Resident Director Report - Council on International Educational ...

Annual Study Center Review
CIEE Study Center at the University of Jordan, Amman
Language and Culture Program
2010
CIEE Program <strong>Director</strong>: Adam Rubin, Program <strong>Director</strong>, Africa, Middle East, & Northern,
Central, and Eastern Europe
CIEE <strong>Resident</strong> <strong>Director</strong>: Allison Hodgkins
CIEE Academic Consortium Board Program Evaluation: www.ciee.org
CIEE Academic Consortium Board Monitor: Kathleen Sideli, Indiana University
Each summer, program directors write a Study Center Review for each CIEE Study Center
program commenting on the previous academic year. The program director writes the review
based on input from the CIEE Academic Consortium Board members, resident directors,
sending institutions, and student evaluations. Each report is made public on the CIEE website at
www.ciee.org.
Program Goals
The CIEE Language and Culture program provides a rigorous and challenging academic
program, combined with in-country cultural experiences and intensive Arabic language study.
Students gain a greater understanding of the Middle East, with specific emphasis on the
Jordanian perspective and experience.
Based on feedback from the CIEE students and resident staff, the program goals were
successfully met during the 2009-10 academic year.
The Language and Culture program had a very successful year in 2009-10. Students rated the
Arabic language instruction, CIEE resident staff, cultural activities and field trips, and housing
very favorably. Despite the rapid growth of the program, CIEE has added staff and language
instructors in order to provide the students with small, interactive language classes and superior
support.
New and Noteworthy
The CIEE Language and Culture (Amman LC) program is designed to provide students with
intensive Arabic language training, interesting area studies courses focused on Middle Eastern
politics, religion, literature, and history, and a co-curricular program that gives students a
firsthand look into Jordanian society and culture. The program is able to support a wide range of
Arabic language backgrounds and various academic interests.
The program grew considerably in 2009-10. In order to maintain overall program quality and add
additional program features, CIEE added new resident staff and language instructors and
expanded the size of its study center facilities this year. Feedback from fall 2009 and spring
2010 indicates that students found the overall program challenging and rewarding on many
levels, and most participants said that they would recommend the program to future students.
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Academic
Arabic Language
The Amman LC program is designed to accommodate students with a wide range of Arabic
language backgrounds. Each semester, the program includes students with no prior language
background as well as those who have studied Arabic for 1-2 years. Although the program does
not have a formal CIEE Community Language Commitment policy in effect, staff encourage
students to use Arabic as much as possible throughout the semester. Highly motivated students
(of all levels) have the opportunity to use Arabic everyday in CIEE classes, language club
activities, and interactions with CIEE language peer tutors, CIEE student assistants, University
of Jordan students, and CIEE homestay families. CIEE Amman staff are considering new
strategies for motivating the Amman LC program participants to use Arabic more and will try to
institute a Community Language Commitment more successfully in 2010-11. Given the various
level of student motivations for learning and using Arabic on this program, however, the staff
understand that it may be difficult to get all of the students to support a language commitment
next year.
The fall 2009 and spring 2010 students rated the CIEE Arabic language courses very favorably.
There was a noticeable improvement in student satisfaction and language outcomes this year.
Some students found the language component of the program too intensive, but most indicated
that the CIEE language curriculum helped them to make significant gains this year.
Language Training and Materials for CIEE Arabic Language Courses
CIEE Amman has a full-time <strong>Director</strong> of Arabic Language. He has worked closely with the
<strong>Resident</strong> <strong>Director</strong> and CIEE veteran language instructors over the past several years to develop
a CIEE language curriculum that meets the needs of American students from a diverse range of
language backgrounds and motivations. Overall, student feedback from both the Amman AL
and Amman LC students in 2009-10 indicates that the CIEE Arabic language curriculum is
highly effective in helping motivated students to make significant progress each semester. The
<strong>Director</strong> of Arabic Language meets regularly with the language instructors to discuss the
curriculum and specific course issues. These meetings also provide a good level of peer-to-peer
training amongst the instructors and allow for the sharing of ideas and resources.
CIEE continues to re-evaluate and make adjustments to its overall language curriculum in
Jordan. This year, over 200 pages of new, local source material was incorporated into the
Amman AL program. One of the senior instructors used his experience with the Ministry of
Education to help develop exams and setting evaluation standards for the Amman AL program
in 2009-10.
The CIEE Amman <strong>Resident</strong> <strong>Director</strong> and <strong>Director</strong> of Arabic Language teamed with the CIEE
Program <strong>Director</strong> and colleagues from other organizations and institutions to coordinate and
deliver a special workshop at the CIEE Annual Conference in Istanbul, Turkey entitled “Arabic
101: Challenges and Opportunities with Arabic Instruction for Americans Studying in the Arab
World.” This workshop explored challenges with language curriculum development, the impact
of regional Arabic dialects on language instruction, debates around the use of local source
materials in language courses, and the increasing demand on study abroad programs to provide
programs that meet a diverse group of Arabic language levels.
CIEE Amman uses a pre- and post-test to monitor and evaluate student progress throughout
the semester. Results from 2009-10 indicate that, on average, students on the CIEE Amman
programs are improving 1.5-2.0 levels (CIEE curriculum) each semester. This equates to an
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average gain of approximately 24 points from the pre-test to the post-test. Test results have
indicated that CIEE language instruction has consistency and continuity. In other words, the
average improvements within each level are consistent, and there is a clear pattern of progress
from level to level within each CIEE Amman program. Further, the CIEE Amman on-site test has
proven to be a good measure of student achievement, as the difference between test rank and
class rank (overall class outcomes) is minimal across all levels. CIEE analysis of the Amman
language curriculum has also shown that the output is more consistent than the input. Despite
the fact that students on both the CIEE Amman AL and LC programs come from a variety of
U.S. institutions, the on-site placement test helps place them into appropriate CIEE language
levels, thereby maximizing the potential for significant improvement and consistently high
results.
Please see the “Future Directions” section at the end of this report for additional information
about the ACTFL/OPI language training and certification workshop organized by CIEE for its
Amman language instructors in late spring 2010.
Subject Area Courses
All of the CIEE Amman Language and Culture program courses are for CIEE students only.
However, courses are taught in regular academic buildings on the University of Jordan campus,
thereby allowing students to interact with University of Jordan students between classes. In
previous years, CIEE used the University of Jordan Language Center for its courses. However,
as local students are not allowed to enter the Language Center, CIEE decided to switch its
courses to other facilities at the University of Jordan in order to facilitate better cultural and
academic immersion. Although there were some occasional problems with course scheduling
and classroom availability, feedback from 2009-10 indicates that both CIEE staff and students
appreciated this important change. Students in fall 2009 and spring 2010 were generally
satisfied with the overall CIEE language and area studies courses.
CIEE Courses
All students on the Amman LC program are required to take Modern Standard Arabic, Colloquial
Jordanian Arabic, and two area studies courses. As previously mentioned, most students in fall
2009 and spring 2010 were extremely satisfied with the CIEE Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
and Colloquial Jordanian Arabic courses. The CIEE <strong>Director</strong> of Arabic Language and the
language instructors have revised various MSA levels in order to use a combination of the
popular U.S. al-Kitaab language series as well as locally developed language materials.
Although some students would clearly prefer a completely al-Kitaab based curriculum, the
overall outcomes this year indicate that the CIEE curriculum is working very well and provides
students with a highly effective language program.
In 2009-10, CIEE introduced a new Media Arabic course for students who placed into Advanced
I or Advanced II on the CIEE language placement test. This new course was very well received
by the students, as it allowed them to take an additional advanced Arabic course in lieu of one
area studies course. In addition to this new course, several new professors were added to the
CIEE faculty this year. Several of these professors were rated very positively by CIEE students,
and their new courses helped take the pressure off of a few CIEE courses that had become
somewhat large in 2008-09. As in previous years, CIEE students were particularly satisfied with
the courses focusing on Middle East politics and international relations. Here is a complete list
of the courses offered by CIEE in 2009-10:
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Arabic Language
Beginning Arabic I
Beginning Arabic II
Intermediate Arabic I
Intermediate Arabic II
Advanced Arabic I
Advanced Arabic II
Beginning Colloquial Jordanian Arabic I
Beginning Colloquial Jordanian Arabic II
Intermediate Colloquial Jordanian Arabic I
Intermediate Colloquial Jordanian Arabic II
Advanced Colloquial Jordanian Arabic I
Advanced Colloquial Jordanian Arabic II
Advanced Topics in Modern Standard Arabic
Media Arabic
Area Studies
Archaeological Survey of Jordan and Palestine
Economic Transformations in the Middle East
Environment and the Politics of Water
America and the Arabs
Contemporary Thought in the Islamic World
International Relations and Diplomacy in the Middle East
Jordan and the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Contemporary Arab Women Writers
Structure of Arab Societies
Conflicts in the Middle East
CIEE Internship (must be pre-approved prior to the start of each semester)
Student feedback on the area studies courses improved somewhat in 2009-10. Many students
commented on the fact that the local professors present very different and unique perspectives
on Middle Eastern politics and international relations. For most of these students, it was
extremely interesting to hear opinions that differed significantly from the opinions expressed in
the U.S. media, while others found it very difficult at times to hear perspectives that challenged
their understanding of sensitive political, historical, and cultural issues.
Out of Classroom Activities
CIEE language classes often include out-of-classroom activities designed to give students
practical application of the concepts covered in the classrooms. These activities included visits
to the local zoo, markets, and walking tours on the University of Jordan campus.
Students on this program have the option of meeting with a CIEE language peer tutor for
additional language support and cultural immersion. In addition to language exchange
opportunities with their peer tutors, CIEE students also interact on a regular basis with the CIEE
Amman student interns, local University of Jordan students who work part-time in the CIEE
Study Center. Feedback from the fall 2009 and spring 2010 students indicates that the peer
language tutor system was moderately successful this year. For some students, the system
worked well and allowed for the CIEE student and peer tutor to meet on a regular basis for
informal language exchange. For others, however, there was not a good “fit” between the CIEE
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student and language peer, leading to less frequent meetings and less rewarding outcomes.
CIEE staff will examine ways to make the language peer tutor system more effective in 2010-11.
The “Environment and the Politics of Water” course included a full day trip to various key water
sites in Jordan, including the King Talal Dam, and the Jordan Valley Water Treatment Facility.
Students appreciated the opportunity to see Jordan’s water resources and challenges firsthand
with a local expert. However, some students found the course to be too technical and focused
more on water resource management than the politics of water management in the region.
Experiential education is a somewhat new concept to many professors and language instructors
in Jordan. However, CIEE staff plan to meet with the faculty in summer 2010 to discuss ways
that more out-of-classroom activities can be included in courses in 2010-11. Please see
additional information below on the language club activities, peer language tutors, and other
out-of-classroom language learning opportunities included in the Amman LC program.
Non-Academic
CIEE Orientation
The Amman LC orientation is designed to introduce students to a range of important cultural,
academic, and logistical issues. CIEE resident staff and student assistants lead sessions on
health, safety, and security issues, the academic program, student housing and homestays,
local logistics, and important cultural considerations. The fall 2009 and spring 2010 orientations
also included local and regional field trips to help students get a better understanding of Jordan
and the city of Amman. All students take the CIEE language placement exam and then begin
Colloquial Jordanian Arabic during the orientation period.
Overall, most students rated the orientation positively this year and indicated that the
information presented was well-organized and interesting. Some students said that the
orientation focused too much on cultural considerations and security. However, given the
location of the program and reality of tensions in the Middle East, this is an area that CIEE will
continue to emphasize both during the orientation and throughout each semester. Fortunately,
most students this year understood that these issues were crucial to their ability to have a safe
and rewarding experience in Jordan and followed CIEE advice carefully throughout the duration
of the program.
As the Amman LC program has increased in size, CIEE staff have adjusted the orientation to
make it more interactive and appropriate for the large student group. Additional changes will be
made in 2010-11 in order to include smaller group orientation activities.
Cultural Activities/Field Trips
The CIEE program includes a series of on-going language and cultural activities as well as local
excursions and overnight field trips each semester. Students rated these components of the
program very positively and were extremely satisfied with the fall 2009 and spring 2010 cultural
activities and field trips. CIEE has made some of the overnight field trips optional in order to give
students more flexibility and help ensure that students are not forced to participate in trips that
do not interest them. Overall, the students in fall 2009 and spring 2010 were most satisfied with
the field trips that focused on eco-tourism and Biblical Jordan.
Day or Evening Activities
Here is a brief description of the excursions offered to CIEE Amman LC students in fall 2009
and spring 2010:
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Biblical Jordan: This day trip explores Jordan’s biblical sites, as well as examples from
Jordan’s Byzantine period. Highlights include the Baptismal site on the Jordan River; designated
by Pope John Paul II as the site of Jesus’ baptism, Mt. Nebo, site of Moses final look into the
Holy Land, St George’s Church in Madaba; “Church of the Map,” and a short hike up Herod’s
summer palace of M’kawir, site of the beheading of John the Baptist. Students eat lunch at
Madaba at Haret’ Judna, a local restaurant in a renovated, historic villa.
Eastern Desert Tour: This tour explores Jordan’s harder to reach Eastern Desert and its prime
examples of Omayyad era art and architecture. The trip includes the castles (actually caravan
stops and hunting lodges) of Hallabat, Azraq, Khrammeh and the UNESCO protected Amra and
its impressive frescoes. This trip also includes a visit to the Azraq wetlands (which are actually
quite dry now) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature reserve. This day trip helps
students to understand the water crisis facing Jordan today.
Wadi Mukhaires: This full-day hike requires a minimum physical effort, but CIEE provides
students with knee pads and helmets just in case. The hike includes a long walk to a big
waterfall, lunch at the birth of the wadi (valley, riverbed), and the chance to see a beautiful
green cave.
Students who are religiously observant and interested in history found the Biblical Jordan field
trip to be extremely rewarding, while those more interested in nature and eco-tourism
appreciated the opportunity to explore Jordan’s natural resources and get some fresh air.
Clubs and Other Cultural Activities
Each semester, CIEE student interns coordinate various “culture clubs” to provide students with
the opportunity to learn about traditional crafts such as embroidery and henna painting,
Jordanian cuisine, and traditional dance. CIEE interns also coordinate a “conversation club” that
allows students to discuss topics such as traditional marriage, Islam, and stereotypes in English
with local students. These clubs were very well attended during the 2009-10 academic year.
The “calligraphy club” was popular at first, but participation dwindled to a small number of
dedicated students who eventually learned to produce small works of art with Arabic script. This
club was led by one of the CIEE language instructors. Finally, the CIEE <strong>Director</strong> of Arabic
Language offered a “Ten Forms Club,” an interactive, non-credit club that focused on mastering
the Arabic verb system. This club was well attended and received very positive feedback from
the advanced language students this year.
Overnight Fieldtrips
The fall 2009 and spring 2010 students had very positive things to say about the two overnight
field trips offered each semester. For many, these trips to Petra and Wadi Rum were major
program highlights. Students relished the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Lawrence of
Arabia in Wadi Rum and experience the wonders of the ancient city of Petra. Students in 2009-
10 commented that the field trips were organized very well, allowed ample time for exploration,
and provided good, knowledgeable guides. Some students were frustrated by the large size of
the groups this year. CIEE staff will consider ways to offer these popular trips multiple times
each semester in order to make the student groups smaller. However, rising costs for tours to
these famous sites make it difficult for CIEE to do so.
Petra Field Trip
CIEE students and staff tour the unique castle ruins at Shobak and then have an evening
cooking lesson at the “Petra Kitchen.” In the evening, students have free time to explore Wadi
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Musa. Early the next morning, the group enters Petra and tours the famous Siq and Treasury
before the large crowds arrive from Amman. Students then have additional time to explore the
rest of Petra’s wonders.
Wadi Rum Trip
Highlights of this popular CIEE overnight field trip include a 4X4 tour through the desert, sand
dune hiking, and an overnight at the famous “Captain’s Camp” in Bedouin tents. This year, the
excursion also included a camel trek through the desert. This field trip allows students to see the
beautiful night sky and some of the most spectacular desert scenery in the world.
Housing
The CIEE Amman LC program offers two different housing options: CIEE-managed student
apartments and CIEE homestays with local Jordanian families. Overall, fall 2009 and spring
2010 students were very satisfied with the program housing. Here is a breakdown of student
housing choices in 2009-10:
Fall 2009: Homestays: 71%
Apartments: 29%
Spring 2010: Homestays: 66%
Apartments: 34%
These breakdowns were consistent with student choices over the past few years, as more
students continue to choose homestays for the linguistic and cultural immersions that they can
provide. Most of the homestays worked out very well this year, although there were a few minor
and typical issues involving communication challenges between students and their hosts. Some
students were surprised to learn that their homestay families were Christian and not Muslim.
CIEE recruits a variety of local families in order to help provide suitable families for the diverse
group of CIEE students. Students in the CIEE apartments were generally satisfied with the
quality of the apartments, although some students expressed concerns about the quality of
some of the furnishings and kitchen equipment in specific apartments. CIEE staff feedback
indicates that there were some major challenges with the behavior of some CIEE students in
apartments this year. Although the apartments do offer students more overall flexibility than
homestays, there are cultural rules and expectations that CIEE students must follow in the
apartments. Some landlords had problems with CIEE students who did not follow policies
regarding overnight guests, alcohol consumption, and noise. CIEE staff will reinforce these
policies more strictly in 2010-11. CIEE also hopes to recruit some local program alumni to live in
some of the apartments and help monitor student housing more carefully in future semesters.
Community Engagement and Integration
Community engagement is an important component of the CIEE program. Students may choose
between not-for-credit volunteer projects and a for-credit CIEE Internship. The internship
requires a proposal and pre-approval from CIEE and the student’s home institution prior to the
start of the semester. Students who participated in CIEE internships this year were quite
satisfied with their experiences, and several noted that these projects were one of the highlights
of their overall time in Jordan.
For-Credit Internship and Community Service Options
Here is a brief overview of the CIEE Internship sites in fall 2009 and spring 2010:
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Fall 2009 / Spring 2010
People in Need: Czech NGO focusing on refugees in Jordan from Iraq
SUNY Buffalo Legislative Strengthening Project: Research and advocacy to teach
the Jordanian parliament and civil society about effective legislation
Jordan National Committee for Women: Research and advocacy on women’s rights in
Jordan
National Democratic Institute: American government-affiliated non-profit organization
focused on democratic institutes in Jordan and Iraq
King Hussein Cancer Center: Public hospital and research center
Jordan Environment Society: Environmental advocacy and conservation
Young Entrepreneurs Society: Organization that promotes a better business climate
for young business people and future business owners
International Solutions Group: American development company focused on
infrastructure development
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature: Organization built under royal
patronage. It maintains Jordanian parks and nature reserves and advocates for their
protection and expansion
Engicon: Jordanian development organization focused on local tenders and bids for
international development grants.
Oxford Business Group: UK based NGO focused on annual economic reports
PBYRC: Princess Basma Youth Resource Center
RHSC: Jordanian research organization focused on regional human security
Not-for-Credit Community Service/Volunteer
Approximately fifty CIEE students participated in this year’s “Abraham’s Path Initiative” day trip
and volunteer activity. Based on the accepted path of Abraham, a patriarch common to
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the initiative traces his journey from near Antioch in modern
day southern turkey to historic Palestine. Students assisted with a highway trash collection
project, painted several classrooms at a local high school and ate lunch with local villagers. This
was a very successful event and will be repeated in future semesters.
CIEE also organized four student and staff teams for the annual Dead-to-Red relay marathon in
spring 2010. The 242-kilometer race begins on the shore of the Dead Sea and ends at the Red
Sea port of Aqaba. CIEE helped sponsor the event, and all involved said it was a rewarding and
fun activity.
Challenges
Academic
Overall, most of the students were very satisfied with the CIEE language and area studies
courses this year. Most students indicated that the program allowed them to meet or exceed
their Arabic language learning goals. The CIEE decision to include the use of al-Kitaab in most
of the language courses has made aspects of the language curriculum easier while also
complicating the language placement process at the beginning of each semester. This program
attracts a group of students with a very diverse range of language backgrounds. While students
equate their background in al-Kitaab (i.e. number of chapters completed) with language
proficiency, CIEE pre- and post-test data indicates that the U.S. Arabic language instruction
varies widely from school to school. In short, a student’s language proficiency cannot be solely
based on the number of al-Kitaab chapters that they have completed prior to their study abroad
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experience. Many students fail to realize the amount of progress that they have made during the
semester due to the fact that they cannot neatly calculate the number of al-Kitaab chapters that
they have completed. As previously mentioned in this report, however, CIEE pre-and post-test
data indicates that most students on this program are making significant progress each
semester. According to the <strong>Resident</strong> <strong>Director</strong>, many students fail to realize the depth of their
language development until after they have returned to the U.S.
Non-Academic
Most students in fall 2009 and spring 2010 indicated that they were satisfied with the overall cocurricular
components of the Amman LC program, including program housing, field trips and
cultural activities, community engagement opportunities, and on-site staff support. CIEE
resident staff and student interns received much better feedback in 2009-10 than in previous
years.
According to the CIEE <strong>Resident</strong> <strong>Director</strong>, the Amman LC program has started to attract a
number of students each semester who are not carefully considering their choice of destination.
While most students continue to be motivated by intensive Arabic language study and the
opportunity to learn firsthand about Jordanian and Middle Eastern politics, history, religion, and
culture, some students seem to be motivated by a general sense that Jordan is fun and can
offer a unique chance to explore a different region of the world. Such students can often detract
from the language and cultural goals of the program and lead to problems with homestays and
other elements of the program. CIEE intends to devote additional resources to the student
application screening process in order to help strengthen the overall student group in 2010-11.
Students need to be aware of the reality of living and studying in the Middle East and should
understand that the CIEE program and its policies are designed to give them a rewarding and
safe academic and cultural experience in Jordan.
Future Directions
The CIEE Amman Language and Culture program has become one of the most popular
programs offered by CIEE anywhere in the world. The program continues to improve each year,
and feedback from students in 2009-10 indicates that the program met or exceeded most
students’ expectations while successfully meeting the stated CIEE program goals. As previously
mentioned in this report, CIEE has added additional staff and faculty, expanded its study center
facilities, and made key adjustments to its language curriculum in order to meet the sharp
increase in student demand for the program and the increasingly diverse needs of the individual
students.
In late spring 2010, CIEE organized an ACTFL OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) training and
certification workshop for the CIEE Arabic language instructors in Amman. As a result of this
workshop, the core CIEE Arabic language faculty are now certified as OPI raters, and the CIEE
<strong>Director</strong> of Arabic Language is certified as an official OPI rater and tester. In 2010-11, CIEE will
begin to focus more on the use of the OPI scale and targets (which are proficiency based) to
advise students more effectively on their initial program language proficiency and help them to
set more realistic expectations for improvement over the semester or academic year. In
addition, CIEE plans to use the ACTFL workshop to help make adjustments and improvements
to the CIEE language curriculum in 2010-11. CIEE Arabic language instructors were extremely
grateful for this professional development opportunity and have indicated that the workshop will
allow them to set academic objectives more precisely and to change elements of their language
courses in order to manage U.S. student expectations more effectively.
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CIEE recognizes the increasing demand for intensive Arabic language programs and remains
committed to making the CIEE Amman Language and Culture program a highly rewarding
option for U.S. students. The dedication of the CIEE <strong>Director</strong> of Arabic Language and core
language instructors has been impressive thus far, and the CIEE Amman language curriculum
continues to improve each year. With additional changes to the curriculum and improvements to
the co-curricular program (field trips, language club activities, and community engagement
projects), the Amman Language and Culture program promises to be even more successful in
2010-11.
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