An Arabic Kitchen: Cooking Through the Arab World

In this multi-sensory class, students will develop their skills in the Arabic language through cooking a variety of Arabic dishes. The kitchen is a place where a high level of communication is necessary and the vocabulary and structures used are linguistically rich. This class will focus on Colloquial Jordanian Arabic through learning and cooking recipes popular in the Bilad al-Sham region and beyond. With theoretical and practical components, students will focus on both language forms and task-based language use. Moreover, it is a fun chance to get in the kitchen, learn about culinary culture firsthand and savor tasty food! 

This course will be taught in-person in Arabic.

Times: Monday and Wednesday from 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Dates: June 15th, 2025 - July 17th, 2025 or July 20th, 2025 - August 21st, 2025

Tuition Fee: 421 USD (299 JOD)

The History of Arabic Music

This highly interactive course sheds light on the history of Arabic music from the pre-Islamic period through contemporary music, with a focus on the most important musicians both old and new. It will develop students’ knowledge of Arabic musical conventions and ability to understand song lyrics in both formal and colloquial Arabic, while encouraging students to express their opinions on Arabic music and to compare and contrast with other musical traditions. As a language course, students will expand their abilities in the productive skills of speaking and writing and will focus on extensive listening practice. 

This course will be taught in-person in Arabic by Dr. Ramzi Salti, Stanford University.

Times: Monday and Wednesday from 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Dates: June 15th, 2025 - July 17th, 2025 or July 20th, 2025 - August 21st, 2025

Tuition Fee: 421 USD (299 JOD)

Divine Geometry: An Introduction to Arabic Calligraphy

In this multi-sensory class, students will develop their skills in the Arabic language through Arabic calligraphy. This class will have both a theoretical and practical component. Through learning about and practicing different calligraphy styles, students will not only improve their handwriting, but they will learn more about the history of Arabic calligraphy.

This course will be taught in-person in Arabic.

Times: Monday and Wednesday from 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Dates: June 15th, 2025 - July 17th, 2025 or July 20th, 2025 - August 21st, 2025

Tuition Fee: 421 USD (299 JOD)

Modern Arabic Literature 

This course is a broad survey of Arabic literature in the 20th century, which targets Intermediate-High and Advanced students of Arabic, hence all texts will be in their original Arabic. We will read a selection of short stories, essays, and poems by celebrated writers and poets from Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Egypt. Writings cover a range of topics from love, spirituality, and freedom to socio-political issues, feminism, and life under occupation/oppression. One of the goals of the course, therefore, is to explore the political nature of literature, as well as the cultural and historical contexts in which literary production takes place. We will read works by authors such as Sahar Khalifeh, Ghassan Kanafani, Khalil Qandil, Ghada al-Samman, Zakaria Tamer, Qassim Haddad, Mikha'il Na'ima, Tawfiq al-Hakim, and Adunis, among others. 

Texts are chosen for their diversity of style, representation of different parts of the Arab world, and exploration of a variety of themes. With students’ background and linguistic competence in mind, texts are also chosen for their length, level of difficulty and relevance to contemporary issues affecting the region. This course exposes students to canonical works as well as sheds light on lesser known texts from up-and-coming authors. Assignments include short response essays, translation exercises, and small research projects, which are aimed at deepening students’ understanding of modern Arabic literature as well as developing their linguistic proficiency in the language. 

This course will be taught in-person in Arabic at the following times:

Times: Monday and Wednesday from 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Dates: June 15th, 2025 - July 17th, 2025 or July 20th, 2025 - August 21st, 2025

Tuition Fee: 421 USD (299 JOD)

Past, Present, and Future: The Archaeology of Jordan and the Middle East

Home to awe-inspiring sites such as Petra, Jerash, and Pella, archaeology is an integral part of Jordan’s past, as well as its future. This course will introduce students to some of the major discoveries from Jordan, dating from the Paleolithic to the Ottoman periods, as well as to the modes of thought that underlie archaeological interpretation of this material. 

The course, more broadly, will focus on the role of archaeology within modern social justice issues around climate change, population movement, politics, identity, and cultural heritage management. We will consider how the Middle East has been studied — particularly with reference to colonial histories and their impact on traditions of inquiry — and assess where the archaeology of Jordan can challenge these narratives. By the conclusion of the course, students will have a deep understanding of both the built environment of the past, as well as how these spaces occupy contemporary landscapes and perspectives.

This course is taught online in English by Dr. Matthew Jameson, Bryn Mawr University.

Times: Monday and Wednesday from 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Dates: June 15th, 2025 - July 17th, 2025 or July 20th, 2025 - August 21st, 2025

Tuition Fee: 421 USD (299 JOD)