By Shahd Alhamdan
JEDDAH — There are many institutes that teach English in the Kingdom, but few that teach Arabic as a second language to foreigners in the country. Because of this lack, one enterprising Saudi female has started a language institute to teach Arabic and fill this gap.
I Can Talk Arabic (ICTA) provides Arabic classes for non-Arabic speakers, making learning Arabic easy for foreigners living in Jeddah. The centre was found by Hadeel Abbasi, a Saudi female in her late 30s.
The centre’s goal is to introduce Arabic in a fun, creative, and useful way by offering What makes coaching sessions for students. Every student has the chance to meet with a coach to discuss goals related to learning Arabic, find a plan that achieves those goals, and put that plan into action.
Abbas said she believes in the importance of learning Arabic and believes that it is a special language. She began providing Arabic classes to foreigners in collaboration with some of her friends in her home. The center is also a place for socialising and meeting people that may have similar interests.
The center has several programs such as, My Life: an interactive class where participants are divided into groups depending on their language level. My Qur’an, is another program divided into two sections: tajweed and reading. The Book Club is a program where students can read newspapers and get to know local and international news, and analyse and summarising articles.
Several more programs and classes are available, as well as activities, including Ramadan activities. ICTA has also launched many campaigns, such as Talk to me in Arabic, to encourage people to communicate in Arabic with themselves and non-Arabic speakers. Arabic days are also part of their special activities.
According to Abbasi, one of her future goals is to expand the centre and have a male section and also to have a new location for the centre. She wish to have a program for pilgrims where after they come to Jeddah, they can visit the centre and learn a few Arabic words and go for a tour to learn more Saudi history and culture.
