With strategic importance placed on certain languages by the U.S. government, Michigan State University will offer a new major and minor in Arabic starting this fall.
"Our goal is to provide a special academic program with content-based language instruction that will allow students to graduate with superior proficiency in Arabic," said Ann Baker, program coordinator for the Arabic Language Instruction Flagship at MSU.
"We want them to be able to work professionally in an Arabic setting," she said.
The new major and minor have been created in response to the success of the Arabic Language Instruction Flagship, which was started in 2007 with federal funding for Arabic language and culture study.
ALIF is a unique language-learning opportunity for students who are interested in Arabic in addition to their primary area of interest. Students in the program are required to complete four years of Arabic language, including a year of study at Alexandria University in Egypt and an internship in Arabic.
The new major and minor will require four years of Arabic language, Arabic culture and literature classes. Satisfying Arabic language requirements and IAH requirements for students, two new courses will be offered entirely in Arabic: IAH 210 (Middle East and the World) and IAH 211D (Area Studies and Multicultural Civilizations).
Students at all different proficiency levels will follow personalized study plans of traditional language courses complemented by co-curricular activities, personalized tutoring and study abroad.
MSU is also home to the Center for Language Education and Research, one of only 14 National Resource Centers supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to promote language study.
For more information on Arabic language, majors and minors or ALIF program, visit the ALIF Web site or contact the Department of Linguistics, Germanic, Slavic, African and Asian Languages at (517) 432-3941.