The Arabic area of the Department of Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communication is pleased to announce its first study abroad program in Rabat, Morocco, for 4 weeks from July 15th until August 15th, 2015. If you have a dream of discovering exotic horizons, Morocco is the best place to spend an unforgettable learning experience through exploring the most interesting and most popular parts of Morocco like imperial cities Rabat, Marrakesh, and Fes.
If you are interested this summer, please apply as soon as possible: we cannot take more than 15 participants, and we will have to cancel if there are fewer than 10. Final deadline is April 1st. but we will accept application on a rolling basis, so don’t wait!
This opportunity is intended for students who will have completed at least intermediate Arabic level. Student who are planning to minor in Arabic are urged to take advantage of it. This is 3 credits upper-level Arabic course (Arabic 325: Introduction to Arabic Dialect). This course gives students a basic understanding of the linguistics of the Arabic dialects, and of the theory and practice of Arabic dialectology; to give them a solid foundation for future in-depth study of Egyptian (masri), Levantine (shami), or Moroccan (darija) Arabic; and to give them the tools to enable them to independently acquire communicative competence in other Arabic dialects they might encounter in the course of their studies and beyond.
Costs for the program will be $4,040 (this budget was evaluated based on the currency change of the summer 2014, the US dollar has significantly increased in the last few months, which is good!). This fee is for 3 credits and will cover
- Four weeks of intensive instruction in small classes, taught by native speakers of Arabic
- Housing in Rabat at hotel full board
- Housing in Rabat homestay full board
- Excursions (Fes & Marrakesh: Hotel, Meals, guided tour, mineral water)
- Transfer between Casablanca airport or train station and homes
- Medical insurance
- On-site UMBC faculty advisor
- Access to email and Internet use at the CCCL
- Tours and excursions in Rabat and the region (some included, some at extra cost, such as museums)
The basic price does not include airfare. The faculty advisor will recommend a flight for students who wish to travel together with him, but each participant is free to select an individual plan for getting to Rabat/Casablanca.
Please note that this is not a travel program. Its goals are linguistic and cultural. Students will have two weekends on which to make short trips. We expect participants to commit to the academic goals of the program.
Program size is limited to 15 students. Students at upper-level Arabic will be given priority consideration. Other factors that will be taken into account include grades in most recent Arabic course, overall GPA, and the short interview with Dr. Samir El Omari.
For answers to any questions you might have about the program, contact:
Samir El Omari
Modern Language and Linguistics and Intercultural Communication (MLLI)
Sherman Hall, Room 146
UMBC
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
Email: samir1@umbc.edu