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Rise in Demand for Arabic Courses
Mahmoud Yocoub points to a chair and tells the students of his Arabic class “kursi” and then taps the table and says “tawla”.
“You need to understand the root of Arabic words and learn it through association,” began Mahmoud Yocoub, introducing the language to a mixed group of Arabs, Europeans and Asians trying to further their careers in the UAE.
An Arabic language session in progress at the Eton Institute of Languages in Dubai Knowledge Village on Monday.—KT photo by Rahul GajjarEnrolment in Arabic teaching institutes have gone up this year with students trying to improve their job prospects and understanding of the local culture.
“Arabic comes second only to English in popularity among our courses,” said Moaz Khan, marketing manager of Eton Institute of Languages in Dubai Knowledge Village. “This year we have a 20 per cent higher admission rate for our Arabic courses,” he said.
Yocoub, who is licensed to teach the Modern Standard Arabic at the institute, said it is not easy to grasp the language since very few people converse in Arabic and not every dialect is understandable. “It is the standard Arabic that has to be taught to students. It is increasingly becoming a job requirement. Also, when you visit official places, you need to be aware of the language to understand documents that are only in Arabic,” he said.
British expatriate, Lucy Bush, is a month old in Dubai and wants to learn Arabic to fit in. “I want to eventually work here and knowing Arabic will help. Additionally, my husband’s work involves a lot of interaction with Arabs as well,” she said.
Martin Ashkuri said despite living in the Middle East for five years he had to join a beginners course. “This is a personal endeavour and though it may not be important for a job environment in Dubai, Arabic broadens your potential and possibilities,” he said.
The Arabic Language Center in the Trade Center has seen an increase of 15 per cent in Arabic learners. “A lot of companies contact us to teach their employees Arabic in groups. Since all official governmental communication is in Arabic and the culture is rooted in the language, people feel the need to learn it to retain their employment and enhance their careers,” said Nadia Wehbe, director, Business Development of the center.
The Centre for Language and Culture (CLC) at the University of Wollongong in Dubai has witnessed a steady rise in enrolment figures. “Many candidates, who seek employment in the Gulf after completing their studies, find that their career prospects improve dramatically when they display knowledge of Arabic language and culture,” said Shanae’ Reed, head of CLC.
Nicholas Tuchel said the current unemployed situation is the right time to learn the language. “I will be getting married to a Lebanese and want to understand her culture through the language,” he said.
The course is popular among non-Arabic speaking population, but even Arabs need to polish their language skills, noticed the institutes. “We have courses for Arabic speakers to perfect their language. A lot of these people study in western countries and work in multinationals and though they can converse in Arabic, they may not be able to conduct a business efficiently. The terminology and phrases in this case differs,” said Wehbe. Khan added that many Arab children are raised in foreign countries and thus are better acquainted with English. “We have many students of Arab origin but need to take this course because they have never been exposed to the language and culture,” he said. One such student at Eton is Nadia Sarie who is a Moroccan and has just begun a super-intensive summer course in Arabic. “My parents forgot to teach me the language,” she joked. “I will be visiting my grandparents soon and do not want to shock them with a complete lack of proficiency,” she said.
Afshan Ahmed
Khaleej Times