Yale Arabic Aficionado Speaks at Choate; Highlights Growing Importance of the Language
By David Ressler ‘08
News Staff Reporter
Dr. Bassam K. Frangieh, the Senior Lector of Arabic at Yale University, spoke to the student body during an all-school Reflections on Saturday, March 25, in an attempt to inspire interest in the new Arabic language course, which will be taught Choate this fall.
With support coming from the Headmaster, Mrs. Wallace, and all the department heads, it was agreed that the new language course, open to all juniors and seniors who have fulfilled their language requirement, would be a strong addition to the language program.
Ms. Diana Beste, the language department head, stated that bringing back the course, which was taught here in the past, has been a “goal of mine for the last few years,” and that “Arabic 150 is just a piece of what I hope will become a larger program.” Considering the great success that Chinese, the newest addition to the list of languages offered at Choate, has experienced, it is believed that Arabic will have a similar impact both culturally and linguistically.
In his presentation of the Arabic language, Dr. Frangieh stressed the difficulty of studying such a complex language, but also highlighted the benefits that it would bring. He claimed that the language was very “enriching” and “fulfilling.” Born in the Middle East, Dr. Frangieh comes from a very diverse background and has taught Arabic at several institutions in the US including Washington University, Yale University, and Georgetown University. Currently his research “focuses primarily on modern Arabic literature and its relationship to Arab culture.” He has authored several books and has translated the works of several Arabic poets.
The recently hired, Mr. Jeremy Kurzyniec will be teaching Arabic, as well as Latin, here at Choate in the fall. Kurzyniec holds a “rich background” in both languages and will be a “welcome addition to the community,” said Beste.
The course will require a weekly lab component and will be a rigorous honors level class. The goal of the course is to “prepare students for a second year class at a university,” said Beste. She hopes that the language will be incorporated into other areas of study as well, including a new proposed senior elective, Middle-Eastern Poetry. Beste believes that the new course will not only establish a base for understanding the Arabic language, but will also further interdisciplinary study at Choate.
