The need for an Arabic TALAQA test

Unlike any other language, the Arabic language gathered across centuries many dynamics of strengths to sustain its survival. It is the language that was born in the cradle of the oldest alphabet in human history, thus inherited some of the characteristics and attributes of its mothers and sisters of the ancient East, and became with the coming of Islam, the Koran’s language and the vessel of the faith.   

Owing to the tremendous zeal for their language, the Jahilya (pre-Islamic era) Arabs launched a yearly language festival in Taif, the Arabian Peninsula, whereby their poets and lecturers recited their best poems. It was the “Okaz Market”, the biggest Arab market in that era and the famous meeting place to trade thoughts, literature and culture among Arabian tribes and the market visitors from the corners of the peninsula, attended by poets, orators and authors.

Scientists agree that the Arabic language is able to accommodate the developments of our modern times, opening up new avenues to the role of the Arab scientific research and putting it in its proper place in the world today.

The world needs our Arabic language

At the global level, the United Nations recognised the stature of the Arabic language, placing it third among its six adopted languages that are: English, Spanish, Arabic, French, Russian and Chinese.

In October 2012, the 190th Session of UNESCO's Executive Board decided to devote December 18 as the international day of the Arabic language. In fact, UNESCO celebrated this day for the first time in that year. On October 23, 2013, the UNESCO International Advisory Board to promote the Arab culture also decided to adopt the Arabic language day as one of the key elements in its work programme each year.

An Arabic electronic encyclopedia

The Talal Abu-Ghazaleh encyclopedia “TAGEPEDIA” is an electronic search machine to spread substantiated and verified knowledge documented in Arabic language online. The encyclopedia is a general and comprehensive electronic platform in Arabic language that contains a wealth of useful information and authenticated knowledge. One can reach and surf through it using modern technical means. It covers various political, scientific, literary, cultural and general knowledge.   

Tagepedia aims at becoming the referential and comprehensive Arabic encyclopedia for specialists and experts in scientific, professional and judicial knowledge. It took us 10 years to set up the Tagepedia encyclopedic platform. It will encompass, when launched later this year, a million reports or more than double of what Wikipedia had amassed, with half of its recent content is not considered beneficial, uncorroborated, correct but sometimes misleading as opposed to Tagepedia, whose content represents four times that of Wikipedia in terms of correct and useful Arabic content. Following its launching this December 2019, our language will noticeably occupy its fifth place among the world’s languages.

Fluency programme

The Talal Abu-Ghazaleh International University initiated the “TALAQA” fluency programme in the Arabic language, which includes testing of fluency and Arabic language level assessment tests, in addition to training courses for native and non-native speakers, to contribute to the Arabic language dissemination, the furtherance of its universal value and the assurance of its continuity. TOEFL and IELTS are criteria to measure one’s proficiency in English for academic and professional purposes, as well as when working in or immigrating to English speaking countries. The unique worldwide purpose of TALAQA is the unification of linguistic level measurement to native and non-native Arabic speakers on the basis of specific standards.

A common Arabic language platform

The Talal Abu-Ghazaleh University developed the preparatory Arabic language learning curriculum for beginners and the Arabic language fluency skills guidebook, plus several university curricula adopted by the university to cover all levels befitting learning conditions.  

The Arabic language fluency skills handbook is an excellent read/audible reference comprehensive of Arabic language skills and qualified to test fluency. It is intended to benefit the learner of self-study or through a training course. The handbook is designed for intermediate and advanced level learners of the Arabic language with an effort to overcome the difficulties ahead while mastering the four language skills: Reading, writing, conversing and listening. 

The handbook has been designed as a simplified approach, presenting its articles, both legible and audible, as a facilitating annotation method in a clear and specific language away from murkiness and gruelling definitions, yet, full of literary texts vibrant of life and reflective of modern living in many and varied exercises.

The handbook’s exercises are envisioned to be of help to the reader and learner to measure his/her performance and skill, in addition to lessons in grammar, syntax, rhetoric and spelling, followed by a number of exercises with solved models, plus highlighting common errors in each unit.

The Arabic language fluency programme includes training courses either traditional or remote, designed to enable multiple language skills on all levels of Arabic speakers or others and qualify them to acquire a professional language in specialties, media, diplomacy, economy and various topics.