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MENA LANGUAGES PROGRAM

Welcome to our Program

 

Learn Arabic, Hebrew, or Turkish

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Our students and our faculty welcome new and current students to our unique language and culture program. We hope you will choose to begin or continue studying with us. In addition to scheduling an array of interesting language and culture courses in Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, and Persian every quarter,  we offer tutoring services to help you advance your language skills and regular cultural programming such as language tables, movie nights, and guest speakers (we regularly collaborate with the MENA Student Association and the MENA Studies Program).  If you study with us, you will acquire important language skills and a fresh perspective on the cultures and people of the MENA region.  The MENA region stretches from Morocco to Iran, and it is one of the most diverse regions with more than sixty languages being spoken throughout.

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Noteworthy

 

CONTENT COURSE TAUGHT IN HEBREW
Hebrew 216-2: Topics in Hebrew Literature - Parents and Children in Israeli Society
M / W from 2-3:20 PM with Hebrew instructor Hanna Seltzer

This class discusses the universal topic of relationships between parents and children and how it is reflected in Israeli society. The reading material will include short stories, blogs, films, parental guides and TV shows, as well as some creative writing. As we discuss the complexities and dilemmas of the relationships we encounter and ask ourselves if there is something like "Israeli parenthood" or "Israeli childhood", we will also pay close attention to the varied language levels and styles, grammar structures, and vocabulary. 
Prerequisites: Hebrew 121-3 or permission of instructor. (Literature and Arts)

CONTENT COURSE TAUGHT IN HEBREW
Hebrew 316-2: Advanced Topics in Hebrew Literature: Biblical Stories and contemporary Poems in Hebrew
M / W from 11 AM-12:20 PM with Hebrew instructor Hanna Seltzer
 In this class we will explore a selection of biblical stories in their original language, biblical Hebrew, which will enable us to see the immense influence of biblical Hebrew on the modern Hebrew language. We will read Hebrew poems that are based on the the biblical stories we have read. Beyond the grammatical and periodical difference between the texts and the poems , the poems can be seen as a political, ideological, social, or personal critique of the original biblical story. Students will learn to identify the resemblance between modern Hebrew and biblical Hebrew, as well as the biblical Hebrew as foundational to modern Hebrew.
Prerequisites: This class is for heritage speakers of Hebrew or students with advanced proficiency in Hebrew. (Literature and Arts)

CONTENT COURSE TAUGHT IN ARABIC
Arabic 316-2 Reading Classical Arabic Texts: Islamic Manuscripts
M / W from 2  - 3:20 PM with Arabic instructor Ragy Mikhaeel

This course is dedicated to the study of the manuscript literature of the Arab Islamic civilization and heritage. It provides students interested in Arabic and Islamic manuscripts professional and functional linguistic skills that enable them in the future to do research in the field of Arabic Islamic studies. While decoding the text, we will also delve into a literary analysis of the text and learn about style, new vocab, calligraphy, advanced grammar concepts.
Prerequisites: Arabic 211-3 or permission of instructor. (Literature and Arts)


CONTENT COURSE TAUGHT IN ENGLISH

MENA 290-6: Foodways of Turkey: A Multi-Ethnic Look at Food, Culture, Identity

M / W from 2 - 3:20 PM with Turkish instructor Oya Topcuoglu

This course explores the complex relationships between food, culture and society through the lens of Turkish food from the Middle Ages to the present. Using an array of primary and secondary sources from history, anthropology, literature, film and media, we will situate culinary practices and their use in constructing and expressing cultural, regional and national identities within the social, historical and political context of Turkey and the wider Middle East. We will investigate the role of minorities and immigrants in shaping culinary practices, the effects of climate change on food production and scarcity; the role of globalization on national cuisine.
Prerequisites: None. (History)

Arabic Minor

MINOR IN ARABIC
The MENA Languages Program is excited to announce that we are now offering a Minor in Arabic, to students who wish to gain a high level of proficiency in Arabic.  Arabic is a very important language: with more than 300 million speakers word-wide, it is the fifth most-spoken language globally. It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations and the United States government has deemed knowing Arabic as strategically important for the country.

The course work leading to the Minor in Arabic is carefully scaffolded along a set of overarching goals that inform the pedagogical tasks employed in each class:

  • Goal one: to understand and interact with communities of different ethnicities and cultures 
  • Goal two: to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Goal three: to speak Arabic at the advanced low level on the ACTFL Proficiency Scale

The Minor in Arabic requires 6 Arabic courses at the 200- and/or 300- level chosen from the various courses offered in the MENA Languages Program.

Find out more about our Arabic Minor

Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs)
The Fulbright FLTA Program enhances the teaching of global languages and exposes their students to a true understanding of people of different nations. Sponsored by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), the Fulbright FLTA Program supports teaching assistantships in more than 35 languages. Northwestern is hosting five FLTAs this year and the MENA languages program is proud to welcome three of them: Heba Khaldi in Arabic, Margo Oganezov in Hebrew, and Ecem Hermes in Turkish.

lucnh, FLTAs 2024 FLTA Welcome Lunch (September 2024)
From left to right: Margo Oganezov (Hebrew), Ecem Hermes (Turkish),  Inês Silva de Almeida (Portuguese), Kathleen Hrdinka (Departmental Assistant, MENA Languages Program), Meagan Keefe (Departmental Assistant, Program of African Studies), Heba Khaldi (Arabic), Staicy Toms (Swahili).

 

Learn more about our FLTAs

We have a unique program

 

PROGRESSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Our program recognizes that students are diverse learners from racially, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse backgrounds. To encourage students to excel, we offer a variety of learning situations and scenarios including the frequent use of new technologies and opportunities to practice with native speakers of the target culture. The goal is for students to acquire the new language efficiently and thoroughly while being engaged.

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ENGAGING STUDY-ABROAD OPPORTUNITIES

Many of our students take advantage of the various study abroad opportunities the University offers and all come back with engaging stories to tell.  Mara Kelly spent her summer in Jordan learning Arabic: "During my time in Amman, Jordan, I lived with a Jordanian host family, which was the highlight of my experience. My host family helped me feel at home and was incredibly welcoming."

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AWARD WINNING INSTRUCTORS

Our program has exceptional teaching faculty who regularly receive awards and accolades for teaching. Every faculty member makes a concerted effort to offer classes that are engaging, motivating, intellectually fulfilling, and have an interactive learning environment.  

 

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News and Events

 

HIGHLIGHTS

 
MENA Languages Welcomes Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants

Northwestern University is welcoming five Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants for the 2024-25 Academic Year.  The MENA Languages Program is excited to welcome three of them: Heba Khaldi, who will work closely with instructors and students in the Arabic Language program; Ecem Hermes, who will engage with students and the instructor in the Turkish Language program; and, for the first time ever, a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant from Israel, Margo Oganezov, who will work with students and instructors in Hebrew.  Read more about Heba Khaldi, Ecem Hermes, and Margo Oganezov here.  

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Upcoming Events

 

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Latest MENA Languages News

 
Heba Khaldi showcases Kuwait, her home country
Arabic students read author's work
Professor Seltzer wins CLI Teaching Award
Poster Exhibit on Remarkable Women
Sayed Kashua visits Hebrew Class

All News