Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre Introduces Index To Measure Community Engagement With Arabic Language

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has introduced a new index to measure the community's engagement with the Arabic language. This initiative aligns with 2025 being declared the Year of Community. The index evaluates how individuals, families, and institutions interact with Arabic through reading, writing, speaking, and digital communication.

Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC, stated: "This new index embodies the leadership’s vision to build a cohesive and prosperous society, with a strong connection to the Arabic language that enhances cultural identity in the UAE and fosters national pride. Since its inception, the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre has been dedicated to strengthening the community’s ties with the Arabic language across creative, intellectual, and cultural fields, engaging all generations, including citizens, residents, native Arabic speakers, and non-speakers alike. The Centre’s initiatives promote the values of cooperation, belonging, shared experiences, and the preservation of cultural heritage."

The index considers various demographic groups in Abu Dhabi to gauge their relationship with Arabic. It aims to identify levels of engagement ranging from full involvement to complete detachment. This data will guide future plans and initiatives to enhance community connections with the language.

Institutional support is also assessed by examining projects that promote Arabic. These include book publishing, creative content development, nurturing young talent, and organising literary events like book fairs and festivals.

The launch coincides with results from ALC's ongoing Arabic Language Perception Index. Since 2021, this index has tracked perceptions of Arabic in knowledge, culture, and creativity among both native and non-native speakers in Abu Dhabi.

The latest findings show that participants rated Arabic highest for creativity due to its aesthetic qualities compared to English. It also led in cultural connections related to heritage. However, English was preferred for learning and research purposes.

Strategic Initiatives for Language Promotion

"The results of the Arabic Language Perception Index, in comparison with English," noted H.E. bin Tamim "indicate that speakers of each language believe in the predominance of their own language across all of the factors included in the index." He emphasised that understanding these perceptions requires further study involving social sciences and linguistics.

The ALC aims to use these insights for strategic initiatives targeting different community segments. Their goal is to bolster Arabic as a language of science and culture while supporting digital technologies and scientific research related to it.

With inputs from WAM