The program that Rice University adopted to teach the Arabic language is called Ahlan Wa Sahlan. It was development by Prof. Mahdi Alosh at The Ohio State University. The program is designed to teach Modern Standard Arabic. Although Arabs of different countries use a variety of dialects, Modern Standard Arabic will offer students the basics of the Arabic language. It will equip them with the necessary tools that will open for them the possibility of understanding and communicating with speakers of Arabic.
Instruction is based on communicative methodology where the focus is first on meaning, then on form.
Methodology Teaching a foreign language should occur in a positive environment were teacher and students use the target language to communicate useful information. Listening comprehension is taught through the use of textbook pictures, as well as audiotapes that provide oral drills and that allow the student to follow by reading along in the textbook. By only using the target language, the students will deduce a wide range of semantic as well as syntactic information. Speaking skills are also enhanced through classroom communication activities where pair and small group activities take place. These activities can include retrieving pieces of information about personal matters from their partners, or conducting a survey in the classroom were all students get to ask their questions, as well as provide answers.