Call 1: The Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics-Special Issue Fall 2023

05/16/2022

As Guest Editor of The Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics (AJAL), I invite you to submit papers on the following topic:

                                           Breaking the Mold: Arabic Language Arts Teaching & Learning

The Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics  (AJAL- ISSN: 2490-4198) is a biannual, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal devoted to the study of languages and language education in the Arab world from different disciplinary perspectives, including education, language pedagogy, language planning and policies, sociology, psychology, information technology, translation, and speech and hearing. The Arab world refers to those countries that recognize Arabic as their official language. They cover a large geographical zone, extending from Mauritania in North Africa to Bahrain in the Middle East, with a population exceeding 400 million inhabitants. Though they share historical, religious, and linguistic traits, the Arab countries manifest degrees of linguistic, cultural, and ethnographic variation. Their language policies are by no means uniform, especially when it comes to the teaching and learning of foreign languages.

The aim of this special issue is to provide a unified forum for researchers and practitioners interested in applied linguistic issues, with special reference to the Arab context.

About this Special Issue

Learning Poverty numbers in the MENA region estimated to be at 59% are alarming. Learning Poverty is defined as the percentage of 10-year-old kids who are unable to read a text at their grade level in their 1st language and comprehend it (Gregory et al, 2021)[1]. It is, moreover, projected that Learning Poverty numbers will increase after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on that, it is imperative to develop transformative and innovative approaches that can inform the future landscape of Arabic language arts teaching and learning. This Special Issue welcomes contributions which address qualitative, quantitative or mixed method; empirical or theoretical paper; critical review paper; book review related to Arabic language arts teaching and learning.

Any manuscript submitted should be original and not have been previously published or currently under review elsewhere.

  • Showcase cutting-edge research on Arabic language arts teaching and learning from around the globe as well as teacher educators’ and student teachers’ experiences and outcomes in educational contexts;
  • Illustrate probable solutions to the issue of learning poverty within an Arabic Language Arts context.
  • Explore a wide range of topics linked to the theme of this Special issue including: design Arabic language arts curricula, cutting edge and evidence-based teaching methodologies and approaches, science of reading implications for Arabic language arts teaching and learning, teachers and student perspectives and experiences, large scale Arabic language arts reforms, national literacy strategies, issues of quality, equity, accountability and assessment, fluency, reading interventions, etc.
  • Disseminate information about Arabic language arts best practices in the MENA region and beyond;
  • Identify important implications for future research in the field linked to Arabic language arts teaching & learning;

Important deadlines:

  • Abstract submission deadline: August 1st, 2022
  • Proposal abstracts should be submitted by email attachment to the editor (hanadataha1@gmail.com) with “AJAL Special Issue” as the subject line.
  • Notification of acceptance/rejection will be sent by September 1st, 2022.
  • Please be aware that selection of the proposal abstract does not guarantee publication, as full manuscripts will be subject to blind review.

What information should be included in the abstract proposal?

  • Name of Author(s), affiliation(s) and e-mail address(es).
  • Brief description of the context being targeted, the study and its pertinence/relevance to the special issue theme.
  • Maximum of 450-500 words.
  • Qualitative, Quantitative or Mixed method; empirical or theoretical paper; critical review paper; book review.  

Information regarding full paper if the abstract is accepted:

  • Deadline for submission of the full manuscript: February 1st, 2023
  • 7,000 to 8,000 words inclusive of notes, tables, figures and references
  • Each article will receive two independent blind reviews.
  • Abstracts should be submitted in English & Arabic (full manuscript in English).

Publication dates:

  • Manuscripts will undergo up to 2 review cycles, with final, revised manuscripts due in spring of 2023. The special issue will be published in fall 2023.

For further information on the journal’s submission guidelines please visit “Information for Authors” available on AJAL’s page: 

http://arjals.com/ajal/about/submissions

Best wishes,

Hanada Taha Thomure, Guest Editor

 

[1] Gregory, L; Taha-Thomure, H., Kazem, A; Bonni, A; Elsayed, M. Taibah, N.  (2021). Advancing Arabic Language Teaching & Learning: A path to reducing learning poverty in the MENA. Washington, D.C. World Bank Group.