BREAKING BOARDERS: EXPERIENCE WITH ADVANCED HIGH/SUPERIOR LEARNERS OF ARABIC WITH SERVICE LEARNING COURSE

Back to Page Authors: Hebatalla Mohy Salem

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Keywords: community-based learning, culture, service, language

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Abstract: In this session the presenter aims at sharing her experience in teaching Arabic culture and language to Advanced High to Superior students at the Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA) at the American University in Cairo, Egypt by Community Service Learning (CSL). So, by using the 5C’s (Communication, culture, connection, comparison and communities) as a framework, the presenter examines students’ success at satisfying those disciplinary standards through CSL course. Students get out of the boarders of the regular classroom and interact with different Egyptian communities. Meanwhile, they are given the chance of reflecting upon the experience throughout the semester, the students are given the chance to reflect upon their work in different means in the Arabic language. “I learned more about my culture”, is one of what the students said during the course work. The presentation describes the program and how that Community Service Learning is embedded there as a part of the program, describes the learning objectives, outcomes, findings, challenges and the needs for future work for that course.

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