Arabic language class enrollment at Tufts has increaseddramatically in the past few semesters, mirroring a nationwidetrend that many cite as a direct result of Sept. 11.
"We used to have one small section of first year Arabic,"Assistant Arabic Professor Amira El-Zein said. "We have now threesections, with 72 students in the first year alone."
The department also created a fourth-year Arabic class this fallat the request of students who wished to continue studying thelanguage.
The number of students enrolled in Arabic classes has tripledsince Sept. 11 as a direct result of the tragedy, according toEl-Zein.
"All of a sudden, there was an urgent need for people who couldtranslate from Arabic, who could speak the language and communicatewith Arabs abroad," El-Zein said. "So, everybody rushed to learnArabic. It was a shocking discovery to realize that very fewAmericans were trained in the language. The demand surpassed by farthe supply."
German, Russian and Asian Languages Professor ValerieAnishchenkova agreed with this assessment. "The current politicalsituation prompted an increased interest in the Middle East from anumber of different angles," she said.
Professors such as El-Zein and Anishchenkova say they use Arabicto teach students about the importance of improving relationsbetween the Middle East and the United States.
"We want our students to be an essential component in the nearfuture in the urgent dialogue between the Arab world and theStates," El-Zein said. "Learning Arabic should be learning abouthow to erase hatred between Americans and Arabs, and how toreestablish an urgent confidence between both sides," El-Zeinsaid.
Anishchenkova said that students of the language also considerits mastery "an important career opportunity."
The surge in popularity of the language has led to "a shortageof qualified teachers, translators, journalists, interpreters,etc.," El-Zein said. "Students rush to learn Arabic because theyknow they will have jobs in the government, the many securityagencies, in teaching, in the military, and in the diplomaticfields."
Sophomore Lisa Kalajian, who is presently studying Arabic atTufts, said she hopes to work in and with these countries in thefuture. "The Arab world is extremely important for political andeconomic reasons and we don't have enough people [in the U.S.] thatspeak the language," she said.
Students at Tufts attribute the language's sudden popularity toits aesthetic qualities, as well as its contemporary relevance.
"I am taking Arabic right now because not only is it one of themost ancient languages, it is also a very poetic and beautifullanguage," sophomore Unaza Khan, adding that her interest in Arabicincreased after Sept. 11.
Undergraduates have not reported difficulty obtaining seats inArabic classes, but some students say class sizes are large.
"I had no trouble [enrolling], but the classes seem big, as inover the language class cap," Kalajian said, adding that the largeclass size made it "more difficult to learn."
"I think it's important that as many people who want to take theclass and learn the language can ... We just don't have enoughArabic professors to meet the demand," Kalajian said.
Sophomore Jonathan Apikian said he had observed students fromFletcher who had been placed on waitlists sitting in duringclasses.
But senior Matt Pohl said, "Arabic is not difficult to get intoat all. The number of sections has increased. My section hasapproximately 10 students enrolled."
Students are already incorporating Arabic into their plans ofstudy. Apikian has made Arabic his second major after InternationalRelations and plans to study abroad in Morocco or at the AmericanUniversity in Cairo.
El-Zein said she's thrilled at the rising interest in Arabic andbelieves that the Arabic program at Tufts will continue to grow. "Itruly think that in a few years it will become one of the mostactive Arabic programs across the country, and among the bestones," she said.
