Academic Components
During the summer session, participants in their capstone year will attend intensive courses in MSA, Arabic Media, Moroccan Darija, and Egyptian Colloquial.
The Egyptian and Moroccan dialect courses develop the participant's colloquial language skills so he or she can use it in daily life, with the help of a Language Partner who will interact with the participant exclusively in dialect. The Print Media course develops reading strategies as well as raising cultural awareness of the region. The Non-Print Media course helps students develop listening strategies so that they are able to follow any televised discussion or a dialogue. The Language and its Conjunctions course develop writing at the text level with emphasis on clarity and cohesion.
During the fall and spring semesters, participants will attend content courses in addition to the language courses. Content courses may include Contemporary Arabic Literature, Women in Arab Society, Arab Thinkers, and Translation.
Direct Enrollment
During the fall and spring semesters, and in addition to the above courses, program participants will attend one subject-area course or seminar alongside Arabic-speaking students at Moulay Ismail University. Program staff will help participants identify a course in the area of current or potential professional interest to them. Participants will be assigned to Academic Partners who are native speakers and follow the same course as the participants and help them with this specific course. In the past students have attended courses such as Grammar, History of Ancient North Africa, Philosophy, Islamic Studies, Moroccan Poetry, and Phonetics.
Community Service
Launched in fall 2017, the community service component of the Arabic Overseas Flagship Program allows participants to engage with local Moroccan society through service-based activities or work of their choosing, provided it is approved by the program. In the first semester of the community service component, participants are working with a range of organizations including an orphanage, an elder home, women's centers, and a sports club for children. As of fall 2017, community service replaces the fall internship requirement. All participants must complete an internship in the spring. As with the internship, participants receive support from the Resident Director and Internship/Community Service Coordinator as appropriate.
Internships
During the spring semester, all participants will undertake professional internships reflecting their chosen field of interest at cooperating Moroccan organizations. Intended to help partiicpants learn about the Moroccan workplace and master professional discourse, past participants have interned with local media outlets, law offices, a center for at-risk youth, hospitals, and handicraft workshops. The Flagship Resident Director and Internship/Community Service Coordinator will make site visits to internship locations to evaluate the internship, provide support for the participant, and to help build relationships for future participants, where appropriate.
Cultural Enrichment
Another main component of the Arabic Overseas Flagship program is excursions and cultural enrichment; the Resident Director organizes field trips and excursions throughout the year, followed by presentations or research papers. Likely destinations may include Chefchaouen, Tangier, Merzouga, Marrakesh, and the High Atlas Mountains.
Housing
During the summer session, participants stay in host families. The AALIM Center has an impressive list of very experienced local families to match with participants.
During the fall and spring semesters, participants in the capstone year program may choose to stay in these families, or move to a rented apartment with a Moroccan roommate. The Resident Director along with the Logistics Coordinators, help participants with housing before the beginning of the fall semester.
How to Apply
To apply to the Arabic Overseas Flagship Program, participants need to be enrolled at one of the five (5) stateside Flagship universities. To qualify. applicants must demonstrate ILR Level 2 or higher Arabic language oral proficiency on an official Oral Proficiency Interview, and ILR Level 2 or higher Arabic language proficiency in at least one of the other three skills (listening, reading, and writing) when taking the online exam. the scores on the remaining two skills may be no lower than ILR Level 1+.
Once admitted to the stateside program, you might be eligible to apply to the capstone year program at the Arab-American Language Institute in Morocco.
2018-2019 Application to American Councils is now closed.
Prior to the start of the program, each participant will take part in an extensive individual online Arabic Language Pre-Program Exam, which will inform the development of a customized learning plan. Please note that a writing section will be administered during the online exam, and must be typed on an Arabic-enabled keyboard.
2018-2019 Program Costs:
|
Budget Categories |
Rate |
Period |
Frequency |
Cost (in U.S. dollars) |
|
I.Tuition and Program Fees |
|
|
|
|
|
A.Tuition to AALIM-Summer Session |
$3,180 |
summer |
1 |
$3,180 |
|
B. Administrative Fees |
$1,958 |
year |
1 |
$1,958 |
|
C. In-Country Orientation |
$120 |
summer |
1 |
$120 |
|
D. Language Partners-Summer Session |
$60 |
month |
2 |
$120 |
|
E. Tuition to AALIM-Fall & Spring Semesters |
$2,180 |
semester |
2 |
$4,360 |
|
F. Language and Academic Partners-Fall & Spring |
$60 |
month |
9 |
$540 |
|
G.Orientationin Washington, D.C. |
$300 |
year |
1 |
$300 |
|
H.Excursions |
$1,100 |
year |
1 |
$1,100 |
|
II.International Travel, Residency Permit, Insurance |
|
|
|
|
|
A. Airfare |
$2,500 |
year |
1 |
$2,500 |
|
B. Student Insurance |
$73 |
year |
12 |
$876 |
|
III. Lodging |
|
|
|
|
|
A. Homestay |
$164 |
week |
9 |
$1,476 |
|
|
TOTAL OF PROGRAM AND TRAVEL COSTS TO BE REMITTED TO AMERICAN COUNCILS |
$16,551 |
||
|
IV. Estimated Living Expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
A. Lodging (fall and spring) |
$350 |
month |
9 |
$3,150 |
|
B. Meals (fall and spring) |
$300 |
month |
9 |
$2,700 |
|
C. Local Transportation in Meknes |
$100 |
month |
11 |
$1,100 |
|
D. Books and Supplies |
$20 |
month |
11 |
$220 |
|
E. Internet and Mobile Phone |
$30 |
month |
12 |
$360 |
|
F. Checked Bags |
$100 |
trip |
2 |
$200 |
|
|
TOTAL ESTIMATED LIVING EXPENSES |
$7,730 |
||
|
|
GRAND TOTAL |
$24,281 |
||
Program Timeline
Application Process:
Online Application Deadline: January 10, 2018
Online Recommendation Form Deadline: January 10, 2018
Online Overseas Flagship Qualifying Exam: January 29, 2018
Oral proficiency Interview: Late January/Early February 2018
Review Process: February, 2018
Selection Meeting in Washington, DC: February 23, 2018
Acceptance Notifications: February 27, 2018
Deadline to Confirm (Withdrawals after this deadline will incurr a $250 airline fee): March 11, 2018
2018-2019 Program Dates: June 14, 2018 until May 10, 2019
June 14-16: Pre-departure orientation in Washington, DC
June 16: Group flight to Meknes, Morocco
June 17-June 20: In-country orientation
June 21: Summer semester begins
August 10: Last Day of Summer Term
Aug 18-Aug 26: Summer Break
August 27: Fall Semester Begins
Dec 17-21: Mid-Term Exams
Dec 22-Jan 2: Winter Break
Jan 3: Spring Semester begins
April 29-May 7: Finals
May 9: End of program Graduation Party
May 10: Group flight to the US
