Arabic and SOAS verses Arabic at Westminster

Im predicting some snooty TSRians are gonna flame you.....good luck

Hey Y'all!

I have just completed my first year at Westminster doing Arabic and I just wanted to compare the course with those who study it at SOAS. Well!! What can I say! We use Al-Kitaab, I know that SOAS uses that also and they also have a year abroad like we do. Our teachers tell us that SOAS students have around 12 hours Arabic tuition per week, whilst we only get about 7/9 a week (depending on whether you take an extra Arabic language module as an elective)

I cannot begin to tell you how intensive the course is and one thing that 'killed' me was the pace that we went at. In the first semester, it was at a good pace - come semester 2 - OMG!!! We did from around chapter 3 to chapter 11/12 between after xmas and now! we spent one/two classes a week on one chapter and we barely did ANY of the exercises and then on top of all that, we had to learn all vocab for each chapter every week, AS WELL as learn all grammatical structures (that killed me, literally). Its so God damn hard!!! And sometimes I feel like I am doing a degree in science or maths or something - its THAT hard! And the pressure put on us by the teacher doesn't help either! The teaching is excellent tho! I think I did 'ok' in my exams and I shud get thru to the second year. But honestly, I LOVE THE CHALLENGE!!!

However some of my classmates have been dropping out and one of my close buddies, I notice, is slowly slipping....

For the year abroad, you can either go to Damascus or Alexandria. Can't wait!!

I was going to apply to SOAS, but because I studied there before on a Hindi and South Asian studies degree, and then dropped out after the first year - I thought that I wouldn't get in, anyway so I didn't apply.

Whats it like in SOAS???

The course at Soas is rigid, boring and incredibly dry. It's not 12 hours a week, it's 18 hours of contact time with turorials and lectures.

They use the same course books that they were using thirty years ago at Soas (something some of the tutors are fed up with) so all of the texts are about the cold war.

I don't know what else to say about the course really... the lectures were often quite inclusive and participatory. The lecturer had his favourites in class, and seemed to cause a lot of cliquiness.

I agree about Arabic being like a science. I left the course towards the end of first year, just because it wasn't something I wanted to do relating to my career at all and I didn't like being in London. But props to you for sticking at it, it's a hard course and not a language you will be proficient in even when you've graduated (sorry to break it to you)... You're going to have to keep at it after you finish the degree, even live in the middle east. I know people in their second/third years now and they're still struggling, seeing to light at the end of the tunnel and regretting doing it because they don't think they will ever be proficient.

WOW! That is intense! 18 hours!!! I spoke with someone who had studied Arabic at SOAS and they said that they used the same materials as we do, Al-Kitaab. Thats a bit surprising that they use such old materials, as you mentioned - very surprising indeed! I totally agree with you that Arabic is a language that has a high drop out rate. I think I am lucky in a sense, because for me, learning Arabic is kinda just as easy as learning a European language mainly because I grew up knowing the Arabic alphabet and I was able to read fluent Quranic Arabic before starting my degree. I also speak Hindi/Urdu and Pashto - which have many loan words, or interchangeable vocabulary. The main issue I have is the grammar structure - picking up vocab is not really a problem for me - thank God! But yes, you have to keep at it, like they say you either sink or swim.

I hope you are happy with your new course now and very best of luck!

hey....I know that your post is a bit old, but I just got a offer from westminster for arabic and international relations! whats it like at westminster? how are the students and the teachers?? how is accommodation?? are you still at westminster and what is your arabic doing?

would be nice to get an answer....really excited to maybe go there!!