Best Arabic Study Abroad Program in Amman, Jordan Past Review
By Sohail Amjad (Anonymous University) - abroad from 01/01/2019 to 03/31/2020 with
The Qasid Institute: Amman - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Studying abroad in Amman, Jordan has taught me a lot of important things. 1) You learn to get around on your own in a foreign country 2) You get to go outside your comfort zone and experience new cultures and meet new people 3) You also learn the correlation and differences between East and West cultures and appreciate the differences 4) You learn how to deal with people in a completely different culture as your own
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Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Qasid Institute is definitely a world-class institute for teaching Arabic to foreigners. They are academically rigorous and the quality of the program speaks for itself. It is impressive to see how many students come out of the program fluent in Arabic. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Qasid provides students with housing in their own managed building which comes with high level security, fast internet and a no-hassle way to getting issues fixed. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Amman, Jordan is extremely safe despite the region's perceived turbulence. More so that Qasid is located in a central area that is safe from any political unrest. Qasid does its utmost to provide students information about safety in the area and safety is their number #1 concern. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would choose to study at Qasid Institute because firstly it is in an Arab country that one can actually speak Arabic in unlike other countries where the majority of the population are expats. Secondly, this is a program that is geared towards Westerners which means the curriculum is designed to keep in mind how Westerners learn languages. There is also instruction in English which is important for beginner students to help understand foundational and important Arabic concepts. Lastly, this is a program just focused on Arabic. If you're looking to learn Arabic then this is the place. The program does an excellent job of helping student meet their Arabic goals without being sidetracked by other things. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
It was pretty easy to live on a budget as a student. I spent about 50JDs a week on food maximum and that was about it. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Avoid taking taxi to the Qasid campus and leave early and have a schedule to avoid wasting money on transportation. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The program encouraged me a lot and I couldn't speak the language and after level 2 to be able to speak the language and get around huge confidence boost. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Make friends and text people in Arabic Listening audio in Arabic Pull up a YouTube video and watch lectures Pick something you like in terms of topic and start listening and watching to their material Talk to people in Arabic if you can such as shop keeper. Encourage people in your class to speak to you in Arabic and practice in it. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I didn't realize how expensive Amman could be at times where certain items are more expensive than items in America but one learns to manage. |
