Developed by Mahmoud Azaz (University of Arizona) and Ayman Mohamed (Michigan State University), this site will host materials for learning Egyptian Arabic and Levantine Arabic at the elementary through advanced levels.
Sociopragmatic competence is an essential component of intercultural communicative competence through which learners express appropriate use of their linguistic resources. This new Open Educational Resource addresses pragmatic difficulties that often result not from a learner's lack of linguistic resources, but from their misunderstanding of how these resources should be used in socially appropriate ways. It demonstrates communicative speech acts such as apologizing, suggesting, and requesting, and includes sociolinguistic variables of gender, age, and distance. Materials were piloted in classes at the University of Arizona and Michigan State University, and subsequently refined.
The website hosts:
- An introduction to speech acts in Arabic, with an explanation for the significance of sociopragmatic competence in L2 learners
- Scripts, videos, and recordings for Egyptian and Levantine dialects
- Sample modules that include objectives, dialogues, vocabulary, grammar, role plays, and linguistic and cultural notes
- Lesson plans by level and dialect
- Additional resources including presentations and supplementary materials
These materials will be available to access for free, in October, 2026.
See also El-Mumtaaz, Contemporary Beginning Egyptian Arabic, a textbook authored by Azaz and Mohamed (Georgetown University Press, 2025), and the partner multimedia resources that were funded by CERCLL.