Comment on this article Inside the Blue Book
Crossing the Cultural Divide
by Jennifer L. Holley
March 2003 NELC 421 : Elementary Modern Standard Arabic
Faculty: Bassam Frangieh, Senior Lector Even prior to September 11, which made knowledge of the Middle East more important than ever to Americans, Bassam Frangieh had high enrollments in his Arabic classes. But this year, he saw an increase of a dozen students in the beginning course, Modern Standard Arabic. About 65 students shopped the class, and 35 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled. Sticking with Arabic, however, takes much more than mere interest. Frangieh calls it “one of the world’s most sophisticated and complex languages,” and a challenge to the students, many of whom have not heard or even seen the language before. “The most difficult aspects are the grammar, which is hard to master, and the vocabulary, which is vast,” he says.
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Students hope the class will help them catch Osama bin Laden or marry an Arab prince.
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Students' specific reasons for taking the class are as varied as the group is diverse. Some students want to visit the legendary places described in Arabian Nights in the original language. A couple said they think Arabic will help them in their quest to catch Osama bin Laden in the caves of Afghanistan. One student said she wanted to marry an Arab prince. “I lost track of her, so I don’t know if she has achieved her goal yet,” says Frangieh. Students watch films; read poetry, literature, and excerpts from the Koran and the Arabic press; and discuss many aspects of Arab traditions. Increased interest in Arabic has created what Frangieh describes as “an opportunity for American students to gain an understanding of a vastly different part of the world through the language.” Whether students taking beginning Arabic will enroll in a continuing course next year is yet to be seen. Frangieh says, “It will be interesting to see if, due to the recent situation with North Korea, students will drop Arabic in order to study Korean!”  |
