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Who
is eligible for the summer intensive Arabic language program?
All applicants to the the CAMES
summer Arabic program are usually required to have completed at least one semester
of college or
university study or the equivalent
before being accepted. The CAMES summer Arabic program takes applicants from a variety of
educational and professional backgrounds. The majority of participants
are university students and researchers, while some are professionals
seeking to improve their Arabic language skills.
How
competitive is the admissions process for the summer Arabic program ?
Each summer, CAMES
receives far more applications than there are places in the summer
Arabic program, which makes admission into the program highly
competitive and obliges us to turn down many good students. Since the
program entails a very heavy workload, we require that our applicants
have a strong GPA, good recommendation letters from their Arabic
teachers or other professors, a strong interest in Middle Eastern
Studies and Arabic and a high level of commitment to the program and its
workload. CAMES gives priority to academics, graduate students,
undergraduate students and professionals who require Arabic for academic
and professional purposes.
How
do I determine the appropriate level of Arabic instruction for me?
On the application form, applicants are required to list the number of
years or semesters they spent studying Arabic, the texts they used and
the number of chapters they covered. The application also requires a
writing sample in Arabic or a copy of the most recent Arabic exam taken
by the
applicant. The summer Arabic program begins
with a mandatory placement exam for all students who have had any
exposure to the Arabic language. This testing ensures that the student
will be placed in the appropriate level of Arabic instruction.
What
are the fees for this summer's Arabic program?
The total fees for the program in
summer 2008
ranged between $3,997
and $4,247, depending on whether the student chose
private, semi-private or shared accommodation. Fees
cover internet access and cultural trips within Beirut, but
do not cover field trips to historical sites or monuments
outside Beirut. The breakdown of fees for summer 2008 is as
follows:
Tuition for
Modern Standard Arabic (obligatory): $3,440
Accommodation:
$668 (private) / $512 (semi-private) /
$418 (shared)
Health Insurance: $127
Sports Facilities Usage:$12
Are
applicants obliged to register for all of the above services provided by
the CAMES Summer Arabic Program?
Applicants are not obliged to register for all of the above
services. The tuition fees for Modern Standard Arabic
are mandatory for all participants, while the health insurance fees
are mandatory for all participants who do not have international medical coverage. Students who
have international medical coverage may provide proof of this
coverage and sign a medical insurance waiver available at
CAMES. Students
also have the choice of living on AUB campus or off campus, and whether
to pay for the use of the
university's sports facilities. The cost of the services that applicants do not choose will be deducted
from their total fees.
Does
the American University of Beirut offer any financial aid to students
enrolled in the summer language program?
Unfortunately, no form of financial aid
from AUB is available to prospective students in the summer
Arabic language program, although some institutions outside AUB do offer funding for language programs such as
the CAMES
summer Arabic program. Click here for more
information.
Can
the center help students with travel arrangements to Beirut?
Students must make their own travel arrangements to Beirut. The center
can sometimes help by offering advice about travel plans. It is recommended that
students book their plane tickets well in advance because of the high
demand for air travel to Lebanon during the summer.
Can
students obtain a visa for Lebanon at the airport upon arrival in
Beirut?
It is highly recommended that students obtain
at least a
two month visa to
Lebanon from the Lebanese embassy or consulate in their country of
residence. Students planning
travel to Syria and other neighboring countries must
obtain a multiple-entry visa for Lebanon in order to allowed back into
Lebanon. It is important to note that
passport holders with an Israeli stamp in their passport will be denied
entry to both Lebanon and Syria.
How
can students obtain a visa for travel to Syria?
American citizens may obtain tourist visas for travel to Syria from
the Syrian embassy in Washington, D.C. Citizens of other countries must check with Syrian embassies and consulates for information
concerning visas for Syria. This year, most travelers have been able to
obtain Syrian visas at the border, but students
are cautioned against relying on this method. It is important to note
that passport holders with an Israeli stamp in their passport will be
denied entry to both Lebanon and Syria.
What
types of field trips are included in the summer language program?
Trips include cultural and social outings in the Beirut area and day
trips on Saturdays to sites of historical interest outside the
Beirut metropolitan area such as Byblos and Baalbek.
What
kind of University privileges do students in the summer Arabic program
have?
Students enrolled in the summer Arabic program will have access to the
university's student facilities for the duration of the program: sports facilities
(basketball, the beach); Internet access from the computer laboratories
on campus; wireless internet access for laptop users; use of the common
areas of the library (without borrowing rights).
What do students
need to bring
to the program?
The following items will be useful: a laptop computer, a CD player,
additional passport photos and a mobile phone. Students may also bring
their own bed sheets and
towels, although these are provided in the dorms.
Do
students need to make any financial arrangements for personal expenses?
Students must budget for their own travel expenses to neighboring
countries and around Lebanon, as well as their meals, books and weekend
field trips, which are not included in the fees. Credit cards are widely
accepted in many, but not all places in Lebanon. There are many
international banks in Beirut and ATMs are widely available. Traveler's
checks are difficult to cash in many areas, but US dollars are widely
used in additional to Lebanese liras ($1 = 1500 liras). It is important
to note that international telephone calls to and from Lebanon are
expensive, since a call to the US may range between $0.80-$1:00. students
can use local phone cards to dial international numbers or buy mobile phone chips from which
to send international text messages and dial international
numbers.
Is
credit earned at AUB transferable to other universities?
Most American universities will accept credits earned at AUB. CAMES
keeps records of all summer Arabic students and will
provide official transcripts upon
request. Students are should inquire at their own university for
any special arrangements that need to be made beforehand in order to
transfer credits earned at AUB.
Can
prospective students contact former participants in the summer program?
Prospective students should contact
CAMES if they would like to be put in touch with former participants
in the summer Arabic program.
What
texts does the summer Arabic program use?
The main textbooks used in the program are the
Al-Kitaab fii
Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya
series by
Brustad, al-Batal
and al-Tonsi:
-
Alif
Baa: Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds,
2nd ed.
-
Al-Kitaab fii
Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya: A Textbook for Beginning Arabic: Part One
-
Al-Kitaab fii
Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya: A Textbook for Arabic: Part Two
-
Al-Kitaab
fii Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya: A Textbook for Arabic: Part Three
Do
students need a dictionary?
It is recommended that all students purchase an English-Arabic
dictionary. CAMES recommends A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic by
Hans Wehr (Beirut, Librairie du Liban and London, MacDonald & Evans
Ltd.). This dictionary is available in Beirut, but students are
encouraged to bring it with them.
How
do students apply to the summer Arabic program?
Prospective participants may apply to the summer program by completing
the application available
on the CAMES website or may ask CAMES to attach a copy by email.
What is the next step after acceptance
into the program?
A non-refundable
deposit of $500 is required upon acceptance into the program and will be deducted from the applicants' tuition fees. The
full fees are due around one month before the start of the program. Participants who wish to pay in the
USA should mail a check to the AUB
New York office, quoting "American University of Beirut/ CAMES ".
Participants who wish to pay in Lebanon may do so at the Cashier's
Office in College Hall, AUB. Payments can be made by check, cash, or
bank transfer. Credit card payments are not accepted.
Can students in the program do research or work part time
during the program?
The summer Arabic program is highly intensive,
so students
will have very little time to engage in other activities. Students have
6 hours of classroom study per day and should
expect an additional 4 or 5 hours of homework.
Do students obtain a certificate at the end of
the program?
After completing the summer Arabic
program, every student will receive a certificate which states that
he/she has completed the summer Arabic program. The certificate
indicates the course
number, the level of Arabic studied, the grade achieved and a description of the course.
What is the grading system followed by
the CAMES summer Arabic program?
CAMES follows AUB's
grading system,
in which grades are given in multiples of one out of a total of
100, for instance: 87, 88...
How
can students obtain more information about the summer Arabic program?
Please e-mail the CAMES
staff and we will try to answer all of your questions.
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