CLS Institute Profile: Tunisia

Location: Tunis, Tunisia

Host institution: Centre d'études maghrébines à Tunis (CEMAT)

Language: Arabic

Levels: Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced

2011 was a monumental year in Tunisian history. The Tunisian Revolution signaled the beginning of the “Arab Spring,” a series of grass-roots demonstrations across the Arab world. Order was quickly restored in Tunisia and the CLS Program returned to Tunis for its sixth year.

Location: Located in North Africa along the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia is a fusion of Arabic, French, Ottoman, and Berber influences, languages, and cultures. Algeria sits to the west of Tunisia and Libya is to the east and south. Tunis, the capital, is an historic and fascinating city. Walks in the Medina, hammams (Turkish baths), and the Bardo Museum are just a few of the numerous cultural activities to explore.  Near the CLS Institute site are the ruins of Carthage and the Punic Ports.

Academics: The Tunis Arabic institute covers approximately one academic year of university-level Arabic coursework during the eight-week program, and is designed to meet the needs of students from a variety of language levels and backgrounds, from students who have one year of university-level Arabic training or the equivalent (advanced beginning) to advanced learners. Formal classroom language instruction is provided for an average of four hours per day, five days per week, with a minimum of 20 hours per week of classroom instruction. The instruction is focused on Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), with classes also provided in the Tunisian dialect.

Sidi Bou

Housing:  Students live with host families in neighborhoods surrounding the CLS Institute. The host family experience is a significant component of the Tunis Arabic Institute program. It affords students ample opportunities to improve their Arabic language skills while deepening their cultural understanding. The Tunisian families also enjoy hosting CLS students and friendships often develop and continue long after the program has concluded.

The host families are located in the Sidi Bou Said/La Marsa suburbs, just outside of the center of Tunis. Students have found this area to be a lively place to study Arabic, with an active café culture, wonderful restaurants, specialty shops, and bookstores. Some meals are provided, and a stipend covers additional meals and incidentals.

Cultural excursions and activities:

During the week, guest lecturers regularly visit the Institute. Notable visits include high-ranking members of the Tunisian government, noted authors, and cultural specialists. In 2011, students had the unexpected treat of meeting El Général, the internationally-renown Tunisian Rapper, whose song, “Rais Lebled” became the unofficial theme song for the Tunisian Revolution.

Students also have opportunities to infuse their classroom learning with cultural excursions throughout Tunis, including visits to the Medina, mosques, museums, and other historical sites.

Suggesting Reading Material:

·         Christopher Alexander, Tunisia: Stability and Reform in the Modern Maghreb (The Contemporary Middle East): Routledge, 2010. ISBN 0415483301

·         Kenneth Perkins, A Modern History of Tunisia, Cambridge:  Cambridge UP, 2004.  ISBN 0521009723 

·         Stephen J. King, Liberalization against Democracy: The Local Politics of Economic Reform in Tunisia, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2003. ISBN 0253342120

·         Albert Memmi, Pillar of Salt, Beacon Press, 1992. ISBN 0807083275

·         Moustafa Tlili, Lion Mountain, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1998. ISBN 0894108786

Alumni Spotlights:

Katie Bentivoglio

Katie Bentivoglio (’10 and ’11 Tunis, Tunisia)

“Before last summer, I could barely find Tunisia [on the map] but today, I consider it my second home. The history, the language, its relationship to the rest of North Africa and the Arab World –I can’t even begin to thank my teachers and host family for their patience and for how much they have taught me over these past 2 years. I also had the invaluable experience of studying in Tunisia 6 months before the revolution and six months after, so I’ve been able to watch Tunisia’s transition from a dictatorship to democracy from the inside and as a microcosm of everything else that is happening in the Arab World.”

Katie is a Senior Alumni Ambassador for the CLS Program and currently attends Columbia University. Read more about her experiences in Tunisia and view her profile here: http://www.clscholarship.org/alumni/ambassadors/2011/KatieB.htm.

Emily Parker (’09 Alexandria, Egypt and ’11 Tunis, Tunisia)

“My CLS experience allowed me to develop an intense appreciation for the Tunisian people.  Never in my life have I met a more inspiring and welcoming culture, which was a main factor fueling my decision to remain in the country after the CLS program ended. I could not bear to leave such a fascinating place, especially one in which I felt so welcomed and at home.”

After completing the CLS Arabic Institute in Tunisia, Emily found a job with an independent Tunisian news agency called Tunisia Live, where she worked as a journalist and an editor. Read more about her experiences in post-revolutionary Tunisia here: http://newsletter.clscholarship.org/2011/12/life-in-post-revolutionary-tunisia.html

Leanna Pohevitz

Leanna Pohevitz (’09 Cairo, Egypt, ’10 and ’11 Tunis, Tunisia)

“Coming back to a post-revolutionary Tunisia, everything I thought I knew changed quite drastically. I guess the most important thing I learned this time has been the power of the Tunisian youth. After meeting with El Général and hearing his words I have no doubt in my mind that Tunisia is headed toward a beautiful tomorrow.”

Leanna is a Senior Alumni Ambassador for the CLS Program and is a senior at Hampshire College. Read more about her experiences in North Africa and view her profile here: http://www.clscholarship.org/alumni/ambassadors/2011/LeannaP.htm.

Learning a Language is like Learning to Dance

By Dr. Peter Suwarno, CLS Resident Director (Malang, Indonesia) & Associate Professor at Arizona State University

Dr. Peter Suwarno

Current studies on major aspects of language learning suggest that learning a language is a skill-acquiring endeavor. Like learning to dance, learning a language is related to the ability to perform and is not just a practice in gaining knowledge and information.

Since a language becomes a language only when it is used in communication, and since human interaction has everything to do with performance, language teaching/learning activities should focus on the learners’ performance in the target language. This is not to say that we should abandon reading grammar rules and memorizing words, but the learner should understand that these are only some of the ingredients for the ultimate goal of language learning: perform in the target language and culture. Like learning to dance, where students practice how to move their bodies, hands, and feet, acquiring a language necessitates practice using the organs of speech (tongues, lips, jaws and teeth), as well as paralinguistic movements like gestures and expressions.

Yes, learners who do not like to perform (such as in role plays) and are reserved, quiet, and not eager to interact with others are disadvantaged when it comes to language learning. Intelligent graduate students who tend to be analytical about the target language and are eager to discuss features of the language and culture usually end up knowing much about the language but are not very competent in communicating in the target language.

What should students do if they really want to master a foreign language?  They should focus on the performance of specific skills in the target language through accomplishing specific tasks. The tasks can be as simple as introducing oneself (novice) or as complex as negotiating a contract deal of an important government project in the country of the target language (advanced).  Students have to be vocal – enthusiastic and able to speak loudly and clearly so that errors can be detected and corrected -- and adventurous, finding creative ways to perform, being unafraid of making mistakes, and not being so proud as to take correction poorly.

Students must also be regularly, if not continuously engaged (if not immersed), in target language activities.  Even if they are not in a country where the target language is spoken every day, they should always be eager to speak only the target language when given the opportunity, and always interested in interacting with native speakers.

Language students often have difficulty continuing their engagement with a language after returning from extended periods of immersion.  Taking a class in the target language is often the first step students takes when they return, but sometimes classes may not be available.  Even if they are, it is a good idea to stay engaged outside of class as well as inside it.  Some ways keep up your language include:

• Keep in touch with friends who speak the target language. This includes friends for whom the target language is their native language, but also your fellow classmates, as they can be your conduit to more target-language resources.

• Meet and befriend native speakers by participating in local groups or organizations of native speakers of the target language.  They would usually be happy to have language learners join them.

• Join various Internet discussion groups on different topics in the target language, many of which are usually open to everyone who speaks the target language.

• Listen to or watch the target-language entertainment: music, films, comedies, and other shows are often available on the Internet.

• Engage in reading, listening, watching current events or watching documentaries from newspapers, magazines, radio, and television from your host country.  These can easily be found on the Internet.

• Read print materials in the target language out loud in order for the organs of speech not to lose their learned skills in producing the sounds of the target language.

Learning More about Human Rights in Azerbaijan

By Phillip Dehoux (Baku, Azerbaijan ’11), CLS Alumni Ambassador, law student, and secretary of the University of North Dakota International Human Rights Organization

It was an unseasonably warm afternoon in Grand Forks, North Dakota. A small audience gathered into the cozy little classroom on the second floor of the University of North Dakota's law school building. The group was anxious to hear about two attorneys' work with victims of human trafficking in a region of the world many people have never heard of and struggle to pronounce.

One attorney was presenting from Baku, Azerbaijan, and it was close to bedtime for her. The other was in Washington, DC, and it was around lunchtime for her. They appeared in North Dakota via the magic of video chat to tell their stories.

The students sat and listened with rapt attention as the attorneys spoke of the plight of the workers who were lured into Azerbaijan under the pretense of meaningful work, only to be indentured to the construction industry. The students also learned about the work done to help those displaced by war or political and social instability find new homes. Throughout the hour-long presentation, the students asked many questions, and it was clear that they were engaged and inspired. Afterward, many asked how they could become involved, how they could go to Azerbaijan, and about how the Critical Language Scholarship could help them achieve these goals.

I am the secretary of the University of North Dakota International Human Rights Organization. When my organization was thinking of ways to drum up interest and shed a light on human rights efforts, I thought of a presentation in which students could share in my experience in Azerbaijan while aligning that experience with the substantive focus of the group.

On November 17, I helped organize a presentation on human rights and anti-human trafficking with a panel consisting of two attorneys I befriended during the CLS Program in Azerbaijan. Michelle Brady is the Program Director who oversees American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative efforts in Azerbaijan. Jennifer Riddle was a former Legal Specialist in Azerbaijan who spearheaded the anti-human trafficking efforts there. She is now a U.S. Legal Unit Protection Officer at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. In addition to their work in Azerbaijan and beyond, Jennifer and Michelle discussed the importance of Azerbaijani language skills in communicating ideas for change, and offered advice on how young lawyers can get more involved as agents of global change.

If anyone would like to learn more, Michelle, Jennifer, and I welcome questions about Azerbaijan, human rights efforts, and the Critical Language Scholarship Program.  Please e-mail me for more information. Sizin dərslərinizdə və işlərinizdə uğurlar!  Sağ ol!

Life in Post-Revolutionary Tunisia

By Emily Parker (’09 Alexandria, Egypt and ’11 Tunis, Tunisia)

Emily Parker

A year ago, the idea that I might live and work in post-revolutionary Tunisia never would have crossed my mind, yet it has been my reality for the past five months, beginning with my experience in the CLS Program this past summer.

I first arrived in Tunisia knowing very little about the country and with no knowledge of the Tunisian dialect except what I learned from the basic tutorial from my CLS academic director. 

After two months of intensive language training in both the classical and Tunisian dialects of Arabic and living in a homestay with a Tunisian host mother, I was amazed at how far my language skills had progressed. I jumped from knowing no Tunisian Arabic to the Advanced Low level, and from an Advanced Low level of Classical Arabic, I jumped to a level of Superior.

In addition to intensive language study, CLS provided opportunities to learn about the culture and explore the country. I learned a tremendous amount about Tunisian culture and its variance from region to region.  Travelling throughout the country and witnessing its various natural resources, products, and ways of life, provided me with invaluable insights that no textbook could ever offer. 

Moreover, being in Tunisia during such a pivotal moment in the country’s history also taught me much about Tunisia’s political process and how it is changing.  It also sparked my interest to become involved in election monitoring and other democratic processes.

Emily and fellow CLS participants

But most of all, my CLS experience allowed me to develop an intense appreciation for the Tunisian people.  Never in my life have I met a more inspiring and welcoming culture, which was a main factor fueling my decision to remain in the country after the CLS program ended. I could not bear to leave such a fascinating place, especially one in which I felt so welcomed and at home.

Shortly after the CLS program concluded, I found a job with an independent Tunisian news agency called Tunisia Live, where I worked as a journalist and an editor.  From the very first day with Tunisia Live, my CLS experience proved extremely beneficial.  I came in to the position with a solid knowledge of Tunisian politics and culture from the various articles that I had read in my Tunisian politics and revolution classes, as well as from the discussions that they had raised throughout my CLS experience.

Moreover, the interviewing skills that I cultivated in Arabic from the weekly language activities required during my CLS experience ended up proving invaluable to me as I worked with Tunisian co-workers at Tunisia Live to interview both local Tunisians and famous political figures in the investigative reporting pieces that I worked on.

Finally, while working at Tunisia Live, the high level of Arabic comprehension that CLS allowed me to reach proved invaluable whenever I needed to translate news articles or to understand news reports or press conferences conducted entirely in Arabic.  I received journalist accreditation in order to cover the events of the October elections, and I will never forget when, after carrying out a conversation with me in Arabic, the Tunisian passing out accreditation badges handed me a “Tunisian journalist” badge – but handed “foreign journalist” badges to my Tunisia Live co-workers who do not speak Arabic.  The idea that she thought that I was Tunisian thrilled me to no end.

Tunis Graffiti

Throughout my experience working as a journalist in Tunisia, I was constantly impressed with how much Tunisian and Classical Arabic I was able to understand and produce, which is testament both to the training that I received from CLS, as well as the motivation that the program inspired in me to further develop these linguistic skills through independent study.

Moreover, from my work with Tunisia Live and from my day-to-day experiences with local Tunisians, I have learned the power that speaking the local language can afford, the doors that it can open, and the respect that it demonstrates to locals.  The delighted responses from Tunisians whenever I addressed them in their own language is motivation in itself for me to continue my Arabic study on my own, and I know that it will be a lifelong project.  Similarly, I know that my passion for all things Tunisian – ignited by CLS this summer – will also not die away; only a few weeks have passed since I returned to the U.S. for the holiday break, however, I already have my mind made up that I will be returning to Tunisia in January.

Women's Clothing in Tajikistan

By Miriam J. Woods (’11, Dushanbe, Tajikistan), 2011 CLS Alumni Ambassador

Women’s clothing in Tajikistan is colorful, eye-catching, and highly personalized. The basic outfit for women is a long shirt or dress called a kurta and a pair of pants, usually made of the same fabric as the kurta, called shalvar or pocha. While ready-made clothing is available in Tajikistan, most women wear custom-made clothing, providing a better fit and allowing for more individual creative expression.

I decided to have Tajik clothing made partly because of the sheer novelty of having clothing tailored specifically for me (while this is still done in the U.S., it is usually prohibitively expensive) and because I liked the way Tajik clothing looked on the women I saw in Dushanbe. To get clothing made in Tajikistan, you first have to buy some fabric from the bazaar. Three meters is generally the right amount for a complete outfit. Next, you have to take the fabric to a seamstress, which means you have to find a seamstress. Most Tajik women, it seems, have learned this skill to some degree and make clothes for themselves and their families. It provides an opportunity for women to earn an income in a country with rampant unemployment.

Miriam Woods wearing traditional Tajik clothing.

I met Ozoda, the seamstress who made my first and second Tajik outfits, through Faizali, the cloth-seller who sold me my first fabric and eventually became a good friend of mine. If you don't know a seamstress before you buy fabric, your cloth-seller should be able to refer you to one. Tajik women generally wear shoulder pads, so when she took my measurements, I asked Ozoda to make my kurta without them. I soon realized that the outfits actually do look better with shoulder pads than without, so if you decide to get Tajik clothing made, have an open mind.

One of my neighbors, seeing that I was wearing Tajik clothing, asked who had made my outfit. She said she knew a seamstress who would make better-quality clothing and offered to take me to see her. The seamstress, Rano, worked out of an apartment in the center of town, along with several other women. When we brought our fabric and went to see her, Rano invited us to sit down, took our measurements, and asked how we would like the sleeves, the neckline, the width of the kurta. She charged slightly more than Ozoda did (around 35 somoni as compared to Ozoda's 30), but the quality of her work was excellent. A good seamstress will use her own judgment and creativity, rather than just passively taking orders from a client. Rano insisted that her neckline design would be beautiful and refused to make a plain square neckline as I had wanted. So again, have an open mind—the neckline Rano created for my kurta actually did look as good as she had promised it would.

Tajik women's clothing is comfortable and cool in Dushanbe's summer heat. More so than jeans and T-shirts, it allows the wearer to express a unique personal style that is the result of her own selection of fabric and the collaboration between herself and her seamstress to create a one-of-a-kind set of clothing. The Tajiks I met overwhelmingly appreciated the fact that I wore “Tajik national clothing,” and I forged friendships with the fabric-sellers, who invited me to their homes and helped me better understand their ways of living. More than just a way to cover your body, clothing can be an entry point into understanding another culture.