How Picking Up Arabic in College Has Reignited My Love of Learning

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When I was 15 and learning to drive, I realized I couldn’t remember the last time I had picked up an entirely new skill. I had reached a stage in my life where, for the most part, I had already learned the skills I needed. I had my sports and hobbies that I enjoyed, and I knew which subjects I excelled in at school. Of course, there were ways to improve, but not as many opportunities to start from scratch. When you’re a kid, you’re constantly picking up new things—whether that’s jump roping, riding a bike, or tying your shoes. But by the time I was 15, much of what I did in my day-to-day life wasn’t truly “new learning”; it was just refining skills I had been developing for years. Driving was exciting to me because it was completely novel.

At the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at UMass Amherst, students are required to complete four semesters of a foreign language. The easy choice for me would’ve been Spanish—the language I had studied from sixth to eleventh grade. But I had grown tired of learning the same material year after year and feeling stuck in the same place. I wanted a clean slate and a fresh start. So, I decided to take Arabic.

Most of the time, when I tell people I’m taking Arabic, they say, “Oh wow, that sounds hard.” But honestly, it’s not as difficult as you might think.

It’s been easier for me to pick up Arabic than Spanish because I feel a stronger personal connection to it. Growing up one-quarter Arab, I’ve always had a complex relationship with my heritage. I feel a deep connection to my culture—the sense of hospitality, the delicious food, and the steadfastness in the face of adversity. But throughout my life, I’ve also felt not quite “Arab enough,” being somewhat white-passing and not knowing how to speak the language. In high school, I worked at a Lebanese café, which helped me feel closer to my roots, and learning Arabic has been another way for me to reclaim this part of my identity.

Taking Arabic has also pushed me to learn how to study well. The course is demanding—it meets every day and requires hours of studying each week. It’s been a practice for me in figuring out what works in making difficult concepts stick. 

As an English major, this is a different type of work than what I usually have to do for my major, so it’s been an interesting way to expand my learning toolbox.

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Nahla Khalil, Director of LLC Arabic Language Program & Senior Lecturer

Of course, it has worked in my favor that my professor is one of the nicest people out there. Nahla Khalil, a soft-spoken and kind Egyptian woman, has been teaching my Arabic section for two semesters and will continue to teach me next fall. Her clear instructions and careful responses to questions have made the world of difference in making me comfortable while tackling complex structures and dealing with an onslaught of new vocabulary.

Learning Arabic has been enriching for my life because, like driving, it’s unlike anything else I’ve done. 

There’s an entirely different alphabet to learn, and endless cultural nuances that I am just beginning to parse. At our age, we don’t learn enough new skills. If you get the chance, I highly recommend using your Gen Eds and college requirements to do something completely out of your wheelhouse. You might’ve forgotten how rewarding it is to learn a new skill, but there are plenty of opportunities at UMass waiting for you to remember.