WHY STUDY ARABIC?

Students choose to study Arabic for a variety of reasons.


Some study it as part of their academic work, and to satisfy general interest in the people and cultures of the Arabic speaking world.

Arabic can be useful to students with a background in political science or international studies who see the urgent demand for Arabic in contemporary world affairs.

Some students take Arabic to help them get jobs both with the government or non-government agencies operating in the Arab world.

Students of Arab descent often take Arabic to better understand this heritage and gain familiarity with the language of a parent or grandparent.

Muslim students usually take Arabic in order to read the Qur’an and other religious texts.

Learning Arabic will open to you a vast body of literature and art, as well as offer opportunities for interaction with other Arabic speakers.

group of arabic students

A deep and abiding interest in the Arabic language and Arab culture will be the single most useful tool in overcoming the inevitable challenges of learning a language such as Arabic. Not everyone who studies Arabic will make a career out of it. Whether you see Arabic as an intellectual challenge, a means to connect with your heritage, a door to a new and unknown world, or a key to a career path, we hope you will also see it as an invaluable tool for intercultural communication and understanding.

WHAT IS ARABIC?


Arabic and its beautiful script are used by around 250 million people in the Arab world as their native language. Furrthermore, for 1.2 billion Muslims all over the world Arabic is a language of high importance.


Arabic is usually divided in 3 different varieties:

Classical Arabic


is the oldest type of Arabic that is studied widely. It is the language of the Qur’an and texts from the classical age of the Islamic empire .

Colloqial Arabic


or 'aammiyya, refers to the regional dialects used in everyday discourse and popular culture media (music, movies, etc.).

Modern Standard Arabic


(MSA) is related to Classical Arabic and is the language of  correspondence, literature and  media (newspaper,  TV,  internet).

To become fluent in Arabic, you need to develop proficiency in MSA and one of the dialects. Your choice of which dialect to study depends on your academic and career goals.

Contact our Student Counseler if you feel you need help to decide

which program suits you best!

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