CET Jordan

CET Jordan is an incredible program for language aquisition. The teachers are incredible, class sizes are small, and there are a plethora of opportunities to customize learning to how you like and need. We had 2 hours a week of 1-on-1 office hours, which was a great way to get to know my teacher and to improve on my personal language struggles. The elective classes were interesting, although the directed research class was very very independent, especially if your research interest didn't fall under the professors realm of experience. The administration was great and supportive. If you are focused on Arabic aquisition this program is for you. I will say I think host families would help with that, but that of course comes with its own difficulties. The location is in a nice area in Amman, although a little disconnected from public transportation if that is a priority of yours. CET is good because you can chose how connected to the program/cohort you want to be.

To begin, I'd like to emphasize that this curriculum takes intense Arabic studies but is extremely rewarding. I had only taken one semester of Arabic during my first year of university prior to this program. When I first moved to Jordan, I knew very little Arabic. But only after two weeks of classes. I was able to express my wants, grasp and comprehend simple phrases, and hold basic conversations. My favorite quality of this program is how much Jordanian culture is woven into our studies and daily life. We went on multiple field trips throughout our time in Amman, also had Jordanian neighbors, Language partners. Which played a huge role into our cultural immerse.

My primary goal was to learn Ammiya (Jordanian dialect) Arabic, which is spoken by the locals. So, when I expressed an interest in developing my conversational abilities, my teacher was very supportive, and we scheduled one-on-one sessions throughout the week to practice conversing. Which led to the accomplishment of my goal and my ultimate personal success in this program.

If you want to learn Arabic, this is the place to be! Despite having studied four years of university-level Arabic prior to the program, the biggest improvement in my language skills was definitely during my two months in Jordan. Not only are the teachers and staff are absolutely phenomenal (incredibly sweet, supportive, and understanding) but the curriculum is incredibly challenging and engaging.

The setting is also perfect. Not only are you set in Amman, but the program is also held within the Univerist of Jordan campus, meaning you have a wonderful opportunity to get to know other Jordanian students your age. One of the students even offered to arrange for me to become a regular at a lecture/class while I was there! Being at the University of Jordan also means that you have the wonderful opportunity of participating in campus extracurriculars and events, an opportunity that you should definitely not pass up! Being assigned a language partner from the university (still a close friend of mine!) means that your skills just keep improving.

The program also actively tries to include you into Amman's social scene. Your language partner will take you out to different locations (often to visit their families as well) and your Jordanian roommate will work hard to introduce you to his/her friends. As long as you stay open to new experiences and actively try to explore, you will make lifelong memories and friends.

The housing situation is also incredibly safe and comfortable. That being said, it is definitely different from the type of comfort you might find at a European or American study abroad program but despite some minor hiccups, we were very happy with the situation. Being assigned a local roommate only makes it that much friendlier.

That being said, there are some tips to share:
- Do your own studying and research about Jordan and the Middle East before arriving. You will learn a LOT about Jordan and Arab culture while in Amman but, as most of the teachers have grown up in Jordan and never lived in the West, they will be teaching you curriculum based on their perceptions of how the West looks at the Middle East. Sometimes these (though completely well-meaning) intentions end up re-inforcing stereotypes that are untrue.
- Although the housing situation is wonderful, make sure to BRING WARM CLOTHES! Water shortages in Amman means that central heating is not a common amenity and it gets incredibly cold in the winter!
- Evaluate what you want to get out of your study abroad experience. If you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and excited at the idea of adventure, this is the program for you! This will not be like a program in Europe - to meet people and have exciting experience, you have to be actively trying to take risks and meet new people! Once you do that though, you're gold.

All in all, this was an absolutely heartwarming experience and, hands down, I would definitely do it again. I met some incredibly wonderful people and people who I will be friends with for a long time (both American and Jordanian). If you have the opportunity to go to this program, don't pass it up.

After completing all levels of Arabic at my university, I participated in the CET Virtual Summer program for the intensive study of Arabic to sharpen my skills in hopes of developing a more advanced understanding of the language. This program was much more challenging than any Arabic class I took prior. One of the key assignments that we worked on throughout the entire program was a research paper on a topic of our choice. Although it seemed a difficult task in the beginning, with the very fast-paced nature of the classes and the big focus on learning new and more advanced vocabulary, writing the research paper became quite simple and even enjoyable.

Apart from that, the entire staff was very eager to help, whether it was to answer questions or do some oral language practice. Although the program was virtual, the staff and teachers succeeded in creating a very welcoming, authentically Jordanian environment (in terms of culture).

Although the academic aspect was very fast-paced, it was also very well-designed and I felt as if I really understood everything we were taught and that I was learning at a comfortable pace. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to advance their Arabic language skills, whether it's modern standard Arabic or colloquial.

Cannot recommend highly enough.

CET provides a really complete experience. The academics are really challenging, of course, but we were able to explore a wide variety of topics in class that were really relevant to the culture, both in Jordan and in the wider Middle East. Combining that with the conversations I had with my Jordanian language partner meant that I could learn about almost any aspect of the environment and the people. Plus, we were able to visit places like Wadi Rum, Petra, Jerash, or do cultural events like cooking Jordanian dishes and visiting a Turkish bath. Overall, a fantastic experience that really complemented our language education. Plus, the teachers really, really care about their students and how they are doing, both academically and mentally/emotionally.

CET Jordan is hands down the best program for students who care about Arabic language acquisition. I felt challenged to step as far outside of my comfort zone as I could, but I was never overwhelmed because I had the support of the program staff at each step. The teachers were all extremely friendly and prioritized getting to know the students as people, rather than solely as language learners. That resulted in a positive learning environment, and class became a time to spend time with friends rather than a stressful or boring space. CET is also really concerned with connecting students to Jordanian youth culture, and its location at the University of Jordan, as well as the language partner/roommate programs, gave me a great in to make local friends. I loved my experience during this semester so much that I decided to stay and participate in CET Jordan's Internship Program. My review of that can be found here: https://www.gooverseas.com/study-abroad/jordan/program/38096

For students who are hoping to improve their Arabic, learn about life in Jordan, and have fun doing it, CET is the best study abroad option.

P.S. If any women are concerned about what is okay to wear in Jordan, I wore T-shirts, skinny jeans, and leggings all the time. Maxi skirts and dresses are fine, too, but no need to buy a pair of elephant pants if that's not your style!

I chose to participate in this program after spending a semester with CET Jordan: Intensive Language. The language program is very academically oriented, which really helped my language skills to improve, but I wanted to see a different side of life in Jordan and felt that the internship program would give me that chance. I interned with the National Association for Family Empowerment, which was a Jordanian non-profit organization focused on economic and social empowerment for women and youth in Jordan. The internship ended up being somewhat frustrating because there was hardly any work for me to do. Despite talking with the organization's director about projects or tasks I could carry out, I never got assigned enough work. CET staff spoke with the organization multiple times, and when they realized that wasn't doing anything, they worked with me to create an alternative schedule and study plan to make sure I was still maximizing on my time in Jordan. I was very grateful to have their support when my internship placement did not live up to my expectations.

For students who are really dedicated to learning Arabic, I would suggest doing the language program. Students in the internship program have Arabic language classes, but half of the coursework is in English, and most internship placements hope to use the interns' English knowledge. However, this program still allowed me to grow a lot linguistically because I got the chance to interact with Jordanians who were not my age and pick up on more slang and idioms. I also loved seeing what a workplace was like in another country and learning about the obstacles that non-profit organizations face if they are not American, Canadian, or European and need to acquire funding. Finally, my internship enabled me to explore more of the city and the country as I had a reason to go to neighborhoods and other cities that I would not have seen otherwise.