Modern Standard Arabic

Peter F. Abboud is Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. Throughout his fifty years of teaching, research, and service, Professor Abboud has been a true pioneer, founding the nationally renowned Arabic program at the University of Texas at Austin and shaping the field of Arabic studies in the US His leadership of the team that developed the famous EMSA and IMSA Arabic textbooks revolutionized instructional materials that trained generations of students. He founded the Arabic School at Middlebury College which set national standards of excellence and trained scores of Arabic teachers, worldwide. He has received many awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from AATA.

Aman Attieh is Assistant Professor of Arabic at Swarthmore College. She has taught education courses at the Women's College, Riyadh and Arabic as a foreign language and content courses at the University of Texas, Rice University, Swarthmore College, and St. Edward's University. She served as Arabic Program Director at Middlebury College. Her research, lectures and publications focus on Arab education, Arabic language acquisition, proficiency in the four language skills, and women's issues. She trained instructors of Arabic at the Foreign Service Institute and served as consultant on US Department of Education committees. She has received awards for her teaching and community services.

Ernest N. McCarus (1922–2022) was Professor Emeritus, Department of Near Eastern Studies, University of Michigan. He served as chair of the Department of Near Eastern Studies, and director of the Center for Middle Eastern and North African studies and the Center for Arabic Studies Abroad at the University of Michigan. He was a pioneer in the teaching of Arabic and Kurdish and in the development of teaching materials. He received numerous federal grants which enabled him to produce several books and scholarly articles. He was one of the founders of the American Association of Teachers of Arabic and served as its president and board member. The quality and significance of his outstanding scholarly publications, teaching and services have resulted in national and international recognition and several awards.

Raji M. Rammuny is Professor Emeritus of Arabic and Applied Linguistics at the University of Michigan. He has made significant contributions to the effective teaching of Arabic, ranging from preparation of instructional materials through achievement and proficiency tests to audio and video collection on Arab life and culture. He has obtained several grants to develop textbooks for Modern Standard Arabic at all levels of instruction, and specialized materials for Business Arabic, Islamic Arabic, Levantine Dialect, and Arabic Communication Media. He has received many honors, including two LS&A Excellence in Teaching Awards, the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Teachers of Arabic, and Computerworld Honors 2004 Finalist Media Award. He was past President and board member of AATA and currently serves as member of AATA, MESA, and ACTFL.