Arabic 101
I know for sure that all Pharmacy students are required to take a foreign language as well as a ‘world studies’ course… but I am not sure whether the same foreign language requirement holds true for all other majors. Since I didn’t have much background in Arabic, I took 2 years of it in undergrad. The instructor was a White American woman…She holds a PhD in Arabic Literature and lived in Egypt for some quite years. I didn’t like her much! She was very difficult and always picked on me for no apparent reason…unless me asking constant questions was a reason?! I vividly recall the time when she went ballistic…:grin: She was explaining some concept about grammar that I couldn’t quite grasp. I asked her to clarify. minutes later, she asked a question (which I can’t exactly recall), I answered it. She told me I was wrong and that perhaps I should have paid attention to her lecture instead of asking questions through out. Of course, I didn’t appreciate her accusation nor her rude tone…I simply said, and I recall clearly: “my questions were an attempt to understanding your point. Apparently you weren’t clear enough! I answered the question based on how you explained the concept!” At this moment, she lost any patience she might have had…picked up a chair, threw it against the wall and walked out! Everyone in the class was in shock…a few minutes later, she came back in. Apologized to the class and went on. Ugh! I stayed after class and expressed my frustration with her. At least she apologized. ugh!
What brought those memories is an article I read in Asharq Alawsat that talks about Bush’s National Security Language Initiative that would encourage teaching Arabic in US schools. Margaret Spellings, the U.S Secretary of Education addressed George W Bush’s National Security Language Initiative that would allocate 22 million U.S dollars to teaching Arabic, Persian and Chinese in American schools, 188 thousand dollars of which will go towards expanding Arabic and Chinese classes. Spellings stated that the decision was based on the fact that “China and the Middle East have now become a new American market for exchanging products and ideas.” She added, “We want to learn other languages because it says, ‘we’re interested in you, we want to learn about your culture.” About time!
Congressman Tom Davis stated, “We live in a global economy so whatever is taking place now in China or the Middle East is no less important to what is happening the United States. This is why we want our students to learn the languages of these regions so as to be able to compete with others.” Davis highlighted the developments that have taken place since the 9/11 attacks and the American interest in combating terrorism and protecting national security. He said, “We have problems finding enough people who know these languages who could serve in the diplomatic, military and intelligence sectors.”
An official from the local government said, “Teaching Arabic will be introduced in other elementary schools and high schools in this constituency other than Annandale High.” He added that in the near future, the county would establish a website to teach the Arabic language whereby a teacher from one of the schools that offer Arabic classes would deliver a virtual lesson so that all parts of Virginia can have access to learning the language.
This is actually a positive step. When I was in high school, Arabic was not an option. I took Spanish for 3.5 years. Had Arabic been available, I would definitely have taken it then and would have taken Hebrew in undergrad.
Laith Abu Talib, a 16-year-old student from Annandale High, was born in Jordan and came to the United States with his family at a young age where he attained U.S citizenship. He told Asharq Al Awsat that he had forgotten most of the Arabic language after arriving in the United States; therefore, he wants to make the most of the new programs. He said, “I want to become a doctor and go back to Jordan, therefore I need to have knowledge of the Arabic language so that I can talk to my patients.”
Paula Patrick, the foreign language coordinator of Fairfax schools stated that half of the students who are learning Arabic are non-Arabs and that the experience is new so there would be some difficulties before Arabic is taught as a second language in America.
