This interdisciplinary project uses contemporary Arabic songs of Mid-Eastern countries as the basis for a multimedia introduction to the cultures of the Mideast. Through a series of interactive tasks, students are led through a variety of activities that introduce them to the Arab world through the language, geography, history, and literature of each Mideastern country. The prototype module for the project was originally developed on a Macintosh computer. It is a song entitled Kathura Al-Hadtihu by Kazem Al-Saher, which explores the beauty of the singer’s home city, Baghdad. The songs’ lyrics are presented one verse at a time, allowing beginning and advanced students to work with manageable portions of each song; students can also access individual words to see English translations and grammar notes if needed. Comprehension is checked through both multiple-choice and open-ended formats. The current project will be cross platform (PC and Mac) and is designed for use by students from beginning to advanced. It will contain segments on the history, geography, and culture of different Arab countries. The end product will be distributed through OSU Foreign Language Publications.

Project period: October 1, 1997 to September 30, 1999