CIEE Summer Arabic Language in Rabat, Morocco

First of all; the staff and community of the country your visiting and the program can make or break it. Hands down, both were superb in Rabat, Morocco. The people are unforgettable, always available, super welcoming, and hard to leave after the program. The family I lived with were almost too nice to me, always wanting to serve their guests to the best of their ability. As for the class, I learned so much. My learning according to the assessment increased by 2 levels. I learned so much vocab and I was so excited every single day to go to class. Can’t stress the importance of this experience was to me, highly recommended.

If you're remotely on the fence about doing this, I can't emphasize enough that studying at CIEE in Rabat will change your life. The staff does such a fantastic job of making sure that you're not only learning the language but also doing super cool things basically every day. I had such a great time in Morocco and made friends that I still stay in touch with. You end up learning a lot about your self and another part of the world.

This program went above and beyond my expectations. The classes were taught by very knowledgeable instructors that helped me further develop my Arabic language skills. Courses are filled not just with language instruction, but real-world application as well forcing you at times out of your comfort zone for your benefit.
The program coordinators and staff genuinely care about the students and constantly go out of their way to improve the experience both in and out of the classroom. They assist students in so many ways, supplanting the experience even more.
You'll find it really hard to be bored in this program. There are excursions included in the price of tuition nearly every weekend which are planned well and also serve to enhance the educational experience. Cultural activities are planned on most days the rest of the program helping you immerse yourself in unique ways throughout the experience.
I am lucky to have been so fortunate to study with this amazing program with such amazing people.

I was able to participate in this program the summer after I graduated and was one of the best experiences I have had throughout my college career. The program coordinators genuinely care for you and are willing to go out of their way to help, and this was extremely helpful especially coming into a new setting like Morocco.

Moreover, you are truly able to get your money's worth as the program plans excursions essentially every weekend at no extra cost to you. This was an excellent way for me to really get to see the richness and full-extent of the Moroccan culture while also being able to practice my Arabic out in the streets.

Overall I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in learning Arabic and interested in learning more about Moroccan culture.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Boarding my flight from Paris to Rabat, I was excited and full of nervous energy. This being my first journey outside of my home country, I could hardly wait to step foot on Moroccan soil and meet my host family. Of course, some aspects of my eight-week experience worried me. For one, I didn't speak a word of Arabic. The language of sweeping letters and beautiful calligraphy was at once intriguing and daunting. Secondly, it would be the longest period of time I had spent away from my family, and with a family of a different faith than my own, during Ramadan, no less! As I entered my new home away from home, which was situated in the heart of Rabat's medina (the old part of the city) I was greeted with warm smiles and hot mint tea. It seemed we would get along just fine.

Thus began my two months in the magnificent Maghreb. Morocco chewed me up and spit out a completely different person. The at times grueling, but ultimately rewarding 6 hour school days provided me with just the rigor I needed to build a solid foundation in Arabic. I found myself speaking full phrases in mere days, and when I returned to the States, I had advanced to Arabic III. The excursions I took all enlightened me in unique ways. A trip to an Amazigh village in Marrakech taught me about the native people of the region, and gave me a new appreciation for them. The whistling dunes of the Sahara reminded me of just how small I was, and to be humble in all I do. The blinding white and electric blue of Chefchaouen gave me a glimpse into heaven- and a look at how I could coexist with those around me.

I always say this, but it bears repeating: The best part about Morocco is, by far, the people. Coming home to my host family every night and eating their mouth-watering cuisine (usually tajine!) was something I will never forget. This aspect of my trip was heightened during Ramadan, when, in the evening, the whole house seemed to be on the edge of their seat. In the pregnant pauses before the last call to prayer, signaling that the day's fast had ended, I learned an invaluable lesson about patience. The harira and dates we savored were manna to me, and I wasn't even fasting. In those dinners, I was also able to completely bond with the members of my family. After a while, I didn't even refer to them as my host family, only as family. On Eid, I felt a closeness that I had seldom experienced before or since. It was something I will cherish forever. The CIEE staff are incredible as well. They care so much about the students on the program, and bent over backwards for me multiple times. Between our sometimes seven hour conversations and the excursions we took together, I made what are sure to be lifelong friends. Moroccan kindness even extends to complete strangers, but who is really a stranger in Morocco? If you are willing to drink a pot of tea and have a meaningful exchange, you're as good as family.

The night before I departed, I sobbed uncontrollably. My family was right there with me, my host sister embracing me and crying with me. The bonds we forged will never be broken, and we still contact one another frequently. And so I returned, with a gift the new members of my family had given me, a more advanced understanding of the Arabic language, and a light heart. I had gained compassion, kindness, an open mind, and peace. I had lost my proclivity to anger, my preconceived notions of others, and my unnecessary worry and anxiousness.

My study abroad will be something I will keep with me for the rest of my life, and I will take the lessons I learned on it and apply them at home and elsewhere abroad. I could not recommend this program more.