A New Textbook of Syrian Arabic

This project aims to develop a communicative and culturally sensitive textbook of Syrian Arabic with a particular focus on the dialect of Damascus. It is designed for students of Arabic studies who already have a command of Arabic script and pronunciation. The material is intended for courses with a weekly workload of two to four contact hours.

Aim and Scope

The primary goal is to create a modern teaching resource that integrates language and culture from the outset. The textbook will follow a communicative, function-oriented approach, enabling learners to use spoken Levantine Arabic effectively in real-life situations. The didactic framework is based on:

• A communicative, function-oriented approach to language learning
• The parallel teaching of language and culture as inseparable components

Spoken language is treated as a central object of study, with its characteristic features explicitly taught and contextualized. Particular attention is given to the linguistic and cultural features that often make spoken dialects challenging to understand. These include, among others politeness strategies, forms of address, and other linguistic routines. By systematically incorporating these elements, the project addresses key gaps in existing teaching materials and supports learners in developing both linguistic and sociocultural competence.

Project Structure

In the first phase, a full semester program corresponding to CEFR Level A1 will be developed. The teaching materials will be produced in parallel in German and English.

The final product will consist of a textbook and a closely integrated companion website providing additional resources and interactive content.

Institutional Context and Collaboration

The project is based at the Seminar for Arabic and Islamic Studies at Friedrich Schiller University Jena under the supervision of Prof. Frank Weigelt. It is a collaborative effort involving:

• Petr Felčer (Charles University, Prague)
• Abdul Kadir Mustafaoğlu (University of Vienna)
• Adam Pospíšil (Charles University, Prague)
• Linda Salerno (University of Bamberg / Goethe Institute Amman)
• Frank Weigelt (Friedrich Schiller University Jena)

with the assistance of Anahita Hesso (Friedrich Schiller University Jena).

Workshop and Project Development

From 19 to 21 March 2026, a workshop was held at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, where the general framework of the project was discussed and initial ideas for its implementation were developed collaboratively.