NASHVILLE, Tenn. – العربية يقترب من المدارس

العامة ناشفيل

Translation: Arabic is coming to Nashville public schools.

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Metro Nashville Public Schools officials announced this week the district will offer Arabic as a sixth foreign language to seventh through 12^th grade students at several schools: Ontioch High School, Margaret Allen Middle Prep, Cane Ridge High School, Antioch Middle Prep, Overton High School, and McMurray Middle Prep, according to The Tennessean.

“This latest expansion strengthens our district’s dedication to foreign language instruction and diverse course offerings outside of the core academics,” director of schools Jesse Register said in a press release.

“We are very excited about starting this program. It gives our schools yet another unique and attractive feature for families, and helps meet the demands of our increasingly diverse city,” he said.

District officials surveyed students on languages they use at home, and selected schools for the new program based on the responses. The new classes will be offered in two formats: beginning Arabic and heritage or native Arabic, News 2 reports.

Beginning Arabic will focus on helping those who don’t speak Arabic to grasp the language, while the native Arabic classes will give students who already speak the language the ability to expand on their reading and writing abilities, according to media reports.

“Native Arabic speakers have this innate skill they can take into adulthood. We want them to develop it further and use it to also strengthen their English skills,” Nashville’s chief academic officer Jay Steele told Calkbeat.org. “We believe it will help them be more engaged in school as a whole and also help them stay connected to their native culture.”

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Steele believes beginners can also benefit from learning Arabic.

“In today’s environment, it’s often a necessity for students to speak two languages,” he said. “We need to give our students a solid background in a foreign language so they can take it even further in college, potentially to the point of full fluency. That opens up a world of possibilities after graduation.”

Nashville school officials said they’re currently recruiting teachers for the Arabic classes, and they will help design the curriculum and determine the dialect of Arabic students will learn.

Locals who commented on News 2’s Facebook page expressed mixed reaction to the new course offerings.

“Good. The language reads backwards, so I’m sure it will help with reading efficiency and overall comprehension,” Ryan Stubbs posted. “There are so many Arabic speakers in Nashville, so it makes sense. As much sense as it is to read and learn Spanish.”

Others disagreed.

“Hell, these kids don’t even know how to speak English correctly,” Bucky Harris wrote. “How about working on that first.”

“America is bowing down to the Middle East, what a shame,” Gary Brakebill posted. “We need to be focusing on the basics, teaching our children American history and the true values this country was founded on. Not all this politically correct BS with today’s society.”