When he started teaching Arabic at Charlestown High School five years ago, most of Steven Berbeco’s students finished the year without fully understanding the alphabet. Today, students in the Boston-area school’s Arabic program are successfully reading text and grasping the language at a more advanced level, says Berbeco.
After the bell rings on a sunny March morning, students meander into Berbeco’s classroom at Charlestown High School. Pictures and maps from around the world blanket the room, making the classroom seem like a three-dimensional scrapbook of the cultures Berbeco has encountered. The emphasis on Middle Eastern art and photographs reflects the nature of Berbeco’s efforts to teach students Arabic –language is only part of the education.
“I like the class because it is a way to learn about Middle Eastern culture,” says student Savannah Williams, 18.
After the bell rings on a sunny March morning, students meander into Berbeco’s classroom at Charlestown High School. Pictures and maps from around the world blanket the room, making the classroom seem like a three-dimensional scrapbook of the cultures Berbeco has encountered. The emphasis on Middle Eastern art and photographs reflects the nature of Berbeco’s efforts to teach students Arabic –language is only part of the education.
“I like the class because it is a way to learn about Middle Eastern culture,” says student Savannah Williams, 18.
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