|
Second and third grade classrooms at Aquila are being introduced to Arabic language and culture by community expert, Ferial Rahal.
Important learning points include:
*Introducing students to the countries whose official language is Arabic. This includes regional dialects other than the classical common language.
*Focusing on the geographical map of the Middle East and North Africa and acquainting students with detailed cultural information that is unique to each country.
*Sharing information about Lebanese cultural norms such as etiquette, greetings, family ties, food, arts, and other local traditions.
*Teaching the Arabic alphabet and vocabulary is the first step of language awareness. She will be focusing on pronunciations, sound patterns, and word structure. Teaching each letter in the Arabic alphabet and the corresponding sound in English will help students build and read words.
Ferial was born and raised in Lebanon. She moved to the United States when she married her husband who is Lebanese/American. They have two sons, ages 22 and 19. Her oldest son is studying kinesiology at the University of Minnesota and will graduate this year. Her youngest son is having a year off. Her sons always visit Lebanon during their vacations.
When Ferial is not teaching at Aquila she enjoys reading, spending time with family watching movies and cooking together, and traveling to Lebanon to visit her family which includes her parents and three brothers and their families. Her three favorite foods are Tabbouleh salad, Shawarma and all seafoods.
Ferial's favorite part about her job is when she is welcomed by the students. When they see her in the hallway they shout, "Yes, we have Arabic today!" She is grateful when the students make an effort to read the words instead of memorizing them. She sees the eagerness in their eyes to learn and she notices the happiness on their faces when they answer correctly. Ferial enjoys seeing students become very enthusiastic and filled with excitement as they listen to Lebanese music during class.
| 
