University no longer foreign to Arabic and Mandarin

02/06/04 -

If you didn't understand that, the University of Rhode Island may soon be able to help.In an effort to achieve greater diversity, URI will offer Mandarin Chinese and Arabic language courses beginning in the fall semester. The three-credit courses will fulfill student's foreign language requirements, said Joseph Morello, chair of the department of languages.

The 101-level courses for both languages are currently online for students to register for, Morello said, with 102-level coming in the spring. While there are no formal plans to offer higher level classes for either, Morello said he believes that if there is a demand, they will be introduced.

Mary-Angela Willis, who already teaches French at URI, will instruct the Arabic course, Morello said, adding she had experience teaching the language. An instructor has not been found for Chinese yet, he said.

Winifred E. Brownell, dean of the college of arts and sciences, said she is currently seeking external funding for the courses, but added they will not require much money.

"It's a very modest cost for a great opportunity," she said.

Calling the languages a "necessity," Brownell said most students who said they may take the courses mentioned international understanding and "world peace" as reasons they are interested, and those who named Arabic said they wanted to learn about the Middle East.

The languages may also prove to be valuable in areas such as business, Brownell said. "Students are realizing they are entering into a global community," she said. "The more skills they have...the more marketable they'll be."

The idea to teach Arabic has been talked about for a few years, Morello said, and the administration looked to add the subject "especially after September 11."

Mandarin Chinese will be offered in part because of sophomore Judy Lau, who is also the vice president of the Asian Students Association, Brownell said.

Brownell said Lau had started a petition that resulted in 299 names supporting the introduction of the language, with 75 of those that signed indicating they would take the class if it the university offered it. She also added she saw a presentation by Lau that impressed her.

Lau was not immediately available for comment Wednesday night.

While Arabic is fresh to URI, Morello said the school offered Chinese in the past, but discontinued it because of what he suspects was a lack of demand.

Anyone interested in registering for Mandarin Chinese can find it in the course catalog under CHN 101, Brownell said. Arabic is currently listed under LAN 192 section 02, she said, but warned students to be careful because LAN 192 section 01 is actually Modern Greek.

(Note: The introduction is partially from an earlier Cigar article on Lau's efforts to introduce Chinese, and reads: "Of all the languages in the world, the University of Rhode Island only offers three of the five most widely spoken. With the Chinese and Arabic starting in the fall, that number will change.")