My Arabic skill at the moment is limited to a basic knowledge of the grammar and mechanics of the language. My speaking proficiency is decent, but I lack a vocabulary level necessary to have a sustained conversation and had no access to regular interaction back in the states in classical Arabic. Even here, I am careful who I practice the language with, because my intent it to learn fuSHa, or classical Arabic. The vast majority of Egyptians speak colloquial Arabic specific to this region, which varies in terms of pronunciation and vocabulary for the most part. In many ways, the colloquial detracts from the classical. Even here, I find it difficult to converse with locals because I don’t want to get used to the colloquial. Many can understand me when I speak fuSHa, but I am in a bind when I attempt to discern their colloquial verbiage. In these cases, one of us will usually switch to English in order to maintain the conversation (usually the “other” in the conversation will do so). Unfortunately this fact, as well as having to speak in English with the none ALI (Arabic Language Intensive) international students detracts at least some from my goal of being conversant by the end of my time in the Middle East. In any case, it is something that must be dealt with, and I must utilize the time by going off campus and seeking interactions only in Arabic by speaking with the native population, most of which only know Arabic. In a later entry, I will go more in-depth with respect to the linguistic features of fuSHa and Egyptian colloquial.
I am now enrolled in 5 Arabic courses (3 core classes and 2 electives respectively): Grammar, Vocabulary, Printed Media, Reading & Writing, and Listening. What is great about the program at AUC is that the core component includes all the same students. This is a great way to streamline the learning process and create a small group of students, usually no more than 5, all reviewing the same material so that they can study together and practice speaking together. This, in tandem with bracketing various elements of the language and designating different teachers to specialize in each one allows for a comprehensive environment for language learning that is among the best I have seen anywhere.
All of that said, despite the headache I experienced the first weekend with the bureaucracy at AUC (see blog entry #2), I tip my hat to their Arabic Language department. The professors and academics once again prove to be the bread & butter of the institution and the students are (or should be) the rising intellectuals who will take their theoretical knowledge and apply in the discourse of everyday life. This is my goal with Arabic: to reach a point where I will be able to translate texts and make educated commentary on the Middle East utilizing technical mastery of the language’s finer points (morphology, vocabulary, case endings, sentence structure, etc) along with application of the language through practice with laymen and scholars alike to develop an even more keen sensibility towards Arab and Muslim sociopolitical concerns as they relate to the world.
I hope to spend some more time drawing observations in the coming weeks once I find a financially feasible and hassle-free way of getting into Old Cairo and other parts of Egypt so that I can really immerse myself in the culture of Egypt (and, hopefully, other parts of the Middle East when summer rolls around).
For those who can read Arabic, you’ll notice that “Pizza” is transliterated directly from the English. With “Papa John’s,” there is no avoiding this as it is a proper noun. However, with a common noun such a pizza, coffee, or the like, I found it interesting that many establishments, whether they originated in the US or not, tend to write Arabic script transliterated from the English as opposed to using the Arabic translation. (i.e; كوفي instead of قهوة) Just a small observation of a linguistic marker of the East/West binary evident in Cairo.
Note: Click the tab on the blog entitled “Arabic Studies” for a look at some of the material I am using inside and outside of my courses.
