OCCC to offer Arabic this spring

Jennifer Pearsall/Pioneer
Cassie Goff shows her name written in the Arabic alphabet. The Arabic alphabet is the second-most widely used alphabet in the world, after the Latin alphabet.
Courtesy Encyclopaedia Britannica online

Although Cassie Goff doesn’t believe any language can be learned in eight weeks, the bilingual general studies student is happy OCCC is offering a class in the Arabic language, which Goff speaks fluently.

Arabic will be offered for the first time this spring, said Dianne Broyles, modern languages professor. She said the language is spoken by more than 250 million people worldwide

Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Goff said she spent the first 11 years of her life on American military bases in the Middle East. Without any discernable Middle Eastern accent, she reminisced about her time there and why she feels learning about Arabic culture and language is so important.

“A lot of people in America have a hatred of Arabs because of 9/11,” Goff said. “People just don’t understand it.”

Broyles said, so far, only five people have enrolled in the class, scheduled to begin March 22. For a class to be held, there must be at least 10 students enrolled, she said.

“We wanted to offer lesser-taught languages,” Broyles said, “This was our way of branching out a little bit.”

Chiaki Troutman, World Languages and Cultures Center lab assistant, said students requested an Arabic course in the Languages Center.

There are many reasons to learn Arabic including its growing use in business and travel, Broyles said.

Melanie Clason, early childhood education major, agrees.

“I don’t think it would hurt us as Americans to learn the language,” Clason said. “Diversity is so broad in America that learning about other cultures is necessary.”

It also offers students more choices, said Krystal Nall, elementary education major.

If enough students enroll, the three-credit hour class will meet from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

This course is for students who want to learn the basics of speaking, writing and reading Arabic, Broyles said.

It is a basic introductory class that would fulfill a general education requirement.

For more information, contact Broyles at 405-682-1611, ext. 7657.