Supplementary Courses, Modules, and Activities

Supplementary Courses

In addition to the core track programs, other skill-specific courses, including (but not limited to) Arabic for Diplomats, Tajweed (recitation), Newspaper Reading, Calligraphy, Grammar Intensive, Vocabulary of the Qur’an, and Arabic Poetry are available at extra cost, subject to demand. Private Tutoring is also an opportunity that many students take advantage of in order to advance and refine their skills while they’re here.

Supplementary courses typically meet twice weekly for a multiple week duration, and pose no scheduling conflict with one’s core classes. Here below is a glimpse at the two most popular of these supplementary courses, Ammiya and Tajwid, respectively.

Ammiya Course

Even the most experienced Arabic students will notice something in their first cab ride, or grocery store transaction in Amman: the locals don’t typically use the Fusha or Modern Standard Arabic they’ve been studying at university in the U.S. or U.K. for example.  While Fusha is widely understood here, and remains the language of the formal media, among other sectors, the spoken language is Jordanian Ammiya.

In other words, having a background in the local dialect is one of the best ways for students to maximize their daily interaction and communication.  And when effectively blended with one’s Fusha or Modern Standard Arabic training, Ammiya proficiency often measures the real depth of one’s verbal language skills.

As a popular complement to our core programs, Ammiya (Jordanian|Levantine Dialect) classes are offered in the evenings. This supplementary course is crafted to help students master local, everyday language usage, so that they feel better integrated into their regional surroundings, living and working among native Arab speakers in any setting. Ammiya is a recognized as a necessary facet of any student’s progression towards that coveted, native-like language proficiency.

If you are interested in this course, you may send an email query to Student Services to receive information about the next available course. On average, classes meet twice a week for six weeks during the fall, winter, and spring quarters, and three times a week for four weeks in the more compressed, summer term.

Tajwid

As a foundational course in the basics of correct Arabic pronunciation, this class helps students develop a more authentic Arabic accent, the ability to read Arabic texts with greater ease and, not to mention, increased confidence as an Arabic learner.  Based on a traditional Arabic science that dates back centuries, Tajwid enhances students’ appreciation of the complexities and beauty of the Arabic language and introduces its application as an art form in the medium of recitation.

Arabic Kitchen

The goal of this course to increase the cultural awareness of students through one of the cornerstones of Arab society – namely Arab cuisine. This course combines between language and culture, and theory and practice. In this course students will have first-hand experience of cooking five of the most popular Arab dishes. Through this experience students will learn Arab cooking theory, techniques and widely used vocabulary and expressions used while cooking. Students by the end of each session will enjoy the personally cooked meal with fellow students and instructors.

The course will be taught over five 3-hour sessions.

Arabic Calligraphy

This course aims to show students the importance of Arabic Calligraphy in Arab society. The course will discuss the history, development, types and common characteristics of Arabic Calligraphy. Students will also view and discuss samples of historical and contemporary calligraphy pieces. By the end of the course, students will have improved their writing of the Arabic script

Advanced Course Modules

Students who have achieved a higher level of fluency and want a deeper exploration of the language, to learn how to teach Arabic, or to focus on using their language skills to unlock, review, and translate texts, will also find a home at Qasid. Advanced instruction modules are custom designed and are subject to demand. Among the most popular are Historical Readings, Teaching Arabic Grammar and Morphology to non-Native Speakers, and Advanced Classical Texts.

Extra Academic Activities

It goes without saying that learning a language cannot be left to a private study of grammar rules and vocabulary lists; it must be brought to life. To this effect, Qasid hosts regular activities designed to encourage students, faculty, and administration to apply the lessons taught in the classroom.  Some of these events have included special guest lectures from leading figures from the fields of journalism and political science to philanthropy and charitable organizations.

Each semester, we also offer an inspiring workshop called “Sharpen Your Skills” aimed at teaching time-tested strategies for success in one’s Arabic studies.  By sharing just the right balance of motivation and practical tips, students leave this unique sesssion equipped to refine each of the core language skills (speaking, reading, writing and listening) while gaining the mindset needed to persevere and eventually attain fluency.

Student-centrered activities have also included campus-wide writing competitions that showcase the prodigious talents of Qasid students; and peer-to-peer tutoring pairings that mutually benefit beginning and advanced level students.  Regular events like an Arabic-only “Open-Mic”  and weekly dialogue forums on topical events are currently in development and planned for launch this summer.