Job Discussion Forums

[007]

[veiledsentiments]

I expect that our theorizing on why people are migrating is beyond the scope of this board, so let's go back to the topic of learning Arabic and which dialect.

Many Westerners who are serious students of Arabic have recommended Syria as the best choice. But the key word there is 'serious.' For teachers who just wish to improve their communication with the locals wherever they are, it doesn't really matter that much.

I was glad that I had started in Egypt, and I have to admit that I learned it from my students, taxi drivers, and the boab, rather than any classes. Thus I was communicatively competent to survive all around the Middle East. Because of the Egyptian TV and movies, everyone understands Egyptian dialect. And, they found it highly amusing that this foreign woman sounded like an Egyptian - I could always raise a laugh from my students. It may be considered a "low class" dialect, but for me it only opened doors and smoothed travel problems. It even made the grumpy customs and security people laugh.

But, in the Gulf there was little or no chance to actually use much Arabic.

VS

[007]

[Neil McBeath]

I think that they idea that you don't need Arabic, or that there's not much chance to use Arabic if you're in the Gulf is a myth perpetuated by expatriates who, as an earlier poster said, donn't know or want to know anything about the country where they're living.

I learnt Arabic in Oman. I can not read, and I can only copy, but I've found that the ability to speak Omani Arabic has been invaluable.

I started by going to courses organised by the Sultan's Armed Forces; continued at a private language school, and then just talked to the people I was working with. I visited Omanis in their hom,e vo\illages; went to weddings; paid Eid visits and basically made friends.

The result is that I can now even be understood by Omani children, and during a short (two year) stint in saudi Arabia, I found that I got far better service from Yemeni shop keepers etc. because we were both in the same boat - expatriates in a semi-hostile environment.

[Cleopatra]

[veiledsentiments]

[Neil McBeath]

Here's some news, Veiled Sentiments.

Expatriate women work in the Armed Forces too. Not only that, there are Arab women serving in the Armed forces in several Gulf States.

I went "swanning off around Oman" over the course of about 25 years, visiting when I was invited, and as a result, meeting more and more people because the Omanis are essentially extremely hospitable, and would offer invitations to people who they thought would take them up.

If you WANT excuses not to do anything, then there are plenty around. I've just completed two years in Saudi Arabia, where a large number of male expatriates were terrified to stick their noses outside the compound walls because of a fear of terrorist outrage. I've heard the "I hate these bloody people. I hate this bloody country" moaning on a number of occasions.

I've also known people in Oman who have never gone further than the Intrernational Airport. And. personally, I think they've lost a lot by not doing so.

It's not a question of being "pefect" as you rather cattily put it. It's a question of doing something to discover the culture of the country where yoy have presumable CHOSEN to work - and being enriched by it.

[Cleopatra]

[Neil McBeath]

Read Veiled Sentiments piece of condescending bitchery and you will see what I'm getting at.

"I would hope you would realise that your situation of teaching in the military....."

I do realise it. On the other hand, I'm not the only one who taught in the military.

The thread of this posting is whether or not it's possible to come to the Gulf and learn Arabic.

Yes. It is. I've done it.

Other people have done it - many of them have done it far better then me; they've become literate in Arabic.

It can be done.

Whining that your position as a woman; an expatriate in a compound; the inhabitant of a large city like, for example, Dubai all preclude you making
the effort is nothing less than a bunch of lame excuses.

[veiledsentiments]