CET Jordan Experience

My experience at CET Jordan’s summer intensive program exceeded my expectations. I studied with CET through their semester abroad program in the fall of 2022, so I had reasonable expectations for what returning to Jordan would look like for me. Still, I was beyond pleased with how the program helped me learn Arabic through the intensive classroom experience, field-based excursions throughout the country, personalized time with professors, and the driven cohort of students. Similarly, the program required us to sign a language pledge—to only speak in Arabic for the summer—which encouraged me to commit to the intensive language study beyond the classroom and enabled me to immerse myself in the local community and culture and connect more deeply with the language. I am thankful that the program patiently and graciously welcomed us into a new language and culture and supported us as we made mistakes and learned from them.

As for particular experiences that aided my language acquisition and cultural immersion, I benefitted from meeting with my assigned language partner (and now friend) weekly to do activities in Amman and eat traditional Jordanian dishes with her family. Similarly, I bonded with my Jordanian neighbors (from CET) who lived in the same apartment building over tea and games. CET’s structure supports a strong community among professors, neighbors, and the cohort itself. Also, it gives students the tools to foster individuality and personal development through language skills and connections with local establishments such as pottery, Turkish baths, and other fun activities!

I was also very impressed by the quality of instruction; the office hours requirement elucidates the strong commitment of the professors to the students, as we would meet with our professors every day for 30 minutes outside of class for personalized one-on-one instruction. The academic community of CET is genuinely committed to each student’s development and love for the language. I would recommend this program ten times over to anyone dedicated to learning Arabic or wanting to participate in this cultural exchange. My friends loved it too!