Moscow hosts Olympiad in Arabic for first time

The Arabic language Olympiad among schoolchildren in grades 7-10 was held in the Russian capital for the first time. More than 100 people took part in it, and the works were evaluated by experts from Morocco, simultaneous interpreters, as well as university and school teachers. Three students became the winners, as reported by the press service of the capital's Department of Education and Science.

The department noted that over the past three years, interest in Arabic language among Moscow schoolchildren has tripled. Next academic year Arabic will be included in the programme of the Moscow Olympiad of schoolchildren, and free courses will be opened at the Centre of Pedagogical Excellence to prepare the national team.

The Olympiad consisted of two stages: remote and in-person. At the first stage pupils performed tasks in listening, reading, vocabulary, grammar and country studies. In the final stage, the participants prepared speeches about their trips to Arab countries.

One of the winners was Alena Monaenkova, who studies Arabic as a second foreign language.

"I have a great craving for knowledge in this direction, so everything comes easily. [...] In the future I would like to connect my career with Arabic," the schoolgirl said.

The Department said that in addition to the Olympiad, there are circles in Moscow where students can study the language, calligraphy, geography, and culture of Arab countries.

Photo: Moscow Department of Education and Science