Arabic Courses
Students enrolled in language courses at Qalam wa Lawh have the opportunity to rapidly acquire Arabic through a communicative and immersive curriculum.
There are 6 courses offered at three levels in Modern Standard Arabic and Colloquial Moroccan Arabic: Beginning (I, & II), Intermediate (I & II) and Advanced (I & II).
Student placement is assesed based on their Arabic study background, writing skills, and communication skills during a registration questionaire and one-on-one interviews. In the case of intermediate and advanced levels, an indepth test is also administered on the first day of class to ensure correct placement.
Cultural Studies
Providing a wide variety of contact with the surrounding culture as well as oppurtunities for cultural and religious studies is a priority for Qalam wa Lawh Center.
"Introduction to Calligraphy: The Geometry of the Spirit" is offered twice weekly for a total of four hours. These courses are taught in Arabic, further enhancing student contact with the language. In Arabic, calligraphy is called "the geometry of the spirit" and is the most prevalent art form throughout the Arab/Islamic world. Introduction to Calligraphy is an optional activity included in all Arabic courses at Qalam wa Lawh.
Cultural Excursions are an intrinsic part of our courses and are also offered bi-weekly for a total of four hours. During excursions, students visit sites of particular historic, political, religious or cultural significance throughout Rabat proper and Rabat's sister city Sale. The seven sites visited are:
Guest lectures are also common, especially during the summer. These lectures take place in English or else are translated and always include an hour of roundtable discussion afterwards. Topics vary a great deal, but are always related to the linguistic, cultural, religious or political lanscape of Morocco and the Arab world.
Experiencing Morocco
Exposure to the surrounding culture in Morocco is another important aspect of the Qalam wa Lawh curriculum. Excursions into the diverse regions of Morocco are encouraged in our program. Our mission is not only to teach Arabic language skills but also to promote understanding of this culture and a more open world-view in our students.
The Qalam and the Lawh
Al Qalam means the pen in Arabic. Al Lawh means the tablet. In the Arab world, the reed pen and tablet represent the tradional instruments of teaching which existed long before the modern pen and paper became commonplace. They call to mind a time when great scholars traveled throughout the world seeking knowledge of cultures, languages, histories and religions completely foreign to themselves.
At Qalam wa Lawh Center we embrace tradition and the belief that language and knowledge are unifying forces which can can be actively used to promote peace and co-existence. According to the most famous Arab in history, the Prophet Muhammed, "He who travels in the search of knowledge, to him God shows the way of Paradise."