Arabic language University to launch summer courses

Dubai: Non-Arab residents in the UAE are increasingly taking up Arabic language courses with the goal of improving their employment prospects in the region as well as more effective social integration.

The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) is one of the universities offering Arabic language courses that introduce expatriates, not only to spoken and written Arabic, but also to Arab culture and customs.

The University's Centre for Language and Culture (CLC) has announced two intensive summer courses tailored to candidates who wish to study Arabic in an Arabian cultural context.

Each four-week programme includes lessons on Arabic language, visits to local places of interest and lectures on Arab culture and customs.

People from 43 different nationalities have so far taken the Arabic programmes at UOWD. Among them are Americans, Canadians, Swedes, Brazilians, Germans, Koreans, Japanese, Russians, Spaniards, Kenyans, Latvians, Macedonians, French, Greek, Hungarians and Nigerians.

The number of non-Arabs taking up Arabic language programmes has been rising steadily. According to UOWD figures, 236 took the courses in 2008. The university expects the number to rise significantly this year.