Class Schedule in Amman
Course runs Sunday through Thursday (Jordanian weekend is Fri-Sat)
Objectives: The aim of this course, which builds on what the students have learned in level I or what is equivalent to it, is to enhance students’ command of Arabic at the basic level, especially as it pertains to Arabic in daily situations. To this effect, emphasis is placed on short texts which enable the student to learn to communicate verbally and in writing in specific situations. Attention is paid to the four language skills.
Content: Throughout the course students will focus on illustrated pictures and short texts representing Arabic as used in a variety of daily situations: at the airport, at the police station, on campus, in the grocery store, in the market, etc. There will also be grammatical exercises focusing on the aspects of basic grammar which students need for the purpose of oral and written communication, such as basic sentence patterns, question formation, etc. Students will also learn to write correctly at the sentence level and distinguish between and articulate similar sounds.
Structure: The course is intensive. Students meet five days a week, Sunday through Thursday. Normally two instructors run the class (separately) on the basis of the communicative approach. The focus is on modern standard Arabic. Two hours every week are devoted to colloquial Arabic (âmiyya). Ample use is made of a modern language lab and audio-visual material. Periodically specialists are invited to lecture on specific language and cultural topics.
The day after your placement test (Thursday) is Orientation Day. You are required to arrive at the Wadi Rum Auditorium at 10:00. A tour of the university campus will take place at 11:30
Regular classes begin on Sunday and are held from 09:00 to 12:40. Please note that depending on the results of your placement test, classes take place at different times during the day.
The school provides all teaching materials, but you must bring paper, pens, and a bilingual dictionary
STUDY & CULTURE IN AMMAN JORDAN
In addition to the Arabic language course, you will be given the opportunity to explore Jordan and its culture through guided tours.
Guided tours are arranged on Saturdays to historical and cultural sites in Jordan. By taking part in these weekly tours, the students will not only have the pleasure and benefit of learning the Arabic language, but also the chance to enjoy and explore Jordan's magnificent historical attractions.
Citadel hill
From its position on top of a hill overlooking the city, the Citadel stands testament to the history of Amman, with its ancient ruins and excavated relics, alongside those from throughout the country, housed in the Jordan Archaeological Museum. It is the site of the ancient capital Rabbath-Ammon and numerous excavations have revealed Stone Age remains as well as those from the Roman to the Islamic periods.
The site contains several structures including the impressive Omayyad Palace (al-Qasr), a small Byzantine basilica and what was once the Temple of Hercules, the Great Temple of Ammam. Also on the site is the Jordan Archaeological Museum, which has an excellent collection of artefacts from Jordan dating back to the earliest settlement in the region over 700,000 years ago. The Dead Sea Scrolls, Iron Age sarcophagi and a copy of the Mesha Stele are its most important exhibits.
Roman theatre
Below the Citadel is the magnificent Roman amphitheater, an impressive relic from ancient Philadelphia that is cut into the hill and can seat up to 6,000 people. The theatre is still used occasionally for events today. Two cultural museums form part of the complex: the Jordan Folklore Museum, which has exhibits on traditional life, and the Museum of Popular Traditions with traditional costumes and mosaics from 4th to 6th century Jordan churches.
Church of st. george
The Greek Orthodox Church of St George is home to Madaba the main attraction and most famous mosaic, the celebrated 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land. Millions of pieces of colored stone embedded on the church floor create a vivid picture of Jerusalem and its holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dead Sea, Jericho and the Jordan River. It is the earliest surviving original map of the region and was laid around 560 AD.
Jerash
Situated about 31 miles (50km) north of Amman is one of the top attractions in Jordan, the ancient city of Jerash, which is considered to be one of the best preserved Roman sites in the world. Its exceptional state of preservation is due to the fact that it was buried in sand for centuries and the magnificent baths, theatres, temples, arches, columns and stone chariot-rutted streets have long attracted scholars and tourists from across the world to admire the most complete city in the Roman Decapolis.
Excavations
Dating to the Neolithic Age have indicated that Jerash was continuously occupied for more than 6,500 years. Today visitors can marvel as the ancient amphitheatre comes to life at the annual Jerash festival of Culture and Arts, where artists from around the globe sing, dance, act and play music on stage in a celebration of Jordanian and international culture (July).
Dead sea
Situated about 28 miles (45km) from Amman, lies the famous geographic attraction known as the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point on earth at 1,335ft (407m) below sea level. Devoid of plant or animal life due the high salt concentration (four times saltier than normal sea water), it is the incredible mineral rich water that has made it an internationally sought-after destination since ancient times, popular for its curative properties as well as for the experience of floatingeffortlessly on its surface.
Most students go to the main resort area on the northern shore at Suweimeh, where the Dead Sea Resthouse provides showers, a restaurant, a beach and the opportunity to smother oneself in the mineral-rich black mud.
Accommodation is available at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel where various medical treatments are also on offer.
Mount Nebo
The most sacred site in Jordan, Mt Nebo is believed to be the burial site of Moses who climbed the hill in order to survey the Promised Land that he would never enter. Situated on the edge of a plateau about six miles (10km) from Madaba, Mt Nebo affords spectacular views towards Jerusalem, whose spires are visible on a clear day, and across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea.
A modern day shrine sits on the ruins of a 6th-century Byzantine monastery, and affords protection to the original floor mosaics, while in the grounds stands the symbolic Serpentine Cross.
Our Intensive Arabic language course also allows you plenty of time to discover the culture of Joradn.
