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Location: Oman
Dates of program: June – August, 2012
Hosting institution: World Learning, in partnership with the School for International Training (SIT)
Language offered: Arabic
Levels offered: Advanced beginning, intermediate, advanced

Program Structure

The Muscat Arabic institute covers approximately one academic year of university-level Arabic coursework during the eight-week program, and is designed to meet the needs of students from a variety of language levels and backgrounds, from students who have one year of university-level Arabic training or the equivalent (advanced beginning) to advanced learners.
Formal classroom language instruction is provided for an average of four hours per day, five days per week, with a minimum of 20 hours per week of classroom instruction. The instruction will be balanced between Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and the Omani dialect. Extracurricular activities are designed to supplement the formal curriculum, including regular one-on-one meetings with peer tutors for conversational practice, as well as cultural activities and excursions designed to expand students’ understanding of Omani life and culture in the broader tapestry of the Arab world.

CLS Oman students at Nizwa Fort.

Students will stay in a hotel for the duration of the institute. All rooms are double-occupancy. Some meals will be provided, and a stipend will cover additional meals and incidentals.

World Learning is a global non-profit organization with operations in more than 75 countries. Through its international education programs – The Experiment in International Living, SIT Study Abroad, and SIT Graduate Institute – World Learning fosters global citizenship by connecting over 3,000 young ambassadors annually across cultural differences and social barriers.

Through its International Development Programs, World Learning practices what it teaches, undertaking community-driven international development, training, and exchange projects in 20 countries. Over 75 years, World Learning has built a deep and diverse array of offerings and services that transform lives and strengthen the capacity of communities and institutions to address pressing global needs.

Outcomes

In 2010, the CLS Program adopted the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) as an additional measure of the effectiveness and quality of the institutes overseas. Before the program, students take a diagnostic OPI test; at the end of their eight-week course of study, they take an ACTFL-certified post-program OPI assessment. The scores on these tests give students a concrete, widely-recognized measure of their speaking skills in MSA. In addition, students’ writing and reading abilities are assessed throughout the program in a variety of ways.

“CLS!” Arabic language students in Oman.

Student Activities

In the summer of 2011, a group of students attended the Kharif Festival, a carnival launched to highlight the monsoon season in Oman. The student experienced Omani music, dance, and displays of national heritage, culture, and traditions from some of the most acclaimed artists and performers in the nation.

Alumni Highlights

2008 alumna Elizabeth Buckner works as a Research Assistant for the Arab Reform Project, which is part of the Freeman Spogli Institute's Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law. She helps to translate numerous academic articles from Arabic to English on Yemen's current political and economic situation, as well as monitor media from Al-Manar for researchers.

Program Highlights

View videos, read highlights, and more on the CLS Blog!

Alumni Ambassadors

Nicholas Martino, '11	Madison Paul, '11 (Jordan)	Erica Vasquez, '11 (Morocco)	Katie Bentivoglio, '10 & '11 (Tunisia)	Leanna Pohevitz, '09, '10, & '11 (Egypt '09, Tunisia '10 & '11)