Welcome to the Arabic program at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of The Johns Hopkins University. SAIS is a relatively small graduate school with an enrollment each year of approximately 460 students and with a high ratio of faculty to students. The main goals of SAIS are: Providing professional education for international leadership, conducting scholarly research related to the concerns of institutions of the United States and governments of other countries, and offering mid-career opportunities for those working in international affairs. Therefore, in order to prepare specialists for engaging global issues such as bringing countries out of poverty and harnessing the political system for the pursuit of peace and prosperity, it is necessary for students to be able to communicate and to understand others in foreign languages. Thus, developing language skills is one of the main cornerstones underlying the philosophy and beliefs of SAIS as a recognized international educational program. The intensive Arabic program at SAIS offers an excellent opportunity for learning the language. It is a specialized program designed for students of international affairs to enable them to acquire the general and professional language skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. These skills will enable students to pursue successful careers in the Foreign Service or other governmental, private or international agencies in fields such as journalism, business, finance, or education. The language program is proficiency-based. The language materials are designed to help students develop their communicative abilities in order to perform tasks that a native speaker carries out in formal and informal situations. Students are assessed based on Arabic usage in comparison to an educated native speaker and in accordance with the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines. Arabic Language classes are small and students receive considerable individual attention inside and outside of the classroom. Our faculty members are experienced, dedicated, and incorporate advanced and effective techniques and resources for teaching Arabic. The program offers the students not only academic experiences in the classroom, but also the opportunities to attend weekly lectures in Arabic and watch Arabic movies and to use the multimedia center to watch Arabic programs and news. This is in order to keep them up to date with the current events in the Middle East. As a result, SAIS students rank extremely high in performance and ability on a comparative basis with students studying Arabic in other institutions of higher learning.
Arabic language is one of the required languages for the following two study areas: Middle Eastern Studies African Studies
Students specializing in the above two areas may choose Arabic to satisfy the proficiency requirements in that language. At the completion of the degree program, Students in the Arabic program must pass the proficiency exam based on ACTFL guidelines. Students who have met their proficiency requirements are encouraged to take post proficiency classes (advanced) or an additional language. The Arabic program also welcomes commitment students from other departments who are interested to study Arabic on non-proficiency basis depending on their goals. The Arabic program is challenging and it is designed to accommodate both proficiency and non-proficiency track students. Since our job in this program is to help the students to reach their goals and to meet their expectations, we expect our students to challenge our faculty and to meet our expectations too. Arabic is one of the most challenging languages taught at SAIS. While learning Arabic is a demanding process, once started, it is rewarding and enjoyable. We believe that what makes our program unique is excellent and committed students, dedicated faculty, suitable materials, and high goals and expectations. Arabic language is one of the most challenging languages taught at SAIS. While learning Arabic is a demanding process, once started, it is rewarding and enjoyable. We believe that what makes our program strong is excellent and committed students, dedicated faculty, suitable materials, and high goals and expectations.
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