The Influence of Technology and Innovation in Online Teaching Arabic as a Second Language in Dubai

Abstract

Arabic as a second language (ASL) is an upcoming social exploration area in Dubai and the larger UAE (Alfataftah & Jarrar, 2018). However, there is insufficient literature on the subject. Teaching and learning ASL is the subject of increasing controversy. Amara (2017) states that Arabic is the official language in the UAE; however, most of the population speaks English because UAE was a British colony until 1971. Given that the UAE is one of the Arab countries, the Arabic language is one of the national curriculum's key subjects apart from Social Studies and Islamic Education. According to AlHagbani and Khan (2016), there has been an increased significance of teaching the Arabic language for non-Arabic speakers in the UAE over the last few years. Besides, the main objectives are developing an awareness of learners about relationships between the Arabic language and Arabic or Islamic culture, enhancing awareness of the need for the Arabic language across the world, and improving both oral and written communication skills to strengthen the process of obtaining informational literacy level. One divide argued that Arabic was a dying language in the Middle East in the face of the globalized English language, according to Sabbah (2016). Different studies (Cook, 2016; Carroll, Al Kahwaji, & Litz, 2017) indicate that the other controversial divisions argued that the Arabic language was a growing language in the UAE.