O.S

At first I was in doubt about this program and very skeptical about what can be achieved in only 3 days. I was soon surprised by the people in Darijat, especially the children. The hospitality was amazing And warm. The interaction with the residents was overwhelming. I guess that learning the language the way we do today, is not sufficient enough. After visiting the village for 3 days, I was able to reach the same conclusion as Al- Masdar's did before me. The basic concept of learning a language should be the very source of it: The people, and equally important, their culture and social-dynamics. Back in the university we were able to learn the basics of the Arab language. We learned how read, write and eventually to handle a basic conversation. The lectures about the middle east and the Arab world were both interesting and intellectually renewing. But with all that said, nothing could prepare me for what's to come. In Darijat, Al-Masdar introduced us to a whole different way to learn Arabic language and culture. All through our visit, we weren't able to stop learning. The educational experience was so intense that I recall from the first night when we stayed in the village, when I fell onto my bed to sleep at Aiysha's home (our host), I felt like I just finished a whole 10KM race. I was that exhauseted. Maybe because it was close to midnight, maybe because it was the first day we arrived after a long road trip. But putting those reasons aside, I am pretty sure it has something to do with the fact we spent the last 3 hours(!!) Talking, laughing, playing and learning (Yes! We studied too!) with the kids of the village. By the time Or and Izhaak went to sleep, our Shigg (guest room) and its surroundings were swarmed with children, whom as we all know, are patient-less and full of excitement when they're encountered with strangers. Therefore, we were "forced" to keep speaking in Arabic with them until the middle of the night. This wonderful, randomly-created interaction, caused us, the group of students, to lose our fear and embaresment. It helped us gain confidence, trust, and above all, it allowed us to make mistakes and learn from them. All whilst speaking in Arabic with the kids. The more we made mistakes and we were corrected by the kids, the more we learned. The more we spoke, the more confidence we gained and the more we got confident in ourselves, the more motivated we've become to keep on talking. The learning experience I just described is very much like a child learning to speak from his/her parents. The child at first speaks a few words, but then slowly he'll start speaking fluently. perhaps with some mistakes, but if he is corrected and supported the right way, eventually he'll grow into speaking the language in a healthy and natural way. And I think this is the key word from those days, Growing into talking. These sort of interactions in the village were our daily routine. Whether it was in the Shigg, the local Elementary School and even during lunch and dinner. The source of our knowledge wasn't only a textbook or a slideshow, it was mainly the families, local teachers and even the village itself and it's history. All of the above helped us to GROW. To grow our confidence, our knowledge and our ability to learn the language. After only 3 days in the village, with all of those experiences, I feel satisfied and happy. I feel that the way Al-Masdar chose to teach Arabic and Arab culture, is efficient, accurate and above all meaningful to those who choose to participate. I feel I want more.