Study Abroad

Christine Tsai samples Arabic immersion programs from both ends of the Mediterranean Sea

Arabic across North Africa

Colloquial Arabic, the most widely understood dialect, Egypt colloquial Arabic. In addition, Cairo offers spe- classical On the North coast of Africa with the cial programs for Arabic teachers and journal- Arabic, Sinai Peninsula connecting it to Western Asia, ists. The Amman, Jordan private instructional Arabic jour- Egypt has more than 82 million inhabitants. program can be tailored to all needs including nalism, and Known for its ancient monuments, such as the Diplomatic Arabic. For those involved in bank- Islamic religion Giza Pyramids and the Great Sphinx, count- ing, the petroleum industry or construction, all taught in less travelers visit Egypt each year to marvel at Oman is a great place to learn Gulf Arabic. Arabic. Situated in a its history and culture. Whether students visit Finally, AmeriSpan offers a summer program very quiet area in the Saudiya Buildings near the ancient artifacts in Luxor, the Royal Library for teenagers in Rabat, Morocco. the quarter of Heliopolis, the center guaran- in Alexandria, or the bustling modern capital of Located in one of the oldest and most tees students the right setting for study. Cairo, they will be guaranteed a full cultural exciting cities in the world, the American Also in Cairo, the Drayah Language Egyptian immersion experience. University in Cairo was founded 90 years Center seeks to give learners an overview of Following the Arab-Muslim conquest of Egypt in ago to provide a U.S.-style liberal arts educa- the customs and traditions of Egyptian culture the 7th century AD, Egyptians slowly adopted tion to young Egyptians. The university’s through activities, such as cultural programs, the Arabic language. Today, Arabic is the official Arabic Language Institute (ALI) offers a num- conversation clubs, and entertaining field trips. language of the country. The Egyptian Arabic ber of programs, including full-time intensive Small classes enable the teachers to give stu- dialect is spoken by 77 million people in Egypt, programs in the fall and spring semester, and dents the individual attention they need. and is widely understood throughout the Arab an eight-week intensive summer program. The Drayah offers all levels of Arabic language world. Nearly all language schools in Egypt will faculty teaches classes in Modern Standard courses focusing on speaking, listening, read- offer courses in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) Arabic, classical Arabic, and Colloquial ing and writing with a special attention placed and Egyptian Arabic. Students can usually Egyptian Arabic at the elementary, intermedi- on pronunciation, oral communication, and the choose one course of study or take a combina- ate, and advanced levels. More than 500 stu- appropriate usage of the language. The school tion of both forms of Arabic. dents from 70 different countries study at the offers both Colloquial Egyptian Arabic and With programs in Egypt, Morocco, Oman, AUC each year, linking Egypt with the rest of Modern Standard Arabic in individual or group and Jordan, AmeriSpan Study Abroad offers the world through scholarly research, study- settings. Other course options include Quranic Modern Standard Arabic and Colloquial Arabic abroad programs, and partnerships with aca- Arabic, Islamic Studies taught in English, programs by the week, month or longer. demic and research institutions. Arabic poetry, Arabic calligraphy classes, and Lodging at local hotels can be included in all Established in 1988, the Arabic Arabic for Business. locations while homestays are available at Language Center in Cairo offers a wide Fajr Center for Arabic Language in AmeriSpan’s three program locations in range of courses, from beginners to expert, in Cairo was founded in 1995 with the sole pur- Morocco (Fez, Tetouan & Rabat). In Cairo, stu- single or group classes. The center offers pose of teaching standard Arabic to non- dents are taught both MSA and Egyptian courses in Modern Standard Arabic, Egyptian Arabic speakers. The Fajr Center offers group January 2009 www.languagemagazine.com 25