I just submitted my application for a the Critical Language Scholarship, which would put me in an Arab country (Tangiers, Morocco; Cairo, Egypt; Amman, Jordan; or Beirut, Lebanon) for 7 - 10 weeks for an intensive program in Arabic. I hope to travel around the Middle East for a couple weeks before that (we’ll see how the visa situation turns out), but I thought I’d share the essays I wrote for my application now that the process is essentially over.

(In addition to this program, I will be applying to two other similar programs, although one of those would take place in California, and not a foreign country.)

1) Please explain how you become interested in studying Arabic and what preparation you have done to date to learn about the region.

Suffice it to say, Arabic is a language not traditionally studied in the West. Given its relative rarity, it has always held a very intense exotic appeal to me. It has the most gorgeous script of any language I’ve encountered, and I find spoken Arabic striking. The Middle East is thus a land of mystery intrigue, and Arabic provides a gateway. I have a habit of asking every person with an accent that I meet where he comes from. In this way, I’ve met many interesting people here in the States: Persians, Israelis, South Koreans, Saudis, Moroccans, Jordanians, and many others. Granted, these people are all of a certain type—the kind of person willing to pack up and move to another country. With each person, especially those from the Middle East, I ask as many questions as possible about relations between their country and others, cultural perspectives, lifestyle and so on. While in Washington D.C, I made friends with some Moroccan men, and we talked at length in French about life in the United States compared to in Morocco. On the same trip, I spoke to a Saudi man named Jafer about the culture, and especially the lessening of Sunni-Shia tensions. My friend, Shireen, is half Iranian and I’ve spoken to her and her father at great length about Iran’s history and the relationship of the citizens with the government before and after the revolution and war. I devour any article I can find about the Middle East, from the leaders of countries to the wars and international relations. From al-Dahabi to Ahmadinejad’s personal web log. When I can, I like to watch Al-Jazeera English, and on my nightstand sits a copy of Edward Said’s “The Politics of Dispossession.”

2) Please explain what you hope to obtain from participation in this intensive language program and how it will contribute to your immediate and long-range goals. Within your response, please include answers to the following questions:

a. How does the program fit into your academic career? b. What are your career goals and how does study and mastery of this language contribute toward meeting those goals?

When learning a language in the classroom, despite earnest attempts by teachers to incorporate the associated culture, I find that one gets a more or less sterile lesson of the language. In high school, I took four years of French, but it wasn’t until I spent a good deal of time there that I felt like I knew the language. I didn’t form sentences in English and translate them anymore , but learned to think, dream, and speak directly in French. It’s the difference between knowledge by description and knowledge by acquaintance. What I hope to gain from participating in this program is to not just read and write better Arabic, but also to live it. In terms of my academic career, I will be matriculating to the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, a mere 80 kilometers from the cultural hub that is Jeddah. I think part of the academic lifestyle is living the collegiate culture in the surrounding areas. And of course this means diving into Arabic. With respect to career/personal goals, I think it’s very important to be a world citizen—acquainted with many languages, cultures and traditions. I think it’s virtuous in its own right, but also it promotes international understanding. As a career, I’d like to find work in diplomacy or intelligence—anything to help keep the peace and advance world relations. I see spending time overseas as a tremendous boon to this career decision.

3) Please explain how you expect to build upon the experience of participating in this intensive language program. Within your response, please include answers to the following questions:

a. What language courses do you plan to take in the future? b. What resources are available to you to further your study of the language? This may include resources through your college or university, community organizations, personal or professional contacts, or other institutions. c. If language courses are not offered at your institution, what specific steps will you take to continue your language study?

I don’t think of the Arab world as just a place to do my graduate studies, but rather a place I’d like to frequent during my lifetime. In that sense, I don’t want to participate in this program as an isolated event. KAUST (the graduate school I’m attending in Thuwal, KSA) will be offering a certain number of intensive short-form classes in Arabic of which I plan to take full advantage. Beyond the traditional classroom approach, I’d certainly be interested in pursuing subsequent CLS programs in future summers. In addition to organized Arabic education, there will be a significant Arabic-speaking community at KAUST. Within this community I hope to make many friends and to practice Arabic with them while participating in their culture and traditions. Beyond even this student body, there are 27 million Arabic-speakers in the country to speak with. And, being in such proximity to Jeddah means a chance to walk the streets and experience the home life of Arab culture. Jeddah is merely the beginning. With so many interesting countries nearby—Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates to name a few—I expect to feel a very powerful wanderlust during my time there. I am a strong believer that a large part of really knowing a language is getting into the thick of it. Initiating conversations, getting in just a little over your head in terms of linguistic ability, using the wrong verbs, and discovering beyond the denotation of words to their cultural connotations. My time at KAUST (which may last up to five years) will be filled with such opportunity.

4) The intensive language program will offer an exciting opportunity for students to be immersed in a foreign culture. The program will also offer many challenges. Please explain what experiences and unique personal qualities you would bring to program. Within your response, please include the following information:

a. Please describe any living/working experiences you have had, either overseas or in the US (such as in the classroom, in dormitories or residences, work or volunteer activities, etc.) where you have been required to interact with people from backgrounds different than your own. b. Please describe how you have dealt with challenging living situations or different cultural situations, and how you plan to deal with experiences that may be quite different from those you may have encountered previously in the US. c. Please describe the unique personal qualities you would bring to the group.

I have a fair amount of international experience - my father is French and the majority of my extended family lives overseas. Cumulatively, I have probably spent 4-6 months living there amidst French culture—the museums, the cheese, and the late nights arguing about politics. Many of my close friends are also first generation Americans with parents coming from Mexico, Vietnam, South Africa, Iran, and Jordan. Stepping into their households is like getting a glimpse of their home country. I spent a year in Japan studying abroad, during which I travelled and talked with many Japanese people. From gathering with my research lab for dinner to going to Sapporo’s international snow festival. Beyond the Japanese experience, only a small minority of the students studying abroad there were American. Indonesian to Kazakhstani, we all got along and learned each other’s ways. As Americans we hosted a Thanksgiving dinner. Some Indian students invited us to celebrate Diwali, and Muslim students, Eid ul-Fitr. Challenges do arise, but I believe that compromise is the essence of diplomacy. For example, while Tisha B’Av, one refrains from going to parties. This coincided with a close friend’s birthday party, and so in order to remain friendly, I made a brief appearance. Other times it’s just a matter of learning new norms. Like properly setting down chopsticks in Japan, or entering a room with your right foot in Muslim communities. I do my best when I encounter these differences to incorporate them as a show of respect, no matter how odd or challenging I might find them. In terms of unique characteristics I bring, I have already a colorful cultural background, and I only want to expand upon it. I deeply desire to understand foreign traditions, and participate actively in other cultures.