Release date: July 26, 2004
Contact: Deb Hammacher, Associate Director, University Media Relations,
at 404-727-0644 or dhammac@emory.edu

Arabic Enrollment Remains Strong Nationally

Enrollment in Arabic courses soared in the semesters following 9/11, and Emory University was no exception: Double the usual number of students enrolled in Arabic 101 following the attacks. While enrollment in Arabic at Emory has declined some since that peak, interest remains strong on campus and enrollment across the country continues to increase, according to Middle Eastern studies professor Kristen Brustad.

"Nationally, enrollment in Arabic both in university and government or continuing education courses is still increasing," says Brustad. The students studying Arabic at Emory have changed a lot in the last several years, and Brustad attributes that in part to career options now open.

"Most of our students are going on to graduate or professional school, so they aren't particularly career-minded at this stage," says Brustad, "but I think there is definitely a role played by career in the choice of Arabic. A smaller percentage of our students now are what we call 'heritage,' especially Muslim students who study Arabic for religious reasons. Such students used to be a good third of our population, but now are around 15 percent."

Enrollment in upper-level Arabic courses is increasing at Emory, which Brustad attributes to a large increase of graduate students in Middle Eastern and South Asian studies and a new language requirement in the university's international studies program.

Brustad has a good sense of what's happening nationally because she and colleague Mahmoud Al-Batal wrote the textbook that is used for most introductory Arabic instruction in the United States. Brustad reports sales "are still climbing noticeably, even this year."

In addition, Al-Batal is associate director of the National Middle East Language Research Center (based at Brigham Young University), a consortium of Middle Eastern language experts. Al-Batal is charged with primary oversight of Arabic language issues. The center, the first Title IV Language Resource Center to focus solely on Middle Eastern languages, was created through a $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2002.

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