This Digital Platform Will Help Non-Arabic Speakers Learn the Language

A new digital platform, ZAI, has been launched in the UAE to revolutionize Arabic education, providing innovative resources for teachers and learners. Developed by Zayed University, the open-source hub is designed to support Arabic teachers with free access to tools that enhance literacy, critical thinking, and appreciation for the richness of the language.

ZAI also caters to non-native Arabic speakers, offering curated vocabulary lists with English translations and transliterations to aid communication in everyday situations, such as ordering food or grocery shopping.

The platform includes various teacher resources like training materials, visuals, and poetry, along with educational webinars and conferences. Its tools, such as the Smart Arabic Reading Diagnostic Tool (SARD), enable educators to personalize learning by assessing students' reading abilities and identifying gaps for targeted intervention. Another feature, the Balanced Arabic Readability Corpus (Barec), ensures teaching materials match students’ literacy levels, with plans to expand its database to 10 million words.

Supported by entities like the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, ZAI aims to strengthen Arabic heritage and modernize its instruction across the UAE and beyond.