Arabic is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world. It is one of the official languages of the United Nations and the religious language of a billion and a half Muslims, as well as of millions of Christians and Jews. Political and economic developments in the Arab world and parts of the Middle East, like the internationalization of businesses and professions around the world, have made understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Arabic an increasingly valuable skill. Arabic is also a language with a rich literary and cultural heritage that deserves to be studied in its own right. The major in Arabic Language and Cultures equips you to understand the political, social, and cultural importance of the Arab world and its complex regional significance on the global stage. It is focused on the acquisition both of language skills and of cultural competency. You can major in Arabic with or without prior knowledge of the language. To complement your language study (taught in Arabic), you will have, each semester, a wide range of Arabic literature, culture, art, and film classes (taught in English) to choose from. Not all culture courses are offered every semester, so please consult the departmental website and the university timetable to learn which units are offered any given semester. Our teaching is strongly focused on student participation, communication, and cultural immersion. This means that a major in Arabic Language and Cultures will help you develop both communicative Arabic language skills and cultural competency. You will gain the background knowledge necessary to understand the diversity of Arab societies today and over time, and be equipped to conduct cross-regional projects and to interrogate geo-cultural boundaries.
