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Guest Article

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Guest authors who have published on Arabic for Nerds. Anyone is welcome to share his/her thoughts and ideas.

A group of diverse individuals engaged in a conversation, with various colorful signs featuring Arabic text in the background, indicating a social or cultural gathering.
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Does the term “foreign language” still fit our times?

Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL); the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): we need to talk about the "F"-word in these acronyms, writes Dr. Roger Anderson. If Arabic is a "foreign" language, then every time Arab-Americans speak it within their home, they are performing something foreign in every conversation. Hence, the "foreign" has to be abandoned, opines Dr. Anderson in a thought-provoking guest article.
An Arabic language learning vinyl record set displayed on a bed with a striped pattern cover, featuring a pink and black album cover titled 'ARABIC', two records (one grey and one black) outside their sleeves, and a booklet with printed pages nearby.
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How a US Military Arabic Course went global

In the 20th century, Arabic language material was scarce. During the Vietnam War, Reginald Hefner, had access to a language lab of the US military - and later discovered, how the Military's Arabic material was used by publishers around the world. He shares some reminiscences and anecdotes in this guest article.
A man sitting on rocky terrain in a desert landscape, wearing a light-colored shirt and gray pants, with a rugged canyon in the background and a small birdcage to his right.
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Confessions of a lifelong learner of Arabic

How do you manage to motivate yourself to learn Arabic for years, even decades? Marco Rateitschak has been learning Arabic since 1999. In a guest article, he describes his journey and offers valuable advice for anyone in such a situation. A survival guide for lifelong learners of Arabic.