It has been traditionally understood that Muslims hold a special place in their hearts for Arabic. Why are Muslims encouraged to learn Arabic? Does Arabic shape the worldview of Muslims? This presentation seeks to illuminate some aspects of the historic Islamic scholarly perspective on Arabic as a language of culture and identity for Muslims. The presentation also raises questions about emergent trends in the Muslim community that have seen some Muslims forsake Arabic and their consequences.

Nadia Selim is an Arabic teacher with a grounding in Applied Linguistics and English Language development & TESOL. Nadia taught at the Institute of Modern Languages (University of Queensland) and lectures part-time. She conducted various professional development and cultural understanding sessions for teachers, university staff and other organisations. Nadia has published academically and focuses on the effectiveness of Arabic programs designed for non-native speakers and Islamic civilisational thought on Arabic language learning. Nadia is also behind the “ArabicWithNadia” website, Mobile App and social media presence, recently recognised in a UK editorial about the best Arabic resources. Nadia is doing her PhD at the University of South Australia's Centre for Islamic Thought and Education. Her thesis examines the Arabic learning experiences of youth at Australian Islamic schools.

Date: 28 February 2019

Time: 6pm to 7pm

Venue: RR4-11, Rowland Reese Building, University of South Australia, City West Campus

Free Tickets via Eventbrite

RSVP by 25 February, light refreshments provided