Kalamna
Providing a high-quality Arabic language curriculum and resources using a research and evidence base.
Funding Opportunity
Kalamna are seeking £1.5m in Seed funding.
£1.5m
Seed
Overview
Headquartered in Cambridge and with branches across the UK, Kalamna has been running community classes to understand first-hand and test its solutions to the challenges of Arabic language learning for heritage speakers. Born out of a genuine need for the diaspora community, its efforts has shone a light on the larger challenges that plague the field across the Arab World.
The Challenge
Global reports consistently show low literacy and attainment levels in Arabic. Despite some fragmented reform efforts, they are not guided by research and dismiss the diglossic nature of the language. As a result, the learners’ experience is fraught with inconsistencies and largely ineffective.
The Solution
Contrary to common practice, we’ve found that the best way to learn Standard Arabic is by learning spoken Arabic first. Once our students master everyday conversational language, we can make the bridge to reading and writing formally in Standard Arabic. We have developed our own resources and curriculum to do this based on current research and teaching methodology.
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