QFI and University of Oxford Host Webinar on Researching Arabic as an Additional Language

Qatar Foundation International (QFI) organized a webinar titled "A Guide to Researching Arabic as an Additional Language" in collaboration with the University of Oxford's Department of Education. The event explored the evolving field of research into teaching and learning Arabic as an additional language (AL2).

The webinar was hosted by Robert Woore, Associate Professor in Applied Linguistics and director of the MSc in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition at University of Oxford, Department of Education, and Anna-Maria Ramezanzadeh, Arabic Language Researcher and Departmental Lecturer at University of Oxford, Department of Education. Together, they provided an overview of current Arabic AL2 research, discussed key gaps in the field, and identified priority areas for future research.

"There is a rising demand for Arabic teaching both in the UK and worldwide," stated Anna-Maria. "We believe this expansion needs to be underpinned by rigorous evidence about how the language can be effectively learned and taught."

The webinar consisted of two main segments:

⒈ Mapping the Research Landscape and Future Research Priorities

• Examined why Arabic is globally significant and what makes it distinctive to learn
• Identified skills typically focused on in AL2 research
• Highlighted gaps in existing research, including limited studies on young learners and different educational settings
• Presented a scoping review of all existing AL2 research, now available in a database on QFI's website
• Shared findings from the Oxford Collaboration for Arabic Research (OCAR) Survey
• Presented 10 priority research questions identified at the Oxford-QFI Forum in July 2024

⒉ Producing High Quality AL2 Research

• Discussed how to produce high-quality AL2 research, with a focus on experimental design models
• Reviewed quality criteria for both qualitative and quantitative studies

"Our ambition is to expand the teaching and learning of Arabic in schools," said Robert. "We want this expansion to be underpinned by research-based understanding of what effective teaching looks like for this language."

QFI is proud to support this work bridging research and practice in Arabic language education.