Rich in culture and history, Arabic can be a strategic language choice in today’s world. For one emigrant homeschooling family, it was the obvious choice to teach their daughters. Today on Home School Heartbeat, Mike Smith hosts Dede Daoud, longtime homeschooling mom and language teacher.
Mike Smith:
Today on the program we have Dede Daoud, who emigrated from Lebanon in 1990. Dede, welcome to the program!
Dede Daoud:
Thank you for having me.
Mike:
Dede, tell us about teaching Arabic. As a native Arabic speaker yourself, how did you approach teaching it to your children? And how has it benefited them?
Dede:
Well, Arabic is certainly a language that’s challenging, and I had to use unconventional approaches. Basically, I hadn’t just taught the language, but I also had my daughters immersed in the culture. For example, I had them translate Arabic songs, or translate a recipe and then fix a Lebanese dish. As for how it benefited them, it mainly opened doors to a new culture—it’s the ideas and the people. Like last time we visited Lebanon, my daughter had the opportunity to witness to my relatives. At the end, it’s a powerful tool to witness to the Arabs, whether they are here or abroad.
Mike:
What a great testimony! And thanks for joining us today, Dede. Until next time, I’m Mike Smith.
