# Arabic student studying abroad, which country?



## aaliyahfan

*What is the best country to go to learn/practice arabic?*

in terms of arabic being the only language spoken, safety (for an african-american female), inexpensiveness, and entertainment/fun.

NOT including Egypt, I was thinking Syria, Jordan (really considering), Oman, etc..


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## Languagethinkerlover

Hi Aaliyahfan,

   Great singer wasn't she? I listened to her just the other day. 

 Well I can only tell you based off what I know. Actually towards culture perhaps you can say what you're looking for. Are you looking for a more conservative country or more liberal? In-between or it doesn't matter?


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## aaliyahfan

Hi Languagethinkerlover,

My favorite singer of all time 

Maybe something in between, in terms of conservativeness (if thats a word).


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## lukebeadgcf

aaliyahfan said:


> *What is the best country to go to learn/practice arabic?*
> 
> in terms of arabic being the only language spoken, safety (for an african-american female), inexpensiveness, and entertainment/fun.
> 
> NOT including Egypt, I was thinking Syria, Jordan (really considering), Oman, etc..



I have personally spent some time in Latakia and I found it fantastic--safe, beautiful, welcoming, entertaining, and ridiculously cheap, and while many young people speak English very well, the dominant language is Arabic and it would definitely be an immersion experience. I am an Arab-American male, born in America, completely white and Americanized, and I had only good experiences. I saw only a couple black people, but I feel that, at least with the people I spent time with, you would have no problems at all. I can't speak to much on this point though, and hopefully someone else can enlighten us.

Good luck!


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## Muwahid

I can't speak for all countries just the ones I've been too, I'm from Jordan and can tell you it'd be suitable for you. One of the safest countries too, and a real mix of cultures (You're likely to hear many varying dialects). 

Syria is also a popular place for learning Arabic. Living wise it may be cheaper than Jordan. 1 USD = something like 40 Syrian pounds so your money would probably go a long way. But by comparison most Arab countries living expenses are drastically lower than in the USA. (Gas prices in Jordan are pretty high though, ironic being in the middle east and all).


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## AndyRoo

I was going to suggest Syria too - but held off because I've never been there . But now Luke says it's good and I've heard lots of people saying the same, I'd say Syria would be your best bet: Lots of history, beautiful places and people who will really speak Arabic to you.


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## fof

I've just spent a semester in Damascus and must recommend it pretty highly. Contrary to what lukebeadgcf found in Latakia, I found that very few people spoke decent English, even among the young generation, unless they worked in travel/tourism. Despite this language barrier, though, the people were quite friendly and it was very good for learning Arabic. 
As for being a girl, I can say only from what I learned talking to my female classmates there that basically Arab guys can be kind of annoying with the uninvited "lemme get yo numba" chat-ups, but that it's not a really big problem and certainly not a deal-breaker. As for being black, I really couldn't say. Honestly, though, I don't imagine that you would encounter any problems with it at all. The people are really nice, and I never heard any mentions of negative attitudes towards blacks. 
If you do go to Syria, you might want to consider volunteer teaching English somewhere-- it's really fun and you always get some Arabic in return


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## suma

My suggestions, some of these countries I've been to, others I haven't but based on years of travel and familiarity with ME I think I can offer an informed opinion:

*Syria*: very inexpensive, moderate to low conservativeness, few English speakers
*Jordan*: expensive, moderate to low conservativeness, some to many English speakers, woman travelling abroad alone not unheard of
*Oman*: (I'm least familiar with, but from what I hear) moderate cost of living, few English speakers, a Western woman alone would be quite unusual and may bring unwanted attention
*Sudan*: (since you mentioned being AA) you don't stick out as much as an obvious outsider which is comforting at times, very inexpensive, living conditions, amenities on 3rd world level, some English speakers, travel maladies more likely


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## إسكندراني

I perceive Oman as full of expats; you might be able to get by with English, unlike most Arab countries. It is still the best gulf state in terms of culture and Arabic.


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## AndyRoo

I lived for four years in Oman - it's a beautiful country, but as Iskandarani says, it is full of expats (Brits and Indians mainly) - especially in the capital, Muscat. You're unlikely to hear Arabic spoken in city shops at all. 

If you want a real adventure you could go outside the city - the interior of Oman is very traditional and not set up for students at all.

African features won't raise an eyebrow because they are common among Omanis in view of the country's strong past links with Zanzibar.


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## Muwahid

> If you want a real adventure you could go outside the city - the interior of Oman is very traditional and not set up for students at all.



Kind of the best advise for any Arab country, the capitals and urban centers do not really represent the country as a whole at all. If you're in Jordan spend your time in Irbid, which is modern but traditional at the same time so people wont be trying to speak English constantly like in Amman where people think KFC is just the fanciest place they've ever seen because it's American food. Unfortunately most of the language learning centers are based in the capital cities which is a shame since I think you'd get far less immersion that way.

Probably why people prefer Syria, it's poorer, standard of living is lower (albeit beautiful country) but because of that there's less English spoken people are more to their roots as you'll find in poorer regions. Also in Jordan technology is just spreading like wildfire, everyone's got two and a half phones a laptop, an internet connection which is good, but since the universal language of the internet happens to be English the youth are feeling more confident to speak it (regardless of their proficiency really ).


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## إسكندراني

I know you said 'excluding egypt' but I would really recommend Alexandria! (Just thought I'd throw that in!)


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## AndyRoo

Morocco is another possibility...


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## quee1763

Obviously going there right now might not be such a smart move, particularly if you've never been before, but assuming things eventually settle down then I highly recommend Yemen as a place to study. It's by far the cheapest place around in terms of lesson costs and general living expenses. Also, pretty much nobody on the street speaks more than two words of English, so it's about as immersive as you can get.

Yemen is hardly going to win any awards for liberal attitudes anytime soon, so if you're after somewhere that isn't too conservative than it may not be suitable. That said, it's still perfectly possible to have a great time if you're willing to make the effort to find out how/where.

It's also got some of the most stunning countryside, so if good hiking is your thing then it's a real winner.


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## Languagethinkerlover

aaliyahfan said:


> Hi Languagethinkerlover,
> 
> My favorite singer of all time
> 
> Maybe something in between, in terms of conservativeness (if thats a word).




   Hi Aaliyahfan,

       Jordan is a beautiful country it really is. But I do think that it might be expensive. I do not want to get into what the locals said (if you would like to I can tell you in a different thread/private message) concerning that. But the people are friendly. I went there as a tourist so I suppose I have to keep that in mind but really I do believe that they were genuinely friendly! (I have a story for that too but won't discuss here). If you stay in Jordan you might have to stay in Amman. I'm not sure about other major cities but when I went there I remember a lot of land and not too many cities. If you're Jordanian and know more, you can correct me if you're reading this. 

     Kuwait has beautiful cities in my opinion. The people were so friendly and they couldn't have known for sure if I was a tourist or not. The thing is, their currency is very powerful. Certain foods, like fish (especially salmon I hear) can be expensive but I do believe that it is only specific foods and not all. They do not suffer high inflation because of their high currency. The thing is, if you look to live in Kuwait, you might have to get a job to help support yourself. Well...you might have to do the same for Jordan because Jordan has a 1.41 currency. Kuwait is 3.58 last time I checked. Oh, and in Kuwait, they say the original Kuwaitis were black so blacks, from what I know do not get treated crap. Kuwait might be a little more on the conservative side. I do not think being female in Kuwait would be a problem at all. I wouldn't say the same for Saudi Arabia though. Oh almost forgot your questions. Towards entertainment...I hear the Kuwaitis shop a lot. So that could be fun. 

     I do not know much about Oman but I hear they have really beautiful beaches! If I'm wrong, please correct me but I think Oman shouldn't be expensive. I think they are a developing country so it should not be too bad (unless they have high inflation). I think someone on here who lived in Oman said that it's inexpensive so I'd go with them. 


     I hear people who want to drink go to Bahrain. Certain countries, as you know, are dry. So if you want to have a drink the legal way, you go to Bahrain. I'm pretty sure there are other countries you can go to to have a drink but yeah. Bahrain I think's more Westernized. Their currency is at 2.65 at the moment. Maybe you might be able to party more at Bahrain than in other countries. Sorry I do not know more about Bahrain...I think towards living you might have an easier time living there (being female and all). If anyone on here disagrees with the previous statement, I'm all ears. 

    Same thing for Dubai, Abu Dhabi (they might be more Westernized). Perhaps there will be more for you to do though in terms of entertainment. And towards how you live you might have an easier time in the U.A.E. (can't speak for all the Emirates so I guess Dubai and Abu Dhabi) with you being female. 

  'Conservativeness' is a word. I hope I've helped...I might have just confused you all the more. I know you must think wow that person really wrote a book. I might ask around...


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## fof

Languagethinkerlover said:


> I hear people who want to drink go to Bahrain. Certain countries, as you know, are dry. So if you want to have a drink the legal way, you go to Bahrain. I'm pretty sure there are other countries you can go to to have a drink but yeah. Bahrain I think's more Westernized. Their currency is at 2.65 at the moment. Maybe you might be able to party more at Bahrain than in other countries. Sorry I do not know more about Bahrain...I think towards living you might have an easier time living there (being female and all). If anyone on here disagrees with the previous statement, I'm all ears.



Alcohol is legal in Syria, and readily available many places in Damascus at least.


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## aaliyahfan

I asked a similar question a while ago and got good responses, but now I decided hat I want to learn Gulf Arabic, which country would be best to study abroad in for a year based on safeness, inexpensiveness, immersion, and not too conservative?


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## WadiH

aaliyahfan said:


> I asked a similar question a while ago and got good responses, but now I decided hat I want to learn Gulf Arabic, which country would be best to study abroad in for a year based on safeness, inexpensiveness, immersion, and not too conservative?



Oman (although it's more of an intersection of Gulf and South Arabian dialects).

The rest of the Gulf is not a very useful place to go for immersion.  Most of the population there are foreigners (except for Saudi Arabia, which is inaccessible unless you are here to work).


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## إسكندراني

Oman seems sensible.
Not sure if it's 'not too conservative' enough for you; it would be good if you could be honest and more specific - then the guys could help more


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## rayloom

Another choice would be الشارقة in the UAE. It's a bit conservative, but it's less than 30 minutes drive from Dubai. Doesn't have as much foreigners as Dubai, and the emirate is actually trying to conserve the local culture and customs.
I know there are lots of foreign students studying there.


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## Tracer

Here are some thoughts for your consideration:

*Introduction*: In order for anyone to give you realistic advice on this subject, a lot more information on your particular situation would have to be known. 

Are you, for example, planning to come to the Middle East as part of a college program or similar setup or do you plan to just show up at the local airport and take it from there? 

Are you going to be self-funded or will you have a financial backer for this project? Are you a complete beginner in Arabic or already have some background? Things like that.

1. Assuming you're a total beginner, the Gulf is probably the last place you'd want to consider simply because your chances of being "immersed" in an Arabic environment are almost zilch.

The "lingua franca" in the Gulf is not Arabic but English, followed by Urdu and Malayalam. Knowing one of the Phillipino languages would also be useful. Arabic has a sort of "metaphysical" presence in the Gulf. It is hardly used in daily communication except by the locals which form a minority of the population. Almost anybody you come in contact with will not speak Arabic.

I've known foreigners who have lived in the Gulf for 20 or more years and can't order a cup of coffee in Arabic. Or even ask for a glass of water (in the middle of the Sahara!). Not that it would do them any good........chances are very good that whoever is "attending" you in a restaurant or some such, won't know a word of Arabic either. 

2. If you plan to "live with a family" like you could in Syria, Egypt and so forth, it's not going to happen anywhere in the Gulf. These countries are simply unprepared for that kind of contact with a foreigner, particularly a female.

This is generally true of most Arab countries, I would say. 
There are some programs that are set up to provide such an experience, of course, but you won't be able to do it "on your own". The Middle East is not Europe, period.

3. If you belong to a "Commonwealth" country, you are legally able to look for work in most Gulf countries. If you are an American, you can't do so. You have to have a job before you depart your home country. You can come in as a tourist, of course, but you can't stay "for a year" and look for work (at least not legally). 

Any employment that you might get in the Gulf will assume you know English and you'll be expected to use that at your job. Your desire to learn Arabic, while commendable, will not in the least help you to find work in that area.

The world-wide "recession" has had a big impact on the Gulf. It hasn't been immune. So finding jobs in the area is not what it was 10 years ago or so.

4. It is extremely difficult to find a local Gulf person to teach you Arabic. Most likely, your teacher will be an Egyptian or other nationality who is working there and teaching Arabic on the side. And he/she won't teach you Gulf Arabic......they'll teach you MSA or their own dialect.

5. Of all the Arab countries, the Gulf countries are the most expensive. If this is a consideration, cross these countries off your list.

6. Any foreigner, but particularly Americans, who take up the study of Arabic are..........I don't know how else to put it........subject to suspicious scrutiny. Be prepared to be constantly asked why on earth you're studying Arabic. (It's actually a very good question. I've asked it myself of my countrymen/women and have yet to be given a reason I haven't laughed at).

For these and a lot of other reasons, I strongly suggest you consider "immersion" situations in other countries, but not the Gulf. The area simply isn't the place for that kind of thing.


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## Languagethinkerlover

Tracer said:


> Here are some thoughts for your consideration:
> 
> *Introduction*: In order for anyone to give you realistic advice on this subject, a lot more information on your particular situation would have to be known.
> 
> Are you, for example, planning to come to the Middle East as part of a college program or similar setup or do you plan to just show up at the local airport and take it from there?
> 
> Are you going to be self-funded or will you have a financial backer for this project? Are you a complete beginner in Arabic or already have some background? Things like that.
> 
> 1. Assuming you're a total beginner, the Gulf is probably the last place you'd want to consider simply because your chances of being "immersed" in an Arabic environment are almost zilch.
> 
> The "lingua franca" in the Gulf is not Arabic but English, followed by Urdu and Malayalam. Knowing one of the Phillipino languages would also be useful. Arabic has a sort of "metaphysical" presence in the Gulf. It is hardly used in daily communication except by the locals which form a minority of the population. Almost anybody you come in contact with will not speak Arabic.
> 
> I've known foreigners who have lived in the Gulf for 20 or more years and can't order a cup of coffee in Arabic. Or even ask for a glass of water (in the middle of the Sahara!). Not that it would do them any good........chances are very good that whoever is "attending" you in a restaurant or some such, won't know a word of Arabic either.
> 
> 2. If you plan to "live with a family" like you could in Syria, Egypt and so forth, it's not going to happen anywhere in the Gulf. These countries are simply unprepared for that kind of contact with a foreigner, particularly a female.
> 
> This is generally true of most Arab countries, I would say.
> There are some programs that are set up to provide such an experience, of course, but you won't be able to do it "on your own". The Middle East is not Europe, period.
> 
> 3. If you belong to a "Commonwealth" country, you are legally able to look for work in most Gulf countries. If you are an American, you can't do so. You have to have a job before you depart your home country. You can come in as a tourist, of course, but you can't stay "for a year" and look for work (at least not legally).
> 
> Any employment that you might get in the Gulf will assume you know English and you'll be expected to use that at your job. Your desire to learn Arabic, while commendable, will not in the least help you to find work in that area.
> 
> The world-wide "recession" has had a big impact on the Gulf. It hasn't been immune. So finding jobs in the area is not what it was 10 years ago or so.
> 
> 4. It is extremely difficult to find a local Gulf person to teach you Arabic. Most likely, your teacher will be an Egyptian or other nationality who is working there and teaching Arabic on the side. And he/she won't teach you Gulf Arabic......they'll teach you MSA or their own dialect.
> 
> 5. Of all the Arab countries, the Gulf countries are the most expensive. If this is a consideration, cross these countries off your list.
> 
> 6. Any foreigner, but particularly Americans, who take up the study of Arabic are..........I don't know how else to put it........subject to suspicious scrutiny. Be prepared to be constantly asked why on earth you're studying Arabic. (It's actually a very good question. I've asked it myself of my countrymen/women and have yet to be given a reason I haven't laughed at).
> 
> For these and a lot of other reasons, I strongly suggest you consider "immersion" situations in other countries, but not the Gulf. The area simply isn't the place for that kind of thing.



 I remember when I went over there I was asked, "Why don't you know any Arabic?" It was almost as if I was expected to know. They did not view me as suspicious at all but were curious as to how I don't speak it. 

  Your suggestions are good ideas. I believe Aaliyahfan indicated she was looking for somewhere that has cheap rent so maybe that means an apartment. 

   'Arabic has a sort of "metaphysical" presence in the Gulf.' Hahaha. I totally forgot about the whole minority thing. That is true...in many Gulf countries, Asians are the majority. This includes for example, Pakistani, Indian, people from the Philippines, etc. It's not just Asians but maybe Lebanese, Egyptians, etc., depending on the country you're in. So majority of the people in the Gulf will not speak Arabic but will speak the language of where they are from (and/or English). 

 But maybe since you're young and will be attending university (this thread is old so I can't remember if you'll be going to school there), you will be able to meet with some of the locals and become friends with them. Do know that you will most likely have only female friends (more so with the locals). In certain countries, please be aware that females and males can't be together (hang out) if they are not married/not family. Even if you are a foreigner, they might expect you to abide by their culture and it will not matter if who you're hanging out with is not from their country. The reason I indicated you're young is because I think the youth (locals) are more likely to socialize with people from the West than much older people. I read somewhere that the citizens of some Arabic countries (the Gulf more specifically) keep more to themselves and will open more after you have earned their trust.


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## Sidjanga

Hi all,





Muwahid said:


> If  you want a real adventure you could go outside the city - the interior  of Oman is very traditional and not set up for students at all.
> 
> 
> 
> Kind of the best advise for any Arab country,..
Click to expand...




quee1763 said:


> Obviously going there right now might not be   such a smart move, particularly if you've never been before, but   assuming things eventually settle down then I highly recommend Yemen as a   place to study. (...)
> It's also got some of the most stunning  countryside, so if good hiking is your thing then it's a real  winner.


Would you say these things are equally valid for women who are travelling on their own?


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## Muwahid

I don't think you'd have trouble as a woman in Jordan (where I have my experience) I mean in Jordan it's not even uncommon to see female Taxi drivers now. But you would be venturing into unknown territory, Ammanis are use to westerners not people from Zarqa or Irbid though, but because of this, they also are terrible at English.

I spent weeks in Zarqa, and weeks in Amman -- almost never heard English in Zarqa, almost always heard English in Amman.

If I were you I'd go to a city like Irbid, go to the shops (maybe even soog il 7aramiye if you so dare ) barter with the shopkeepers and experience real Arab lifestyle. You could go to a place like Zarqa too if you don't mind the zibaala but there's more crime there, much less education though, which honestly means you'll always hear Arabic.

It's hard to say though, I'm not a "westerner" or a "woman" so I don't want to guide you in the wrong direction either.


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## hiba

Sidjanga said:


> Hi all,Would you say these things are equally valid for women who are travelling on their own?



As a woman who lived in Sana'a for the past three years, the answer is yes. Women travelers have an advantage in Yemen over the men- you can participate in both the male and female spheres of Yemeni life, and you are equally welcome in both.


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## DarrenLamb

Having grown up in the Gulf and spent most of that time living in Oman, I have to say that going to Oman would be a great choice. Yes there are expats there, but nothing like as many as you would find in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. In Muscat there are a lot of Asian workers and European expats however you would still be in an environment in which you are surrounded by Arabic. It is not like in Abu Dhabi or Dubai where the local population are a minority, it is quite the oppossite. Omanis also speak pretty good English, but at the same time I have found that if you attempt to talk to them in Arabic they are more than keen to speak it back to you and are flattered that you are making the effort.

Additionally you could always venture outside of Muscat where you will definitelly be a lot more exposed to the language, somewhere like Nizwa or Sohar. As for safety I can't tell you enough how safe Oman is not only for foreigners but just in general and it isn't overly conservative but still not quite as open as Dubai.

If you were looking at somewhere like the Emirates I wouldn't say no straight away. I would however stay away from Abu Dhabi or Dubai as you wouldn't really be exposed to the language unless you made a massive effort. However having said that if you went somewhere else within the Emirates such as Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Qwain I think that you would find a higher local population and thus better exposure to the language. 

Hope you find this helpfull!


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## cherine

*Moderator note:*

*This thread is already bearly acceptable in the forum, and the moderators decided to let it be for the benefit of learners. But we can't allow it to become a social nor a political discussion, because that is totally outside the scope of the forum.*
*Please, everyone, let's keep this forum for what it is: a language forum.*

*Thanks,*
*Cherine*
*Moderator*


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## Kinan

aaliyahfan, you can submit your question in this:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa
There you will find many tourists who can report you about the situation in any country you want.


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