NYC School Makes Arabic Mandatory

New York City elementary school makes learning Arabic a MANDATORY requirement for students

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 14:05 EST, 24 May 2012 | UPDATED: 15:13 EST, 24 May 2012

Beginning this fall, 200 second through fifth-graders at PS 368 in New York City will have to learn Arabic at their public school.

The Hamilton Heights School in Harlem is the first such public school to require students to learn the language.

The classes are a result of a joint program between the Global Language Project and the non-profit Qatar Foundation International.

rincipal Nicky Kram Rosen selected Arabic because she believes the language will help the school obtain a more prestigious standing, according to the New York Post.

'We are teaching them an important language for the future but exposing them to languages spoken in their own community,' Ms Kram Rosen said to DNAInfo.

Of the 239 students at the school, 22 per cent learn English as a second language, according to DNAInfo.

Angela Jackson, CEO of the Global Language Project said she was thrilled when Ms Kram Rosen made her language selection for the school.

'Arabic has been identified as a critical-need language,' she said, arguing that students will get a competitive advantage in their professional lives.

'It means they can spin the globe and decide where they want to work and live.'

Students are now learning the language in a pilot program during free afternoon periods.

'I like Arabic class. I like the words we learn. I thought they sounded funny at first, now I think they sound cool,' said Nayanti Brown, a 7-year-old second-grader, to the New York Post.

'I teach my little sister the words I learn.'

She said her mother wasn't thrilled when she first learned of the initiative.

'When I gave my mom the [permission slip] to sign, she was shocked. [Now] she’s happy I’m in the class,' she told the paper.

Though the classes will be mandatory in the fall, if a parent objects to their child learning Arabic, administrators will deal with each instance individually, Ms Jackson said.

Mohamed Mamdouh currently teaches the students who want to take advantage of the classes in their recess time.

'Soon, Arabic will be a global language like French and Spanish,' he told the Post.

'These kids are like sponges. It’s amazing to see their progress.’

In order to learn the language, Mr Mamdouh plays familiar games like Simon Says or Duck, Duck, Goose with Arabic words.

Mama and baba, the Arabic words for mother and father, replace duck and goose, for example.

Parent Bella Moon Castro, 34, said that the language course is developing her son's confidence.

'This makes the world smaller for the kids,' she said. 'We are such a big, diverse community. We see this as a chance to go above and beyond for our kids to make sure their education is inclusive.'

Read more:

DNAinfo: Hamilton Heights Kids Learn Arabic in First-of its-Kind Program - DNAinfo.com

Arabic mandatory at city public school - m.NYPOST.com


SOURCE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2149482/New-York-City-elementary-school-makes-learning-Arabic-MANDATORY-requirement-students.html