CET Jordan

The program is very solid. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to develop their Arabic or just get out of their University. The program director and employees are very understanding and help you through all of your problems. For example, I got sick the second week and Ahmed(CET employee) drove me to the hospital and walked me through the entire process. Before I knew it, I was out of the hospital with medications in less than 40 minutes.
Through the program you get to see Petra, the Dead Sea and Wadi Rum in the long trip and Um Qais, Jaresh and Ajlun in the short trip. This was a much needed breath of fresh air, as classes were starting to pick and much of the day was spent in the books. Petra was my favorite location from the trip. Pictures don’t do the city justice. Being face to face with the treasury really makes you wonder how a primitive human can accomplish so much in the desert. The Dead Sea was a close number 2 but was very painful(don’t get the salt water in your eyes). If I had studied abroad on my own I would have not been able to assess there locations. I am very happy the program sets these trips up.
Participating in the language pledge for two months undoubtedly strengthened my Arabic. Being in the thick of course work and college student life, I didn’t realize how far I had come. Arriving in Amman, I could introduce myself in Arabic and talk about where I was from and what I studied; after the program, I could maintain a conversation with my uber driver for 30 minutes on the way to the airport. We talked about our favorite music, why I was in Jordan, what I wanted to do, what he wanted to do and companies he worked for. I didn’t realize how far I had come until he dropped me off and I headed back to the states. Overall, I am very happy with my decision to study and I have gained so much from my experience.

The trip is a great opportunity to improve your Arabic and familiarize yourself with Jordanian culture. You will see all kinds of wonderful parts of the country via CET guided trips, but the best chances for exploring will come by your own efforts. The easiest opportunities will come by befriending locals, using your language partners, and your local roommates.

The trip is really what you make it. Keeping the language pledge and getting out of Jubeiha is necessary. One of my favorite opportunities was visiting the home of my local roommate. We ate the traditional Jordanian dish Mansef and went to a Palestinian wedding afterwards. Everyone was so excited to share a piece of their life. Experiences like this don't happen in a classroom and all the connections that CET provides helps you find your own adventures.

CET's Intensive Language Program is rigorous and challenging (They don't call it "intensive" for no reason), but easily the most valuable asset to my Arabic language learning. Prior to this summer, I was terrified of this program and could hardly speak Arabic. I arrived barely able to say more than the basic information about myself.

From day one, the CET staff are incredibly kind and supportive, willing to do anything to help you succeed in learning the language. The classes are small, interactive, and allow you to build relationships with your peers and your professor. The workload, while a lot, was all valuable and sets you up to grow your vocab tremendously and communicate conversationally with others. It was a challenging summer that allowed me the opportunity to grow both academically and personally. I can't even express the amount that my Arabic improved from this summer. I had been studying Arabic for two years prior to this summer and those two years of studying were worthless compared to this summer. The language pledge is one of the most beneficial aspects of the program, forcing you to speak 24/7 and grow in your ability to speak conversationally. I struggled a lot during the summer, but the CET staff were always so helpful and kind - they felt like my 2nd family by the end of the summer, and I always felt comfortable enough to express any problems I was having. They are accommodating and supportive.

The program excursions were one of my favorite parts of the summer. Wadi Rum and Petra are absolutely beautiful and allow you the opportunity to see other parts of Jordan. Prior to the trips, you study relevant vocabulary in class that relates to the trips. I loved how the program intentionally ties together our class work and the trips we took. I learned how to explain where I had traveled during the summer and different aspects of each location.

I cannot express how valuable my time abroad was. It was the most challenging and rewarding summer I have ever experienced. I don't regret it at all and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. If you are serious about studying Arabic, this program is the next step.

OVERALL: My experience in this program was positive. I learned much, had fun, and was challenged.

MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES: I have been learning Arabic in some way or another for the previous ten years, much of which included learning dialects, so I was ahead of the curve in regards to the language portion. I have informally studied abroad in both Egypt and previously in Jordan, meaning I went on my own and sought out a school. Each of those trips were a month long, whereas this trip was two months long.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW: The CET program as a whole is very encompassing, which is a great feature for anyone who has never been abroad or has little experience with the language or country they are traveling in. Both the internship and language classes include a long and short trip, language partners, and the experience to live with a Jordanian roommate. The academics include tests, cooking classes, research paper written in Arabic, and various presentations on topics, of which are usually chosen by the student.

The internship class includes some required reading materials, journal entries, an academic and experiential research paper on a topic related to your internship site, and an presentation on your site location.

THOUGHTS ABOUT INTERNSHIP PORTION:
Because there are many more reviews about the language classes on this site, and because there isn't much of a difference between the academics of the internship and intensive language classes, I will forego talking about it here. My overall experience with the academic portion was positive.

I interned at the Center for Women's Studies at the University of Jordan.

The good:
I enjoyed getting out of class and seeing other places. I got the opportunity to meet other people and hear some difference experiences and stories that I would not have heard otherwise.
I was able to "audit" master-level classes that were taught in Arabic. That was a neat experience.
I was able to help staff and students out with their research needs. Everyone was very nice.

The bad:
-The summer session is short, very little opportunity to contribute.
-Especially for academics, there was little going on. I would have had even less opportunities to do things if I didn't come with a good grasp of the language before.
-The work of the academics, report writing, and internship work can be conflicting and difficult to deal with. Some people, especially because of the shortened summer schedule, questioned whether the internship was actually worth it.

LANGUAGE PLEDGE?
I read about the language pledge before coming to the program but didn't realize it was a cornerstone of the program. I personally really liked the language pledge and the challenges associated with it. I see others saying that it's requirements should be lessened for those with lower levels, but that seems backwards to me. The lower level students are the ones who benefit most from it. In addition, if that is something that detracts from this program, then go to another program! There are plenty of others. But, having heard from other students who came from other programs, they stated that CET was the most beneficial to them.

There will be groups of people who do not use the language pledge when they can avoid it. This can be frustrating. Set out what you want from this program and stick with the people who have similar goals.

احلا
I studied abroad in Jordan through the CET language intensive program in the summer of 2018 and it was truly on of the best experiences I could have asked for. From day one the onsite staff and directors were so helpful and welcoming. They really tried to make sure every student was settling in with ease. The summer language intensive program was a lot more difficult than I was expecting and there is a lot of work since its shorter than a normal semester. The classes could feel overwhelming at times because everything is taught in Arabic but the professors will and other onsite staff work diligently to ensure that you're progressing. Even when it feels overwhelming or you are tired, the professors are alongside you cheering you on.

Aside from the classroom experience CET offers multiple trips that really help bring you into the culture. The first trip, we visited a Jeresh, Umm Qais, and Ajloun, this trip gave us the opportunity to learn more about the history of the region and practice Arabic with our friends in a new setting. The second trip, was also an opportunity to site see and speak with our friends but most importantly it also gave us the opportunity to speak with the locals of Petra, and Wadi Rum.

This trip impacted me in an academic and personal way. Before studying with CET I thought I knew a lot about the region because I studied the Middle East for three years before going there, I was wrong. I knew nothing. Books can teach you about politics on an international level but there is nothing like interacting and with living with the locals.

I really enjoyed my time in Jordan, I learned a lot through this program and gained a lot of experience. We traveled to multiple places in Jordan with the program and interacted with a lot of new people. The classes were difficult but as long as you work hard and stay committed you will succeed. I would advise to future students to make sure that you save time for yourself so that you don't overwork yourself.

This was my third time in Jordan, having spent the previous two summers studying Arabic with another program. I think what I enjoyed most about CET was that I learned A LOT more about Jordanian culture-- something I previously thought I knew a lot about! The teachers and staff are really friendly and helpful. It's also great for people new to the region because upon arrival they pick you up from the airport and give you a SIM card with a Jordanian data and calling plan pre-loaded for a month. The apartments were clean and spacious. The neighborhood (al-Jubeiha) is nice, but boring. You have to take a taxi to get to the more lively areas of Amman, but it's cheap if you're splitting the fare with a person or two. The apartments are about a 10-15 minute walk to campus, which is convenient.

As far as academics, this was by far the most Arabic I've learned in a semester. Coming in, I would've never thought I could read Arabic books-- by the end of the semester I had read 2. My speaking and listening improved substantially as well, which were my weaknesses.
The content course, which is in English for internship students, was amazing. I felt like I was at my home university with intense and interesting lectures and discussions. I really enjoyed the internship seminar as well. It gave a great insight to more of Jordanian culture, especially in the work atmosphere.

I personally had a great internship experience. I worked in both English and Arabic and my duties varied day-to-day, with tasks such as: translation work, attending meetings and taking notes in Arabic and English, editing photos, conducting research, creating flyers, and assisting with trainings across the country.

There were only two things I disliked, the first being some of the rules (no outside visitors, females forbidden from male apartments after 11pm and vice versa, etc.) They seemed a little ridiculous and overbearing. However, as I understand these rules are set by the central CET office in DC, and that the Jordan staff had no control over them and just enforced them as they were told.

Secondly, because the classes were so intensive, I had little free time. Thankfully I had seen most of the city in my previous two visits to Jordan, but I still would have appreciated more time to explore and hang out with Jordanian friends instead of spending my weekends in a cafe studying. I feel like I managed my time well but still struggled to find a good amount of free time. I struggled to find time at the end of the semester to study for finals, pack all my things, and clean the apartment all at the same time. I think it would be great if they could have one 3-day weekend a month during the semester.

My semester in Jordan was not my first time in Jordan-I had been twice for study abroad with my school the previous summers; however, this experience was unlike any other. CET offers 2 outlets which are important in learning a language, especially in a foreign country, which makes the program itself stand out from other study abroad programs: the language pledge and native roommates who live in the apartments. While the language pledge was frustrating at times, and also tempting to break when in our apartments or with our friends, it improved my Arabic skills the most and helped me become more confident in my speaking abilities. It always felt rewarding when I would explain a concept to someone, 100% in Arabic, and they understand almost entirely the ideas I was conveying. As for the or for my broken Arabic that they didn’t understand, we would discuss in Arabic until we were on the same page. It was also fun to engage with other students who were at different levels and help one another.
Living in the apartments with a Jordanian roommate also proved beneficial. In my past study-abroad experiences, I lived with close friends, so we did not speak Arabic as much as we could have; this past semester, I shared a room with my Jordanian roommate, which was an experience I loved more than I ever thought I would. There were nights where she and I would exchange stories about our family lives, our friends, or just funny experiences—all in Arabic, for hours.
As for the quality of our apartments, they were more than adequate and provided the amenities one would expect from a study abroad experience. Nothing too fancy and nothing too plain, our apartments came fully furnished and seemed more-or-less clean. Some apartments came with enough plates and utensils for all 3-4 roommates (maybe more than enough), while others came with not nearly enough. Some had pots and pants; others did not. The apartment is on top of a hill and is guarded; and with the directors living there as well, there was never any reason to feel unsafe. Having the directors in the same apartment complex as the students was more than beneficial: most students felt not only safe, but also reassured that help and advice—no matter the situation—were always just a few doors away.
The teachers were exceptional and always made sure that their students understood the material, and that no one felt behind in the class. They were always willing to meet at any time outside of class, for however long the student needed. The classes were small, which I liked—my class had 5 people including me—because it helped the students bond closely and encouraged active participation and, in turn, improved students’ Arabic skills through casual conversation. While we learned a lot of new vocabulary, we focused heavily on how to use these new terms, specifically in giving presentations in front of our classmates (rather than just constantly learn lists of words). We discussed issues that are important to Jordanian society and had many opportunities to go out and ask questions to students, who were hanging out in the streets between their classes, specifically asking about the topics we discussed in classes that day or week. We would come back to class and present on what we had just discussed with our new friends.
The trips and cooking days also served an important role in our learning. We would learn about the places we were going and give presentations on them with our newly expanded vocabulary and have the chance to discuss the sights and history of the places we visited with our friends, language partners, roommates, and teachers while exploring. The cooking days were my favorite; I was able to develop my culinary vocabulary, learn colloquial terms for food, and perfect authentic Jordanian dishes—all while laughing and having fun with my classmates. We would later share our dishes with other classes, and then teach them how to make the dish. There was constant engagement among the students, whether it manifested in the encouragement of others, helping others with homework, or sharing fun stories. There was never a dull day with CET.
I love CET for many reasons, but mostly because it gave me the confidence to speak and not be afraid to make mistakes.