Aldiwan Arabic Language Center

Infobox School
name = Aldiwan Arabic Language Center


imagesize = 178
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established = 1997
type = Arabic language school
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colors = Yellow, red, brown and black
mascot = Islamic octagonal star, with book inside, and a writing feather
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location = 12 Naguib Mahfooz Street, Off Abbas Al Akaad Street
Nasr City,Cairo
coordinates = coord|30|04|N|31|18|E|region:EG_type:city
country = Egypt
website = [http://www.aldiwancenter.com/ Link]

Aldiwan Arabic Language Center , briefly Aldiwan Center, is an Arabic language school based in Cairo, Egypt and established in 1997. It focuses on providing Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)certificates and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA) courses.

Name alternatives and origin

Aldiwan Center has itself used, and has been referred to by others, by many similar names in spelling and in pronunciation on websites, advertising, and printed materials.

Origin of the name

This might refer to the variety of writing choices in writing the same Arabic word Diwan (ArB|ديوان} precedented by Al (ArB|ال}, which is the definite article in Arabic; in English, to be: Aldiwan (ArB|الديوان}, as one word, not two separate words: the article, as there is no article in English named "Al" unless the user wants to show that it is an article, then the name itself. The term Diwan or Divan (دیوان) is a Persian word and can refer to:

* Divan or diwan, an oriental high governmental body, such as the Imperial council in the former Ottoman Empire and its successor states
* Diwan (title) (dewan or divan), a number of Middle Eastern titles used in various languages for high officials, especially of cabinet rank, or as a rank of nobility in South Asia
* Diwan (poetry), a collection of [Arabic] , Persian or Urdu poetryFor more meanings of the word, please see Diwan.

Alternative used names

Alternatives of the name of Aldiwan Center found in references are: AlDiwan, ALDIWAN, AL DIWAN, AL Diwan, Al Diwan, Al-Diwan, Addiwan , and Ad-diwan (last two are exact transliterations used by some websites), all followed by the word "Center", and also "Centre".

Accreditation and credit courses

The center is nationally accredited as an Arabic language instruction school in Egypt. While independent sources indicate that courses offered at Al Diwan Center are recognized and credited by some highly-ranked US and Canadian universities [Credit given to study Arabic-300, the undergraduate-level course at James Madison University [http://www.jmu.edu/international/abroad/jmu_egypt/index.shtml] ] , from which scholarship holders receive university-level credits, Al Diwan Center has no published information yet on this issue.

Methods of instruction

Aldiwan Center claims implementation of the Audio-Lingual Method in teaching Arabic as a foreign language with a communicative approach in teaching Arabic as a foreign language, which is based on the behaviorist theory of learning [ Aldiwan Center Methods of instruction. [http://www.arabiccairo.com/doc1/index.php?module=announce&ANN_user_op=view&ANN_id=96&x2=program] ] .

Courses of Arabic and Quran

Aldiwan Center is an Arabic language school, whose main focus is language instruction, while providing Tajwid, and Arabic calligraphy courses is extra effort on the behalf of Aldiwan to enhance the students' skills, but not the main stream.

Publications and software

Aldiwan Center has published many textbooks for teachers of Arabic as a foreign language [ Archived page of Aldiwan Center website features four books [http://web.archive.org/web/20060211074058/www.aldiwancenter.com/diwancom/books.htm] ] , [ Multimedia programs and documents available on the current Aldiwan Center website for mailinglist subscribers [http://www.aldiwancenter.com/new/1/Resources_Free_Downloads.php] ] , compared to those of the American University in Cairo and other reputable academic institutions, which resulted in a positive opinion of some students.It also kept interest in incorporating technology in its learning materials, as voice overs of its textbooks and multimedia presentations. Outside the classroom materials they developed electronic dictionaries and how-to guides.

Relationship with other educational institutions

Aldiwan Center has been in a high profile with many of the US students and professors of high ranking universities who elect to use its services. Aldiwan has been publishing for years its acceptance of US and Canadian universities’ scholarships with positive testimonials from their students [News article on students of James Madison University in Virginia, USA studying on a scholarship at Aldiwan Center [http://www.arabiccairo.com/doc1/index.php?module=announce&ANN_id=222&ANN_user_op=view] ] , [Aldiwan Center Scholarships and Grants Policy [http://www.arabiccairo.com/doc1/index.php?module=announce&ANN_id=195&ANN_user_op=view] ] .

Evaluation

While Aldiwan Center refers its reputation to its core team of highly-qualified teachers who have graduate diplomas in teaching Arabic as a foreign language and their methods of instruction, some old students assure Aldiwan of the practicality and one-on-one tutoring it facilitates [ [http://www.geocities.com/learnarabicincairo/ Learning Arabic In Cairo - Main Page ] ] , [ [http://masyouthsap.wordpress.com/tag/studying-arabic/ Studying Arabic « MAS Youth Study Abroad Program ] ] , [Letter from Egypt , Genene Salman, Southern California InFocus Issue:April 2006 [http://www.infocusnews.net/content/view/2785/82/] ] , [Canadian Muslim student blog [http://farooqm.blogspot.com/2004/04/bismillah-so-i-have-arrived-in-cario.html] ] .

Notable students

Individuals

* Suhaib Webb, prominent American Muslim preacher and da'i [http://www.aldiwancenter.com/new/aaa/subcat/Suhaib.php]
* Sami Yusuf, British singer-songwriter Muslim
* Jeewan Chanicka, Canadian Muslim teacher and activist [http://www.jeewanc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=7&Itemid=32]
* Kakahama Mohamed Al Askary, Assistant Professor [http://www.jmu.edu/philrel/askary.shtml] , Department of Philosophy & Religion, James Madison University, USA
* Bhawana Kamil, American Muslim preacher and da'ia [http://www.masbayarea.org/speakersNet.asp#bhawanakamil]
* Najeeb Ashraf Kamil, American Muslim preacher and da'i [http://www.masbayarea.org/speakersNet.asp#najeebkamil]

Institutions and groups

* James Madison University [http://www.jmu.edu/international/abroad/jmu_egypt/index.shtml] , [http://www.jmu.edu/international/docs/Egypt_Schedule.pdf]
* Muslim American Society (MAS) Youth [http://masyouthsap.wordpress.com/about/]
* Islamic American University (IAU), USA [http://www.aldiwancenter.com/diwancom/iauniv.jpg]
* The Malay Association in Arab Republic of Egypt [http://www.aldiwancenter.com/diwancom/thanku_big.jpg]

Branches

* Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt [http://www.aldiwancenter.com/]
* Garden City, Cairo, Egypt [http://www.arabiccairo.com/]
* Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Joint Venture) [http://www.diwanm.com/ Aldiwan(M)]

References

ee also

* Arabic language
* Studying Arabic language
* Arabic language school
* Audio-Lingual Method
* Egyptian Arabic

External links

* Scholarship of James Madison University offered at Al Diwan Center. [http://www.jmu.edu/international/abroad/finaid_jmu_scholarships.shtml]