A few years ago I was waiting at the airport in Oman, a Sultanate occupying the south-eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsular on the Indian ocean, when I noticed an English mother and her children in a queue for their hotel. She was being bombarded by questions from her little boy and girl who were clearly excited by their first trip to an Arabic country but frustrated by their mother’s inability to answer most of their questions which related to Oman’s culture and it’s language.
Why were the men wearing dresses? What was the wailing and singing over the airport tannoy system and which language were the people speaking? The mother said that she thought they were speaking Arabic but was not able to offer any more information and furthermore when the children asked what the word for hello was in Arabic the mother told them that she would ask the hotel staff when they arrived.
The children were frustrated to say the least. Some of their annoyance may have been due to their tiredness as a result of being on a 7 hours overnight flight. Yet, it was clear that part of it was due to not having their questions answered satisfactorily.This seemed a pity to me, given that the mother had no doubt booked the family holiday at vast expense and she was visiting a place which her children were eager to learn about.
I wondered as I sat waiting for my flight announcement whether she would remember to ask the hotel staff what the word for hello was, or whether the chance had been lost to spark their children’s imagination, possibly future desire to learn Arabic.
You could of course argue that by actually being on holiday in Oman for a few weeks, the children would have found answers to those questions themselves but not necessarily so, as a great many people visit foreign lands for the weather, beach and relaxation. Many don’t even leave the hotel, which is often staffed by English speaking foreigners whose day to day exposure to other cultures are through clientele from overseas.
Whilst, everyone needs time to switch off and even better on a beautiful beach in the sun, if you are taking the trouble to go to the Middle East, with your family you could add another dimension to your holiday and learn a bit about the place you’re visiting.
Exposing your children to a foreign culture and language is an opportunity to teach them something new. Arabic thus far has not been part of the broad curriculum in the UK but this is set to change given The British Council’s initiative to introduce Arabic to the nationwide.
If they are successful and you’re currently residing in the UK, taking our Hello Holiday! online family Arabic Language courses could be a way to spark your children’s curiosity and enthusiasm outside school and enable you to evaluate whether Arabic might be a subject that they might would like, if you were to enrol them in the Arabic language at school when it becomes more widely available.
So, once you’ve booked your family holiday to the Middle East why not be adventurous, after all you’’re already embarking on a family adventure; and try a family learning package to keep you all entertained on the cold winter nights and to prepare for your winter sun holiday in the Middle East! You never know, maybe you and your family may love it and go on to join to other 400 million Arabic speakers of the World.
Hello Holiday! Prices:
Basic online live Arabic language courses for your family, as follows: I session, 4 sessions and 12 sessions cost £45, £140, £360 respectively. This includes, greetings, saying thank you, ordering in a restaurant, culture and traditions, national dress, religious holidays, etiquette and top tips for your tour.
Furthermore, we run a post holiday competition, 1 photo with 2 sentences in Arabic that your children may enjoy entering. The winner receives a free Arabic lesson and their entree is publicised on our website and within social media.
If you would like your family to explore the Arabic language and culture, I’d love to hear from you to arrange an initial conversation with one of our teachers. before you commit to the course.
Contact details: +447743096300 or email omar.nassra@hotmail.com
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