Arabic Language Study

Upon completion of my intensive Arabic language program here in Jordan, I can honestly say that the progress made in this one short month would have been equivalent to one or even more year’s study in Stanford. There are two main reasons for this rapid progress.

I studied at the Ewan Institute that specialises in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, and their teachers were absolutely excellent and were passionate about teaching their language. I was enrolled in private tuition which meant that I had one to one classes for five hours every day. The individual attention that I received as a learner of Arabic here in Jordan was indispensable in helping improve my language skills. I was forced to talk in modern standard Arabic every day and this constant practice helped to immensely improve my knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. Before I went to Jordan I was unable to say many basic things, but by the end of my program I was discussing why democracy is the solution to lasting stability for any nation. During my program I was discussing extremely complex topics like the role of women in Arabian society and political issues like the UK leaving the European Union. This would have been impossible one month ago, and this rapid improvement is a testament to the hard work of my teachers and the benefits of being in the native country.

Apart from the lessons that I was enrolled in, the state of being immersed in the country was also extremely useful in improving my fluency in the language. However the special case of Arabic being different in its spoken and written forms, due to the importance of dialects, limited the benefits of this immersion. However any student of Arabic should realise that you cannot learn the language without learning at least one dialect, and this study abroad program has allowed me to gain the basics of the Levantine dialect. Being able to progress both my Modern Standard Arabic while also learning the dialect has been incredibly fulfilling as a language learner. Going to the shops to buy groceries, ordering food at restaurants, taking taxis, and etc. all helped in using the language in real life situations. One thing that gave me a broader understanding of the language and of Jordanian culture was going to the café with my Jordanian friends. We would all sit together and talk about different social issues such as religion, global politics, or just local gossip. Even though you might not be talking, the fact that you are forced to listen to others speak in Arabic is also a great

benefit to the overall comprehension of the language. Although the main purpose of my trip was to improve my fluency I also gained a greater cultural understanding of this beautiful country, and I even got to spend my first Ramadan in the Middle East. Hearing the call to prayer five times a day and going shopping for Eid is something that can only be lived and not read about.

The Abbasi grant was a tremendous help in completing my studies here in the Middle East. I was able to use it to fund all my tuition fees and the rent for my accommodation here in Amman. This language program has enabled me to make immense progress that would have been impossible at Stanford, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity that I was given to help propel my Arabic to a more advanced level.