Growing up in Kuwait, Laila Familiar always had her nose in a book. Simplified versions of Dracula, Wuthering Heights and A Christmas Carol were the first steps into English literature for Dr Familiar, the daughter of a Palestinian father and Spanish mother.
Now, the Arabic-language professor wants to bring that same wonder to Arabic readers, be they students of the language or native speakers.
Dr Familiar identified the top 2,000 most common words in contemporary Arabic fiction for her PhD in 2017 and compiled them into a frequency dictionary.
She hopes it will be a reference for students and a guide for teachers writing simplified readers in Arabic that reinforce vocabulary and bridge the gap between children’s books and literature.
“My PhD ended up converted into a dictionary,” said Dr Familiar, a senior lecturer in Arabic at New York University Abu Dhabi.
“Now begins the real project, which is developing graded readers for students of Arabic who are just beginning to learn the language so they can be exposed to the culture, read something that is fun and encounter the words over and over.”
Arabic has been exported or portrayed as a language of conflict or politics
Reading in Arabic can be challenging even for native speakers, because the spoken language differs significantly in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation from the formal, written language.
Arabic literacy is low. According to Unesco, an estimated 50 million adults in the region are illiterate.
Within the UAE, the Abu Dhabi government has recognised the need to 'enhance mastery' of the language, which it identified as a key goal in a five-year strategy to boost the Arabic language announced last week.
One of the challenges in Arabic literacy is that there are not a lot of options for readers at an intermediate level. Bookworms must leap from children’s books into full-blown literature, a chasm readers in other languages don’t face.
Learning through literature
Non-native speakers face problems because they are taught a politicised vocabulary. Students typically learn to read news articles long before they leaf through the pages of a book.
Dr Familiar found many advanced non-native Arabic students lacked the vocabulary to express feelings or name household objects.
She is part of a growing cohort of Arabic teachers using literature for language acquisition instead of teaching through politics and media.
“In typical Arabic classes today, infamously, students learn to say ‘interpreter at the United Nations’ long before they learn the words for ‘hands’ or ‘face’ or ‘blue’ or ‘he went to the bathroom’,” said Margaret Litvin, a professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature at Boston University.
“Laila’s work supports Arabic teachers’ increasing effort to relax our incessant focus on ‘media Arabic’ and instead work on the vocabulary of contemporary literature, which, as it happens, also covers a lot of the vocabulary of daily life.
“Best of all, her dictionary coincides with a real flowering of contemporary Arabic-language fiction, whose diversity and vibrancy it works hard to represent.”
Literature teaches pupils shared humanity, as well as the cultural diversity within the Arabic-speaking world, said Dr Familiar.
“Arabic has been exported or portrayed as a language of conflict or politics," she said. "Some people have the idea that there’s nothing in the Arab world but war and conflict and problems, and people only talk about politics.
“We tend to forget the other side of the coin, which is that people are normal, like everywhere else, and they talk about every day issues, like love and friendship and food.”
Novels present a modern but standardised vocabulary, said Rasha Kadry Soliman, an Arabic and linguistics lecturer at the University of Leeds.
“What Laila’s bringing to us is more reality,” said Dr Soliman. “Any linguist would agree that language changes all the time and the pace of change has become faster. When we teach Arabic and stick to the formal language of the news and religious texts, we are not really coping with that pace of change. But if you look at the language used in novels and literature, they continuously capture change.”
Dictionary of Contemporary Arabic Fiction
Dr Familiar selected passages from 144 contemporary Arabic novels nominated for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction and the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature. The novels were penned from 1996 to 2006 and represent 14 Arab countries.
The dictionary is divided into thematic boxes that fill in the gaps for the everyday vocabulary. It is due for release in December.
It's completion gives Dr Familiar time to write abridged readers for other teachers and students.
So far, she has completed two, The Bamboo Stalk by Saud AlSanousi and Sayyadi wa Habibi by Hoda Barakat.
The Bamboo Stalk is about a young Kuwaiti-Filipino who travels to Kuwait to join his father's family.
Sayyadi wa Habibi tells the story of Wadie, a young man who leaves school during the Lebanese Civil War.
Throughout the six-year project, Ms Familiar remembered what novels meant to her as a child.
“I’m really hoping something comes out of this not only for non-native speakers but native speakers as well,” she said. “Hopefully, this is going to making reading more fun.”
A Frequency Dictionary of Contemporary Arabic Fiction: Core Vocabulary for Learners and Material Developers will be released by Routledge in December and available for purchase from the publisher and on Amazon
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Date of birth: 27 May, 1995
Place of birth: Dubai, UAE
Status: Single
School: Al Ittihad private school in Al Mamzar
University: University of Sharjah
Degree: Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Hobby: I enjoy travelling a lot, not just for fun, but I like to cross things off my bucket list and the map and do something there like a 'green project'.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
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FIGHT CARD
Welterweight Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Tohir Zhuraev (TJK)
Catchweight 75kg Leandro Martins (BRA) v Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Flyweight Corinne Laframboise (CAN) v Manon Fiorot (FRA)
Featherweight Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB)
Lightweight Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) v Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG)
Featherweight Yousef Al Housani (UAE) v Mohamed Arsharq Ali (SLA)
Catchweight 69kg Jung Han-gook (KOR) v Elias Boudegzdame (ALG)
Catchweight 71kg Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
Featherweight title Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
Lightweight title Bruno Machado (BRA) v Mike Santiago (USA)
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
The lowdown
Bohemian Rhapsody
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee
Rating: 3/5
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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Fixture
Friday, March 29, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, The Sevens, Dubai
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Match statistics
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 36 Bahrain 32
Harlequins
Tries: Penalty 2, Stevenson, Teasdale, Semple
Cons: Stevenson 2
Pens: Stevenson
Bahrain
Tries: Wallace 2, Heath, Evans, Behan
Cons: Radley 2
Pen: Radley
Man of the match: Craig Nutt (Harlequins)
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
New schools in Dubai
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
