So before my adventure begins, I wanted to fill you all in on the details (or at least the basics) of my travels. Right now, there are a lot of up-in-the-airs but I will keep you posted as plans solidify. But as of this moment, this is how my plan stands:
On June 5th, (Hannah's 25th Birthday!!!!!!!) I will be flying to Jordan. I arrive in Amman (the capital city of Jordan) but my program will be held in Irbid, Jordan. That is in the north, not too far from the Golan Heights, for you Israel fans out there ;)
My program is CET's Intensive Arabic Language and Culture Studies in Irbid, Jordan program. I will be participating in both their summer and fall programs. This means I will be there from June until the beginning of August, and then from August 28th until the beginning of December. I decided on this program for several reasons. They have what is called a "Language Pledge", which means I will not speak English while I am there. They also focus on integrating the students into Jordanian society. I will be living in an apartment with a Jordanian student, who attends Yarmouk University (the affiliated Jordanian University), as well as be paired with a Jordanian language partner. The language partner will help me learn the Jordanian Dialect. We will be given 'homework assignments' to do together such as take a taxi, buy clothing, haggle,... everyday type situations. These two students will become my friends and help integrate me into Jordanian life. Another thing I like about the program is that it is in Irbid, rather than in Amman. Most study abroad programs in Jordan are in Amman. This means there are lots of other Americans and Europeans, and it is less likely I will experience the real Jordan. If you want to know more about my program, you can visit their website. The link is: http://cetacademicprograms.com/programs/jordan/arabic-language-jordan/During the summer, I will only by taking two classes: Modern Standard Arabic fuss-ha, and Dialect aamayya (from what I have gathered, I think I will be learning a Levantine dialect called Hauran Arabic). Arabic has many different dialects. Because of the large geographical span of the Arabic speaking world, the dialects have developed. Fuss-ha has not changed because it is the what the prophet Muhammad spoke (Fun Fact: the language of the merchants) and thus the language of the Qur'an. It is what is used in politics and international television and international business. Most of the people living in the Levantine can understand the dialect I will be learning.
Classes will be held in the world renown language center at Yarmouk University in Irbid. This is the university where my roommate and language partner will be studying. CET has their own teachers and staff however, so I will not actually be attending Yarmouk University.
During the fall, I will be taking 4 classes: fuss-ha and aamayya like in the summer, as well as two classes in English. I know I said I wouldn't be talking in English on the program, but as my arabic is not good enough to study in yet, I will be learning about Arab Theater and Archaeology and History of Jordan in English.
There are also other classes I can take such as Arabic Calligraphy, belly dancing, and other fun Arabic things. They will take us on two or three excursions for each session, and I will get to see Petra!!!!! and other wonderful Jordanian sights like Wadi Rum but mostly I am excited about PETRA!!!!
After the fall session is done, I don't know if I will come home or if I will travel, or what will happen, but in the beginning of February, I will be studying in Israel- most likely in Tel Aviv at Tel Aviv University. I am attempting to get an internship there teaching kids English, so we shall see what happens with that. That program ends around June, and I will finally come home.
What this means for school:
So I know most of you reading this already know, but in case you forgot or there is someone who doesn't know, (this is on the interwebs after all) I just finished my sophomore year at George Washington University. I will be receiving credits for my fall and spring semesters abroad. No credits will transfer for my summer session because then I will be over my credits allowed for studying abroad. I had to fight tooth and nail, but I got them to approve everything I wanted to do, so all works out. The CET program was not pre-approved by GWU so I had to petition the study abroad office to let me go and get credit.
I have also been approved for my Special Interdisciplinary Major (SIM), Semitic Languages and Culture. the SIM just means that I created my own major. If you want to read a brief version of the grief they gave me for this major, read below. If you already know, skip it- its exhausting just thinking about it:
I came to GWU under the impression that they had a Semitic Languages major. After my gap year, however, the major had been revoked. I talked to the head of the Hebrew department in my freshman year, and he said by the next fall, it would be reinstated. Fall rolled around, and the head of the Hebrew department left to Israel to 'set up a GWU program at Tel Aviv University' (He has yet to return and there is no such program at TAU. Last I heard, he was in London. I wonder if he feels the bitter vibes I am sending in his direction for abandoning and lying to me). At the beginning of the spring semester, I began to write a proposal for my own major with the head of the Arabic department Professor Esseesy- a very nice man, but didn't really understand why I wanted to do BOTH Hebrew and Arabic, and why I didn't want to PICK one. Half way through writing my proposal, he told me the good news: the major had finally been approved!!! I dropped my proposal and filled out the paperwork for the new major. It took some convincing Esseesy that my year abroad would work with my major. He was convinced that a summer and fall speaking only Arabic and studying the language intensively would not get me to the same level as if I studied the language for 1.5 hours a day, 5 days a week. PS, the CET program is designed to improve you the equivalent of 1 year for each session. So essentially Esseesy didn't believe 2 years worth of Arabic would be the equivalent to one semester at GW. I know GW has a good Arabic program, but COME ON! Finally he agreed to sign my declaration of my major form and the next day I handed it in. It takes about a week to process. 2 days later, I stayed after class to ask prof Esseesy a question about the essay that was due. He said "I'm glad you're here. I wanted to mention that I suspended the major". My paperwork hadn't processed. I had a meltdown (in the privacy of my room, but still....I was PISSED). Apparently, no one except me wanted to study BOTH Arabic and Hebrew. People ONLY want to study Arabic. So I had to continue to work on creating my own major. I rewrote my proposal, drafted a course of study, and submitted it. It took a while because I had to track down Professor Esseesy for him to write a recommendation, and then he said he would just email it. I submitted it and they told me the meeting for April was already booked so I would have to wait until May. If I needed to change the proposal around, or if they rejected it, I would have no time to fix it before I went abroad, and would no longer be approved for study abroad because I would not have a major. Lucky for me, it all worked out. But I HATE the bureaucracy of GW SO MUCH!
Anyways, that is a summary of my year abroad. From June to June, although there is potential for me to return in December....I should really decide on that soon.
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