Towards a Linguistic Spring: A Talk with Mahmoud Al-Batal

Mahmoud Al-Batal is associate professor of Arabic in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies and director of the Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA) at the University of Texas at Austin. Al-Batal also serves as associate director and chair of the Arabic Board of the National Middle East Language Resource Center (NMELRC). Currently, he is involved in developing "Aswaat Arabiyya," a web-based project for Arabic listening materials. He is also the co-author of the Al-Kitaab, Arabic textbook series (with Kristen Brustad and Abbas Al-Tonsi) and has written a number of articles on aspects of teaching Arabic as a foreign language. Al-Batal previously served as CASA executive director in Cairo (1985-1987), as director of the Arabic School at Middlebury College (1991-1998), and as director of the Emory College Language Center (2000-2004). He holds a B.A. in Arabic language and literature from the Lebanese University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Arabic linguistics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Chase F. Robinson, provost and senior vice president, CUNY Graduate Center, and professor of history, will offer introductory remarks