Resident Director Report - Council on International Educational ...
Resident Director Report - Council on International Educational ...
Resident Director Report - Council on International Educational ...
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Annual Study Center Review<br />
CIEE Study Center at the University of Jordan, Amman<br />
Language and Culture Program<br />
2010<br />
CIEE Program <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g>: Adam Rubin, Program <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g>, Africa, Middle East, & Northern,<br />
Central, and Eastern Europe<br />
CIEE <str<strong>on</strong>g>Resident</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g>: Allis<strong>on</strong> Hodgkins<br />
CIEE Academic C<strong>on</strong>sortium Board Program Evaluati<strong>on</strong>: www.ciee.org<br />
CIEE Academic C<strong>on</strong>sortium Board M<strong>on</strong>itor: Kathleen Sideli, Indiana University<br />
Each summer, program directors write a Study Center Review for each CIEE Study Center<br />
program commenting <strong>on</strong> the previous academic year. The program director writes the review<br />
based <strong>on</strong> input from the CIEE Academic C<strong>on</strong>sortium Board members, resident directors,<br />
sending instituti<strong>on</strong>s, and student evaluati<strong>on</strong>s. Each report is made public <strong>on</strong> the CIEE website at<br />
www.ciee.org.<br />
Program Goals<br />
The CIEE Language and Culture program provides a rigorous and challenging academic<br />
program, combined with in-country cultural experiences and intensive Arabic language study.<br />
Students gain a greater understanding of the Middle East, with specific emphasis <strong>on</strong> the<br />
Jordanian perspective and experience.<br />
Based <strong>on</strong> feedback from the CIEE students and resident staff, the program goals were<br />
successfully met during the 2009-10 academic year.<br />
The Language and Culture program had a very successful year in 2009-10. Students rated the<br />
Arabic language instructi<strong>on</strong>, CIEE resident staff, cultural activities and field trips, and housing<br />
very favorably. Despite the rapid growth of the program, CIEE has added staff and language<br />
instructors in order to provide the students with small, interactive language classes and superior<br />
support.<br />
New and Noteworthy<br />
The CIEE Language and Culture (Amman LC) program is designed to provide students with<br />
intensive Arabic language training, interesting area studies courses focused <strong>on</strong> Middle Eastern<br />
politics, religi<strong>on</strong>, literature, and history, and a co-curricular program that gives students a<br />
firsthand look into Jordanian society and culture. The program is able to support a wide range of<br />
Arabic language backgrounds and various academic interests.<br />
The program grew c<strong>on</strong>siderably in 2009-10. In order to maintain overall program quality and add<br />
additi<strong>on</strong>al program features, CIEE added new resident staff and language instructors and<br />
expanded the size of its study center facilities this year. Feedback from fall 2009 and spring<br />
2010 indicates that students found the overall program challenging and rewarding <strong>on</strong> many<br />
levels, and most participants said that they would recommend the program to future students.<br />
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Academic<br />
Arabic Language<br />
The Amman LC program is designed to accommodate students with a wide range of Arabic<br />
language backgrounds. Each semester, the program includes students with no prior language<br />
background as well as those who have studied Arabic for 1-2 years. Although the program does<br />
not have a formal CIEE Community Language Commitment policy in effect, staff encourage<br />
students to use Arabic as much as possible throughout the semester. Highly motivated students<br />
(of all levels) have the opportunity to use Arabic everyday in CIEE classes, language club<br />
activities, and interacti<strong>on</strong>s with CIEE language peer tutors, CIEE student assistants, University<br />
of Jordan students, and CIEE homestay families. CIEE Amman staff are c<strong>on</strong>sidering new<br />
strategies for motivating the Amman LC program participants to use Arabic more and will try to<br />
institute a Community Language Commitment more successfully in 2010-11. Given the various<br />
level of student motivati<strong>on</strong>s for learning and using Arabic <strong>on</strong> this program, however, the staff<br />
understand that it may be difficult to get all of the students to support a language commitment<br />
next year.<br />
The fall 2009 and spring 2010 students rated the CIEE Arabic language courses very favorably.<br />
There was a noticeable improvement in student satisfacti<strong>on</strong> and language outcomes this year.<br />
Some students found the language comp<strong>on</strong>ent of the program too intensive, but most indicated<br />
that the CIEE language curriculum helped them to make significant gains this year.<br />
Language Training and Materials for CIEE Arabic Language Courses<br />
CIEE Amman has a full-time <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g> of Arabic Language. He has worked closely with the<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Resident</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g> and CIEE veteran language instructors over the past several years to develop<br />
a CIEE language curriculum that meets the needs of American students from a diverse range of<br />
language backgrounds and motivati<strong>on</strong>s. Overall, student feedback from both the Amman AL<br />
and Amman LC students in 2009-10 indicates that the CIEE Arabic language curriculum is<br />
highly effective in helping motivated students to make significant progress each semester. The<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g> of Arabic Language meets regularly with the language instructors to discuss the<br />
curriculum and specific course issues. These meetings also provide a good level of peer-to-peer<br />
training am<strong>on</strong>gst the instructors and allow for the sharing of ideas and resources.<br />
CIEE c<strong>on</strong>tinues to re-evaluate and make adjustments to its overall language curriculum in<br />
Jordan. This year, over 200 pages of new, local source material was incorporated into the<br />
Amman AL program. One of the senior instructors used his experience with the Ministry of<br />
Educati<strong>on</strong> to help develop exams and setting evaluati<strong>on</strong> standards for the Amman AL program<br />
in 2009-10.<br />
The CIEE Amman <str<strong>on</strong>g>Resident</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g> and <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g> of Arabic Language teamed with the CIEE<br />
Program <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g> and colleagues from other organizati<strong>on</strong>s and instituti<strong>on</strong>s to coordinate and<br />
deliver a special workshop at the CIEE Annual C<strong>on</strong>ference in Istanbul, Turkey entitled “Arabic<br />
101: Challenges and Opportunities with Arabic Instructi<strong>on</strong> for Americans Studying in the Arab<br />
World.” This workshop explored challenges with language curriculum development, the impact<br />
of regi<strong>on</strong>al Arabic dialects <strong>on</strong> language instructi<strong>on</strong>, debates around the use of local source<br />
materials in language courses, and the increasing demand <strong>on</strong> study abroad programs to provide<br />
programs that meet a diverse group of Arabic language levels.<br />
CIEE Amman uses a pre- and post-test to m<strong>on</strong>itor and evaluate student progress throughout<br />
the semester. Results from 2009-10 indicate that, <strong>on</strong> average, students <strong>on</strong> the CIEE Amman<br />
programs are improving 1.5-2.0 levels (CIEE curriculum) each semester. This equates to an<br />
Page 2 of 10
average gain of approximately 24 points from the pre-test to the post-test. Test results have<br />
indicated that CIEE language instructi<strong>on</strong> has c<strong>on</strong>sistency and c<strong>on</strong>tinuity. In other words, the<br />
average improvements within each level are c<strong>on</strong>sistent, and there is a clear pattern of progress<br />
from level to level within each CIEE Amman program. Further, the CIEE Amman <strong>on</strong>-site test has<br />
proven to be a good measure of student achievement, as the difference between test rank and<br />
class rank (overall class outcomes) is minimal across all levels. CIEE analysis of the Amman<br />
language curriculum has also shown that the output is more c<strong>on</strong>sistent than the input. Despite<br />
the fact that students <strong>on</strong> both the CIEE Amman AL and LC programs come from a variety of<br />
U.S. instituti<strong>on</strong>s, the <strong>on</strong>-site placement test helps place them into appropriate CIEE language<br />
levels, thereby maximizing the potential for significant improvement and c<strong>on</strong>sistently high<br />
results.<br />
Please see the “Future Directi<strong>on</strong>s” secti<strong>on</strong> at the end of this report for additi<strong>on</strong>al informati<strong>on</strong><br />
about the ACTFL/OPI language training and certificati<strong>on</strong> workshop organized by CIEE for its<br />
Amman language instructors in late spring 2010.<br />
Subject Area Courses<br />
All of the CIEE Amman Language and Culture program courses are for CIEE students <strong>on</strong>ly.<br />
However, courses are taught in regular academic buildings <strong>on</strong> the University of Jordan campus,<br />
thereby allowing students to interact with University of Jordan students between classes. In<br />
previous years, CIEE used the University of Jordan Language Center for its courses. However,<br />
as local students are not allowed to enter the Language Center, CIEE decided to switch its<br />
courses to other facilities at the University of Jordan in order to facilitate better cultural and<br />
academic immersi<strong>on</strong>. Although there were some occasi<strong>on</strong>al problems with course scheduling<br />
and classroom availability, feedback from 2009-10 indicates that both CIEE staff and students<br />
appreciated this important change. Students in fall 2009 and spring 2010 were generally<br />
satisfied with the overall CIEE language and area studies courses.<br />
CIEE Courses<br />
All students <strong>on</strong> the Amman LC program are required to take Modern Standard Arabic, Colloquial<br />
Jordanian Arabic, and two area studies courses. As previously menti<strong>on</strong>ed, most students in fall<br />
2009 and spring 2010 were extremely satisfied with the CIEE Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)<br />
and Colloquial Jordanian Arabic courses. The CIEE <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g> of Arabic Language and the<br />
language instructors have revised various MSA levels in order to use a combinati<strong>on</strong> of the<br />
popular U.S. al-Kitaab language series as well as locally developed language materials.<br />
Although some students would clearly prefer a completely al-Kitaab based curriculum, the<br />
overall outcomes this year indicate that the CIEE curriculum is working very well and provides<br />
students with a highly effective language program.<br />
In 2009-10, CIEE introduced a new Media Arabic course for students who placed into Advanced<br />
I or Advanced II <strong>on</strong> the CIEE language placement test. This new course was very well received<br />
by the students, as it allowed them to take an additi<strong>on</strong>al advanced Arabic course in lieu of <strong>on</strong>e<br />
area studies course. In additi<strong>on</strong> to this new course, several new professors were added to the<br />
CIEE faculty this year. Several of these professors were rated very positively by CIEE students,<br />
and their new courses helped take the pressure off of a few CIEE courses that had become<br />
somewhat large in 2008-09. As in previous years, CIEE students were particularly satisfied with<br />
the courses focusing <strong>on</strong> Middle East politics and internati<strong>on</strong>al relati<strong>on</strong>s. Here is a complete list<br />
of the courses offered by CIEE in 2009-10:<br />
Page 3 of 10
Arabic Language<br />
Beginning Arabic I<br />
Beginning Arabic II<br />
Intermediate Arabic I<br />
Intermediate Arabic II<br />
Advanced Arabic I<br />
Advanced Arabic II<br />
Beginning Colloquial Jordanian Arabic I<br />
Beginning Colloquial Jordanian Arabic II<br />
Intermediate Colloquial Jordanian Arabic I<br />
Intermediate Colloquial Jordanian Arabic II<br />
Advanced Colloquial Jordanian Arabic I<br />
Advanced Colloquial Jordanian Arabic II<br />
Advanced Topics in Modern Standard Arabic<br />
Media Arabic<br />
Area Studies<br />
Archaeological Survey of Jordan and Palestine<br />
Ec<strong>on</strong>omic Transformati<strong>on</strong>s in the Middle East<br />
Envir<strong>on</strong>ment and the Politics of Water<br />
America and the Arabs<br />
C<strong>on</strong>temporary Thought in the Islamic World<br />
Internati<strong>on</strong>al Relati<strong>on</strong>s and Diplomacy in the Middle East<br />
Jordan and the Arab-Israeli C<strong>on</strong>flict<br />
C<strong>on</strong>temporary Arab Women Writers<br />
Structure of Arab Societies<br />
C<strong>on</strong>flicts in the Middle East<br />
CIEE Internship (must be pre-approved prior to the start of each semester)<br />
Student feedback <strong>on</strong> the area studies courses improved somewhat in 2009-10. Many students<br />
commented <strong>on</strong> the fact that the local professors present very different and unique perspectives<br />
<strong>on</strong> Middle Eastern politics and internati<strong>on</strong>al relati<strong>on</strong>s. For most of these students, it was<br />
extremely interesting to hear opini<strong>on</strong>s that differed significantly from the opini<strong>on</strong>s expressed in<br />
the U.S. media, while others found it very difficult at times to hear perspectives that challenged<br />
their understanding of sensitive political, historical, and cultural issues.<br />
Out of Classroom Activities<br />
CIEE language classes often include out-of-classroom activities designed to give students<br />
practical applicati<strong>on</strong> of the c<strong>on</strong>cepts covered in the classrooms. These activities included visits<br />
to the local zoo, markets, and walking tours <strong>on</strong> the University of Jordan campus.<br />
Students <strong>on</strong> this program have the opti<strong>on</strong> of meeting with a CIEE language peer tutor for<br />
additi<strong>on</strong>al language support and cultural immersi<strong>on</strong>. In additi<strong>on</strong> to language exchange<br />
opportunities with their peer tutors, CIEE students also interact <strong>on</strong> a regular basis with the CIEE<br />
Amman student interns, local University of Jordan students who work part-time in the CIEE<br />
Study Center. Feedback from the fall 2009 and spring 2010 students indicates that the peer<br />
language tutor system was moderately successful this year. For some students, the system<br />
worked well and allowed for the CIEE student and peer tutor to meet <strong>on</strong> a regular basis for<br />
informal language exchange. For others, however, there was not a good “fit” between the CIEE<br />
Page 4 of 10
student and language peer, leading to less frequent meetings and less rewarding outcomes.<br />
CIEE staff will examine ways to make the language peer tutor system more effective in 2010-11.<br />
The “Envir<strong>on</strong>ment and the Politics of Water” course included a full day trip to various key water<br />
sites in Jordan, including the King Talal Dam, and the Jordan Valley Water Treatment Facility.<br />
Students appreciated the opportunity to see Jordan’s water resources and challenges firsthand<br />
with a local expert. However, some students found the course to be too technical and focused<br />
more <strong>on</strong> water resource management than the politics of water management in the regi<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Experiential educati<strong>on</strong> is a somewhat new c<strong>on</strong>cept to many professors and language instructors<br />
in Jordan. However, CIEE staff plan to meet with the faculty in summer 2010 to discuss ways<br />
that more out-of-classroom activities can be included in courses in 2010-11. Please see<br />
additi<strong>on</strong>al informati<strong>on</strong> below <strong>on</strong> the language club activities, peer language tutors, and other<br />
out-of-classroom language learning opportunities included in the Amman LC program.<br />
N<strong>on</strong>-Academic<br />
CIEE Orientati<strong>on</strong><br />
The Amman LC orientati<strong>on</strong> is designed to introduce students to a range of important cultural,<br />
academic, and logistical issues. CIEE resident staff and student assistants lead sessi<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong><br />
health, safety, and security issues, the academic program, student housing and homestays,<br />
local logistics, and important cultural c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>s. The fall 2009 and spring 2010 orientati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
also included local and regi<strong>on</strong>al field trips to help students get a better understanding of Jordan<br />
and the city of Amman. All students take the CIEE language placement exam and then begin<br />
Colloquial Jordanian Arabic during the orientati<strong>on</strong> period.<br />
Overall, most students rated the orientati<strong>on</strong> positively this year and indicated that the<br />
informati<strong>on</strong> presented was well-organized and interesting. Some students said that the<br />
orientati<strong>on</strong> focused too much <strong>on</strong> cultural c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>s and security. However, given the<br />
locati<strong>on</strong> of the program and reality of tensi<strong>on</strong>s in the Middle East, this is an area that CIEE will<br />
c<strong>on</strong>tinue to emphasize both during the orientati<strong>on</strong> and throughout each semester. Fortunately,<br />
most students this year understood that these issues were crucial to their ability to have a safe<br />
and rewarding experience in Jordan and followed CIEE advice carefully throughout the durati<strong>on</strong><br />
of the program.<br />
As the Amman LC program has increased in size, CIEE staff have adjusted the orientati<strong>on</strong> to<br />
make it more interactive and appropriate for the large student group. Additi<strong>on</strong>al changes will be<br />
made in 2010-11 in order to include smaller group orientati<strong>on</strong> activities.<br />
Cultural Activities/Field Trips<br />
The CIEE program includes a series of <strong>on</strong>-going language and cultural activities as well as local<br />
excursi<strong>on</strong>s and overnight field trips each semester. Students rated these comp<strong>on</strong>ents of the<br />
program very positively and were extremely satisfied with the fall 2009 and spring 2010 cultural<br />
activities and field trips. CIEE has made some of the overnight field trips opti<strong>on</strong>al in order to give<br />
students more flexibility and help ensure that students are not forced to participate in trips that<br />
do not interest them. Overall, the students in fall 2009 and spring 2010 were most satisfied with<br />
the field trips that focused <strong>on</strong> eco-tourism and Biblical Jordan.<br />
Day or Evening Activities<br />
Here is a brief descripti<strong>on</strong> of the excursi<strong>on</strong>s offered to CIEE Amman LC students in fall 2009<br />
and spring 2010:<br />
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Biblical Jordan: This day trip explores Jordan’s biblical sites, as well as examples from<br />
Jordan’s Byzantine period. Highlights include the Baptismal site <strong>on</strong> the Jordan River; designated<br />
by Pope John Paul II as the site of Jesus’ baptism, Mt. Nebo, site of Moses final look into the<br />
Holy Land, St George’s Church in Madaba; “Church of the Map,” and a short hike up Herod’s<br />
summer palace of M’kawir, site of the beheading of John the Baptist. Students eat lunch at<br />
Madaba at Haret’ Judna, a local restaurant in a renovated, historic villa.<br />
Eastern Desert Tour: This tour explores Jordan’s harder to reach Eastern Desert and its prime<br />
examples of Omayyad era art and architecture. The trip includes the castles (actually caravan<br />
stops and hunting lodges) of Hallabat, Azraq, Khrammeh and the UNESCO protected Amra and<br />
its impressive frescoes. This trip also includes a visit to the Azraq wetlands (which are actually<br />
quite dry now) and the Royal Society for the Protecti<strong>on</strong> of Nature reserve. This day trip helps<br />
students to understand the water crisis facing Jordan today.<br />
Wadi Mukhaires: This full-day hike requires a minimum physical effort, but CIEE provides<br />
students with knee pads and helmets just in case. The hike includes a l<strong>on</strong>g walk to a big<br />
waterfall, lunch at the birth of the wadi (valley, riverbed), and the chance to see a beautiful<br />
green cave.<br />
Students who are religiously observant and interested in history found the Biblical Jordan field<br />
trip to be extremely rewarding, while those more interested in nature and eco-tourism<br />
appreciated the opportunity to explore Jordan’s natural resources and get some fresh air.<br />
Clubs and Other Cultural Activities<br />
Each semester, CIEE student interns coordinate various “culture clubs” to provide students with<br />
the opportunity to learn about traditi<strong>on</strong>al crafts such as embroidery and henna painting,<br />
Jordanian cuisine, and traditi<strong>on</strong>al dance. CIEE interns also coordinate a “c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong> club” that<br />
allows students to discuss topics such as traditi<strong>on</strong>al marriage, Islam, and stereotypes in English<br />
with local students. These clubs were very well attended during the 2009-10 academic year.<br />
The “calligraphy club” was popular at first, but participati<strong>on</strong> dwindled to a small number of<br />
dedicated students who eventually learned to produce small works of art with Arabic script. This<br />
club was led by <strong>on</strong>e of the CIEE language instructors. Finally, the CIEE <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g> of Arabic<br />
Language offered a “Ten Forms Club,” an interactive, n<strong>on</strong>-credit club that focused <strong>on</strong> mastering<br />
the Arabic verb system. This club was well attended and received very positive feedback from<br />
the advanced language students this year.<br />
Overnight Fieldtrips<br />
The fall 2009 and spring 2010 students had very positive things to say about the two overnight<br />
field trips offered each semester. For many, these trips to Petra and Wadi Rum were major<br />
program highlights. Students relished the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Lawrence of<br />
Arabia in Wadi Rum and experience the w<strong>on</strong>ders of the ancient city of Petra. Students in 2009-<br />
10 commented that the field trips were organized very well, allowed ample time for explorati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
and provided good, knowledgeable guides. Some students were frustrated by the large size of<br />
the groups this year. CIEE staff will c<strong>on</strong>sider ways to offer these popular trips multiple times<br />
each semester in order to make the student groups smaller. However, rising costs for tours to<br />
these famous sites make it difficult for CIEE to do so.<br />
Petra Field Trip<br />
CIEE students and staff tour the unique castle ruins at Shobak and then have an evening<br />
cooking less<strong>on</strong> at the “Petra Kitchen.” In the evening, students have free time to explore Wadi<br />
Page 6 of 10
Musa. Early the next morning, the group enters Petra and tours the famous Siq and Treasury<br />
before the large crowds arrive from Amman. Students then have additi<strong>on</strong>al time to explore the<br />
rest of Petra’s w<strong>on</strong>ders.<br />
Wadi Rum Trip<br />
Highlights of this popular CIEE overnight field trip include a 4X4 tour through the desert, sand<br />
dune hiking, and an overnight at the famous “Captain’s Camp” in Bedouin tents. This year, the<br />
excursi<strong>on</strong> also included a camel trek through the desert. This field trip allows students to see the<br />
beautiful night sky and some of the most spectacular desert scenery in the world.<br />
Housing<br />
The CIEE Amman LC program offers two different housing opti<strong>on</strong>s: CIEE-managed student<br />
apartments and CIEE homestays with local Jordanian families. Overall, fall 2009 and spring<br />
2010 students were very satisfied with the program housing. Here is a breakdown of student<br />
housing choices in 2009-10:<br />
Fall 2009: Homestays: 71%<br />
Apartments: 29%<br />
Spring 2010: Homestays: 66%<br />
Apartments: 34%<br />
These breakdowns were c<strong>on</strong>sistent with student choices over the past few years, as more<br />
students c<strong>on</strong>tinue to choose homestays for the linguistic and cultural immersi<strong>on</strong>s that they can<br />
provide. Most of the homestays worked out very well this year, although there were a few minor<br />
and typical issues involving communicati<strong>on</strong> challenges between students and their hosts. Some<br />
students were surprised to learn that their homestay families were Christian and not Muslim.<br />
CIEE recruits a variety of local families in order to help provide suitable families for the diverse<br />
group of CIEE students. Students in the CIEE apartments were generally satisfied with the<br />
quality of the apartments, although some students expressed c<strong>on</strong>cerns about the quality of<br />
some of the furnishings and kitchen equipment in specific apartments. CIEE staff feedback<br />
indicates that there were some major challenges with the behavior of some CIEE students in<br />
apartments this year. Although the apartments do offer students more overall flexibility than<br />
homestays, there are cultural rules and expectati<strong>on</strong>s that CIEE students must follow in the<br />
apartments. Some landlords had problems with CIEE students who did not follow policies<br />
regarding overnight guests, alcohol c<strong>on</strong>sumpti<strong>on</strong>, and noise. CIEE staff will reinforce these<br />
policies more strictly in 2010-11. CIEE also hopes to recruit some local program alumni to live in<br />
some of the apartments and help m<strong>on</strong>itor student housing more carefully in future semesters.<br />
Community Engagement and Integrati<strong>on</strong><br />
Community engagement is an important comp<strong>on</strong>ent of the CIEE program. Students may choose<br />
between not-for-credit volunteer projects and a for-credit CIEE Internship. The internship<br />
requires a proposal and pre-approval from CIEE and the student’s home instituti<strong>on</strong> prior to the<br />
start of the semester. Students who participated in CIEE internships this year were quite<br />
satisfied with their experiences, and several noted that these projects were <strong>on</strong>e of the highlights<br />
of their overall time in Jordan.<br />
For-Credit Internship and Community Service Opti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
Here is a brief overview of the CIEE Internship sites in fall 2009 and spring 2010:<br />
Page 7 of 10
Fall 2009 / Spring 2010<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
People in Need: Czech NGO focusing <strong>on</strong> refugees in Jordan from Iraq<br />
SUNY Buffalo Legislative Strengthening Project: Research and advocacy to teach<br />
the Jordanian parliament and civil society about effective legislati<strong>on</strong><br />
Jordan Nati<strong>on</strong>al Committee for Women: Research and advocacy <strong>on</strong> women’s rights in<br />
Jordan<br />
Nati<strong>on</strong>al Democratic Institute: American government-affiliated n<strong>on</strong>-profit organizati<strong>on</strong><br />
focused <strong>on</strong> democratic institutes in Jordan and Iraq<br />
King Hussein Cancer Center: Public hospital and research center<br />
Jordan Envir<strong>on</strong>ment Society: Envir<strong>on</strong>mental advocacy and c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong><br />
Young Entrepreneurs Society: Organizati<strong>on</strong> that promotes a better business climate<br />
for young business people and future business owners<br />
Internati<strong>on</strong>al Soluti<strong>on</strong>s Group: American development company focused <strong>on</strong><br />
infrastructure development<br />
Royal Society for the C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> of Nature: Organizati<strong>on</strong> built under royal<br />
patr<strong>on</strong>age. It maintains Jordanian parks and nature reserves and advocates for their<br />
protecti<strong>on</strong> and expansi<strong>on</strong><br />
Engic<strong>on</strong>: Jordanian development organizati<strong>on</strong> focused <strong>on</strong> local tenders and bids for<br />
internati<strong>on</strong>al development grants.<br />
Oxford Business Group: UK based NGO focused <strong>on</strong> annual ec<strong>on</strong>omic reports<br />
PBYRC: Princess Basma Youth Resource Center<br />
RHSC: Jordanian research organizati<strong>on</strong> focused <strong>on</strong> regi<strong>on</strong>al human security<br />
Not-for-Credit Community Service/Volunteer<br />
Approximately fifty CIEE students participated in this year’s “Abraham’s Path Initiative” day trip<br />
and volunteer activity. Based <strong>on</strong> the accepted path of Abraham, a patriarch comm<strong>on</strong> to<br />
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the initiative traces his journey from near Antioch in modern<br />
day southern turkey to historic Palestine. Students assisted with a highway trash collecti<strong>on</strong><br />
project, painted several classrooms at a local high school and ate lunch with local villagers. This<br />
was a very successful event and will be repeated in future semesters.<br />
CIEE also organized four student and staff teams for the annual Dead-to-Red relay marath<strong>on</strong> in<br />
spring 2010. The 242-kilometer race begins <strong>on</strong> the shore of the Dead Sea and ends at the Red<br />
Sea port of Aqaba. CIEE helped sp<strong>on</strong>sor the event, and all involved said it was a rewarding and<br />
fun activity.<br />
Challenges<br />
Academic<br />
Overall, most of the students were very satisfied with the CIEE language and area studies<br />
courses this year. Most students indicated that the program allowed them to meet or exceed<br />
their Arabic language learning goals. The CIEE decisi<strong>on</strong> to include the use of al-Kitaab in most<br />
of the language courses has made aspects of the language curriculum easier while also<br />
complicating the language placement process at the beginning of each semester. This program<br />
attracts a group of students with a very diverse range of language backgrounds. While students<br />
equate their background in al-Kitaab (i.e. number of chapters completed) with language<br />
proficiency, CIEE pre- and post-test data indicates that the U.S. Arabic language instructi<strong>on</strong><br />
varies widely from school to school. In short, a student’s language proficiency cannot be solely<br />
based <strong>on</strong> the number of al-Kitaab chapters that they have completed prior to their study abroad<br />
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experience. Many students fail to realize the amount of progress that they have made during the<br />
semester due to the fact that they cannot neatly calculate the number of al-Kitaab chapters that<br />
they have completed. As previously menti<strong>on</strong>ed in this report, however, CIEE pre-and post-test<br />
data indicates that most students <strong>on</strong> this program are making significant progress each<br />
semester. According to the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Resident</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g>, many students fail to realize the depth of their<br />
language development until after they have returned to the U.S.<br />
N<strong>on</strong>-Academic<br />
Most students in fall 2009 and spring 2010 indicated that they were satisfied with the overall cocurricular<br />
comp<strong>on</strong>ents of the Amman LC program, including program housing, field trips and<br />
cultural activities, community engagement opportunities, and <strong>on</strong>-site staff support. CIEE<br />
resident staff and student interns received much better feedback in 2009-10 than in previous<br />
years.<br />
According to the CIEE <str<strong>on</strong>g>Resident</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g>, the Amman LC program has started to attract a<br />
number of students each semester who are not carefully c<strong>on</strong>sidering their choice of destinati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
While most students c<strong>on</strong>tinue to be motivated by intensive Arabic language study and the<br />
opportunity to learn firsthand about Jordanian and Middle Eastern politics, history, religi<strong>on</strong>, and<br />
culture, some students seem to be motivated by a general sense that Jordan is fun and can<br />
offer a unique chance to explore a different regi<strong>on</strong> of the world. Such students can often detract<br />
from the language and cultural goals of the program and lead to problems with homestays and<br />
other elements of the program. CIEE intends to devote additi<strong>on</strong>al resources to the student<br />
applicati<strong>on</strong> screening process in order to help strengthen the overall student group in 2010-11.<br />
Students need to be aware of the reality of living and studying in the Middle East and should<br />
understand that the CIEE program and its policies are designed to give them a rewarding and<br />
safe academic and cultural experience in Jordan.<br />
Future Directi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
The CIEE Amman Language and Culture program has become <strong>on</strong>e of the most popular<br />
programs offered by CIEE anywhere in the world. The program c<strong>on</strong>tinues to improve each year,<br />
and feedback from students in 2009-10 indicates that the program met or exceeded most<br />
students’ expectati<strong>on</strong>s while successfully meeting the stated CIEE program goals. As previously<br />
menti<strong>on</strong>ed in this report, CIEE has added additi<strong>on</strong>al staff and faculty, expanded its study center<br />
facilities, and made key adjustments to its language curriculum in order to meet the sharp<br />
increase in student demand for the program and the increasingly diverse needs of the individual<br />
students.<br />
In late spring 2010, CIEE organized an ACTFL OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) training and<br />
certificati<strong>on</strong> workshop for the CIEE Arabic language instructors in Amman. As a result of this<br />
workshop, the core CIEE Arabic language faculty are now certified as OPI raters, and the CIEE<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g> of Arabic Language is certified as an official OPI rater and tester. In 2010-11, CIEE will<br />
begin to focus more <strong>on</strong> the use of the OPI scale and targets (which are proficiency based) to<br />
advise students more effectively <strong>on</strong> their initial program language proficiency and help them to<br />
set more realistic expectati<strong>on</strong>s for improvement over the semester or academic year. In<br />
additi<strong>on</strong>, CIEE plans to use the ACTFL workshop to help make adjustments and improvements<br />
to the CIEE language curriculum in 2010-11. CIEE Arabic language instructors were extremely<br />
grateful for this professi<strong>on</strong>al development opportunity and have indicated that the workshop will<br />
allow them to set academic objectives more precisely and to change elements of their language<br />
courses in order to manage U.S. student expectati<strong>on</strong>s more effectively.<br />
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CIEE recognizes the increasing demand for intensive Arabic language programs and remains<br />
committed to making the CIEE Amman Language and Culture program a highly rewarding<br />
opti<strong>on</strong> for U.S. students. The dedicati<strong>on</strong> of the CIEE <str<strong>on</strong>g>Director</str<strong>on</strong>g> of Arabic Language and core<br />
language instructors has been impressive thus far, and the CIEE Amman language curriculum<br />
c<strong>on</strong>tinues to improve each year. With additi<strong>on</strong>al changes to the curriculum and improvements to<br />
the co-curricular program (field trips, language club activities, and community engagement<br />
projects), the Amman Language and Culture program promises to be even more successful in<br />
2010-11.<br />
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