Coop News

According to a recent survey of language learning trends across higher education institutes in the United States, the surge in the number of students wishing to study Arabic could see that demand outstrips supply, and that the need for qualified teachers in the Middle Eastern language is currently high.

Since 9/11, the number of students interested in learning Arabic has skyrocketed, and the executive director of the Modern Language Association, the organization that commissioned the study, Rosemary Feal suggests that the increase of interest in Arabic is only paralleled by that in learning Chinese. In 2006, more than 20,000 people in the USA enrolled in an Arabic-language higher-education program, which is double the enrollment figure from 1998 to 2002. These numbers are expected to grow, although in terms of course completion, the stats paint another picture.

Recognized to be more difficult than other foreign language learning staples like Spanish and French, the dropout rates for Arabic are high. According to R. Kirk Belnap, the director of the National Resource Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, of these 20,000 students studying Arabic at collegiate level “not even 5% are likely to graduate with functional speaking proficiency.” This figure has got many experts scratching their heads.

A suggested solution is to start teaching Arabic at an early age, with courses catered to younger students and their learning needs. Another alternative, already popular in tuition circles with students taking Spanish online or French online, is the provision of online Arabic courses. Offering students real-time online lessons would surely alleviate the strain placed on the limited number of local teachers in the United States, as a whole pool of international Arabic teachers could be accessed, ensuring quality classes. If it’s possible to teach English online to students around the world, why not Arabic online for those in the United States?

A global conference on HIV/Aids has opened in Mexico City, a quarter of a century after the disease first became widely known.

Figures released ahead of the meeting reveal that the number of people with the condition around the world has gone down slightly overall.

However, infection rates are still rising in some countries and access to the right treatment is also an issue.

Across the world 33 million people are affected by the syndrome.

The six-day conference was preceded by an awareness march, a photo exhibition and other events.

About 20,000 scientists, government officials and campaigners are in Mexico City for the event.

A private rocket carrying three satellites, including a Nasa space sail, has failed to reach orbit.

It is the third unsuccessful launch attempt for the Falcon 1 rocket, built by private space firm SpaceX.

The vehicle’s two stages failed to separate two minutes and 20 seconds into launch from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

SpaceX’s engineers are still investigating the cause of the rocket’s failure.

“It was obviously a big disappointment not to reach orbit on this Flight 3 of the Falcon 1,” said Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, in a short statement read to reporters.

HSBC has warned that conditions in financial markets are at their toughest “for several decades” after suffering a 28% fall in half-year profits.

Europe’s largest bank saw profits drop by $3.9bn to $10.2bn (£5.2bn) in the first six months of the year, as its North American arm made a $2.8bn loss.

The firm announced $3.7bn in fresh credit writedowns.

HSBC has been among the banks worst hit by the credit crunch, whose financial toll has run into the many billions.

It has already announced writedowns in the value of its assets - linked to the slump in the US housing market - of more than $15bn.

HSBC shares fell by more than 1% in initial trading after it announced its results and stressed that it would increase its shareholder dividend by 6%.