Brevi riflessioni sull’uso della letteratura nella didattica della lingua araba

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating the role of Arabic Literature in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language, from the first manuals and grammars to the new tools, from the grammar-translation method to the digital storytelling approach. The situation of Arabic language teaching in Italy is compared to the methods used in the rest of Europe, notably in France where there is a long tradition in teaching Arabic. The debate also focuses on which literary texts, which literary periods (Classical or Contemporary Arabic Literature), which genres, and which authors are best suited to improving the linguistic skills of the learners. Finally, the paper deals with the question of diglossia and dialects in Arabic teaching as L2.