Along with the fresh faces on campus, Introduction to Arabic is new to the Advanced Studies Program this summer, giving a rare opportunity to twelve ASP students by educating them about a new world of culture and communication.
Michael Ricard, the director of ASP, had been considering adding a new course since the summer of 2009 and was very interested in creating a class that would compliment the languages already offered at ASP. He embraced the idea of offering an Introduction to Arabic course and never worried about it being successful. His guess proved correct, and the course saw the same level of interest as the Japanese and Chinese courses. He fully believes this success is related to the significance that the Arab culture holds in our present world, which has never been more apparent with the recent revolutions, wars, and religious unrest in the region.
So far the course is headed in a positive direction. It is moving at a fast pace, one which student Michaela Helble says is “super intense.” However, she is very excited to take part in the course and happy to take advantage of an opportunity she feels she couldn’t find anywhere else. “I didn’t expect to be able to write this quickly,” says Helble after only five days of class and adds, “Arabic looks like scribbles!” She and her classmates have flown through 250 pages of textbook and know the entire Arabic alphabet. The students are challenging their limits and showing excellent results.
Taught by Mohammed Defaa along with intern, Bronwen Callahan, the course’s main objective is not merely to teach the Arabic language. Ricard says it is aimed toward understanding the Arab world by “learning the culture and also in turn the language, which is very current in the world we live in today.” Ricard was impressed by Defaa and chose him to lead the course because he is a “good teacher who relates well to kids and gets them passionate about it.” Defaa is a native of Morocco and teaches at Merrimack Valley High School. He says teaching has, “changed the course of my life” and enjoys providing students with a “different perspective on what is going on in the Arab world.” Callahan is also extremely passionate about the subject. Initially picking up the language in college, she studied at New York University for two and a half years and lived in Beirut, Lebanon last year to experience the culture firsthand.
The course, designed by Defaa, focuses on Modern Standard Arabic. Callahan compares a person’s first exposure to Arabic as that of “a three year old coming up to you and saying ‘I’ll teach you my secret language!’” It is far from the structure of English and based on patterns and combinations of letters. Students listen to the dictations of words and use an audio CD to practice their listening and writing skills. They are also choosing current topics for a project, considering making native foods, while knowing a few surprises from their teachers are in store. Overall, the class strives to intertwine the language and the culture, which is very important to Callahan who says, “You cannot separate the two.”
Ricard is very enthused about the role the class is taking in the ASP community. “It brings balance and relevance,” says Ricard and is a “hot button topic in our country concerning international relations.” Ricard remains interested in adding new courses in the future, particularly a business and finance class to increase the ways that students can challenge themselves. It is certain that the Advanced Studies Program will continue to grow with new and diverse courses in the future.
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