Heritage Language Programs - Arabic
Bridge & Central Academies of Ohio
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Address: 4404 Secor Road, Toledo, Ohio 43623
Telephone: 419-475-6620
Fax: 419-475-6640
Web address: www.ohiobridgeacademy.net/
Contact person
Name: Mazin A. Heiderson
Title: Principal
Email: heidersonm@ohiobridgeacademy.net
Languages/dialects taught: Arabic
Grades taught: PreK-8
Program Description
Purposes and goals of the program: Our school offers daily Arabic instruction in addition to the standard Ohio state curriculum. Our goal is to achieve language proficiency, not language exposure. The mission of the program is to offer daily mandatory Arabic language instruction. About 75% of the students come from homes where the heritage language is Arabic, and they have the ability to use conversational Arabic at home.
Program origin: The first school year was 2007-2008.
Parents
Parents’ expectations for the program: Parents want their children to become literate in Arabic.
Students
Students: Total student enrollment is 105 students in the 2007-08
school year.
75% of the students come from Arabic-speaking homes or Arabic heritage
homes. They come from Arabic-speaking countries. Another 10% are
from non-Arabic Muslim homes, and the rest are mainstream American
children.
How the program identifies heritage speakers: We ask language questions on our registration form.
Students’ expectations of the program: The same as those of the parents: Literacy in Arabic
Instructors
Number of instructors in the program: 3
Languages in which instructors are proficient: Arabic and English. Our regular classroom teachers generally do not know Arabic, but all of the administrative staff and Arabic teaching instructors must be proficient in Arabic.
Professional development opportunities instructors have: About four one-day workshops per year are offered by our management company, which specializes in Arabic heritage language schools. The name of the company is Global Educational Excellence.
Instruction
Total contact hours per week: Four and a half hours per week. The instructors and students meet four to five times per week.
Student grouping: By grade, then by proficiency level
Language skills
Heritage language skills: Listening, speaking, reading, and writing
Culture
Aspects of culture taught: General aspects of culture are taught.
Methodologies
Methodologies and instructional strategies used in the program: Classroom presentations, interactions, learning by doing, and the Internet
Materials
Materials used for instruction: A variety of trade books and supplementary materials
Technology used for instruction: Computers, PowerPoint presentations, films, and the Internet
Assessment
Assessments used to evaluate students’ progress: Weekly quizzes, chapter tests, mid-term tests, final exams, student self-assessment instrument, teacher's observations, and performance-based tasks or assessment
What the program has in place
Financial support the program receives: We are a charter school funded by the state of Ohio. We also get some federal supplementary funds. However, there is no special financial support for teaching Arabic.
Assistance or funding the program would like to receive: We would like to get additional books and software materials.
How students graduate and/or how they receive credit: We are an elementary school and do not deal in credits.
