Change from Morocco to Jordan

  Although I was guaranteed to study abroad in The Arabic Language Institute in Fez ( ALIF), located in Fez, Morocco, I was still looking into programs closer to The Middle East. I started searching for programs in The Middle East when I learned that the Arabic spoken in Morocco is very different from the Academic Arabic I am currently learning at CSU. The Academic Arabic, also known as Fus-ha or Modern Standard Arabic is spoken more in The Middle East. While volunteering in the INTO program at CSU as an English Conversation partner, I was advised by a few students from Libya and Kuwait to look into Jordan because they speak about 90% Fus-ha and 10% Jordanian Dialect, where as Morocco speaks around 20% Fus-ha and 80% Moroccan Dialect (A mixture of French and Arabic). I applied three weeks ago to the The Intensive Arabic Language Program in Amman, Jordan for the Summer of 2014. The program is 7 weeks: 5 learning at the school and living with a host family, and 2 weeks of traveling to Bedouin tribes located throughout Jordan. I was accepted yesterday, and am now in the process of getting medical exams, filling out paper work, applying for scholarships, and all other plans involved. Thanks so much for reading this and everyone's support. Assalam Aleykum ( Peace be upon you)!

A link to the study abroad page 

  http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/sss_joi.cfm

A link to a YouTube video with American students who completed the program and were interview on Jordanian National Television.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJB8lwjG_Vk

Basic Arabic

 Arabic Conversational Words with Transliteration

Hello= Mar-haba

Goodbye= Maa-Saalama

Peace be upon you= Aa-ssalam Aley-kum , The Response= Wa-laykum aa-ssalam

How are you?= Kayfa al hal?

I’m good= Ana Bee-khyer, I’m okay= Ana aadee, I’m bad= Ana mobe- khare

Good morning= Sabah al khare, Response= Sabah al noor

Good night= Masah al khare, Response= Massah al noor

Nice to meet you= Tash-aa-rrafna

Girls= Bennat, Girl= Bent

Father= Aba/ Abu

Mother= Amm

Numbers

1=Wahhid

2=Ithnaan

3=Thalathat

4=Arba

5= Kamsa

6=Sitta

7=Sabaah

8=Thamania

9=Tissa

10= Asherra

How I started learning Arabic

 May of 2012, is a month I will never forget. Growing up in a family with four sisters and two incredible parents meant that the Evans household was always full of people, friends, and relatives. When I moved to Fort Collins to attend CSU, my parents only had my younger sister Juliet left in the house, which meant there were a lot of empty rooms and a silence my parents weren't used to. To solve the sudden change, my parents decided to rent the rooms out to Saudi Arabian college students who were studying English at the local community college in Littleton, CO. My parents figured it would help with finances, bring the house to life again, and since they are followers of Jesus Christ, it was a ministry opportunity.

     So in May of 2012, Abdalilah and Yazeed moved into to our home. At once I was thrilled to get to know my new roommates. Since I was the only boy with four sisters growing up, I was excited have in a sense "brothers" akh. I started introducing my akh to all my friends, and meeting many of their Saudi Arabian schoolmates. After a couple weeks, I began to learn basic conversational Arabic. After, a summer of cliff jumping, hiking, going to rugby games, and hanging out on the back patio getting to know two great jayeed guys, I returned to Fort Collins for school. 

    
 I had not enrolled in any Arabic classes, but decided to pick up a CD set that taught one how to speak basic Arabic while only taking about 20 minutes a day. I learned a lot of Arabic from “The Pimsleur Arabic CD program.”  As a result, I was able to practice speaking with random Arab people I met around Fort Collins. In February of 2013, I joined the CSU cycling team, and met a guy named Mubarak, who was from Kuwait. I started practicing cycling with Mubarak, which helped practice the language. Soon enough I met many of his Kuwaiti friends. My desire to learn their language became very strong. 

     Many of the foreign students at CSU do not have a lot of close friends that speak English. They go to class, but it is hard for them to get out and grow relationships with Americans when they have a whole community of their own countrymen/women who speak their language and know their culture. When Americans speak to them in their language they immediately respect what we have to say, and trust us more than any other American they have met.  

     I will be taking First Year Arabic I and II this school year (2013/2014), at Colorado State University, and will be studying Abroad in Jordan next summer. I am fundraising for my plane ticket, visas, shots, tuition, books, host family expenses, ect. through Colorado State Student Fundraising. Many of you viewing this blog may have supported me by purchasing a Celestino's Promotional Booklet. 

Thanks for your support. I look forward to sharing with you about my experience abroad, and plans that develop for my trip through the school year. 

My family's second host student Abdalilah

Our students,Yazeed and Abdalilah, with my four sisters

Some friends from my cycling team on the right from ( my friend, Mubarack, from Kuwait on the right)