Arabic course oversubscribed
A practical introductory course to Arabic sponsored by Malta Enterprise to assist entrepreneurs carrying out or interested in carrying out business activities in Arab speaking countries has been oversubscribed, prompting the Corporation to set up another class that will be held simultaneously.
Classes are being neld on Mondays and Wednesday and on Tuesdays and Thursdays until the end of June. Each course has 22 participants.
ME is covering course fees and hosting the classes at the Kordin Business Incubation Centre.
The course is being delivered by the Consular Officer at the Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia in Malta Naim Dhifi, who also assisted Malta Enterprise in the development of the course structure.
It starts off with the basic vocabulary and grammar and eventually moves on to sentence construction and more complex elements such as conversation and business Arabic.
The idea to organise a practical introductory course to the Arabic language was first floated during the Libyan crises as a means of helping local entrepreneurs target the market while there was a lull in Libyan business.
However, as the entire North African region is now offering a multitude of opportunities as a result of the Arab Spring, the idea was developed into a reality and its perimeters broadened to include all those wishing to venture and do business in this region and also in other Arab speaking countries.
The Arabic language course complements the assistance already being provided by ME, which also includes on-the-ground assistance in Libya through the Commercial Office in Tripoli as well as the organisation of business delegations, both for local companies visiting the market as well as incoming delegations hosted by Malta Enterprise in Malta.
Due to the overwhelming response, ME may consider organising the course again in view of the requests which could not be accommodated due to logistical constraints.
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21 Comments
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Tony Dalli
Feb 1st 2012, 05:22
Dom. Mintoff was great with ideas but failed miserably with methodologies.
25 years gone past that could have been used better. Qaddafi did a similar mistake - stopping the teachings of the English language at schools.
What would happen to Malta's coffers' if we are given a choice whether to pay taxes or not?
Michael Angelo Borg
Jan 31st 2012, 19:53
I fully agree with Mary Hili. Of course there are qualified and experience Maltese teachers, my son studied Arabic in a government school in 2008. In this time and age where everything has to be regularised I wonder whether this course organised by MaltaEnterprise has been screened and approved by the MQRIC for quality rating and type of certificate if any to be given to the participants. By having a native speaker teaching his own language does not necessarily mean that he/she is qualified in teaching it. I wonder who was the independent expert in Arabic at the MaltaEnterprise who veted this course for quality and standards. Although such initiatives should be highly praised however I cannot understand why one should reinvent the wheel when in Malta we already have stuctures for such courses. As Ms. Hili rightly hinted if the Media really want to push for Arabic then it should give equal coverage to our Maltese educational institutions and teaching professionals who have been teaching and promoting Arabic for many years without any pomp and flattery. But perhaps since there are no big bussinessmen involved in the education sector then the Maltese pioneers and present teachers of Arabic are never acknowledged for their hard work and dedication for the language.
Mary Hili
Jan 31st 2012, 19:01
Why all this coverage about a course? Why do we always have to revert to foreigners to handle this language? There must be qualified & experienced Maltese teachers for this job. This Course is not new in Malta. MISCO used to organise it for many years since 1999. A friend of mine attended several courses in Business and Legal Arabic with MISCO which were advertised in the Press & taught by a Maltese teacher. Strange how no MEGA coverage was done at that time. The Education Department has always organised adult evening classes up to now for many years. Besides, Arabic is still being taught under the present government in local State Secondary schools by Maltese teachers. How come the media never covers all the efforts done for many years by the Education Department to promote the teaching of Arabic not only in schools but also for Adults. It seems that readers are under the false impression that Arabic is no longer taught in Malta & it was only under Mintoff that it was taught.
Joseph Grech Attard
Jan 31st 2012, 12:17
What a huge foresight did Duminku Mintoff have when he made Arabic possible in state schools. The same thingnwith China. What a true politician and statesman. How far we are nowadays from reality. Let's hope we appreciate him more, now that he is no longer in the political scene, and forget about the lack of chocolate and toothpaste!!!
P Bonnici
Jan 31st 2012, 13:00
Mintoff was a stubborn brute, no one could have a civil discussion with him, he did not let people have their say. Only what he said and did mattered. He treated everyone with contempt.
Mr Joe Micallef
Jan 31st 2012, 13:28
Grech Attard wow what a gross misinterpretation of facts and history! Impressive
Mr David Ganado
Jan 31st 2012, 13:42
Rubbish! He made it COMPULSORY to get in to university! Great foresight!
Mark. Galea
Jan 31st 2012, 14:31
Foresight ?
Dak inhar mhux foresight kienet imma biex jinghogob ma gaddafi. Kieku dahhal l-gharbi bhala suggett optional kien ikun hawn numru konsiderevoli li jaghzluh min rajhom ... imma mhux kif ghamel - gieghel lil kulhadd jobghod l-gharbi ...
Alfred Hili
Jan 31st 2012, 14:56
He didn't only make it possible; he made it compulsory !
Mark Demicoli
Jan 31st 2012, 12:02
everyone getting ready for the golden eggs in Libya!
Victor Vella
Jan 31st 2012, 11:55
EHI. Meta Mintoff riedna nistudjaw l-Gharbi tal-PN qalu li Malta gejja Gharbija. Tant ma riedux li il-Malti jigi mhallat ma l-gharbi li biddlu il-kulur tal-passaporti minn ahdar ghal kulur iehor. Dan ir-Regim Gonzi PN kif Spicca. Kemm kien jaghajjat GBO li il-Libjani qamel u habbaziez ghandhom. Dan x`gara f`daqqa wahda. Tista` tifhmu lil Gonzi PN. L-ewwel mar jaghannaq lil Gonzi hames darbiet taht it-tinda imbaghad ghen ir-ribelli biex joqtluh. Jahasra bhal Guda l-iskarjota gralu Gonzi. Guda bies il-Kristu u qatlu, u Gonzi bies il-Gonzi hames darbiet, mhux darba bhal Kristu, u wara ghen ir-ribelli biex joqtlu lil-Gaddafi.EHI x`ghar u Casa kif spiccat Malta Cattolicissima Gonzales.
Philip Grech
Jan 31st 2012, 10:56
Mela m'ghadux tal-habb ghaziz l-Gharbi issa? Min kien imaqdar lil dak il-bniedem, lanqas biss huwa dehnju li jaqfillu l-lazz taz-zarbun.
John Zammit
Jan 31st 2012, 10:34
In the seventies the Labour Party introduced Arabic in secondary schools.Was he correct???
J Degabriele
Jan 31st 2012, 11:46
It would have been correct had it been left to the individual to choose it if wanted, as in the case of other languages except for Maltese and English. To have to do it whether you want to or not simply was not on! And I was teaching it at the time, so I know what I'm saying!
P Bonnici
Jan 31st 2012, 12:03
I love Arabic and I studied it in Tunisia, the way the Labour party introduced Arabic was wrong. You cannot make children learn a language by force and Arabic was not useful at the time.
Victor Rodenas
Jan 31st 2012, 10:24
Many decades ago Arabic started to be learned in schools,there were also Arabic lessons on Maltese TV given if I remember well by Mr. Salem Rizzo.
R. Gauci
Jan 31st 2012, 10:13
Vizjoni ta` Mintoff li qed nergu nammettu li kienet tajba b'mod indirett. Illum biex taqla lira tajba mhux il-fuq irridu nharsu imma l-isfel.
C. Sammut
Jan 31st 2012, 10:28
Well said..
Mark. Galea
Jan 31st 2012, 10:47
Il-vizjoni ta Mintoff kienet (u ghadha) hazina - id-differenza llum hija cara daqs il-kristall - min irid jaghzel l-gharbi biex jitghallmu jista, IMMA MHUX BILFORS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
R. Gauci
Jan 31st 2012, 15:18
Mark Galea, naqbel mieghek li ma tistghax titghallem l-Gharbi bilfors bhal ma kien ghamel il-PN bis-systems of knowledge fuq kollox. Pero haga nghid, habib tieghi li tghallem l-Gharbi bilfors illum miljunarju ghax kien jaf naqra IT u bhalu hawn hafna.
James Dimech
Jan 31st 2012, 10:07
Good idea. AZAD in VAlletta is also offering good courses in Arabic.
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