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Saturday, July 27, 2024

Exchanging Languages and Cultures in Jordan

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Written by Clemencia El Antouri (College of Georgia), Pupil Correspondent for CET Jordan, Summer time 2023

Though Jordan is a small nation, there are at all times occasions and actions occurring for folks to take pleasure in. Since Fb is without doubt one of the hottest social media websites in Jordan, I discover it to be the simplest solution to uncover upcoming occasions in Amman.


The world of Zghairon café (left) and the within of Zghairon café on the primary ground (proper)


Just lately I found a well-liked volunteer group known as Bla Bla Jordan, which focuses on offering language change alternatives for locals and expatriates. After I attended my first session, it was situated at Zghairon café, a small, cozy café situated on the hipster aspect of Downtown Amman. After I arrived, I used to be greeted instantly by pleasant café workers and a number of other volunteers from Bla Bla Jordan. The café was embellished with many Arab figures and was three tales excessive, together with a rooftop. After assembly with the volunteers, they requested me what my native language was and what was my goal language for in the present day. Then, all of the company have been divided into teams of 5 to 10 (there have been 100 of us complete) with every group together with one expatriate.

Thus, my group consisted of me plus seven Jordanian women and men inquisitive about studying English and prepared to assist me study Arabic in return. We additionally had a bilingual Jordanian moderator to assist facilitate the change and choose the subject of debate for the day. In every session, there’s a completely different matter of debate. Some earlier matters have been self-care and psychological well being, music, vogue, and journey.


A group photo of eight people in a language exchange group sitting around a table with drinks at Zghairon café in Jordan

Group photograph with my language change group


As soon as the session begins, all of us order our coffees and introduce ourselves to the group. It was so attention-grabbing to satisfy various kinds of Jordanians, from faculty college students to retired professors; it was superb listening to completely different views and tales. Then, since our group was for an English-Arabic change, we spent the primary hour talking in English and the second hour talking in Arabic. Everybody in my group was extraordinarily supportive and respectfully corrected any errors I made in Arabic whereas encouraging me to proceed learning.

On the finish of the session, my group and I all exchanged numbers, they usually even wrote down for me the Arabic phrases that I didn’t know! Attending the Bla Bla Language Trade taught me the significance and worth of exchanging cultures and languages. I treasure the brand new pals I met each from Jordan and different nations by means of this occasion and encourage others to additionally seek for native occasions occurring to combine inside Jordanian society!


A CET Jordan student smiling and holding up a peace sign by wall graffiti on the street of a person's eyes

Me in entrance of graffiti within the space


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