Release date: June 27, 2002
Contact: Deb Hammacher, Associate Director, Media Relations,
at 404-727-0644 or dhammac@emory.edu

Demand for Arabic Courses Soars at Universities in 2002

For American college students, the world has expanded beyond Europe when it comes to foreign language instruction. Interest in learning Arabic has soared since Sept. 11, and America’s universities and colleges are rushing to meet the demand.

At Emory University, enrollment in Arabic 101 has nearly doubled, compared to the previous seven years the language has been offered. In Arabic courses across the board at Emory, enrollment is nearly at capacity, reflecting a trend universities and colleges across the country are experiencing, says Mahmoud Al-Batal, associate professor of Middle Eastern and South Asian studies at Emory University.

Much of the recent growth at Emory can be attributed to Sept. 11, says Al-Batal, along with the growing strength and reputation of the department.

Prior to Sept. 11, there had been a slow, but steady, rise in the number of Arabic programs and students studying the language across the country, says Al-Batal. While just a handful of universities offered Arabic as an option 20 years ago, it is more common now, and more schools are adding Arabic to meet demand.

One result of this sudden jump in interest is the need for qualified Arabic instructors, impacting what was already a shortage of talent, he says. "This is an area where instruction falls short, which I think can be blamed in part on a general lack of appreciation in the country’s academic culture of the importance of language," Al-Batal says.

Emory is working to close the gap. The Department of Middle Eastern Studies recently won a three-year federal grant under the Department of Education Middle Eastern Studies Resource Center Program (Title VI), resulting in more faculty and course offerings, plus increased outreach to the community and local schools. Emory’s Middle Eastern studies faculty, including Al-Batal and Kristin Brustad, literally wrote the book on Arabic language instruction as authors of some of the most widely used Arabic textbooks in the United States.

Students are attracted to the study of Arabic for a variety of reasons, Al-Batal says. Some seek academic careers in religious studies, literature and history; or see themselves working internationally or for security agencies in the United States. Others are motivated for personal reasons to study the language of their cultural and religious heritage, and some just want something different.

"There will probably be some leveling off of interest, but it depends always on the political and economic situation both at home and abroad," says Al-Batal.

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