Students can practice reading and writing in Arabic in a new magazine sponsored by OU’s Arabic Flagship Program. The magazine’s title is in Arabic, but roughly translates to “Oklahoma Magazine.”
Each issue of the magazine will feature about eight to 10 articles written by students in Arabic pertaining to a wide variety of topics including social issues, video games and economic analysis of Egypt, said Chase Smithburg, coordinator for OU’s Arabic Flagship Program. There is also a section at the end of the magazine showcasing Arabic expressions that students find interesting.
The sponsor of the publication is a merit-based undergraduate program designed for Arabic learners who want to achieve proficiency in the language while pursuing degrees in other majors, according to the Arabic Flagship Program’s website.
“The program is an initiative designed to give students a linguistics and cultural education,” Smithburg said.
Only five universities in the U.S. have this program, and its overall goal is to create highly educated professionals well versed in the Arabic language, he said.
The program offers an innovative five-year curriculum in Arabic language and culture, according to its website. During these five years, students take three years of core courses in Arabic language as well as content-based courses taught exclusively in Arabic.
To participate in the program, students must be full-time, have a GPA of 3.25 or higher, have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency and have finished at least one semester of Arabic, according to the website.
The first issue of the magazine came out in February, and the March edition will be released within the next few days, Smithburg said.
