Hello!
Welcome to my blog! I'll be writing about my travels this summer to Rabat, Morocco.
I'll be studying second year Arabic, both Modern Standard (MSA) and Moroccan (الدارجة). Arabic is diglossic, which means speakers use one variety to read and write (MSA) and another one to speak (الدارجة). Usually official things like the news or documentaries will be presented on television in MSA, but films and regular shows are often produced in dialect. In fact, watching foreign films is a common way to pick up dialect from another Arabic-speaking region.
I don't know too many details about my program, but I know I'll be in class for 20 hours a week studying the language. I'll have a peer tutor to help with the Moroccan dialect as well. Plenty of excursions too I hope, particularly to nearby cities. I personally hope to get to Volubilis, Lixus, and Sala Colonia, which are ancient sites of Roman ruins. I also can't wait to explore Rabat and visit the souqs and market places and get to know the people!
Rabat is about four hours ahead of Atlanta, so thankfully not too onerous of a time difference. My classes are early in the morning so that might be an interesting transition, but on the whole I'm excited! Looks like I have a pretty packed schedule but I should have time to get to know my host family well and delve into the city.
I leave for an orientation in on June 4th, and fly to Rabat on the 7th! Only 24 more days.
Welcome to my blog! I'll be writing about my travels this summer to Rabat, Morocco.
I'll be studying second year Arabic, both Modern Standard (MSA) and Moroccan (الدارجة). Arabic is diglossic, which means speakers use one variety to read and write (MSA) and another one to speak (الدارجة). Usually official things like the news or documentaries will be presented on television in MSA, but films and regular shows are often produced in dialect. In fact, watching foreign films is a common way to pick up dialect from another Arabic-speaking region.
I don't know too many details about my program, but I know I'll be in class for 20 hours a week studying the language. I'll have a peer tutor to help with the Moroccan dialect as well. Plenty of excursions too I hope, particularly to nearby cities. I personally hope to get to Volubilis, Lixus, and Sala Colonia, which are ancient sites of Roman ruins. I also can't wait to explore Rabat and visit the souqs and market places and get to know the people!
Rabat is about four hours ahead of Atlanta, so thankfully not too onerous of a time difference. My classes are early in the morning so that might be an interesting transition, but on the whole I'm excited! Looks like I have a pretty packed schedule but I should have time to get to know my host family well and delve into the city.
I leave for an orientation in on June 4th, and fly to Rabat on the 7th! Only 24 more days.
My daily schedule
No comments:
Post a Comment