Instilling a love for the Arabic language in children

Her children don’t fall asleep unless she reads to them the stories of Al-Nukhatha Rahma or Muhammad Saqai Al-Mai or Boudria. These are traditional Qatari stories. “I have always wanted these traditional stories to be the last thing my children hear before they sleep so that it becomes rooted in their minds, and hopefully, becomes the language of their dreams.”

Haya Al Kuwari, the mother of Abdullah Almohanadi, a student at Qatar Academy Al Khor – part of Qatar Foundation’s (QF’s) Pre-University Education – explains what the Arabic language means to her, and how she seeks to strengthen the love for the language among her children.

“When we were children, our grandmothers’ stories enriched our imaginations. Those were the most beautiful times for us; and for this reason, I want my children to have such memories, away from electronic devices. I want them to listen to their beautiful Arabic language in the form of stories,” Al Kuwari says.

Despite the challenges facing parents today when promoting the Arabic language among their children, many parents of students at QF schools insist on the Arabic language being a part of the educational process for their children.

The mother of Muneera Al Thani, a student at Qatar Academy Msheireb – also a part of QF’s Pre-University Education – says: “My daughter started loving Arabic when I started reading her bedtime stories in Arabic. She began to understand and learn the vocabulary. She also understood our national heritage. And the history program in her school has enhanced her interest in Arabic.”

Muneera’s mother reiterates that parents are indeed facing challenges to instill the love for the Arabic language due to the increased use of technology that showcase engaging content in foreign languages.

“We have to stick to reading for our children in Arabic, for their future, and to preserve our identity. We have many sources and libraries that offer some amazing books. My daughter always wants to visit Qatar National Library – the children's section is very attractive to her. There, she reads and attends events, and she borrows books that we read together before bed,” she adds.

Al Kuwari has written her first Arabic story titled “The Lulu Doll” which aims to teach children the importance of tidying and hygiene.

“I wanted to participate in enriching the Arabic library with books inspired by our experiences and our language instead of relying on global production,” Al Kuwari says.

For her part, Suad Almohanadi, mother of three children – Hilal, Hessa and Mubarak Almohanadi – at Qatar Academy Al Khor, highlights that reading stories to children in Arabic increases their linguistic as well as reading and writing skills, which many children lack.

“We must provide simple and interesting stories and content to bring children closer to our language. My children turn to human stories that evoke their emotions, contrary to the popular belief that they prefer stories of Disney princesses. And this is what we should focus on – to strengthen this for them and encourage them,” she says. “The role that Arabic language programs play in QF schools greatly contributes to promoting the language of our children. Reading stories is one of those ways.”