Category: Arabic

A few posts ago, we explored how the Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic II (ARNC 140, Spring 2025) class learned about and played the famous Iraqi Ramadan game, Mheibes (Read the post here). The Mheibes adventure didn’t end there. Weeks later, a Yale professional school student shared their experience introducing the game to their colleagues after…Continue Reading Mheibes game, Continued!

  The Yale Dabke Organization, founded by Katrina Azar and Joe Abou-Khalil, presented their second Dabke showcase on Sunday, April 20th, in the packed theater at 53 Wall Street as part of Arab Heritage Month celebration. The organization’s mission is to celebrate Levantine culture through the dynamic arts of dance and visual expression, honoring their…Continue Reading The Heartbeat of Heritage: The Yale Dabke Showcase

Curious about the diverse languages offered at Yale? Participants at the recent Language Tasting event had the opportunity to experience a unique micro-demonstration of the Egyptian dialect with Professor Randa Muhammed. Rather than simply drinking tea, students actively engaged with the language by practicing ordering tea in the context of a traditional Egyptian teahouse setting….Continue Reading Sweets, Tea and Egyptian Dialect.

Mheibes: From Theory to Thrill in the Classroom! During the holy month of Ramadan, a unique and engaging game called Mheibes (محيبس) is traditionally played, particularly in the Arab Mashriq, especially in Iraq. Similar to the English game Up Jenkins, Mheibes involves two teams and a hidden ring (محبس), creating a thrilling atmosphere of anticipation…Continue Reading Intermediate Arabic students play Iraqi Ramadan Game

Fall 2025, students in Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic II had the unique opportunity to take a private tour of the “Taught by the Pen (علّم بالقلم)” World Islamic Manuscript Exhibit at the Beinecke Library. Led by Robin Dougherty, Yale Librarian for Middle Eastern Studies, the students were treated to an insightful exploration of the exhibit’s…Continue Reading Exploring Islamic Manuscripts: A Special Tour for Arabic Students

The energetic spirit of cross-cultural connection returned to Yale this past spring with the “Heritage Meets Heritage” event, fostering deeper appreciation and understanding amongst heritage language learners. This event allows students to connect with peers navigating similar cultural landscapes, sharing reflections and building community. The Spring 2025 event was organized by the Arabic program (with…Continue Reading “Heritage Meets Heritage” Event Blooms Again in Spring 2025!

In February 2025 (Spring Semester), the Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic II class celebrated Valentine’s Day with a twist: using AI to create songs. Students wrote detailed Arabic descriptions of things they loved. Some chose to write about summer breaks, others about distant homelands. Some described an imaginary romance, others wrote about faith. These descriptions fueled…Continue Reading When AI Sings in Arabic: A Valentine’s Day Project

A group of heritage Arabic learners at Yale, along with their TA, decided to test their skills with a dialect challenge after gathering at the Arabic Table. See how they did: 👏…Continue Reading Dialect Challenge with Heritage Arabic Learners

Iskander Guetta (Modern Standard Arabic for Heritage Learners I (ARBC 122)/ Fall 2024)     Anna Kaloustian (Modern Standard Arabic for Heritage Learners I (ARBC 122)/ Fall 2024) Karim Najjar (Modern Standard Arabic for Heritage Learners I (ARBC 122)/ Fall 2024)…Continue Reading Elementary Heritage Students Create E-Books

Planning skills, and video creation, all in the context of an exciting cultural event. This task encourages research, planning, and expression of interests while learning more about the Dubai Shopping Festival. This is Basma Elbarory’s plan to visit the festival (Intermediate Arabic I, Section one, Fall 2024) This is Angelina Girgis’ plan to visit the…Continue Reading Travel, Plan, Create and Share