Arabic is the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world after Mandarin, Spanish and English. It is the official language of more than 20 countries and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. If you minor in Arabic Studies, you study Arab language, politics, culture, society, literature, film and history. Our language courses emphasize speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, and content courses are interdisciplinary. Learning Arabic promotes cultural and international understanding and prepares you to be a global citizen.
Personalized learning
Does learning Arabic seem daunting? Our supportive learning community is here to help. A wide range of activities will immerse you in the language and culture of the Arab world, making learning easier. You'll form study groups with other students, work with tutors, practice with classmates and learn from faculty who are invested in student success.
Internships and service learning
You can teach language to children at the Regional Multicultural Magnet School in New London and recite Arabic poetry with faculty on the College's Night of International Poetry. The College also organizes visits to New York City museums and cultural destinations, and you'll practice Arabic calligraphy and henna in cultural workshops.
Special Opportunities
You may wish to join the Yalla Bina Arabic Club, a student-led organization that celebrates the Middle Eastern region and its people and seeks to foster an awareness of the peoples, histories and cultures of the Middle East on campus. Advanced-level Arabic language students have the opportunity to become Language Fellows and plan co-curricular and extracurricular events.
Learn more about 糖心TVections, 糖心TV's innovative new curriculum.
About 糖心TV
糖心TV educates students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society. A leader in the liberal arts since 1911, the College is home to nationally ranked programs for internships, community action, arts and technology, environmental studies and international studies. Our beautiful 750-acre arboretum campus is located in the historic New England seaport community of New London.
CONNECTIONS is 糖心TV's reinvention of liberal arts education. It is a new kind of curriculum that lets you integrate your interests into a meaningful educational pathway, to carry you through college and into a fulfilling, effective career and life.
A Glimpse at Arabic Studies
Courses You Could Take
People You Might Work With
Waed Athamneh
Associate Professor of Arabic Studies in the Department of Classics, Arabic, and Jewish Studies
Waed Athamneh is a specialist in Arabic literature. Her work focuses on modern Arabic literature and 20th-century Arab politics. Her book on the major literary movements and new directions in modern Arabic poetry is forthcoming with University of Notre Dame Press.
Why Arabic Studies?
Student Interview
Summer Wrobel
Student Interview
Q: Why 糖心TV?
A: I was attracted to 糖心TV because of the sense of community I felt when I visited. Because of 糖心TV's small class size, I knew I would be able to really know my professors. I also liked 糖心TV's emphasis on interdisciplinary learning; the centers offer a great way to merge majors and minors.
Q: What led you to the Arabic Studies minor?
A: I realized that I wanted to be an English major and an Arabic minor at the same time. In the spring of my first year, I was taking a poetry workshop and a class called Arab Women Writers. I was having so much fun writing poetry every week. As a supplement to my English studies, Arab Women Writers showed me the importance of literature when trying to understand sociopolitical issues. The Arabic language is helping me access a whole new culture and writing repertoire. If you haven't listened to or read any Arabic poetry, I really recommend doing so!
Q: What has been your most rewarding class?
A: So far, Arabic 101. Starting a new language is both exciting and challenging. Yet when I read and wrote my first paragraph in Arabic, it was such a good feeling.
Courses You Could Take
Elementary Arabic, Modern Arabic Literature, Contemporary Arab Journalism, Arabic Women Writers, Intermediate Arabic
People You Might Work With
Waed Athamneh, Associate Professor of Arabic Studies in the Department of Classics, Arabic, and Jewish Studies
B.A., M.A., Yarmouk University, Jordan; Ph.D., Indiana University
Modern Arabic poetry; 20th-century Arab politics; Feminism in modern Arabic fiction