Language programs draw participants to Notre Dame Jerusalem | News | Notre Dame Global

Three people sit at a picnic table outdoors, reviewing papers. A woman with long brown hair wears a brightly colored floral dress. Another woman with glasses and a black shirt holds a pen and paper. A man wearing a kippah and striped shirt gestures as he speaks.

Language is more than a powerful tool for communicating across distances, cultures, and differences. It is an integral part of the human experience. By learning new languages, we build bridges of understanding and expand our grasp of complex realities. That’s why the study of languages is an essential focus of Notre Dame Jerusalem’s academic center. Together with the Arabic Academy for Professionals (AAP), ND Jerusalem co-created the International Language Academy (ILA), an initiative that offers courses teaching Arabic, Hebrew, and English. This initiative, co-founded and co-led by Daniel Schwake and Harel Halevi, aims to teach non-natives how to speak fluently and understand different cultures.

This year, participants engaged in a number of ILA’s rigorous and immersive language programs. The Intensive Arabic Program is a year-long intensive program, typically running from mid-August to mid-June, during which participants meet five days a week. This program is for those looking to become fluent in Arabic, both verbally as well as reading and writing. The Arabi Weekend, which runs from mid-October to the end of June, is designed to meet the needs of working professionals who have no background in Arabic and are looking to learn the language and gain a nuanced understanding of the local Arabic cultures. The center also offers rigorous Hebrew courses for Arabic speakers, which are part of the center’s pre-college initiatives. These courses equip participants with the necessary skills to enter local academic institutions or the local job market. Students can also participate in a custom-made language program at Tantur. These programs are geared towards professionals seeking to maintain proficiency in either Arabic or Hebrew for on-the-job demands or other specific needs.

Three students sit at a picnic table, writing in notebooks. A woman wearing a white hijab and green and white patterned dress sits next to two men. A stone wall and a tree are visible in the background.

Remarking on the quality of their experience, one participant shared, “Learning Arabic with the wonderful teachers and staff at Tantur (Notre Dame Jerusalem) has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The teachers helped us immerse ourselves completely in Palestinian-spoken Arabic while also giving us the professional vocabulary we needed for discussing everything from artificial intelligence to regional politics and beyond.”

These programs are enriched with area studies modules that offer participants a window into the diverse cultural, social, and religious landscape of the Arabic-speaking world. By taking participants off campus and introducing them to local experts, the field becomes their classroom and they have ample opportunity to practice what they have learned. This included engagements with ND Jerusalem adjunct faculty members like Avraham (Avrum) Burg and Prof. Sari Nusseibeh, Ambassador (ret.) Reda Mansour, and community leaders from different faith groups.

One participant noted the impact of the immersive experience: “Our location at the center of incredible history and culture enabled us to invigorate our classroom work with immersive trips to the Old City of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and further afield in Jaffa and Acre. Truly a remarkable learning experience at a world-class institution!”

Originally published by Jessie Carson at jerusalem.nd.edu on June 26, 2025.