“Studying Arabic this summer opened up both a new region of the world and a new realm of ideas for me to explore,” said Sarah Thomas Morgan, who traveled to Amman, Jordan on a Summer Language Abroad grant through Notre Dame's Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures.
“In 10 weeks, I grew more in my linguistic abilities and cultural awareness than I ever imagined I would.”
Tomas Morgan studied Arabic at the Qasid Arabic Institute each day, alongside six other students from diverse places and academic backgrounds, advancing through a full year’s worth of Arabic in just one summer. In her free time, she also explored museums, national parks, and local arts markets.
Going in, Tomas Morgan’s only knowledge of the area was based on what she read in the news and heard from other Notre Dame students. The CSLC directors counseled her to approach the experience with openness and to seek out deeper connections—which ultimately made it more meaningful.
“We were really encouraged to initiate, in a thoughtful way, those critical conversations with people we met,” she said. “Notre Dame taught me to be sensitive to those different dynamics.”