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First Illustrative Book of its Kind in the Field of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language Now Published

Some of the expressions used in the book.

Arabic Language and Culture Through Art uses well-known phrases to aid learning and deepen knowledge of Arabic culture

Press Release

NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Senior Lecturer of Arabic Nasser Isleem and Associate Professor and Director of Asian Studies at the College of Charleston Ghazi Abuhakema co-authored the first illustrative book of its kind in the field of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL). Introducing 40 Arabic well-known phrases, expressions, and wisdom quotes that reflect the Arabic language and culture, both artistically and aesthetically, Arabic Language and Culture Through Art adds a sense of joy and entertainment to learning.  

Available for purchase on Amazon, the book includes an index that lists all 40 expressions alphabetically translated into English for users’ reference. Key to the appeal of Arabic Language and Culture Through Art are the visuals, which can be used and posted by both Arabic speakers and learners as teaching aids. The designs can also serve as aesthetic objects for offices, living rooms, classrooms, and educational centers, while the book itself is a great fit as a coffee-table book.  

“Our aim was to ensure that learners need not be language experts or highly proficient to understand the expressions, which overlap with similar expressions in English and maybe many other languages. The book will help them deepen their knowledge and respect for Arabic language, culture and art. And, just as importantly, it will entertain readers by encouraging them to decode and interpret the words and images included in each expression.”

Nasser Isleem

The book also facilitates the internalization of key words by incorporating English syllables and words within the Arabic expressions. Novice learners will discover how to read letters, syllables, and words, while higher-level learners will learn the difference between Modern Standard Arabic and the Levantine dialect phonetically and syntactically.

Arabic Language and Culture Through Art and its designs are copy-righted and cannot be replicated, published, distributed, in any form, except by a written permission from the authors.

About NYU Abu Dhabi

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 115 countries and speak over 115 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.

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