The Liberal Arts Division’s Social Sciences Department at the Community College of Qatar (CCQ) hosted an event to celebrate International Mother Language Day. The event, themed “My Language, My Identity” featured a range of cultural activities as well as an academic symposium titled "Teaching the Arabic Language: Challenges and Prospects”, where distinguished faculty members shared their insights and experiences.
Dr. Khalid Mohamed Al-Horr, the President of CCQ, attended the event with several deans of divisions and chairs of departments. He was given an overview of the event and participated in a guided tour of various related activities, including an art gallery showcasing Arabic poetry. The gallery featured selected poems from different literary eras and student cultural competitions that focused on classical and colloquial Arabic, including the "Our Language is the Richest" competition. Additionally, there was an Arabic Calligraphy Corner, where Qatari calligrapher Ibrahim Al-Qahtani and a group of CCQ students from the Calligraphy Club participated.
The symposium, moderated by Dr. Cheikh Amou, delved into the challenges and opportunities of teaching Arabic, with a specific focus on Qatar as a model. Dr. Jathnan Al-Hajri, a Law Professor, presented on "The Role of the Qatari Legislator in Protecting the Arabic Language," highlighting Qatar's efforts in promoting Arabic through its various legislations.
Dr. Kamal Al Magabelah, a Professor of Literature and Language, delivered a presentation on the factors that contribute to the decline of languages. He shed light on the challenges that the Arabic language has faced in the past and present, emphasizing the language's strengths and the tools available to empower it.
Ms. Wedad Safar, a Lecturer of Arabic, addressed the attitudes of CCQ students towards Arabic in her presentation, focusing on the impact of various factors on those attitudes. The study revealed that students have a positive view of the Arabic language, acknowledging its importance and recognizing the need to use it for learning, daily life practices, and official communication.
Also, Dr. Abdelhay Elsayed provided valuable insights into how bilingualism affects the language used by CCQ students. He discussed the existence of two linguistic levels, one being formal, written, and educational, adhering to the rules and structures of the language, while the other is informal and colloquial, commonly used in daily life. The presentation also touched on the historical emergence and linguistic evolution of bilingualism as a phenomenon.
