, They Encourage It
The use of emoji is on the rise in the Arab region, as well as everywhere else. But that’s no cause for moral panic, a scholar of digital humanities argues.
Why the Split Between Classical and Everyday Arabic Endures
If Arabs want a true lingua franca, they must ease the rigid boundaries they’ve set up between the local dialects and the formal language.
Algeria’s Higher-Education Minister Encourages Switch From French to English
Minister Tayeb Bouzid says “French doesn’t get you anywhere,” and announces committee to develop Anglophone teaching in Algerian universities.
