Demanding, rewarding Arabic language experience that made me appreciate Amman! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

On-site administration of your program

The on-site coordinator of the Arabic Language program, Zeina Al-Karaki, was extremely organized and helpful. Given the small size of our group, she was able to address individual problems promptly. The CIEE director for Amman, Elena Corbett, also seemed very competent, although we interacted with her less.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Living with a host family comes with its challenges, including communication, curfews, and family obligations, but the experience was worthwhile for the cultural and language immersion it provided.

In general, host families provided breakfast and dinner, and students bought their own lunches while at school during the day. Many students struggled with the lack of control over food and the less than nutritious Jordanian diet (lots of rice and bread, few green vegetables.) Personally, I enjoyed most of the food that my host mom provided and felt like I had enough freedom to purchase other foods during the day and keep additional snacks in my room.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt well integrated in the culture in terms of my host family, but I did not make many Jordanian friends. Since the classes were only with Americans, it took additional and intentional effort to meet local students at PSUT.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any experience with the health care.

I generally felt safe in Amman. There is minimal street crime there. However, be prepared for street harassment, especially white women who clearly stand out. Many Jordanian men stare and shout at foreigners, although I never heard of anything escalating beyond that. I sometimes felt uncomfortable walking from the main road to my house at night, but I never actually had a problem, and most students had taxis drop them off closer to their homes than I did.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I found Amman to be a generally affordable city. CIEE provides monthly stipends for students, so much of my transportation costs were covered by the stipend. Students are primarily dependent on taxis in Amman, but they are cheap (usually 1-3 JD for a ride.) Food is also cheap if you eat at local restaurants or grab snacks at the dukans (shops) near campus. However, going to more "western" or "American" establishments will cost you, especially if you want to drink alcohol which is available but highly taxed in Jordan.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

The language pledge is strongly emphasized by the professors and staff, although they did not punish anyone for slipping up every once in a while. Off campus, students had to hold each other accountable to maintain the pledge, and various individuals were more or less serious about this. Some host families and siblings also spoke decent/good English, so some students found that they did not use as much Arabic at home. I forced myself to only use Arabic at home, except when I really didn't know words that my host mom did know in English, but I was less committed to the pledge when hanging out with friends away from school. During the Rural Retreat in February, we all strongly adhered to the pledge, which definitely helped boost our confidence when returning to Amman.

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans

• Professors
• Classes taught in Arabic
• Other American students

• Integration with Jordanian students
• Academic rigor of classes (although this was also a nice break for a semester)

The Academic or Linguist