Marhaba, my name is Tucker Limon and I am going to be studying Arabic in Amman, Jordan this summer. I depart in about 20 days and am attempting to prepare myself for a complete change of environment. I will know practically no one and be dropped into a foreign society in which I only have scraped the surface of understanding. However, with this daunting unknown, I am overly excited. I want to see and do everything.
I will be in a rigorous academic environment while in Amman. I am going to be studying at Qasid Arabic Institute in the heart of the city, and will be participating in the MSA program (Modern Standard Arabic – الفصحى). I will be in a classroom for four hours a day, outside work for four hours a day, five days a week, for nine weeks. I hope to engage with students, faculty, and society with my previously learned Arabic skills as well as with my newly gained knowledge. Outside of the classroom, I will be living in an apartment and will have to cook and live on my own. I am excited to navigate the transportation system as well as learn where and what to buy at a grocery store. I am very into music and have been looking forward to the house music scene in Amman for a while. I hope to adventure around and go to the numerous historical sites that the ancient city has to offer.
On this trip, I will be forced to learn. Differing from the classroom setting, where Arabic is only taught for an hour a day, I will have 24 hr a day immersion. I will try to speak as little English as possible, only when necessary. I am hoping that this immersion experience will both increase my Arabic language skills as well as aid in the development of my independence and global perspective. I want to meet new people and experience an entirely new culture through the lens of language and integration. I am so excited to depart on this adventure and will keep you all updated! مع السلامة (Goodbye!)