Program Overview

Arabic is a diglossic language, for which two varieties exist: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), used mainly in written texts and formal settings, and Colloquial (Spoken) Arabic, which refers to the various dialects spoken in Arab countries and communities. Though these varieties complement each other, even after studying MSA there is often still a need to work specifically on spoken Arabic and to understand the differences in regional dialects. For this purpose, we offer the following Arabic courses during the summer:

• Introduction to Colloquial (Spoken) Arabic: Through this course students will acquire basic vocabulary and functional grammar that will contribute to fluency in colloquial Arabic. This course is designed for beginners who have little previous knowledge of MSA or Spoken Arabic.

• A Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) course: Arabic I. This course is for complete beginners in Arabic only. The course teaches students the Arabic alphabet and the basics of MSA, the lingua franca of the Arab world, used in written communication, literature and all formal and religious contexts. Students will also learn to correctly pronounce and identify Arabic sounds in context, understand the basic grammar and vocabulary of MSA, read and translate basic texts. The courses will focus on developing reading, writing and listening skills as well as the acquisition of a basic vocabulary.

Students may be able to enroll in Introduction to Colloquial (Spoken) Arabic and Arabic I (MSA) at the same time. Alternatively, students can enroll in just one course. Each course (Spoken, Arabic I) is worth 4 academic credits.

Alongside the academic aspect, one half day course field trip will be offered such as a program-specific day trip in Jaffa or Ramla.

In addition to coursework, cultural evening activities and overnight excursions around the country are offered by our Student Life Team; these activities and excursions are included in the price of tuition. Past excursions have included such places as to the North of Israel, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem. Past evening activities have included walking tours of Jaffa, graffiti tours in Tel Aviv, and night tours of Caesaria. Precise dates, times and other details for these activities and excursions will be announced closer to the program start date.