Study Arabic Abroad- Frequently Asked Questions

(Know beforehand all what you could face, because when you know more, you always can make a better choice)

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01. Can I have family stay and reserve a house/apartment before I arrive?
02. How many courses/lessons do I need to be fluent?
03. How do I calculate my courses cost?
04. Should I pay the course fee in advance?
05. I studied some Arabic before, would it be useful?
06. Can I join a class or a group of other students?
07. Do you recommend studying spoken or written Arabic?
08. Most people did tourism. How similar is it to cultural experience?
09. What is the separatist Arabic program?
10. What is the "Shared Arabic"?
11. Are you a big institute/organization or a small group?
12. Can your students get stay permit?
13. Can I study only written Arabic? I don't care about speaking.
14. Do you use translation in your lessons?
15. Is studying Arabic for a few weeks useless?
16. What is the sensitive stage of studying Arabic?
17. Is your program religious - Islamic?
18. How's your study and class atmosphere?
19. Is exchanging lessons (Arabic for English, French etc.) useful?
20. What do you think of on-line study?
21. Can I contact you by phone, fax, normal mail or a visit?
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01. Can I have family stay and reserve a house/apartment before I arrive?

Concerning houses, one cannot decide (choose and reserve) before arrival due to the nature of this business (everyday, different houses/apartments could be available), but there are always many options. So, you choose when you come. As for staying with family, it's good but not necessary, because it would be no privacy unless one is staying for a short period and studying intensively. The best alternative for maintaining both minimum privacy and enough social interaction is making fast language progress, and then mixing with many people from different classes.

02. How many courses/lessons do I need to be fluent?

Achieving fluency in spoken and written Arabic (Fast Course) takes approximately six months, 300 to 400 hours, 150 to 200 lessons (starting from the alphabet and taking private individual lessons. Groups take 30 to 60 percent longer, depending on the size of the group. Still, several factors affect the student's progress such as the student's adaptation, dedication and everything that happens in the student's daily life, and whether it is focused on language and culture or, for example, considered tourism and vacation. In case the student is staying for longer time, he can study less (after finishing the beginning and intermediate level) and experience more. Then, language becomes a real living cultural experience by sharing in many activities and learning from unlimited sources (real fun).

03. How do I calculate my courses cost?

Calculation of the course fee is dependent on the length of stay and ambition. An intensive study for one student would be two to three hours a day, and for a group would be two to four hours a day, five or six times a week. Accordingly, the weekly lessons can take ten to twenty hours. Then, calculating the course fee is easy for individuals and groups (e.g. a course of four levels is 200 hours, about 4000$ for an individual and 1500$ for a small group member). Naturally, long term study (three to nine months or more) is recommended and prioritized, because it gives both, us and the students, a better chance for language mastering and cultural immersion (we don't teach just for work and money, real progress has to be made). Due to the many requests we receive everyday, the limited number of students that we can handle and the fact that we run courses only on request, any course plan is only confirmed after payment the course fee. Don't like calculating hours and money and the concern of finishing your hours before achieving fluency? Ok, take our special offer for our Fast Course.. see in language courses page.

04. Should I pay the course fee in advance?

Actually, it happens that we plan for several months with many students, and we wait and prepare schedule and materials, but they never come. Therefore, any course plan is not secured before paying the course fee in advance through the bank. This is not obligatory, but it helps students guarantee their plan. Because we cannot start a course anytime. Don't trust people on the net with a lot of money? No hard feeling.. ask about our reputation all over Northern Europe and USA, particularly, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Britain & other countries. Ask for a money receipt for your payment or ask for a contract. Search about us on the Internet (IRAMES Group, Hussein Maxos or just hmaxos.com).  Ask the nearest Arabic or Middle East studies department, or just see the links to us and read what they say about us on the net.

05. I studied some Arabic before, would it be useful?

How helpful the student's background is hard to predict due to the controversial nature of Arabic. In other words, is Arabic the spoken or the written type? If spoken, is it Syrian, Egyptian or Bedouin-Gulf? If written, is it the classical-literary or modern written? The student's background can be any of the mentioned types of Arabic, but with our open-minded strategy of combined spoken and written, we explain all types of Arabic within the frame of the mother Arabic linguistic system. Thus, any previous study is acknowledged, and any gaps and incomplete understanding made by separatist or localist programs are bridged and connected to the Shared Arabic with more focus on the contemporary popular language. We receive a lot of criticism from the dominant educational clergy (Arabs and orientalists) because of our scientific and liberal approach, which is the main reason for our success and the students' satisfaction.

06. Can I join a class or a group of other students?

Regarding the possibility of joining a group, it is uncommon to find a group with the same level, schedule and interest if they are not already a group, especially in Arabic because of several reasons including the controversialism mentioned above. Still, individual lessons proved to be the best choice in terms of time and efforts saving, particularly for beginning and intermediate students. However, we don't mind if students or two groups merge.

07. Do you recommend studying spoken or written Arabic?

Unfortunately, Arabic and Arabist language education are deeply and bitterly divided to "pro-spoken" and "pro-written" due to ideological reasons, although the "pro-written" is stronger party. Those non-natives who are interested in Arabic pay the price of this division-separatism more than anyone else. In fact, both spoken and written Arabic are endlessly interlinked and important, because they perform different functions and provide the students with different skills. For example, spoken provides fast fluency and written provides rich vocabulary. The truth is that spoken is just a simplified version of written (statistical spoken-written Arabic comparison is underway). Therefore, it is easier and necessary to start with spoken in order to make fast progress and get fluency (which will be reflected positively on the later study of written), and benefit from the speaking society.

08. Most people did tourism. How similar is it to cultural experience?

Some people plan for a study abroad as if they are planning for a tourist trip somewhere in the world. They want to know every single detail. Studying language and culture is very different. In tourism you get any kind of information from the tourist agency beforehand including hotel stay, meals, transportation, the daily plan/activity etc. In cultural studies many things depend on the students efforts. Tourism is made to be as easy and comfortable as possible. One just has to relax and enjoy his senses (see, taste, hear, touch) without having to understand. Cultural study is based on understanding and making serious efforts to get involved in the local atmosphere, especially the human side in contrast to being interested in dead cities, nature or business. Most of the student's progress depends on how he will react in the new circumstances. In addition, improvement in a certain stage (e.g. the intermediate level) is dependent on the progress in the beginning stage, and the more the student learns, the more options he has (maybe minor or major options but substantial to the study) which he was not aware of before. That's why it is difficult to plan accurately for a cultural experience.

09. What is the separatist Arabic program?

The separatist strategy is the dominant in teaching Arabic. A separatist written Arabic program avoids whatever shared with spoken Arabic of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, and a separatist spoken program does the same by focusing on very local dialect and slang. They glorify one's own type of language and stigmatize the other type. This happens due to several reasons including the lack of scientific approach and the use of language as fundamental part of the institutional own ideologies (Localism-separatism, Sectarianism, Nationalism etc.). In fact, the Shared Arabic exists, and it is the best way for fast progress and wide understandability. All the differences of spoken-written Arabic are natural and smaller than claimed to be, and can be explained scientifically, and the Arabic diversity is truly enjoyable. (see "problems of spoken-written Arabic" in http://hmaxos.com

10. What is the "Shared Arabic"?

The conventional reverend division of Arabic to eloquent and slang made by dogmatic educators and elitist ruling groups is inaccurate and baseless. This division emphasizes the different part of written Arabic, aims to marginalize the common Arab people, and disconnects the glorious past (represented by classical-written Arabic) from the present. Arabic is one language that enjoys interesting variety within great consistency and uniformity. Arabs have in common much more than classical elitist language. Shared Arabic is what's in common between spoken Arabic dialects, modern written and classical Arabic. It is what all Arabs share, highly or modestly educated Arabs. Shared Arabic is the live language that's achieved by comparison, open-minded strategy and scientific interpretation of the Arabic language and cultural diversity. The Shared Arabic is taken from the universal theories of studying second languages, e.g. when we study English, they (the program and teachers) compare between what they say in Britain and US. They choose the most common vocabulary and practical grammar, they start with the easiest contemporary part, they explain scientifically the language development and diversity etc. Why this is normal in modern world languages and not in Arabic? Because they (in world languages) don't suffer localism, sectarianism, clergy-elitist rule supported by western intervention and traditional orientalism as we do suffer in Arabic (the Arab world). -------------
Noam Chomsky, The American linguist and political analyst, in his book Language and Responsibility says: "In the old Ottoman Empire, regions such as the Levant incorporated numerous local communities, related to each other in various ways, and with a good deal of linguistic variation as well. Nobody spoke the Classical Arabic taught in schools, but the so-called dialects were considered inferior. The intervention of the Western imperial powers led to a system of states, leaving bitter and unresolved conflicts and antagonisms, a system in which each individual must define himself as belonging to a nation or a nation-state. It is a system imposed from the outside on a region ill-adapted to it". ---------

11. Are you a big institute/organization or a small group?

I am a researcher and teacher developing modern Arabic program and teaching materials and resources. I also have a small private group with limited capacity for teaching only serious and motivated students. We used to have a big program and taught hundreds of students a year. Now, we don't mind teaching fifteen, twenty or maximum fifty students a year, but they have to achieve remarkable progress necessary for the program development. Unfortunately, there are many institutes who keep running their program unchanged even if the majority of their students fail to achieve the progress they expect. For us, this is unacceptable, and the program (course materials and methods) have to be reviewed after every course. Although we are trying to keep it small, the staff could grow or shrink according to the planned courses. After the Arabic language, the students are encouraged to engage in more and new activities, study or research such as Arabic music, Arabic calligraphy and Arabic dance, Arabic food etc. So, we use the services of others courses, teachers, agents and volunteers.

12. Can your students get stay permit?

The tourist stay is the easiest solution. Anyone gets one or two months renewable stay until six months or eight months. Those who want to stay a year or more can register at the university as listening students.

13. Can I study only written Arabic? I don't care about speaking.

No, if you don't know spoken Arabic and don't care about speaking, our program is not the right one for you. You'll find hundreds of other programs. In our strategy, your study of written Arabic has to be based on good speaking skills such as pronunciation and fluency that are achieved only through spoken. Then, written comes to add more skills such as rich vocabulary and analytical skills. Still, studying conversation in MSA or written Arabic has to be only in very advanced level. Frankly, those who want to speak MSA try to be better than native speakers, which is not impossible! It is just harder, takes much longer time and rarely useful. When we learn foreign language, we try to imitate the (average educated) native speakers not to be better than them from the beginning.

14. Do you use translation in your lessons?

Some programs use translation all the time. Other programs don't use translation at all. Teaching adults requires often immediate explanation in beginning and intermediate levels, the role which translation can temporarily play. So, we use functional translation that disappears gradually as students advance. Then, only Arabic is used, except sometimes for terminology and expressions comparison.

15. Is studying Arabic for a few weeks useless?

If it is the alphabet, it is OK. If Arabic is very different from your first language, and you have no chance to continue soon, don't waste your time and money. In fact, if you don't get fluency, you soon will forget almost everything, because for the human brain, new language is new way of thinking, and if the new language system is incomplete, it doesn't make sense. Then, memory will get rid of it. By contrast, those who achieve fluency can maintain their language for several years without intensive practice.

16. What is the sensitive stage of studying Arabic?

The sensitive stage is the beginning and intermediate levels when student's understanding of language of culture is not strong yet. The problem is that the easy choices available at the student's arrival are staying in the tourist area, socializing with foreigners and studying in a separatist program. That means an isolation and then a certain failure. The sensitive period has to be finished as soon as possible, so student can relax with confidence and have time to learn from unlimited number of people. That means escaping the trap of tourist agencies and foreign organizations services and circles. Nothing really serious, but they just help students waste their time and they overcharge when they offer a service, because of their commission corrupt system, and because their contacts are limited to few agents who speak foreign language. In addition, students could face big number of people who want to practice foreign languages or want to go abroad or to the West. All these problems become easy to avoid after achieving minimum fluency in Arabic and becoming aware of the situation.

17. Is your program religious - Islamic?

Our program is secular and liberal. Islam for us is a culture and heritage which explain noticeable area of living human activities. We deeply respect Islam, Christianity and other Arab-Middle Eastern religions.

18. How's your study and class atmosphere?

Our classes are never like business meetings, despite our strict policy in achieving language fluency and cultural immersion. We have family and friends atmosphere, informal and spontaneous, because cultural study needs an open heart and mind. We care about the students and offer many free advice and services. We keep in touch with many of them several years after they left.

19. Is exchanging lessons (Arabic for English, French etc.) useful?

Yes, but outside the Arab world where Arabic native speakers are few. Inside the Arab world, it is not necessary and confusing before achieving fluency. Due to the richness of Arabic, one has to establish a firm ground in language which will explain the later varieties. Jumping early to the varieties and without professional approach would cause great confusion.

20. What do you think of on-line study?

Actually, some kinds of studies (e.g. sciences that don't belong to certain part of the world) could do in that way with the available technology. The language and cultural studies by nature require emotional and intellectual involvement. Many practical difficulties in language and how it is implemented in the daily life need close and personal attention. On-line language study is not enough or a satisfying way in the visible future.

21. Can I contact you by phone, fax, normal mail or a visit?

Of course. Actually, using the email alone is not secured all the time. Because of the huge amount of junk/spam commercial mails, the good mail becomes a small part, and some of it could be erased by mistake. Please Call whenever you need to, also because talking to a human makes one feel more secure and real. The web has a lot of cheating and deception.
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We understand the student's curiosity and concerns. One just has to understand the special situation of studying Arabic, especially in the beginning/sensitive period. We promise the best support to help the students in their language-culture studying-living experience.

Hussein Maxos
http://hmaxos.com