TEDinarabic Speaker and Educational Advocate Praises QF’s Role Promoting Arabic Language

Mohammed Al-Janahi, one of the speakers at the inaugural TEDinArabic regional event, held in December 2021, in Doha, Qatar, believes TEDinArabic is a vital initiative launched under the strategic partnership between Qatar Foundation and TED that provides a platform to young Arabic speakers who hold inspiring ideas and want to share them with a global audience that thirsts for knowledge.

Al-Janahi, a professional learning designer at Qatar Foundation’s (QF’s) Education Development Institute (EDI), underscored QF’s efforts to improve the communicative role of the Arabic language.

He also praised Qatar’s initiatives, such as the law requiring all governmental and non-governmental agencies to protect and use the Arabic language in all their activities and events, and stressed the importance of doubling such efforts, especially in light of intensified by globalization.

“The allegation that the Arabic language struggles to keep pace with the era of globalization or the digital world is a flawed argument, given that, historically, no language has ever been unable to encompass the various knowledge and sciences prevailing in its era,” Al-Janahi said. In saying this, he underlined the importance that the media sector and social media play in strengthening the role of the Arabic language in all fields.

He believes that the responsibility for the advancement of the Arabic language rests with its speakers and policymakers of countries who can formulate programs and initiatives that encourage the use of the Arabic language.

“The Arabic language provides speakers with enormous linguistic possibilities and options to formulate their ideas and phrases, no matter how different, complex, or specialized the topics are,” Al-Janahi said, before explaining that he has always used poetry in a modern chanting form in order to simplify some scientific subjects, such as mathematics and science, for primary and middle school students.

According to him, this approach was well received by people and spread in many Arab countries, adding: "I do not think that anyone in Qatar or in the region has made such educational content in this way before.”

He believes that the more we use the Arabic language in communication and conversation with children and the younger generation, the more they will be interested in this language. In this regard, he highlighted the work done by QF by pointing out examples such as “Siraj”, a 3D edutainment TV series that helps children learn the Arabic language in a fun and engaging way.

Al-Janahi also pointed out that TEDinArabic has become an important communicative bridge for the youth – one that stands for the Arabic language across all Arabic-speaking countries.

Al-Janahi will participate in the next regional event of this initiative, which will be held in Morocco, to lead a workshop on how to write Arabic poetry and make it engaging for young people.

The third TEDinArabic regional event will be held in Ben Guerir, Morocco, on October 13, under the theme “Dare to Discover”, and will feature many TED speakers along with leaders from QF, as well as delegations of 80 students representing Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Tunisia, and Jordan.