Students attending the U of I’s Summer Institute for Languages of the Muslim World’s introductory course in Arabic say that’s it’s been full of pleasant surprises, not the least of which is how tired they are at the end of an intensive day.
These high school students, who have limited or no prior knowledge of Arabic, are enrolled in June to study Modern Standard Arabic. Upon completion they’ll earn two college credits.
This summer’s attendees, who came from as far away as Maine, said they found out about the course in various ways, including from Google searches, friends currently enrolled at U of I, or their high school teachers.
During the two-week program they learn foundational reading, writing, and speaking skills in the Arabic language through four hours of daily classroom instruction. Classroom work is followed by co-curricular activities, including conversation tables, research forum, films, cooking classes, calligraphy, field trips, and more.
Yosra Abdulwahid, a student from Oak Forest (Illinois) High School, said that the full day’s schedule is a lot to handle. “We’re so tired!” she exclaimed. Others in the group agreed, saying that even by 10 p.m. they are fatigued from an entire day of language and cultural activities.
Virginia Hugo-Vidal, a student from The Maine School of Science and Mathematics, in Buxton, Maine, said that she really likes the cultural component, including a visit to a local mosque and the campus’ outstanding cultural museum. Sarah Daoudi, who attends the Waynflete School in Portland, Maine, added that she especially enjoyed the Egyptian cooking class.
During the program, participants meet with college students, local Arabic community members, and live in a campus residence hall that includes Arabic-speaking support staff. All of these aspects of the program increase their knowledge of Arabic and help them to become more familiar with the cultural aspects of the language. And, significantly for the students’ experience, all this is taking place during the holy month of Ramadan.
Leigh Meyer, who’ll be a junior at New Trier High School in Wilmette, Illinois, next year, said she really likes being mixed with college students, not only to make new friends but because she finds it “motivating.” Abdulwahid agreed, stating that she didn’t expect to be mixed with college students, but likes it because they can ask older students questions about things such as majors and minors, scholarships, and advising.
Summer Institute for the Languages of the Muslim world (SILMW) is offered by the Less Commonly Taught Languages Program at the U of I. SILMW offers intensive courses in Arabic, Persian, Swahili, Turkish, and Wolof. SILMW promotes the study of less commonly taught languages critical to U.S. national interest in the 21st century.
The program is directed by Eman Saadah, senior lecturer in linguistics. To learn more about SILMW, visit its website.