The UVA-Yarmouk Summer Program is a rigorous,
challenging academic experience that will greatly
improve your comprehension of the Arabic language,
its profundity and beauty. Language instructors are
engaging, dedicated, and will--Inshallah -- make you
laugh. You will have opportunities to experience
Jordan's natural and cultural treasures. Irbid is a
bustling, mid-sized city with milder summer weather
and cleaner air than the larger cities in the region.
Its central location in relation to Amman, Damascus,
and Jerusalem is also ideal for travel. But I
returned to Yarmouk mainly to experience the
program's rigor and to enjoy the hospitality and
kindness of the Jordanian people.
William Hunt
Duke University, 2002 and 2009 Participant
I would highly recommend the UVA/Yarmouk Program
to students studying Arabic! I left Jordan not only
with more confidence in my Arabic language skills but
also with a deeper and subtler understanding of Arab
culture, which enabled me to view American culture in
a new light upon my return. My responses to the daily
cultural, academic, and interpersonal challenges I
encountered taught me valuable lessons about myself.
Most importantly, I will never forget the friends I
made while in Jordan, not only my Arab friends in
Irbid but also the other American students in the
program.
Rebecca LeAnn Gruskin
Harvard University, 2009 Participant
On the first day of classes, I almost cried. It
was through no fault of the teachers; they were funny
and kind, or at least so it seemed – the truth
was I had no idea what they were saying. Participants
discovered, soon enough, that the Language Center at
Yarmouk University had an implicit motto: Arabic,
like beauty, is pain. But although classes were
demanding, our teachers became first and foremost our
mentors and parents away from home – and their
brand of hard love paid off. At the end of the
program, I traveled to Lebanon, where I found myself
translating a broadcast of Al-Jazeera at a bar in
Beirut. “Where did you learn Arabic?”
someone asked. “Yarmouk!” I said
proudly.
Although all the program participants were
strangers at the beginning of the summer, nothing
induced group bonding like waiting six hours for a
visa at the Syrian border. Besides Damascus, I also
traveled to Amman, Wadi Rum, Beirut, and Jerusalem,
in addition to the Program sponsored group trips to
Petra in the south of Jordan and Umm Qais, Ajloun and
Jerash in the north. And because nine weeks were not
enough, the Program participants of my year spent the
early months of fall semester visiting each other
back home in the States.
Before coming to Irbid, I knew no Jordanians. By
the time I left, I knew considerably more, and I
became particularly close to several, including my
language buddy, Rana.
Alice Nam
Stanford University, 2009 Participant
Living in Irbid for two months was a unique
experience in many ways. As an Arabic-speaking only
environment, Irbid offered daily opportunities to
enhance our learning of Arabic outside of class. It
provided a full and continuous cultural immersion one
can find in few other programs. Classes were intense
but well-structured and enabled us to improve all
skills concurrently, fully meeting our expectations.
Besides, the program provided a wide range of
opportunities to explore the rest of the Jordan
through weekend-long field trips, while the location
allowed students to travel easily to neighboring
countries. We wholeheartedly recommend it.
Alexandre Terrien and Lorenzo Bartolucci
Harvard University, 2008 Participants
I decided to attend the UVA-Yarmouk program
because I wanted an opportunity to study Arabic in a
practical environment, and that's exactly what I got.
From small talk with taxi drivers to political
debates in class, Arabic went from being an academic
pursuit to a valuable communication tool. I went from
barely being able to introduce myself to being able
to discuss (after spending a lot of time with the
dictionary, of course) everything from literature to
the environment. The combination of rigorous academic
weeks and unforgettable week end travel in beautiful,
hospitable Jordan made this summer a priceless
experience.
Joelle Portzer
University of Virginia, 2008 Participant
Spending the summer after my first year of Arabic
at the University of Virginia-Yarmouk Summer Arabic
Program in Irbid was the best decision I could have
made for my Arabic education. The program is
unapologetically intense, and requires a real love of
the language and a commitment to learning in order to
make it through. However, because of the high
expectations of the program, I learned more Arabic
than I previously imagined was possible in such a
short period of time. The professors in the program
are extremely knowledgeable and always enthusiastic
about providing extra help after classes, while their
teaching methods keep the classes both challenging
and enjoyable. Additionally, Irbid is a great city in
which to learn Arabic -- because it is not very
Westernized, there are few distractions and a lot of
opportunities to practice speaking with locals who
don't speak English. By spending my summer at the
UVA/Yarmouk program, I learned an infinite amount
about the Arabic language, life in Jordan, Middle
Eastern culture and -- most of all -- myself. I
highly recommend this program to any serious student
of Arabic.
Martine Powers
Yale University, 2008 Participant
The UVA-Yarmouk Summer Arabic
Program allowed me, as an American, to have a
wonderful experience with a different country,
language, and culture for the first time while still
being in the familiar role of a university student.
Sahar Ullah
Grad student University of Chicago, 2006
Participant
This program was not only
helpful to me academically, but it was also a
life-changing experience. As a result of
participating in this intensive language program, I
felt much more confident and comfortable with my use
of the Arabic language. The classes were all taught
by excellent Jordanian professors that were
enthusiastic about their language and culture, and
passed on this feeling to their students. Also,
through day to day interactions with Jordanians and
people from all over the region, I gained a new
insight into the Middle Eastern culture that I had
never had before. Participation in this program
reaffirmed my desire to live or work in the Middle
East after I graduate, and if given the opportunity I
would gladly do this Program again.
Sincerely,
Andrew Kennedy
Undergrad UVA 2006 Participant
I spent the summer after my
second year in Jordan and had such a great time! The
culture is incredibly different, but the people are
generous and kind, and they want to help you with
your Arabic, although many like to practice their
English instead. Class was hard at first, but it
definitely got easier as the weeks went on and I
found it very manageable to do everything I wanted
to. Visiting places on the weekends is so easy-
whether by bus, taxi, or plane- and I would highly
encourage taking advantage of all the amazing places
nearby. I definitely recommend this program to anyone
willing to work seriously on their Arabic and
interested in all the Middle East has to offer.
Kaitlin C. Bottock
Undergrad UVA 2006 Participant
During this program I met so
many different people and heard their stories. My
experiences and Jordanian friends taught me more than
I ever imagined. I learned that expectations and
preconceptions are constantly overturned and
modified, especially those concerning other
cultures. In addition to this new knowledge, I also
took with me lasting correspondences and
friendships.
Brittany Rogerson
Undergrad UVA 2006 Participant
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2005 Participant
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2002 Participant
