Arabic

!أهلاً وسهلاً ومرحباً بكم في صفحة برنامج اللغة العربية في لويس وكلارك

Arabic (al-ʻarabiyya) includes Classical/Quranic Arabic (CA), Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), and a wide range of spoken varieties including but not limited to Moroccan daarija, Egyptian ʻaamiyya, and Lebanese lahja. One encounters MSA, referred to as al-fuSHaa “the most eloquent (Arabic),” in literature, academia, the media, and formal speech. Arabic is the native language of more than 250 million people worldwide, making it the fifth most commonly spoken language in the world. It is the official language or one of the official languages of over 20 countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and northern Sub-Saharan Africa.

Providing more opportunities for Arabic study in the US is key to fostering a greater understanding of the Arabic-speaking world. Acquiring awareness of and insight into the language and culture of the Arab world encourages the exploration of new approaches and resolutions to US-Arab relations and conflicts. In addition to being identified by the US Department of State as a critical less commonly taught language (LCTL), Arabic is a poetic language with a rich literary and cultural heritage. The study of written Arabic opens up access to the tribal poetry of pre-Islamic Arabia, some of the earliest grammatical texts in the world, the Quran and Islamic scholarship, modern Arab anti-colonial poetry and prose, the Arab media, et cetera. Studying Arabic dialects prepares and encourages second language learners to communicate with Arabic speakers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and its diasporas. These students can expect to encounter limitless warmth and hospitality, delicious foods, a plethora of music and dance varieties, and stunningly unique art and architecture from throughout the ages.

At Lewis & Clark, courses focus on MSA with an accompanying and parallel introduction to either the Egyptian or Levantine dialect, depending on student interests and motivations. The Lewis & Clark Morocco Program provides further opportunities for the study of MSA and the Moroccan dialect. The sequence of Arabic 101, 102, and 201 satisfies LC’s foreign language requirement.

As of fall 2017, Lewis & Clark students can also pursue an interdisciplinary minor in Middle East & North African (MENA) Studies.  Lewis & Clark is the first liberal arts college in the Pacific Northwest to offer such a focused study, and the only higher-education institution in the region to integrate it into a robust overseas study program.  MENA minors study Arabic and a variety of MENA-related courses in Sociology & Anthropology, Religion, Political Science, History, and International Affairs departments.