Our Fall 2024 and 2025 Program will be available in-person
In-person students will follow a rigorous curriculum replete with enriching cultural activity and lectures. Students who are unable to attend in-person courses during the fall are encouraged to apply for private online courses.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW (IN-PERSON)
Intensive fifteen-week program
Immersive experience rich with cultural activities, film screenings and lectures
Open to all qualified students (traditional and non-traditional)
Meets FLAS fellowship requirements
Credit transfer available through Sijal’s School of Record: The University of Montana
The Sijal Institute for Arabic Language and Culture offers students the opportunity to study for the fall in a rich and immersive environment, with lessons led by our experienced teachers. Our fall program moves beyond pure language study by fully incorporating Arab cultures into the curriculum with lectures, film screenings, cultural activities and language partnerships.
Our communicative, proficiency-based curriculum integrates Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Levantine dialect to get students interacting as native speakers do, even from the earliest proficiency levels. Based on the methodology of the popular Al-Kitaab textbook series, students systematically practice all four linguistic skills in their core classes and can seamlessly transition from our coursework to that of their home institutions. For more information on what successful students will be able to achieve at each course level, please visit the following link.
Building on our belief that languages are not learned solely through textbooks, we supplement the core program, which integrates MSA and Ammiya, with Ammiya only content courses. These courses are based on a variety of authentic materials. Beginner level students enroll in an introductory course on Jordanian culture, where students are taught the fundamentals of Colloquial Jordanian Arabic through different thematic units relevant to daily life in Amman. Students at the Intermediate and Advanced levels choose the content course that best suits their interests and linguistic needs.
Our program and teaching staff are committed to offering a rigorous academic and intellectual environment that challenges students to engage both linguistically and culturally. For every challenge, however, we are there to offer support and guidance along the way. With daily open tutoring and weekly office hours, Sijal provides a warm and friendly environment where students and teachers alike form a close and encouraging community.
SESSION DATES & TIMES
The in-person program will run from September 8 to December 19, 2024. As for 2025, it will run from September 7 to December 18, 2025.
Students will have 14 contact hours per week, for a total of 210 hours.
Classes will take place between 9:00 AM -4:00 PM (Jordan time). Each student’s final schedule will be determined according to their proficiency level following their placement tests.
Placement tests will be administered remotely prior to coursework commencing.
Please note: the standard work week in Jordan is Sunday-Thursday.
PRICING
The tuition fee for the in-person program is 2200 USD (1,560 JOD).
Tuition covers all coursework, cultural activities, and language exchange placement.
Our Intensive Fall Program is eligible for FLAS funding. We encourage students to seek scholarship opportunities through their home institutions and are happy to provide any documentation necessary to fulfill their funding requirements.
*Please note that any level with less than three students will have class hours reduced to 80 percent of the original class hours to account for the group size.
WORK STUDY
We award a limited number of competitive work-study scholarships each term. Work-study applicants are evaluated on the basis of merit and need, as demonstrated in the application form. If you are currently the recipient of any scholarships or financial aid, we ask that you submit an official letter indicating that (e.g. from your university's financial aid office), as part of our evaluation process.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Intensive fifteen-week fall program :
Competitive cost of attendance
Beginning, Intermediate & Advanced coursework integrating instruction in MSA and Colloquial Jordanian Arabic
Communicative teaching methodology that emphasizes all four language skills: speaking, reading, writing and listening
Daily open tutoring available for additional review or homework assistance
A dynamic calendar of events comprising lectures, film screenings and other events related to the history, politics and cultures of the Arab world
The opportunity to build relationships with native-speaker language partners
Professional, experienced and supportive teaching staff trained in the latest Arabic language pedagogy
Classes are conducted in a manner which yields high degrees of language acquisition while maintaining a comfortable educational atmosphere. All instructors have significant experience teaching in an interactive, communicative manner. Our students from this semester and last have given feedback such as:
"My teacher is incredible!!! She makes class fun, hands-on, and a great environment to learn in! I love her enthusiasm and understanding. I feel very supported and safe to grow in her classroom! The environment at Sijal has been very warm and welcoming to us! The entire staff has been great and helpful at every turn."
-participant from the Fall 2020 Intensive session
TRANSCRIPTS
Sijal Institute has a School of Record, the University of Montana, through which students can have official credits transferred within the US system for their coursework completed at Sijal. The cost of credit transfer is 200 USD per credit, with a maximum of 600 USD per transcript, regardless of credit hours. The Fall/Spring semesters bear 11 total credit hours for students who wish to transfer credits through UM.
Sijal also provides official transcripts at the end of each term and can furnish universities with documentation to assist in obtaining direct academic credit for coursework completed at Sijal. As an educational institution licensed by the Jordanian Ministry of Education, the core Sijal programs meet the requirements for FLAS funding, and in addition the Institute has hosted many students in the past with scholarships from Boren, Fulbright, FLAS and other programs.
APPLICATION
Eligibility:
The Sijal Fall Intensive Program is open to students of Arabic at all levels, whether they are currently enrolled in university or are working professionals. Given the intensive, immersive nature of the program, students attending should expect to make a serious commitment to learning Arabic during their time with Sijal.
Application Instructions:
Please use our application form to apply to our Fall Intensive program. We have rolling admissions, so make sure to get your application in early to ensure your spot.
In completing the application, please consider the following:
CVs and transcripts should be submitted in PDF form
Unofficial transcripts are accepted
You cannot save an application once it has been started, so please give yourself ample time to complete the application
Upon Admission:
Admitted students should send confirmation of enrollment and make a deposit in order to reserve a space at the Sijal Fall Intensive Program.
Applications for the 2024 Fall Program are now open.
Orientation will take place on September 8th, 2024. The semester will run from September 8 - December 19, 2024.
Placement tests will be administered remotely prior to coursework commencing.
THE 2024 PROGRAM AND ADMISSIONS DATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
July 18 Work Study Application Deadline
July 25 Notification of Work Study Scholarships
Aug 15 Final application deadline
Aug 15 Confirmation of attendance and enrollment deposit due for final applicants
Aug 20 Notifications of final admissions
Sept 8 Fall Term Orientation / Tuition payments due
Sept 9 All classes begin
Dec 19 Fall Intensive program ends
Jan 15 Transcripts available