Why Arabic:::Arabic Courses in Damascus | Syria

Now in Damascus (end June 2009, around 32 students): Matthew Ong – USA – LA (since Sept 08, 1 year, package 3m private courses + accommodation), Dominic Taylor – UK – London – mid Sept – 7 months, Zainab – UK – London (since January 2009 - 6 months), Marko Koplimaa – Estonia – Feb 09 – 6 months (full package in Damascus University + accommodation), Hugo Legge – UK - Leeds (since February, from scratch – 5,5 months), Robert Payne – USA – LA – Feb - 6 months (senior student 60 year old), Rumaldo – Usa – Houston - March – 1 year (), Bettina Tam – Canada / Hong Kong – Swarthmore Univ – end May 2 month (only family accommodation in Baramka), Marie Bush - USA / California – mid May - 2-3 months (), Cory Frey - USA / Delaware – June - 1 year (arabic program in Damascus University, Living and Practicing accommodation for 3-6 months + private teacher), Joel – Princeton (several times in Damascus: Oct 2006 for 6 months, January 08, August 08 + June 09) – 1 month (research with private teacher + accommodation), Ron Stein – USA / Appleton WI – June 3 weeks (package of private studies 3h/day + accommodation "Living with teacher"), Alexander Bevilacqua - Italy studying in Princeton Univ – mid June – 2 months (special package 4h a day intensive private lessons with 2 teachers), Jessica Heinzelman – USA – SF – mid June – 3 months (studies in Damascus University, family accommodation and private tuitions), Schuyler – USA – NC Durham – mid June – 1 year (arabic courses in Damascus University, Living and Practicing accommodation for 3 months + private teacher 3 days a week), Maryama – France – living and working in London – mid June – 2 months (University of Damascus), Alain Vignier (senior student 68 year old) – France – Rennes – end June -1 month (advanced level), 7 students from Spain – Madrid – end June for 1-2 months: Sandra Sesmero + Ana Municio + Maria Gil + Maria Laburu + Isabel Palomo (girls live in Syrian families) + Manuel Mane for 6 months + Cristian Far (19 year only), Barnaby – UK – working in Bruxelles – end June – 1 month, Matteo Colombo – Italy – studying in Oxford University, Siavash Samei – Usa – Georgia – end June – 2,5 months (advanced level), Mohana – USA living in Qatar – Doha – end June – 1 month, Jana – Czech Rep - Plzen - end June – 2 months (advanced level), Amina – Switzerland – Geneva – end June – 1 month (19 year), Kamila - Czech Rep – Hradec Kralove - end June – 1 month, Kandia – France – Paris – end June – 3 months, Maria Dolores – Spain – Granada – end June – 1 month (private tuitions only),

In July - August 2009 (already around 15 students): Brian Brennan (senior student 61 year old) – Australia – Sydney – July - 1 month (second time in Damascus after August 2006, intensive private studies), Christian Sahner – USA - Princeton / studying now in Oxford Univ (intensive private studies 4 hours a day), Diane Jousson – Switzerland – Geneve – July – 3 months, Rosa Martinez (56 y old) – Spain – Granada – mid July – 2 weeks (private lessons), David Crosbie – Canada – living in Dubai, mid July – 1 month , Benedetta – Italy – Venecia – mid July – 1 month , Michele Steiner - Switzerland – Berne, mid July – 1 month, Carmen Clavel – Spain – Alicante – August – 1 month (second time in Damascus after summer 2008), Bart - Belgium – BXL - August – 1 month , Yvon - France – August – 1 month (), Olivier - France – studying in Cambridge Univ – August – 1 month , Michal Pesta – Poland – Aug – 2 weeks (arabic private tuitions), Marco Perolini – Belgium – BXL – August – 3 weeks (arabic private teacher), Adrian Masip – Spain living in Abu Dhabi – August – 3 weeks (arabic private course), Christina Guillaume (adult student 61y) – France – Paris – end August – 3 weeks.

and many more to confirm for the fall (Sept/Oct) of the year 2009, Insha Allah ! .... Heinz Heule from Switzerland – Basel – end Sept – 2 weeks (second time in Damascus), Gundi - Switzerland – Berne – end Sept – 2 weeks (second time in Damascus), Maggy - Switzerland – Lausanne – October – 1 month (third time in Damascus), Daniela - Italian living in Switzerland – Zurich – mid October – 1 month (second time in Damascus).

Why Arabic

The best way ever known to discover a country or a culture, know their traditions, understand their values, thinking, and learn their language is to live in it and mix with the people. Traveling for a few days or weeks is not enough to say I know this country.

The Arabic language is one of the most important languages nowadays and will take a great place in the near future. The Arabic language is the fourth largest in the world in terms of number of native speakers (after Chinese, Spanish and English). The Arab speakers count for 330 millions in the world. It is the official language of twenty three (23) countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros Islands, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Djibouti .

Arabic is the language of Islam for over one billion Muslims (more than one thousand and three hundred millions), from Morocco to Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia and from Turkey to Yemen, and all the Arabs and Muslims emigrated to western countries.

It is not only the language of the religion of millions of Muslims in the world but Arabic is experiencing a great development and strengthening his own position in the culture, the economy, the politics and specially in the Medias. The number of Arabic channels is continuously increasing.

Channels as Al Jazeera are having a great success as satellite news channels. Other Arabic channels are becoming popular (Abu Dhabi, Al Andalous, Space Toons for children), without talking of the many Islamic satellite channels for the Muslims in the world (Iqra, Al Majd, Ash Shariqa, Al Risala, Al Fajr).

The international events in the world since 2001, the Palestine situation, the war against Iraq and the future perspectives have put the Arabic and Muslim in the front page of actuality and the center of the international scenes, what makes it is attracting a great number of people to know more about these countries, this culture, their history, learn their language for personal or professional purposes.

The students of today will be the teachers of tomorrow. We want people to know us, to understand us in order to be our representative abroad, our ambassadors. In Arabesk, we work to create better understanding between people from different cultures, more respect, more tolerance, more opened minds.

In another hand, knowledge of Arabic is truly a requirement to get around in Syria, in everyday life and through the Arabic culture, traditions and mentality, which you cant reach with an intermediate language.