sarucane

So i'm really interested in studying arabic in college, and i love Grinnell, but i really want to know what the program is like. is it taught by a native speaker, can you get any certification, can you study abroad in an arabic-speaking country, are there many other classes relating to the middle east?

bethievt

My son started taking Arabic last year at Grinnell. They have just one prof, but she is wonderful, according to my son. She is a native speaker. He is now studying in Rabat, Morocco along with several other Grinnell students as well as students from other US colleges. Don't know about certification. In Rabat, he is taking Moroccan History, Moroccan Culture, Gender, Society and Islam and Classical and Colloquial Arabic. Just walking around in the streets is an education. He is living with a Moroccan family.

ana92ksa

As bethievt said the Arabic teacher is highly regarded by the students and a native speaker herself. Grinnell also has a native speaker language assistance that runs the language lab. I think the LA is from Tunisia. In addition to the teacher and the LA there are two native speakers students that work as tutor, one from Iraq and the other from Egypt. So lots of native speakers and a diversity of accents too. I don't know about certigfication but Grinnell offers at least 3 different Arabic study abroad programs, the one mentioned by bethievt in in Marocco and also in Egypt and Jordan.

bethievt

There are at least 2 programs in Rabat because I know some other Grinnell students are studying there. And I think I meant Modern Standard Arabic rather than Classical. As far as I can tell, Grinnell seems to be working on developing a Middle Eastern Studies program, but, other than Arabic, I don't know what other coursework is offered. They were advertising last year for a prof to teach Middle Eastern History and Islamic Religious Traditions, so they probably offer at least that much.