60 likes | 191 Views
Lessons from a Year Living in Jordan. Overview. Most important suggestion from my studies: focus on the duality of the language, العامی ة as well as الفصحى The situations in which each should be used How it affects the mission of US military and other government forces
E N D
Overview • Most important suggestion from my studies: focus on the duality of the language, العامیة as well as الفصحى • The situations in which each should be used • How it affects the mission of US military and other government forces • What can be done about it • Conclusion: what can be taken from this
My story • Studied 2 years of Arabic at USAFA prior to living in the Middle East • Travelled and studied for 6 weeks in Summer ‘09 with USAFA language immersion program in Amman, Jordan • Returned to study Arabic independently of USAFA with CIEE September ‘09-May ‘10 • Surprise: inability to communicate until I learned the colloquial dialect
When to speak as a local, when to speak properly Local context Proper context • Dealing with the average person in ME society • When trying to win “hearts and minds” of the populace • When speaking to someone of high educational or royal status
What can be done about it? • -Picture courtesy of Google Images
The Takeaway • Most importantly, infuse some form of colloquial Arabic into the curriculum • The presence of colloquial Arabic is more important than the particular dialects • Some are more feasible to teach than others due to available teachers and immersion locations