Ahmad Al Faour is pursuing his Bachelor of Law at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The Jordanian national says his law courses are mainly taught in Arabic with a few subjects taught in English. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Arabic is my language and it is easier for me to understand the professor,” says Al Faour, who says he chose the school for its reputation and ranking.
Somalian Marwa Qabille is currently pursuing a degree in English with a concentration in literature at American University of Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE. She chose the school for its small class sizes and one-on-one interactions with professors as well as its English-language instruction.
“Arabic is a hard language for me,” says Qabille, whose native tongue is English. “I process things better in English.”
In the Arab region, universities instruct in English, Arabic and in some cases, both languages.
American-style universities, such as the American University of Beirut and American University in Cairo, use English as their medium of instruction. In 2012, the Supreme Education Council in Qatar decreed that Arabic would become the language of instruction at Qatar University, though some programs like engineering remain in English. In its school of communication, the American University in Dubai offers an English-only and a dual language program.
[Understand key facts about American-style universities in the Arab region.]
Ahmad Y. Majdoubeh, a professor of English literature and dean at the Arab Open University in Kuwait, said in an email that students should weigh the quality of the institution, teaching staff and learning environment, as well as the nature of the subject studied and its market need, before choosing between Arabic and English instruction.
“It all depends on the nature and quality of the individual program that one wishes to join and the precise purpose and quality of the learner,” said Majdoubeh, who has also worked at the University of Jordan. “Some Arabic-only curricula at Arab universities are both robust and outstanding, and some are not. The same applies to English-only curricula.”
He said in general, English-only programs are better as their curriculum is more up-to-date, they employ more sophisticated faculty and have a more global outlook and challenging learning environment.
“By contrast, Arabic-only programs tend to use ‘obsoletish’ material, uninspiring methods of teaching and traditional testing that depends on rote learning,” said Majdoubeh. “I am a great advocate of bilingual programs, but these hardly exist.”
Al Faour says his program has allowed him to participate in training in the local courts, which operate in Arabic, and says as a non-Emirati he can work as a legal adviser or at a bank or law office — establishments that often cater to Arabic-speaking clients. Al Faour, who will graduate in January, has plans to pursue an LL.M. degree in the U.S.
“I hope to work in the United Nations,” says Al Faour, who speaks fluent Arabic and French and hopes to sharpen his English skills abroad.
[Find out what career options Arab region politics students pursue.]
Basheer Elghayesh, a professor in the department of English at Al Azhar University in Egypt, said in an email that students should first decide whether they want to study at an official governmental university or a private one. He said students who choose private universities, like AUC, for example, will typically study in English.
“If they choose an official one such as Al Azhar, they will study in Arabic with the exception of a very small number of specialties,” said Elghayesh.
He said these specialties include the English branch at the faculty of commerce where students study all subjects in English, and students studying sharia at the faculty of Sharia and law. However, he said some of the university’s faculties, including the school of medicine and school of pharmacy, teach in both Arabic and English.
Universities where English is the teaching language can enrich the student experience by providing hands-on English language immersion, training and social acculturation. Though her classes at American University of Ras Al Khaimah are taught in English, Qabille’s professors do occasionally instruct in Arabic to help those with weaker English skills. She says the language barrier can be a disadvantage.
“Sometimes my professor switches to Arabic and I don’t understand a phrase or something,” says Qabille. “But he usually clarifies and translates it afterward.”
Qabille ultimately plans to remain in the UAE and hopes to publish a novel or become an editor in a publishing house. She says she understands Arabic well and is semifluent.
“Being fluent in both is a huge advantage,” says Qabille. “English is an important asset but so is Arabic.”
[Learn what parents should weigh before sending a child to an overseas Arab region university.]
Francesca d’Arcangeli, managing partner in the Cairo, Egypt, office of global executive search firm Boyden, said via email that whether students attend an Arabic-only or English-only university does not matter, particularly if they plan to work in the Middle East and North Africa.
“But they are expected to have proficiency in both and it is the quality of the university not the language of the teaching that is important,” said d’Arcangeli.
Majdoubeh said English is widely used in the MENA region for conducting all types of business. However, he said in the many areas where business is conducted in Arabic, such as in media, courts or public service, a graduate of an Arabic-only program may be preferred.
“Most often employers are after the communication skills of the applicants more than the knowledge in the field,” said Majdoubeh. “A bilingual person with a bilingual education will be the best candidate.”
See the complete rankings of the Best Arab Region Universities.
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Decide Between English, Arabic Programs at Arab Region Universities originally appeared on usnews.com
