BOOK-LAUNCH: Amanulla Vadakkangara speaking at his book-launch in Doha.
Perhaps, nobody in Qatar has dedicatedly emphasised the value of learning Arabic in the Gulf as much as Amanulla Vadakkangara through both his academics and actions in the last 19 years, writes Anand Holla
On a busy Qatar highway, a senior Indian engineer from Kerala was driving to work little knowing that he was moments away from throwing away a month’s salary only because he didn’t know Arabic.
A speeding car crashed into the engineer’s. Before the drivers’ argument could escalate, a Qatari traffic cop arrived at the scene. “Meen galtan?” the officer asked, pointing at the damage.
To his misfortune, the engineer assumed that the cop is asking who was driving that car, and he responded by patting his chest with pride. “6,000 riyals penalty,” the cop declared, handing the stunned engineer a receipt.
And if you are still wondering, meen galtan in Arabic means: Who is at fault?
The year was 1995. Amanulla Vadakkangara had just moved to Doha, and was teaching Arabic and Islamic studies to students of 33 nationalities at Ideal Indian School.
Broke and dejected, the engineer rushed to meet Vadakkangara. “Waving the receipt, he told me — this is why I want to learn Arabic,” recalls Vadakkangara, who eventually taught the engineer more Arabic than he would need to save his skin.
Perhaps, nobody in Qatar has dedicatedly emphasised the value of learning Arabic in the Gulf as much as Vadakkangara has done through both his academics and actions in the last 19 years.
His books, for starters, are both the first and the final word in conversational Arabic lessons for scores of expats.
Soon after he became the Head of Department of Arabic and Islamic studies at Ideal, Vadakkangara introduced Arabic as a second language in CBSE-affiliated schools in Qatar.
“Until then, Arabic was only taught to Muslim students, as part of their religious studies. I wanted to make it accessible to all students,” he says.
Many Indian schools in Qatar and elsewhere in the Gulf followed that trail, and Vadakkangara had only just embarked on his life-quest of familiarising the young and old to Arabic.
The demand for Arabic subject in schools however, brought the issue of unavailability of textbooks to the fore.
“Since the textbooks were available only for Class 9 and 10, I took it upon myself to introduce the curriculum,” says Vadakkangara, who is a Masters in Arabic language and literature.
It took him six years to research and prepare eight textbooks for Classes 1-8. The series, Arabic for beginners, was widely accepted back in India, but wasn’t absorbed into more than six schools across the Gulf as it didn’t meet international standards.
Not one to give up, Vadakkangara reworked his books, paying closer attention to the requirements of the syllabus.
Last year, he released Arabic for English schools, another series of eight textbooks, which now targetted international schools. “Starting this year, it’s being used in many schools across the Gulf,” he says, proudly.
When his fellow teachers would call it a day by early noon, it was time for Vadakkangara’s research work to begin. “Teaching in schools gives you a lot of free time. What do you do after 1.30pm?” he asks, with genuine curiosity.
“Unfortunately, a lot of teachers are interested in private tuitions. I was dead against that. I think if children need private tuitions, then the teacher is inefficient,” he says.
In those 11 years as a teacher, Vadakkangara channelised his free time into preparing textbooks. “Only because of all that time and the school management’s support, I could write them,” he says. With wife Rashida also being an Arabic teacher, things only became easier.
There’s a wrong notion, feels Vadakkangara, that Arabic is meant only for Muslims. “Arabic certainly has a greater significance in Islam, but the truth is that all languages are part of human civilisation, and are integral to people’s cultural growth,” he points out.
Born in Vadakkangara village in Kerala, the 40-something teacher-author took to Arabic in school, and thanks to his “excellent teachers”, his fascination for the language only grew.
“I chose teaching as my passion, not profession. If somebody says I want to learn Arabic, I will go to that person’s house and teach. In teaching, I find happiness,” he says.
Consequently, one good look around him and Vadakkangara was convinced that it was just as vital for him to think beyond schools and children.
“When I came to Doha, I found a lot of openings that required one to be conversant in basic Arabic. So many talented people in search of work were deprived of those opportunities because they were closed to the idea of learning the language,” he says.
That spurred him to hold programmes that introduced Arabic to expats. “I issued a classified ad in Gulf Times about my ‘Spoken Arabic Made Easy’ programme in 1997. The response was wonderful — more than a hundred people signed up instantly,” he recalls.
His Speak Arabic in 24 hours programme that was staggered across 24 sessions also caught on. “My classes would have doctors, engineers, banking professionals, you name it,” he recalls.
The response to his courses was so heartening that Vadakkangara compiled his teaching notes and published it as a book — Spoken Arabic Made Easy — which was released by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, India’s then president.
“It’s sold much more in the West than anywhere else,” he says, highlighting the all-round demand for learning Arabic. His series of books on spoken Arabic, which is written in English and Indian languages, became bestsellers among the Indian expat community in the Gulf.
Till date, Vadakkangara has written more than three dozen books — almost a dozen on Spoken Arabic, half a dozen on Arabic grammar, and around 20 academic ones. Their high volume sales and many reprints inform him of their success.
Yet he puts it modestly, “When I hear someone has benefitted out of them, I feel happy.” His books are quite the rage in Malayalam as well. “Many among the hundreds of Keralites who travel to or across the Gulf every day, pick one and keep it as a guide,” he says.
That is why he has packaged the different books to suit every learner’s requirement. From short term courses that help beginners to read, write and speak Arabic, to detailed courses, Vadakkangara has a book to suit every need.
Some of the many learner-friendly features of his series are the multiple possibilities of usages that he enlists or easy examples, and the simplicity with which he conveys his point.
Though he has published almost all his books after moving to Doha, his first book — History of Arabic Literature — which he published in India in 1988, when he was still in college, attests to his teaching’s efficacy.
Even 25 years after its first print, it’s a top reference book on Arabic at several universities. “Getting your book published isn’t a big deal today. The real test is for the book to continue its run, and stay relevant,” he says.
In Qatar, as in other GCC countries, you’ll be able to achieve a lot more if you know Arabic, believes Vadakkangara.
“I am not an Arabic scholar. I only try to introduce Arabic in a simplified manner so that people can learn to communicate and enjoy the beauty of the language. Many think Arabic is a tough language. But trust me, it’s among the easiest in the world.”
A man of many passions, Vadakkangara has also transformed himself into an entrepreneur, social activist and even a regular writer for many Malayalam newspapers.
In fact, only last month, Vadakkangara released his 45th book — a compilation of six detailed articles on suicide prevention that he wrote for Malayalam daily Varthamanam, which is also published out of Doha. “This year, I’ll make it to 50, Insha-Allah,” he says, smiling.
The book, which is in Malayalam, studies the causes of suicides in the Malayali community and also discusses ways of preventing them.
Vadakkangara, who is also the founder of Qatar’s anti-smoking society forum, is already in the midst of completing his next book on weeding out alcoholism.
Seven years ago, he founded the advertising and event management firm Mediaplus, of which he is the CEO. Yet what defines him the best is his expertise in teaching Arabic language and literature.
His speak-Arabic programmes, like his books, are “result-guaranteed,” he claims. “You will start speaking at the end of my course. With some basic language skills, if you can get a good job or move up the ranks in your office, I’ll be happy to play a part in your success,” says Vadakkangara.
BELOW:
1) DISTINCTION: Vadakkangara with Dr Abdul Kalam, the-then Indian president, and the author’s family.
2) OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION: One of the author’s defining works.
