The Arabic for Speakers of Other Languages Program (ASOL) offers a module that caters for the students' wide range of academic and professional needs. This module is intended to meet the needs of THREE groups of students.
Undergraduate students at Petra University
The first group comprises Undergraduate fulltime students enrolled at the University of Petra who are required to complete at least one course in Arabic to meet the university's Bachelor Degree requirements and whose Arabic linguistic competence does not allow them to take this course with the Arabic speaking students.
Study Abroad Students
The second group comprises undergraduate students majoring in Arabic in a non-native Arabic speaking country. They are required by their respective home institutions to spend one or two semesters in an Arab speaking country to improve and broaden their knowledge of both the language and the culture.
Non-Degree Students
The third group comprises students who are interested in studying Arabic as an elective course in their home institutions but do not seek an Academic Degree in this field of study. These students take one or more of the Arabic courses offered by the university and get academic credit for the course(s) they successfully complete.
The Arabic program offers FOUR intensive language courses that emphasize the four language skills. The courses are offered throughout the year; The Fall and Spring semesters last for 16 weeks each and the Summer semester lasts for 8 weeks. To enroll in these courses, students have to sit for a Placement Test. Students who have no previous knowledge of Arabic and want to take a beginner level course, are exempted from the Placement Test. The following language courses are offered:
410111 Beginners Modern Standard Arabic
410112 Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic
410211 Upper Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic
410212 Advanced Modern Standard Arabic
In addition to the language courses, students take courses that expand their understanding of the Arab culture. The course offerings include:
410101 Arabic culture and Islamic history
410102 Politics of the Middle East
410103 Introduction to Modern Arabic literature
410104 Media Arabic
410105 Contemporary Arab cinema
